Cut electric switch board

Question

I want to add a new switch and socket to a switch board. How can I cut it without using any machine? I don't know the exact material it is made up of but it can be best described as a 1mm thick sheet of sunmica.

Answer 1

You're probably going to need to use a twist drill or "Yankee" drill to make the initial hole, though that can be held in a hand drill (eggbeater style) if the bit and chuck are compatible. Once you have the initial hole, you can thread a coping saw blade through the hole and mount it to the saw frame, then saw out a hole that matches the old ones. Here in the US, a hand drill, coping saw (with a couple blades) and suitable twist drill ("bit") ought to cost around $25 to $50 total, if you don't have any of the tools already.

Answer 2

I'd use one of these:

More info: multitool

In case Wikipedia ever dies: a multitool is a power tool about the size of a hand held grinder. It vibrates a cutting blade back and forth at high speed such that the operator only needs to touch the blade teeth to a surface to cut into it. Cutting technique is improved by moving the blade slowly back and forth along the cut while applying gentle pressure - the machine does the cutting, moving the blade avoids overheating and burning or melting the material. The blade is relatively self guiding and it's easy to make neat straight cuts in comparison to something like a drill saw

An incredibly versatile tool, and cheaper corded versions can be had for little money. Cordless varieties offer more flexibility but a higher price tag