Case Mod - In Progress [project] Cheap as chips.

Laser cutting costs £50 or more, plus shipping to and from the cutters.
I'm doing this on a very tight budget, I dont want or need the system so cant justify spending lots of money on it.

I also wanted to do the mod myself, no point in deciding to push yourself to a custom mod and try new things, only to send it away for some one else to mod it.

On top of that the case is bent to shape, so wont fit onto a laser cutting bed.

A copingsaw with a rod blade will do the job. Plus I get the satisfaction of doing it myself.

I was just hoping the dremel 194 bit would cut sideways, it does if there is space, but if it touches both sides of a cut, it bounces out.

It's not a problem that will stop my project, I just cant do it as easily as I hoped.


More satisfaction if I do a good job.

 

That's the modder's way!

Attitude will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no attitude!

john

 

My luck may be in.

A modder on another forum were I've got the same build log (overclock.net) has put me onto spiral blades for the scroll (vibro) saw.

£10 for 24 blades inc shipping.

I can afford that.
Should get them wednesday

So Tuesday night will be cutting the hole for cd/dvd and stuff.

 

Hello.

 

just saw a saw at tesco that looked potentially usefull for modders, made for/by JML. With tescos good returns policy I'd give it a shot if I was up to modding ..

http://www.jmldirect.com/product.asp?pf_id=E2299&changecurrency=GBP

think thats it but price seems higher than I recall?

 

wow.. nice cuts mate.. does that cutter work for metal?

 

Are you on about the exact saw or my work?


Argos £70

In the vid it's show cutting what looks like acrylic and thin steel.

If your on about the dremel bit, it's pants TBH, you better of with a standard cutting wheel on a dremel

And the vibrosaw/scroll saw should work with metal if you get the right bit and run at a high(ish) speed. I'll give it a try 2nite.

I'll finish off the test BobaFett grill.

 

I was working on the cd/dvd bay and was tweakng the size today.

I cut the hole to small and used a file to get it to the right size.

the test fit and see where it was tight.

Then file again.


I did a test fit and it looked almost snug enough to fit.

I Gave it a wiggle

AND...



CRACK.......





Gutted.

Oh well, job must go on.

I've got 3 options now

1) wait until the rest of the project is finnished and then but another sheet ant try again (I've got the stuff to finnish the project, so may as well see how the rest turns out 1st)

2) Use an off kit behind it as a blank and fill it as best I can

3) the break is pretty syemtrical, I could make it a feature (alot of work)
so 5 min in paint.net and here is what I might make it.

 

Can you tell who it is yet.....


Ping, another blade gone....
I've got another 21 left so not worried yet



And the top fan grills are done for now.
In retrospect, I think black might have been a better choice for the case.
Meh, live and learn.
I guess you find these things out as you go, If it were easy everyone would mod their own case......



A few mins (an hour tbh...) with a file to smooth off and I'll be done on the roof.

next is the 3 for the front.......

 

Ehm, Obi-wan?
Just kidding!

 

Well I get a black very dark feeling - margret thatcher?

On a serious notethats some impressive work must take ages?

 

Thanks.

It's taken 2 hours to do the next 3 on the front, including 1/4 hour to go get another 4 beers.

I think the next four are much better.

In a typical "DOH" moment I realised on the 4th out of 5 grills I'd been making life hard for myself. I had put the sawblades in upside down on purpose, if the blade snagged the acrylic it would lift it up rather than shatter it. While it worked well in that the blade never shattered the acrylic, it had a Major down side, loads of swarf, so much so that it would cover the template. This plus as the blade heated up it would melt the edge made it difficult to see the template.

I put a blade in the rightway up and all the swarf goes down :-/ I can see the templete and do a better job. Oh weel, I know for next time.

I'll put the latest pictures up in a mo, quite pleased at the mo.

 

New pics of the font grill for the tripple rad.

Yoda, falcon and rebel insignia




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Nice job,think i'll have to get myself one of them scroll saws

 

i suck at my scroll saw.. lol

nice work

 

I love how you are watercooling both graphics card for £20! Great find on those blocks!

Really cool project

 

What kind of tension are you using on the scroll saw? If it's too tight, it's easy to snap, and if it's too loose the blade can also get caught, bent and snapped. I've heard it recommended to "twang" the blade, if you get what I mean... so it sounds like a high C. (I've got tin ears, so I just guess.)

I use a 24tpi blade on my scroll saw with pretty good results. I've snapped a blade or two, still. Goes with the territory. Make sure you're not using extruded acrylic. That stuff sucks.

I like the yoda grill the best.

 

Thanks for the comment guys.

Lost my way with this one afetr I snapped the acrylic.

I just couldn't motivate may way into sorting it out.

I'm on my hols soon, one advantage of working in a school is I get 6 weeks off to dick about in the summer.


I love my job.

 

I'm not a big fan of star wars, but I'm liking what you're doing here.