Hot Rods Where to get gauge holes cut in SoCal?

I know, I could do it myself with a Sawzall, but I'd like something a little more professional. Anybody know where to go in So Calif to get the two different sizes of gauge holes punched or cut? Dash is out of car.
Thanks HAMBers.

 

I just use Holes saws - get em at Sears

 

Find an electrician with a hydraulic Greenlee punch.

 

Sawzall?!
Hole saws is the way to go

 

Hole saw works for me.Just as clean a hole as with any other method I've seen.They are available in just about any gauge size.

 

You can do what Hotroddon said but if you want to pay someone to do it there's Patton steel off Mission in Ontairo. They do all kinds of metal work plus they sell metal and tools.

 

I'll bet that would look great, be sure to post some pictures when you get done.

 

Sawzall? Yer goin' round in circles! (famous song of the '60s...)

 

Id just did mine last weekend in my bridgeport with a boring head.Really tuned out nice.Accurate and perfect holes.If you were closer i would take care of it for you.Only had a couple of hours into it from start to cleanup.

 

There is generally enough lip on the gauges to cover the hole saw marks. In my opinion get a hole saw and do a test hole on some random piece of sheet metal and see if your gauge lip covers enough to give a clean finish. It will put you dollars ahead

 

Nothing like fancy tools to make a 15 minute job last 2 hours!

Holesaw or ask an Electrician pal to use his Greenlee.

 

hole saws can chatter and gar up the surrounding metal. i drill a hole inside the scribe line and use an air saw. looks like a mini sawzall. get as close to the line as possible, then finish to the line with a file or a die grinder. die grinders can chatter too, FWIW, so hold tight.

 

Had to move the two outside holes .110 off center so hole saw would have never worked very well.Tman i know ur just jerking my chain.

 

Hole saws work fine--- but replace the drill bit with a 1/4" rod to keep the drill from side cutting.

 

You can use chassis punches - they do a much cleaner job than hole saws.

 

I use a new,dedicated hole saw.Work fine for me.

JimSig, just FYI, your avatar AAA badge is from northwest PA. The PMF in the center is for Pennsylvania Motor Federation, a forerunner of the AAA clubs.

 

HAHAHA hole saw HAHAHA

 

Hole saw will work very well. What I recommend when drilling thin sheet metal is to put a scrap of plywood under the dash panel as a backer. Clamp the wood backer & the dash panel together & drill away.

It will leave a very clean hole, and will prevent the hole saw from "catching" the sheet metal & making a mess of it.

Hope this helps a little

Dan

 

I use a hole saw or a knockout punch. My grandpa was an electrician and they used these awesome punches to cut holes in breaker boxes and such.

 

another vote for hole saws,but buy the best you can find.

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/hydraulic-punch-driver-kit-96718.html

 

Drill a ring of small holes, then join them up, and use a file to finish the job.
Slow, but it costs nothing, you can get the hole right on size, and you won't bugger your dash. as you might if you have an accident with some kind of power tool.

 

Haha, my thoughts exactly! "Really? Only a couple hours, huh?" Sheesh, I woulda got bored!

 

Hollywood Hot Rods is your shop for accurate holes. They are in Burbank on Palm. Frantic Freds in Sunland, Precision Street Rods in Reseda....all good shops and will do the work right.

 

5 minutes with a hole saw.......and if you don`t have a hole saw or the arbor, time to start collecting.........alot of these other answers will work fine, but som sound way too laor intensive for my lazy butt.....holesaw would be the most efficient.....

 

A hole saw with the work clamped to plywood, used on a drill press. Run it at slow speed and the hole will be nice enough to satisfy.

 

You can bring them by my shop, I could give you a hand doing it. I have all the necessary tools to do the job correctly.
Jimmy White

 

Jim Iam 15 miles from you in Riverside with a full sheet metal shop remember me?? lol we can give you a hand or a file 909-888-9045

 

Billy Preston


Agree with hole saw clamped to wood.

 

Get a cobalt hole saw,their not expensive. Try Mcmaster-Carr.