making a 5" hole in a non-removable aluminum panel (question)

[N0WEK]

I still want to see the results with a .125 or .250" panel

I have no doubt that it would work just fine, just a bit slower, but I don't have any sacrificial piece of suitable metal to try it on at the moment.

I may come up with one next week when I get back home.

[aafradio]

If I can't clamp the unit to the 15" rotary table on my mill in some fashion, I would simply use a saber saw on a hole that large, followed by a drum sander to get it to the edge of the scribe mark.  A slab of foam taped to the backside helps to collect the swarf if you have room, and some painters' tape on the front will eliminate scratches from the saber saw base plate.

There are a lot of excellent videos of sheet metal working ideas at http://www.eaavideo.org/video.aspx?v=595068183001 if you are interested in such things.  There is very little new under the sun when it come to metalworking, and radio fabrication is part and parcel of aircraft construction as well...

Merry Christmas,

[Opcom]

If anybody is interested in Greenlee 700 series Radio chassis punches, have a look on page 48 of the December 2011 Electric Radio. It's in the want ad section and a Michigan ARC is selling 5 sets. A total (by my count) of 45 punches. Round punches of every size as well as square, rectangle, keyed and double D. Each of the sets are priced between $50 and $70. About the price of one punch purchased new. Most are new in original boxes. The used ones are like new says the club representative. Looks to be an estate and the club is a 501(c)3.
Contact oldbugger@copper.net or 269-382-5401

I have no connection with this sale.

they were sold. I imagine those people have been flooded with calls.

[Opcom]

hooray! Sunday I get to try to punch it.

Initial testing with the CRT shows it will be OK. Got bit by the 10KV/1mA supply! (actually a -1500/+8500 arrangement just like in a 545).

[Opcom]

hooray! Sunday I get to try to punch it.

Initial testing with the CRT shows it will be OK. Got bit by the 10KV/1mA supply! (actually a -1500/+8500 arrangement just like in a 545).

no joy yet. chores + no time.

[WBear2GCR]

Punch?
or cut?

Hmmmm... inquiring minds want to know!

                  _-_-bear

[KL7OF]

You cut that hole yet???

[Opcom]

punch - this weekend assuming I got or can buy or borrow a wrench big enough, the drive is a monster.

Ok, I got only so far. I have to get a 2" wench to turn this any further. The 14" channel Locks are not slipping but are merely too hard to turn. A 2" wrench will do.

1. a square makes sure the center punch will be in the center of the RF Deck panel R to L.
2. double check with a tape. It is a 30" panel.
3. checking after scribing a little vertical line, how the CRT will fit. The large hole has to be moved to the side 1" or the punch won't be able to be put there to do the 6" hole. OK fine I can balance the final appearance by putting the CRT control shafts in that space. They will be plastic and long going to the rear of the RF deck away from other things. At this point the owners of Tektronix 535's and 545's may begin to complain that I am wasting a NOS CRT that could be a spare for them.

[Opcom]

4.To get the center of the CRT, an old graticule was drilled just big enough for the center punch.
5. The graticule and bezel were placed in the best spot and the center punch did its work.
6. After a 1/8" hole was drilled, the backside of the punch was held in place to make sure it would fit properly. I chose to move the hole 1/4" vertically to clear a chassis rail.

[Opcom]

7. Next the small punch was used to make the hole for the large one's shaft.
8. The large punch was fitted in place. The papers are to protect the panel.
9. the other side.

[Opcom]

10. starting the real work. It is not very easy and a real wrench is needed.
11. the backside, it has not popped any of the points through yet. I'm told that once it does it will get easier but I can only put so much force on pliers, they don't slip but I can not keep them on and push at the same time, nothing moves, so its time to get the proper tool for turning the large nut. The small nut (flats) has not tried to turn nor been a problem.

[KL7OF]

hydraulic power pack would be nice..Lookin good...keep on going...Nice pics..

[W7TFO]

10. starting the real work. It is not very easy and a real wrench is needed.

Harbor Freight is a cheap source for big tools that won't get used very often.

73DG

[KA2DZT]

One can never have too many wrenches.  I have them up over two inches.

You are going to really chew up the nut on that punch with those pliers.  Try to borrow a wrench from someone.  Maybe a local garage can lend you one.

Fred

[K5WLF]

Some auto parts houses rent rarely used tools and test equipment. Might find a 2" wrench for rent. Beats buggering up the punch.

[Mike/W8BAC]

Patrick,

You mentioned something earlier about how many screws involved in removing that panel. Until I saw those pictures I didn't understand the problem.

That's a ton of hardware. That rig takes "Drilling and Blasting" to a whole new level!

Mike

[WB2G]

A drop or two of oil or grease on the threads and if you don't have a 18 inch crescent wrench use a pipe wrench.Use to punch a lot of holes in stainless steel and the threads on the bolt would get galled if you ran them dry.Hope it works out.Joe.

[KB2WIG]

Do you know any diesel / construction equiptment mechanicks???  They have the large drives/wrenches.... 

vice grips and a piece 'o galvanized pipe?

klc

[WD5JKO]

A few months back I needed a 1 -7/8" combination wrench and 3/4" drive socket the same size. This was for a large machine installation where there were lots of leveling screws with big 1.875" nuts to loosen and tighten over and over until the thing was aligned to better than a 1/10th of a degree. The Grainger folks fixed me up for $140 plus tax.  

 If I recall, the socket was much more inexpensive than the wrench.

Jim
WD5JKO

[aafradio]

A drop or two of oil or grease on the threads...

I cannot overemphasize the importance of Joe's advice.  The proper lube for the threads is an extreme pressure EP grease, because it can sustain enormous thread loads.  Any EP lube with molybdenum should work fine.  I don't know of any oil that would be very effective - it gets squeezed out of the thread to thread junction with the pressures encountered.  Better than nothing, but a ball joint or similar grease will do fine.

[Opcom]

One can never have too many wrenches.  I have them up over two inches.

You are going to really chew up the nut on that punch with those pliers.  Try to borrow a wrench from someone.  Maybe a local garage can lend you one.

Fred

No I won't chew up the nut. The punch is not mine so I can't afford to make a mess of it. I know when to stop with those kind of pliers, otherwise I would not have posted that I am going to get a wrench. It's all in the strength of the hands and I had hoped the pliers would provide enough advantage to get the teeth through which is always the hard part but no I have started to bend the handles of the pliers. Pliers like that must never be allowed to slip, and the limit is when the handles start to bend. It should not be too hard to find a 2" wrench in Dallas, might be expensive or have to be borrowed or rented, but with today's fuel prices and the value of time, just buying it may be better than running all over town to borrow and return one. I already have a 1 7/8" one.. why not get a 2".

A drop or two of oil or grease on the threads...

I cannot overemphasize the importance of Joe's advice.  The proper lube for the threads is an extreme pressure EP grease, because it can sustain enormous thread loads.  Any EP lube with molybdenum should work fine.  I don't know of any oil that would be very effective - it gets squeezed out of the thread to thread junction with the pressures encountered.  Better than nothing, but a ball joint or similar grease will do fine.

The threads being tightened are almost 2" and are well-lubed per the instructions but not with EP grease. It should not be hard to pick some up when wrench-hunting on Monday.

I hope a wrench is easy to find and the rest of this goes well. I appreciate all the good advice on this!

[The Slab Bacon]

5" punch + 2" wrench + 1/8" material = King Kong torque required to turn it! ! ! !

You might want to consider a hydraulic operated punch, or a 3/4 or 1" drive impact wrench to turn it!

[W7TFO]

That punch I loaned Pat has the ball-bearing collar that really eases the effort.  He has complete instructions I sent along as well.

You can't use an impact, or any other socket-type wrench, as the big punches have a compound thread system, and you need to use two wrenches on them:  one to hold the pull stud, the other to turn the pull collar.  Otherwise the pull stud will bind into the punch threads and cause problems.

I use a 20" Proto 'Crescent' on those jobs here at home, or if it fits, I put the whole thing in the 30-ton press and do it the easy way.

Like I said before, Harbor Freight has big tools (like wrenches) for sale cheap, and they will do a fair amount of work before they wear out.  He should go there if he can't borrow one.

73DG

[Opcom]

The 2" wrench is here. It is from Harbor Freight and is 22.75" long. They sold me a 6-pc set of 1-3/8", 1-1/2", 1-5/8", 1-3/4", 1-7/8" and 2" for $36, but online the same thing is $44. ?? price increase?

It is about a 0.125" panel, more like 1/8" not 1/32 but I have not measured exactly, maybe it is 0.100 or a 'gauge' size.

OK well tomorrow I have to travel to San Antonio for a LASER experimenters' meeting and it will last until Sunday AM, so this weekend is out.

[K5WLF]

<snip>

OK well tomorrow I have to travel to San Antonio for a LASER experimenters' meeting and it will last until Sunday AM, so this weekend is out.

OK, Patrick, we'll just call this the intermission and all go out and get some popcorn and Junior Mints. Awaiting your success story of the monster hole punching event. Have fun at the laser meeting.