Hoffman box - Yep - worked on my 24x24x12 this afternoon - drilling with a
step drill - and a hammer drill to dive it - then on the larger square and round
holes - saber saw with a metal blade and a little lube. Use large half round files
to clean up the edges to match dimensions. Three meters, two large breakers,
power plugs......

Never thought of the mill - I was wishing I could just cut it with a plasma torch -
but I figured the mess would be the larger job.

I'm almost done cutting - almost time to mount stuff and assemble the internal
plate while the box is on the wall.

Martin
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder



Mike Henry wrote:
"Bill Schwab" wrote in message
...

Hello all,

I need to make a hole for a D-shell connector in a plastic box, approx
6x3x2 inches. It is at least simlar to Radio Shack cataglog number
270-1803 (you can search for that number on www.radioshack.com in case you
want see what I have in mind), and I need to put the trapezoidal hole in
one of the ends.

Any thoughts on clamping the box such that the end suspended above the
table of a mill-drill is well supported? I suppose I could simply clamp
it in the vice, but that seems less than optimal.

There are punches for making D-shell holes, but the last I looked, each
size cost almost half what I paid for my mill (minus tooling, freight,
etc. g).

Obviously, once I clamp the box, I will have the joys of trying to machine
something that has non-orthogonal sides. One approach would be to put the
rotary base back on my vice. I could make a jig of some sort, or simply
get the corners right and fake the non-parallel edges. Given that I have
previously done this by hand with a dremel, it need not be perfect. With
that said, suggestions for doing it correctly will be cheerfully read and
quite possible used.



I'd be inclined to clamp it directly to the table and use some blocks of
scrap and machinist jacks inside the case to support the top solidly. That
general idea seemed to work well for some rectangular openings I milled in a
12" Hoffman box a while back.

Here's a pictu

http://member.newsguy.com/~mphenry/S...osureSlots.JPG

The metal box was just barely rigid enough that the internal support was not
needed, though there was a bit of chatter during the cut.

I'd probably also try milling a rectangular opening and then file the angled
corners - shouldn't take long with plastic.

Mike



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