Yes, and the sloppy-clearance Greenlee punches might not do so well with really thin soft material, like the 1mm aluminum used on some chassis.
Recommended (total) punch/die clearance is 0.006" (0.15mm) for 0.040" (1mm) aluminum- I measured a genuine Greenlee and it was more like
0.031" (0.8mm) which is well into danger territory. They work fine on 1/8" aluminum and I think they're just okay in practice on 1/16" (1.6mm) hard-ish aluminum..--sp
-- Best regards, Spehro Pefhany Amazon link for AoE 3rd Edition: http://tinyurl.com/ntrpwu8 Microchip link for 2015 Masters in Phoenix: http://tinyurl.com/l7g2k48
Harbor Freight sells 'em for much less than that. As with most of their stuff it's not going to be of ultimately high quality but should be OK for an occasional use.
They have one singletone, and several two- and three-piece sets... the most expensive set is $20.
roughly $10. will take care of Al easily
The drill/nibbler/file ensemble is very flexible, you can make keyed holes, rectangles, or oddball shapes like for this snaps-in connector:
It's a good idea, too, to get a deburring tool (Noga or somesuch) to quickly whittle down the sharp edges.
Ebay..
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Besides if you get the good stuff, you can drink it. ;)
Cheers
Phil Hobbs
-- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal Consultant ElectroOptical Innovations LLC Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics 160 North State Road #203 Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 hobbs at electrooptical dot net http://electrooptical.net
I second the chassis punch but Harbor Freight carries cheap (in both senses) step drills.
** Most 9 pin valve sockets sold these days come from China and need a 22mm dia hole. They are made from white ceramic. Older European made sockets need 19mm diameter and are made of plastic. US made ones mostly need 3/4 inch.
So the OP needs a step drill able to cut a 7/8 inch or 3/4 inch hole.
.... Phil
On Mon, 07 Dec 2015 19:08:57 -0500, krw Gave us:
Ever read about "chilling"?
Ever seen the stats on the effect it has on standard high speed bits?
Not cold during use, mind you. The process is at the molecular level, and once chilled, gets retained.
The size and price usually "steps" up for > 3/4" so maybe it's important whether it's 3/4" or 5/8".
--sp
-- Best regards, Spehro Pefhany Amazon link for AoE 3rd Edition: http://tinyurl.com/ntrpwu8 Microchip link for 2015 Masters in Phoenix: http://tinyurl.com/l7g2k48
I've had very good luck with the ones from eBay. There is a large assortment in inch and metric. I found they are just about the only way to drill holes in acrylic plastic without cracking. A regular drill applies pressure perpendicular to the sheet which cracks it. A step drill opens the hole in small steps and cuts away from the sides so there is little or no pressure to crack the plastic.
Here are some eBay examples. I found them to be of excellent quality, very sharp, and easily capable of cutting aluminum and soft steel.
New 1/4" to 3/4" M2 Hex Shank HSS Titanium Step Drill Bits LJN US $3.53
** Got myself a G&J Hall HSS step drill from Farnell about 20 years back.
Cuts perfectly round holes from 10mm to 20mm dia in 1mm increments. Goes though plastic and Aluminium sheet like it's butter, mild steel takes a little pressure plus a few drop of light oil to reduce friction.
I normally drill a 10mm pilot hole using standard drill bits and then the step drill to take it out to the desired size. It self centres perfectly.
I bought it specially for use with die cast boxes to mount 3 pin XLR and 1/4 inch plastic jack sockets and always use the drill press with these.
IME - large dia drill bits and chassis punches are unusable with die cast boxes. Drills bits grab the material while punches often cause large cracks in the box.
... Phil
Brad point drills work well in aluminum for smaller holes. They can be made from standard drills if you're handy with a grinder. Woodworking tool suppliers carry them as well as mainstream tool sources.
Not cheapskate unless you're recycling old drills, but they last a long time.
-- Grizzly H.
NT
Solid carbide?
If you're drilling epoxy glass composite - yes.
-- Grizzly H.
I bought some precision metal hole cutters years ago. They work beautifully on aluminum. Google "annular cutter"
e
g
if only :)
NT
Harbor Freight, $13.99:
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