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  #11  
Old 09-17-2008, 10:52 PM
az_gila's Avatar
az_gila az_gila is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: 57AZ - NW Tucson area
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Exclamation I have had success...

...with a Sears drill press at 600 rpm and a General Brand (from Ace hardware) fly cutter.

Clamp everything down and press very lightly - cut the least you can off in every revolution.

For increased accuracy, I have removed the drill bit and replaced it with a 1/4 inch steel rod section. If you have a clean pre-drilled hole in the plywood backing piece, this will stop any side cutting, and movement, that the original drill bit might do as it penetrates the plywood.

If my reading of the tables is correct, a 650 rpm cutter for a 3 1/8 hole in aluminum is only 30% overspeed... That's for a 350 ft/min cut... some charts show a 600 ft per/min....

A liquid lubrication helps - the non-oil cutting fluids seem to be OK and less messy.

I got good instrument panel holes this way, and even large wing rib lightening holes (before Van cut them out for you......)
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  #12  
Old 09-17-2008, 10:57 PM
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Lionclaw Lionclaw is offline
 
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Location: Albuquerque, NM
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Default

I've been using the Harbor Freight one. It scares the heck out of me everytime I use it due to the wobble. I also have to resharpen the cutters every hole.

I always clamp the piece on top of some MDF and use lots of boelube. If I had more holes to cut I'd probably get a good one like the one Avery sells.
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  #13  
Old 09-18-2008, 01:39 AM
gasman gasman is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Sonoma County
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I used a GENERAL brand mounted in a 90 degree head connected to my cordless drill set on low speed..... used about 60 rpm to cut a 1.5" hole in the rear baffel mounted on the motor............... SLOW..... IS VERY GOOD!!! This was just above a stall speed for the cutter, and had very good control.
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  #14  
Old 09-18-2008, 02:03 AM
BobMoe BobMoe is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 55
Default Malco HC1

Here's another type of hole cutter on Ebay or search for Malco HC1 or HC1S.

Has a small end mill driven by a hand drill.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Malco-HC1S-Adjus...QQcmdZViewItem
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  #15  
Old 09-18-2008, 05:48 AM
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Geico266 Geico266 is offline
 
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Location: Huskerland, USA
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I use the fly cutter in a hand drill to cut holes in canopies for snap vents.

As far as the measurement, here is what I do. Take a dial caliper and measure the distance from the outside of the cutter to and including the center drill. Subtract 1/2 of the center drill diameter. Do the reverse to set it to a dimention you want. Works every time. Cut a test hole for accuracy.

On metal are you using a lubricating oil on the cutter?
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  #16  
Old 09-18-2008, 05:58 AM
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cytoxin cytoxin is offline
 
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Location: south carolina
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i used the avery one. @30.00$ and one from lowes @10.00 $ both work great, look identical, except one is smaller.. no lube , clamped when possible, cover the surface with tape sometimes, 620 rpm's

clamping down the part really helps. however i dont always do that and that is risky to say the least. clamp when you can..i also cut the hole undersize about 1/16 to allow for deburring.

i found the harbor freight one to be useless and it cost more than the one from lowes.

now a hole saw i cant get to work on alu for ****.
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Last edited by cytoxin : 09-18-2008 at 07:07 AM.
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  #17  
Old 09-18-2008, 06:02 AM
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cytoxin cytoxin is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Geico266 View Post
I use the fly cutter in a hand drill to cut holes in canopies for snap vents.
Larry , you are a brave man...i salute you.
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  #18  
Old 09-18-2008, 06:25 AM
txnbuilder txnbuilder is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 66
Default I have the same one ...worked fine..

I think I have the same fly-cutter from Sears. I have the cheapie Ryobi drill press, which only goes down to around 600RPM as well.

I had no problem cutting the tie-down spacer holes with it. I set the drill press to the lowest speed, clamped down the spacers on top of a small piece of 2x4, and used lots of the cutting lubricant they sell at Harbor Freight. As I was doing the first one, the cutter did get stuck in the aluminium, and the drill press got real angry real quick. After that, I learned to put very little pressure at a time. It was messy with all the cutting fluid, but the result was a very nice hole.

BTW, I started out with the harbor freight fly-cutter, but just watching it spin scared me enough to go buy the sears one....

Good luck...
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  #19  
Old 09-18-2008, 06:53 AM
Steve Steve is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Roy, Utah
Posts: 1,144
Default fuel tank repair

We just cut 5 5" diameter holes in the baffle plate in an RV6 fuel tank last Sunday using 650 rpm on a benchtop drill press and the Sears fly cutter. The biggest problem was getting the workpiece square to the cutter.
Steve
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  #20  
Old 09-18-2008, 07:07 AM
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Geico266 Geico266 is offline
 
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Location: Huskerland, USA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cytoxin View Post
Larry , you are a brave man...i salute you.
Trust me, I have a beer afterwards.

The trick is go 1/2 way though one side and then finish it on the other side. Maybe that would work good for metal and a drill press also?
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