Hole in metal side panel for fan. How?

HighWire

Hi there,
A friend of mine built my PC a while back (4yrs) with a
Qtec Vmd350 case
http://www.qtec.info/products/bigpict.htm?from=product&artnr=13305&pict=13305.jpg

Anyway after fitting new fans I figured why not mod the case.
I was looking on http://www.mnpctech.com and different sites
for ideas.

I want to fit a side panel fan, but the panel on the qtec case is metal.
Dont have access to a workshop with big drills or laser cutting or waterjet
so I was wondering whats the easiest way to do it at home?
I have hole saw, probably not big enough for a 120 though.
Plus Im afraid the panel will bend or twist.

Any ideas?

Thanks

L31mr0d

get a dremel and head onto google and look for some window/fan hole mods. The benefits of that cheap a$$ qtec case is that the aluminum used is of the lowest grade, and as such the weakest dremel cutting disk will cut through it like butter. I had a Qtec case when i started out because I wanted something cheap that I wouldn't feel bad hacking to pieces while modding. I cut a 12cm fan hole in the front bays and put a side window in it with a DBZ etch and fanhole. All done with a dremel multipro.

Heres some pics from my old mod:

HighWire

Cool, thanks for the tip, out to Woodies at lunch time.

Does Maplins or one of them sell the window panels?
I've been looking online but most modding shops are in the UK or US.

Endurance Man

Those qtec cases aint alluminuim, you will battle to cut through it with a dremel unless its a good quality one such as the Dremel brand: http://www.dremel.com/
They arent cheap either but you will find many uses for it. Make sure to buy extra cutting disks, you're gonna need them.
Woodies should have pieces of clear plastic to.

awhir

jik saw??

maby a hole bit for a drill.

dremels are **** only good for small tight jobs.

Anti

jigsaw you mean

awhir

Anti wrote:

jigsaw you mean

yepo

conzy

Buy or hire a holesaw,

So much faster / easier, and 100 times cleaner than a jigsaw or dremel

L31mr0d

you'll be hard pushed to find a 12cm hole saw. I bought an overpriced 8cm one and used it all of once. A Dremel their toughest cutting disk cut a 12cm hole in one go without having to change the disk.

Also, endurance man... well mine was made of aluminum, no doubt about it, and yes, my dremel cut through it easily. Although, yes, the OP's choice is made of steel... bummer! You will need something stronger than a dremel for cutting through steel. Although I'd say 3 of the fibreglass cutting disks would do the job for a 12cm hole, even in steel.

Chosen

conzymaher wrote:

Buy or hire a holesaw,

So much faster / easier, and 100 times cleaner than a jigsaw or dremel

Do you have one? I will need one for the Lian-Li's massacre (mouse pointer is hovering above "order now"...)

conzy

Dunno, Dad has lots, I think 80 is the biggest we have, but the 120 fits the same arbor...

Most electrical wholesalers have them anyway, Make sure you get a metal one, most are only designed for chalkboard...

You DO NOT want this kit

HighWire

Well I still havent cut the hole out yet.
I bought a dremel, before reading the post about the steel.

There are air slots in the side. Two slots with a piece in between.
It took one disk just to all the slots, about 20 in total.

Have a look at the pic attached to see where they are.
It did take bit of doing.

I forgot to ask, should the fan be at the top of the panel?
Should it blow air in or out?

Thanks guys.

Anti

It depends what you want to cool, cpu or graphics card. And the air should be blowing in.

HighWire

Thanks Anti.
It'll be up by the CPU, I installed a new fan on the graphics card at the weekend.
Blow in. Good.

Im debating about using the dremel, hole saw or jigsaw.
I was in Woodies the other day and they didnt have a hole saw.

Would it be easier to edge out the hole with the dremel and
then cut with the jigsaw?

Anti

You can cut a hole with a dremel easy enough. I would be carefull with a jigsaw, when things are savages. Are you sure woodies didnt have a hole saw drill bit? i was in there a few weeks ago and they had loads. same with b&q and morris's