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How should I cut a square in my PSU panel? o24 & o25

post #1 of 9
4/9/11 at 7:26pm
Thread Starter 

Howdy, I've finished building my gamma 2, and now I am working on the o24 & o25 power supply. My power connector and switch are both mounted through square holes, and I'm not sure how to cut them. There's a little room for error, but I'd like to do it right. I've looked around briefly, but for the most part, the holes that were cut were circles, not squares. I figure I can use a dremel, but that might be messy...

 


Edited by BobSaysHi - 4/9/11 at 7:29pm
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post #2 of 9
4/9/11 at 8:22pm

That all depends on what tools you have available and how large a hole you need.

 

I usually drill a series of holes and the use a hand file to square up the hole, slow work but fairly accurate if you take your time.  Use masking tape to protect the rest of the panel and as a guide to stop you filing to far.

 

These are useful http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2289712 depending on the material you are trying to cut and the thickness of material, this will remove the bulk of the waste material but I would still use a hand file for the final finish.

 

If you haven't done this before get a scrap piece of material first to practice with so you don't stuff up your panel.

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post #3 of 9
4/9/11 at 8:31pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Forte View Post

That all depends on what tools you have available and how large a hole you need.

 

I usually drill a series of holes and the use a hand file to square up the hole, slow work but fairly accurate if you take your time.  Use masking tape to protect the rest of the panel and as a guide to stop you filing to far.

 

These are useful http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2289712 depending on the material you are trying to cut and the thickness of material, this will remove the bulk of the waste material but I would still use a hand file for the final finish.

 

If you haven't done this before get a scrap piece of material first to practice with so you don't stuff up your panel.


That's a great idea. Can't believe I didn't think of it! rolleyes.gif

 

I'll have to find a scrap piece of metal around here somewhere.

 

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post #4 of 9
4/9/11 at 8:46pm
A nibbler works, but will be very slow. Especially if you want to remove a large amount of material. Think of it as more of a finishing tool than something for rough cutting the hole.

A Dremel cutting wheel finished off with a series of single-cut and double-cut flat files works for me. Template it first, mask it off and then slow and steady. The wheel makes the large cuts and removes the most amount of material. The flat files finish the cut and sizes the hole appropriately.
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post #5 of 9
4/9/11 at 9:59pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdkJake View Post

A nibbler works, but will be very slow. Especially if you want to remove a large amount of material. Think of it as more of a finishing tool than something for rough cutting the hole.

A Dremel cutting wheel finished off with a series of single-cut and double-cut flat files works for me. Template it first, mask it off and then slow and steady. The wheel makes the large cuts and removes the most amount of material. The flat files finish the cut and sizes the hole appropriately.


It's a very small hole. My dremel experience is next to none. If I find some scrap metal, I'll try both methods and see which one works better for me.

 

Thanks for your help guys.

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post #6 of 9
4/17/11 at 1:07pm
Thread Starter 

OK guys, so here's what I ended up doing. I drilled holes in the corners and stuck my saw blade through and cut the basic square out. Then I finished up with a new file kit I went out and bought (pricey).

 

photo 1 (2).JPG

 

photo 2 (3).JPG

 

photo 3 (3).JPG

 

photo 4 (2).JPG

 

photo 5 (1).JPG

I filed the DC connector a little bit smoother after the final pic.

 

Guys, I'm thrilled with how well they turned out. Thanks a lot. 

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post #7 of 9
4/17/11 at 1:17pm

Looks good Zach


Edited by Avro_Arrow - 4/17/11 at 1:52pm
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post #8 of 9
4/17/11 at 3:22pm
Very neat work, looks great.
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post #9 of 9
4/17/11 at 6:50pm

Good job. That turned out very well.

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