Button holes and hole saw's!

I bought some hole saws to make holes for buttons at Walmart the other day but the one thats closest (32mm) is a tad big. I can use it if I must but would prefer a tighter fit.

Is there a happs controls hole saw that fits their buttons more tightly?


What is the size?



Thanks,


Richard.

1 1/8" is about 29 mm. Some are 7/8 inch about 23mm.

Thanks Toodddyyy.

Thats great but expensive.. Will look for alternatives that are cheaper..





Richie

Do you have any Home Depots nearby?

They should have the correct size ( 1-1/8" for Happs PB's )

Good thinking. Although the prices i'm seeing on the net are not favourable. This is a one off deal I don't want to spend $50+ for something I'm going to use a couple of times at most.

I've seen one place on ebay selling them for $8.00. But $10 shipping, I will look at HD first though.

Home depot is the place!

I bought my whole saw set for $3.25 from harborfreigt tools about ten minutes from my house... The set has 8 bits... I think the 3/4" bit is teh one that works... maybe it's the 1-1/8"... either way, it works fine... they just wear out pretty quickly because they're cheap... but they're good enough to make a couple control panels with.

Hah,

Why don't you make friends with either a handy man, carpenter or construction worker and borrow a step drill bit & a 1/2" drill. All you need use it for about 10 mins or so & your done.
I bought my step drill on ebay for $40 & I just borrow my brothers 1/2" drill when I need it. I just acquired a db15 greenlee panel puch from ebay as well for less than a $100. Good luck on your project.

SeaWolf69

Just as an FYI -

For plexi, avoid the wood hole boring kits. They look like a drill bit with a circle around it.

As I found out, they crack the plexi - and it's not the big circle that does it, either. It's the drill bit part.

I have had great luck using the control panel as a template, and using a Dremel tool (with grinding bits) to get through the plexi. It ends up melting the plexi rather than grinding its way through it, and it does just a perfect job of making those holes.

The stepped bit above is good, but if you have to make your way through wood, you'll just want to use a standard bit at the width that you desire. Otherwise, you might have your hole too big accidentally. My control panel is metal, and already done, so I didn't have that issue.

Like everyone else has more or less already posted, you have 3-4 viable options:

1. step drill bit.
2. hole saw.
3. forstner bit.
4. wood boring bit.

The cost and use varies. Generally the more useful the more expensive.

Step Drill bit - most expensive, but can be used on wood, metal, and acrylic. Tends to be the neatest easiest method. A good high power drill and one of these guys will server you pretty well.

Hole Saw - can be had pretty cheaply, but are only useful on wood and metal(not all metals and not all hole saws can drill metals). These can tear things up pretty well if they bounce around any while drilling. Some tougher acrylics can be drilled with these just fine(such as Lucite), but not as a rule of thumb. Test first if you're feeling brave.

Forstner bit - generally more expensive than a hole saw or wood boring bit. Good for wood and acrylic. Tends to be fairly neat when drilling. Can be a bit fussy and bind up easily if you don't keep the hole free of debris.

Woodboring bit - Can be had the most cheaply, but is really only good for wood. Bits with longer shafts are really only effective in a drill press because they will wobble like crazy in a hand drill. Pass on these guys.

FYI, Happ buttons use a 1-1/8 inch hole (it's a tiny bit loose, but you'll never notice it once the buttons are in place and their nut screwed on)

Thanks for all your recommendations, really appreciate it.

I always used a holesaw, even on plexi, never had a problem...

Just don't push hard while cutting the plexi, and don't move sideways once you're in...