Hi,
Watch out, it's a slippery slope when you start buying all this stuff to make your panels!
I started that many years ago and as you've found, there really isn't anything "cheap" that is any use. The Whitney hand punches in the deep series are usefull, but still very limited in the holes they will do. To give good folds you will need a sturdy folding brake as well. I probably have about $30,000 of punch tooling now if I was to go out and buy it all new again and still find I need new sizes!
Over the years I bought a guilotine, two folding brakes, two lever presses, a notching press and more to do my panels. It certainly wasn't an economical way to go about it!!!
This is all before you include all the kit required to do the screen printing and etching etc...
As it happens I really enjoy the mechanical side of building stuff, but unless you want this part of building panels to be your hobby rather than making music, beware, it's an all consuming thing!
Regards,
Ben
www.bigbluewave.co.uk
--- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, "drryle" <dryle@...> wrote:
>
> For most everything a drill press is sufficient. Forget square holes though. I just bought a drill press for $75 including tax at Harbor Freight. Table top is good enough for the MU panels. The largest hole I've had to drill so far is a 0.375" diameter. Easy peasy for a 1/2" Jacob's chuck drill.
>
> I must disclose that I also own a machine shop with a CNC milling machine so I can always drill them more precisely there.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvl0NudRw1M
>
> I'm just guessing but I believe most of the MU panels are extruded aluminum. A brake press would be handy but would probably leave bend marks and possibly stress cracks. I dunno.
>
> You might do a search for aluminum "C" channel. Most likely these are bulk buys from a mill, but again I don't really know. Just a guess.
>
> -David
>
> --- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, "Dotcom Refugee" <kendall.jackman@> wrote:
> >
> > I've been looking on line at punch presses and other tools for stamping standard-sized holes in the sheet gauges we work with in the synth panel world. All I can seem to find are:
> >
> > a) giant industrial-size machines that would take up my whole basement. Admittedly, such a machine is guaranteed to meet all my current and future needs, and would be a great conversation piece. Even if I could get one shipped to my house and assembled into the basement, though, I doubt my wife would consider it a good investment.
> >
> > b) $3K-$6K machines that I could at least fit in the workshop, but would never justify the cost (I mean, I could commission a huge run of very nice Moog/STG style photo printing anodized panels for that amount of cash)
> >
> > c) Nice knockout punches, but the hole sizes are too big (1" or greater)
> >
> > d) Cheap manual hole punches with shallow throat depth that would maybe work for single-width panels in flimsy gauges, but nothing bigger
> >
> > Is there NOTHING out there that can punch standard-size holes in synth panels on the cheap?
> >
> > Don't even get me started on SQUARE holes; I've given up on those for now.
> >
> > ALSO: If I want that sexy Moog/STG/Dotcom flange or bent sides (whatever that's called), how do I do that without investing in a full-on pan & brake press? Those things are awesome, but huge and expensive. Armed with one of those, I could turn a roll of raw sheet metal into a freaking refrigerator in nothing flat, but it seems like overkill for modular front panels. I fantasize about a mini pan & brake designed just for Moog-style panels, but unless there's a clan of industrious metalworking leprechauns out there somewhere, I'm not sure such a machine exists.
> >
> > Suitandtieguy, I ∗KNOW∗ you have some magic metalworking tools tucked away in your blacksmith's shop; you've hinted at them before. So, what are the cheapest tools I can get that will work?
> >
>