what do you use for holes

howdy was wondering what all you guys use for drilling holes in balsa when you use a wing jig for the metal rods thanks

Mike, One of the things that I use and like is a piece of sharpened brass tibing with the same outside diameter..as the wire Sharpen the tubing on the inside using an exacto blade (# 11 ) works well..
Then your wire should go through easily.. If using tubing for building rods just sharpen the inside of it the same way and twist it through for your holes..
Hope that this helps......

I have used two methods. First I use my K&S tubing hole cutters. These are four different sized brass tubes with wood knobs on one end and the cutting ends are sharpened on the inside. They are great for cutting holes, but doing say, 20, it is hard to get them all exactly lined up. So, I place the ribs in a plywood jig made of two plywood rib patterns, and use my drill press. Go slow, use a new bit. Keep the ply patterns tight so the ribs don't shift. By going slow, you eliminate the tendency of the balsa to split.
Or go for broke and have them laser cut.

Besides the K&S tubing, Bob Hunt once suggested that I keep an eye out for all the various thin wall tubes that are used in construction......copper plumbing pipe, electrical conduit, etc. These are great for the larger holes that we seek.
Bob remarked that he was blessed in that his father taught him all of these little tricks...and he was.
Bob had also contemplated making a "hole cutting" set available...using the readilly available tube available to us.... I think it would be a great idea.

See Ya

I use a mini drill press with a smaller sized drill and then use my hand to turn the correct size drill through for final hole.

Get your old R/C flying friends to give you their old bent transmitter antena's. You will have several sizes of very thin wall tubing that can be sharpened and serrated that will cut very nice holes with a little twist.

The brass tubing is probably the most common item. If you want to drill with the brass tubing in a drill press, you can sharpen the inside of the tube then cut tiny "teeth" in it like a hole saw. Doesn't take much.

Also (don't laugh) check out the local golf club repair man. See if he will give you an old shaft, preferably with the grip still on, and you can cut it on the section that matches the diameter of your rods or tubes. The thin steel much be sharpened on the inside with a rat tail file, but they last! Also, the last "step down" before the grip is a size I like to use to make the pilot holes for my lightning holes in ribs.

Bill <><

A Forstner bit will also work very well. A little spendy, but with care, it'll last a career in building. It will also drill ply and hardwood without splintering.

Better yet, contact Dan Rutherford. He has, if I'm not mistaken, a vast collection of instant holes. Just pick out the size you need (they vary from 1/8" up to nearly 4' in dia) and place them where you want them. Result-"INSTANT HOLES!"
I know they work, because when I was committed to Western Washington Mental Hospital after serving as President to a AMA SIG Dan snuck a big one into my ward and I placed it on the floor and made my escape!
Thats when I made the decision to try Percision Stunt stuff.
Joe

Diamond hole saws from Harbor Fright. They fit the dremel tool. The cut comes out like a laser cut it. They come in 3/16”, 5/16”, and 3/8”……$9.50

ONLY Problem they cut and plug up fast.

Another neat drill bit to have on hand is the Uni-Bit, the stepped drill bit that costs almost as much as a drill set. I discovered they cut holes in balsa, ply and spruce clean with no tearing or splitting.