Tayda Enclosure Warning

[Cybercow]

I've run into this as well. I just lightly countersink on the inside, and forego the washer on the 9mms

I've no means to sand or otherwise mill it from the inside. Besides, there are 10 pot holes I'd need to mill out. I don't have the tools or time for that level of meticulosity. I'll just throw some more money at it and hope the 12mm pots fit.

 

[DGWVI]

I've no means to sand or otherwise mill it from the inside. Besides, there are 10 pot holes I'd need to mill out. I don't have the tools or time for that level of meticulosity. I'll just throw some more money at it and hope the 12mm pots fit.

Yeah, that's no good.
Having recently used the 12mm pots, the threaded bits are about as long as those on the 16mm. The ones I used were from Smallbear

 

[Cybercow]

Yeah, that's no good.
Having recently used the 12mm pots, the threaded bits are about as long as those on the 16mm. The ones I used were from Smallbear

Yeah. I ordered 12mm pots from SmallBear. So I may be good to go with the thick-walled enclosure. Hope your comment confirms the fit. Thanks.

 

[RetiredUnit1]

You can also sort of mill a hole if you have a very large drill, but use the drill in reverse. This slowly chews away at it.

 

[Feral Feline]

I, too, have run into problems like in the OP.

I keep meaning to get some end-mill bits to do some counterboring...

Pic Wikipedia

Pic - Heule Werkzeug AG

 

[Erik S]

The slick tool for the job would be a piloted counterbore.

All Industrial 10500 | 21pc Counterbore Set 5/16" - 5/8" Interchangeable Pilots 3/8" Shank HSS

We distribute top-quality industrial tools and machine shop supplies at the best prices. View our collection of CNC machinist supplies and tooling packages.

allindustrial.com

 

[cliffs_trip]

Um . . . yup. In the upper peninsula of the upper peninsula of MI.

I worked on a hospital system install in Keeweenaw once. We started in the winter and were there on and off until summer. The snow was pushed up as high as the eaves on some of the houses, I'd not seen snow like that before. I asked one of the people in the Lab about what they did with all the snow, they said they just dump lot of it out on the frozen lake! I was constantly being woken up in the hotel by drunk snowmobilers stumbling down the halls bumping into everything and being loud in the middle of the night, kinda wished I could be doing what they were doing instead of working. When spring came it was an amazing transformation. Had some amazing grilled trout.

 

[Feral Feline]

The slick tool for the job would be a piloted counterbore.

All Industrial 10500 | 21pc Counterbore Set 5/16" - 5/8" Interchangeable Pilots 3/8" Shank HSS

We distribute top-quality industrial tools and machine shop supplies at the best prices. View our collection of CNC machinist supplies and tooling packages.

allindustrial.com

I found this one as well:

All Industrial 10502 | 21pc Counterbore Set 5/16" - 5/8" Interchangeable Pilots 2MT Shank MT2 HSS

We distribute top-quality industrial tools and machine shop supplies at the best prices. View our collection of CNC machinist supplies and tooling packages.

allindustrial.com

The difference is only the shank, as far as I can tell. I don't know enough to know which one to order, but both are at great discount (if indeed this isn't one of those shops that has everything on sale all the time after marking up the MSR 50% so they can offer a 30% discount and still make a killing on deal-seekers like me.)

My only concern is that the smallest size may not be quite small enough, and there doesn't seem to be a metric set.

INCH MM
5/16" 7.9375mm
3/8" 9.525mm
7/16" 11.1125mm
1/2" 12.7mm
9/16" 14.2875mm
5/8" 15.875mm

5/16" seems a bit big for mini-switches? Mind, I haven't measured the nuts/washers for those switches or anything else yet...

 

[MichaelW]

Yeah. I ordered 12mm pots from SmallBear. So I may be good to go with the thick-walled enclosure. Hope your comment confirms the fit. Thanks.

I've had that happen before, here's a trick to make it work. Mount the 9mm pots in first and finger tighten them with the washer, then mount your PCB, there should be enough to just catch the ground clip pads and a wee bit sticking out the lug pads. Enough to solder and make a connection.

 

[Betty Wont]

I've had that happen before, here's a trick to make it work. Mount the 9mm pots in first and finger tighten them with the washer, then mount your PCB, there should be enough to just catch the ground clip pads and a wee bit sticking out the lug pads. Enough to solder and make a connection.

This^ If you build directly into the enclosure you should have no problems with making it fit.

 

[Erik S]

I found this one as well:

All Industrial 10502 | 21pc Counterbore Set 5/16" - 5/8" Interchangeable Pilots 2MT Shank MT2 HSS

We distribute top-quality industrial tools and machine shop supplies at the best prices. View our collection of CNC machinist supplies and tooling packages.

allindustrial.com

The difference is only the shank, as far as I can tell. I don't know enough to know which one to order, but both are at great discount (if indeed this isn't one of those shops that has everything on sale all the time after marking up the MSR 50% so they can offer a 30% discount and still make a killing on deal-seekers like me.)

My only concern is that the smallest size may not be quite small enough, and there doesn't seem to be a metric set.

INCH MM
5/16" 7.9375mm
3/8" 9.525mm
7/16" 11.1125mm
1/2" 12.7mm
9/16" 14.2875mm
5/8" 15.875mm

5/16" seems a bit big for mini-switches? Mind, I haven't measured the nuts/washers for those switches or anything else yet...

That second set comes with a tapered shank for a machine with a #2 morse taper spindle. Probably not what you're looking for.

I didn't mean to recommend that set in particular - I just grabbed a random link to illustrate what I was talking about.

That set might work out for the 9mm pot situation - I think the largest 5/8 cutter would give you clearance for a 9mm pot body, and it comes with a 9/32 pilot which I think is what I usually drill my pot holes at on a step bit. 5/8 wouldn't give you clearance for a 16mm pot though.

It might make sense to get the specific cutter for your situation. You also might get lucky with used stuff on Ebay.

 

[Feral Feline]

Thanks @Erik S !
Good info, sir.

The one you linked to, even though random, just happened to be an amazing deal:

$125.99 $71.99
( save $54.00 )

 

[Alan W]

If you have a drill press, and either a vise or a good way to hold the enclosure, buy a cheap 1 inch end mill with a reduced shaft (so it fits in your chuck). The cast aluminum is very soft, and even a poor quality tool will cut it. (I hate telling anyone to buy a cheap tool!)

Set your stop to give you about 2.5 mm thickness, and feather the mill into the aluminum until it stops. Just approximate the center for each of the holes you’ve drilled.

It sort of amazes me that in their casting process there is so much variation in the wall thicknesses. I mean, I believe it, but there really shouldn’t be much variation in cast parts.

(edited to add reference to @Feral Feline earlier post refering to this idea, and also to stress: don’t do this with a hand held drill!)

 

[Feral Feline]

YUP, ONLY ON MY DRILL PRESS!


And I'll likely still screw it up!

 

[Alan W]

YUP, ONLY ON MY DRILL PRESS!


And I'll likely still screw it up!

Honest—I wasn’t directing the caution to you!! (or anyone, specifically)

As long as the enclosure is firmly held, so that it can’t raise up into the endmill, it would be hard to screw up. (I thought about suggesting a specific router jig, and then decided not to go there…)

 

[Cybercow]

I've had that happen before, here's a trick to make it work. Mount the 9mm pots in first and finger tighten them with the washer, then mount your PCB, there should be enough to just catch the ground clip pads and a wee bit sticking out the lug pads. Enough to solder and make a connection.

That's the problem - the nuts won't catch with the washers in place. And these are not the standard 9mm pots. these are the side-mount style.

 

[Cybercow]

If you have a drill press, and either a vise or a good way to hold the enclosure, buy a cheap 1 inch end mill with a reduced shaft (so it fits in your chuck). The cast aluminum is very soft, and even a poor quality tool will cut it. (I hate telling anyone to buy a cheap tool!)

Set your stop to give you about 2.5 mm thickness, and feather the mill into the aluminum until it stops. Just approximate the center for each of the holes you’ve drilled.

It sort of amazes me that in their casting process there is so much variation in the wall thicknesses. I mean, I believe it, but there really shouldn’t be much variation in cast parts.

(edited to add reference to @Feral Feline earlier post refering to this idea, and also to stress: don’t do this with a hand held drill!)

Yeah, but no. I have no drill press. So I have no means to set a stop-point. I've been doing ALL my drills with a cordless drill by hand. That's why I've gone to having an outside house/service do the drills and paint for me.

Thank you all the same.

 

[Betty Wont]

That's the problem - the nuts won't catch with the washers in place. And these are not the standard 9mm pots. these are the side-mount style.

View attachment 48174

Can you bend the leads 90 degrees and use these?

 

[Cybercow]

View attachment 48175
Can you bend the leads 90 degrees and use these?

Unfortunately, no. I need the threads to mount to the enclosure.

 

[Erik S]

Dumb question maybe - but have you snapped off the little tab thingys on those pots?

I have some 9mm pots for a planned build, but I've never used them before, the tabs are real small, almost looks like you could leave them on for most applications, but maybe they'd buy you a little more space?