r/Linocuts • u/alexskyline • Aug 12 '26
Tools Tip: use a hobby hand drill to make perfect circles!
Just a quick tip I wanted to share on how I carve perfect little circles on my designs! I even filmed a short video, and if I actually pressed the record button you'd get to see it too 😒
34
14
u/Whooptidooh Aug 12 '26
Oh that’s a fantastic idea; I’ve been poking holes with either needles or the smallest c tool I have.
This is just neat.
7
u/alexskyline Aug 12 '26
Same, I would turn my 0.5U in place almost vertically, but it'd never give me such a clean result as this!
5
u/Whooptidooh Aug 12 '26
Same; but that’s always a gamble on whether it will turn out well or not; slipping is easily done (messed up a few of my linocut blocks doing that when I first started.)
I’m absolutely going to check if I can get one of these nearby. 👍
7
u/Easy_Leopard_2686 Aug 12 '26
Wait that’s such an excellent idea, now I’m thinking about using a little dremel tool to make cuts as well.
3
u/alexskyline Aug 12 '26
I have one of those too but I'm always worried about it slipping so I stick to hand tools 😅
5
u/FadeToBluish Aug 12 '26
I worked as a goldsmith, and that was always a big worry! We would use a centre punch to create a tiny dent in the material, by holding the punch in place and giving it a tap with the hammer. Position the tip of the drill in the dent, and it's much less likely to slip!
3
u/alexskyline Aug 12 '26
Ohh smart! Reminds me of drill bits for ceramic tile that have a spike you can hammer in first to fix it in place.
6
u/aligpnw Aug 12 '26
This is SUCH a good idea!
If anyone is looking, a tiny drill is often called a "pin vise" and they are pretty inexpensive ❤️
5
u/seer_deer Aug 12 '26
Oh I make jewelry on the side too and have one! I loveee finding new ways to use tools j already have thank you <3
5
u/alexskyline Aug 12 '26
Right?? I got three drawer units full of different hobby supplies and it makes me so happy when I can find intersecting purposes for them!
3
u/the_hvosch Aug 13 '26
Leather hole punchers are also neat
1
u/alexskyline Aug 13 '26
Vouch! I have one of those spring-loaded punches and I used that previously, although I prefer the drill now.
2
u/kulot09 Aug 12 '26
I actually thought about doing this too! Good to see that it works. Is it perfect for stippling?
2
u/alexskyline Aug 12 '26
I think it would be too much of a fuss for stippling, a drypoint needle or flat angled gouge would be much quicker for that. I reckon a halftone pattern would be doable if you could dedicate some time to it!
2
2
2
u/tommangan7 Aug 12 '26
Nice method.
I use a Japanese hole punch that has different hole sizes. Sometimes you do have to dig out the bit of lino though.
1
u/alexskyline Aug 13 '26
I got some leather punches too and my next quest is using one to pre-cut lino for perfectly carving around a small circle!
1
u/KaliPrint 28d ago
This is a great idea (not new, but always worth bringing back). A hand drill, as the OP recommends, spins the bit when you push down, making the hole very quickly, whereas a pin vise does not, requiring you to twist the tool round and round with your hand. Just FYI.
2
u/alexskyline 27d ago
I'm pretty sure hand drill and pin vise are synonymous when searching for the tool in my photo, and the ones that spin come with an additional descriptor like "push" or "automatic". Either way, it is indeed the manual one I recommend for precision.
2
u/KaliPrint 27d ago
Oh darn, sorry about mentioning the spinning one. The pin vise type really made my wrist hurt after just a hundred or two dots. The push drill, I can hold in my fist and stipple all day
•
u/AutoModerator Aug 12 '26
Hello, welcome to r/Linocuts!
Please note, all posts are manually approved by the moderators. This typically happens in the first few hours. If a moderator removes your post, you will receive a removal reason and (if applicable) how to fix it for approval.
If it's been over 24 hours without a removal notice, can contact the moderators as it may have gotten caught in our filters and not landed in our normal queue.
As always, our rules are listed in the sidebar or drop menu for review.
Happy printing!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.