How do you guys cut out ENCLOSURES?

[Peter_wadley]

Hey,

Im just wondering how you guys cut out enclosures for things like:

LCDs.. Serial connectors.. pretty much anything that cant be drilled..

I really dont want to purchase one of those expensive dremils rotary saws.. at least right now..

It only for plastic enclosures..

Please let me know your preferred method! thanks

 

[yngndrw]

you could use a small fret saw if it's only plastic you want to cut. Just file it smooth.

 

[ClydeCrashKop]

A hand nibbler works for square holes / corners

 

[Sceadwian]

Dremels are expensive? You can pick up cheap Dremel tool for less than 25 dollars. Rotary cutting bits are less than 5 dollars... You're not looking at the right stores or researching what you want enough. I spent about 200 dollars on a Dremel, case, bits, vise, extension wand, mounting posts and mini routing table.

 

[Peter_wadley]

Dremels are expensive? You can pick up cheap Dremel tool for less than 25 dollars. Rotary cutting bits are less than 5 dollars... You're not looking at the right stores or researching what you want enough. I spent about 200 dollars on a Dremel, case, bits, vise, extension wand, mounting posts and mini routing table.

Hmmmm

I guess your right.. home depot is selling one for $200.. however my good friend eBay has one listed for $20, its a Jobmate.. I like Jobmate

I was just thinking though.. All i want this tool for is cutting plastic boxes..

Cant I just get the cutting attachment they sell at home depot and attach it to my drill press?

Safe?.. if done carefully..

Do you think I could get away with that?

 

[Robot builder 101]

I have a $150 dollar allmark rotary tool. My favorite tool ive ever owned.

 

[Nicksan]

I use a dremel with the snake attachment and nibbler tool for light guage metal. I used to use an old soldering iron and I would melt holes into plastic boxes and clean up the edges with a file, it worked ok.

 

[Andy1845c]

How about just a set of small files if all your cutting is plastic?

 

[Robot builder 101]

Lol, I use to do that, but then I would have to buy a new tip. I would use my crappy Radioshack soldering iron, and then the tips would desintegrate. I would use a dremel with a grinding stone attachment, with low speed. Its worth it.

EDIT: milling machine with small tip.

 

[Omar.M]

Well, I got my rotary tool kit for 30 dollars at Canadian Tire (local hardware shop). And that was at a pretty bad price considering I saw a whole kit with everything from drilling to sanding to cutting to anything else you can possible want a rotary tool to do-- for about 70 dollars.

Just shop around. I think with a rotary tool kit and a cutting disk bit, you can easily cut through the enclosures without any special little tool.
And after you're done, use the sanding bits to make that area nice and god looking.

Regarding the Jobmate tool: you can pick up a new kit for about the same price as the E-Bay listing is selling for. My opinion: go new.

 

[Peter_wadley]

Alright I think Ill go new with the Jobmate from Canadian Tire.. My drill press is from Jobmate and hasnt given me any trouble.

But hey keep leaving your methods Im sure everyone would like to know!

 

[Peter_wadley]

**broken link removed** one looks perfect.

 

[dknguyen]

...with great difficulty. I have the same problems too. I used a dremel for the first time at work though and it seems that it could do the job very easily. THey're only like $100. THe only other way I know of is to trace it out, and then use a drill press to drill a dotted line pattern and then punch it out.

 

[ericgibbs]

Hey,

Im just wondering how you guys cut out enclosures for things like:

LCDs.. Serial connectors.. pretty much anything that cant be drilled..

I really dont want to purchase one of those expensive dremils rotary saws.. at least right now..

It only for plastic enclosures..

Please let me know your preferred method! thanks

hi,
For plastic cases I use a modified solder bit in my soldering iron.
Use an old bit, file it into a flat blade, undercut the required hole size using the iron bit, then remove any plastic 'fash' with a utility blade.

For metal alloy cases, use your PC to print out, to scale, an outline of the connector etc. Then using scissors cut the paper image, leaving a 1cm border around the image, use sellotape to hold the cut out image on the case.

Use a centre pop, to pop marks 1.5mm inside the hole profile, the pop marks should be 3mm apart. Use a 2mm drill and drill a hole at all the pop marks, then open up the 2mm holes with a 3mm drill.
Use a file to remove any excess material upto the printed image edge.

You can see now, why a Dremel cutting tool is a good investment, especially if you are frequently cutting out hole profiles!.

You can use the printed connector profile method with a Dremel.
Eric

 

[gregmcc]

I got a Dremel off ebay for $25. Works like a charm. There's nothing a Dremel can't cut

 

[Hero999]

For D-type connectors I normally drill four holes for the corners, then as many holes as posible untill I can bang the middle part out with a hammer, then I fle the rough hole smooth.

 

[RODALCO]

Saw

I drill usually 4 holes in the corners and use a cheap Black & Decker reciprocating saw to cut between the holes.
Than a flat course file to file it smooth and a fine square file for the corners.

And otherwise the same as Hero999 suggests. drill holes and pop it out, than file.

For round holes i use a stepdrillbit, or holesaw.

 

[Peter_wadley]

Well I bought a rotary tool..

**broken link removed** one

Its a Mastercraft and was half price!

Came with everything I needed

For my first attempt I cut out a slot for a db-9 connector..

It turned out alright.. i wouldnt say it was bad but i also wouldnt say it was good.. seems like it will take a little practice to get good.

I didnt really know what cutter I should use.. I tried using one of the cut-off wheels.. it cut but it got so hot that it was melting the plastic

I then used a teethed cutter which did the trick.

The kit did come with a diamond tipped cutter.. might try that next time.

The aftermath of the cut was pretty nasty looking so I used one of the aluminum oxide grinders to smooth things out.. next time I might just use a metal file for more control..

overall its a pretty good tool.. need to aquire the skill though.

 

[mneary]

I use the teethed cutter for plastic. I find that I have to experiment with the RPM and feed rate to control melting.

I smooth things out with a knife (e.g. exact-o).

 

[Robot builder 101]

Lol one time while I was fixing the body of a robot of mine (frame was touching the wheel a bit), i diddnt take off the wheels and I cut right through the $20 pneumatic tires...

**** IT!