[GreenKeys] Cutting Meter Holes

Wed, 23 Oct 2002 22:18:09 -0500

Hey all this talk of saws & free hand milling is overkill. Go to a decent
hardware store, or builder's supply & get a Milwaukee Bi-Metal hole saw in
the size you need with the appropriate arbor.  The Arbors interchange so on
your next project you will only have to acquire the saw portion of the unit.
It may cost you a few bucks more , but there's nothing better than doing it
right from the get-go! 73's Jon AB9AH
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck McManis" <[email protected]>
To: "Merz Donald S" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>;
<[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; "Old Tube
Radios" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 6:23 PM
Subject: Re: [GreenKeys] Cutting Meter Holes


> Is it always 1 meter holes? If that was the case I would seriously
consider
> building a jig which consisted of a an arm with a electric 3/8" drill
> mounted on the end of it. Chuck up a 5/16" end mill into the drill and
> drill a hole in the panel where the pivot point goes. Then pull the drill
> around the circle. You should be able to cut a hole in about a minute and
> it will be reasonably accurate. (not as accurate as doing it on a mill but
> better than the saber saw method.) Consider the following ascii picture
>
>   Handle +                Drill +
>           \                      \
>       +-----+-------------------+DDD
>       ******|                   |DDDD
>       +-----+-----+ +-----------|DDDD
>                   | |            DDD
>                   | |             x
>          Pivot --> |              x <- End mill
>                                   x
>
> You could make the arm out of aluminum bar stock and attach the drill with
> u-bolts. Clearly if you make the pivot point movable then you can get
> different sized holes, however you need to be very careful with the pivot
> adjustment mechanism in that case as slippage will result in ellipses
> rather than circles :-)
>
> --Chuck
>
> At 11:12 AM 10/23/02 -0400, Merz Donald S wrote:
> >Question: How do you cut meter holes in panels, particularly heavy-gauge
> >steel? I sometimes have to do this for restoration work and I dread it. I
> >have been using my trusty saber-saw and blade-after-blade. Now I have 3
> >more holes to cut in 2 steel panels and I really don't want to do it. Is
> >there a better way?
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