[pinkfloyd4ever]

UGGGHHHH so I'm trying to drill the pins out of the tube sockets for the Millett I'm building. I've done it before, and I won't say it was easy, but I got them drilled with less trouble than this. Anyway, I broke off a tiny (1/16") bit inside of the socket pin and now it seems like I'm dulling the crap out of every drill bit I try, prob cause I'm having to drill thru that broken off piece of drill bit...kinda feels like I'm trying to drill into diamond or something. Oh, I should note that I'm using a cordless drill and not a drill press. I really don't want to spend the money for a press right now, but I'm afraid I may have to..especially since the guy I'm building this for wants the top on the case too, which of course will require a hell of a lot more drilling than one without. WAHHHH

any ideas?

 

[tomb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinkfloyd4ever /img/forum/go_quote.gif UGGGHHHH so I'm trying to drill the pins out of the tube sockets for the Millett I'm building. I've done it before, and I won't say it was easy, but I got them drilled with less trouble than this. Anyway, I broke off a tiny (1/16") bit inside of the socket pin and now it seems like I'm dulling the crap out of every drill bit I try, prob cause I'm having to drill thru that broken off piece of drill bit...kinda feels like I'm trying to drill into diamond or something. Oh, I should note that I'm using a cordless drill and not a drill press. I really don't want to spend the money for a press right now, but I'm afraid I may have to..especially since the guy I'm building this for wants the top on the case too, which of course will require a hell of a lot more drilling than one without. WAHHHH any ideas?

Try drilling through from the other direction. FYI - I use a 3/32" drill bit. The bit needs to be strong enough to push the other half of the pin through the other side. Both pins are hollow - you're only drilling through far enough to let you push (gently) with the drill bit. Unfortunately, 1/16" is a bit too small - but I guess you know that now.

Let me know if you need an extra. I might even be able to drill one or two for you ... I need to do them to build the MiniMAX prototype ... but don't tell anyone - send me a PM if you're interested.

As for the drill press and doing the MAX case, I did the original with a cordless drill - you can see it in the photos on the MAX website. The hole edges will be a little cleaner with a drill press, but using a drill press is actually more work setting up for each hole. With a good center punch and the cordless drill, you can knock out all those holes pretty quickly. Use a step-drill, of course - and the tube holes should really use the Greenlee punch for best results. Even then, though, the plastic tube bushings will cover a lot of mistakes.

 

[elliot42]

What do you two mean about drilling out the tube socket pins?

Are you talking about putting a hole in a case to mount a socket, or is there something else that's usally done with tube sockets that I don't know about (not that I know much about tubes) ...

 

[tomb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elliot42 /img/forum/go_quote.gif What do you two mean about drilling out the tube socket pins? Are you talking about putting a hole in a case to mount a socket, or is there something else that's usally done with tube sockets that I don't know about (not that I know much about tubes) ...

This will explain it for you:
Millett Hybrid MOSFET-MAX Tube Lights
Tube lighting with LED's is a long tradition with Millett Hybrids. The low voltage tubes don't provide much light on their own. The MAX is no different. Unfortunately, 7-pin PCB tube sockets do not come with open center pins. To get the LED's under or into the sockets to light up the tubes, you have to drill the pins out and glue the socket halves back together.

 

[elliot42]

A-ha, that makes much more sense. All I could think that you were referring to was drilling out more space in the sockets where each tube pin goes... but I thought that would be just silly

 

[kklee]

If I remember correctly, I used a bigger drill bit because you don't actually have to drill through the entire metal plug. I think I used a 3/16" bit and drilled just far enough that the flanged edge of the metal plug came off.

 

[nikongod]

If you do a lot of case-work a drill-press is a VERY VERY good investment. I mostly use plastic panels, but a drill-press has still improved the quality and ease of my work several-fold.

 

[rockcod]

Well, here is how I do it:
1. Center punch the hole first
2. Hold the socket firmly in a vertical position (use a vise if you have to, but be sure to wrap it in a piece of cloth so the vise doesn't crash/crack it.)
3. Drill first using small bit (1/16") then 5/64"
4. The center rivet will fall off usually.

The key here is to drill dead-center.

 

[Iniamyen]

Use the screwdriver method. You put a small flathead screwdriver in the key where the top connects with the bottom and then gently rotate it until they come apart. You want to pause and use your hands to pull them between screwdriver turns. As long as you are patient and gentle this seems to work really well. I wouldn't try to drill anything this fragile.

edit: This is a lot easier than the verbal instructions would have you believe. As long as you are gentle it's INCREDIBLY easy to not mess up.

edit 2: Once you get the top and bottom slightly separated, you can use the screwdriver along the rest of the gap (not just in the key.) This helps evenly pry them.

 

[tomb]

Everyone has their own method, but I've tried prying for a couple of years and gave up. Some of these pins will even break a drill bit before you can push them apart. There are also some sockets whose bottom half is only 1/16" thick. That won't support prying, IMHO.

I settled on the 3/32" bit because they stand up pretty well without breaking. Larger bits have a real chance of taking some of the sides of the socket hole with it. There's also a very small lip in the ceramic next to the hole and you can pulverize that pretty easily with larger drill bits. It gets back to the reason why we use step drill bits - the pot metal of the pins is so soft, a large drill bit can seriously deform the pins such that it's even harder to get them out.

A very gentle drill through the top surface of the top pin, then gently push while still drilling on the bottom pin - you can feel the looseness once you punch through the top pin. Too much, and you can "weld" the bottom pin to the bit, causing it to careen around the bottom of the socket destroying things.

I agree that it takes a fine touch - one reason I always recommend purchasing extra sockets. My average has gone from breaking about 1 out of 3 or 4 to only breaking 1 out of every 10. (I've done quite a few of them - some for other people.)

 

[pinkfloyd4ever]

thanks for your help everyone. I finally got them both done, and luckily without breaking anything, since I didn't order extras. (I actually got em yesterday evening but the went to the Nine Inch Nails concert so I didn't have time to post) Anyway, I have always used a vice, with the socket clamped between 2 pieces of wood. I don't have a proper center punch, so I use a nail to start the hole, but I'm always weary of cracking the socket, so I think that's why the first one wasnt centered so well. As tom and others mentioned, if you make a mess of the very soft metal, it will deform, making it even harder to get out. The second one however was relatively painess. Drilled a 3/32" hole thru the top of the pin, took it out of the vice, and pulled it apart. Btw, do you guys use cutting oil when drilling your sockets (or cases for that matter)? The whole socket was getting insanely hot so I did. Anyone know exactly what kind of metal those pins are made of? It's SO soft. Thanks again everyone, keep on rockin in the free world

 

[tomb]

Yes, I use a bit of cutting oil - or Marvel Mystery Oil, anyway (I use that stuff for all sorts of things). I don't know about keeping the socket cool, but it certainly helps to keep the pin metal from melting to the drill bit. Once drilled and separated, I soak them in alcohol to get all the oil out before gluing with 15-minute epoxy. As noted on the MAX/MOSFET-MAX website, don't dare use Gorilla glue or other polyurethane brands. It will bubble and expand out into the pins and render the socket useless.

All this discussion makes it sound awfully complicated, but it only takes about a minute to setup and drill each socket.

Glad to hear you got them drilled!