# Annular cutters or drill bits?



## tjb (Mar 12, 2019)

Hello, All.

I need a little wise counsel.  I need to mill a series of holes in 1/4" white acrylic.  The holes will be 1", 1 3/16" and 1 3/8".  I have a 1" Silver & Deming drill bit and have already milled that set, but I'll need to buy tools for the two larger sizes.  Using my rotary table for the larger holes is not practical because there will be 20 or 30 for the complete project.

There was some recent discussion in another post about annular cutters which caused me to wonder.  Since I need to buy one or the other, which makes more sense?  Larger drill bits or annular cutters?  Neither will be cheap, but based on a cursory examination, cost seems to be relatively similar either way.  I drilled the 1" holes in two steps - 1/2" followed by 1" - with no issues.  Would the process be the same with annular cutters or can it be accomplished in a single step?

In addition to the immediate project, another consideration would be which would be more sensible to have lying around in a tool box for future uses which may arise in different media (aluminum, cold rolled, etc.).

Any thoughts?

Regards,
Terry


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## darkzero (Mar 12, 2019)

Generally you shouldn't use regular drill bit for acrylic, especially for thin sheets. They tend to grab & will crack the acrylic as you get close to punching through. Using material to back it up helps a lot. Modifying the cutting edge on the drill bit to prevent grabbing like how you modify for drilling brass is another trick too. Laminate drill bits are what you are supposed to use but they are expensive. Not sure if they even have sizes that large.

I haven't used an annular cutter on acrylic but I have been using them a lot more lately rather than S&D drills on the lathe. They're very sharp so they should cut well but the have a very positive cutting edge so they may grab also. Annular cutter are much more expensive than S&D drills though, well unless you buy on ebay.


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## benmychree (Mar 12, 2019)

Annular cutters are expensive, both to buy and to sharpen.


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## rwm (Mar 12, 2019)

I would think you could make your own annular cutters for use on acrylic? The material does not need to be that hard. You could optimize the tooth design to not grab the material.
Robert


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## Superburban (Mar 12, 2019)

What about using the forstner bits for wood? I think they would help with the breakout issue, and cheaper then the annular cutters.


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## eugene13 (Mar 12, 2019)

I'd try a hole saw.


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## Grandpop (Mar 12, 2019)

If your tolerance allows, I'd use hole saws. If tight tolerance then use the Forstner bits, they work good on the white cutting boards I use for fixtures.


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## tjb (Mar 12, 2019)

Thanks to all who have answered so far.  On the 1" cuts, I have had zero chip issues on 32 holes.  I started the first 8 with a 1/2" bit, stepped to a 3/4" and finished with the 1".  On the second set of 8, I skipped the 3/4" step and still, no chipping.  Finished the last 16 that way with no issues.  I have my mill set at 600 RPM and hand fed the first set very slowly.  For the remainder, I had my quill feed set at its slowest speed, and it worked like a charm.  Time consuming, but uneventful.  Before starting, I sharpened the point on the 1" bit and tested it on scrap to make sure there was no grabbing.

Did I get lucky, or is a single intermediate step and slow speed the right combination?  I feel pretty good about using larger drill bits - especially if I step up to them from the 1", but would annular cutters be better?  Robert, I've never even been in the same room with an annular cutter, so making my own at this point is simply out of the question.  Any opinion about store-bought annular cutters being an improvement over S&D drill bits for this application?  Anyone?

Regards,
Terry


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## tjb (Mar 12, 2019)

Grandpop said:


> If your tolerance allows, I'd use hole saws. If tight tolerance then use the Forstner bits, they work good on the white cutting boards I use for fixtures.


Tolerance needs to be a little tighter than what I would anticipate from a hole saw.  I quick look on MSC shows a 1 3/8" Forstner bit, but not a 1 3/16".  That bit is a whole lot cheaper than a standard bit.  In your opinion, is it likely I'd get the same result as with the Forstner?

Regards,
Terry


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## PT Doc (Mar 12, 2019)

BLU-MOL 1-3/16 in. Sheet Metal Hole Saw 6925 - The Home Depot
					

The BLU-MOL Sheet Metal Hole Saw is ideal for the electrical and plumbing tradesman, construction, aircraft, maintenance and automotive applications. The hole saw has a thin 0.02 in. (0.5 mm) sidewall



					www.homedepot.com
				




Maybe this?


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## PT Doc (Mar 12, 2019)

Or this?









						Bormax - 1-3/16" BORMAX Forstner Style Bit
					

The Bormax Forstner Bits new design features razor-sharp wave-form cutting teeth that work cooler require less power and produce less friction The result more efficient cuttin




					www.woodcraft.com


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## PT Doc (Mar 12, 2019)

1.1875 is a smidge bigger 30mm. Maybe a 30mm forstner?


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## PT Doc (Mar 12, 2019)

Annular cutter









						Gyros 1-3/16 Diameter x 1 in. D High Speed Steel Annular Cutter 47-11316 - The Home Depot
					





					www.homedepot.com
				




Carbide hole saw









						BLU-MOL Disston 1-3/16 in. Standard Tungsten Carbide Hole Cutter 3174 - The Home Depot
					

Tungsten carbide tips have excellent wear and heat resistance. They are light, smooth cutting entry with great boring speed. These are for cutting stainless steel, steel, aluminum and cast iron up to 3/16 in. (4,5 mm) thick.



					www.homedepot.com


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## tjb (Mar 12, 2019)

PT Doc said:


> Or this?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Now, that looks like it could work.  They also have a 1 3/8".  I could buy both for about the price of one of the S&D's.  Do you have any experience with Bormax?  Or using Forstner's on acrylic?

Regards,
Terry


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## tjb (Mar 12, 2019)

Grandpop said:


> If your tolerance allows, I'd use hole saws. If tight tolerance then use the Forstner bits, they work good on the white cutting boards I use for fixtures.


What material and thickness is the white cutting board?  What size holes are you drilling?

Thanks.


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## mksj (Mar 12, 2019)

Not  a big fan of acrylic because it can catch and shatter. I would not use a forsener bit nor a larger standard drill. I would suggest annular cutters because you are only cutting the peripheral of the hole diameter. Slow even pressure should give you a continuous strings of plastic being cut. That would be my first choice, then possible a hole saw. Problem with hole saws I have had in plastic  is the friction tends to cause it to melt and get gummy.


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## PT Doc (Mar 12, 2019)

I do not. I need to cut a 2.125 hole it what i think is an acrylic sump pump pit cover to install a fitting to allow me pour some bleach down there. I have the fittings and was going to use a hole saw partly thru from both sides but might reconsider.


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## tjb (Mar 13, 2019)

mksj said:


> Not  a big fan of acrylic because it can catch and shatter. I would not use a forsener bit nor a larger standard drill. I would suggest annular cutters because you are only cutting the peripheral of the hole diameter. Slow even pressure should give you a continuous strings of plastic being cut. That would be my first choice, then possible a hole saw. Problem with hole saws I have had in plastic  is the friction tends to cause it to melt and get gummy.



'Slow even pressure' I think is precisely why I had the favorable outcome on the 1" holes.

I'm assuming an advantage of annular cutters is that the hole can (must?) be milled in a single pass.  Is this correct?

Regards,
Terry


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## AGCB97 (Mar 13, 2019)

Terry
That is correct ( can (must?) be milled in a single pass.). Unless it is done in a good drill press and clamped down or a mill.
I think the advantage to a annular cutter is then you have it for steel, acrylic or most anything projects in the future. They don't dull very easily if used correctly. They do not need a pilot hole.

At a shop that I'm helping to liquidate, just sold a lot of 6 or 7 larger than 1" annnulars for $100. Most were new!

Aaron


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## tjb (Mar 13, 2019)

AGCB97 said:


> Terry
> That is correct ( can (must?) be milled in a single pass.). Unless it is done in a good drill press and clamped down or a mill.
> I think the advantage to a annular cutter is then you have it for steel, acrylic or most anything projects in the future. They don't dull very easily if used correctly. They do not need a pilot hole.
> 
> ...


That's the kind of info I was hoping to hear:  "...you have it for steel, acrylic or most anything...".  That's the direction I'm leaning towards.  Thanks.

Any other bargains at the shop you're helping to liquidate?

Regards,
Terry


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## mmcmdl (Mar 13, 2019)

How about a trepanning tool ?


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## tjb (Mar 13, 2019)

mmcmdl said:


> How about a trepanning tool ?


Never thought of that - or used one.  How clean a cut will it make?


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## mmcmdl (Mar 13, 2019)

Just like a boring bar . Wanna pic of one  ?


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## tjb (Mar 13, 2019)

mmcmdl said:


> Just like a boring bar . Wanna pic of one  ?


Yep.


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## mmcmdl (Mar 13, 2019)

Well...……..hold on a few seconds , I'll find one or 2 .


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## mmcmdl (Mar 13, 2019)

This is one of many . Easy to make and always comes in handy for large holes in thin stuff .  Measure across your tool and drill and subtract 1/2 the drill diameter and you got your hole radius .


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## PT Doc (Mar 13, 2019)

General Tools Adjustable Wheel and Circle Hole Cutter for use with drill press 6 - The Home Depot
					

General Tools Wheel and Circle Cutters produce precision circles in sheet metal, brass, copper, soft steel, aluminum, plastic, wood and composition materials. The cutter is the ideal tool for making clock



					www.homedepot.com
				




This brand has a few options








						General Tools Heavy Duty Adjustable Circle Cutter for Drill Press 55 - The Home Depot
					

Designed for professional use, the Heavy-Duty Circle Cutter will make clean cuts from 1-3/4 in. Dia to 7-7/8 in. Dia. The tempered steel body features marked graduations on the beam for fast measurement



					www.homedepot.com


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## tjb (Mar 13, 2019)

mmcmdl said:


> This is one of many . Easy to make and always comes in handy for large holes in thin stuff .  Measure across your tool and drill and subtract 1/2 the drill diameter and you got your hole radius .


Man, that's really beautiful!  Not the tool, but the counter top.  It's exactly like ours.

Tool's not bad either.  Gonna get one.

Regards,
Terry


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## mmcmdl (Mar 13, 2019)

They come in handy .  Plus , use them in a mill , on a drill press , or a lathe . Bet your countertop is emptier than mine !


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## Nogoingback (Mar 13, 2019)

I've used diamond coated hole saws like this to bore holes in fiberglass.  They create nice clean holes.
Don't know about acrylic, but I imagine they would be fine.  I use some water to keep the temp. down
and, with fiberglass, to eliminate dust.


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## AGCB97 (Mar 13, 2019)

tjb said:


> Any other bargains at the shop you're helping to liquidate?


Mostly gone. Been selling for going on 2 years. Was a 100 x 100' building packed full so you could barely walk


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## tjb (Mar 13, 2019)

AGCB97 said:


> Mostly gone. Been selling for going on 2 years. Was a 100 x 100' building packed full so you could barely walk


Why didn't you call me?


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## tjb (Mar 13, 2019)

mmcmdl said:


> They come in handy .  Plus , use them in a mill , on a drill press , or a lathe . Bet your countertop is emptier than mine !


I plan on getting one whether I use it for this project or not.

Your countertop may be fuller than mine most of the year, but I bet mine's got you beat around Christmas:  me, wife, 5 kids, 13 grandkids, and a handful of our kids' in-laws - usually about 30 people.  EVERYBODY wants to be here when my wife makes her world famous spaghetti,  sauce cooked for two days with meatballs and beef and pork ribs (my grandmother's recipe from Sicily - over 100 years old), antipasto, cheesecake, etc.  The list goes on and on.

Regards,
Terry

(All of a sudden, for some unknown reason, I'm getting hungry.)


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Mar 13, 2019)

If this was already mentioned then please disregard......

Im not sure about the specific material you are working with but i was taught when cutting plastic, especially thin sheet material, to cut in reverse using a fine tooth hole saws to get the cleanest cuts.  In my experience, You dont need to apply much pressure and it tends to be much easier on the plastic breakthrough without tearout and cracking the work piece.


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## pontiac428 (Mar 13, 2019)

Terry, you got lucky drilling all those holes!  I've tried hole saws (great when concentric), plain bits (okay if you go slow) , forstner bits (utter fail), and a cheap trepanning tool (also a destructive attempt).  Mixed luck with acrylic.  People who work plastics often say to use drill bits that have the cutting edges dulled (blunted square to the cut) with a stone.  It supposedly prevents cracking.  I have bought "acrylic" bits as singles for larger projects in the past.  They work best in a drill press as opposed to a hand drill.  Either way, that's a lot of holes you've successfully drilled without a crack, time to go buy a lotto ticket!


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## tjb (Mar 13, 2019)

pontiac428 said:


> Terry, you got lucky drilling all those holes!  I've tried hole saws (great when concentric), plain bits (okay if you go slow) , forstner bits (utter fail), and a cheap trepanning tool (also a destructive attempt).  Mixed luck with acrylic.  People who work plastics often say to use drill bits that have the cutting edges dulled (blunted square to the cut) with a stone.  It supposedly prevents cracking.  I have bought "acrylic" bits as singles for larger projects in the past.  They work best in a drill press as opposed to a hand drill.  Either way, that's a lot of holes you've successfully drilled without a crack, time to go buy a lotto ticket!


Thanks for the response.  I just hope my 'beginner's luck' doesn't run out until I've completed the project.  I failed to mention in the earlier posts, I've been doing the cuts with the adhesive paper still intact on both sides.  I suspect that probably has something to do with the success.  Also, these holes were drilled on my milling machine using the power quill.  I have it set on the slowest speed possible, and I'm milling at 600 RPM's.  The quill feed seems painfully slow but is probably a significant reason for the favorable outcome.  I've been tempted a time or two to feed by hand, but I'm sure there's no way I could be as uniformly steady and slow as the power feed.  Hopefully, I'll have the same outcomes on the larger holes.  We'll know in a day or two.

Regards,
Terry


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## tjb (Mar 13, 2019)

Latinrascalrg1 said:


> If this was already mentioned then please disregard......
> 
> Im not sure about the specific material you are working with but i was taught when cutting plastic, especially thin sheet material, to cut in reverse using a fine tooth hole saws to get the cleanest cuts.  In my experience, You dont need to apply much pressure and it tends to be much easier on the plastic breakthrough without tearout and cracking the work piece.


The material I'm using is 1/4" 'cast acrylic'.  It was recommended by RJSakowski in response to a separate thread on a completely separate issue (see my thread titled 'How to make an aluminum drawer liner' - not sure how to access it here).  It seems to be very easy to machine but as so many have pointed out (including RJ), it is susceptible to chipping and breaking.

Never heard of the technique you mentioned.  I'm going to try that on a piece of scrap to see how it turns out.

Regards,
Terry


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## stupoty (Mar 13, 2019)

I've used regular holesaws on acrylic with good results, I use dish soap as a coolant to reduce melting the chips.  

A sacrificial piece of wood or ply for a backer has definitely helped with not shattering on the last bit of the cut.

Stu


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## tjb (Mar 13, 2019)

stupoty said:


> I've used regular holesaws on acrylic with good results, I use dish soap as a coolant to reduce melting the chips.
> 
> A sacrificial piece of wood or ply for a backer has definitely helped with not shattering on the last bit of the cut.
> 
> Stu


Dish soap sounds like an easy trick for cooling.  Melting (so far) has not been a problem - I'm assuming because of the slow RPM's and quill feed rate.

Regards,
Terry


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## tjb (Mar 13, 2019)

Several of you who have responded clearly have experience working with acrylic or other plastics.  'Slow' seems to be the order of the day, so I'm curious.  What speeds have you used to drill/cut holes?  Do any of you use your power quill?  If so, what speed?

Regards,
Terry


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## whitmore (Mar 13, 2019)

tjb said:


> I need a little wise counsel.  I need to mill a series of holes in 1/4" white acrylic.  The holes will be 1", 1 3/16" and 1 3/8".



I'm not sure about 'wise', but I know getting a clean cut in acrylic is often problematic.   Could you job it out to someone
with a waterjet cutter?


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## tjb (Mar 13, 2019)

whitmore said:


> I'm not sure about 'wise', but I know getting a clean cut in acrylic is often problematic.   Could you job it out to someone
> with a waterjet cutter?


Thanks for answering.  As you may have read on this thread, I've already achieved surprisingly (to me) good results on the 1" holes, and there have been some very informative suggestions offered on how to move forward.  I'm going to attempt to mill the larger holes using some of the advice that has been offered.  We'll see how it turns out.

Regards,
Terry


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## tq60 (Mar 13, 2019)

Control cut is the key.

Step drills work well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


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## PT Doc (Mar 14, 2019)

Post back when you get the bigger cutters.


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## uncle harry (Mar 15, 2019)

Grandpop said:


> If your tolerance allows, I'd use hole saws. If tight tolerance then use the Forstner bits, they work good on the white cutting boards I use for fixtures.



I have used forstner bits on white medium density polyethylene with no difficulty to make pockets and thru holes. I would think that acrylic could be successfully "drilled" partially thru and finishing from the opposite side.


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## Joe in Oz (Mar 16, 2019)

I have used this type of carbited tipped hole saws very successfully on acrylics and other plastics. Very affordable and able to be had sharpened with a diamond file to a s slightly less aggressive tip for really thin stuff: ebay item #262872765354


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## tjb (Mar 16, 2019)

Joe in Oz said:


> I have used this type of carbited tipped hole saws very successfully on acrylics and other plastics. Very affordable and able to be had sharpened with a diamond file to a s slightly less aggressive tip for really thin stuff: ebay item #262872765354


Thanks for the link.

Can't beat the price.  I'm in the process of trying out a couple of other options.  If they're not successful, we'll give these a shot.

Regards,
Terry


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## tjb (Mar 16, 2019)

Okay, I've completed the second set of cuts: 21 holes 1 3/16" in diameter.  You're gonna love this!  They came out great!

Here's the strategy I ended up taking:
My first choice - all other things being equal - would have been annular cutters.  However, I decided to use S&D drill bits as a first attempt, my logic being that there have been a handful of times in the past when I could have used drill bits that size but didn't have them.  I rationalized that if I got the bits and they didn't work, at least I'd have them available if another occasion arose where one would come in handy.  (That decision was made a little easier because of the success I had with the 1" holes.)  If the results were horrible, I'd just bite the bullet and get the annular cutters.  Like they say, you can't take it with you.

I decided to try something that seemed a little radical to me.  I wanted to see what the result would be if I tried the cut in one pass - no pilot hole, no intermediate step-up to finished size.  I put a piece of scrap in the vise, and the result was great.  Did all 21 holes that way, and I was pleasantly surprised how well they turned out.  It seems to me, the key to success hinges on three variables: a SHARP bit, slow RPMs and a slow controlled feed rate.  The bit was new, RPM was set at 600, and I power fed the quill at its slowest speed.

Next challenge will be the 1 3/8" holes.  I'll post pix after they're all finished.  (May be another day or two.)

Thanks to all for your wise counsel and suggestions.

Regards,
Terry


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## PT Doc (Mar 16, 2019)

Sweet!


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## tjb (Apr 27, 2019)

FINALLY!!!!

It's been about a month, but I finally got some time to get back in the shop.  Nothing tragic (mercifully), but you know how sometimes 'life' gets in the way.  It's always struck me as a complete waste to throw away those neat little plastic bottles that prescription drugs come in.  They're perfect for small machining parts.  After having amassed several from myself, my bride and neighbors, I decided to make a rack to hold them - hence, the need to mill all those holes in cast acrylic.  After a lot of trial and error, I finally have assembled what I think is officially known as an 'ultimate-repurposing-small-machining-parts-rotisserie-holder-thing-a-ma-jig'.  The mechanism started with No. 50 roller chain and sprockets from an old John Deere round baler.  All the metal was scrap I had in the shop.  I ended up buying new chain (the old was binding too much) and the larger sprockets (to give me clearance across the top).  I had roller bearings laying around in the shop, but I had to make all the races and bushings.  You'll notice that there are three different sizes of holes milled in the acrylic to accommodate differing sizes of bottles.  (I'm waiting for some of my neighbors to get a little sicker to fill up the remaining available spaces.)  On close examination, I did notice a few very small chips but nothing that caused me to trash any of the racks.  On another thread, I got some advice on how to motorize this thing.  I now have the motor.  Need to get what I think is referred to as a 'power supply' to go from 120V AC to 24V DC.  Then I need to make a bracket, and the thing-a-ma-jig will be complete.  Thanks for all the sage advice.

Regards,
Terry


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## FOMOGO (Apr 27, 2019)

That's just the cat's meow Terry. I love it. Cheers, Mike


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## tjb (Apr 27, 2019)

FOMOGO said:


> That's just the cat's meow Terry. I love it. Cheers, Mike


Thanks, Mike.


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## sgisler (Apr 28, 2019)

That is the poster child for over-kill! It’s fantastic!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## hman (Apr 28, 2019)

Wowsers!  Very nice idea.  Is it powered?  If so, how many horsepower?
Kinda reminds me of the wire spool racks they have at Home Depot stores, and something similar I seem to recall seeing at a Walmart.

Stan, that ain't nowhere NEAR being overkill.  If tjb really wanted to get fancy, he could rig up a tablet (with an inventory data base) and Arduino, that could control the powered motion and automatically deliver his selection to the front bottom.  Maybe even a set of lights below, one per jar, with the correct one illuminated to show him where to pick ;~)


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## Jason280 (Apr 29, 2019)

Let me know if you ever want to try an annular cutter, I have a decent selection of them and I'm not too far from Madison.


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## tjb (Apr 29, 2019)

sgisler said:


> That is the poster child for over-kill! It’s fantastic!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks.  As you may suspect, the project started 'small' but just kept growing and growing.  You wouldn't believe what I considered.  Had to draw the line, though.  Didn't have enough wall space.

Regards,
Terry


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## tjb (Apr 29, 2019)

hman said:


> Wowsers!  Very nice idea.  Is it powered?  If so, how many horsepower?
> Kinda reminds me of the wire spool racks they have at Home Depot stores, and something similar I seem to recall seeing at a Walmart.
> 
> Stan, that ain't nowhere NEAR being overkill.  If tjb really wanted to get fancy, he could rig up a tablet (with an inventory data base) and Arduino, that could control the powered motion and automatically deliver his selection to the front bottom.  Maybe even a set of lights below, one per jar, with the correct one illuminated to show him where to pick ;~)


Thanks, John.  The wire spool rack at Lowe's is exactly where I got the idea.  And your comments about 'overkill': I have a friend that is an equipment maintenance supervisor for a large production factory.  I showed it to him, and he is anxiously trying to talk me into doing EXACTLY what you suggested!  Ain't gonna happen: THAT would be overkill.

Regards,
Terry


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## tjb (Apr 29, 2019)

Jason280 said:


> Let me know if you ever want to try an annular cutter, I have a decent selection of them and I'm not too far from Madison.


Thanks, Jason.  Would love to try one of those at some point.

I'm occasionally in the Milledgeville area, and I'll PM you next time I head that way.  You do the same if you're ever up here.

What'd you decide on the two killer deals you're considering?

Regards,
Terry


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## tjb (Apr 29, 2019)

hman said:


> Wowsers!  Very nice idea.  Is it powered?  If so, how many horsepower?
> Kinda reminds me of the wire spool racks they have at Home Depot stores, and something similar I seem to recall seeing at a Walmart.
> 
> Stan, that ain't nowhere NEAR being overkill.  If tjb really wanted to get fancy, he could rig up a tablet (with an inventory data base) and Arduino, that could control the powered motion and automatically deliver his selection to the front bottom.  Maybe even a set of lights below, one per jar, with the correct one illuminated to show him where to pick ;~)


John,

P.S.:  It is not yet powered yet, but I plan for it to be.  I had a parallel thread running to this one asking for advice on what style motor to get for it.  The rack is fairly simple to move by hand, so high horsepower is not necessary.  The general consensus was to get a motor with high torque and metal gears.  I ended up buying two: a 12Vdc/5RPM and a 24Vdc/11RPM.  (Not sure which RPM makes the most sense.  I'll need to do some experimenting.)  I need to get 'power supplies' to convert 120Vac to the respective dc currents.  We'll see how that goes.

Regards,
Terry


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## sgisler (Apr 29, 2019)

hman said:


> Stan, that ain't nowhere NEAR being overkill. If tjb really wanted to get fancy, he could rig up a tablet (with an inventory data base) and Arduino, that could control the powered motion and automatically deliver his selection to the front bottom. Maybe even a set of lights below, one per jar, with the correct one illuminated to show him where to pick ;~)




Lol, that would be pretty amazing 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## hman (Apr 29, 2019)

Terry -

I used to get 12 volt "wall warts" from Goodwill, but they've started throwing extras away.  But other similar stores still carry them.  Look for the current capacity as well as voltage.  You'll probably want an amp or so.  No problem if it's higher capacity.  The motor will only draw what it needs.


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## tjb (Apr 29, 2019)

hman said:


> Terry -
> 
> I used to get 12 volt "wall warts" from Goodwill, but they've started throwing extras away.  But other similar stores still carry them.  Look for the current capacity as well as voltage.  You'll probably want an amp or so.  No problem if it's higher capacity.  The motor will only draw what it needs.


Thanks, John.  That's a big help.


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## KBeitz (May 5, 2019)

When cutting plastic you want no or neg. rake on what ever your cutting with...


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## jdedmon91 (May 7, 2019)

I did a decorative wine stopper rack for the stepdaughter. Since I made it out of Lexan, it needed 1” holes so I used an annular cutter to put the stopper holes in it. Attached is the Video






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## hman (May 8, 2019)

Very nice looking!  I always admire such work on transparent plastics, especially how it's nicely deburred.  Did you "fire polish" the edges to get them looking so nice?

The annular cutters really did a nice job, too.  Definitely the way to go with plastics!

PS - A very slight correction: you said it was made of Lexan.  That's a polycarbonate plastic.  But looking at your wine rack edgewise, it looks like it's acrylic (Plexiglass or similar brand name).  I've always used the "edge test" to quickly distinguish between the two.  When looked at edgewise, acrylic (except the tinted varities) is very light or white looking.  Polycarbonate's edge looks dark grey or dark purple.  If you have a another piece with the original paper on it, you can look for the brand and check me.


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## Dabbler (May 8, 2019)

I came really late to the party - sorry about that.  I find annular cutters to work well in every plastic I've tried them on.


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## tjb (May 8, 2019)

jdedmon91 said:


> I did a decorative wine stopper rack for the stepdaughter. Since I made it out of Lexan, it needed 1” holes so I used an annular cutter to put the stopper holes in it. Attached is the Video
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for responding, Jim.  A while back, I made a similar 'window sill' rack out of clear acrylic for three of my wife's small flower pots (about 2" - 2 1/2" diameter).  Because of the large size, I used my rotary table, so drilling wasn't an issue.

I have enjoyed watching your educational videos.  I actually made a very nice fly-cutter based on your video.  I added a set screw to the top of it so I could adjust the angle of the cutting tip if necessary.  It turned out great, and I use it all the time.  Here's a picture of it.  It has a 7/8" shank, and after taking the pictures, I milled a flat to accommodate the set screw in the end mill holder.





Regards,
Terry


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