Cutting button holes

[Nightmare03]

I was wondering how do you lot cut your button holes, i mean like how do you get them all straight in a line and equal spaces between each one?

Thanks,
Nightmare

[daeven]

I used a drywall T-square to draw a straight line perpendicular to the top and side edges.  For mine, I measured 1.5" between each button.

Once you make the center points for the buttons, drill a small pilot hole in each location.  It's been discussed in other threads, but you can then use either a spade bit or a hole saw (the kind with a drill bit in the center).  If you try to use a hole saw that doesn't have the drill bit in the center, I imagine it might be more difficult to get everything to line up.

[mmmPeanutButter]

Use a forstner bit.  They have a point in the center (no pilot hole needed) and they give you really nice holes.  They work great in a drill press and should work well in hand drill too.

http://www.leichtung.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=523-015

[unclet]

I used Powerpoint (or Visio) software to draw 1-1/8 round circles of the same size with crosshair lines on them showing the center point.  I then placed these circles equal distances away from each other and in the order I wanted.  Finally, I simply printed out the diagram, cut off excess paper, taped the paper down on my control panel, placed my 1-1/8 drill bit on the crosshairs of each of the circles and drilled straight through the paper into my control panel.   Perfectly spaced circles.

If you have multiple josticks and have buttons you want lined up on the left side and right of the control panel, then just get a big T-square and draw straight lines across the control panel and place the paper cutout of the circles (described above) accordingly on the line you just drew.

Good luck

[PaulG]

I just did mine and I made 1.5" * 1.5" inch squares (using a t-square) where I wanted the buttons.  I then drew diagonals through those squares so they met in the center.  I then hammered a nail in the center, and then drilled a hole through that opening.  Then I used a hole saw (With a drill bit through the center).  Worked great for me.  I used the hammer and nail first because otherwise I thought the drill would slide on the melamine and things wouldn't be centered.

[GroovyTuesdaY]

Use a forstner bit.  They have a point in the center (no pilot hole needed) and they give you really nice holes.  They work great in a drill press and should work well in hand drill too.

http://www.leichtung.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=523-015

Hey thanks for the link!   40.00 for a complete 16 piece  set is NOT BAD!
thanks again,
groovy~

[paigeoliver]

A long time ago someone made me a specialized metal control panel that I now use as a template for these things. It has the standard joystick holes, the standard 3" trackball holes, the capcom layout, and the Pac-Man start buttons layout on it. It serves all my needs. I just lay it down and trace the approriate holes. Alternately I can clamp it to the panel and drill through it.

[GroovyTuesdaY]

A long time ago someone made me a specialized metal control panel that I now use as a template for these things. It has the standard joystick holes, the standard 3" trackball holes, the capcom layout, and the Pac-Man start buttons layout on it. It serves all my needs. I just lay it down and trace the approriate holes. Alternately I can clamp it to the panel and drill through it.

Thats sounds awesome! You should take a pic and post it so we can see what the layout looks like.  Clamping it down would be SWEET.

g~

[paigeoliver]

Well, all it consists of is a 7"x23" piece of sheetmetal. From left to right it has 2 standard joysticks (right next to each other, at the closest possible distance that they can be, usefull if you want each player to have both a 4-way and an 8-way), then the Capcom layout, then a 3" trackball, and finally the Pac-Man start buttons.

You don't copy the whole layout onto one panel (unless that is what you want, it IS a good all in one single player layout), but you move it around as needed to mark/cut the holes for your controls.

[LoRDDeVO]

I used a 1 1/8 "  Wood Spade to make the holes.  The first thing you learn about tools is that taking care of your tools is key. The people that have problems with tearing a piece of wood to crap are not using sharp and/or the right tools. Best thing to do is print out your layout drawn to scale (Autocad, Visio, even Word) and tape it down to the board (tape the whole sheet of paper to prevent tearing when you drill). then line up thespade with the center of the hole and go for it. The good thing about a wood spades is that they are cheap and they have a point on them so they basically drill their own pilot hole before they cut.  

[greywolf22]

I used Paintshop pro to do my control panel layout, I then printed it off and taped it to some white project (?) board that I bought at Wal-mart for like 2 bucks (I'm not sure the exact name of the stuff, I know that it's in the school supply section and most people use it to do presentations on).  After that I clamped it on top of my lexan and MDF and used a 1-1/8" hole saw and drilled them all out.  Worked flawlessly...One thing you do have to do is clean out the hole saw after you clear the white board and lexan and then finish up through the MDF.  It was a little slow going, but the white board really held up well through the drilling process (still have it as a template if I need to recreate for any reason)...just my 2 cents...of course this is the first one I have done, so my method is probably not perfect, but it worked well for me.

[greywolf22]

Oh one thing I forgot to mention...since the white cardboard is a little thicker then just placing a paper layout on your MDF, it was great for centering the hole saw.

[JamesS]

I used the Visio template from this web site:

http://www.arcadecontrols.com/arcade_puttogether.shtml#Templates

Anyway, then I made the controls like I wanted them, printed it off, taped them to my CP and then put a nail mark thru the center of each hole.  Then I just drilled out the holes with a hole saw.  

Like me say, do not use the Hole Saw, my goodness I was sore for 3 days.  I bought a forster(sp) to try with my admin panel.  We will see how that goes.

[Stingray]

Are you talking about the stuff that's like two posterboards with a layer of foam sandwiched between? I belive this stuff is called "foam core" or "foam board".

-S

[greywolf22]

Stingray, that's EXACTLY what I'm talking about..."Foam Core"...I knew it was something like that, but for the life of me couldn't remember  

[Stingray]

It's pretty handy for all kinds of stuff. I've usually got a sheet of it in my hobby room.

-S

[JamesS]

Let me iterate, the forster(sp) bit was tons better than the hole saw.  It could have been my brothers 18amp drill compared to my 14 amp one.  But dang that forster(sp) cut thru that board like it was nothing.

[sTyLeS]

Like others have mentioned, I used a Visio drawing that I created using some of the templates available off of this site, then I just printed it out to scale and overlayed it on top of the control panel.

Actually, I put the printed template on top of some scrap wood and put that on top of the plexi which was on top of the control panel. I clamped them all together very tightly and drilled through all of it at the same time, that way I was pretty confident that the plexi holes and the control panel holes lined up.

[NoOne=NBA=]

James,

It was the forstner bit.
I've got a 12v, and that bit just shaves perfect holes in a heartbeat.

Paddle/Spade bits and hole saws just don't do the job as well.
You CAN cut your holes with either of those; but I wouldn't recommend it.

Even a sharp paddle bit will still GOUGE the wood out of the hole.
The forstner bits SHAVE it out like a pencil sharpener, which produces a much smoother hole.

[SirPoonga]

I just drilled witha hole saw.  As you start drilling you can if you level or not by how the hole starts.

[snowdogg187]

Hey guys, I'm drilling more holes in an old mkII cab. If I go through the top of the plexi then throught the wood would the forstner bit be fine for that?

Also what size would I want to use?

thanks!

[JamesS]

I am not sure about the plexi because I have not done that yet.

But the size is 1 1/8"

[NoOne=NBA=]

I'm not sure about the plexi either.
I haven't used any on my CP's.

If your plexi is Lexan, you should be OK.
If it is acrylic, I would worry about it shattering with pretty much any fabricating method.
The acrylic is alot more brittle than Lexan, but is more scratch resistant, and a little clearer.

You want a 1-1/8" bit though--provided you are using standard buttons.

[gork]

I drilled my CP with a spade bit and had no real problems so long as I went slow. The fact that I was drilling through laminite (melamine) helped get a clean hole on the top.

Forstner bits are really only designed for use in a drill press. I would be extremely cautious using them in a hand drill. They only due their job properly if you can apply even pressure along your drilling line. I built my cabinet with locking cams so I used forstner bits exclusively for those holes even though I opted for a spade bit on the button holes.

I printed out scale size templates of my buttons, taped them to the top of the panel, and then used a punch to indent the center hole. The tip of the bit sat nicely in this tiny indention and I got my holes exactly where I wanted them every time.

Most people tearing up their panels trying to use spade bits are either pressing too hard or using dull bits. Spades go dull really fast. I drill probably 100 holes at most with them before replacing them or having them sharpened (if you can find someone to sharpen them) You also have to remember that the bigger the hole is, the more powerful your drill will have to be and the slower you will have to go.

[NoOne=NBA=]

Keeping the forstner square with a hand drill isn't really a problem, as long as you watch the sides of the bit as it goes in.
You just have to keep the sides of the bit even all the way around, and you are square.
I've never been able to do that as effectively with a spade bit.

I've also never had a problem getting them through anything (MDO, Plywood, Dimensional Pine, Hardwood Laminate) with a 12v cordless.
As you said though, I'm not FORCING them through it, I let it cut it's way down.

As far as marking holes, I just use a combination square to draw lines parallel to the edge of the panel, and then mark the cross spots and drill on the +.