Drilling Perspex Canopy Parts

[fishplanebeer]

Does anyone have a fail safe guaranteed method of drilling holes into clear parts please?

 

I'm assuming no such method exists but thought I'd check as the transparency in question is part of the old Italeri Do217E kit I'm about to start making so there would be no way of getting a replacement (I don't do vacuum canopies) if it all went south so as to speak.

 

Regards

Colin.

[Andrew Jones]

Before You start put a couple of layers of masking tape over the area you wish to drill and use a pin vice not a dremel or similar power drill. work very slowly.

[Alex Gordon]

What he said,sharp drill bit and go gently with the touch of a midwife.

[ColonelKrypton]

fill the interior of the canopy with blue ( or white ) tac for support.

 

Also, as already mentioned a new or nearly so sharp bit in a pin vise and gentle touch.  And, use a bit of water as a cutting fluid. 

 

cheers, Graham 

[fishplanebeer]

Many thanks for the replies which confirm that it is possible to do this, with great care and some practice.

 

As such I think this is something for me to try on a transparency that could be replaced if necessary and not one from a kit that is no longer available, so I may have to resort to breaking the machine gun's barrel off and then gluing the two parts onto the perspex using G-S Hypo cement instead, or just forget about being totally accurate and leave it off all together.

 

Regards

Colin.

[spruecutter96]

Pretty much what all the other posters have said. Don't use an electric drill - do it by hand. Place the canopy upside-down, preferably on a small bed of blue-tack or similar. VERY gently and slowly, drill into the inside of the canopy, stop and check your progress very regularly. Remember that clear parts seem to be MUCH easier to break that any other parts in a kit (Lord knows why, but this does seem to hold true).

 

Be a wee bit paranoid about breaking the clear part and you should be fine in the drilling. Using masking-tape to prevent slippage is a very solid tip. 

 

Best of luck. 

 

Chris.   

[nheather]

Everything that has been said plus I would add starting with small drills and working your way up to the size required in small increments.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel

[Mark Harmsworth]

I agree with all the above. Masking tape, mark the position with a pencil, make a small dent with the tip of a craft knife and then slowly hand drill. Oh yes and take a deep breath before you start 😉

Good luck

Mark

[AltcarBoB]

Years ago when small drill bits were expensive and hard to get hold of we used to use a heated pin or needle to make holes in clear and coloured styrene.

 

It works and is less likely to crack the canopy but requires a steady hand and nerves of steel to do it.

 

Get some new high quality bits and drill smoothly.

[JohnT]

What all the guys said above and more so. Slow gently and steady with a new drill and by hand. 
 

One essential they all foolishly missed. Pour a decent belt of a single malt to be drunk only on completion. It’s dual purpose. Either to steady the shakes if successful or commiserate with if it’s a screw up 

[dogsbody]

3 hours ago, JohnT said:

One essential they all foolishly missed. Pour a decent belt of a single malt to be drunk only on completion. It’s dual purpose. Either to steady the shakes if successful or commiserate with if it’s a screw up 

 

This will also ease up the intense pucker that you'll develop whilst drilling the clear part. Helps with the un-clenching.

 

 

 

Chris

[JohnT]

32 minutes ago, dogsbody said:

 

This will also ease up the intense pucker that you'll develop whilst drilling the clear part. Helps with the un-clenching.

 

 

 

Chris

There speaks a man from experience