[johnwmclean]

I’ve just bought a nice Galaxy enclosure from hifi2000, the front and back are the standard 3mm aluminum variety. What’s the best way with a hand held drill to get nice holes going up to say 23mm diameter, are stepped drills the way to go? Or do I need to re-think the whole hand held drill concept.

 

[El_Doug]

stepped drills work. I find I very much enjoy starting a hole with a drill, and then using a dremel grinding bit to work the hole bigger and bigger

 

[FallenAngel]

Aluminum always has those ugly slivers on the opposite side, that's basically the way it cuts. Even with a stepped drill through a drill press, I get them. I just fix them after.

 

[stasher1]

Uni-bits would probably work, but I'd use a piloted counterbore on aluminum. Once the pilot hole has been drilled, the counterbore can't "walk" and the perpendicularity of the drill becomes less important.

 

[Rayko]

I recently used step bits for an 8 mm aluminum faceplate with a hand held drill and the results were very good. They also worked well on thinner steel paneling. Picked them up on flea bay.

 

[johnwmclean]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FallenAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Aluminum always has those ugly slivers on the opposite side, that's basically the way it cuts. Even with a stepped drill through a drill press, I get them. I just fix them after.

Even got slivers with lasercutting, nothing that can’t be fixed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by El_Doug /img/forum/go_quote.gif stepped drills work. I find I very much enjoy starting a hole with a drill, and then using a dremel grinding bit to work the hole bigger and bigger

El_Doug this seems sketchy, I like the idea of picking a hole size, drill it and be done. Unless it’s just your pilot hole, pre the final drilling. Grinding to make a hole bigger seems not as accurate, I don’t know much about dremel’s either.

 

[Nebby]

A good centerpunch + step drill bit will do the job just fine. Make sure to clamp the piece to something solid and it's pretty easy. Using some lubrication also helps keep it from overheating.

Before I got my step drill bits, I did my panel work with a drill press and regular forstener bits

 

[elliot42]

Stepped bits get my vote. I picked up a set from Bunnings and I think the largest diameter is 24mm. I can check when I get home tonight.

 

[smeggy]

Stepped bits are definitely the quickest and easiest option, also least likely to make a mess if you haven't done this stuff before.

 

[johnwmclean]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elliot42 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Stepped bits get my vote. I picked up a set from Bunnings and I think the largest diameter is 24mm. I can check when I get home tonight.

Thanks elliot42, so they just fit your regular home drill? Might be taking a trip down the Bunnings to have a looksee.

 

[elliot42]

Yep, they have a hex shaped shaft so work with both hex shaped and regular 3 jaw chucks. I've used them with a corded and cordless hand-held drill.

 

[elliot42]

Biggest diameter in the set I have is actually only 20mm.

 

[Nick 214]

I'd try to find a local shop that does robotic CNC.. Or a craftsman with a good drill press. I tried the "punch" approach using hand tools and my case(s) (for speaker crossovers) came out pretty amateur.

NK

 

[iriverdude]

Drill presses are dirt cheap now. You don't need a good one for a normaly hobbyist, or if you work with lighter/non thick material, just make sure your work doesn't come loose whilst it's drilling.

 

[n_maher]

In my experience stepped bits over ~3/4" (~20mm) are hit or miss. They were never really intended for accurate work. If you want perfection your best bet is to have someone professionally machine the panel. It's not all that expensive really.

And using a Dremel and claiming the final hole is perfectly round...