I need to cut several holes in my repop 32 Ford dash. One need to be 5 inch in diameter. I know I can use a hole saw, but they tend to burr the edges. I am planning on using guages that installs from behind, so I need a sharp edge. I have seen some adjustable saws that claims to be for metal, but I don't know about quality. Any thoughts on the right tool for this?
Thanks Al, I was thinking the adjustable route because the holes may not be exactly 5 inches, and the regular hole saws that I have seen are usually available in 1/4 inch increments...
I've used the adjustable hole saw before, it ****ed. I think I had the speed going too fast and my HSS cutting tool was not ground very well. Plan B: Use a jig saw and file. TZ
The "Hole Cutter" by Malco is an excellent tool to cut variable size holes in sheet metal. http://www.malcotools.com/products/metalduct/hc1.htm The dash may have a raised lip that may be in the way though.
A good tip for using a holesaw in thin metal is to drill the pilot hole, then replace the drill bit in the hole saw with some 1/4" rod. It keeps the saw from moving as you drill. Try it out on some s**** first and see how it looks. If it isn't good enough, you can use the next holesaw down and file it out.
I saw this one for example: Hole in one cutter and they claim it would cut up to 1mm (16guage?) thick metal. Good point there Simon, the drill-bit have a tendency to wander a bit.
I use the Malco holecutter pretty regularly at work. They do a good job but you have to have room to swing the tool through the full circle.
If your dash is out, why not just use a circle cutter in a drill press. Works good as long as your speed is slow.
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