Hello everyone. I have a question about cutting sound holes in thin sheet metal.
I'm building a 4stringer with a nice 11"x8" or so metal box I want to cut a sound hole in the lid with out destroying it or cutting my hands up. So rather than just fire up my hole saw, I thought I'd better ask for help.
This is my first build using metal. I usually use wood.
Any advice, help, war stories etc. Welcome.
BlAck...aka Ron H
Replies
Thanks for all the help. I ended up using a hole saw in my battery powered hand drill.
Took it slow...worked fine. Didn't cut my finger until after it was done. I was checking to see how smooth it was..smooth and SHARP now I have to split some tubing and cover the edge of the hole.
I have used sharpened hole punches with scrap wood underneath.
Works fine.
Here's something I've seen HVAC folks use and is on my list of tools to get.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SHEET-METAL-CIRCLE-HOLE-CUTTER-DRILL-ADJUST...
Thank you one and all I now have a general Idea how to proceed.
I really appreciate your replies.
Ron H
What darryl said: Step Drill... unless you're looking for >1.25" or so...
Hole saw will work, but clamp the metal (securely) to a piece of wood, clamp the pair to your drill press base... if it were to catch, you could lose a finger... or worse...
The hole saw will leave a terrible edge, but that's what files are for.
Punches work great, but they're not cheap.
The biggest problem drilling thin metal with a 118 deg drill tip is tear out, so make sure you drill through the tin and a backing board together, a good option for tin is a step drill, as it's less aggressive fluting is less likely to tear
This guitar was built using a hacksaw, a scroll saw, and a nibbler. It started off as server cases.
Amazing!
That's a great piece of work
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