[sdiy] DIY panel - rectangle hole

[Luís Marka]

You may try finding a milling shop that works with EDM 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_discharge_machining) or laser 
cutting. I am not sure about price for such a service, however.

Scott wrote:
> Hello
> I'm wanting to drill out my own panel for a project I'm working on, the
> midibox sequencer. (yes,I feel like I'm cheating by going to a digital
> solution, but all the talk about the PSIM several weeks ago got me
> thinking that maybe it is ok :)  )
> there are two long rectangular displays for this project.  I've got a
> drill press, and I've got the whole standard panel mount panel
> construction worked out really well.  
> This one is all PCB mount, and then the panel just sort of screws onto
> the PCB w/ all the switches and knobs and LCD's, which means it has to
> be much more precise.  I think I cam get all the holes drilled alright,
> but I have no idea what to do for the rectangular holes.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas of how I can DIY that, without buying any
> expensive equipment?  The only idea I've had so far is to drill it out
> all the way across, and then clean it up w/ a file, but I don't think I
> have enough skill to do that and have it all straight and square.  I
> know they make wood bits for drilling square peg holes, but I don't
> think that would work for metal, as it's basically just a chisel w/ a
> drill bit in the middle.
>
> I remember reading a while back about something called a nibbler, or
> something.  Is that what I need?  And then does that make nice clean
> cuts? (I have no idea what a nibbler is, but I have a hard time
> believing that it can make good straight cuts if its something that just
> removes a small chunk of metal at a time)
>
>
> Thanks for any ideas!
>
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