cutting disk drive plastic

[pkniffer]

ok so the c64 disk drive is thick plastic and i want to make an enclosure out of it's case.

my idea is essentially to cut the middle out.

how can i cut this bastard up accurately?

[DrBunsen]

Either a Dremel or clone rotary tool or a hacksaw blade.  The trick is to cut away less than you need to and then file the edges neatly down to the line.

[Sasha]

I used to modify C64 cases few times but I didn`t wanted to buy Dremel as I know I want use it much. So, I drilled number of 1mm holes across the cutting line with small hand held driller I use for PCB drilling, and after opening the hole, I just filed the edge and sanded it. C64 plastic is great for moding. Almost like working with woods, can be shaped nicely. Here is the proof... I fill this hole with piece of acrylic and after some hour of sanding and painting I say it is pretty good.

[nILS]

I'd go with the dremel as well - a really, really cheap clone will do ;) DrBunsen's description of how to do it is exactly what I do as well.

[Jidis]

Sasha should receive some sort of award for having gotten by this long with no Dremel. 8)

Actually, I didn't have one either until just a few years ago and have had all sorts of woodworking tools for decades. I finally broke down and grabbed one of those Dremel kits with the gray toolbox. Now I've got 2 Dremels and two cheap fake Dremels. They're not always "the right tool" for the job, but they can usually pretend to be. ;D

[Sasha]

Sasha should receive some sort of award for having gotten by this long with no Dremel. 8)

... and Dremel should be award? ;D

I`m not sure have I ever really need it but more than few times I asked myself... "how did I lived without this?" As wise men say... you never knew you miss it until you get it ...well, sort of. :P I guess I just learned to improvise  ::) Never enough money for tools.

[Wilba]

I've used a cheap Dremel clone for cutting ventilation slots in my PT-10 case, cutting PCBs, filing off the mounting tabs on a heatsink, etc.

It cost me AU$50 and came with lots of bits which I mostly don't use.

Now that I've got some money to spend on tools, I might upgrade to a real Dremel.

DrBunsen is right... just be careful when you cut plastic, as it melts and makes a really rough edge, you absolutely have to fix it up after with a knife (shaving it closer to the intended edge) and finishing it off with files and sandpaper (I use an emery board).

[nILS]

Toom, Praktiker and all the other german DIY stores usually have Dremel clones for about 10EUR. The bits that come with it suck majorly but are okay for plastic. I use a bit set I bought from pollin for another 6EUR which works nicely on both plastic and metals. A decent set of key-files is a really good thing to have though ;)

[Sasha]

I use a bit set I bought from pollin for another 6EUR which works nicely on both plastic and metals.

Outrageous. Quality bit cost more than that. If you managed to cut just bread with it it pays itself off. :)