Antikythera Fragment #5 - The First Precision Drill Bit

Cheers Matt :)

Clickspring

Absolutely brilliant- you've answered yet another question I've always had about how the ancients managed to do things. It's particularly impressive that such tiny diameter bits are possible, and how it's really quite straightforward to make cleanly-spaced holes. I sometimes struggle with such things using modern twist drill bits (at 1mm they can be very flimsy), and I'm definitely thinking of trying some of these ancient designs! Thanks yet again Chris!

Matt Lukes

Cheers mate :)

Clickspring

Another great video about a wonderfully useful tool to add to the ever growing list of shop projects for when I get my shop rebuilt thanks again Chris for making such great use of our patronage have a good night/day

Frank Donahue

Definitely worth a try mate - My own experience is that they're very effective in certain applications, have a definite self spotting capacity and a good suitability to shallow holes. Several viewers report that they use these drills often in a commerical setting, either shop made, or the commercial variant: <a href="https://www.sandvik.coromant.com/en-us/products/pages/productdetails.aspx?c=hc%204" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.sandvik.coromant.com/en-us/products/pages/productdetails.aspx?c=hc%204</a>

Clickspring

Would this style bit offer any advantage for sheet metal (.06" and under) or putting holes through round objects? Maybe make it more like a 135* vs 118* point? I have a decent length of .25" W1 tool steel sitting at work and I've been plotting on making a spotting/sheet metal drill out of some of it...

Clifton Ballad

Ha ha! Thank you mate :) I need to re-work the paper a bit to incorporate the suggestions from the peer review, and I also have another idea that I want to write up that is probably a bit more substantial, so will take longer to finalise - once they're good to go, you'll read about it all here first - Cheers :)

Clickspring

Thank you mate :)

Clickspring

Now I see where you've been spending your time. Who knew you had to sign into Patreon to get updates? Well, this idiot just increased my donation to $3 so I can get better updates. I would really like to see that paper you submitted. Making this drill is a PhD in and of itself.

Kevin Reardon

Thank you Jan! I will cover this in a later video, but yes it was definitely possible. The wreckage of the machine is perhaps the best proof: it has a number of long slender parts in it eg the lunar phase display shaft (approx 75mm x 4mm) as well as a number of retaining pins approx 1mm x 25mm - these dimensions exceed the turning requirements to form the green drill rod - These parts and several other features point to a remarkably sophisticated lathe tech that was surprisingly close to our own - Cheers mate :)

Clickspring

Another fine video, Chris.

Gordon Burns

Thanks for another captivating video! How would you go about getting wrought iron into a drill rod geometry (straight, constant diameter and circular? I don't think the (ancient) lathe is an option for long and thin parts like that, is it?

Its hard to be sure - The old texts are quite specific that it should be an animal based charcoal (horn, hoof, bone, leather etc) but are silent as to the reason why. My best guess is that there is something organic in an animal based carcoal that also assists the CO reaction, perhaps as a catalyst. Cheers :)

Clickspring

Whats the difference between using leather and other materials like wood as your carbon source?

Rene Schickbauer

Greetings Kenneth, thank you! Yes that second video is uploading at present, it should be complete in approx 8 hours - Cheers :)

Clickspring

Its probably all a bit similar at this scale Al - Cheers :)

Clickspring

Greetings Chris from the opposite side of the planet. Great video! At 4:16 you mention we should check out another video on your use of hand drills in the Antikythera construction. Did I miss a video somewhere, or is this an as yet unreleased video you are referencing? Cheers.

Kenneth Klose

As usual, a great video. Would a D bit br more rigid since you leave more material behind the cutting edge? I suppose on these small scales, it would be hard to tell the difference.

Al McKague

I know, shameless...

Clickspring

Kinda - Its missing some of the trace alloying elements (Mn, Cr, W etc), but I think its probably fair to call it a proto drill rod. At the very least, its a functional equivalent given its hardness characteristics after the quench. Cheers mate :)

Clickspring

Yes Ralph, the plans will be available from later today as a free download - its a great little project to build.

Clickspring

I'm pretty sure its currently all based on carrier pigeons... Actually the speed isn't so much a problem as the dropouts. So many times I'll be 3/4 through an upload and it hangs because of an interruption. I'm really looking forward to the mobile 5G when it becomes available

Clickspring

On its way Mike :)

Clickspring

Is this now "tool steel" ? Ralph

Ralph McCoy

Will the drilling tool have a build plan, like some of your other tools have ?? Great to be alive now instead of 2000 years ago. Ralph

Ralph McCoy

Is there an option for a go fund me to get Chris some quality internet? I would throw in a few bones if it got me my clickspring fix faster.

Brent Moore

You just had to tease us with the shot of the drill itself!

Ryan Das

Yes, because compared to a twist drill, it's very rigid. A twist drill is two helices connected by a thin web, which is very flexible in comparison.

Ryan Das

Very interesting. If the drill point is slightly off centre (since it is made only by eye) does it still drill accurately?

Can't wait for the next one, thanks!

Mike Michelizzi

Cheers mate :)

Clickspring

Cheers Mark :)

Clickspring

Another great video - thanks Chris.

Phil Sydor

Awesome. Thx!

Mark Doss

Ha ha!

Clickspring

Two hours after I become a Patron! The opposite of delayed gratification haha.

Tyler Moore

Ha ha! Still on its way mate, should be finished uploading in about 22hrs - The interwebs are bloody useless in my part of the world :)

Clickspring

Awesome Chris, I'm so pleased to hear that :)

Clickspring

Le Sigh... More of my "Bob Ross of Machining" fix. One question though. You mention making a hand powered drill which you covered in another video, but it seems that video didn't survive the perils of the dreaded 4chan beast on its quest to the holy land of YouTubes. Did something go wrong, or is that video still upcoming? PS. Any chance you could add another couple tags on Patreon for the Antikythera Mechanism and Fragments playlists?

Leo G.

New Clickspring always makes my afternoon. :)

Chris Talbot

Ha ha! Stay tuned :)

Clickspring

Now if there was only a way to show how to make homemade sheet bronze stock, just like great great great great great great great great great great great great great great gran'dad used to make

Dustin