Making Square Holes In Sheet Metal

The router is just a standard off the shelf ryobi router mounted under a home made router table.

Making square holes in sheet metal.

Extend the combination square blade until it meets one side of the drilled hole. Drill a hole in the metal close to but smaller than the finished hole size. Put your ink to the use and mark the hole center. Drilling a hole in sheet metal with a twist drill is a rather straightforward operation.

Drag an awl along the end of the combination square blade. Simple tool to drill square holes. Use this technique to make perfect square or rectangular holes in 040 aluminum. Here are some methods depending on the tools you have and the size of the square hole and the thickness of the sheet metal.

Blacksmithing for beginners cutting a square hole in sheet metal. Now it s time to use that center punch. The multi positional guides are 1 aluminum angles held in position with clamps i use both c clamps and cleco s. This is a simple diy solution to broaching odd shaped holes in metal.

You start off by drilling a small diameter pilot hole and then drill gradually larger holes until you get. Insert the broach and ensure it lines up at 90 degrees from the work peice or the hole will be crooked. Move the combination square and repeat the process to mark a straight line on each side of the drilled hole forming a square. Drill a hole large enough for a jigsaw blade in the part you re cutting out then cut it out with the jigsaw you ll have to curve into the straight lines of your square hole and do a little whittling but it works level 1.

At first locate the center of the whole. The bit used is a 1 8 single flute type. How to use chisels instead of files to cut a share hole for carriage bolts. Next use a compass to outline the edge of the hole.

This will create dimples in the sheet. How to drill a square hole. The first step for all these methods is to mark where on the sheet you want your square hole and sometimes the center of the square. Use a hydraulic press to gradually and smoothly increase pressure until the broach is forced through the hole cutting material and forming a square.

Use either a fine tipped sharpie or a metal scriber depending on your tolerances.