Gentlemen and Lady,

Can someone tell me how to remove the lances from knights, drill a hole and replace with a stronger metal lance?  My pin drill won't "bite" and makes a mess of the mini.

Also, what is best for replacing said lance?

Thanks in advance 

I remove the weapon and then create a starter hole for the pin vise with an old pair of compasses. Not 100% successful but substantially better than trying to use the pin vise on it's own.

Same as above but I would use a fine needle file as a starter. Piano wire is probably best for hardness but is a bu**er to cut and shape to a point, brass rod does the trick and is easier to shape although if you want to be a bit trendy, apparently people are using nylon brush 'hairs' as lances by heating the tip slightly, flattening it and trimming for the point.

Just ss when drilling into a ceramic tile the drill bit needs something to catch onto, of course with a cermic tile you use masking tape, but for some reason I don't find that quite appropriate on a 10mm figure.   

What I do is use a small dab of PVA glue where I intend to drill (I use an archimedes screw drill on 6 - 15mm) and let it set, this then is easy enough for the tip of the drill bit to bite into and take hold.  (I did try super glue at first but found that it was a right b--ger to get any excess off, but PVA any excess PVA can easily be taken off with a little scrapping with a craft knife.)

Also, I generally use dressmaker pins for spears, flagstaffs, lances, etc., they are easily obtainable on a certain auction website, also you can get them in all kinds of lengths and thicknesses, just clip off the head of the pin with a good set of modelling wire/metal cutters.  (I should say though I have just ordered some piano wire pikes from Pendragon to compare them against the pins.)

Hope this helps.

Thanks all, really helpful stuff. 

Final question: what kind of drill do you all use?

Hi Gareth...
Just to go back to the first question.
I use a tiny burr attached to the Dremmel to make the 'dent/placement hole'...(I've used this method SO many times, it's very rare I make a mess....Says he modestly  ) Then drill down using that dent as the guide, as has previously been suggested.
I'll use a 0.5mm or 0.7mm bit....Sometimes in a pin vise...Or if I've got lots of holes to make (e.g. all the bows I've been replacing/lengthening recently,) I'll carefully use the Dremmel, but with the bit as short as practical, so it's less likely to snap !

The bits I prefer are relatively pricey, (about 50p each) but stay sharp a lot longer.

Hope that might be of some use.

Cheers - Phil

Thanks Phil; really useful. 

Bear in mind that very fine bits go off quickly, may work for 2-3 uses up to 6 months. I use them to drill tanks for antenna, plasic is worse than pewter.

IanS

Quote from: ianrs54 on 30 January 2015, 09:18:04 AM
Bear in mind that very fine bits go off quickly, may work for 2-3 uses up to 6 months. I use them to drill tanks for antenna, plasic is worse than pewter.

IanS

THAT explains an awful lot! 

Thanks Ian

If they don't snap when I drop them (grrr damned carpet) I clean mine with a scalpel every so often and they work fine after that!

Oh - and dont try using them as a knife 

IanS

Quote from: mad lemmey on 31 January 2015, 08:44:30 AM
I clean mine with a scalpel every so often and they work fine after that!

Ditto....Just carefully pick the 'crud' out with the point of a 10A...Whether plastic or white metal.
Cheers - Phil

I love a good 10a!

Curious...

If you use nylon brush; doesn't the paint flake off?