Drilling a clean screw hole in my case

metomeyametomeya New
edited January 2006 in Hardware
I'm going to add a handle i'm buying at Lowes today.


I'm wondering, about drilling through the case......

I drilled through some metal (a large heatsink/laptop holder) and it was a horrible job. Really not clean at all.


Any suggestions how drilling? What about torque and speed and all of that?

Thanx
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Comments

  • DanGDanG I AM CANADIAN Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Get a punch and make a divot in the spot you want the hole (or a small nail if you don't have a punch) and then let the bit do the work, slowly.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    An empty case or LOTS of something to protect computer from filings from drill would be needed too...... I'm hoping you know that already and that others who do not and want to add handles will do this.... :)
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    If the material is thin, try clamping a piece of scrap lumber under the spot where you're drilling the holes. The most crucial part is when the hole is almost all the way through; the bit has a tendency to "bite", twist, then bend the metal.

    DanG's suggestion is vital, unless you want to add some fancy etchwork to the case... :eek:
  • NightwolfNightwolf Afghanistan Member
    edited January 2006
    Drill a small hole and then take a "sanding type head", something thats shaped like a cone and drill the rest out with that. Thats what i do when working w/ thin metals!
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Don't push hard or you'll end up with a jagged edge on the opposite end of the drill when you're done ...nothing a little deburring wouldn't take care of but still you should be patient.
  • metomeyametomeya New
    edited January 2006
    Man those are some great ideas........

    I wish I had a sanding head, hey my mom just got a dremel, will one of those heads work?

    I think the wood would the best idea to keep from getting a jagged edge, consider with what i have to work with. And starting with a nail to keep from the drill slipping from the start. Oh ya, straight man, thanks for reminding me to protect the interior from the metal flakes.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    A 30.06 or 7mm Remington Magnum oughta do the trick just fine! You'll just need to file the opposite side from where the round entered. Do though, remove all the hardware from the case first. Either of these calibers will leave nice, smooth holes, slightly tapered inward.
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited January 2006
    Or a high powered Laser with a mirror inside the case to reflect the beam out of a window into the street, works for me every time.
  • ronboronbo Connecticut
    edited January 2006
    Play it safe and glue the handle on....;D ;D;D
  • metomeyametomeya New
    edited January 2006
    naw, there is no good glue for that, metal to plastic, the glues that do work for that needs a lot of weight, and pressure, and his handle is a weird shape.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    metomeya wrote:
    naw, there is no good glue for that, metal to plastic, the glues that do work for that needs a lot of weight, and pressure, and his handle is a weird shape.

    Well. thick super glue wuold glue it, but screws are better-- much better.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    metomeya wrote:
    I wish I had a sanding head, hey my mom just got a dremel, will one of those heads work?...
    They make a bajillion different attachments, one of them ought to be just fine. :)
  • rykoryko new york
    edited January 2006
    thought i should add to make sure your drill bit is nice and sharp....if you have to use a lot of pressure or you see a little bit of smoke coming from the metal and the drill bit, then you have a dull bit and either need to sharpen it or replace it.

    also make sure to use a metal bit for this job...you don't want to use a wood bit or anything...
  • ronboronbo Connecticut
    edited January 2006
    ronbo wrote:
    Play it safe and glue the handle on....;D ;D;D


    Sorry metomeya, I was just teasing you. Backing it up with a piece of wood like someone already said is the way to go.
  • metomeyametomeya New
    edited January 2006
    Well I got done, i'll show some pictures of it once I get my camera back.

    Actually I know a few things about glue, super glue really isn't that great. Its good for tiny pieces, and the larger the area the weaker the bond becomes (more or less, but its true). goop (the crystal clear glue), polyurethane glue, or epoxy glue are all good, and would work, but eventually will give.
  • madmatmadmat
    edited January 2006
    A 1" square of a quality CA glue will support 1 ton of weight. Super Glue is not a quality CA glue though.

    Try playing with ZAP CA glue sometime, You'll see exacly how strong it is if you glue your fingers together or your pants to your legs...

    Been there, done that, rode the ride, bought the T-Shirt...
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Loe,
    I use a piece of railroad rail as an anvail in my shop. I needed mounting holes.
    Ever try to drill used heattreated rail?
    Armor piercing .308 Enfield worked fine
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    Leonardo wrote:
    A 30.06 or 7mm Remington Magnum oughta do the trick...
    bothered wrote:
    Or a high powered Laser with a mirror inside the case to reflect the beam out of a window into the street...
    edcentric wrote:
    ...Armor piercing .308 Enfield worked fine...
    Welcome to the James Bond school of case modding. :necro: :hiding:
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Welcome to the James Bond school of case modding.
    He only uses little sissy guns! He could mod a small form factor case only, maybe just the plastic bezel. :O

    His cars though, that's another story. He's well set up for picking up modding parts and supplies from the hardware and computer stores! :bigggrin:
  • metomeyametomeya New
    edited January 2006
    Where do you get ZAP CA glue?
  • madmatmadmat
    edited January 2006
    Any good hobby supply shop. They (we) use it for building RC cars and planes. For the gel variety getting a "kicker" is usually reccomended since it can take hours to dry whereas the "kicker" will cause it to instantly set.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    How does that "CA" glue hold up to temperature and humidity changes and extremes? Direct sunlight? I've seen a lot of excellent glues and epoxies that aren't so excellent after two or three years exposure to weather.
  • madmatmadmat
    edited January 2006
    I dunno about continued exposure to sunlight, I've never left my RC vehicles unattended outside. I know that it lasts for years inside an assembled RC plane, my father has planes that are 10+ years old that sit out in his shop in freezing weather and 100+ degree summers with 90-100% humidity and they're every bit as solid now as they were new (the ones he hasn't managed to re-kit that is) and I know several guys that build balsa boats using ZAP CA especially the gel (works great on fiberglass and carbonfiber) since it's gap filling and they're using it to waterproof...

    I hope that sorta answers your question.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Yes, it did answer my question. I may have to add this CA stuff to my arsenal of tools. Bonding mainstays for me have been Automotive Goop and Household Goop. CA sounds like it might even be superior for some applications. Will it bond metal, plastic, and glass also? What's the working time with it - how long after applying the material before you must join the parts? What's the cleanup solvent - acetone, paint thinner, alcohol?
  • madmatmadmat
    edited January 2006
    It'll bond anything with pores or micro pores. It's nearly instant when used with a Kicker agent and used alone can vary from minutes to hours depending on how "hot" (thin is hotter) it is.

    Acetone cleans it up with a goodly bit of elbow grease. Just make sure not to spill any on your pants while you're wearing them as it gets uncomfortably hot then hard to peel your pants off. ;)

    [edit] When gluing 2 items with really hot Zap make sure to attach the pieces first then just apply the Zap to them, it'll wick between the pieces otherwise it could set before you have the alignment right, yes, it sets that fast.[/edit]
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    madmat wrote:
    ...Just make sure not to spill any on your pants while you're wearing them as it gets uncomfortably hot then hard to peel your pants off. ;)...
    I'd bet any money that a video of that would become instantly famous on the WWW. :vimp:
  • Sledgehammer70Sledgehammer70 California Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Liquid Nails would work.... I have seen a 2000lbs I-Beam glued upside down with that stuff! they glued it up as we didn't have a crane and the tihing would stay while they heat welded and bolted in place. once it was LN'ed it never moved... they were debating if they should even bolt or weld the bastard once it was set....
  • metomeyametomeya New
    edited January 2006
    Liquid nails? there are like a 100 different types, and strongest are usually about the power of Goop (which is really good but still).

    If CA is as good as it sounds, I would think it would hold to non-porous materials as well, like goop.

    If you haven't noticed I love goop, too bad it will you with cancer, like every chemical product.
  • madmatmadmat
    edited January 2006
    Practically every surface has pores, glass, polished metals, you name it. There's a few plastics that don't but a bit of sanding will solve that problem easily.
  • metomeyametomeya New
    edited January 2006
    true, but a good glue will still stick to non-porus surfaces,

    glues connect by either being "mechanical" which seeps into the pore and holds that way,

    or chemical, which the electrons get caught in the other material's orbits

    PBS special I saw a few months ago. They had clam glue or something, that was holding two trucks together suspended by a crank. pretty cool
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