Punching "Nylon" Wall Plates

That's what I already decided. ...Jim Thompson

That's why I offered the brace w/ bit solution. REALLY LOW RPM's (like 10? :>) Almost as if you were using a "guided knife" to chew its way through the material. You can *see* when things are headed south BEFORE they are a total loss.

:) Ordered mine today.

ChesterW

e machining plexiglass you'll discover that it comes in two "flavors" cast and extruded. You can machine the cast stuff, while the extruded tends to crack and shatter... built in stresses or something.

and don't even try to clean it with alcohol it cracks and shatters like hardened glass

-Lasse

If your material is pretty thin, perhaps. They're really rather poor drills.

I don't know what wall plates you have, but mine are not curved other than right at the edges. Flat as a board. I'm tempted to dig one up even if I have to pull it off a wall and give it a try. Not likely to be nylon though. I'm not sure what they make the real cheapies out of, but I don't think it is nylon as they are rather brittle and nylon isn't brittle, at least in its early life.

The normal wall plate isn't nylon but nylon plates are sold as "unbreakable".

Works up to about 1/8". Iv'e used them in stainless steel, with lots of black sulfur oil. Need to run slow and powerful, and don't hesitate. Worked just fine.

Joe Gwinn

This is probably melamine , which machines easily, somewhat like bakelite.

Joe Gwinn

If you need a round hole - a wood boring bit with "tangs" on the periphery so the outside is engaged as well as the center called "brad point bits," or spade bits like Irwin "speed bore" style.

What I've found to be exceptional at cutting all plastics is the "multi tool" which uses a small blade and reciprocal oscillations to cut. (like those things doctors use to remove casts - but with real cutting edges instead of a wavy edge)

I've used Unibits in steel up to 3/16" without problems.

The lowest speed on my drill press is 190 RPM, so plastic is generally no problem.

Finally got around to doing it. Turns out that the nylon plates punch just fine... Greenlee 3/4" ...Jim Thompson

Thanks for posting that link Martin. The step drill is my new favorite tool.

ChesterW

defintely buy elsewhere though, those prices! I paid under $10 for a set of 3 titanium ones.

NT