Build Advice Necessary tools for Scratch Builds

Hi Guys, looking for a quick word from you all. I am new to case modding and wanted to know what tools are a must have for mods and scratch builds? I am planning a scratch build to start with and will be working with acrylic, aluminum, plastic and wood. Eagerly waiting for a reply.


R.K.C

 

I'm new to modding also. I was hoping someone would respond. I at least know a dremel and a drill are always good to have around.

This thread might also help. http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=167012

 

Choose your materials and design... grab everything you need to measure, cut, shape, alter, finish, assemble, and attach the materials into the form of your design.

I'm not being serious, obviously, but collecting all the tools "you need" can be a lifelong hobby and cannot be summarized in a short list. Also, it really depends on what you will be building in addition to the materials and your skill-set that will determine which tools you would need. So what are you going to build other than something with 'acrylic, aluminum, plastic, and wood'?

 

@James888, Hey someone has replied to my post and I think microsoftPerson has a valid point here. We should be clear about what we are building and choose our tools accordingly. Well, thanks both of you for your reply. I am looking at making a Helmet PC that would hold up a miniITX MOBO, a 2.5 inch HDD and a couple of fans for cooling the inside of the Helmet. I am a biker and wanted my first project to be related to Biking and what better thing to build than a Helmet PC. But my biggest hurdle is the PSU, which is huge and I know I can use a Pico PSU which is much more compact than a normal PSU however, I cant get a Pico PSU readily available in India. I have to order it from the States, and the cost of that thing including the customs and everything is as much as the MOBO, Memory and HDD combined. So I am planning on making a stand for the Helmet and make it look like a Trophy instead of just a helmet on a stand. What say, how is the idea?

 

That is a very cool concept and I do not think I have seen it done before, perhaps someone else on here has...

Helmets are small and oddly shaped and those two things will probably be your biggest hurdles. Many people start with a more simple build when they are first starting out but others take on larger projects like these and others with ease. What all do you want to go inside of the helmet? You might also consider having the helmet on some sort of a base which could contain objects like the power supply if you can not fit everything inside of the helmet.

What kind of helmet are you thinking of using? Are you planning on cutting pieces out of it or are you going to keep it mainly intact?

 

@microsoftPerson, I am planning on keeping the Helmet intact because I came across a Lid online that was destroyed in the process of making it into a PC. The guy had cut up pieces from the lid making it look ugly. My Idea is to make the thing look like a trophy for which I will make a base that will be a mix of acrylic, metal and some wood and maybe some fibreglass or carbon fibre (basically carbon fibre lookalike).
The hardware that I will be using is
1. A miniITX board which will fit easily in the Lid (I have tested it with my old Lid)
2. 2 GB of Memory
3. 500GB HDD - a 2.5 inch SATA
4. A DVD writer which will be fitted in the base (that if I am short of space inside the Lid)
5. A 400-500W PSU
6. Couple of fans to cool everything up

That's pretty much it.

 

If you find a Pico PSU in the UK you want, forward me the cash and I'll post it for you.

Obviously I could be any nutter, but you know. I'm not.

It'd be about £5 for airmail or £12 for signed with royal mail. You can get pico PSUs here for about £20-£30 (assuming you can get the power brick there) so about 3,000 rupees.

 

one of these:



styles of helmets?

or something completely different? I'm trying to envision how cool this could be

 

I think the above answers are quite lazy.
There are an essential list of must haves if you're going to build/mod a case.

-Jigsaw with blades for steel and for wood
-Power drill
-Dremel/Rotary cutter and LOTS of discs
-Set of small/medium metal files of varying levels of coarseness
-Set of screw drivers
-Cheap set of allen keys
-Junior hacksaw
-Sand paper/wet n dry of varying levels of coarseness and sanding block
-Masking Tape.
-Tape measure (Calipers too if you can)
-Soldering iron

With the above and your materials (wood, alu, plexi, steel, screws, nuts n bolts) there wont be much you cant build.

My number 1 "make life easier" tool is a hole saw for the size of fan hole you're cutting.

 

I would agree primarily with jeckulz...

Something else to consider if the build is using metal pieces, would be to think about how you'll be attaching things... a pop rivet tool or tap set might be needed...

Other things as well might include an angle finder, a square, and a straight edge...

 

Not lazy at all, the OP did not say what he would be building. I'm not sure you read the thread as many of those tools would not necessarily be of any use to the OP. You can't tell someone what kind of tools they'll need without details on what they will be making/fixing/upgrading. Half of your list of tools applies to metal working... well did the OP say he was making a metal case, no? that's why I asked for more details.

Your list would be great for certain tasks but completely useless for others.

 

Oh yeah, VERY good call mate.

I disagree, the list was taking into consideration metals, wood and plastics. There's very little else you would need to get started on a build with the above tools/equipment.
My dad is a ****ing machine with wood DIY projects and all of the above are in his arsenal. He's still my go-to guy when it comes to any cutting of my case where I only get one chance.

In-fact unless you were doing something obscure like a fiberglass build, or something pro, like milling out chunks of billet, then I reckon my list is all the kit that most people will ever need.

 

Jeckulz has a dad who knows his way around tools. This is such a unique quality in a father, you better just take his advice and go buy everything that was on his list, regardless of your project or level of skill.

 

Guys, I think the best to work around this would be to get a few basic tools like a drill, saw for wood and metal cutting. I am working on the design right now and will post the final thing once its done. I still have to decide what base I'll be using for the Lid. Maybe wood, or a mix of wood and metal. Let's see. I am really busy at the moment. So, whenever I get sometime to do some brainstorming I will do it and post it. Until then its a busy week for me.

And yes, thanks for your replies and keep it cool guys.