Imagine you're me. A beginner in this field. You've ordered a parts kit. And an enclosure, but you ordered the box from somewhere else, because you're a beginner and wanted it pre-painted. You could have bought a drilled but not painted box with the kit, but you wanted the pro paint job.
However, the kit shows up with a 5mm LED and the enclosure with a 3mm LED hole. You've got lots of 3mm LEDs from old "teach-yourself-electronics" kits, but no 3mm bezels. You don't have a drill press or a stepped drill bit. But you have a Dremel tool, widely regarded for it's ability to cut and chew through anything. Seems like a perfect choice, doesn't it? You do have a set of calipers and a variety of grinding bits. Wait. Rephrase that. You HAD a variety of grinding bits.
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa217/bundito/IMG_5474_zpsgsm8tcqj.jpg) (http://s196.photobucket.com/user/bundito/media/IMG_5474_zpsgsm8tcqj.jpg.html)
I suppose we can call this an endorsement of Mammoth enclosures and their ruggedness. 2mm increase in hole size, three bits destroyed in the process. Adding 3mm bezels to my wish list right now...
-Dito
(ps: a cookie for whoever "gets" the old-school punk reference in this thread's title)
The aluminum from the enclosure is getting deposited on the bits....rendering them useless.
Use a drill bit...preferably...a step bit. ;)
Get a tapered reamer. They're cheap and highly effective hand tools. To ream those holes would take only a few seconds. Would put a picture up but can't from here. Anyone else?
http://www.gearbest.com/other-tools/pp_231366.html?currency=GBP&gclid=CI2nmLD-xcoCFYTnGwoduC8HJA
Step drill bit
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pc-Tapered-Reamer-Set-Conical-End-Pins-Ream-5-32-7-8-Pipe-Joint-Mill-Tool-/231556292240
Tapered hand reamer
Both great
Thanks Rich. Never thought of a link, must be jet lag. This is the kind I was referring to...
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/model-craft-tapered-reamer-3-16mm-r44lk (http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/model-craft-tapered-reamer-3-16mm-r44lk)
Reamer; forever handy!
(http://d315rp2pq5jxiy.cloudfront.net/products_small/tooling-and-cutting/reamers/hand-reamer/MA.RE.HA.119887.jpg)
Grinders, as mentioned, wrong tool for the job.
dave
Quote from: davent on January 25, 2016, 05:35:21 PM
Grinders, as mentioned, wrong tool for the job.
dave
As mentioned, and as I have learned. At the expense of my Dremel bits and my lovely decal.
Dremel metal routing bits are better than what you've shown. For odd shapes.
+1:Step bit and reamer
yeop, get a drill gun and a step bit . take steps whilst drilling not to scratch it up !
just the wrong tool for the job :)
You can't grind pot-metal (zinc aluminum alloys).
You can't jam a tapered tool into a hole and turn it unless the tool is VERY good about torque (stone aint, and I would not be keen about Dremel cutters either).
The hand reamer is the right tool, and lasts a lifetime.
The wrong tool is scissors. I have done that many times. Go easy, scissor blades are not tough in twisting.
I do not see a call for a "drill press". A $5 hand drill ("egg beater") and a $5 bit-set would do this job plus many jobs around the house, even most electronics-stuff. I don't think I even had a power drill until I was drilling holes in car frames.
You might be amazed what strong coffee and a rat-tail file will do faster than you can clean-off a drill-press (they collect odd stuff).
Quote from: Dito on January 25, 2016, 05:06:00 PM
You've got lots of 3mm LEDs from old "teach-yourself-electronics" kits, but no 3mm bezels.
Why bezels? Just dab a spot of superglue and fix the LED directly into the 3mm hole.
+1 for the hand reamers, btw.
Quote from: bluebunny on January 26, 2016, 02:58:40 AMWhy bezels? Just dab a spot of superglue and fix the LED directly into the 3mm hole.
+1 for the hand reamers, btw.
Perfectionist is the reason for a bezel. Looks neater and cleaner to my eye.
Is this the kind of reamer I'm looking for?
Woodstock D4140 Repairman's Taper Reamer
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005W17DFC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_dL6Pwb3TN9P39
Thanks, all, for the tips (and mild scolding). Gotta use the right tool for the job, and I clearly did not.
Looks fine to me, 1/8 - 5/8" covers your standard pedal holes.
I'm sure we've all had similar similar screw-ups, at least i have, it's all part of the learning process, no big deal?
Have fun!
dave
Yep. Keep on learning. I thought for sure one of those cone-shaped Dremel bits would go right through that box.
For the record, I eventually did get the hole large enough, but tool slippage resulted in a long deep gash across the front. At first I thought it just tore the decal, but no such luck. So I ordered a new box and some 3mm bezels(!) and will resume work in about a week or so.
Since no one answered the "get a free cookie" riddle at the end of my original post, I'll answer it. You're welcome.
Thanks again for all the help. It's honestly appreciated.
I agree, tapered reamer (harbor freight in the usa has them) is the way to go.
I'd recommend you try flat top 3mm LEDs. Cheap assortments available on eBay.
I'm gonna grab a reamer at Harbor Freight, I guess it's a good tool to have around, huh? I got my 3-piece titanium step drill bit set there for $6.99! Indispensable tools they have become!
:icon_question: not trying to hijack, but is the reamer a good way to de-burr the holes after drilling? Is there a better tool for this? I've been using a small pocket knife :P
I actually have a set of small thin metal files. From Harbor Freight, no less. I suspect those would do the trick. But I've been wrong before (see above).
No good for deburring holes, either a larger bit, you could use the step bit or there is a hole deburrer you can get. I would imagine Harbor Freight. They don't cost much, Princess Auto in canada.
(https://www.king-tool.com/img/tools/tool-groups/480/deburring-tools.jpg)
Man, I can't catch a break. :-)
I've had mixed results with tools from Harbor Freight. Some stuff has been good, some stuff has been really poor made-in-China garbage. A gearhead friend (hot rod builder) said he'd never buy anything from them that had an electrical cord or could kill him - like a garage jack.
I realize step bits or deburring tools won't be part of my everyday existence. But will cheap quality tools be more hassle earned than money saved?
I'd splurge on a step bit, i have a cheap titanium prettified stepper in my collection, it's something you keep around as a reminder. A deburrer's a pretty crude hack tool that does it's job, can't see the need for a refined version, i nice ergonomic handle perhaps... nah!
dave
Those are great deburring tools which I use for large sheet edges but for stompboxes, I find that a countersink bit works even by hand
> will cheap quality tools be more hassle earned than money saved?
Some, a few, of my Favorite Tools were cheap-cheap-cheap.
You have to try them. You have to have a yard-sale buddy to take the no-good ones and pass them on to the next sucker tool-trier.
Quote from: Dito on January 26, 2016, 11:07:17 PM
Man, I can't catch a break. :-)
I've had mixed results with tools from Harbor Freight. Some stuff has been good, some stuff has been really poor made-in-China garbage. A gearhead friend (hot rod builder) said he'd never buy anything from them that had an electrical cord or could kill him - like a garage jack.
I realize step bits or deburring tools won't be part of my everyday existence. But will cheap quality tools be more hassle earned than money saved?
I've had very good luck with Harbor Freight's cheap step bits on aluminum enclosures, but I don't know how they'd stand up to anything harder.
You have about a 75% chance of getting worthless garbage at Harbor Freight... The remaining 25% is a combination of common sense, experience, trial and error.. and luck. The Titanium step bits are as good as you will get anywhere else. You can use them with a hand held drill if you don't have a press but don't let it get away from ya and take a chunk outa yer hand :icon_evil: There is one Dremel bit that I will never use EVER AGAIN and I don't care where you get it from!!! It seemed like a good idea and I fell for it... :icon_sad: Was a horrible lesson learned! It's the tiny little wire wheel... As soon as it made contact the tiny little wires became flying needles being shot from a 15K RPM spindle and my face became a pin cushion :o
(http://g02.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1Fhc6JFXXXXb9XpXXq6xXFXXXA/3pcs-lot-Mini-Steel-font-b-Wire-b-font-font-b-Wheel-b-font-Brushes-for.jpg)
^ nasty lil bugger... :icon_eek:
Would you believe I actually used that brush wheel safely and successfully? It's true!
I was restoring an early '70s pachinko machine. There was some serious rust on a couple of the solid metal parts of the ball-collection assembly. Came right off. I wore a dust mask and work gloves, though.
Never finished that damned thing. Too finicky.
Quote from: Jdansti on January 27, 2016, 03:46:27 AM
Quote from: Dito on January 26, 2016, 11:07:17 PM
Man, I can't catch a break. :-)
I've had mixed results with tools from Harbor Freight. Some stuff has been good, some stuff has been really poor made-in-China garbage. A gearhead friend (hot rod builder) said he'd never buy anything from them that had an electrical cord or could kill him - like a garage jack.
I realize step bits or deburring tools won't be part of my everyday existence. But will cheap quality tools be more hassle earned than money saved?
I've had very good luck with Harbor Freight's cheap step bits on aluminum enclosures, but I don't know how they'd stand up to anything harder.
+1 for sure. I bought a nice one for like $50 at lowes made by Irwin. They would get so hot and cause the drill to draw so much current that the lights would dim, the aluminum would melt to them, and they just drilled like crap. I did a few pedals with it and then went back to my less than $10 step bit I got from harbor freight and it's still going strong.
Hey, look what I got:
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160129/6553df4a2a43a0904f826a2009041dab.jpg)
Only $2.99!
And a "spare" set of drill bits for vero trace-cutting was only $3.99!
Long live Harbor Freight Tools!