On Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:08:03 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry Zoot
wrote:

I am interested in using traditional hand tools for jewelry
fabrication. I understand there are several types of hand drills;
spiral drill, hand crank drill, and the kind that uses a stick and
rope. I have a Dremel and don't want to spend on a flex shaft yet.
What is the best bet for a traditional hand drill to drill holes up
to, say 1 mm or so?

Since you already have a dremel tool, I'd say use it. You can get collets in
any size below the 1/8 inch maximum of most dremels, all the way down to a
collet that will hold a #80 drill bit, and the dremel's high speed is fine with
small drill bits. Use a suitable cutting lube and a light touch.

If you want a manual/traditional tool, the hand crank is the easiest for a
novice to use, but a bit clumsy to handle for tiny drill bits. The bow drill
(your stick and rope) is an old traditional tool that is very capable and
versatile in the hands of someone used to them, and still in use in parts of the
world lacking more modern (electric) tools for the job, but it takes
considerable practice to use well. For beginners with them, they're frustrating
as hell (but then, so is a hand crank drill if you're trying to drill really
tiny holes.) For one thing, bow drills are perhaps most effective when you make
your own drill bits as "spade" point bits that cut in both directions (clockwise
and counterclockwise, with one cutting edge active in each direction) Making
the appropriate bits is a whole additional skill in itself.

The litle spiral drills are a very slow and gentle tool. Mostly used by
watchmakers, more than jewelers. Accurate, but as I said, very slow to use.

So again, since you've already got a dremel, I'd suggest it as your best choice.
That's especially true if you've got one of the versions that has a speed
control on it, rather than just on/off.

Peter Rowe