Hole saws for aluminum control panel

briankross

Here's hoping someone else has drilled a 2mm or so thick aluminum 7075 alloy console.

:-)

I'm having a hard time finding a suitable hole saw set of these sizes:

16mm (test push button)
18mm (Sanwa admin buttons)
20mm (power button)
24mm (Sanwa buttons and Neutrik panel mount connectors)
28mm (Sanwa JLW-TM-8 mount, player and credit buttons)
30mm (Sanwa action buttons)
3" [76.2mm] (HAPP trackball, easy to find but might be part of a metric set)

I've seen some that come close, but have 20.5mm, 25mm, and skip 28mm. Most every source I've looked at are in imperial unites, not metric, which is frustrating.

If anyone has a source for the above... I'd be ever so grateful. I've been searching for hours, and I feel like an idiot. And I need a beer... :-P

lilbud

Try using a spade or paddle bit for the arcade button.

briankross

@lilbud

I have a sharp step bit, how about that?

lilbud

If the maximum width of the step bit is 30mm. Then use it and find a 3 inch hole saw.

rbaker

@briankross Here are some links to various providers of these sizes:

16mm
18mm
20mm
24mm
28mm

For holes that size in aluminum, I recommend using a drill press and clamp everything down tight for safety. Use lubrication and feed slowly. I find that it is a good idea to pre-drill the pilot hole first. Also as you drill you need to clear the swarf out of the teeth as they tend to pack up in the gullets. I have once used a Forster bit on thin aluminium and although it worked, it didn't do the bit much good. Starrett are the best quality that I have used. Not sure how good the Chinese ones on ebay would be as they appear very cheap. Most websites in the uk seem to have the variety of sizes that you want though.

briankross

@rbaker

Thanks so much for pointing me in the right direction. I'm in the US, it seems to be difficult to find hole saws in metric. On a side note, I wish we would go ahead and adopt metric as the standard.

It seems odd that one company doesn't seem to have all of the sizes, but maybe they're not very common. 24mm, 28mm, and 30mm seem to be what arcade control panels need for Sanwa and HAPP buttons.

Are there a couple of UK sites that you recommend? What kind of lubrication do you recommend?

edmaul69

You could use motor oil. You just need to keep the friction of the two metals from heating up too much.

briankross

@edmaul69

Thank you.

rbaker

@briankross I use screwfix who are fast and reliable. For cutting fluid, I use this.

briankross

Thanks everyone for your help.

For anyone keeping an eye thread, here's what I came up with. These are just my notes.

Are the ones I decided on. I decided to go with bi-metal hole saws rather than sheet metal hole saws.

16mm = 0.6299"

41/64” (16.2719mm = 0.6406”) ideal
5/8” (15.8750mm = 0.6250") purchasable
- Lenox Tools part number: 1772424

18mm = 0.7087"

23/32” (18.2563mm = 0.7188”) ideal / purchasable
3/4” (19.0500mm = 0.7500”) purchasable
- Lenox Tools part number: 1772426

20mm = 0.7874"

51/64” (20.2406mm = 0.7969”) ideal
25/32” (19.8438mm = 0.7813") purchasable
- Lenox Tools part number: 1772427
13/16” (20.6375mm = 0.8125”) purchasable
- Lenox Tools part number: 1772428

24mm = 0.9449"

61/64” (24.2094mm = 0.9531”) ideal
15/16” (23.8125mm = 0.9375") purchasable
- Lenox Tools part number: 1772430

28mm = 1.1024"

1 7/64” (28.1781mm = 1.1094") ideal
1 3/32” (27.7813mm = 1.0938") purchasable
1 1/8” (28.5750mm = 1.1250”) purchasable
- Lenox Tools part number: 1772483

30mm = 1.1811"

1 3/16” (30.1625mm = 1.1875") ideal / purchasable
- Lenox Tools part number: 1772474

3”

Lenox Tools part number: 1772963

Here are some options:

Lenox Tools, bi-metal hole saw

I went with these

Starrett, sheet metal hole saw

Step Bit

GORCHEN Titanium Step Drill Bit Set High Speed Steel HSS 3 Piece Set Total 15 Step Sizes
3 bit sizes:

4 - 32mm
4 - 20mm
4 - 12mm

Amy Woods

I know this is an old post but just in case anyone still needs holesaw recommendations, Toolstation does a great range: https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Power+Tool+Accessories/d80/Holesaws/sd1530