Hey again, guys. I know the button itself is 30mm, which I believe translates into something like 1.12 inches. . .?
But I’d like to find a correct answer before I go out and buy some new accessories. I’ve got up to a 1-inch bore, but that obviously isn’t going to work (I tried). Anyone know spot on?
Thanks! You guys have been a hell of a lot of help =]
~The Boob
metric size bores maybe?
30 mm = 1.181 in
1 3/16 = 1.1875
24 mm = 0.9449 in
15/16 = 0.9375
Alternatively, get a Morse AV185 (30mm) hole saw. (AV15 is Morse’s 15/16"-24mm hole saw.)
if there is an ace hardware store i suggest you go there. The 30mm hole saw bit i bought says 30mm/ 1-3/16
Where on the west coast do you live? Recently I found a Woodcraft store in San Carlos, CA in the Bay Area.
Otherwise you can get a Forstner Bit from Woodcraft.com
Holesaws are great for cutting, but getting the material out of the bit is a pain in the neck. Holesaws are most appropriate for metal.
True, i see where your coming from on the hole saw. I have a really small thin flathead by my side when drill holes. I just pop the material out, takes me like 3 seconds. But it can be a pain if your not expecting that.
http://www.toolstoday.com/p-5421-spade-bits-w-spurs-6-long.aspx?variantids=8219,0&affiliateid=10054
I use spade bits for drilling out lexan.
No kidding? I use hole saws for it. I thought scraping away at the lexan with spades might have nasty effects. Guess not.
In my opinion, hole saws are the best and spade bits are the worst, for lexan and acrylic.
And I like Forstner for acrylic. I had certain brands of acrylic crack on me with holesaws from the twist pilot bit.
I have been plying around with acrylic a bit. I bought some scrap pieces from my local TAP plastics. I picked up a hole saw and it seems to crack every time. Do you need a drill press for a forstner bit? Looks like they wont work with a regular hand drill.
As long as your spade bit has the two teeth on the sides it works wonders with plexi as well.
Nope no press needed (though it does help) I’ve tried them all and honestly I am now most comfortable using the forstner bit.
If you’re using a hand drill and a forstner or a hole saw you have to work up to a good speed before drilling otherwise the teeth as you have seen will grab and crack the plexi or in the case of lexan try to throw it from your worktable. Try placing just the tip of the forstner bit in your pilot hole and after your full speed SLOWLY lowering the bit into the plexi or lexan and let the bit “shave” layers away.
If you’re doing wood, this works wonders. We couldn’t find a 30mm bit anywhere (or a 24 for that matter) and this did the job for both.
I didn’t even know such a thing existed until now.
Wow, jeez.
Thanks for the feedback, guys! Ha, I forgot to check on this topic, as important as it is. You’ve been a lot of help. And yeah, I’ve been using a spade bit to carve holes out of acrylic, and it actually works fine. Just do it slowly, and you’re gold.
I think we might have an ACE nearby, I’ll double check. I’m located in Tigard (near Portland) Oregon, by the way. Not so close to Cali. =]
~The Boob
I’ve originally used a holesaw I got from Ace but getting the debris out was a pain. Then I went online and purchased 24mm and 30mm Forstner bits from acetoolonline.com.
You know, it must have completely slipped my mind, but there’s actually a woodworking shop about a block away from my apartment next to Rite-Aid. Bingo! Had a 30mm Forstner staring me in the face, ha. $10 even. Not too bad.
Worked like a charm! Lowest speed with a hard press to get through acrylic, doing no more than 15-20 seconds at a time. Any faster and the plastic shavings melt back to the hole you’re making.
Thanks again for all of the help. You guys are great.
Sorry for a bit of necro posting but good info here. I needed to find the right size bit for the Japanese parts since I only have a bit for Happ stuff.
I just wanted to add to the fray that for working with plexi there is nothing better than a router with a v groove bit like this:
http://www.mcfeelys.com/img/carbide-drywall-groove-491001.jpg
Finding the right size may be a pain, but when I was working on a plexi project, no matter how carefull I was with a forstner or spade bit it could lead to a crack.
The high speed of my little $15 laminate trimmer with the v bit just basically melts through the plexi and does not induce stress on it by chipping it away. I had no cracks or problems and it would just as easy work for wood or any other material.
More work is required to get the right size hole though unless you track one down that makes a hole exactly the right size when fully inserted.