PLC Panel Building

We use jig saw as well. It is quick and simple.



We have some die/punch for older equipment that works very well too.

OkiePC said:

We have a plasma cutter and a guy who is really good with it that we will use when he's available. It is by far the fastest. Also the fastest way to ruin a panel door if you screw up. Me, I stick with the noisy, messy jigsaw or cutting disc.

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plasma cutter? That is quite impressive.

Pro tip: if you use a jig saw, cover the ENTIRE cabinet side with blue painter's tape, and lay out your lines in super-fine black Sharpie on it. You have no marker lines to clean up later, and the tape protects the finish on the cabinet from the metal chips that get under the saw's footplate.

Carefully deburr the cut edges with a used flap wheel grinding wheel (less aggressive than a new one, even fine-grit).

That said, we have a waterjet at work, so I usually cut out my panel covers with it, unless it's a crazy-short turnaround project and I don't have time to do the layout drawings.


-rpoet

I used to use a jigsaw but every so often I would have slight scratches even with blue painters tape. I use a grinder with a cutoff when for everything.

I just did a video on cutting holes in enclosures and several people were surprised that I don't use a jigsaw. Does anyone else have this issue when cutting with jigsaws or is it pretty much operator error?

I made some guides for my jigsaw to get straight cuts without scratches. They are two pieces of 1/4" plate with a 1/8" gap between them. I added some key stock guides to keep the saw centered and tabs to C-clamp them in place while cutting. I have this one which allows up to a 12" cut and a long one that allows a 36" cut.