Knowledgeable but Toolless: Help!

[Archimedes]

First post! (be gentle please, at least use ripe fruit )

After spending the last couple of weeks drooling over the many beautiful cases found both here and over at MNPCTech, I've decided that I would like to try my own hand at modding a case. As the title of my post suggests, I know my way around a motherboard (on my third machine since '95), but at best, I'll only have a dremel for tools (I live in an apartment building, and my budget's tight). So, with that in mind, here are my questions:

• How much can be done with a Dremel 400?
• Where's the best places online for getting custom-cut aluminum pieces made?
• Besides Crimson Sky's book (which I plan to pick up in the next couple of days), where's a good place to find out how to do the nice electrical wiring?

Here's a link to the case I'll be getting:
http://www.kingwin.com/pdut_detail.a...ateID=1&ID=153

EDIT: For being a cluebag

[weirdguy]

dremel....you can use cutting disks, get renforced ones, and get alot. (they explode when they get small, so watch out).(and they make sparks, it get pretty addicting watching those sparks....)

the BEST place online to get cases cut is customwatercuts.com

I would guess overclockers.com but the book is really the best

[Malatory]

MNPCTECH use to do custom cutting but again customwatercuts.com will do it. Since your funds are limited you might want to give the dremel a try.

[crazybillybob]

dremel....(and they make sparks, it get pretty addicting watching those sparks....)

If your throwing sparks you've got the speed set to high!(there are a few exceptions IE hardened steels, but not when working in a PC).

You want to set the speed just higher than stall and aply light pressure. If you go to fast or push to hard, you just go through alot of disks you don't cut the metal any faster (factor in time it takes to change disks and I bet you loose time).

As for what you can do, I'm not sure there is a limit. as For how fast well, the dremel is slower but can be used place normal shop tools can't.

Another good place to get custom parts made is eMachineShop It's not just cutting they do Machining too.

Crazybillybob

Dremel is by far your most loe cost method, depending on what your doing a low cost Sabre (Jig) Saw maybe usefull as well and can be picked up for under $50. I use the Jig saw to get the bulk on the materal out of the way fast and the dremel to fine tune every thing. Others don't like the saw method it's a preference thing.

[Archimedes]

Thanks for the quick replies! This'll give me an idea of just how much modding I can do to my new case (hopefully arriving tomorrow).

Just to give you all an idea of why I need such a deep case, here's a parts list:

Athlon 64 FX-55
Asus AV8-SLi Deluxe
2 NVidia GeForce 7800 GTXs ( )
OS Drive: Maxtor 100GB SATA-100
Storage Drives: 2 Seagate Barracuda 250GB SATA-100s
2 Pioneer DVD-Rs
Creative Audigy 2 Gamer ZS
Antec TrueControl 550W

I don't really think I want to do watercooling (I did a little of those on my last case, though I don't really know if an Aquarius II WC system can really be considered watercooling, it's so basic ), but I'll have to run some tests to see how warm it gets inside at full load before I make a final call.

[Spaceroach]

That's a pretty nice case, and excellent hardware selection. Wish I could afford an FX55 (going with an OC'ed 4000+ myself). One thing I'd hold on, though, is your sound card. Why? The Sound Blaster X-Fi will be to current sound cards what a 7800GTX is to a 440MX. And it'll take *all* the sound processing tasks away from your processor. It's not out yet, but Maximum PC's preview of it has me twitching with anticipation. And I've never been excited about a sound card before.

[Aero]

Thanks for the quick replies! This'll give me an idea of just how much modding I can do to my new case (hopefully arriving tomorrow).

Just to give you all an idea of why I need such a deep case, here's a parts list:

Athlon 64 FX-55
Asus AV8-SLi Deluxe
2 NVidia GeForce 7800 GTXs ( )
OS Drive: Maxtor 100GB SATA-100
Storage Drives: 2 Seagate Barracuda 250GB SATA-100s
2 Pioneer DVD-Rs
Creative Audigy 2 Gamer ZS
Antec TrueControl 550W

I thought you budget was tight...

But I would recommend reading Crimson's book, it gives a lot of good tips. Also you might want to find a place outside to use your dremal.

1) Its loud
2) Some material can smell

[subdismal]

GideonTech is a good place to find good tutorials for modding. I've used it countless times.

Read some of Bill's (the owner of mnpctech.com) tutorials, see how he does things.

I'm in the same boat you are; I have an off-brand Dremel (General Maching Company) but most rotary tools can use Dremel bits. You just need to pick up some reinforced cutting wheels, you can get those at any hardware store, or Bill sells them on his site. As someone already mentioned, when cutting, be sure not to let the wheel get too small—they will explode—and be sure to wear some safety glasses. I can do just about any beginning modding with a jigsaw and a Dremel. I actually picked up a 150+ piece set of Dremel attatchments from Wal*Mart for around $20USD. Not a bad grab. You'll need some polishing/sanding attatchments for cleaning up the edges of your window cuts, and any other cuts you will make. If you're planning on doing some painting, you may want to save for a power sander, but a sanding block and some elbow grease will do just as well for the most part.

If you need any help, I'm sure these wonderful souls here at TBCS will gladly be able to help you. My best advice is to create a worklog, use some the knowledge you already have to put your feet in the water, then ask questions if you need to as you go along.

Cheers, best of luck, and most importantly: MOD ON!

[Aero]

Ok, don't let all this about exploding dremal disks scare you though. That RARELY happens if you use it right. Of course wear saftey glasses. But work slowly and let the speed do the work. It will cut through in now time. I have gone through many cutting disk, on Steel, Aluminium, Plexi-glass, plasitic, wood, and misc. sheet-metal. Total I have had 1 disk explode, and 1 crack when it got stuck becasue I ;pushed it into a crack. So a full out explosion with flying ceramic can be avoided if your carefull and cut straight down and not on an angle. Also, when working with a dremal I like to wear long sleeve shirts, I have a habit to cut toward my left arm and get sparks and peices of melted plexi-glass on it. Needless to say, it don't feel too good. Also, its a good idea to keep a spray bottle with alittle water and some paper towels near by to clean off the dust to see how well you are following your line on a case. Good luck, if you have any more questions just ask, lots of people here love to help new modders. Also takes subdismal's advice and start a worklog when you start your project, people can give you ideas and advice there on what your doing as you do it!

[Archimedes]

@ Spaceroach - Yeah, I saw that, but when I'd started buying the parts (a month or so ago), I had only enough cash to go with the ZS. Speaking of which...

@ Aero - The whole reason I'm on a budget now is cause I blew the load on the internals!

Thanks again for all the advice. I'm considering some watercooling options after all, but it'll have to be a fairly inexpensive option (cause of the money issue) but fairly extensive (since I'll need it to cool my CPU, chipset, and both GPUs).