How does anybody make the square holes needed to use carriage bolts for your top panel? Drill a hole and get handy with a small square file? There has to be a better way.
Anybody? I feel like there has to be a better tool than drill a hole, file some corners in the hole.
You’re supposed to just drill a hole and then the bolts cut away the rest of the metal as more pressure is applied. My Dad taught me this when I added a JLF to my Virtua Stick.
OIC, I guess with metal panels that would work but I think I’ll just file for plexi. Thanks
or you could buy a whitney punch, but they aren’t cheap.
what i usually do is i drill a hole that is large enough for the square nub of the carriage bolt to fit through, but not so large that the head of the bolt can pass through. then when you are tightening the nut, put a little bit of pressure on the head of the bolt with your finger to keep it from spinning.
Wear proper wraparound safety goggles, long sleeve shirt, and gloves. Using a cobalt or titanium bit, drill a hole slightly larger than the diagonal of the square of the carriage bolt head. I’ve gotten real good at this, so I’m at 1/64" larger; novices, 1/32"; beginners, 1/16". For thick metal, lubricate the bit with motor oil to prolong the life of the bit. With a fine point sharpie and a square (can be any low profile object with a right angle, draw a perfect square that is tangential to the hole. The lines must not be outside the hole. Attach a metal cutting wheel to your Dremel and rev up to max speed. Ensure that the wheel is perpendicular to the sheet metal and exactly over and centered on the sharpie line. Cut into the metal until you meet the line endpoints. Repeat for the other three sides – the metal square should not fall out. Flip the sheet over and use the sharpie to complete the square near the uncut endpoints. Now complete the four cuts. If the sheet is really thick, you may need to wear down the cutting wheel on a piece of scrap metal to complete the cut. Redneck precision addendum. Put the Dremel in an old sock and then in a vice so that the cutting wheel is perpendicular to the floor – use minimal clamping force. Use a small car jack to raise the sheet to the cutting wheel taking careful note of your position and orientation.