Any strategies for fixing this hole?

[Cob[501st]]

 

This is a Doopydoos E11 Complete Resin kit, and I don't know what I'm doing - so I am learning as I go. I bought a dremel and a workstation that works like a drill press, but then learned you can't seat a 3/8" bit in it, so I probably could have researched that better... I don't have a lot of tools or handy knowledge.

 

The top hole -- well it was kind of bubbly and the initial guide hole slipped and was off-center.  Then I decided maybe I could just dremel it down and slowly expand it out to the correct shape.  In process I sort of realize that isn't going to work out perfectly and stopped before I carved out too much.

 

The bottom hole worked out great -- I used the dremel press to make a guide hole and then just hand-worked the 3/8" drill-bit like a hand bore to carve out the resin.  

 

Soo -- I'm pretty sure this is fixable, but I'm not sure how.  Is there some sort of putty or epoxy that I can fill this with that would have a similar hardness to the original resin?  If so, I could patch it, then drill a new guide hole and then hand-bore it like the successful hole.  I'm not sure coming in with a drill over the unpatched hole is going to be feasible, especially without having a real drill press.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Cob

[gazmosis[501st]]

There is a dremmel bit for every application!! This is my go to bit for almost every precise detail grinding I need. It comes in smaller sizes to get into practically every space ever needed. You can remove the tiniest amount of material with it and it makes flat bottomed holes with practice.

[Cob[501st]]

Referencing: http://www.dremel.com/en-us/customerservice/ManualsAndLiterature/Documents/2011%20Accessory%20Poster.pdf

 

So that looks like... a #115 5/16" high speed cutter?  So do you recommend that I just keep winging it?  I also thought maybe I could magic marker out the areas to not remove in black and maybe that would help.

 

I was using a #561 "Multipurpose cutting bit", I also have a #9001 tungsten carbide cutter that someone recommended, but is said "not for drilling" on it, so I didn't do that.

[gazmosis[501st]]

In an irregular hole, it is almost impossible to get a rotating drill bit to stay centered and cut true. I would use whatever will grind out that space with control and precision. That Dremmel accessory page is making my mouth water! 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Wing it if you think you are competent with the dremel and if you want more control you could just use some files

[Dark CMF[Staff]]

I was exactly where you are now, not too long ago. Started with the very same two holes, I believe. Keep at it, I'd stay away from markers, they may stain the resin and affect how your paint or glue stick to it later. Use a pencil and make your marks. You can always erase it later. I have been drawing all over my kit with pencils as I have been building it.

 

My whole approach to the process is what you're showing right now. Do a little bit of work, take a breather and look at it. Figure out how to attack the next bit of work that you're going to do. That bottom hole makes it look to me like you'll be alright, just stay patient, and don't panic. It's all fixable!

[Cob[501st]]

Thanks gents! I really appreciate your great responses.

 

Definitely not competent with the dremel, this is literally the first thing I've ever dremeled. :-) I didn't even think about using a file... it seems like it should have been obvious now.

 

New plan: I'm going to pencil mark it off tonight and try and file it down by hand. If that goes badly -- backup plan.

Backup plan: I picked up some 3M Bondo Spot Filler Expoxy Putty last night (recommended in someone else's thread as it has a similar softness to the resin).  Let it dry, and then sink a new guide-hole, and then try and hand bore the hole.

 

Thanks again, I'll update with results.

[Dark CMF[Staff]]

If you go to Hobby Lobby, or Michaels or any other craftsy sort of store, you can probably find hobby files of some sort. They'll be quite small and really allow you to clean up a lot of the fine tuning spots in the resin pretty easily. Just another thought since Glen mentioned the idea of using files.

[Cob[501st]]

 

I took my socket screw-head and used a pencil to lay down some thick guidelines; then used an xacto to cut into the resin along the inside of the marked area.  In hindsight, I didn't need the xacto step.

 

After getting going with the file set that I had, I realized that it was way too fine toothed to move a decent amount of resin without being there all night, so I decided to get a little bolder. I didn't have the dremel bit that gazmosis recommended, but I hooked up the flex shaft attachment and the little tungsten carbide bit and gave it a whack.

 

I had a little bit of a problem with the bit slipping out of the inside of the area where I was carving, and left some damage along the outside of the muzzle.  If it doesn't sand out and the paint doesn't cover it then that gets to count as added character.   I had to put the barrel into my vise (which does not suction very well to the tool storage thing which I'm misusing as a workspace) and use both hands to control the dremel.

 

Managed to get the socket head stuck in the hole (you can see above that it's still not perfectly round), but I got it out and then cleaned it up a bit with the file.  I also put the drill bit into the hole and turned it by hand, but it didn't really help anything out there.

 

For future folks reading this -- Overall, if I was starting from scratch on a new blaster kit -- I would have filed down the plastic lump there.  Center and mark a spot for a guide hole with pencil.  Drill the guide hole with a dremel, then drill out the main hole by either turning the bit by hand, or in a drill press if you have one.  If you have a flat-bottom drill bit, that might work better, or you could just not drill down all the way and finish up with the dremel cutter which left a nice flat surface. 

 

So! Cheers!  Thanks for the recommendations, patching this up ended up being a lot easier than I expected.

[Dark CMF[Staff]]

Looking good, Josh!  With time, you'll get more comfortable with the tools.  I'd never used a rotary tool of any type before beginning work on my Doopydoos kit either. 

 

I came to the same conclusion that you have - it's easier than expected.    Keep at it!