[MPWR]

Aluminum is certainly not hard to drill by hand. It is a soft, easily worked metal (compared to steel and 'exotics'). Be careful holding the part in pliers- you will very easily damage the aluminum if holding it in steel pliers. Use something soft to pad the jaws of the pliers.

Any small drill bit you have will drill aluminum. HSS stands for "high speed steel", which is a strong, hard steel alloy that cutting tools are made of. It is the most common material that small drill bits are made of. It works very well for drilling aluminum, either in power tools or in a pin vise. So if you already have small drill bits for plastic, they will work fine.

Drilling by hand will take care and patience, but it is definitely possible, and it is a reasonable solution to your problem.