On 2010-05-26, Doug Miller wrote:
I need to put a 3/4" diameter hole in the front of my kitchen range hood.
Never mind why -- that's kind of involved. It's stainless steel, about 20ga,
and it would be a real PITA to dismount it and take it anywhere. I really need
to make the hole with the unit in place.

What's the best tool to use for that job?

Picture he
http://www.maytag.com/catalog/produc...at=7&prod=1478

I would sort of toss up between a step drill (unibit) which
would make it to 3/4" or a Greenlee Chassis punch. If the latter, best
to get a ball bearing drive screw, and put plenty of good grease on the
screw threads. Since it is stainless it will fight you with either
approach. If you use the chassis punch, and are not going to put
something *in* the hole, put the cup shaped die on the inside and the
punch on the outside, so the burrs will be pointed in. With the Unibit,
you probably won't have much in the way of burrs -- especially if it has
a step beyond the 3/4" so you could use the start of that to cut off any
burrs.

If you were making a *lot* of the holes, I would suggest a
hydraulic drive on the chassis punch.

Be careful not to use a Greenlee knockout punch, because the
diameters don't match the names there -- they match the conduits for
which the knockouts are used.

Good Luck,
DoN.

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