When I used to drill out gun barrels I used to use a sharp scalpel to indent the centre point, this way you can judge how accurate you have been before drilling, the indent the scalpel leaves acts as a guide for the pin vice.

I always find drilling straight a problem, I guess clamps would help but that’s a real faff.

To line up the drill, I take a craft knife to put an indent in the centre as I find using the drill tends to make it drift off centre slightly on the first quarter rotation. Once the drill starts to bite, it should be fine if you can keep it straight….

Nothing wrong there, in my opinion. That’s just how do it : )

Hey @johnlyons I admit, I do drill out all my marine weapons. Don’t for my Eldar weapons. When I do start drilling, I use a smaller bit than you did. I also carefully find the centre by eye, guiding the the pin vice bit (or occasionally a pin) to were it is, then gently mark it by pressing down. This is almost always enough to get it right. I freely admit, I occasionally get it wrong though. Everyone does. I balls up one of my hell Blasters and sliced the wee barrel off on one as a result! D’oh! These… Read more »

Dead on how I do it. Same tool and everything.

Really enjoyed the project. Great scheme well executed. Gave me lots of ideas on planning for my Primarus Dark Angels. Gun barrels. I don’t drill them out right the way down. I just try to make a well centred hole with a pin vice, but don’t feel the need to drill all the way through from the side etc. It really does improve the emersion for me though to have the impression of a muzzle, because just a flat end doesn’t really look right. The gun is one area you look at relatively regularly in 40k as you play because… Read more »

I’m assuming if you had planned on doing this from the start, you would have drilled out the holes during assembly? It’s much less daunting than doing it to a fully pained model! With regards the Dremel, I’d almost never use mine for detail work like this, especially on plastics where the hand drill works allows more control without too much effort. If you do use a Dremel though, one option is to lit it on your work bench, bracing it with your off hand, then use your “dominant” hand to push the figure onto the drill, if that makes… Read more »

@Johnlyons you are very brave to do that to finished mini’s, i would always drill before assembly if possible so you dont snap a glued joint and its much easier to center on the barrel. Dremels are useful for very few things on a mini in my opinion, vehicles and terrain on the other hand is another story all together. They are also good for sharpening drills with a sharpening hone, just dont try to sharpen a drill less than .7mm it will end in tears and bleeding and abraded fingers (i speak from experience) With regards to pin vices… Read more »

First two Barrels I ever drilled out were perfect, maybe it was just my not thinking about it too much. Ever since then I’ve had some successes a few more failures,but thanks for sharing your not perfect.

I’m surprised there doesn’t exist a product to help line up the drill bit. It wouldn’t need to be a complex thing, just a length of pipe that fits around the barrel, with a smaller pipe inside it to guide an appropriately sized bit to the centre of the barrel.

a step too far… Was good, was great, was Brill before John,
Brill wonderful all the way through.
Another ONE for JOHN…