Cage bars thru dash

[Hacksaw]

Had poor results before so some help would be appreciated. What's the best / cleanest way to poke a hole thru the vinyl dash pad to fit round bars?

[Tom Goldman]

As the ad's say ,"your results may vary". ..I very cautiously use a hole saw at a medium speed that is one size smaller than the desired hole , and then hand finish with a fine half round file to the finished size.
It helps to use an extra long pilot drill to keep the saw from walking due to the padding thickness
I have tried the diamond abrasive hole saws ,they do work ,but require a higher speed and will usually cause the dash covering to try and melt to the saw , so you must keep the saw moving to prevent sticking.

[FireSale]

I had a lot of trouble with that and wound up with bars that came down just below the front edge of the dash pad and into what would have been vents on my 68 Mustang. They follow the door frame and are connected by a roof bar at the window. If you are working close to the window, see if you can get it removed. I found a 90 degree head for my drill that lets me get to tight spots like this, but after the cage install. When you hole saw the vinyl, cover the area with masking tape to keep the teeth from ripping it.

[Hacksaw]

OK thanks for the advice. Think I will do a test on an old Chevy II pad that I have laying around. Report results later.

[Andy Friar]

I have never poked a hole through a vinyl padded dash, but I have had to cut nice looking reliefs, pockets and thru holes in medium and high density EPS (expanded polystyrene) up to 3" thick. We were shipping motorcycle transmission gearsets, clutches, etc. heavier type stuff. We used a Hot Foam Knife similiar to this one:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWF64VZ...a-367031114586

It wasn't super fast, but it was precise and could work good for your dash for removing the dash pad to access the steel. It seals the cut edges as well. We bought ours from Hobby Lobby locally, but I would imagine that a Michael's Craft Supply or similar place might carry one. Good luck

[MAURICE BLENDHEIM]

Originally Posted by Hacksaw

Had poor results before so some help would be appreciated. What's the best / cleanest way to poke a hole thru the vinyl dash pad to fit round bars?

Hack… I use a hole saw with the drill in "reverse rotation at slow speed", with a little dish washing liquid. Also remove the drill bit as the pilot after you have your centre hole and install a piece of 1/4" rod to pilot your way through. Hope this helps…Maurice.

[Hacksaw]

First attempt: Test piece is an old 66 Chevy II dash pad. I tried a bi-metal 1.625" metal cutting hole saw. Very aggressive on the tooth depth and pattern. Drilled a .250 pilot hole and ran the hole saw in reverse rotation with a small amount of dish soap as lube. Used medium speed and had perfect results. Note: This procedure was done at a 90 degree angle and on a flat surface section.

[MAURICE BLENDHEIM]

Hack…Glad it worked for you !!!. Maurice.

[Hacksaw]

Test # 2 : This time I tried a 1.750" bi-metal hole saw on the Chevy II dash. My angle of approach was approx 45 degrees on a section that has a large curve. (ie the leading edge from the driver's side). Drilled a .250" pilot and ran the saw in reverse as before using a small amount of dish soap as lube. The hole went perfectly until the teeth met a sheet metal reinforcing panel. Note: The pilot hole missed the sheet metal as the metal is only a narrow strip. This caused the hole saw to jump and that tore up the vinyl. Tried again stopping just as it met the steel and another perfect hole. I think even if the pilot hole went thru the steel, I would stop because more than likely the angle of attack would be something other than 90 degrees and it would be difficult to control. Can cut the metal from bottom side or reach in with a die grinder.