Tools of the trade

[webenda]

Thanks for sharing on that wowstick. It's a shame you're stuck using their proprietary bits though, so that's a no go for me.

Does the Wowstick require using proprietary drill bits or will any brand work?

No, the Wowstick does not use proprietary drill bits. It uses the very common 2.35 mm bits (any brand as long as it has a 2.35 shank.

Ah! And there is the rub! So, I would say that they are proprietary indeed.

On this forum, you can say anything you want to, Big Jim. And I can disagree with you without being thrown into the lake of fire.

What does the word proprietary mean?
adjective. pro·​pri·​e·​tary prə-ˈprī-ə-ˌter-ē : of, relating to, or characteristic of an owner or title holder. proprietary rights. : used, made, or marketed by one having the exclusive legal right.

Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › prop.

Nobody has an exclusive legal right to 2.35 mm shank drill bits. I asked Google Search, "How many companies sell 2.35 mm drill bits?
The answer came back, About 267,000 results.

AliExpress
All Industrial Tool Supply
Amazon.com
Cooksongold
Dillon Supply
Drill America 2.85 mm High Speed Steel General Purpose ...
DrillsandCutters.com
eBay
Eternal Tools
Etsy
Foredom
Gobal Industrial®
Grainger
Harbor Freight Tools
Home Depot
Keenso
MoMark 2.35mm Shank Tapered Head Diamond Grinding ...
MSC Industrial Supply
Newegg.com
panamericantool.com
Precision Twist Drill 016368 | 2.35mm Diameter...
Ryobi Titanium Drill Bit Kit (22-Piece)
Sears
SGS - Micro Drill Bit: 2.35 mm Dia, 130 ° Point, Solid Carbide
Thunderbird Supply Company
Tractor Supply
us.misumi-ec.com
Uxcell
Walmart
WALTER TITEX, 2.35 mm Drill Bit Size, 15/32 in Flute Lg ...
...
and on and on for thousands of pages.

[Big Jim]

So, yes, I must stand corrected in that, by definition, I used the wrong word. My mistake and shame on me for assuming people would know what I was speaking of...which is, the Wowstick must use a drill with a 2.35mm shank. You cannot use anything other than that size. Your #80 drill bit will not fit, nor, any of your other drill bits other than a 2.35mm bit.
So, you must buy a whole new set of bits with a 2.35mm shank.
Sorry Wowstick, you are not for me.

[webenda]

So, you must buy a whole new set of bits with a 2.35mm shank. Sorry Wowstick, you are not for me.

Big Jim, you do not have to buy a whole new set of bits to use the Wowstick, it comes with a set of drill bits.
Nevertheless, the Wowstick is not for me either. I use either the Dremel tool or a pin vise.

The collet chuck in this pin vise adjusts from 1/8 to zero.

[gregj410]

Well I couldn’t bring myself to spend a few hundred on a micro press but I had to up my game. I had an x y vise for my drill press that I never used. I found these pcb drill bits on eBay at about 8$ per pack. 1/8” shank so they’ll easily go in the drill press. I have 96 tiny holes on a foothills gondola I’m building from a kit. They are very tiny and accuracy and speed to some degree are going to count if I’m to ever get this complete. I may have over stepped my skill set on this one. It will eventually make it to the modelers thread. More on that later.

[DaveJfr0]

Apologies for calling the bits proprietary. They are just really difficult to source for anything in imperial sizes. The primary hole size I drill is .02". The smallest bit included with the wowstick is 0.8mm, which is .03". So I'd need to drop another $10-20 to get 0.5mm bits, which gets me to .019". If I need to go smaller, I think I have to stick with manual pinvises.

I decided to look deeper at this product (not to be confused with the 1F screwdriver they sell) as it had a discount for Prime Day, and was ready to dive in and try it and post an update here...until I read the reviews on Amazon and Kickstarter. They are not good.

Ignoring the folks who backed the kickstarter who received nothing and feel scammed, the Amazon reviews indicate there is a serious precision issue with the wowstick, especially with the chuck/collet. Lots of wobbling of the bits. There is video proof on Amazon. May be fine if pilot holes are drilled with a pinvise, but sort of defeats the point for me IMHO. Also, whatever gearing they use within seems to give out after several months or use. Not sure if its users pressing too hard, but there are too many complaints to rule out coincidence for me.

Disappointing, as I was actually looking forward to find something lowspeed and easy to hold that could drill any #60-80 holes. I think there are some other low speed, high torque solutions out there that may receive standard bits, but I'll have to do more research.

Slightly tempted to buy a set and see if I luck out and get one that works exactly as advertised, but I have a feeling I'll be wasting my time.


References:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/im ... l/comments
https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/ ... filter-bar