Holey Altoids Tin, Batman!

beeejums

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So... I'm not sure if this is in the right place, but this is where the guys who would know seem to hang out.

What should I use to drill holes in an Altoids tin, large enough for input jacks and a volume pot? I have access to a Dremel and a reasonably powerful handheld drill...

Then the altoids tin would be "holey," not "holy..." See what I did there?

Any input?
 
The drill should work just fine. Just make sure to clamp the can before you start to drill. Don't forget to use the correct size drill bit.
 
If you're gonna use the drill or the dremel, what I usually so is take a pointy nail set (the type for finishing nails) and make a small dent in the metal so that the drill bit has a place to stick in, so it doesn't slide all over your tin... I s'pose a nail would do the same job :)
 
All good input... well... Mostly good input! Some other stuff too!! Still good!! :rotfl:

Thanks! Keep it coming if there's a trick that hasn't been said here before.. I'm probably going to try this weekend. I'll post a tutorial of the cool little gadget I'm making...
 
Don't worry. Drilling a hole in an Altoids tin really shouldn't be too difficult. And if something goes wrong replacing the tin isn't too expensive.
 
Put some wood on the other side so's not to bend the tin so much.
Great tip...to be more specific, cut a piece of wood that's the length of the tin (assuming you're drilling the ends) and slip it inside the tin while you're drilling.

Also, you can buy drill bits at your local hardware store that are specifically designed to cut metal (regular bits don't work that well and you can end up making a mess of the hole and trashing the bit). And watch your drill speed and your fingers...if you use a high speed things can get really hot!

BTW, I assume you're making something like this:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/musical-instruments/9c1b/
 
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I'm thinking for that small of a drill job a wood drill bit will work ok. Why buy new when used will do?
 


are you making a cigarbox ukulele out of an altoids tin? would that size be considered a sopranininininininininino? :D

Lol. No, I actually already have an Altoids headphone amp... I made one of those RadioShack piezo pickups, and then realized that I wished it had a volume control, so I'm making an inline volume control out of an Altoids tin that I can duct tape to my strap. It's kinda ghettofied, but that's how I roll.
 
Great tip...to be more specific, cut a piece of wood that's the length of the tin (assuming you're drilling the ends) and slip it inside the tin while you're drilling.

Also, you can buy drill bits at your local hardware store that are specifically designed to cut metal (regular bits don't work that well and you can end up making a mess of the hole and trashing the bit). And watch your drill speed and your fingers...if you use a high speed things can get really hot!
cpatch is right. Make sure you have the metal cutting drill bits. I have found that dull, wood/ plaster drill bits get you nothing but headaches when you try and drill metal. Make your life easy. You can buy them individually if you like, and they are not too expensive.
–Lori
 
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