Faceplate hole for VU meter??

[Matt C]

How do folks usually go about making a large hole in a 19" chassis faceplate for a big VU meter? Is it possible to get a punch that big? Am I better off just ordering a custom-machined faceplate? any advice is much appreciated.

 

[Rob Flinn]

If I am not getting a professionally made panel I mark out with a compass, use plenty of masking tape, drill a few 10mm holes then get my jigsaw to work. Finish with a half round file.

 

[scott2000]

Hole saw?

 

[JohnRoberts]

for a hole that big you may need to take several bites using a smaller punch. I don't think Greenlee makes anything that big.

JR

 

[thelivingroom]

In the past I would use a drill press and bi-metal hole saw bit. These days it’s cheap enough to get something laser cut by a place like SendCutSend that my poor drill press probably feels lonely.

 

[gyraf]

In aluminium, I use a simple handheld wood-router running in an attached 4mm acrylic jig with an appropriate cutout

 

[abbey road d enfer]

It depends very much on the material and the shape of the hole.
I have found that this type of bell-saw is extremely capable, even in mild steel. However it requires a very good drill press with proper clamping. You can't use them with hand-held tools.
https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005...4p_id=2025031104072163946148529040000190060_3

 

[rock soderstrom]

In aluminium, I use a simple handheld wood-router running in an attached 4mm acrylic jig with an appropriate cutout

+1

I do this similarly for all my larger cutouts, aluminum is just shiny wood. It's not for the faint-hearted, wear protective gear.

I make round cut-outs with a special (circle) jig for the edge router and templates for square cut-outs with thin LEGO bricks, no joke.

Edit: That's how I started (on my washing machine), I've optimized the process a bit since then.

' https://groupdiy.com/threads/diy-pr...mps-buffers-or-microphones.84324/post-1098005

 

[Matt Syson]

Remember that the VU meter you are fitting must be designed for the panel material as STEEL panels mess up the balistics of moving coil meter movements. Aluminium is not a problem.

 

[thelivingroom]

In aluminium, I use a simple handheld wood-router running in an attached 4mm acrylic jig with an appropriate cutout

I’m surprised I haven’t tried that, as what @rock soderstrom said, it’s just shiny wood. I’ve used my table saw with 80-tooth finish blade to make straight cuts on sheet aluminum, and miter saw for angle, round, and square tube many times with great results.

 

[gyraf]

Found this by a forum search:

https://groupdiy.com/threads/heavy-duty-sheet-metal-nibbler-on-steroids.60887/page-2#post-772120

Picture:
https://groupdiy.com/attachments/g10-meter-routing-jpg.37983/

/Jakob E.

 

[Gold]

I use a hole saw. There are reasonably priced hydraulic punches that will do it.

In aluminium, I use a simple handheld wood-router running in an attached 4mm acrylic jig with an appropriate cutout

Every time I’ve tried a hand held router on Aluminum it scared the crap out of me. I don’t scare easily. Maybe the Bosch Bullet I have isn’t powerful enough.

I use a hole saw in a hand drill. It can’t be any hand held drill though. The two I have that have enough torque are a Hitachi D90? I don’t have it in front of me but it’s a low rpm high torque version of the corded drill. My daily driver is a Fine drill. It’s an old model. It has the most torque of any hand drill I’ve tried. You have to clamp and hold on tight. But be ready to let go in case it binds.

 

[gyraf]

It actually does not feel that scary once you realize that the business end of that tool is always pointing away from you, and that the most common error mode, broken bits, is quite harmless.

/Jakob E.

 

[Gold]

It actually does not feel that scary once you realize that the business end of that tool is always pointing away from you, and that the most common error mode, broken bits, is quite harmless.

/Jakob E.

Every time I've tried it the tool bucks and binds. I must be doing it wrong.

 

[MidnightArrakis]

How do folks usually go about making a large hole in a 19" chassis faceplate for a big VU meter? Is it possible to get a punch that big? Am I better off just ordering a custom-machined faceplate? any advice is much appreciated.

[How do folks usually go about making a large hole in a 19" chassis faceplate for a big VU meter?] -- Pick one of the following:

• "Hack & Whack" the panel yourself.
• If you have the panel already yourself, then take it to a local metal-shop, provide them with the X/Y dimensions of where you want the hole to be, as well as the diameter of the meter itself -- plus -- add-on 0.050" for a clearance. And, if the meter has its own threaded mounting-studs, also provide their X/Y dimension offset from the center of the meter hole and their hole-cutout dimension as well.
• If you -- don't -- have the panel already, then have one designed and fabricated to be exactly how you would like it to be.

Something like this:



/

 

[gyraf]

..yeah, but this is DIY, remember..?

 

[heatwalk]

Remember that the VU meter you are fitting must be designed for the panel material as STEEL panels mess up the balistics of moving coil meter movements. Aluminium is not a problem.

How notable of a ballistic difference? Slower transient response ?

 

[MidnightArrakis]

..yeah, but this is DIY, remember..?

[but this is DIY, remember..?] -- YES!!!.....I am well aware of that fact here on this forum. However, at least in my belief and opinion, how you may look at the term -- DIY -- is "relative" and my definition of the "DIY" term is probably radically different than how most everybody else on this forum defines the "DIY" term. Meaning.....

.....if there is a piece of electronic equipment that you wish to build, you can:

• "Hack & Whack" all of the sheet-metal parts yourself down in your basement.
• Self-etch all of your own PCBs out in your garage.
• Scrounge together all of the required components by salvaging them from old discarded pieces of other equipment.
• Assemble your finished piece of equipment while eating a peanut-butter sandwich at your kitchen table.

Or.....my personal approach in designing my own electronic equipment is to:

• Take whatever forum schematic that I am interested in and redraw it using my CADENCE/OrCAD "OrCAD X" program.
• Design my own PCBs using my CADENCE/OrCAD "OrCAD X" program.
• Output an -- ODB++ -- file ( NOT "GERBER" files ) to send out to a PCB-fabrication shop to have my PCBs made and electrically tested.
• Design all of my sheet-metal chassis, front- and rear-panels, etc. using my SolidWorks Premium 3D CAD=modeling program.
• Import my CADENCE/OrCAD PCB CAD-file into my SolidWorks Premium program and "marry" the two CAD-files together so I can check for any interferences, misalignments or other fabrication errors or issues -- BEFORE -- I have anything made.
• Send a sheet-metal fabricator either my SolidWorks CAD-files or a -- STEP/STP -- file to have my sheet-metal made to spec.
• Create a BOM on either Ali-Express, Digi-Key or Mouser or other electronic distributors to purchase all of the electronic components from.
• Wait for everything to eventually show up.
• Toss everything into a big box down in my basement as each item arrives.
• When everything has finally arrived.....heat-up my soldering-station and get busy putting it all together!!!

In other words, my definition and approach to -- DIY -- is no different than if I were designing a piece of prototype equipment for a defense contractor (which -- RS -- utterly "HATES" for me to even mention). I've got a big 3/4-HP drill-press, a large jigsaw, a large bandsaw and other such tools here down in my basement, but I now feel that my time can be better spent designing things correctly using the latest in CAD-design software and having my PCBs and sheet-metal pieces correctly fabricated by outside shops, than it is for me to "HACK & WHACK" and "File-To-Fit" everything together. But.....that's just me!!!

So.....while people like -- RS -- who gave you a "Like" purely because he not only hates how I do things, but also hates me as well because of my mentioning my working background in other threads, why should I be condemned and be "put-down" just because my approach to -- DIY -- is different than all of the other members on this forum? I used to "HACK & WHACK" my electronic equipment together like everyone else here on this forum, but.....I was also literally 1/3rd the age that I am now (76)!!! I used to hand-build electronic equipment that was installed into lots of bands' PA-systems, local recording studios, TV stations, nightclubs, etc.

It wasn't until I got a job running the Electronics Laboratory at "one of the largest concert sound-reinforcement companies in the world" (at the time), that I became involved in having to design and have built all manner and types of custom rack-mount chassis, panels, brackets, doo-dads, etc., etc., etc. while also having to have everything I had designed fabricated in low-volumes for inclusion into all of the "mega" concert PA-systems that travelled all over the world with many of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, that I then realized.....HEY!!!.....I can design all of this equipment and have it fabricated by outside companies, instead of me having to "HACK & WHACK" it all together down in my basement!!! WAY COOL!!!.....

But.....that's just me!!!

/