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Cutting trackball hole in plexiglass (revisited)
sofakng:
Just a little bit of an update for those wondering...
I've cut nearly every hole in my plexiglass using a laminate/trim router bit. It works PERFECTLY. I'd very highly recommend them for anybody needing to cut holes in plexiglass to match holes in MDF. I haven't seen the actually plexiglass yet (the brown protective paper is still on it), so I'm praying that once I remove the brown paper there are no cracks or anything... I'll let you know how I make out :)
However I still one hole left -- the dreaded trackball hole -- the only completely visible hole in the plexiglass (all other holes have buttons with lips, joystick washers, etc).
Today I bought a 3" hole cutter bit ($30 !!! Home Depot said I could return it if "it doesn't work" even after I use it, heh)... So tomorrow I'm going to make a cut a 3" hole in a piece of wood, and then place that directly below my plexiglass. This will give the laminate/trim bit a nice area to ride on and make a perfect 3" hole.
Anybody have any other ideas for what I'm doing? I'm pretty sure my idea will work OK, but I'm always open to other suggestions.
Sasquatch!:
--- Quote from: sofakng on July 25, 2004, 10:58:28 pm ---Today I bought a 3" hole cutter bit ($30 !!! Home Depot said I could return it if "it doesn't work" even after I use it, heh)...
--- End quote ---
Rage against the Home Depot corporate machine.
Nannuu:
Make sure you actually want it to be 3". The largest part of the trackball is 3" but the top where you are drilling may only be 2 7/8 or less? Anyway, my point is measure one more time to be sure ;)
sofakng:
Well, I bought the 3" hole cutter already... From what I've read though, I thought you're supposed to cut a 3" hole and not a 2 7/8" or whatever...
chrisindfw:
Heres what I did...
Took a small piece of wood. About 1x4" or so.. Drilled a hole at one end, and screwed a screw all the way through the wood so the point is poking out 1 1/2" from the hole.
Drill your center hole for the trackball.
Put a bolt through the hole in the plexi and throught the wood..
Rotate the wood. It slowly cuts a very clean hole. It takes about 5 minutes of turning. About half way through i moved it to the other side of the plexi. I make the hole slightly smaller and then made it bigger with a dremmel so I have a tight fitting.
Just my ghetto way of doing it without getting a router and such.
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