I want to drill a hole in the side of my AP cages to allow a probe from a helix thermostat to go through; does anyone know about how big that'd need to be, and if I'd need a special drill bit to go through the plastic?
These would be for my retics, so I'm to worried about them getting out through anything less than a few inches, but I don't want the hole to be too much larger than needed.
thanks
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thermostats
varanid
Nov 24, 2009 09:30 AM
Replies (2)
Fatman608
Nov 24, 2009 07:42 PM
I do not have a Helix T-stat so I do not know the size hole you need. However, all you have to do is measure the thickness of the probe to get the drill bit size. If the probe thickness is 3/16 then you need a 1/4 drill bit. I would use a metal drill bit and drill slow with very little pressue as not the crack the plastic.
fatman
markg
Nov 25, 2009 07:35 PM
The best hole for plastic is a stepped drill bit.
They are pricey (I think around 20 bucks) but that single drill can create any size hole from about 1/8 inch to 5/8 inch (or even 3/4 inch depending on the model) in diameter, and make a smooth, burr-free hole in plastic. It is the only drill I use for plastic cages. No cracking, even drilling tough polycarbonate.
Probes are typically not more than 1/4 inch in diameter, but I would wait to have your Helix controller there to measure the probe diameter just in case. Still, no retic is getting out of a 1/4 inch hole.
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Mark
