Hole in thin steel

[tabbypurr]

I want to make about a 1.25" hole in the base of a few food cans. What's the best option?

NT

[Andy Burns]

Joerg's rubberaulic press!

[Capitol]

A chassis punch hole cutter normally used for front panel holes. Qmax type. I bought a set many years ago, even then it cost 35 pounds for 5 cutters and a reamer. I have used a step drill succesfully, But it needed a lot of care. Go slowly.

[Chris Hogg]

How 'about' do you want? Octal valve holder chassis punch, 1 1/8" (1.125") IIRC. Still got one somewhere.

Or this punch, 1.28" on Ebay,

if you're prepared to fork out ~£17

Or a Toolstation hole saw from this list

probably the cheapest. But you'll need the arbor and pilot drill, scroll down.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

A Q-Max punch. Ebay. Cheaper copies available too. Gives a nice neat hole with a safe edge on one side.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Wiederman press.

[ARW]

32mm ARMEG Acceler8%.

Probably the best steel hole cutting saw I have ever used.

If you have other uses for them then consider buying a kit with different sizes and spare springs etc

[tabbypurr]

Surely this can be done with a knife. It's what canopeners do. The question in my mind is what sort of knife, and what to rest the can base on etc.

Punches are overly expensive for a few cans, and IMLE distort the f out of what they cut. Holesaws are possible, but it sounds a painful option.

NT

[Andrew]

12 bore.

[ARW]

You have answered your own question. Buy a sharp knife and use your wrists to support the can base when cutting the hole.

[Syd Rumpo]

In descending order of fun...

HTH

But seriously, for a few neat holes, Qmax or similar.

Cheers

[tabbypurr]

I'm considering using a cheap 1/4" wood chisel. Rounded edge would be better, but not worth doing for 3 holes. Perhaps you'd hold the cans for me :)

NT

[ARW]

And you had to ask on a newsgroup how to make a rough hole in a tin can?

FFS.

[T i m]

Best, as in the cleanest and safest, as mentioned already, QMax cutter.

Next, possibly a bigger stepped drill.

Depending on the required accuracy, scribe then:

Chain drill and either join the holes up with a small round file or bigger drill or thin / fine bladed jigsaw.

Single hole and thin / fine metal jigsaw.

Tank cutter / saw.

Single small hole and 'hand nibbler'.

The last four finished off with a fine half round file.

Cheers, T i m

[Brian Gaff]

hole punch? The sort you do up with an allen key then spend the rest of the day getting the washer shape out of the punch! Brian

[harry]

You can tidy the hole up using a small flapwheel or one of those small abrasive wheels that goes in a drill chuck.

Or a drill file. Or a hand file fitted into a drill chuck.

[Tim Lamb]

In the absence of the suggested hole cutter... mark out the required hole on the bottoms of your tins. Fix a length of squared timber (hardwood best) vertically in your bench vice and place your first tin over the end. Take your cheap but recently sharpened wood chisel and mallet and gently cut along the line. Move the tin to fresh wood as the surface becomes indented.

Tidy rough edges with a flapwheel in your electric drill.

[Jon Fairbairn]

As others have said, best option is a proper punch. A more general if less tidy option is a die type sheet metal nibbler like this:

though I wish that it had a curved side instead of three straight ones.

[tabbypurr]

that was the initial plan.

dremel better I reckon. A spanner might be quickest.

NT

[tabbypurr]

I'm liking it, cheers.

NT