How to make holes in plastic boxes?

[Notch7]

Adding wood sounds perfect - but then how do I do the same job again 100 times?

get a board of 18mm ply

cut it to fit inside the box, so it goes down to bottom -chamfer edge as needed, put it in place, then screw a batten on the ply so it sits against the top of the box lip

then take out the ply, drill 4 holes (size of centre drill in hole saw to match the position of the centre of the holes

then drill the holes


the problem you have at the moment is when you drill in the centre drill makes the hole bigger so there is no centre guide for the drill and it wobbles

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

WNS Metal Hole Punch - WNS - W. Neal Services Ltd

82mm Throat Complete with: 6 Punch Dies Depth Gauge 12 Month Warranty** Worldwide Delivery

www.wnealservices.com

 

[robinbanks]

If I used another type, maybe would be better?

Maybe a finer toothed one but like I said, run it backwards

Take a piece of wood and use your hole saw plus pilot arbor to drill a hole in the wood and just let the hole saw run into it maybe 2mm, so you end up with a hole in the wood with a circle groove around it. Clamp the two together well without your hand or indeed a clamp

Position the wood behind the plastic in the place you want to drill as guided by the circular groove, and then, running the drill backwards, drill the pilot through the plastic so it drives into the hole in the wood. The hole saw should gently make a hole

Running it forwards will be too aggressive

 

[matlob]

Diamond core bits could be worth a try and not shake around as much

 

[opps]

WNS Metal Hole Punch - WNS - W. Neal Services Ltd

82mm Throat Complete with: 6 Punch Dies Depth Gauge 12 Month Warranty** Worldwide Delivery

www.wnealservices.com

Looks like a great bit of kit but it doesn't look like it will make holes in area that the OP wants

 

[big-all]

Thanks for the replies guys.
Hot rod I would consider something similar like a soldering iron.
But would prefer drilling
The drill I uses was a wooden drill bit. If I used another type, maybe would be better?
Adding wood sounds perfect - but then how do I do the same job again 100 times?


Any chance of a video?
Really complex and hard to follow
Thanks

sorry find it close to impossible to even post a picture
may be some other kind sole with an ecosse to english translator can work it out and do a drawing

 

[SimonH2]

Diamond core bits could be worth a try and not shake around as much

I doubt they'll work. I think the soft plastic will just clog the abrasive face - leaving you with a smooth tube. So you'd need to run it fast enough to heat up the plastic and melt a hole through like the hit metal pipe method previously mentioned.
And if you do that, cheaper to just use a bit of metal tube.

 

[robinbanks]

sorry find it close to impossible to even post a picture

Do you have a smartphone? On mine I hit the camera icon above the writing box and it asks me if I want to take a new one or use one out of the phone's memory, then uploads it job done..

 

[OM2]

Thanks guys
Loooads of different ideas to try
I love that metal hole punch
I'm going to try the ply wood with holes - that will be worth a try

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Looks like a great bit of kit but it doesn't look like it will make holes in area that the OP wants

Dunno, I suppose there are alternative hole punches available that might fit the bill. OP hasn't says what size the boxes are or the holes required, the photo makes the boxes look pretty small if that's a 2mm cable but I guess the connectors (if there are any) are bigger than that.

 

[foxhole]

Thanks for the replies guys.
Hot rod I would consider something similar like a soldering iron.
But would prefer drilling
The drill I uses was a wooden drill bit. If I used another type, maybe would be better?
Adding wood sounds perfect - but then how do I do the same job again 100 times?


Any chance of a video?
Really complex and hard to follow
Thanks

You should be using a hole saw as it self centres , is that what you mean by wood bit?
What is the aim of drilling these holes in plastic containers? What are you trying to achieve?

 

[OM2]

You should be using a hole saw as it self centres , is that what you mean by wood bit?
What is the aim of drilling these holes in plastic containers? What are you trying to achieve?

No, the wooden drill bit is one of these:

I'm guessing this is what caused the plastic to get mangled up as shown in my original pic and why I didn't get a cleaner hole.

I'm trying to make a cable tidy box for mobile phones.
I want to just add something in the middle from charger to phone so I reduce the big tangle of wires.

I thought it would be a great item to sell.
Buy small plastic boxes and drill holes in.
Super useful I think.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

So the the holes need to be about 10mm then.

 

[opps]

So the the holes need to be about 10mm then.

The holes in image 1 look much bigger than 10mm.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I think the OP may have been aiming for 10mm but the drill got away with him!