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lemme know how the hole saw works, I used a hole punch for making a bishi bashi panel. 16GA / 1.6mm ... holy crap that hole punch was a work out... hole saws don't make neat holes, which is i fine with those button since they have a big lip. I hope that punch was just old and worn, because i picked this up for sega trackballs https://www.rapidonline.com/Catalogue/Product/86-5334 ...d
 
What material were your 1.6mm panels, stainless or galvanized mild? I've only used 30mm punches in 1.2mm mild steel and they were a work out on their own, I bet the Bishi Bashi buttons really got you sweating! A decent allen key and a long bit of pipe is a must for those! :)

I'm hoping the carbide tipped hole saws should yield good results, they have from the reports and videos I've seen from them. Standard hole saws don't work very well as they don't cut as well and there is less room for swarf evacuation resulting in double cutting and increased rubbing/decreased tool life. I would be surprised If I got more than one hole from a standard HSS/bimetal etc hole saw.

I definitely wouldn't recommend a cone/step drill though, I tried one of those once and they're shite :D

The carbide tips are a lot tougher, stronger and have a have a lot more room for swarf evacuation. The brazed inserts will have a sharper edge and better cutting geometry which should stay sharper for longer and should cut rather than rub. Freely cutting the material should give a nice hole, rubbing is where you'll get a crap finish.

Cutting conditions and feeds/speeds will also have a big impact. I can only eyeball the feed rate but I can calculate the optimum speed rate (surface meters/min). The material wants to be clamped well and supported well from the back too. You want to use a similar piece of sacrificial material to minimize the burr on the exit of the hole. If you just use a piece of wood for example then the burr will just pull into the wood. If you use some scrap metal then the burr doesn't get chance to form as the rear of the hole is fully supported and the cutter starts cutting the sacrificial material before the burr gets chance to form. Cooling/lubrication of the bit is important too.

The smaller buttons only need a 25mm bit which are easy and cheap enough to pick up. I need a 57-58mm bit for the larger buttons though which are not as common and certainly more expensive! I found some cheap Chinese ones but I don't really like buying cheap tools. I've found some suitable German ones but they're about 4x the price...
 
galvanealed, it's hardened but not as hard as stainless. Though to push the studs in, about to trade in my 2Ton arbor press for a 6Ton hydraulic press.

oh yeah the bishi bashi was a a nightmare. I only did one like that, the other ones were laser cut hahahah.

I'll stay tuned to see what happens with that carbide tipped hole saws :D
 
Ooo, new press, you can't beat getting new toys! 8)

I bought some PEM FHS-M4 15mm and 8mm studs suitable for stainless for some other projects. I've not tried them as yet but I think they'll need some serious tonnage for SS. We've got some decent large fly presses and a hydraulic press at work which I want to try out at some point.

Yes, the carbide hole saws should be interesting, I'll let you know how I get on.

On closer inspection I'm not going to be able to use one for the square buttons. I took a closer look at them and they'll actually need a square holes to mount flush. Looks like it's going to be the trusty old 'chain drill and file' method. I with I still had CNC access as I could interpolate them in minutes. Oh well, looks like I'll be sweating some more :D

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Reading this thread is amazing. I have much to learn, but this is so incredibly inspiring, to see the incredible work you're doing here. Such a unique build!
 
I've really enjoyed reading this thread and I look forward to seeing more updates FrancoB.
I'm starting a Dino King project and would like to be able to rotate the monitor so any information would be appreciated.

Pat
 
I've been looking at this stuff for what seems like years, but Franco - you never fail to inspire me, and blow me away by how professional all your stuff is. RT on linked mini-cabs is going to be amazing! 8o

Looking on in envy, can't wait to see those service panels done too!
 
Holy smokes man! Incredible work. I ran into one of these cabinets a few months ago and had no idea about them. Very nice to see them restored, and extended so nicely.

Kudos!
 
Wow.

I have to admit, i'm not a fan of "converting cabs", but this is a work of art, what an amazing job !
 
I guess I am totally biased but this stuff but yep, Franco's minis have stuff done to them that simply exists nowhere else :)
 
@frsj8112 They're available [here] along with a few other mini cab related files. The files you're looking for are the 'Mini Front' ones.

Thanks for the comments guys!

Bit of a bittersweet post this one, as of about 30 mins ago I no longer have the mini cabs :( I am happy to say though that they've gone to a very good home and I'm sure the new owner will be along to talk about them before too long ^^
 
Nope, I'm sayin' nuffink.
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Monitor bezel... I have this scan and a pdf.. (dxf in Franco's link above)
I do still have a few repros here if you need one.

Dino-King-Bezel.png
 
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