Just interested to know how you all make holes in metal enclosures, CUs etc

[pirate]

This was prompted by me seeing a couple of videos of cone/step drill being used to make holes in a CU. I use a step bit quite often, especially in plastic enclosures, but in metal ones the drilling action causes noise and considerable vibration. I like to install with as little hammering and banging as possible, and recently have turned to using a hole punch for every occasion where it is possible to get the die inside the enclosure. It's noise and vibration free, apart from the pilot hole which can still be relatively smooth especially if started off very small and stepped up to the bolt size of the hole punch.
I use these:

QMax Sheet Metal Punch, Metric Range

A quick and easy way to cut clean metric sized holes in sheet metal up to 16 gauge. The special design allows even load during cutting and produces a...

www.powertoolsdirect.com

They cause less stress to already-installed components and leave a nice clean hole.

For any final finishing I use a Noga de-burring blade and holder:

EZ Red - 2.6mm Blade - EB2000

b,

www.noga.com

Mine is a much earlier version, with a steel handle, but the blade range is wide, and most fit all previous handles.

The de-burr handle and blade is good for metal enclosures, plastic boxes, plastic conduit, copper pipes etc but I haven't seen many used in any YouTube content.

Same with hammering in cable clips...you have a problem on long battens and some stud-work...hammering causes "bounce", so a drilled system is much less destructive...use a drill to make the pilot hole and use something like a Linian clip to secure the cables.

Of course, this will not appeal to those who use an impact driver on MCBs!

I'd appreciate your thoughts on the least damaging way to install stuff...

 

[nicebutdim]

Can't give personal opinions, but I've been convinced by the usefulness of punches for some time - so much so that I decided to buy a few different sizes, but never actually got around to doing so.

 

[Rockingit]

Having never used one - how do they work?

 

[catdog1121]

Having never used one - how do they work?

Basically think of like a round blade but in a spiral so all force on a tiny area at any one point and the huge amount of pressure cleanly but slowly rams the blade through the metal.. like a hydraulic press..

Personally I just use a sharp hole cutter, go slow.. Like tge look of those small hole cutters, they are not very deep and have a lip so it wont go all the way through

 

[bill01803]

Been using qmax for years, the big ones are quite expensive.

 

[telectrix]

Having never used one - how do they work?

drill hole to suit pilot bitof punch. fit punch. wind in with spanner. bootiful, aand no impact driver or hammer required. no de-burring either. go on and buya set. 20mm,25mm, 32mm. you will be pleasantly impressed.

 

[lozarus]

Q-Max cutters are great. I've used them for multiple applications over the years, particuklarly panel & enclosure building.

 

[Vortigern]

Armeg hole cutters for me. Slice through and have a lip that stops the drill going right through. Also has spring loaded ejector of the metal cut out. Very easy and fast like cutting plastic. The problem with puches is when you have to put a hole in an already populated box you don't have the room for such luxuries.

 

[Bellendian]

Step drill to pilot hole then Q-max for me. Lovely clean cutout and reckon the extra time using the punch is offset by the lack of swarf and rough edges if holesawing.

 

[SparkySy]

I do love a Q-max cutter they do leave a nice clean hole and are quiet, not found anything else that beats it for that.
But I am a fan of the armeg/CK sheet steel holesaws, they are very quick and not as noisy compared to a starret cutter as they don't chatter so much. They do leave a nice clean hole too which needs a similar whip round with a de-bur tool.
A small amount of cutting compound or similar makes them last for ages!
I am not a fan people who use these in an impact driver as that makes them really noisy!

 

[brianmoooore]

I first thought about buying a few of these to punch out holes for valve holders in aluminium chassis .
That was around 60 years ago, and I still haven't got around to buying any. As far as I remember, they were still called Q-max, right back then.

 

[pc1966]

In the past I always used the Q-max punches for any holes much above 10mm as they are clean and quiet. Recently I got some of the Armeg hole saws to go with a 1/4" hex impact drill/driver and they work much better than I expected in terms of speed and cleanliness of the resulting hole.

However, if I was making a hole in an existing CU I would be rather worried about the swarf from drilling, probably more so than the vibration. You can't escape that completely as you still need to drill a ~10mm hole to begin with the hole punches (smallest use M8 bolt so 10mm is tight once the cut slug is bent by the punch, but if you can punch 16mm then easy for 25/32/50mm sort of sizes using bolts to M12).

 

[pc1966]

Like the look of those small hole cutters, they are not very deep and have a lip so it wont go all the way through

That is the idea, you don't suddenly find the saw+pilot drill breaking through and drilling in to equipment or cables 50mm or so further behind the new hole location. Mostly I have drilled in to new/blank hardware, but occasionally had to add a hole to existing setup and it is nice.

 

[SparkySy]

If I'm drilling in an already populated steel board or enclosure I tend to put a neodymium magnet in a small Sealy bag and stick it on next to the drill site, this stops swarf from falling into places it shouldn't be going!

 

[pc1966]

If I'm drilling in an already populated steel board or enclosure I tend to put a neodymium magnet in a small Sealy bag and stick it on next to the drill site, this stops swarf from falling into places it shouldn't be going!

Brilliant suggestion!

I was thinking of setting up a vacuum cleaner, etc, but the possible case I need it for is a steel enclosure, not the aluminium one, so a strong magnet would work.

 

[SparkySy]

Cheap and quick, I bought 20 magnets off the bay for finding screw heads in stud walls and ceilings, less than £10. They are perfect and about the size of an LR44 battery!
Cutting compound also helps to stick the swarf in a lump when it's cooled too and that helps!
Aluminum though I just use a sheet of card over the top of anything sensitive, and a Hoover!

 

[Vortigern]

I have one of those magnetic extending pick up tools and it is good for "sweeping" out all of the swarf after. Of course the board is fully isolated to ensure safety etc. You can get in all the nooks and crannies i.e. where it might fall in the top of an MCB etc.

 

[SparkySy]

I use the magnet off of my cable rods for a mop out.

 

[freddo]

I use a Greenlee hydraulic punch set for most things. This kit has punched so many holes since I bought it. Fairly recently got the heavy duty parts for punching stainless in the smaller sizes as we started doing a lot more stainless work. Great at producing burr free holes, much safer than a holesaw too. The square punch is an awesome timesaver when it comes to cutting trunking entries in distribution boards. I wish I had more square sizes but I just can't afford them so have to use it for each corner to make up the size. Still faster than messing about with a jigsaw or whatever and much gentler on modern flimsy steel enclosures often found today. Bring back cast iron!

 

[SparkySy]

That is a very nice set to have @freddo
I now want one!