Uncle Adam!! Can you please do a vid on magnetising minis?

I usually use my exacto blade to make the pilot hole. Touch the tip of the blade to the center of the barrel, and the spin the blade a bit. If the hole is a bit off center, you can just scrape a little of the side that is closest to the center. I think there is less risk of poking yourself as you don't need to use that much force, and you have a better grip on the tool. You can also tune the size of the pilot hole to match the drill bit, the more you spin the blade the bigger the hole gets.

quick one, if you're tight (like me) and don't want to spend $10/£10 on a pin vice..pop into a local fishing shop and get a small bait drill..exactly the same thing just cheaper, probably less than half the cost

If you hear a horrible creaking, screeching kind of souls of the damned noise that's construction outside and definitely not the cries of the ensnared souls i keep in my basement!

How have I not thought of a pilot hole before? Thanks for the tip made things so much easier from now on!

The little stringy bits are called swarf.

A pin vice is so useful in this hobby and I'd recommend everyone get one. As well as doing the barrels you can pin wire into the feet of your minis for easy painting. You can drill holes for magnets, I think ive done about 150 magnet holes. And also you can use it to fix broken minis, reinforcing parts with wire. I've reattached chaos spikes, broken staves, and the arms and servo skull onto someones belisarius cawl model. Great little tool for anyone taking their modelling seriously

Sure, it's simple, but it really makes your minis look so much better. I've got into the habit over the years of drilling out gun barrels as a part of the mouldline removal/mini clean-up process. I just don't consider that process to be complete until I've done it.

I just realized how much fun it is to listen/watch you explain how mechanical things work. The spider fingers for spinning the pin vise was priceless!!!

The sound quality of the mic is amazing. Thanks for the excellent video about the drilling too, I'm just starting up my army of Blood Angels and I haven't gotten to assemble them so I'm quite grateful to see this tip of advice before priming them :)

if you don't bore out your barrels, you will roll ones

Your finger nails are so much nicer than most of the other hobbyists on teh KZfaqs Uncle Atom.

This is why I subscribe! Tiny but hugely effective tips that I hadn't thought of. Been using a pin vice on kits and models since 1970 (I started young age ten on model building) and never thought of using a pin do start a pilot hole to center the hole. THANK YOU Uncle Atom!

The pilot hole is essential !! For plastics, I heat up the pin over a candle, metals too, but I use a straight mechanic's pick...great job Uncle Atom

I love that you're doing more videos talking about hobby methods with actual footage of the tip you're talking about, lol. I love when you're just chatting about stuff. But its soooooo soooo great when you add video or photo examples of the stuff you're discussing. More please!

Great tip. Been stabbing my fingers for years! I thought that creaking noise was my knees?!... I’m glad it’s on your end! Thanks for posting. Always great stuff for veterans and beginners!

I am so dumb. I used to do this when I worked in construction and steel fabrication, but never even thought to punch a guide hole on these barrels. I will definitely do this on my Scions. Thx :)

Having watch a lot of video ( including yours) before building my first figures in years, I have drilled out all the barrels on my SM army so far. From First strike, 2 Know No Fear boxes, and Dark imperium. It definitely adds time to the process, I work in groups of 5 or 10 to keep it manageable. Thanks for all the tips, getting better with each group.

Great vid. I'm excited to see if people take it to the next level - like putting holes anywhere the artist could only insinuate them. Personally, trimming flash, cleaning the model up, priming and what I call "gouging" lines are all part of the same process before base coating. What I mean by gouging is taking a knife or file and deepening things like cracks and joints that I think need a little more depth to them. ...thanks Adam!

Great video! An alternative I use to make the pilot hole, is that I take my xacto knife and put the tip of it where I want the hole. Then I just spin with light pressure. Once a little indention is made I swap to the hand drill and continue from there :) Hope that alternative helps!

Great tip Atom! I use the same technique when drilling holes for magnets when magnetizing options on larger models.

Non-drilled barrels, almost as bad as excellent paint jobs on miniatures with prominent seam lines! Always have used my exacto blade to start the pilot hole. Great video.

Best piece of modelling advice I've learnt in a while good job sir.

To get the pilot hole in the centre, I will usually use a sharp blade to mark a straight line across the centre of the barrel, then another one at 90° to it and then use the point of the blade to mark out the centre. Also, if you drill out the vents on the side of a barrel first, then you don’t have to guess how far down the barrel you’re drilling.

This was very helpful, thank you! As someone new to conversation I feel more confident now to tackle my first one!

I have been drilling the barrels for a little while now that I have started really doing painting 40K, but I never thought to use a pin to start the holes. Thanks for the tip.

I got a pin vice in a tool kit but I had no idea what it was! I actually thought it was defective at first.. until I figured out how to use it and now it's a priceless addition to my kit lol. Not sure about drilling the barrels of my sniper rifles ATM, they look kinda fragile. EDIT: Thanks for showing me the proper technique, I got the sniper rifles done perfectly!

Thanks for the tip. I had never heard of this before. I will definitely try it out on my next build.

Great tip! Thanks for sharing this.

One tip I'd suggest for 40k bolters: If you can get a real thin drill, drill out the vents on the sides of the barrel before you drill the barrel itself. The geometry of the plastic helps as a guide that way, and then the pin vise tends to wander less (I think since the tip of the barrel can now be slightly concave rather than slightly convex, as the bits tend to be out of the mold. I've never tried using starter holes when drilling the barrels on my models personally; I've just gotten pretty good at centering it by hand. I usually place my finger next to the barrel and hold the drill pressed normally (that is, the force vector would be sideways, orthogonal to the length of the drill) against my finger with just enough force that it doesn't move transversely to the drilling direction. I should try this pin trick some time though.

I just paint a black dot on the ends of the barrels. Works for me - you're using paint to represent everything else, after all. That said, thanks for putting out these tutorials Uncle Atom, they're great hobby fodder.

BRILLIANT!!!! Never even thought to use a pilot hole!

Great tip with the pin! I actually had issues with not getting exactly centered stuff due to the moving.

Great vid, love the pilot hole idea. I’ll use a thumb tac for that. I wanted to know some good drill bit sizes to use for this (and also “pinning”).

Dope video, very informative, ty!

I always drill the barrel. It looks so much more "realistic".

you dont need to go deep, its just for looks.... XD, rather than actually creating a full functional firearm? this guys the best, Ive watched a few vids and Im hooked. Thinking of digging out my 20+ year untouched totes full to the brim with minis and maybe doing them up now that Im an old man without the need for a partying budget in my life. Im really getting some inspiration from this channel, fantastic stuff.

Dude this is good stuff. I used a wooden clamp and a brass rod to guide the bit so all my holes were done as straight as possible and the same way each time. I was thinking of doing the same thing now with a few changes. One would be to use a pen screwdriver. They are great for accuracy if you take it slow.

Sometimes it's problematic to drill holes, because the muzzle brake (actual part which is drilled) is malformed due to the casting process. Sometimes you can drill anyway. In some cases, you might have to cut off the muzzle brake and replace it with one formed with GreenStuff or any other modeling putty. Also, you can use a small power tool, e.g. a Dremel (low torque setting) with a small drill bit, e.g. 0.8mm, and make your life easier. Some drill bits come with a centering tip, so you can easily push the tip against the muzzle brake and drill away. And last, but not least: you can heat up the needle before making a pilot hole. it's a faster method that helps preparing the drilling process, especially if you have lots of minis.

Nice video Atom! If you want to go even a bit further you can also drill the holes on the side of the muzzle(?) to give it a really realistic 3d effect. That looks even better imo :)

Awesome vid. I feel like spinning an x-acto blade or a larger-bore drillbit (unpowered) would help clean up the flashing around the edge of the hole, and (if you want) chamfer the edge itself a bit.

You can also use a razor (exacto knife or simply a hobby knife) with a sharp point to do this. if you spin the blade whilst it is in the right spot, it makes a nice pilot divot. Great video btw :)

Drilled my first barrel thanks to your advice.

I use the tip of my hobby knife to make the pilot hole, it really helps keep the pin vice where you want it!

Also you may want to reverse the rotation on the vice a couple times before removing the bit from the barrel.

Great tip.

If you have a Dremel (or equivalent), you can do the job about as easily with a pin vice - if you don't plug it in. Just hold it as steadily as you can and gently turn the chuck between your fingers. The biggest trick is making sure the bit stays centred and parallel with the barrel. For that, I hold the gun and drill as completely still as I can (I'll usually brace my elbows on the desk), line the bit up with the barrel first, then move my head slightly, so I'm viewing the setup from a fractionally different angle. If it still looks straight from that second angle, _then_ I start drilling. By periodically moving your head a little, you can ensure that the drill stays straight.

I own two pin vises (visii? idk), one from Stylex for small holes (0.3mm-1.2mm) and Tamiya for large holes (1.5mm and up). Right tools for the right job :D

i always go through the side holes as well makes the barrel look very real

Did this for the first time with my current army. Now a model isn't right until I've drilled out the barrel. and on some of the larger guns, or special models I drill across the barrel where the "muzzle brake" is to really finish the look.

this may seem a bit dumb but hear me out, i've worked with space marines, tau and now some Genestealer Cults for my kill teams, and after trying with the hand drill i've come with some experience the thing is, there are different sizes for the drill bits, 1mm ones are good for bolters and similar weapons, when you go down to smaller sized barrels as in tau pulse rifles you got to get yourself something a bit smaller maybe .8 or .7 mm. The point here is, if you want to drill your barrels have the "ammo size" in mind, i've screwed up some of my tau trying to drill the barrels with the wrong drill bit

Thanks Uncle Adam!

I use a panel scriber to make my pilot holes - it still seems hard for me to get it centered sometimes. Here's a helpful tip - after you set a pilot hole, use a smaller bit first to drill the barrel, and then go up a size until you have the diameter you need. This will be easier to drill accurately.

Acne needle is good way to pin a gun hole, because of the grip. And the circle part at the other side is good for sculpting greenstuff.

I've been asked to judge the painted armies for local competitions on a few occasions. All other things being equal, an army with drilled barrels is going to win over an army without drilled barrels. Same for any painter who cleans off all of the mold lines versus one who doesn't. Another detail would be having a common theme run between the units, such as the basing materials. The hobbyist without these small details is losing points to those who pay attention and takes the time to do them. That said, most players aren't trying to win any paint competitions or tournamnets, but sometimes winning the paint competition can add to your overall score in a tournament. In some of the ones I've judged, the prize for best painted army has been nearly as good as the prize for the tournament winner.

I love those warnings

I’ll have to try this.

Now that I literally ordered everything I thought I needed to start with Warhammer I see this video and now I hate myself for not buying a drill because I simply forgot about it...

Love this mans voice.

Thank you so much for this. I have so many barrels to drill. I was holding off since I messed up some in my first squad.

I use a Milwaukee bit to do this and those bits have a point brad point build on them to prevent the bit from walking.

I use a sewing needle. I just clamp it in the pin-vice and then I heat it briefly in a candle. Then I swap out the needle for the drill and do the barrels.

The drill bits for extremely small drills like these hand held ones are extremely sharp. They will act as needles if you slip of the model, Atoms tips will help you drill straight but also prevent slipping straight though your hand.

A General #13 drill bit gauge will ensure a better fit (although I don't use the exact same size bit and pin...usually make the hole a touch larger).

small tip for the drilling is, grease or oil the knob at the end from your Handdriller

Not sure if it's just me... on bolters, I always drill the main barrel then come in from the side where the indents are and drill through sideways as well. It's quick (since there is already something like a pilot hole) but looks a bit more complete to be able to see through it. Maybe it's just a bit OCD...

I have 2 companys of space marines to drill... send whisky.

Lol, that moment when most people you know says it's a waste of time... 😅 Though seriously, I have seen plenty of people mess up the drilling part, so that's what makes me slightly paranoid of doing this. Great tip, now the smaller bolters can get the same treatment too

My pin vice has the spares in the opposite end and the bloody cap screws off constantly, dumping all the spares over the desk/floor. Im going looking for one like yours to save myself the angst 😀

Remember to paint the barrel hole a darker colour for extra appearance of depth. P3 Pig Iron is good for it.

I use my hobby knife to make the pilot holes, but im going to try the pin idea.

I literally just finished my Space marine barrels a few hours ago...and then you upload this... coincidence...I think not! Also do you drill the holes on the side of the barrel as well? I do, just wondering.

Best way to do this I found is not drilling but melting the plastic with the pin attached to relatively cold soldering iron

Great video! Just wondered, do you know of any tips/hacks to get the pilot hole dead-centre? I'm pretty rubbish when it comes to eyeballing it.

I use a push pin type thumbtack for my pilot hole. Do you cross-bore your bolters? Great camera work!

Never even thought of this..

I like the screw pencil!

Is that a CML Supply drill? It looks exactly like the one I have, and that makes me happy. (Please understand, I'm still kinda new to the hobby) Mainly because, when I was shopping for a drill, I was so worried about buying one that sucked. But, then I started to use it, and was pretty satisfied with it, and now that one of the "pros" uses that same one, it makes it even better for me. I know it might be a little thing, but still. Makes me a little more confident.

Lol I’m ashamed to say I never thought of creating a pilot hole before drilling out my barrels. When I first started doing this years ago I probably had a 50/50 chance of drilling it out and the hole would be dead center. These days after much practice I probably have about a 80/20 chance of getting it right. Maybe now I’ll improve that number dramatically by creating a pilot hole. lol. So from one old hobbyist to another thanks Atom! 👍🏻😎

I use a second pin vise to dimple/pilot hole my muzzles and vehicle exhausts.

I prefer my cordless drill to the pin vice. The drill rests solidly with its battery on the table, so I don't need to hold it up. The trigger has a lot of travel to it, so there is no danger of unintentally going full speed. A slight squeeze of the trigger makes the bit turn very slowly. And I don't need to hold the model tightly either. Slow rotation and light pressure gets the job done. No hand twisting is necessary, so the hole is always strait in. Of course it would be unwise to use just any drill this way.

There is so much innuendo going on in this video! 😂🤣😉😋

1mm hand droll from gw citadel range sells them, there awesome. Use on space marines chaos marines, imperial, rhinos, predators, lascannoms ect make holes 😄

What the hell? I didn't even get a notification for this, even though I've got the bell clicked. That said, excellent video.

I don’t even use a pin vice the resin is so soft you can do it with you’re fingers and a 1/32 drill bit almost effortlessly once you poke your Center guide. Mind you I will buy one when I can find one haha

I have the saaaame drill.. for ages XD But I won't start drilling SW:Legion barrels XD

That is the trick, picking it dead center every time. It would really easy for them to mold the gun barrels with a pip. If it was hard your GW dies would come with out pips. And you would have to drill them yourself.

If you do drill the holes make sure to run a scalpel around the edge to take the burr off.

Everyone should drill their barrels!! :D

I wish you had done this video a few months ago before Killteam.

I've been checking those out... don't know what size bits to get. I've been playing AoS for the last 2 years but I've only recently bought some 40k stuff to play Kill Team.

Do you also drill the holes from the side? I do and I find it easier to do them first before I drill from the front, because there's already a pilot hole there and it helps to know when to stop when driling the front of the barrel.

i suggest using a thinner drill bit at first hten once its done use a bigger one so that the amount of plastic being moved doesn't mess around with the plastic you dont want moved

Just wiggle it. Just a little bit.

Wow! No wonder I always lose when I use my 15 year old space marines. No drilled barrels. Wish I would of hear about this then. ;) Thanks for the tip. P.S. Can't believe there was only one that's what she said joke in the whole chat.

i got 150 ork boyz and drilled them all!

Ive got a good pin vice, it's the drill bits I struggle with; they snap really easily. Maybe I should try more expensive bits? I'm not pushing hard on the model but the bits are so brittle that they snap, I've even stabbed myself on the remaining part. Is there such a thing as a drill bit designed for plastic?

A little detail that I add to do the pilot hole is to heat the pin with a lighter. Even tho it can sound more dangerous, as the plastic melt, its easier to dig as deep as you need. I cannot count the amount of times that I have stabbed myself with the pin for applying to much pressure and making the pin slide 😂

How would you recommend drilling when the models are metal? I have some 150+ Vostroyans in the assembly line right now.

Making pilot holes while doing carpentry since age 8 (34-ish years), just like dad taught me... Never once thinking/remembering to make a pilot hole in a model's gun while drilling the barrel for 24+ years of gaming. Gotta love failing to recognize cross hobby/discipline skills.