Hole for canopy latch?

I probably read right past it in my searches But what is a good way to cut the big hole for the canopy latch on a slider?

I used a large uni-bit and it worked great, I did have to go from both sides

Yo Dave, I've got Unibits if you need to borrow.

Thanks

Yo Dave, I've got Unibits if you need to borrow.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Dave! Is that something I can buy locally? If so, I'll just buy what I need. I'll probably need it for something else some day. If not, then yes, I would like to borrow them.

Actually, I've been really tempted lately to strap on some goggles, a helmet, and a scarf, and go fly this thing topless! Don't know if that's a good idea, though...

Thanks a bunch to both of ya!

I just did this the other day. I drilled first with a regular #30 bit. I called Van's and they confirmed that a regular bit is fine. Then, I used a couple of Unibits to open up the hole. Your final size ends up being 11/16" rather than the 5/8" called out in the instructions. The 5/8" hole is too small due to the powder coating.

As was stated earlier, you will hit it briefly with the Unibit from the other side to knock off the burr and complete the hole. I then used a deburring tool and then sanded the inside of the hole smooth.

Practice on a scrap piece first. I found that my air drill turned way too fast and caused the bit to chatter. My cheap cordless drill did the trick though and that's what I used for the real hole.

Make sure the Plexi is nice and warm. I haven't done any machining on my Plexi unless the temperature was at least 77-80 degrees.

Good luck.

Dave, Ace will bone you for them. I've got several, but surprisingly the sharpest ones are a 3 pc set from Harbor Fright. Also, mark a concentric circle "about" the finished diameter around your pilot hole. This will tell you if your bit is walking as you step it in. You can use a little side pressure to stay centered.