Source for 49.2mm P-90 Soapbar Covers?

[PoorMan]

Need some black ones...

[Possum]

Not seen these anywhere. Allparts does have narrow spaced dog ear covers though, they are also low height, they come in a set with a regular 50mm spaced bridge dog ear cover.

[Possum]

Drill your own, from another thread TV Jones has undrilled ones:
http://www.nexternal.com/tvjones/soa...cover-p81.aspx

[PoorMan]

Drill your own, from another thread TV Jones has undrilled ones:
http://www.nexternal.com/tvjones/soa...cover-p81.aspx

Good suggestion, but how the heck do you drill the holes accurately?

[SonnyW]

Good suggestion, but how the heck do you drill the holes accurately?

I would be interested in seeing how others do it, but here is a procedure I have used with some success on the metal covers. I laid out the hole pattern on a piece of clear plastic such as would be used to make overhead transparencies. (but ordinary paper would probably work too) Then I stuck that down on the cover with double sided tape, and measured to be sure it was centered properly. At my bench, I used a dremel tool with a small burr to mark the centers through the template, then drilled pilot holes with a 1/16th bit. Once the pilot holes are in the right spots the regular drill will follow it. I also made a block out of scrap wood to put under the cover to support it in the drill press. If I have a bunch to do I make the template once and copy it.

[Stratz]

To all that own a Dremel rotary tool, this attachment is fantastic for small and precision work with no wobble or run-out.
They can be bought new for under $50 if you shop around.

Fits Dremel rotary tool models, 4000, 3000, 400, 398, 395, 300, 285, 275, 200, 100, 8200, 800, 780, 770, and 7700

Rob

Buy.com - Drill Press 220-01

[David King]

Here's the process I use which is very reliably accurate and quick but involves a drill press and some woodworking skills. I make a plywood plug that fits neatly inside the pickup cover and in the bottom of that plug I have laid out and drilled 1/8" holes that are about 1/8" deep and perfectly spaced to align with the desired pole spacing.
The next step is to prepare a section of round dowel or disc of plywood that fits tightly into the hole in the center of your drill press table. I also want the disc to be perfectly flush with the top of the table. I center the table under the chuck and lock the table at a distance of about 3-4" below the chuck. I drill a 1/8" hole in the disc and insert in the hole a short section of 1/8" drill rod (the shafts of busted carbide PCB drills are perfect for this job, just invert them so the back side sticks out about 1/8" of an inch).
You now have a locating pin exactly opposite to you drill press chuck. If you place your blank pickup cover with it's pre-drilled plywood plug over the pin and press it down until the cover is flat against the table you can drill each pole hole exactly where you want it every time.
For a P-90 you want the pole screw holes to be about .201" which is a #7 drill. In metric a 5.2mm or 5.5mm drill will work.

Your best bet for an accurate plug is to have a machinist layout your plywood plug on a milling machine. I've always done mine with my vertical mill because it's difficult to drill holes in wood accurately without having the drill shift to one side or the other.