cutting button hole in HS-5 CP with plexi

[bimm25e]

So I got the best Christmas present ever - a dremel - and its finally time to mount my "enter" "esc" ps/2 keyboard buttons on the Control Panel.


I was thinking trace the inside of a button screw back with sharpie and then taking one of the grinding bits and going slowly at it until the sharpie is all gone. 

BUT am I making a foolhardy mistake? I don't want to damage the CPO or plexi or metal (damage that will show outside of the button's bezel)

Also I know that this is metal and plastic not wood but I figured this was the forum to post in.


Planning on using bit# 84922
http://mdm.boschwebservices.com/files/r19840v15.jpg
before I jump in, anyone have any cautionary tales? I know the dremel is going to act differently when I get to the metal on the cut-corner CP.

[jmike]

I'm not 100% sure that you could use that dremel bit on plexi, applying too much pressure could easily crack the plexi.
Why not try to cut the hole on a piece of scrap plexi and metal first?

 


Good luck.

[bimm25e]

I jumped in and has good results but it took a looonnnggggg time to get the hole cut.

I cut the plexi with the grinding tool at about 10,000rpm - the plexi melted out of the way quite easily.


Once I had cleared the plexi I drilled a starter hole in the metal with a  drill bit and went to the sanding tool (the black rubber that holds the circular sandpaper.  It took a bit and I was shooting sparks (wear eye protection) but at 15,000 rpms and a few "dremel cooldown" breaks I got the button hole cut perfectly.

[kahlid74]

That seems like a really complicated way to do it.  Selfie has a great stickied post about "shaving" plastic.  This can be accomplished with a forstner or spade drill bit at low RPM on the plexi.  As for the metal, if your CP has metal, then a large grinding wheel would accomplish what you're looking to do if you don't want to spend a fortune on a cobalt drill bit that is 1 and 1/8".

[BAMBOO]

My plexi always melted when I used a dremel.   

[Malenko]

Ive had no issues dremeling plexi.  I would have drilled or punched the hole in the metal first, then dremeled the plexi.

[kahlid74]

My plexi always melted when I used a dremel.   

Read Selfie's thread on plastic, it explains why it's melting.

[bimm25e]

it was much more complicated than it would have been with the right tools but you cant shake a stick at the results.  Im more than pleased.