A friend asked:

Need to cut a few (=6) 5.5" holes (actually 140mm, but that
is 5.51", so close enough) in 1mm sheet metal (carbon steel, I
think).

2 side by side holes initially in a roughly 20"x17" piece of 1mm
cold rolled steel with one finished side. May need to put holes
in 2 similar pieces of sheet metal later on.

I thought:
HF has a flycutter with a carbide tip...
http://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-adjustable-circle-cutter-68117.html

That, a longer arm & a drill press...
--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

I prefer hole saws for large round holes because after drilling a center
pilot hole, the drill in a hole saw can generally be replaced with a 1/4"
rod, which almost certainly insures that the hole saw won't go skidding
across the workpiece.
Extended lengths of plain 1/4" rod can make an angled approach fairly
stable, where only one side of the saw starts cutting first.. this works
better for thicker materials where an angled hole or large counterbore is
needed.

I bought some new high quality ones on eBag recently, and the seller had
some in that size range at very reasonable prices (better than local
retail).
They sometimes make oversized holes, so using a smaller size and finishing
to an acccurate hole size may be required.

With flycutters, the full load is only on one side of the cutter's swing,
and things can get exciting very quickly when the cutter grabs and also when
it starts to break thru the back side of the material.

--
WB
..........


"David Lesher" wrote in message
...
A friend asked:

Need to cut a few (=6) 5.5" holes (actually 140mm, but that
is 5.51", so close enough) in 1mm sheet metal (carbon steel, I
think).

2 side by side holes initially in a roughly 20"x17" piece of 1mm
cold rolled steel with one finished side. May need to put holes
in 2 similar pieces of sheet metal later on.

I thought:
HF has a flycutter with a carbide tip...
http://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-adjustable-circle-cutter-68117.html

That, a longer arm & a drill press...
--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

David Lesher wrote:
A friend asked:

Need to cut a few (=6) 5.5" holes (actually 140mm, but that
is 5.51", so close enough) in 1mm sheet metal (carbon steel, I
think).

2 side by side holes initially in a roughly 20"x17" piece of 1mm
cold rolled steel with one finished side. May need to put holes
in 2 similar pieces of sheet metal later on.

I thought:
HF has a flycutter with a carbide tip...
http://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-adjustable-circle-cutter-68117.html

The 'Large Print' says that one tops out at 5" diameter
(as you imply).

That, a longer arm& a drill press...

Consider one of these:

http://www.tools-plus.com/malco-hc1.html

I see that HF no longer lists their clone, the
'Adjustable sheet metal hole cutter' model 97645.
http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals...7999/97645.pdf

I'm considering ordering replacement parts for mine:

Item Description Qty

2 CAP w/BEARING (NSK 965 V2) 1
4 BIT (M730-2) 4-3/8"L x 3/16" 3
6 SPACER w/SET SCREW 1
8 HEX WRENCH 3mm 1
9 BOTTOM BEARING 1
10 SHOE PLATE 1
11 SCREWS FOR SHOE PLATE (Set)
12 PIVOT PIN 1
13 PIVOT PIN NUT 1
14 GRAY DIE-CAST HANDLE/BODY 1

Call 1-800-444-3353, Monday thru Friday,
6:00 am to 4:30 pm PST
http://www.harborfreight.com/contact-customer-service
Harbor Freight Customer Service,
3491 Mission Oaks Blvd., Camarillo, CA 93011-5034.


Oh Yaasss.


--Winston

Consider one of these:

http://www.tools-plus.com/malco-hc1.html



I didn't know Malco made this item. This company is located 15 miles
from my house. Milady worked there as a temp purchase agent for about
six months ten years ago.

Karl

Karl Townsend wrote:

Consider one of these:

http://www.tools-plus.com/malco-hc1.html



I didn't know Malco made this item. This company is located 15 miles
from my house. Milady worked there as a temp purchase agent for about
six months ten years ago.

It looks like the perfect thing for some duct
work I'm contemplating.

--Winston

On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:31:29 -0400, Wild_Bill wrote:
On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 05:32:43 +0000, David Lesher wrote:
A friend asked:
Need to cut a few (=6) 5.5" holes (actually 140mm, but that is 5.51",
so close enough) in 1mm sheet metal (carbon steel, I think).

2 side by side holes initially in a roughly 20"x17" piece of 1mm cold
rolled steel with one finished side. [...]
HF has a flycutter with a carbide tip...
http://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-adjustable-circle-cutter-68117.html

I prefer hole saws for large round holes because after drilling a center
pilot hole, the drill in a hole saw can generally be replaced with a
1/4" rod, which almost certainly insures that the hole saw won't go
skidding across the workpiece.
Extended lengths of plain 1/4" rod can make an angled approach fairly
stable, where only one side of the saw starts cutting first.. this works
better for thicker materials where an angled hole or large counterbore
is needed. [...]
They sometimes make oversized holes, so using a smaller size and
finishing to an acccurate hole size may be required.

With flycutters, the full load is only on one side of the cutter's
swing, and things can get exciting very quickly when the cutter grabs
and also when it starts to break thru the back side of the material.

When I last cut holes in computer-case sides for additional fans, I
used a one-blade flycutter, with no excitement, but it cut slowly --
probably because of belts slipping on the drill press. I now have a
two-blade flycutter, which balances the load better. Even so, I agree
that a hole saw is a better choice if available.

--
jiw

On 11/3/2011 4:14 PM, James Waldby wrote:

When I last cut holes in computer-case sides for additional fans, I
used a one-blade flycutter, with no excitement, but it cut slowly --
probably because of belts slipping on the drill press. I now have a
two-blade flycutter, which balances the load better. Even so, I agree
that a hole saw is a better choice if available.


The other night my drill press was making a horrendous noise.
BanginAndBanginAndBanginAndBanginAndBanginAndBangi nAndBanginAndBanginAnd

Turns out the 25 year old belt was finally giving it up.

Dam. I hate when that happens!

On 2011-11-03, David Lesher wrote:
A friend asked:

Need to cut a few (=6) 5.5" holes (actually 140mm, but that
is 5.51", so close enough) in 1mm sheet metal (carbon steel, I
think).

2 side by side holes initially in a roughly 20"x17" piece of 1mm
cold rolled steel with one finished side. May need to put holes
in 2 similar pieces of sheet metal later on.

I thought:
HF has a flycutter with a carbide tip...
http://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-adjustable-circle-cutter-68117.html

Do you get an image with that page? My browser has it saying
"Image Coming Soon!". :-)

That, a longer arm & a drill press...

And -- some wood to back where the hole breaks through, and some
*serious* clamps, so you don't have the sheet metal spinning like mad on
breakthrough, cutting whatever part of you is in line with the corners.

How far from the long edge of the metal is the center of the
holes? Could determine what size of drill press you will need. And it
should be a *rigid* drill press, not a cheap Chinese one, because those
cutters like to play with any give in the drill press.

And how slow will it go? 150 RPM will give 216 SFM at a 5.5"
diameter -- and I don't think that my Taiwanese drill press will go
quite that slow.

How good a finish do you need in the hole? Would a 5.5"
circular saw do for you? (Again, the speed will probably be a problem.)

The metal looks a bit thin for using a Greenlee chassis punch,
assuming that you can find one close enough in size.

Good Luck,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

That's an interesting circle cutter.. and should be almost idiot-proof as
far as personal safety is concerned (not trying to imply here, just sayin).

Something like that tool would be fairly easy to fabricate in a home shop,
having a small lathe (or 2) would be a plus (always is).

I have a RotoZip TC1 tile cutter* (1/8" diameter kept in my Dremel case)
that would suffice as the cutting tool, suitable for numerous materials, as
it's carbide and prickly sharp cutting teeth.. making it practical for
sideways cutting in any direction.
Dremel probably has a circle cutting guide available, if one couldn't
fabricate or improvise one (sheetmetal screw in the hole center and a loop
of wire adjusted to the proper diameter).

*TC1 package states: cuts ceramic wall tile, cement board and plaster. Will
not cut floor tile!

--
WB
..........


"Winston" wrote in message
...

Consider one of these:

http://www.tools-plus.com/malco-hc1.html

I see that HF no longer lists their clone, the
'Adjustable sheet metal hole cutter' model 97645.
http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals...7999/97645.pdf

I'm considering ordering replacement parts for mine:

Item Description Qty

2 CAP w/BEARING (NSK 965 V2) 1
4 BIT (M730-2) 4-3/8"L x 3/16" 3
6 SPACER w/SET SCREW 1
8 HEX WRENCH 3mm 1
9 BOTTOM BEARING 1
10 SHOE PLATE 1
11 SCREWS FOR SHOE PLATE (Set)
12 PIVOT PIN 1
13 PIVOT PIN NUT 1
14 GRAY DIE-CAST HANDLE/BODY 1

Call 1-800-444-3353, Monday thru Friday,
6:00 am to 4:30 pm PST
http://www.harborfreight.com/contact-customer-service
Harbor Freight Customer Service,
3491 Mission Oaks Blvd., Camarillo, CA 93011-5034.


Oh Yaasss.


--Winston

I like hole punches. Knockout punches. 5.5 sounds like a standard.

Check out Conduit hole punches at Home Depot or your electrical supply.

Martin

On 11/3/2011 12:32 AM, David Lesher wrote:
A friend asked:

Need to cut a few (=6) 5.5" holes (actually 140mm, but that
is 5.51", so close enough) in 1mm sheet metal (carbon steel, I
think).

2 side by side holes initially in a roughly 20"x17" piece of 1mm
cold rolled steel with one finished side. May need to put holes
in 2 similar pieces of sheet metal later on.

I thought:
HF has a flycutter with a carbide tip...
http://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-adjustable-circle-cutter-68117.html

That, a longer arm& a drill press...

Other option is a cnc plasma or laser system.

Martin

On 11/3/2011 12:32 AM, David Lesher wrote:
A friend asked:

Need to cut a few (=6) 5.5" holes (actually 140mm, but that
is 5.51", so close enough) in 1mm sheet metal (carbon steel, I
think).

2 side by side holes initially in a roughly 20"x17" piece of 1mm
cold rolled steel with one finished side. May need to put holes
in 2 similar pieces of sheet metal later on.

I thought:
HF has a flycutter with a carbide tip...
http://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-adjustable-circle-cutter-68117.html

That, a longer arm& a drill press...

DoN. Nichols wrote:

(...)

Do you get an image with that page? My browser has it saying
"Image Coming Soon!". :-)

That's funny. I get "Image Coming Soon" as well.
I guess it hasn't arrived yet.

--Winston

Wild_Bill wrote:
That's an interesting circle cutter.. and should be almost idiot-proof
as far as personal safety is concerned (not trying to imply here, just
sayin).

'S OK. I'm used to it.

Something like that tool would be fairly easy to fabricate in a home
shop, having a small lathe (or 2) would be a plus (always is).

Or you could *repair yours* with parts ordered
from HF:

Item Description Qty

2 CAP w/BEARING (NSK 965 V2) 1
4 BIT (M730-2) 4-3/8"L x 3/16" 3
6 SPACER w/SET SCREW 1
8 HEX WRENCH 3mm 1
9 BOTTOM BEARING 1
10 SHOE PLATE 1
11 SCREWS FOR SHOE PLATE (Set)
12 PIVOT PIN 1
13 PIVOT PIN NUT 1
14 GRAY DIE-CAST HANDLE/BODY 1

Call 1-800-444-3353, Monday thru Friday,
6:00 am to 4:30 pm PST
http://www.harborfreight.com/contact-customer-service
Harbor Freight Customer Service,
3491 Mission Oaks Blvd., Camarillo, CA 93011-5034.


I have a RotoZip TC1 tile cutter* (1/8" diameter kept in my Dremel case)
that would suffice as the cutting tool, suitable for numerous materials,
as it's carbide and prickly sharp cutting teeth.. making it practical
for sideways cutting in any direction.

I've never used one of those but don't they run at
a really high RPM with almost no torque?

Steel needs much slower RPM and plenty of torque.
(IMHO)

--Winston

I don't have a RotoZip rotary tool, just mentioning the TC1 carbide cutter
as a cutting tool.
It's 1/8" dia and can be used with almost any drill or other rotary tool,
flex shaft etc.

You're absotively correct, steel does dictate slower tool speeds.. and in
most cases cutting lubricant is of great benefit for tool life.

--
WB
..........


"Winston" wrote in message
...
Wild_Bill wrote:

I have a RotoZip TC1 tile cutter* (1/8" diameter kept in my Dremel case)
that would suffice as the cutting tool, suitable for numerous materials,
as it's carbide and prickly sharp cutting teeth.. making it practical
for sideways cutting in any direction.

I've never used one of those but don't they run at
a really high RPM with almost no torque?

Steel needs much slower RPM and plenty of torque.
(IMHO)

--Winston

On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:21:52 -0500, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

I like hole punches. Knockout punches. 5.5 sounds like a standard.

Check out Conduit hole punches at Home Depot or your electrical supply.

Greenlee seems to go up to 4-1/2".
Irwin, DeWalt, and Morse have bimetal 5.5" hole saws, though.

--
The unexamined life is not worth living.
--Socrates

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:21:52 -0500, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

I like hole punches. Knockout punches. 5.5 sounds like a standard.

Check out Conduit hole punches at Home Depot or your electrical supply.

Greenlee seems to go up to 4-1/2".
Irwin, DeWalt, and Morse have bimetal 5.5" hole saws, though.

I see a 5.625" punch in the Greenlee catalog
(19980 743BB) but I didn't see a 5.5"

I think a 19-1/2 gauge piece of steel might 'taco'
pretty badly under that amount of stress.
Perhaps not. I dunno.

A thousand dollarettes is a chunk of change too.

--Winston

On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:33:37 -0700, Winston
wrote:

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:21:52 -0500, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

I like hole punches. Knockout punches. 5.5 sounds like a standard.

Check out Conduit hole punches at Home Depot or your electrical supply.

Greenlee seems to go up to 4-1/2".
Irwin, DeWalt, and Morse have bimetal 5.5" hole saws, though.

I see a 5.625" punch in the Greenlee catalog
(19980 743BB) but I didn't see a 5.5"

I didn't see either during a quick romp to the Greenlee site.


I think a 19-1/2 gauge piece of steel might 'taco'
pretty badly under that amount of stress.
Perhaps not. I dunno.

It probably depends on the method of cut.


A thousand dollarettes is a chunk of change too.

Is _that_ all they want for the little thing? thud
I'm glad this isn't my project.

--
The unexamined life is not worth living.
--Socrates

On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:33:37 -0700, Winston
wrote:

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:21:52 -0500, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

I like hole punches. Knockout punches. 5.5 sounds like a standard.

Check out Conduit hole punches at Home Depot or your electrical supply.

Greenlee seems to go up to 4-1/2".
Irwin, DeWalt, and Morse have bimetal 5.5" hole saws, though.

I see a 5.625" punch in the Greenlee catalog
(19980 743BB) but I didn't see a 5.5"

I think a 19-1/2 gauge piece of steel might 'taco'
pretty badly under that amount of stress.
Perhaps not. I dunno.

A thousand dollarettes is a chunk of change too.

Yeah, Greenlee gets Real Proud of their stuff when it gets that big.

I could use the 4" NPT Conduit Punch (4-1/2" OD) for installing a few
standard truck tail lights - or for (gasp!) 4" conduit, but at those
prices I'll wait to run across a good used one. Same for a 5"

I'd start thinking Plasma Cutter and a circle template sized 1/4"
bigger (or as needed for the tip) to pop the hole. Works in
Stainless, too.

Hole saws tend to rip up thinner stuff, and a big hole saw freehand
tends to grab and buck and throw you - and someone already mentioned
snapped pilot drills when they grab. And work-hardening Stainless...

-- Bruce --

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:33:37 -0700,
wrote:

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:21:52 -0500, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

I like hole punches. Knockout punches. 5.5 sounds like a standard.

Check out Conduit hole punches at Home Depot or your electrical supply.

Greenlee seems to go up to 4-1/2".
Irwin, DeWalt, and Morse have bimetal 5.5" hole saws, though.

I see a 5.625" punch in the Greenlee catalog
(19980 743BB) but I didn't see a 5.5"

I didn't see either during a quick romp to the Greenlee site.

Their site is a nightmare.

I think a 19-1/2 gauge piece of steel might 'taco'
pretty badly under that amount of stress.
Perhaps not. I dunno.

It probably depends on the method of cut.

5.5" chassis punch cutting 0.039" sheet? Oh yeah.

A thousand dollarettes is a chunk of change too.

Is _that_ all they want for the little thing?thud
I'm glad this isn't my project.

That is one vendor's price for the 5.625" punch.
Are they proud of that or what?

--Winston

Bruce L. Bergman (munged human readable) wrote:

(...)

Hole saws tend to rip up thinner stuff, and a big hole saw freehand
tends to grab and buck and throw you - and someone already mentioned
snapped pilot drills when they grab. And work-hardening Stainless...

I've never used one of these, (or a plasma for that matter).
Would this work for your taillights and electrical boxes?

http://www.tools-plus.com/malco-hc1.html


--Winston

On 2011-11-04, Martin Eastburn wrote:
I like hole punches. Knockout punches. 5.5 sounds like a standard.

Check out Conduit hole punches at Home Depot or your electrical supply.

Beware, however, of the markings. Knockout punches (for conduit
and the like) have size markings based on the ID of the conduit, not the
OD of the fitting which goes through the punched hole. So one marked
5-1/2" would likely produce holes somewhat closer to 6" diameter. :-)
Chassis punches, from the same maker (Greenlee) are sized to the
diameter of the hole produced, but I've not seen them in that large a
size. So come equipped to measure the punch diameter before you spend
your money -- and those are *not* cheap. :-)

Good Luck
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:39:53 -0700, Winston
wrote:

Bruce L. Bergman (munged human readable) wrote:

(...)

Hole saws tend to rip up thinner stuff, and a big hole saw freehand
tends to grab and buck and throw you - and someone already mentioned
snapped pilot drills when they grab. And work-hardening Stainless...

I've never used one of these, (or a plasma for that matter).
Would this work for your taillights and electrical boxes?

http://www.tools-plus.com/malco-hc1.html

No, the metal is much too thick for those - And I already have one,
used it a few times where you don't want to lug a Plasma Cutter (or
deal with the fire hazards...) like attics - a cordless drill is
enough. Popping new take-off holes in ducts and plenums is about
their max.

And I have a Plasma Cutter too - just have to make a template or get a
circle cutting rig for it.

-- Bruce --

On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:41:39 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:21:52 -0500, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

I like hole punches. Knockout punches. 5.5 sounds like a standard.

Check out Conduit hole punches at Home Depot or your electrical supply.

Greenlee seems to go up to 4-1/2".
Irwin, DeWalt, and Morse have bimetal 5.5" hole saws, though.

I have Greenlee up to 5"

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch

On Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:54:39 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:41:39 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:21:52 -0500, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

I like hole punches. Knockout punches. 5.5 sounds like a standard.

Check out Conduit hole punches at Home Depot or your electrical supply.

Greenlee seems to go up to 4-1/2".
Irwin, DeWalt, and Morse have bimetal 5.5" hole saws, though.

I have Greenlee up to 5"

Gunner

And I'll Gaa-Ron-DAMN-tee you didn't buy that 5" new for any job of
less than 100 holes, or you got someone else to buy it. ;-)

Them puppies (742BB) List at $700... Ouch. That's well past 'arts
and crafts and hobbies' status.

-- Bruce --

On Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:36:39 -0700, "Bruce L. Bergman (munged human
readable)" wrote:

On Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:54:39 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:41:39 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:21:52 -0500, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

I like hole punches. Knockout punches. 5.5 sounds like a standard.

Check out Conduit hole punches at Home Depot or your electrical supply.

Greenlee seems to go up to 4-1/2".
Irwin, DeWalt, and Morse have bimetal 5.5" hole saws, though.

I have Greenlee up to 5"

Gunner

And I'll Gaa-Ron-DAMN-tee you didn't buy that 5" new for any job of
less than 100 holes, or you got someone else to buy it. ;-)

Them puppies (742BB) List at $700... Ouch. That's well past 'arts
and crafts and hobbies' status.

-- Bruce --

Nope.

I got the pump and 19 die sets from 1/2" conduit upwards with many
spares. For $50

Think I did ok?

But to be fair..I did have to put oil in the pump, and buy a tool box to
hold the common stuff we all normally use. And a second box to hold the
spares. So I might have $65 in the works.

VBG

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch

On 2011-11-05, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:36:39 -0700, "Bruce L. Bergman (munged human
readable)" wrote:

On Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:54:39 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:41:39 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

[ ... ]

Greenlee seems to go up to 4-1/2".
Irwin, DeWalt, and Morse have bimetal 5.5" hole saws, though.

I have Greenlee up to 5"

[ ... ]

And I'll Gaa-Ron-DAMN-tee you didn't buy that 5" new for any job of
less than 100 holes, or you got someone else to buy it. ;-)

Them puppies (742BB) List at $700... Ouch. That's well past 'arts
and crafts and hobbies' status.

:-)

I got the pump and 19 die sets from 1/2" conduit upwards with many
spares. For $50

Think I did ok?

Pretty good, yes. :-)

Out of curiosity -- could you measure the punch diameter in the
5" size -- to see what it really is in terms of hole diameter?

But to be fair..I did have to put oil in the pump, and buy a tool box to
hold the common stuff we all normally use. And a second box to hold the
spares. So I might have $65 in the works.

:-)

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Oh poor boy -

I have Greenlee chassis punches from (real sizes)(not tubing/pipe)...

from 1.2 to 1 1/4" and a 1/2" and 1" square.
Some are near 100 years old - in paper cans - metal top and bottoms
that screw on. The 'new' ones are in oil soaked boxes.

Just have to be careful on thick stuff. Use hole or fly cutter for
meter cuts.

Martin

On 11/5/2011 1:28 PM, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:36:39 -0700, "Bruce L. Bergman (munged human
wrote:

On Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:54:39 -0700, Gunner
wrote:

On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:41:39 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:21:52 -0500, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

I like hole punches. Knockout punches. 5.5 sounds like a standard.

Check out Conduit hole punches at Home Depot or your electrical supply.

Greenlee seems to go up to 4-1/2".
Irwin, DeWalt, and Morse have bimetal 5.5" hole saws, though.

I have Greenlee up to 5"

Gunner

And I'll Gaa-Ron-DAMN-tee you didn't buy that 5" new for any job of
less than 100 holes, or you got someone else to buy it. ;-)

Them puppies (742BB) List at $700... Ouch. That's well past 'arts
and crafts and hobbies' status.

-- Bruce--

Nope.

I got the pump and 19 die sets from 1/2" conduit upwards with many
spares. For $50

Think I did ok?

But to be fair..I did have to put oil in the pump, and buy a tool box to
hold the common stuff we all normally use. And a second box to hold the
spares. So I might have $65 in the works.

VBG

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch

On 2011-11-06, Martin Eastburn wrote:
Oh poor boy -

I have Greenlee chassis punches from (real sizes)(not tubing/pipe)...

from 1.2 to 1 1/4" and a 1/2" and 1" square.
Some are near 100 years old - in paper cans - metal top and bottoms
that screw on. The 'new' ones are in oil soaked boxes.

The "real" sizes are the radio chassis punches. The other ones
are for conduit knockouts and such.

Just have to be careful on thick stuff. Use hole or fly cutter for
meter cuts.

Good grease on the threads, and a ball bearing screw head will
work wonders up to some thickiness which is a function of hole diameter
and drawscrew diameter.

Even nicer (if you have it) is the hydraulic powered drawscrew.

Enjoy,
DoN.

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On 5 Nov 2011 21:17:55 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:

Out of curiosity -- could you measure the punch diameter in the
5" size -- to see what it really is in terms of hole diameter?

If it's a standard 5" Conduit punch it's a 5-1/2" ID hole for the
threads. Same as NPT for plumbing, but they punch for clearance.

If you want a real 5" hole you have to ask for it as a Chassis Punch -
made the same, but... They don't sell those in volume, so hold onto
your wallet with both hands when you see the price.

-- Bruce --

On 2011-11-06, Bruce L. Bergman (munged human readable) wrote:
On 5 Nov 2011 21:17:55 GMT, "DoN. Nichols"
wrote:

Out of curiosity -- could you measure the punch diameter in the
5" size -- to see what it really is in terms of hole diameter?

If it's a standard 5" Conduit punch it's a 5-1/2" ID hole for the
threads. Same as NPT for plumbing, but they punch for clearance.

If you want a real 5" hole you have to ask for it as a Chassis Punch -
made the same, but... They don't sell those in volume, so hold onto
your wallet with both hands when you see the price.

Well ... *I* don't want either, but IIRC the original poster
wanted to make a 5-1/2" hole.

Thanks,
DoN.

--
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Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---