Ashley R Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Hi allWas just looking for people's opinions on the best way to go about making D size holes in various materials? (Say wood, plastic and sheet metal).My current attempts all seem to look quite horrible, and it's never as neat as I would like it. I know the hole size is 24mm, but I have only been able to get my hands of 25mm sized bits.Thanks in advance for all your tips and tricks.Ash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Step drill for sheet material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Bench press / punch is lovely if you can afford it. I used to have one from RS which I inherited, with punches for Neutrik connectors which pre-punched pilot holes for the screws as well as the main hole. There was an IEC punch as well, with screw holes.Unfortunately it stayed with my previous business, and I cannot now find anything similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkPAman Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Q-Max Metal Punch - can work OK on most plastics too if they're not too brittle.Step Drill bitFlat Wood bit I do not necessarily recommend any of these suppliers - they are just who I found first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I can recommend the Q-Max punch - does a great job. You'll need a bit of grease to help it on its way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatman Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 The best thing for wood or plastic is a hole saw. RS Components link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 The punches are the simplest, and it's amazing the difference a little oil on the threads make - the only downside to them on thinner sheets is that they distort the panel as they lunch through. Better on the thicker ones. I got mine years ago from Canford, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_P Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Totally agreed on the punches. I am still looking for an IEC connector one though. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I use the Q-Max punch - and this is the easiest one for a clean hole. I use a Canford Audio XLR template and mark out and centre punch the fixing holes and the main hole prior to drilling.I have also used the stepped drill - which requires a good drill (preferably bench drill) and for the workpiece to be clamped.I've also used a cone cut - which really needs a suitably sized washer to act as a depth stop if you want to avoid the hole going too big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I use a 24mm spade bit that I got from Bunnings... and very very carefully line up and manually drill the screw holes. actually I think even 24mm is a shade too big... it is officially an imperial size? But most of my work is in plastic though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I am still looking for an IEC connector one though. Any ideas? Might this rectangular punch do the job? actually I think even 24mm is a shade too big... it is officially an imperial size? The Cannon ITT female was 1" and the male 3/4" but Neutrik's D series are definitely 24mm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Oh? Fair enough. My experience is that 24mm is slightly sloppy . From a thread on prosoundweb: Re: Hole punch for Neutrik 'D' size holes « Reply #2 on: October 27, 2007, 11:28:23 pm »The specification is a 23.80mm (0.9370") diameter hole.A 15/16" hole is 0.9375" and would be about as close as you could get without getting something custom.John :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I am still looking for an IEC connector one though. Any ideas? What, like this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathanhill Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Oh? Fair enough. My experience is that 24mm is slightly sloppy . From a thread on prosoundweb: Re: Hole punch for Neutrik 'D' size holes « Reply #2 on: October 27, 2007, 11:28:23 pm »The specification is a 23.80mm (0.9370") diameter hole.A 15/16" hole is 0.9375" and would be about as close as you could get without getting something custom.John :) From the drawings on the Neutrik website, the panel cut out is specified as 24.00mm or 0.945". I would definitely use a sheet metal punch, like the Q-Max range, if I had to make holes in metal. They produce a neat, round hole. Be aware that they do not last forever though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 My experience is that 24mm is slightly sloppy . From a thread on prosoundweb: I used to mark out my holes, punch them and load the connectors, then lined them up against a ruler before fixing them to the panel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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