Drilling out weapon barrels: bit sizes?

[Andrewgeddon]

So I'm working on putting together some Marines, and like the title suggests, I'm wondering if anyone knows what size bits for my pin vice are best when it comes to drilling out gun barrels.

Specifically, my questions are:

 

-Best size for drilling out bolter barrels? My current bit seems a little small (KEEP IT CLEAN, GUYS)

-Best size for drilling out larger barrels, specifically Multi-Meltas on a Dreadnought?

-Drilling out barrels on metal bits, such as the previously mentioned Dreadnought Multi-Melta?

Thanks!

[Guest]

So I'm working on putting together some Marines, and like the title suggests, I'm wondering if anyone knows what size bits for my pin vice are best when it comes to drilling out gun barrels.

 

Specifically, my questions are:

 

-Best size for drilling out bolter barrels? My current bit seems a little small (KEEP IT CLEAN, GUYS)

-Best size for drilling out larger barrels, specifically Multi-Meltas on a Dreadnought?

-Drilling out barrels on metal bits, such as the previously mentioned Dreadnought Multi-Melta?

 

Thanks!

I use the same size for everything. I use a very small one that works for the bolters. On the bigger weapons, I drill the hole dead center, then use a knife to "round" out my hold to create a crater instead of a hole. For metal weapons, it's especially important to create a guiding "dimple" in the metal with a knife or chisel, so the drill stays on target.

[Brick Bungalow]

I have a pin index with bits arranged by size. I eyeball the spot I want to drill and pick a bit erring toward too-small. If its really close you can just agitate a bit to make it bigger. Otherwise move the to the larger bit until the hole is correct. Often, none of your bits will be exactly right. I really love how bored out barrels with bored out vents look. Especially when these are different diameters. Doing this with precision takes practice but it's totally worth it. 

[Guest Mr. Bigglesworth]

So numbers 1/16 for bolter barrels, 1/32 for the tiny tau barrels, and and 1/8 or 3/16 for larger barrels.

 

Those are the numbers I use

[Andrewgeddon]

I have a pin index with bits arranged by size. I eyeball the spot I want to drill and pick a bit erring toward too-small. If its really close you can just agitate a bit to make it bigger. Otherwise move the to the larger bit until the hole is correct. Often, none of your bits will be exactly right. I really love how bored out barrels with bored out vents look. Especially when these are different diameters. Doing this with precision takes practice but it's totally worth it. 

 

 

So numbers 1/16 for bolter barrels, 1/32 for the tiny tau barrels, and and 1/8 or 3/16 for larger barrels.

 

Those are the numbers I use

Thanks! I'll have to give those a try! Staring at my flat Multi-Melta barrels is driving me crazy, heh.

[Guest]

Thanks! I'll have to give those a try! Staring at my flat Multi-Melta barrels is driving me crazy, heh.

Been wondering, what is the multi-melta shooting? I always thought it was like a plasma arc welder, so it being filled in makes sense. Its like a big tungstung rod in there. Or is it suppose to be some sort of laser weapon?

[WestRider]

It's never been made entirely clear how Meltas work, but the hand-wavy explanations that have been given imply some sort of electromagnetic radiation beam, similar to a microwave oven, but on a far more devastating scale. They are always shown with hollow barrels, so I assume that the actual generator is back in the body of the gun somewhere, and the barrel is some sort of extra focusing mechanism or something, as well as a bit of protection for the generating element itself.

[Chappy]

Because I had nothing better to do. 40k Wiki is the source.

 

Melta Weapons are a type of Imperial plasma weaponry that make use of a miniature fusion reaction to produce a blast of intense, searing heat. The Meltagun and Multi-melta (also known as "Cookers" or "Vape Guns"), as well as the grenade-like Melta Bomb, are formidable plasma-based directed energy weapons. Melta Weapons have a short range but are very powerful and their thermal blast's intensity increases as the distance to the target decreases. A Meltagun works by inducing a minute, sub-molecular nuclear fusion reaction within a highly pressurised pyrum-petrol fuel mix located within an ammunition canister, and then projecting the resulting plasma through the cannister and from the weapon's barrel as a blast of incredible heat. Melta usage is accompanied by a distinctive hissing sound as the beam boils away the water in the air, then a roaring blast as the beam reduces the target to charred scraps or molten slag. Meltas are the premier anti-armour weapons, and few if any armoured vehicles can withstand their power.

 

The heavy weapon known as the Multi-Melta resembles two Meltaguns fused together, with thermal beams that coalesce into a single powerful beam with a longer effective range than their smaller cousins. However, the increased size, weight and power requirements of the Multi-Melta mean that it is no longer man-portable by conventional human infantry.

[WestRider]

Ah. They must have updated it in one of those wargear dataslates or something. Basically more focused Plasma now.

[Guest]

The heavy weapon known as the Multi-Melta resembles two Meltaguns fused together, with thermal beams that coalesce into a single powerful beam with a longer effective range than their smaller cousins. However, the increased size, weight and power requirements of the Multi-Melta mean that it is no longer man-portable by conventional human infantry.

You'd think that this would mean a twin-linked melta would be a multi-melta, rather than getting re-rolls to hit.

[Guest Mr. Bigglesworth]

Twin linked in General is just weird to me, I mean two barrels doesn't make you more accurate, it almost seems two linked should be a trait and double barrel should be just that more shots.

[WestRider]

Oh, one more tip I just thought of when I was drilling out a bunch of Bolt Pistols for my new Blood Claws: On Bolters and Bolt Pistols, it's somewhat easier if you drill out the crosswise vents first, and then drill out the barrel itself. Not sure entirely why, but having that bit of empty space back there definitely makes it easier.

[Guest]

Oh, one more tip I just thought of when I was drilling out a bunch of Bolt Pistols for my new Blood Claws: On Bolters and Bolt Pistols, it's somewhat easier if you drill out the crosswise vents first, and then drill out the barrel itself. Not sure entirely why, but having that bit of empty space back there definitely makes it easier.

Interesting, will test.