I searched to no avail. How do you make your holes for instruments? I need 3 3/8" and 2 1/16" in 1/8" aluminum sheet.I want nice clean holes. Thank you for your time Terry aka dirt t
Mr. dirt T, Someone on here , in last couple days.............. Had Holes for Sale ! If I find it I'll PM you. Good Luck.
Hole saws that have no run-out are expensive. I use cheap ones, drill undersize, and file-to-fit. Take your time. Patience pays.
Drill pilot hole usually 1/4 " Replace 1/4" bit in hole saw with round stock. this will help to keep concentric and lubricate as stated. Lenox are great hole saws or they work fine for my uses.
As others have stated, It's important to drill undersize and sand/file up to the gauge size for snug fit. If you just grab a 3 3/8 hole saw and start gnawing on your aluminum you will find that your hole will probably be too big as hole saws tend to make sloppy holes. You can use a die grinder with a drum sander attachment to fine tune your holes ones you have drilled undersize. .
Pilot hole and replace drill bit with metal rod - good trick! Now I just have to remember to do that.
A piece of plywood placed under the aluminum to act as a backer helps a lot too. By using the method mentioned above (taking out the center drill of a hole saw and replacing it with a smooth round rod) I have always been able to use the correct size holesaw and get it very close to the correct size with no filing needed. But if you want to be safe use a slightly smaller one and file to fit. Don
Yeah, that's the best tip for drilling the large holes. It's when you have to enlarge an existing hole that the trouble starts.
It seems that question comes up every week or so and 99 % of the replies recommend the hole saws. Then I come up with General Tool sells a circle cutter, for under $25.00, think of a adjustable boring bar for sheet metal. Run a test hole in a scrape piece to get precise size, no filing or grinding needed. Adjustable to any size hole up to 4 inches. Hole saws work but this circle cutter is pretty neat. Good Luck
First make a full scale pattern of your layout. Glue it to the metal. Place metal on a sheet of plywood. Drill pilot holes then use hole saw, finish with file small drum sander etc. The real trick is the pattern, to make sure everything aligns.
Thanks, I'm saving that one for future use. Doing the drilling and hole cutting in drill press helps a lot too. Saving 39 Ford's suggestion too, would plain contact paper work? First make a full scale pattern of your layout. Glue it to the metal. Place metal on a sheet of plywood. Drill pilot holes then use hole saw, finish with file small drum sander etc. The real trick is the pattern, to make sure everything aligns.
Finishing up my test/run in stand, and using an old Craftsman tool box to mount the switches, guages and tach into the back face of the box- it will give me a place to stow the guage and ignition leads when not using the stand. I have actually ordered one of those General Tools cutters, found it on epay for $13.99 with free USPS, but it isn't here yet. Have a couple old NIB S-W "5"" tachs, so why not, right? Piece of cake, hole saw, Home Depot/Ace, check. Read the directions first- "cut a 5-3/32" hole"... Really??? Sure enough, the calipers don't lie Not too many 5-3/32" hole saws around... While I wait for the GT cutter, I might cut it anyway- I always laugh that I've gotten spoiled by drilling holes with the Bridgeport, and my old Craftsman press is getting lonely- then I got thinking, I have an original Bridgeport boring bar for the mill- might be a little overkill for cutting guage holes, but it'll work- and they'll be awfully round and precise guage holes Definitely would be a Kodak moment I could always set the tool box up on the big rotary table, set the center of the hole, and offset a small end mill by the radius distance on X, and rotate the mill head a bit so it won't chatter, and spin the table.. or just use the hole cutter in a couple days- yeah...
I just used a 2-1/16 hole saw today for two vintage Steward Warner guages in the firewall of the Victoria.
I just finished making a panel. I used 2" hole saw for the small gauges and a circle cutter for the 3 1/8" speedo hole (Autometer). I layed out the pattern and center punched the pilot holes. On either side of the pilot holes, but in the "slug" that is scrap, I drilled holes and screwed the panel to a block of wood. I then drilled my 1/4" pilot holes all the way thru the wood. I used a solid piece of 1/4" for the pilot of the hole saw and the circle cutter. Having the panel screwed to the wood block makes it cut a lot better and smoother. Blue
That's a good idea, screwing it to the plywood. Probably saves a lot of cut hands too when the holesaw grabs and whips the piece of metal around in a circle. I've even had it cut through heavy gloves and wrap my arm around the chuck. Don
How about the old power nibbler? With a bit of practice you can make any sized hole, then clean up the edge with a small drum sanding bit. You can also get hand nibblers . The good thing with these is you can make nice neat square holes. I have also used "chassis punches" which were left over fom the valve radio days, 2 halves (male and female) connected through a 1/4" pilot hole. You could do them up by hand with a through bolt, or stick them under the press. If you goof up with a too small holesaw you can clamp a piece of strap with a 1/4" pilot hole pre-drilled across the old hole, and centre it using the small holesaw. Now tighten the clamps holding the strap, and start your bigger holesaw using the pilot hole which is in the right spot.
That is a woodworking tool. May work for thin sheetmetal but in a drill press only. The metal in my dash is 1/8" thick so it would not work for me.
From the product package: "For cutting sheet metal, brass, copper, soft steel, aluminum, plastic, wood and composite materials FOR USE WITH DRILL PRESS ONLY. Maximum safe speed 500 RPM. CAUTION: Do not use with hand held Power Drill" Read this first, and purchased it for it's intended use
I use a piece of 1/4" drill rod as a mandrel. You can get it from industrial suppliers, or Fastenal, for a few bucks. Cut it and notch it for the set screw with a cutoff wheel. Use a good arbor- something with at least a 3/8" hex shank, that holds the saw securely. If you're cutting holes in material that's thicker than the depth of the hole saw teeth, drill a couple 3/8" holes tangent to the circle you're cutting, on the inside. In other words, drill the holes in the slug. This gives the chips someplace to go, rather than just staying clogged in the tooth gullet. Most decent hole saws will cut without wobbling in wood. You can cut a hole in a scrap of plywood, then clamp the wood to the top of your workpiece. (drill the pilot hole first.) The wood acts as a sort of drill bushing, holding the hole saw from wobbling and cutting oversize. When setting drill press speed, err on the slow side.
When laying out a dash panel,I use generally center punch the panel, then use a pair of dividers to scribe the true size of the hole required, especially when the hole saw I am using is undersize. That way you have an exact line to grind to, for a precision fit without guesswork.
LOL I made the dash for my 26 RPU and wanted it to provide some structural strength too, which it does
I assume that "circle cutter" means "tank cutter" simolar to this, best in a "Brace" or slowly in a drill , provided you drill a pilot hole, work slowly and carefuly, a piece of scrap wood clamped behind will help you get a good clean accurate hole, practice on scrap first to get the feel of the tool.
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