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drilling a hole in the chassis

post #1 of 15
3/20/07 at 2:15am
Thread Starter 
I need a 45.5 to 46mm diameter hole.

BUT the closest hole saw I can find is only 44mm. I know I can use a half-circle file. But I'm not sure if it would come out nice/clean.

any thoughts?

thank you.
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post #2 of 15
3/20/07 at 2:43am
Is 44mm the inside or outside diameter of the hole saw... ?
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post #3 of 15
3/20/07 at 3:09am
get a rotary drill and circle-cutter, and it's easy.
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post #4 of 15
3/20/07 at 9:02am
I'm sure you could find a 46mm punch. A 1.75" Greenlee is $36. from Mouser. 44.45mm sooo close.
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post #5 of 15
3/20/07 at 9:44pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AndrewFischer View Post
I'm sure you could find a 46mm punch. A 1.75" Greenlee is $36. from Mouser. 44.45mm sooo close.
you can't use a punch on this. is the front panel for the amp. at least 1cm (maybe 8mm) thick.
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post #6 of 15
3/20/07 at 9:48pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by splaz View Post
Is 44mm the inside or outside diameter of the hole saw... ?

I do not think it really matters as the final hole diameter will be the outside diameter of the hole saw.
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post #7 of 15
3/20/07 at 11:52pm
How about this. 1 13/16 hole saw (46mm). That said, 8mm thick aluminum I'm not sure I would trust a hole saw to do really really well on, even with a drill press. There's always Front Panel Express, as they will use your material. Or a machine shop.
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post #8 of 15
3/21/07 at 12:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jarthel View Post
you can't use a punch on this. is the front panel for the amp. at least 1cm (maybe 8mm) thick.
The Greenlee catalog says 3.5mm max for either their punches or hole saws. I've pushed it a bit with aluminum but no way will one of their punches go through 1cm. There might be an alternative tool I'm not aware of.

I second the suggestion to use Front Panel Express.
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post #9 of 15
3/21/07 at 4:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jarthel View Post
I do not think it really matters as the final hole diameter will be the outside diameter of the hole saw.
Well don't see why they'd do it but if the 44mm was the inside diameter that if you add in the thickness of the sides it could be 46mm diameter so it's big enough. Kinda hopeful thinking though.
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post #10 of 15
3/21/07 at 6:18am
Does the hole need to be a perfect round hole? As when I fit Neutric jacks, my holesaw is just a little too small and I use a file to make it bigger and it doesn't need to be neat as the jack itself will cover anything up
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post #11 of 15
3/21/07 at 9:25am
Change In Hole Diameter = Linear Expansion Coefficient of Al * Initial Diameter * Temp

1.5mm = 2.34E-5 * 44mm * Temp

Temp = 1.5/0.0010296

It would appear you need to chill the panel to about 1,500C below room temp but keep the 44mm hole saw at room temp.
(I might be off on that calc, check math).

All kidding aside I agree with Pars, think you're looking for a 1 13/16" hole saw if you can't find 46mm, which is just barely barely over 46.0(n)mm. I mean that may vary whether to look for metric or not based on your geographic location, but I find a few links with Google at misc places;
Example
EDIT: That example is only of a random hole saw, NOT what you'd want as the teeth are wrong. You will defintely want a saw spec'd for metal or at least multipurpose, not a wood ripper.

Also if you DIY, you'll want to liberally apply oil to keep the teeth from clogging up.
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post #12 of 15
3/21/07 at 12:31pm
Ideally, you should find a machine shop with a mill and adjustable boring tool. Should take less than 15 minutes for setup and cutting.

If you use enough lube and a drill press and go slow, you should be able to get a fairly good hole a hole saw. Make sure you clamp the piece to the press top really well. If you have a cheaper press, it may be more difficult if the table moves a lot.
All that is important is the outside edge so as long as the hole is straight, the edges should be fairly good. A sharp hole saw, slow cutting and chip clearing should get you a fairly decent hole, but it all depends on the equipment. If you have scrap, try it if oyu have the equipment.

I'd check around to machine shops. Just make sure the center of the hole is clearly marked and dimension marked also.
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post #13 of 15
3/21/07 at 12:54pm
I wouldn't mess around trying to do it yourself. A 1cm thick aluminum panel is going to be hugely expensive to replace if it botch the job. FPE or a machine shop sound like the only ways to do it to me.
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post #14 of 15
3/21/07 at 4:08pm
Can Front Panel Express work with 1cm thick material? Their standard panels max out at 4mm.
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post #15 of 15
3/21/07 at 4:42pm
My Par Metals fron was 6mm IIRC, and they did that... note they do have a setup charge on thicker materials (that didn't show up on their website/software quote when I did mine).
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