Where do you guys get aluminum panels/sheets for custom cases? I need few pieces to alter my case a bit and have no idea where I can get it. Also where do you find companies that power coat or chrome stuff? I'm having hard time believing that if I find a company that does that professionaly they won't laugh at me and send me away if I ask them to work on a 5x5 inch piece of aluminum for my case
OK, seems I found a place online - lowcostmetals.com Now, what thickness would you use for lets say side panels? I'm not conserned about strentgh, this is just to cover things up. Also what "grade"? I see like H14, T4.... Obviously I know nothing about metals lol.
Aluminum sheeting for case sides is normally 0.050" thickness, which will give you the bare minimum of rigidity if you need to cut venting or fan mounts. For THE best price possible it's best to start locally. Just call a few machine shops and ask what their nearest supplier is and get a few quotes from them. You may even get lucky and find a source that also sells scrap, thus allowing you to get what you need for 80% off retail. Otherwise try http://www.mcmaster.com or http://www.onlinemetals.com The price differences between the two will depend on what you're looking for. Mcmaster is a huge consortium of individual industrial supply sources and is usually the cheapest for online ordering since they pick the supplier nearest you for any given product.
Chroming is absurdly expensive, you might want to look into simply polishing the sheets. Anodizing isn't terribly expensive and some colors can be done at home in your garage. And Powder-coating is also expensive, but far more durable than any alternatives.
