Hi, I'd like to ask for some really basic help (its ok to laugh!)... I've been building PC's for about 18 years now but never really ventured into modding until now. I have a Corsair 600T and want to mount a Phobya 200mm rad in the front of the case where normally a 200mm fan would reside. My goal is very similar to an existing thread on this forum http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=224683 The metal skeleton of the case will need to be drilled to accommodate the required 4 M3 screws. So I think I need to drill 3mm holes (no tapping required) to allow the screws to 'pass through'. Assuming that I'm correct about the 3mm drill bit size, I was thinking about using a standard drill bit not a step drill. Is this ok? I would also like to ensure there are no rough edges and to repaint any scratching that may occur on the metal which seems to be a black satin finish. However I'm unsure of how best to go about tidying up after the drilling is done, filing rough edges, painting, type of paint etc... Will I need a Dremel with a grinding disc? I was going to strip out the motherboard and all other components before doing any drilling and once completed, was going to blow out the modded area with a can of compressed air to make sure there are no residual metal filings or shards that could potentially kill my rig once I reassemble and power it up. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I'd really appreciate the help. I'll post pics when I'm done! Thanks fellas...
If you only want to drill, just drill it... a standard drill is OK.. I used to drill with my dremmel drill bit (too lazy to pick my drill) drilling a hole with sharp drill bit will not damage your case paint (if you're doing it right). Nope, no grinding disc needed... It would be best if you just wash your case with water.. easier, cheaper, and usually cleaner.. but make sure you dry it out completely water free without water residue... (the easiest way is you wipe all the water and let it dry on sunlight)
Yup, what he said. Going a little more in depth: First mark (I like a X inside a O) out very accurately using a fine tipped marker the points you want to drill. Second check your marking out! Third punch on each of the marks to create a little dimple, this will guide the bit into the hole and reduce the chance of it drifting all over your case. Have a hard backing to hammer against, even if it's just pressing a chunk of wood hard against the reverse of your case. Fourthly start drilling, I always begin slow and ramp up the speed once the bit has caught, this gives you time to ensure that you're in the dimple. I also like to have a wooden backing at this stage, as it stops the drill rushing at the metal once you're clear. Fifth deburr, the back side particularly will be a sharp mess. A hand deburrer is ideal. You can equally shroud the surrounding area that you'll be drilling in masking tape to reduce the damage any slipping may cause. You can do this two, three, five layers thick.
You're Welcome, continue your modding, hope to see your worklog in a couple of weeks.. Ah.. best explanation..
You need a 2.5mm standard metal drill bit for the hole, not 3mm. Tape the area, mark the spot, get a pointy tool and mark the center of the hole with it. This will make sure your drill will be centered and doesn't move away when you start drilling. So your hole will be where you meant it to be. If you have no tool to deburr, a larger drill bit will do it, too.
Thanks guys... BTW what's the best way to accurately measure / mark my drilling points? I was thinking about drawing out (with a ruler etc) the dimensions of the rad on some grease proof paper and then taping that to the area of the case where I intend to do the drilling. Is there a better way? BTW anyone got any tips on the best approach to touching up / spray painting (methodology and type of paint) the metal skeleton of the chassis? It would just be good to know... This is a great community!
Just mark your holes directly on the tape, since you have to tape the panel anyway (to prevent scratches while working with it). As for the painting, tape areas you do not want to tape > rough up the areas you want to paint with sandpaper > prime paint > paint (possible repeat this step, if you do maybe sand a little in between paint layers, depends on how even you got/want it) > clear coat if you feel like it.
Is there a painting 101 guide for spray painting metals and plastics? I'm not clear on the whole, prepping of plastic, prepping of metal, primer paint, under-coat, etching acrylic paint, clear coat stuff etc... Did I mention I'm a newbie?
Pretty sure theres one here somewhere - to be fair the internet is full of them. I wouldn't bother thinking about putting drill to case yet, get yourself some scrap and have a few goes as the questions you're asking sound a lot like you've never done any drill work. Advice above is soild but they say practice makes perfect for a good reason and you don't want case hole 1 of 4 to be practice run 1 What are you looking to paint? From the original post I presume your looking to paint up the metal where you have drilled? If this is the case you shouldn't require any painting and if you want to get into details, you could paint up a very thin coat on the inside edge of the hole you drill but personally I've never bothered if the item is to stay inside and will have a screw/bolt in it.
Don't be afraid to just try it. Some trial and error makes up for a good experience in the long run. And yeah, try it out on some junk piece first before you go on to your working piece.
If all that you want is some simple holes for some M3 screws to pass through, a 2,5mm drill is going to be way to small. that size is used for tapping. even 3mm is going to be to small, since this is your fist time and you probably won't be too accurate . Use a 3.2 or a 3.5mm drill.
Thanks for all the advice fellas. Yeah the only painting I was thinking about (ATM) was any scratches that may occur as a result of drilling but as I do intend to take the advice already given re using masking tape and a block of wood behind / supporting the area I'll be working on + some practice on some scrap... I'm keeping my fingers crossed that painting won't be needed. I've ordered quite a few parts to expand on my existing loop, with a view to water cooling my GTC 680 SLI cards. Once my shopping arrives, I'll post some pics and let you guys know how I got on. Sincere thanks to everyone for all the help
Joe is right, for the M3 screw to pass through, you want something like 4mm drill to be comfy. I thought you wanted to tap. If you tape properly, the screw heads should hide the holes and the bare metal around it. Since there shouldn't be much, if any of it, due to the taping. If it's black, you can also use a black permanent marker for those little holes. Not very "professional" maybe, but it works for the eye.
OK some long overdue updates with pics! Needless to say I successfully drilled my M3 holes and mounted my rads...
Hardware specs: i7-3930k @ 4.7GHz Rampage IV Formula (BIOS v3204) 16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 (CL 8) 1600MHz 2x Palit GTX 680 4GB (310.64 Beta driver) Sony BC-5550H-01 - Slim Blu-Ray Reader / DVD+-RW Burner Optical Drive Intel 520 240GB x 2 RAID 0 (Intel RSTe v3.5.0.1092) WD Caviar Black 2TB x4 in RAID5 (Intel RSTe v3.5.0.1092) CorsairAX1200 PSU Cooling - Single Loop (Swiftech H20 320 EDGE HD -> CPU -> Danger Den Black Ice II Pro -> Phobya 200mm -> GTX 680 SLI ) 2x EK-FC680 GTX+ (Nickel) EK-FC Bridge DUAL Parallel 3-Slot CSQ Plexi Masterkleer clear tubing, 1/2" ID 3/4" OD EK EKoolant Premium Fluid for Watercooling : UV Blue Bitspower matte black compression fittings Be Quiet! 120mm Silent Wings Pure fans throughout except for, Bitfenix 200mm Spectre Pro, in front. Corsair 600T Icy Dock MB994IPO-3SB 2x2.5" SATA/SAS HDD/SSD + Slim ODD 5.25" Backplane Icy Dock MB974SP-B Tray-less 4 in 3 SATA 3 Internal Raid Backplane DELL U2711 Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium
