On 8/20/2014 10:40 PM, Michael Black wrote:
On Wed, 20 Aug 2014, John Davis wrote:

On 8/20/2014 1:45 PM, Wymsey wrote:
On Wed, 20 Aug 2014 16:26:12 +0100, Chronos wrote:

The Dremel doesn't
help - it just makes making a mess faster ;-)

But does look nice on the bench :-)



In one of the Smoke and Solder segments of Ham Nation, George Thomas
made a jig for his Dremel so it works as a cross between a table saw
and a radial saw. Allows him to cut nice straight Mitered cuts in PC
board. Alas have no clue as to which episode it was http://twit.tv/hn

Are you talking about using a cut-off wheel? I think the real problem
with those is that the wheel is too small, so unless you are cutting off
edges, the rest of the Dremel/rotary tool gets in the way.

I think some of the newer models allow for a closer use.

I thought of getting a Dremel tool for about 20 years, they looked so
neat, but I couldn't justify the cost. I had no concrete need for it.

Then suddenly I did buy one (a Sear's one, which I think was a rebadged
Dremel) when it was on sale, and once I had it, I found a use for it.
Those cut-off wheels are great, go through the jar of bolts to find the
right diameter, and if it's too long, just cut off the extra, nice and
quick.

Michael


Yes he was using a cut off wheel.. In my case I had a job where I was
using a Skill hand grinder (Their answer to the Dremel) and it had a
problem.. So I got my own Dremel, a very low end of the line model which
lasted me like 20+ years before It started to smoke (Well it was old
enough) and I had to replace it,, I now use a Crafstman, Suspect it is
made by Dremel, a bit higher up the model chain.. Last used it a couple
hours ago.

I also have a ROBI somewhere here in the RV.

The trick to proper drilling is to use a drill press and the proper
material holder, (They make one for Dremel) that way you position the
drill bit when it is NOT turning, then the jig holds it in position.

Alas... I do not have the drill press

I DO have the router adapter

--
Home, is where I park it.

---
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Chronos wrote:
On Wed, 20 Aug 2014 11:38:57 +0100
"gareth" wrote:

Nowadays, to manufacture an HF RX, with all the concomitant
high density ICs that are around, the biggest design chore
is to cut out the opening for the LCD display on the front
panel.

I have to say that anyone who can make a decent looking front panel has
my admiration. My attempts at chassis bashing have always looked like
something salvaged from a rather nasty car accident. The Dremel doesn't
help - it just makes making a mess faster ;-)

The tradition here, used to be nibbling tool + Hammond Box.

http://www.mpja.com/images/31197-large.jpg

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Deluxe-Nibbl...-/160459856656

http://angela.com/hammondaluminum17x...is1444-30.aspx

http://angela.com/images/products/de...Chassis.15.jpg

You drill a hole big enough to take the cutting head of the nibbler.
Then, like a jig saw, the nibbler cuts an arbitrary pattern in
the aluminum sheet. You can do square or round holes. The square
holes will be high quality (requires a steady hand, don't
rush it). The round holes need touch up with a round file
(depending on your level of patience, and availability of a bezel
to cover the mess).

The advert lists a few different materials it works in, but
let's be honest - it's only for aluminum, and only of a
limited thickness. If you have to fight with the tool,
you won't get nice looking results.

In this picture, you can see the nibbling tool has just cut an "L"
on its way to finishing a big square. While the person here drilled
four pilot holes for the nibbler (to do the square), only one is
really needed. You can do the entire square, racetrack style.
You could even drill a pilot in the middle of the square, and
"drive" to the edges to cut the square.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...3/IMG_1326.jpg

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubes...n7-preamp.html

That project cheated by using other tools to do the round holes.
The round holes are too high quality for the nibbler. But lacking
such tools, I wouldn't mind faking the round holes with the nibbler.
I could never afford a whole kit of tool n' die hole cutters
(the kind you work by compression with a wrench). One of the tools
in this promotional picture (mid-left), is a proper hole cutter.

http://angela.com/images/products/de...Chassis.15.jpg

Paul

On 20/08/14 19:04, Paul wrote:
Chronos wrote:
On Wed, 20 Aug 2014 11:38:57 +0100
"gareth" wrote:

Nowadays, to manufacture an HF RX, with all the concomitant
high density ICs that are around, the biggest design chore
is to cut out the opening for the LCD display on the front
panel.

I have to say that anyone who can make a decent looking front panel has
my admiration. My attempts at chassis bashing have always looked like
something salvaged from a rather nasty car accident. The Dremel doesn't
help - it just makes making a mess faster ;-)

The tradition here, used to be nibbling tool + Hammond Box.

http://www.mpja.com/images/31197-large.jpg

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Deluxe-Nibbl...-/160459856656


http://angela.com/hammondaluminum17x...is1444-30.aspx

http://angela.com/images/products/de...Chassis.15.jpg

You drill a hole big enough to take the cutting head of the nibbler.
Then, like a jig saw, the nibbler cuts an arbitrary pattern in
the aluminum sheet. You can do square or round holes. The square
holes will be high quality (requires a steady hand, don't
rush it). The round holes need touch up with a round file
(depending on your level of patience, and availability of a bezel
to cover the mess).

The advert lists a few different materials it works in, but
let's be honest - it's only for aluminum, and only of a
limited thickness. If you have to fight with the tool,
you won't get nice looking results.

In this picture, you can see the nibbling tool has just cut an "L"
on its way to finishing a big square. While the person here drilled
four pilot holes for the nibbler (to do the square), only one is
really needed. You can do the entire square, racetrack style.
You could even drill a pilot in the middle of the square, and
"drive" to the edges to cut the square.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...3/IMG_1326.jpg

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubes...n7-preamp.html


That project cheated by using other tools to do the round holes.
The round holes are too high quality for the nibbler. But lacking
such tools, I wouldn't mind faking the round holes with the nibbler.
I could never afford a whole kit of tool n' die hole cutters
(the kind you work by compression with a wrench). One of the tools
in this promotional picture (mid-left), is a proper hole cutter.

http://angela.com/images/products/de...Chassis.15.jpg

Paul

Nibbling tools are still available from Radio Shack (in USA) for US$9.99

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH

highlandham wrote:
Nibbling tools are still available from Radio Shack (in USA) for US$9.99

Don't do it! Spend a little more and get a good one from MSC or somebody.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Wed, 20 Aug 2014, Scott Dorsey wrote:

highlandham wrote:
Nibbling tools are still available from Radio Shack (in USA) for US$9.99

Don't do it! Spend a little more and get a good one from MSC or somebody.
--scott

My nibbler is from Radio Shack, about 30 years old, maybe 35. I couldn't
tell any real difference from an Adel nibbler, which I had borrowed and
used before I got my own.

Michael

On 20/08/2014 16:26, Chronos wrote:
On Wed, 20 Aug 2014 11:38:57 +0100
"gareth" wrote:

Nowadays, to manufacture an HF RX, with all the concomitant
high density ICs that are around, the biggest design chore
is to cut out the opening for the LCD display on the front
panel.

I have to say that anyone who can make a decent looking front panel has
my admiration. My attempts at chassis bashing have always looked like
something salvaged from a rather nasty car accident. The Dremel doesn't
help - it just makes making a mess faster ;-)

Someone once said to me, that precision engineering was the easiest
thing in the world - far easier than having to 'adjust' holes to fit
things and used a lot less material!
I freely admit that my earlier work was not something to be proud of.

Les.

"Lordgnome" wrote in message
...
Someone once said to me, that precision engineering was the easiest
thing in the world - far easier than having to 'adjust' holes to fit
things and used a lot less material!
I freely admit that my earlier work was not something to be proud of.

Somewhere on the Net is a poster of silly screws to handle such problems.
along the lines of a screw with a bit shifted sideways!

Anyone got the URL?

On 21/08/14 09:20, gareth wrote:
"Lordgnome" wrote in message
...
Someone once said to me, that precision engineering was the easiest
thing in the world - far easier than having to 'adjust' holes to fit
things and used a lot less material!
I freely admit that my earlier work was not something to be proud of.

Somewhere on the Net is a poster of silly screws to handle such problems.
along the lines of a screw with a bit shifted sideways!

Anyone got the URL?


========================
These screw type punchers were/are available from Radio Spares (RS).
I have a few sizes up to 30 mm diameter.

Frank , GM0CSZ / KN6WH

highlandham wrote in news:lt5mcm$7ud$1@dont-
email.me:

Somewhere on the Net is a poster of silly screws to handle such problems.
along the lines of a screw with a bit shifted sideways!

Anyone got the URL?


========================
These screw type punchers were/are available from Radio Spares (RS).
I have a few sizes up to 30 mm diameter.


I think he had something far sillier in mind. Pythonesque, even. But I
know the puches you mean, I have a couple for 20mm and 16mm, I considered one
for 25 pin D-sub but in the end I never wanted to repeat enough to justify
anything other than finely dotted drill-lines followed by knocking out the
middle bit and light filing to clean up. Those hole puches don't always work
well, especially on thicker panels, or panels that already have a tough
enamel type coating. They're also not cheap, I just kept some for hole sizes
I did need to use a lot.

"Brian Reay" wrote in message
...
They tend to be fine for thin steal (eg car panels if you are fitting an
antenna) or the softer aluminium alloys but can jam on the harder alloys,
a
little paraffin usually helps (assuming proper cutting fluid for aluminium
isn't to hand).

Paraffin _IS_ the recommended cutting fluid for aluminium