[ARC5] Chassis nibbler

[Brian Carling]

I stopped using rat tail files when they came out with those bits you can put in your drill to grind a hole out larger. I suppose you would call it a rasp. Everybody has them from Home Depot to Harbor freight.

Best regards - Brian Carling
AF4K Crystals Co.
117 Sterling Pine St.
Sanford, FL 32773

Tel: +USA 321-262-5471




> On Feb 3, 2015, at 7:32 AM, Bill Cromwell <wrcromwell at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Neil,
> 
> Try a metal cutting "hole-saw". It mounts in the chuck of a drill motor and you can get one just a step under the size of the hole you need for an octal socket. The octal sockets I used are about an inch and an eighth in diameter. Going to that size from five eighths *will* require a lot of patience and calories if you use a file! Start closer to the finish size with the hole saw and hand finish with a file.
> 
> Jeweler's files are much smaller than anything I call a rat-tail file! You would need all month (or longer) to take a 5/8 hole to 1-1/4 with a jeweler's!! A rat-tail file - or for the big holes a half round file - will get you where you want to go.
> 
> This kind of approach is good for making a few holes once in a while. If you are mass producing the boxes with their holes for the millions (or even a few hundred thousand) you should look elsewhere. I acquired a set of the Greenlee donut hole makers and still wouldn't make holes in a production environment. It *IS* easier to consider using octals instead of minis <evil grin>.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Bill  KU8H
> 
> 
>> On 02/03/2015 12:17 AM, AKLDGUY . wrote:
>> To Bill Cromwell:
>> I had a set of what we called 'rat-tail' files, like your jeweler's files,
>> but it's
>> a lot of hard work to file out a 5/8" hole to the size of an octal socket.
>> The aim is to mount a pair of VR-105's or their 7-pin miniature equivalents
>> so that I can power a receiver at 210V.
>> 
>> To Scott Robinson:
>> Pre-drilling small holes around the perimeter is a very good suggestion
>> that I may just use. Thanks.
>> 
>> To Tom Chirhart:
>> Unfortunately I have neither scrap die-cast aluminium nor Dremel motor
>> tool.
>> 
>> To Dennis Monticelli:
>> No problem. My nibbler can just handle the thickness of the die-cast box
>> by angling it a little to get a 'bite'.
>> 
>> To WA5CAB - Robert Downs:
>> Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of a drill press or mill.
>> 
>> Thanks to all who made suggestions.
>> 73 de Neil ZL1ANM
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Tue, Feb 3, 2015 at 10:58 AM, Bill Cromwell <wrcromwell at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> On 02/02/2015 04:50 PM, AKLDGUY . wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks Dennis but the query related specifically to DIE-CAST aluminium.
>>>> I've used my nibbler on countless ordinary aluminium sheet but never
>>>> on DC.
>>>> 
>>>> 73 de Neil ZL1ANM
>>>> 
>>>> On Tue, Feb 3, 2015 at 10:45 AM, Dennis Monticelli <
>>>> dennis.monticelli at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>  Hi Neil,
>>> I was worried about breaking the tool or my hand with that die cast
>>> aluminium. I resorted to small files (or larger ones for roughing out). The
>>> files I had are called "jeweler's files" and now I can't find mine. Let us
>>> know if you have any success doing it with the nibbler.
>>> 
>>> 73,
>>> 
>>> Bill  KU8H
>>> 
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