Quick and Easy Way to Put Uniform Set of Holes in Plastic Containers

[JayManges]

Hope the wife doesn't miss the meat tenderizer.......

 

[nicodimus22]

I prefer drill bits. They make holes that are perfectly uniform, and it looks cleaner than melting holes (no rings around the holes.) But there are lots of ways to make air holes, and as long as they're functional, that's the big thing.

Also worth noting: I don't work with that kind of plastic, so I don't know if drilling is as good on that as it is on acrylic. Maybe it cracks, and melting is safer. <shrug>

 

[cold blood]

I will second the drill....fast, easy and makes the same hole every time.

Works great on plastic tubs.

 

[JayManges]

I prefer drill bits. <shrug>

For acrylic, I'd have to agree with you. However, I needed some quick and dirty temporary housing for some new T's and a drill bit would have torn the thin plastic apart. Personally, I really didn't care about the uniformity of the holes. Using the meat tenderizer got the job done much quicker as I was melting 24 holes at a time rather than just one. If I wanted that kind of uniformity from drilling holes in acrylic, I'd make a jig.

 

[cold blood]

I drill holes in plastic like that all the time. If you put a chunk of wood behind it as you drill, it takes all the drama out of tearing up the plastic. Your method worked fine...I just thought you were asking for other methods so you didn't have to use the meat tenderizer.

 

[viper69]

I prefer drill bits. They make holes that are perfectly uniform, and it looks cleaner than melting holes (no rings around the holes.)

Bingo!!! Couldn’t agree more

 

[jaw6053]

I use a soldering iron to melt the holes. I make a template with graph paper, poke a pin through and use a skewer stick to make the holes bigger in the template and then use a marker to make dots on the plastic. I must say though this way takes a long time to do and I was hoping to see faster easier ways in this thread.

 

[The Snark]

A not so friendly reminder from the NFPA.
When cooking plastic please keep in mind, aside from carbon monoxide, if the plastic contains chlorine as polyvinylchloride, the smoke-gas contains vaporous hydrogen chloride which can turn into hydrochloric acid when it contacts wet surfaces like your sinuses, throat or lungs. Also, many of the chlorinated bi-phenyl plastics produce polychlorinated bi-phenyls, PCBs, which is up at the top of the most toxic highly carcinogenic substance list. Additionally ABS plastics produce hydrogen cyanide - another deadly toxin.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Drill with a HSS bit.

Also worth noting: I don't work with that kind of plastic, so I don't know if drilling is as good on that as it is on acrylic. Maybe it cracks, and melting is safer. <shrug>

It's even easier to drill cheap plastic tubs than acrylic.

If you put a chunk of wood behind it as you drill,

You don't even need to do that, as long as you go high rpm and don't apply too much pressure it just glides through.

 

[vancwa]

I use Sterilite containers. I found it helpful to use a nail tamp to make a small indent in the plastic so the drill point will not travel.

 

[jaw6053]

What about a HOLE PUNCH used to make holes on paper ? Is there anything out there like this for making holes in plastic ? Someone should invent a hole punch that can be used on any plastic bin, with a variety of holes you can select to use.

 

[Theneil]

i use a dremmel type tool (cheapo one from the horrible freight - $10) and a #55, solid carbid, circuit board drill (the tool stalls out if i use a drill much bigger LOL).works in basically any type of plastic, and i just sove it theough about as fast as i can move my hands. I use the same drill for just about everything. It works okay in a deli cul (though i prefer the hole punch for them) sterlite bins, dram vials, and acrylic cases up to about 1/8 inch thick. Works great, leaves a pretty clean hole, and it is fast. And like i said before i litterally plow ith through about as fast as i am able to move my hand, and even the hard plastics cut fine that way. (i actually find going slow to cause more issues)

Extra tid bit, the #55 drill is small enough that MOST slings wont fit through the hole (probably 3/8” and up) so i use the same drill foe practically everything. For tiny slings, i use a smaller size circuit hoard drill. It is an important note to get a circuit board drill, and not a normal drill, because a circuit board drill should have a standard 1/8” shank diameter regardless of the cutting diameter.

 

[Andrea82]

Soldering iron here

 

[RP91]

Drill bits made for drilling acrylic. It was the best investment I made because I messed up several enclosure with regular bits.

 

[BepopCola]

I've been using one of these:

for quick holes in tupperwares and such. You just stab and twist, it's for model cars, though I'm not sure for what purpose exactly.

 

[Pyroxian]

I've been using one of these:

for quick holes in tupperwares and such. You just stab and twist, it's for model cars, though I'm not sure for what purpose exactly.

That tool is used for putting holes (for mounting) into the plastic body shells on RC cars among other things - but if you're searching for one that's what you'd look for, a "body hole reamer"

 

[Rhino1]

what you'd look for, a "body hole reamer"

Lol. So many inappropriate things I could say right now.

A decent hss drill bit suits my purposes and I thinks it's worth taking the time to learn how to re sharpen them (properly), honestly out of all the skills I've picked up in life that one will save a lot of frustration and probably some cracked enclosures too.
I saw some crazy holes being drilled and melted in things last year here on the boards- reckon I could've done a neater job with a sledgehammer

 

[BepopCola]

A decent hss drill bit suits my purposes and I thinks it's worth taking the time to learn how to re sharpen them (properly), honestly out of all the skills I've picked up in life that one will save a lot of frustration and probably some cracked enclosures too.

y...you can resharpen them? Is it difficult?
I always thought they only had so much to give before you had to replace them, like a saftey razor.

 

[Rhino1]

y...you can resharpen them? Is it difficult?
I always thought they only had so much to give before you had to replace them, like a saftey razor.

Yep, you just need a bench grinder.
I've taught everyone at work to sharpen them and we have saved so much money on blunt and broken drill bits.
I can make a quick YouTube video on Monday for you, but one probably exists already. Let me know how you go, it's very simple and straightforward and is easy to master. They sell little machines to do this but they are downright horrible and I've yet to see one that does a good job.

 

[Theneil]

y...you can resharpen them? Is it difficult?
I always thought they only had so much to give before you had to replace them, like a saftey razor.

Absolutely you can resharpen a drill, its not even that difficult. You just need to make sure you get both flutes symmetrical. That said, i tend to use rather small drills for my spider projects, and it would become a hassle to resharpen, just due to size 0.05” diameter). I typically wouldn’t bother to resharpen anything smaller than about .25” diameter.