Well, I've seen all of the wonderful projects that everyone has started, so I figured it was time for me to show you all that I actually own a dremel and have a case to mod. I'm not going to bore you with too much background. I have a Lian Li PC 60. I'm sure everyone has seen them, so I'm not going to post a before picture. This particular project was actually started by a discussion in this thread. I didn't like the top blowhole in my case but I wasn't sure how to fix it. So I asked a very artistic friend of mine for some ideas, and he presented me with a design he was thinking of using for his case. It was this: I fell instantly in love. He said I could use the design, and so here we are. Now, my plan is to use some opaque black acrylic to put a "window" in top. You won't be able to see through it. There's just not a lot up there that's pretty to look at. So I decided on the black under the silver flames. The window in the side panel will be tinted so that it will look black when the lights aren't on. So here is my full size template: Here is the template cut out and ready to trace: Here we see the side panel taped up with the design traced on it: I taped up both sides of the panel to try to avoid scratching anything. Here are the first cuts being made: I tried to cut out the parts that were inside first. I wanted to make sure that I didn't bend the aluminum on the flames that were farther out. I also tried to clean up the cuts as much as I could as I went along. Here is my progress after about 2 hours: Well things were starting to take shape....but it was definitely slow going. The cuts are fairly intricate, and I was making sure to take my time. As soon as I began to get tired or felt like things weren't going fast enough, I stopped and rested for a bit. The last thing I wanted was to start rushing and screw something up. Also at this point, the flexible adaptor for my dremel died. Apparently the piece inside that twists sheared off at the tip so that it wouldn't spin anymore. It got really hot and started smoking. So I made a trip to Walmart and got a new one. And here is the progress that I made today: The cuts are still pretty rough. I have quite a bit of filing ahead of me still. But that will be another installment. I'll try to keep this updated as much as I can. It might be a little slow with work and family and all. Chasing a 14month old around takes a lot of modding time away. Let me go ahead and answer one obvious question: if the top blowhole is what encouraged this project, why are you starting with the side panel?!?! Simple....if I screwed it up, I know where to get a new side panel. Tops are a little harder to come by. hehehe For the cuts I have been using standard cutoff wheels. They cut through aluminum with ease. For some of the longer cuts I have used #426 reinforced cutoff wheels. I am also using a tungsten carbide bit #9910 for some of the tighter areas and a high speed cutting bit #194 for those tighter areas also.
I like the design, very intricate, but not to complicated looking. My question is how will you reinforce the thin parts? Would you be using a glued peice of plexi behind it?
Nice cut!!!! Did insane dremel work too... long but definitly worth it (see my tribal dragons project in my sig) I found out that by cutting on both sides of the case, I could get rounder curves than by on side. like cutting half way on a side and cut the rest on the other... maybe you could try that to see if you could save yourself some files works but the design really kick ass gonna end up killer!
bushd: Thanks! Yeah, I'm planning on epoxying a tinted piece of acryllic behind the cut out. That means that I won't be able to ever remove the window, but I think I can live with that. Tribal Dragon: Thank you too. Oh I've been watching your project. I may have to play with some new techniques when I do the top. But I know one thing for sure, the flexible attachment is a life saver. It's so much easier to control...for me anyway.
That was my dad...thought I should clear that up before people started thinking I was talking to myself!
You must have some patience to cut those designs out (more than your dremel adapter )!! Looking good.
Thanks acrimonious. Patience is something that I just started learning about 14 months ago, when my daughter was born. I never would have even attempted something like this a couple of years ago. But now....why not. As for dremel adapter, all I can say is that one must have been defective. I'm sure it wasn't anything I could have done.
June 22 Update: Panel rough cutting complete Well the panel is now all cut. I still have to do a lot of cleanup on it. I was going to show y'all a shot of the rough edge, but my camera wasn't cooperating. So all I have is a shot of the panel with the tape removed on the inside. You can see on some the edges how rough it is. Not to worry! Next up is the filing. You can also see some of the spots where I got a little excited with the dremel and gouged the panel. That's why you cut on the inside.
That is a mean cut! Lots of effort gone/going in to that, but damn! is it all going to be worth it. -cLoWn
Thanks everybody! Now I'm stuck sitting here at work trying to write code when all I can think about is working on my window. Zap: my flames on your media pc! j/k I don't imagine flames would accent the slick look of that very well. Although with the red led theme you've got going....
I actually got the design from a friend of mine, Danny. He sent me the design as a TIF file, which was bascially the picture I posted at the top of the thread. I used that and just kept blowing it up until I found the right size. Then I traced it out on the side panel. I certainly did not draw it myself. I can cut out something I traced but I'm not much use creating a design from scratch.
I fixed the pictures....not sure what happened there. Not a whole lot to report right now I'm afraid. I'm filing and cleaning up the edges still in my spare time. If I didn't have to work this would be so much faster (of course I wouldn't have the money to own a dremel much a Lian Li...). Hopefully there will be a nice update this weekend.
Damn Deviate thats some mad skills! Showing love for a fellow Florida boy! Hey check my sig if you ever need any modding stuff, we are pretty close!
Thanks Melov...me too. Phire: 'preciate the love. hehe I'm still playing with other ideas on the case. I have your site bookmarked and I check it often. I did have a question for you...on the enermax ultima series PSU's y'all do, I saw a review at another site that we will just call V.H. I was wondering what you use for the clip that holds the cables against the unit. I saw some things at Home Depot that look similar that you nail to the floor boards to route cables. But there were 25 in a bag...and well...I don't need 25. hehe But is that what you use? If it's a trade secret or something don't tell me.
