2. Start cutting a hole for the
nibbler head using a No. 11
blade in a hobby knife. Push
down as you twist.
The Tool Shed - 2
included plans for transistorized throttles and other electron-
ics. Nibblers were sold by Radio Shack and others primarily to
cut openings in aluminum panel faces to mount volt and amp
meters. I purchased a nibbler and used it occasionally for that
purpose before realizing that it could make it much easier to
cut door and window holes in styrene.
I purchased my nibbler [1] from Radio Shack which still sells
them (search for “nibbling tool”). They are also available
from Micro-Mark. Search for
“nibbling cutter”. They cost
between $13 and $17; the
one from Micro-Mark is a little
cheaper.
To use a nibbler to cut out a
window, first lay out the win-
dow opening with a pencil. I
use a 0.5 mm mechanical pencil to lay them out to minimize the
width of the pencil lines. These pencils are available at stationery
and art supply stores. I then make a rough-cut opening large
enough to insert the head of the nibbler (the head is 3/16″ long
by 1/4″ wide) into the opening and then “nibble” the opening
out to the limits of the window.
While it might seem logical to make that initial hole with a drill
bit, it is actually easier and faster to use a No. 11 blade in a
hobby knife. I hold the knife vertical to the styrene [2], roughly
centered in the window opening, and simply push down and
twist it. After a dozen or so turns, the resulting hole will be
large enough to start simply carving it out large enough to fit
3
3. Once you have a small hole, you can start carving it larger
with the same hobby knife. Be sure to stay inside the pencil
lines for the window opening.
2
MRH-May 2014
