What's the best way a home brew can cut holes/laydown PT?

BBQLS1 · Post by **BBQLS1** » Mon 04/30/07 11:31 am

Well, I don't have a big punch press to make the holes, so what is the next best thing that will leave a clean straight hole?

what_wires · Post by **what_wires** » Mon 04/30/07 11:36 am

I drill a series of holes around the interior of the finished hole knock out the inner section. Then I clean it up with a file. This is much easier on aluminum than steel.

spyder · Post by **spyder** » Mon 04/30/07 11:41 am

Hey,I use a large unibit to make a starter hole ,then use a jig saw with a metal cutting blade.You can smoth up the cut out with a file,I use a chainsaw file.Unibits make fairly clean round holes that are good for tube sockets,pots,jacks and switches.Spyder

Pepi · Post by **Pepi** » Mon 04/30/07 11:49 am

I use a dremel with a cut-off fiber wheel. Drill 4 holes and cut the rest.

martinw · Post by **martinw** » Mon 04/30/07 11:55 am

+1 on the Dremel.

I'd really miss mine now.

Wear safety glasses!

floridajack · Post by **floridajack** » Mon 04/30/07 11:58 am

+1 on the dremel - i have a series of templates that i use with the dremel and rotary file bit to zap out non-round holes in aluminum chassis. the xformer, the power connector, marshall-type rocker on-off switches, etc. anything that can't be cut with my unibits. set the dremel up as a router and size your template (mine are 3/8" hdf) to compensate for the "bearing sleeve." a little file work to make square corners, and your done. dremel even sells some rotary file bits with drill points on them - how conveinent!!

fj

Andrew4566 · Post by **Andrew4566** » Mon 04/30/07 12:30 pm

I have used a coping saw with fine results on aluminum. Drill a starter hole, feed the blade through. cheap and easy.

-Andy

Andrew4566 · Post by **Andrew4566** » Mon 04/30/07 12:32 pm

I have used a coping saw with fine results on aluminum. Drill a starter hole, feed the blade through. cheap and easy.

-Andy

mchauck · Post by **mchauck** » Mon 04/30/07 12:32 pm

+++++1 on the router type templates. I use my router with a 3/8" straight cut but (carbide of course) with a 3/8" roller bearing set on top. I use templates made of plywood for each particular hole. Even if you're going to make only one amp, the templates are easy to adjust for perfect size in the wood and then cutting in the aluminum is a breeze. Perfect hole every time. Uni-bits for the smaller round holes, larger Sterrett hole saws for the larger round holes. You can't go wrong like this and it really is cool to cut a perfect hole in the alum every time. Do wear your glasses though!!!!

Regards
BH

tunghaichuan · Post by **tunghaichuan** » Mon 04/30/07 1:22 pm

I use small Makita laminate trimmer with a 1/2" flush cutting bit with a guide bearing on top. I make templates out of 1/2" thick MDF. Great for cutting holes in aluminum. I wouldn't use a router bit to cut steel though.

One down side is that routing aluminum creates lots of tiny aluminum chips which can be a major PITA to clean up.

As always, wear hearing protection and safety glasses when using routers/laminate trimmers.

tung

Alexo · Post by **Alexo** » Mon 04/30/07 1:25 pm

Guess I'm the only one who uses a hacksaw!

beamer · Post by **beamer** » Mon 04/30/07 1:33 pm

I drilled four holes for the rounded corners, then used a portable jigsaw (saber saw?) with a metal cutting blade. This was on steel.
scott

redmax61 · Post by **redmax61** » Mon 04/30/07 1:40 pm

Cut mine this morning. I drilled 3/4" holes in the corners, and cut the rest with a course file. I'm using .090 aluminum, and it really didn't take that long to cut.

jac · Post by **jac** » Mon 04/30/07 2:24 pm

Dremel +1

benjoi · Post by **benjoi** » Mon 04/30/07 3:02 pm

+1 Dremel

davent · Post by **davent** » Mon 04/30/07 8:53 pm

mchauck wrote:+++++1 on the router type templates. I use my router with a 3/8" straight cut but (carbide of course) with a 3/8" roller bearing set on top. I use templates made of plywood for each particular hole. Even if you're going to make only one amp, the templates are easy to adjust for perfect size in the wood and then cutting in the aluminum is a breeze. Perfect hole every time. Uni-bits for the smaller round holes, larger Sterrett hole saws for the larger round holes. You can't go wrong like this and it really is cool to cut a perfect hole in the alum every time. Do wear your glasses though!!!!

Regards
BH

Silvatone has a great pictorial on making and using a template and router to do the large square holes.

http://www.silvatone.bravepages.com/

Router tutorial.

http://www.silvatone.bravepages.com/Tut ... Cutout.htm

dave

edit; personally haven't tried this yet, I've always used my Dremel for any cutouts in aluminum boxes. Have made a plywood template for IEC power sockets but it's still awaiting christening.

mchauck · Post by **mchauck** » Mon 04/30/07 10:23 pm

yea....dats da tickit!!!!!

BH

Mugford · Post by **Mugford** » Mon 04/30/07 11:02 pm

For those of you using a router, do you use any kind of lubricant? Also, do you run the router at full speed? I've heard that you can cut aluminum at woodworking tool speeds, but I've never tried it myself with anything other than a drill.

I can see where you'd end up with lots of aluminum bits to clean up.

Personally, I use a Klein tools nibbler for this stuff. It's not too accurate, not too slow, and not too fast, but it gets the job done without too much hassle. I can clean up the holes with a file without too much trouble.

LooseChange · Post by **LooseChange** » Tue 05/01/07 5:05 am

I drill large corner holes that match the radius on the PT.
Then I use a nibbler all around. Very little filing and I'm done.
I make all my chassis out of steel.

JeffE · Post by **JeffE** » Tue 05/01/07 6:25 am

+1 on the nibbler. Very handy for straight line cuts.

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What's the best way a home brew can cut holes/laydown PT?

What's the best way a home brew can cut holes/laydown PT?

non-round holes in chassis