The 005 is the smallest pen Micron offers, with a tip of just 0.20 mm. That's a full tenth of a millimeter smaller than the mechanical pencil I bought! (cue sarcasm ;) )
See? Tiny!
It was painfully easy to disassemble, and I was so excited to give it a go!
Sadly, the highest expectations fall the hardest. The very first punch, and it snapped like a twig. Perhaps wider nibs work better; I'll probably never know, since anything larger than 0.3 mm is too large for what I do. If you have an old set of Microns that are about done, give it a go but if you ask me, don't go out and buy one of these expensive pens just to try it as a hole punch.
I just found this tutorial and this artist uses
ReplyDelete"a pin vise with drill bits stored in the handle. Hobby Builders calls it a Mini Drill #37800, $12.49. This was one of the first tools I bought and still use it today. Choose a bit that is the size of the wire and drill through the mat board in the holes you just pierced with the "T" pin."
I couldn't find it on Hobby Builders site, but found something similar on Amazon. See what you think.
How in the world do you make teeny tiny tongue buckles? I've tried everything I can think of, short of buying thinner wire. (I have 28 gauge, as recommended in the saddle guide, and it's hard to find thinner)
ReplyDeleteHey there! I use 32 gauge wire for buckles on strapgoods - bridles, breastcollars, etc etc. I use 28 gauge for any exposed girth buckles (like a short dressage girth) and 26 gauge for buckles that actually see use, like a western cinch.
DeleteWestern cinches have working tongues, as do the buckles on girths - but the billets are fixed and never move. Strapgoods have tongues, but they're made in such a way that they can't really move like a working tongue. After I finish the western saddle guide, I'm planning to either write an ebook specifically on bridles or add a bridle section to the updated version of the english saddle guide, and I'll explain the buckle method there.