Beginner Help

[Daeloc]

Im sorry if this has been answered before and if so I would appreciate a redirect. I've recently decided I wanted to build my own tower and I've gotten stuck on what gauge metal to use, whether it be steel or aluminum. I've looked and googles quite a bit and couldn't find any answers. Thanks a lot.

[mDust]

18-20 gauge. The lower the gauge the thicker the sheet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheet_metal#Gauge

[SXRguyinMA]

and if you can afford it, go aluminum. it's easier to work with (read softer) and a lot lighter

[Lothair]

I don't know about gauge, but in mm I've always preferred between 1mm and 3mm. Most cheaper cases use 0.5mm whereas most expensive cases use 1mm. There are even a few premium or otherwise "special" cases, like the Nzxt Adamas, that use 2mm to 3mm.

[x88x]

I would say 1mm max for steel, 1-2mm ideal for aluminum unless you're using the aluminum for structural pieces, in which case step up to 2-3 for those pieces.

[Daeloc]

Awesome thanks a lot for the help. Now all I've got to do is price.

[Konrad]

You're fabbing a metal case from scratch?

[Daeloc]

That's the plan. I really need a hobby, lol, and decided upon case building/modding because I'm tired of sitting at my computer. (3D student) also tired of the computer cases always looking so alike. I actually just tore apart an old mid case to reverse engineer it. And for scrap metal to practice cutting with my dremel.

[Konrad]

Dremel works, and really speeds up edge cleanup and detail work. But I've found it takes forever to cut through thicker metal sheets, plus the Dremel needs a fair amount of cool down time and eats cutting discs like crazy. A jigsaw or circle cutter is the way to go for large cuts. Even a metal nibbler is sometimes faster, if you have manly hands. Stick with aluminum over steel if it's an option, unless you have access to a decent metalshop.

If you're fabbing from scratch you might want to look up (ATX) form factor specifications for power supplies and motherboards, as well as manufacturer specs for HDD cages and such stuff; they define all the dimensional data you need to get standard PC components to properly fit into the case.

[Daeloc]

Great advice. Thanks a lot. And I do have bigger power tools available but I've never used a dremel till recently. Any suggestions on how to properly paint a case when it's finished?