is it possible to route joystick hole without router...

[animatorJustin]

i don't have a router (and to poor to buy one  )and i am going to be mounting two mag-stik plus and a track ball. is it possible to do this with a chisel , i know it might suck, or take a long time, but does anyone have any tips or things to watch out for when doing this.

Thanks 

[garnerb350]

Are you using wood?...



spade-bit? joystick hole should be the same as a button...

jig-saw? (trackball)


Check with Harbor Freight...they have tools cheap...Maybe also check around pawn shops...

using a chisel is risky...
1. You could end up gouging too much...and chance of being uneven...

Dremel kit...then buy the router bits...

Know any friends you can borrow tools from?

[animatorJustin]

sorry 3/4 mdf board. i drilled a joystick hole, but i want the joystick longer. me and all my friends are computer animators = no tools or woodworking experience

[Malenko]

dremel is your best/cheapest bet, unless you have a chisel and a lot of free time.

[animatorJustin]

i do have a chisel, i was wondering if anyone has gone down that road

[javeryh]

This is kind of easy but also a pain.  Trace your mounting plate with a razor and press as hard as you can.  Peel away the MDF.  Repeat until you reach your desired depth.  Once you get down like 1/16" you can use sandpaper or something to keep the area as flat as you can.  It's not that hard but it will take a while.

EDIT: A sharp chisel will make it go much faster.  I used one to remove MDF underneath my CP but in the corners only because my router did the rest:

[animatorJustin]

thanks

[DrumAnBass]

Maybe you could borrow a router? What part of the world are you in?

[apfelanni]

as a router alternative u can try a drill press with a router bit. its not that easy 2 handle but it works .  

[animatorJustin]

Philadelphia, Pa i tried a chisel...  it worked but took 2 hours for one even hole

[Malenko]

Philadelphia, Pa i tried a chisel...  it worked but took 2 hours for one even hole

unless you have a chisel and a lot of free time.

1 down, 1 to go?  2 hours is better then I did my first time, took me almost 3. Do it a bit at a time, chip away at it /pun.

it'd take you that long (or longer)  to drive to my house for me to route the holes for you. I think you can rent one from Home Depot. What kind of animation do you do?

[Ed_McCarron]

Philadelphia, Pa i tried a chisel...  it worked but took 2 hours for one even hole

Crap.  I'm just south of Philly but my router is already out on loan...

Check out this place:

http://retoolpa.com/

It's up 95N near Sesame Place...  Great prices on used tools.

[animatorJustin]

3D animation, right now mostly medical presentation, my heart is  in character animation and special effects

[severdhed]

You can buy a router at harbor freight for $25...it is a small trim router and it works great.  Sure it is not a name brand unit, but it works great.  I have had mine for a little over a year and have used it on numerous projects, both arcade related and otherwise, and it has performed very well.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44914

[garnerb350]

You can buy a router at harbor freight for $25...it is a small trim router and it works great.  Sure it is not a name brand unit, but it works great.  I have had mine for a little over a year and have used it on numerous projects, both arcade related and otherwise, and it has performed very well.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44914

+1

Also that dremel kit is pretty nifty...I use that for making signs and small work that requires routing...