sexxy_marvin Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Does anybody know where I can find out more about cutting holes, especially non-cirular ones, in my aluminum chassis? I assume that drilling holes for the LEDs, POTs etc is simple, but what about the LCD and square shaped things? How do I drill those? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c0nsumer Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 For small holes, drill a hole and then file them out. Having a set of small files in box, flat, and triangle shapes is handy.For larger holes, use a saw of some sort then finish it off with a file.Many people will use also rotary cutting tools (such as Dremels) with circular cutting disks to cut the holes as well.I've also been known to use a Dremel with an old dental bit as mill, moving the piece to be cut around it.-Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Altitude Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 The Dremel is the way to go.I would also consider front panel express, if you just need the holes it's pretty cheap actually considering the time and results. My step C front panel (just the holes, no ingraving, thats about 150 holes) was $40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexxy_marvin Posted August 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 which dremel would you recommend? is it capable of cutting slots for faders? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Altitude Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 I would get the one with the most speeds (some are only 3 speed) but for cutting slots, I would send it out and get it machined professionally. Long, straight anything by hand is asking for disaster. http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/ for the US and their main facility is in Europe, their free software is excellent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c0nsumer Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 which dremel would you recommend? is it capable of cutting slots for faders?Any, really, as long as it isn't cordless. You really don't need one of the especially expensive ones. And yes, it's capable of cutting those slots, but what matters is if you are capable of using the tool properly to cut said slots. Getting them straight will be a bit of a pain, although it's doable. For something like that I'd be tempted to just have the panel manufactured.-Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBunsen Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 You might also want to check out a tool called a nibbler. It does pretty much what the name implies - it's a hand operated tool with a tiny jaw at the bottom that nibbles out a small cut at a time. You have to drill a start hole for the jaw to fit through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stryd_one Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Those dremel extension things are great, you get the power of the dremel in something the size of a marker pen... makes them far more maneouverable for fiddly lines like that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexxy_marvin Posted August 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 yes! the dremel worked great! thanks all. ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLP Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php?topic=5644.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c0nsumer Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 yes! the dremel worked great! thanks all. ;DI'm glad to hear that. :) I still think Dremel / drill + files are the best way to go for most people needing square holes. Nibblers will bend thin stock and don't always make smooth lines. In my experience they still require filing, if not re-flattening of the stock.-Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Altitude Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 The tile cutting attachment with a fence would probably work pretty well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel3 Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Does anybody know where I can find out more about cutting holes, especially non-cirular ones, in my aluminum chassis? I don't know if you have seem 'em or not but, Mouser sells these little tools for "punching out" square holes in aluminum and such. They are made in several different sizes(for different size holes of course). They have ones for circular holes too. I believe they are made by a company called Greenlee and also Deltron as well.Hope that helps!-tel3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Therezin Posted August 18, 2006 Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 There's a company called Drill Service that sell drill bits that can drill square holes (seriously, I'm not making this up), but their website (www.drill-service.co.uk) doesn't list a price. I assume they won't be cheap since they need to be fitted into a special fully-floating chuck that allows lateral motion as well as rotary. Might be worth a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docbrown Posted August 19, 2006 Report Share Posted August 19, 2006 You might also want to check out a tool called a nibbler. It does pretty much what the name implies - it's a hand operated tool with a tiny jaw at the bottom that nibbles out a small cut at a time. You have to drill a start hole for the jaw to fit through.DrBunsen,Do you know what's the maximum thickness that the nibbler can cut?thanks.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jidis Posted August 19, 2006 Report Share Posted August 19, 2006 I think Tel3's talking about this:It's usually called a "knockout punch" and it usually costs more than it should. >:(I guess you're paying for the grade of metal and the precision that it was made with, but I probably wouldn't buy it again if anything happened to it, unless it was a lot less money. The square ones and weird shapes are the big bucks. I think you can get a whole set of round punches for the cost of one of the squares, but who needs that when you can do small round stuff in a drill press. They make D-Subs and specialty crap too I believe. I bought that one used a few years back. It's an actual Greenlee brand, but the Mouser generics and stuff were less than half when I got it. I've got a feeling either would probably work for myself or most other DIY'ers. It basically just "crushes" a square hole through the panel. You drill out the center first and insert that arbor thing through the hole, with the square piece (in the center of that picture) on one side of the metal. Then you hold one end of the arbor with a wrench and crank the other with another one (it's threaded), to force the square thing through the panel (pretty primitive huh?). It's not 100% perfect. If it isn't nice and sharp, and well lubricated, it can flex the edges of the metal, like was mentioned about the nibbler. I've also seen it "twist" slightly and miss my target lines, when I wasn't careful, but I barely know what the hell I'm doing with it.The one in the picture is a model 731 12.7mm (1/2"). A small one can obviously also do large holes for LCD's or big buttons, by knocking out the corners and sawing the rest of the straight stuff. The big hole in the picture was a test for a Digitast button here (20mm I think). The smaller hole was made directly by the Greenlee. If you can't get one cheap, I personally would only recommend it if you've got a load of holes to do in one specific size, and there's no way you can combine the buttons into long rectangular holes or anything. As for the nibbler- I can't find my package in this mess of junk here, but looking at the tool itself, it looks like there's only a couple millimeters of space under the "tooth" part. I chopped up a metal box from a 5.25" CDROM with it recently and it did well, but that's probably it's limit (roughly 1/16th inch metal). Not really for panel material, but a great thing to have laying around (very cheap too).<edit -just found the nibbler docs>This one says it cuts up to 18 gauge (.046") steel, 1.5mm(1/16") copper, aluminum, plastic and other unhardened metals. (When you squeeze the handle, that "tooth" thing gets pulled up into the tool and takes a rectangular shaped bite out of whatever's wedged under it.) Don't overestimate the aluminum's resistance to being cut or worked. I fell in love with that crap a few months ago after someone gave me a small sheet, and I ordered a larger one. It's about eighth inch thickness. I built a MB recently which had a few small square buttons (roughly 7-8mm), and I just drilled and sawed them out rough, and then carefully slid a small file down into the hole to get it squared up. It's easy enough that I actually managed to enlarge one a bit too much. Also, keep Kerosene on hand. The aluminum makes a nasty gunk on files and other tools and also requires lubricant.Take CareGeorge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docbrown Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 George,Thanks for that nibbler info, I'll pick one up tomorrow at my local Radio Shack. I saw that they carry them.thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel3 Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I think Tel3's talking about this:Yep, That's it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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