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(8) After center-punching the two holes on the front template (any pointed object will
work), then drill or punch two 3/16” holes as indicated. The plastic is soft enough that
you can probably drill the holes by just holding the bit in your hand.
(9) Using a sharp knife or single-edged razor blade, scribe a scratch along the edge of the
cutout for the DB-25 connector. Now remove the template from the front side of the
enclosure.
(10) Drill one or more “starter” holes inside the area of the cutout, and then use wire
cutters to remove the plastic up to the cutout lines which were scratched into the plastic
on the previous step. Use small files to smooth out the jagged edges of the cutout.
Hint:
don’t worry if your cutout isn’t a work of art. The cutout has no structural importance,
and once the computer cable is plugged into the pod, any imperfections in your
workmanship won’t be noticeable.
(11) The row of holes along the rear of the enclosure will be made into slots in the next
step and are intended for the transceiver cables to feed through, Generally two or more
cables will fit through a single slot, so you will probably not need to use all the holes.
After you decide how many feedthrough slots you will need, drill or punch 3/16” holes
where indicated on the templates. If you prefer, you can omit the holes and just go
directly to step (9).
(12) Remove the lid from the enclosure. Using wirecutters, cut vertical slots into the
plastic above the holes from the previous step, as illustrated below. If you didn’t drill
holes in the previous step, then bend the flaps inward; the pressure on the cables from the
bent flaps will help secure them.