Does Greenlee or anyone else manufacture a punch for installing a standard US duplex receptacle in a metal panel? I have a project where I will need to put a whole bunch of them on the door of an enclosure, and the idea of hand filing all the openings isn't very appealing.

I could just cut oversize rectangular holes, and use standard coverplates, but it wouldn't be as clean looking.

I recall seeing them, but I don't think it makes the whole cutout in one pass.....

duh. I edited cuz I got a catalog right here.............its called a double D punch and it only make one hole at a time, and they come in 5 sizes

[This message has been edited by togol (edited 02-26-2006).]

Yes they do... several manufactures make them. It's going to be a hard find though. Never used or seen a duplex one, but some time back I got a 1-5/16X2-5/8" one for decora style for essetially the same type of thing you are doing (More versitile IMO), and the duplex was in the catalog.

I thought about using decoras and just making rectangular holes on a milling machine, but some of the receptacles need to be isolated ground, and I have never seen a decora IG receptacle.

Leviton's 16262 (15a) and 16362 (20a) receptacle lines are IG Decora hospital-grade.

Thanks! Maybe that's the way to go then.

See pages 33 & 34
60099 looks like it would be about the same size as a duplex receptacle (2 holes would be required)
http://www.mygreenlee.com/products/Holemaking.PDF


or, could you not just use a hole saw, make a round hole and drop in a flanged outlet (or 2)?

I once got a 20A Hosp.Gr. lighted face GFI in Red the next day....

..those IGs can't be that rare.....

Before you go out and get a punch for this, I'd consider farming this out. I've dealt with two companies _capable_ of doing this sort of work, and can recommend them on general quality, however I have not used them for electrical panels, and cannot comment on the specifics of their work on such projects.

The first is 'Laser Laminations'. I've used them to precision cut custom motor laminations for some of our prototypes. You send them a '.dxf' drawing of what you want, and get it about a week later as holes in metal. http://www.laserlaminations.com/products.htm

The second is 'Hales Engineering' in Camarillo, CA. They do general machine building and welding, and I've seen them make custom electrical equipment enclosures.

-JOn

Add to that list Myers sheetmetal in SF,CA.
Small shop nice work. I get panel covers made from them a lot.

Garvin in Franklin Park, IL advertise making custom pieces. Never tried it but they have been around forever.

Tom

Plasma torch cutter. I would lend you mine, but I gave it away to a friend who actually gets some use out of it.

or put in single receps, unless they have to be duplex.....


Dnk..

[This message has been edited by Dnkldorf (edited 02-26-2006).]

I once enquired of a punch maker the cost of getting such a punch.

A punch for "Decora" or "GFI" rectangular holes posed no special problems, and I think a price of several hundred dollars was quoted.

As for the usual "double D" duplex...well, making that was something they "were giving some thought to", but it posed several challenges, and they weren't sure they could do it in a manner that was both affordable, and able to operate with the tools available in the field.

Dnk, the one hole is how we did it, for heater outlets on a panel.

That Greenlee 61098 punch appears to have the correct dimensions.

Me too Les, it was alot easier than cutting duplex's....

Dnk..

http://cgi.ebay.com/Greenlee-Double...988QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem