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Punching better holes in plastic plates

post #1 of 9
4/25/11 at 10:58pm
Thread Starter 
Hey Guys,
soon i'd be building a Mini^3 in the recommended Hammnd case, with plastic front and back panels.
Now since i was a kid, making holes in plastic has been limited to putting the hot tip of the solder iron into the plate. But its not a very clean method of making holes into the plates. So my question, i don't have any professional drilling tools and machies, so how do i punch holes in the front and back plates with cleanliness?
Thanx.
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post #2 of 9
4/25/11 at 11:40pm

A cordless drill, a steady hand, measuring tape/ruler, pencil, and patience.

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post #3 of 9
4/26/11 at 1:11am
What Aflac said, but add to that a set of stepped drill bits. They're amazing for making clean round holes in plastic and sheet metal; from 3-20mm and only $15-20. A good investment for panel work if you ask me.
Masking tape over the surface is also great, you can draw and measure the holes on it and it keeps the rest of the surface safe from scratches while drilling.
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post #4 of 9
4/26/11 at 1:15am
These are what I mean, I got a cheap set of 3 from my local hardware store:
500
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post #5 of 9
4/26/11 at 3:56am

Thats what I use too. Works like a charm.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by elliot42 View Post

These are what I mean, I got a cheap set of 3 from my local hardware store:
500


 

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post #6 of 9
4/26/11 at 6:23am
Thread Starter 
You guys are manufacturing heroes.i mean personal drills at home, thats something for sure.
Guys, how much does a drill like the ones u people use cost?i saw 50USD on ebay.but my problem is also that i'd be needing it for a one time job until am getting orders to build more amps for selling. Any other way round?i'd sure like to get a used drill if it came for cheap.
Thanks.
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post #7 of 9
4/26/11 at 7:19am

This is the one I have.

I'm not sure where to get one locally or online from India.

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post #8 of 9
4/27/11 at 12:02am
I've had trouble punching nice holes. The only way I've been able to clean them up is with hand files. Not too much effort or skill, just a few rounded files will make them look good.
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post #9 of 9
4/27/11 at 7:40am

Greenlee punch FTMFW!

 

If you arent going to be getting into this, buying FPE (front pannel express) panels pre-made will without a doubt come out looking better than what most people can do at home, and may actually be less expensive than even a small investment in tools. Just pass the cost on to your customers.

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