I Needs A Nibbler!

[Alexo]

Has anyone else spent many miserable hours cutting out transformer holes in .04" Hammond steel chassis with the sadistically designed light-duty nibbler they sell at CE and AES?

I swear to God, I'm about to start charging an extra $100 for any amp build that requires this service.

I've been all over the internet and I can't find a single manual nibbler that looks like it can do more than the "18 gauge light steel" this one promises to cut. I'd take one that just had a smaller kef, say 1/16" instead of 1/4" - that should be 4X easier!

Any recommendations?

[M Fowler]

Perhaps you need an air-nibbler not so hard on the hands.

[David Root]

IIRC, Stewmac have two that I have used, check them out they might be a little stronger. www.stewmac.com

[quayhog]

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/t ... ngtool.php

If you're going to use a nibbler you need one of these. Cut out the corners with a punch also makes life easier.

[dynaman]

Whoa, you gotta save that hand for soldering! How 'bouts a cheap cordless jigsaw? It takes me longer to do the layout than it does to remove the material. You deserve a break!

[rp]

Nibbler I thought those were for tiles? If I got you right, you mean to make a square hole for laydown? I mark my hole, drill 4 3/8" holes in the corners and use a jigsaw. I let electricity do all the work.

But if a nibbler it must be:

[dynaman]

Yeah, what rp said. You can work miracles with just a drill and jigsaw!

[David Root]

I bought a cheap Canadian Tire (=Harbor Freight) electric jigsaw, I think it was $30!

Did the job but man! tie that STEEL chassis down! And hold the saw real tight too.

I had to cut out a BFDR chassis PT hole to accept a Bassman PT. Drilled out the corners with a 1/2" drill and cut to the outside tangent.

Would be much easier and safer with an aluminum chassis.

[rp]

No problem cutting metal, just got to go a easier than wood.

- uses a nice fine metal blade, obviously. If it's old get a new one.
- slow the blade speed down if the saw allows.
- cut slower than you would on wood.
- make sure the blade pitch is at zero if that allows.
- drill 4 holes even though you think you can get by with 2.
- the saw can bind and kick back - make sure the blade is completely stopped before pulling it out. The 4 holes helps here if you forget and pull out. Bad enough when it kicks on wood but it'll really kick on metal. And a good kick will bend the chassis. This is guaranteed on aluminum. You'd think it'd be easier but you must go even slower and steadier with Al.
- if you're cutting a pretty big hole you might want to do it in sections. If the scrap piece is too heavy as it bends away it can cause the blade to bind.

That's all.

[selloutrr]

I have felt your frustration... Then I bought a Dewalt

Think bigger!
4.5" angle grinder
3 minutes your done.

Skill saws, jig saws, and some dremels will also do the job. It's all about making sure you use the correct blade. If it's correct it cuts like butter!

[RB]

What blade/abrasive wheel for the Dewalt would you recommend to cut xfmr holes in a chassis ?

[KT66]

If you are gonna cut sheet metal with a jigsaw make sure you wear eye protection, getting a sliver of metal in your eye sucks. I always put something below the cutout to catch the filings and have my shopvac going to catch what I can as it comes off. If you have a compressor I would get a pneumatic nibbler - less mess. I had this idea to mount one upside down in a table with a fence on it to make clean xformer holes but haven't tried it yet. They make electric ones too, but kind of pricey : http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Hitachi-CN16SA- ... 1c1810bb9a

[dynaman]

I have felt your frustration... Then I bought a Dewalt

Think bigger!
4.5" angle grinder
3 minutes your done.

Skill saws, jig saws, and some dremels will also do the job. It's all about making sure you use the correct blade. If it's correct it cuts like butter!

Haha, I've used my Metabo angle grinder w/cutting wheel a few times, but I was hesitant to recommend this method. It takes a VERY steady hand, but nothing slices quite like an abrasive cutting disk spinning at over 10K. But it's dangerous in unskilled hands and there's zero room for error. Also, the blade generates a lot of heat and will make a mess of a finish if one dawdles and lets the disk spin idly in the material. Not for the faint of heart!

[M Fowler]

I have used the four holes in corner then jigsaw it works.

I have used the Dremel with small cut off wheels but it's like cutting with sugar cookies bad!

I have used my electric die grinder with small cut off wheels that works very quickly.

The fastest is the electric or air nibbler, probably why you find then in many shops.

Mark

[FunkyE9th]

If you have a router, I would use a router. You just have to make a template. The router will cut like butter.

My next choice will be a dremel with a cutoff wheel.

I went to a woodworking show a week ago and saw this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1AezUhkqO0

Kinda pricey though...$169

Edited to add...
I just realized you mentioned "steel" chassis, not sure how well the router will work with steel. I've only used it on aluminum.