Cutting Hole In Dash?

Much larger radius might have been a factor.

 

These do a fantastic job on sheet metal......in places that you don't want a mistake or your only getting one chance at greatness........and can be turned at a few hundred RPM's.......On critical items I like to cover the area w/ masking tape and also if available use a piece of plastic or aluminum that can be clamped or fixed to the dash with a corresponding hole at the right location as needed.........this almost insures no slip.........

Chassis punches are also good and I use them from time to time...........but they need torque to operate & can tweek the sheet metal some as the teeth cut through..................Good Luck!

 

These are called trepanning tools, they are not intended to be used in a hand drill at all. They are to be used in a milling machine or a drill press. You could hurt yourself badly doing this by hand if something went wrong. If you want to use a regular hole saw use a center drill first to keep from wondering. Use a center punch then a center drill followed by the hole saw.

 

The good old days. They don't do bluing like that anymore...

 

Looks like a Colt Python .357.......one of the most beautiful hand guns ever produced .........no wonder used they get up to $2 grand and with a box $3-4

 

Pretty sure that's a Smith N-frame, maybe a .44.

Which when you think of it, could make a pretty good hole in a dash.

 

I think you'd end up with a hole in the firewall too.

 

That's where the wire goes to the sensor.

 

Yep

 

How much for the Iron in the picture ?
Clint Eastwood

 

Definitely !....however I used the same to cut a much smaller hole for the tank drain through the floor...that wasn't much more fun

 

Just gotta shut your eyes, and hold your tongue just right.

 

A suggestion as I have done this any number of times.

Buy a new 2" Bi Metal Hole saw and a new 1/4" Bit. Then scare up two pieces of 3/4" White Oak as big as you can fit to the area you want the gauge to be located in. Then Using a Drill press drill a 1/4" hole in one of the pieces of Oak dead center or where ever as long as its the center of the gauge hole. Then use the hole saw to make a 2" D hole in the other piece of Oak but stop short of going through the wood leave like 1/8" more to cut.

Now center drill the hole for the gauge with the 1/4" bit. Now using the Bit as a locating pin assemble the piece of wood with the 1/4" hole to the back side of the Dash and the piece with the partially cut 2" hole to the outside of the dash. Use a PAIR of C Clamps or Swivel Pad vise grips to hold the assembly in registration.

Remove the 1/4" bit put it back in the hole saw put the hole saw in a decent sized drill (plug in works if the drill is less then say 18V) And insert the saw blade into the previously cut channel in the Oak. NOW with a medium speed cut your hole through.

The oak block will remove almost all wiggle will help keep the saw from jamming and will result in a pretty nice slightly under sized hole.

Once that is done use a 1.5" drum sander in the drill motor to carefully hone the hole out until the gauge just slips in place. It will if its like most Gauges stop before it hits flush. You need to use a small file to cut a little notch on the bottom edge of the hole as the gauges have a little locator bump on them.

I did this method most recently on my CJ-2A dash where I am installing a Tranny Oil temp gauge and an Air Pressure gauge. It worked beautifully not a single warp to the dash (I just finished block sanding it and I can tell you its FLAT.

 

Drove up to Lowe’s tonight. No 2 1/16” hole saw. I have a 2” and a stone on my little air grinder. The new gauge was delivered to my office Friday but we went camping for the weekend so I missed it. I’ll be on this job tomorrow after work. Thanks for all the input.

 

Most stores won't carry the small increments of size in hole-saw bits. You can find them on-line.

 

I would use a 2" one because the hole saws never seem to be perfectly round and the high point might end up cutting it at 2 - 1/16".