WalksOn2Wheels

No, not "Drillium rules!" I mean, what are the rules regarding drillium? Does this pretty much ONLY look good on early to mid-70's campy equipped Italians, or what?

Just came across some how-to info and thought it might be fun to try it on a pair of shagged out 105 levers I had lying around just for kicks. I got a new drill for my birthday in September and have yet to use it! But if it turns out nice enough, I considered perhaps doing this to some bits on my classic commuter. Obviously, shaving a few grams from a bike with a rack and panniers is ludicrous on many levels, but I think I might like the look, I like little projects and my wife LOVES when I find free projects.

So what are your experiences?

Drillium Dude in 3, 2, 1.....

one4one

The last time I added Drillium (to a Stronglight chainring, I think) it was in about 1974-5, when it seemed popular. Time for a revival if it hasn't already happened.

WalksOn2Wheels

Thought I should add, I think I'd only be playing with things like levers, calipers and derailleurs. I think I'd avoid chanrings as I'm currently about 220. I wouldn't even think of touching the crank arms or wheels, though I've seen a little of that online.

Also, I noticed on a set of drillium campy calipers (I think they're on ebay as we speak), they were just recessed holes, not drilled all the way through. A good idea for something like a brake caliper that you don't want to snap in half on you.

Rocket-Sauce 

Starting on a set of beat up low end stuff (like "shagged out 105") before you go for it on something you care about is a wise idea. Like learning how to braze/weld on gas pipe x-mart bikes before buying some nice Reynolds or Columbus tubes...

treebound 

There is drillium and there is skeletonized. Too much of one can lead to the other.

And with the sensitivity some of the participants in this sub-forum have regarding Mr. Drew I can only imagine their reaction to performing drillium activities on sought after higher end components.

But art is art so hopefully pics will be posted.

WalksOn2Wheels

The only parts I have that I would try it on are late 80's 105, so I don't think people will cry if it gets ruined.

Ragooch

It has, I see some new and old in this collection:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/1070387...7623906793248/

And this stuff has been on ebay lately:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/5461623...7625110926546/

randyjawa 

Perhaps, considering the lack of support for Drew Sombody, the work Drillium should be changed to Drewllium. Get it, drouling and Drewing, all in one word:-)

Grand Bois

I don't get it. What's drouling?

rhm

I'm wondering what happens if you do drillium or droolium on steel... rustolium?

Chombi

Imagine what you can do to chainrings and other components now with CNC machines........ I guess you can retire the pencils, punches and drillpress....those days are ovah! Now how much is a CNC setup??? $70K??

Chombi

WalksOn2Wheels

I'm an engineering student at UTA right now. I'm in the middle of my drafting course and very nearly landed a job at the machine shop here on campus. I may even work there next semester. I'm starting to consider tinkering about in a drafting program and designing some of my own components. Might be prohibitively expensive, but if I happened to work at the machine shop, I'm sure it would be cheaper. They have a full CNC setup.

20grit

My experiences with my school's cnc machines were that material was cost prohibitive. Plus they wanted to charge for time spent using their machines, flat cost for actually using the machine etc. This was even for class related work. Perhaps your situation will be better though.

WalksOn2Wheels

Yeah, I'm imaging setup for the parts plus materials will be really pricey. Even if I build the parts myself in a drafting program, they will probably have to be setup by the CNC guy, so I'm thinking it's a no go. I may ask just for kicks, though.

Chombi

Trick is to find a way to get the job of maintaining and setting up the machines for a few months........... they all know you have to "test" it for calibration purposes once in a while.....

Chombi

dbakl

I drilled my brake calipers in the 70s, they broke the first time I used them... looked cool until then though!

divineAndbright

Some stuff you just shouldnt drill like crankarms, stems, bars, calipers. etc. Chainrings is pretty harmless as long as you don't go too big with the holes. I kinda had a lil drill out phaze, some of my first stuff looked rather bad; bad spacing, lots of drill bit walking, I eventually got better, especially considering I did it all by hand, not really into that so much now though. I tried drilling pretty much everything at some point, even the inserted part of my seat posts, and the wall of my rims which the strips sit on.

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XR2

Nah. If you know how to write G code and are good with a manual machine a Tree CNC knee mill will do just fine cheap.

Homebrew01

I used a Tree tracer milling machine at Pratt & Whitney back in the old days ... pretty cool machine

Andrew F

I think the process, as well as ,the end result had alot to do with the coolness. I would be afraid the CNC would take some of that away. Something magical happens in a garage at night with dewalt drill press.

Drillium Dude 

Drillium actually seems to have had it's germination in the fact that the majority of the racing bikes in the 70s and early 80s were running Campy NR or SR, with the odd Suntour/Dura-Ace here and there. It was a matter of personalizing one's rig. I got into it because one day I just decided to completely rout out an old NR rear derailleur with a terribly scraped-up outer plate. That was fun, so I turned to other parts. It became an excercise in practicality for things I would actually use and an exercise in "what if I...?" for stretching boundaries on stuff I would use only for show - or stuff I would sell under that same pretense.

Unless commissioned, for personal use I will not drill stems, cranksets or brake calipers anymore. I mean, for the money I'll do anything a customer asks for, but I'll attach the caveat that it's not for riding and let that adult make up his/her own mind. However, I have and will continue to stop at rare stuff: I have turned down an offer to drill out a 1st generation Super Record rear derailleur, a special NR two-bolt seatpost designed exclusively for the Exxon Graftek G-1 and a pair of Delta brake calipers. That stuff is rare enough as it is; no use making it rarer and more dear in the process.

I've always liked to work with my hands (drawing, model building and now Drillium). This is an enjoyable, fun exercise each and every time. Seriously - it never gets old and there's always another way to do it that's just a little bit different than the last time around.

WO2W: Practice on beat-up stuff first If you would like some tips, PM me and we'll talk.

Cheers!
DD

bikingshearer 

I've only ever drilled tires with road debris. Didn't like the results. Especially drilling the front tire at 30+ mph. Don't try that at home, kids.

old's'cool

Just by chance I ended up with a drillium chainring when I modded the gearing on my Grand Jubilé. I think it's a Stronglight, but don't quote me. Just happened be what I found & won on Ebay when looking for parts. I think it looks OK.
I should take a new pic someday. Many small changes since that one...

Grim

I am in the market for a drill press. I have a couple 105 cranks I may try my hand at when I get the press.

NR Post on a bike I picked up this summer.

repechage

Ding Ding Ding.

Drillium showed up in the pro ranks in the 60's. Then moved to pantographing. Colnago being a good example in the early 70's.

https://www.velo-retro.com/peterjohnson.html

Shows when it went almost too far.

Art Stump did some great work along with his bikes. I would have had him do some but I could not afford to take the bike apart, I needed it for training. Too bad for me.

https://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA...p_Art_main.htm