Putting Holes in Amac Boxes

Freakish · Apr 17, 2015

I purchased these today to use as enclosures for my two sling (the 4x4x5 1/16) - http://www.containerstore.com/shop/giftPackaging/containers/boxes?productId=10028594
I need to poke holes in them for ventilation, however and am unsure how to go about it.... Can I melt this kind of plastic if I head up a safety pin and push it through?
I only have two (one for each sling) so I would really prefer not cracking or messing them up.. Any advice/info is appreciated!

antinous · Apr 17, 2015

I used the smallest drill bit to bore holes into the Amac boxes I have.

DarthT · Apr 18, 2015

I usually melt holes into mine. Always been worried about cracking the plastic.

Here's a thread from last year about it, lots of good info...How do you make holes in plastic tubs, containers, amac boxes, etc.

viper69 · Apr 20, 2015

Drill careful and do NOT use a Dremel they spin their bits too fast causing melting.

Roosterbomb · Apr 20, 2015

Use a good drill bit with something behind the plastic when you drill. Keep going and drill all the way through w/o stopping or slowing.

edgeofthefreak · Apr 20, 2015

viper69 said:
Drill careful and do NOT use a Dremel they spin their bits too fast causing melting.

My Dremel is variable speed... that being said, I know it's too fast, but I'll never be sure how slow to go. I use a cordless power drill, and slow it down with the trigger when I think it's too fast. Much harder with a Dremel, but I'm okay with less-than-straight holes. And slightly cracked holes. And starting over with a new box.

Need to look into this heated nail technique...

pyro fiend · Apr 20, 2015

i just put one in the top of an amac style box not long ago. i just slowed my drill down to what seemed like a crawl..and still melted a little.. so i put the tabs on the outside of the cage, less apealing to most but seemingly so much safer for a T if theres jagged plastic ;D

viper69 · Apr 25, 2015

edgeofthefreak said:
My Dremel is variable speed... that being said, I know it's too fast, but I'll never be sure how slow to go. I use a cordless power drill, and slow it down with the trigger when I think it's too fast. Much harder with a Dremel, but I'm okay with less-than-straight holes. And slightly cracked holes. And starting over with a new box.

Need to look into this heated nail technique...

So is mine, I never use it. I use my drill. I have the hand drill mounted in an old Sears Drill Press stand bought off eBay, and use masking tape to have a fixed speed.

You know you are drilling acrylic at the proper speed when it comes off in one piece. Which I've done and the holes are perfect then.

edgeofthefreak · Apr 25, 2015

viper69 said:
So is mine, I never use it. I use my drill. I have the hand drill mounted in an old Sears Drill Press stand bought off eBay, and use masking tape to have a fixed speed.

I've wanted a stand for my drill for years. May need to look into that too.

viper69 said:
You know you are drilling acrylic at the proper speed when it comes off in one piece. Which I've done and the holes are perfect then.

When you get that long screw-like ribbon, and it doesn't break until you find the other side. That's the drill hole you compare all the rest of them to.

viper69 · Apr 26, 2015

edgeofthefreak said:
I've wanted a stand for my drill for years. May need to look into that too.

When you get that long screw-like ribbon, and it doesn't break until you find the other side. That's the drill hole you compare all the rest of them to.

Yeah I knew that already.

edgeofthefreak · Apr 26, 2015

viper69 said:
Yeah I knew that already.

And now I know that you know that.
You may not have known, but I suspected you knew before I typed the above. Now any future readers will also know what we know, y'know? :biggrin:

viper69 · Apr 26, 2015

edgeofthefreak said:
And now I know that you know that.
You may not have known, but I suspected you knew before I typed the above. Now any future readers will also know what we know, y'know? :biggrin:

I've posted extensively over time about how to drill into acrylic, what to get for tools etc etc.

Putting Holes in Amac Boxes

Freakish

Arachnopeon

antinous

Pamphopharaoh

DarthT

Arachnopeon

viper69

ArachnoGod

Roosterbomb

Arachnopeon

edgeofthefreak

Arachno-titled!

pyro fiend

Arachnoprince

viper69

ArachnoGod

edgeofthefreak

Arachno-titled!

viper69

ArachnoGod

edgeofthefreak

Arachno-titled!

viper69

ArachnoGod