Housing hole creation

Mantidforum

Help Support Mantidforum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Digger

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
1,168
Reaction score
398
Location
Princeton, NJ
Hey guys,

What tools do you use to cut those nice symmetrical holds into the tops and sides of your plastic containers? I'm not much of a tool expert - I'm assuming some of you use a power drill? Advice is welcomed!

Also - where do you find the fine-grained sponge stoppers for the feeding holes in the containers?

Thanks,

Digger

 
Drills and exacto knives and box cutters oh my!!

The sponges I get from Rebecca but you could prolly get foam from a craft store and cut it yourself.

 
Thanks! I see some of the openings are so symmetrical - thought some of the members were using an attachment for a power drill. You Exacto users are surgeons!

 
X-acto knife is fine over a safe cutting board surface if you are just doing a couple projects. I use the hole-saw bits used on a drill on a safe wood surface for making mass production projects.

 
Already done with an Exacto knife. But it's a crude and sloppy way to create it. Ran a bead of hot glue around the aperture to create a smooth gasket. Definitely will buy a whole saw bit for next house.

 
Already done with an Exacto knife. But it's a crude and sloppy way to create it. Ran a bead of hot glue around the aperture to create a smooth gasket. Definitely will buy a whole saw bit for next house.
I found it was much easier and smoother cutting when you put the exacto blade in at a 45 degree angle rather than straight into the plastic. Typically I hold the blade with my 4 fingers and use my thumb to push the enclosure into the blade. When the blade is at an angle it cuts through even thick plastic like butter.

 
I use a dremel with the grinding attachment to put feeder holes in and a plastic cutting wheel for straight lines :)

 
I have been just sticking a small round item to the lids with a glue gun. I my case I use a carmex lip balm container. Then I just carefully cut around the container with the exacto and usually get a symmetrical mess free hole.

If I had the drill and bits, I would go that route.

 
When I use the exacto it comes out a mess, most of the time, and some plastic cracks easily when I attempt it. Still, I use exacto for thin walled containers. I use a drill with a hole saw set on hard plastic.

If I make the hole small enough, I use wedge shaped, make-up applicating sponges to block the hole. Sometimes, I use a cotton ball, but that needs to be replaced often.

 
When I use the exacto it comes out a mess, most of the time, and some plastic cracks easily when I attempt it. Still, I use exacto for thin walled containers. I use a drill with a hole saw set on hard plastic.

If I make the hole small enough, I use wedge shaped, make-up applicating sponges to block the hole. Sometimes, I use a cotton ball, but that needs to be

replaced often.
try using the exact knife at an angle instead of straight in. A lot of my plastic that normally would crank doesn't when I use it at the angle.

 
Top