Down with the Dremel!!

[KiKaL]

Well I put in my first window in my Antec case today and used a saber saw to do it....wow cut it like butter. I hear the dremel can be a pain and hard to cut through the case. I highly suggest using a saber saw to cut. If most of you dont even use dremels anymore sorry for posting. Oh Im gonna post pics of the window sunday or mondays.

[cack01]

I agree, when I have a choice, I usually pick my jig saw over my dremel. But sometimes you need the dremmel. Eighter way, I could not do without both.

[Captain Slug]

Yeah, otherwise "Them's Fightin' Wurdz" ;)

Rotary tools are the best solution for tight spaces, especially when it comes to sanding tiny bits off.

[Über~PhLuBB]

Originally posted by KiKaL
Well I put in my first window in my Antec case today and used a saber saw to do it....wow cut it like butter. I hear the dremel can be a pain and hard to cut through the case. I highly suggest using a saber saw to cut. If most of you dont even use dremels anymore sorry for posting. Oh Im gonna post pics of the window sunday or mondays.

I think you mean a jig saw. A saber saw, aka Sawzall, aka reciprocating saw, is a large, very powerful industrial saw with a 6" blade used for cutting through studs and walls in demolition jobs.

That said, I bought a Dremel because of all the good things I heard... and you can make a pretty desent hole with a Dremel, althugh it takes alot of effort. ALOT of effort. It took me about 2 hours of solid cutting, plus another 40 mins of sanding and grinding to make an acceptable 120mm fan hole in the top of my case.

I suggest that if you're going to cut more than one hole of any size (80mm, 92mm, 120mm) that you purchase a hole saw bell and arbor, and metal cutting oil. You will end up with a MUCH better hole than anything you could possibly do with a dremel.

And as for cutting windows in side panels, use a Jigsaw. Don't bother with a Dremel. You might get good results, but it will take you a VERY, VERY long time. I started making a large hole in my chassis for my heatercore with a Dremel. 3" into the cut, and 40 minutes later, I said screw it, used a jigsaw and stright sided metal file, and not only did it only take 5 minutes of cutting, but when you compare the 3" of Dremel cut to the rest of the Jigsaw cut, there's absolutely no comparison. The Dremel cut just looks plain bad.

So, to sum up: Dremel = worthless for just about everything but maybe grinding (which is still better done with a file). Jigsaw + hole saw + file = all you ever need for physical case modding.

Edit: Captain Slug, I disagree. Any panel or side on a case can be cut from EITHER SIDE, inside or out. There's no part of a case you can't get to with a jigsaw and a file. Dremels are worthless, I'm only keeping mine because I might want to make a decorative birdfeeder or something. =)

[Ziggey]

I like using a dremel, and a jewelers tool kit. I dont have access to a jig, but if I did I would use that for those large window cuts.


I can't imagine doing an entire large window cut with a dremel. My hands hurt just thinking of it.

[Penguin4x4]

Originally posted by Über~PhLuBB


I think you mean a jig saw. A saber saw, aka Sawzall, aka reciprocating saw, is a large, very powerful industrial saw with a 6" blade used for cutting through studs and walls in demolition jobs.

Nope, saber saw=jig saw. You're thinking of "reciporcating saber saw."



http://www.hms.havre.k12.mt.us/hagen/tools/1/slide8.html

[Über~PhLuBB]

Originally posted by Penguin4x4


Nope, saber saw=jig saw. You're thinking of "reciporcating saber saw."



http://www.hms.havre.k12.mt.us/hagen/tools/1/slide8.html

Thanks for the correction. But the rest of my post is still accurate. =)

[The Spyder]

Both work :burn: :-D i tried a dremal and i could not do it on my antec case with that 16g steel- but a 24 tooth per-inch blade- it cut like butta!

[pogue1000]

and also those damn reinforced cut off wheels get pricey! if u go to fast they are toast!

i used a jigsaw on my antec..... and used a dremel for the 120mm fan holes on top

[Krusty]

Yes, it's true, a jig saw will take something like 1/200th the time to do the same cut...BUT...

There are just some things you can't do with a jig saw.

Here's part of my demon face window that I'm working on. You can see to the left edge my 120mm fan hole that will also be a miniature window.

[NoKtEm]

yea, jigsaws rock =) and after ur done ur probably gonna put on some edge molding anyways right?

[BinarySuperman]

hey krusty, is that evil eye mod and the flame mod done with a dremel?

[Krusty]

Originally posted by BinarySuperman
hey krusty, is that evil eye mod and the flame mod done with a dremel?

yup. all dremel work. It's taking for damn ever too. It's not really an evil eye mod. I'm just not finished with the entire face. It's gonna look like one of those flaming face jack-o-lantern thingies.

[Penguin4x4]

There is one good thing that a dremel is for: ENGRAVING! Gunsmiths use them to engragve pictures onto rifle buttstocks. Kewl lookin too.

[KiKaL]

I didnt know so many of you did use a jig saw. I had only heard of people using dremels. I went with the jig saw because I had heard that the dremel can be hard to cut with. I hear its extremely hard on the Antec cases which I have.

[Über~PhLuBB]

Originally posted by KiKaL
I didnt know so many of you did use a jig saw. I had only heard of people using dremels. I went with the jig saw because I had heard that the dremel can be hard to cut with. I hear its extremely hard on the Antec cases which I have.

That's exactly why my story's so bad. The Antecs use such high quality thick gauge steel, they're difficult to cut with a Dremel.

[Krusty]

Originally posted by Über~PhLuBB


That's exactly why my story's so bad. The Antecs use such high quality thick gauge steel, they're difficult to cut with a Dremel.

Hmm...is that true with the antec clones? I've got myself a chieftec and this thing takes forever to cut.

[KiKaL]

Yea chieftec is just as hard to cut as the Antec with a dremel I believe.

[Element-Xero]

Meh the dremel takes a while but its not that bad, grab the cutting wheel set for a few bucks and let the cheap wheels fly! I used about 19 wheels on my big window cut lol, but whatever it was cheap and it only took about an hour or two. Looks nice and clean, so I can't complain.

[Captain Slug]

Originally posted by Über~PhLuBB
Edit: Captain Slug, I disagree. Any panel or side on a case can be cut from EITHER SIDE, inside or out. There's no part of a case you can't get to with a jigsaw and a file. Dremels are worthless, I'm only keeping mine because I might want to make a decorative birdfeeder or something. =)

Yeah...
Tight spaces (i.e. small cuts).
I largely prefer jigsaws with metal blades, but I was forced to use a dremel to cut out the window for my aluminum case because I didn't want to scratch the paint and I didn't have a metal blade handy. It took FOREVER with a dremel and I had to go back over the whole thing with a sanding bit...

[CrystalMethod]

You guys ain't using the right bit with your dremels! But, yes a jig saw is much faster than a dremel. When it comes to windows, and holesaws make much cleaner holes than the dremel. But I'd have to say that if you only inten on buying one tool to do a bunch of jobs and you don't have the luxury of having many other power tools at your disposal, can't afford to get them, or don't want to buy them. Get a dremel, or Roto-Zip. In that case, you'll have to take your time, but you CAN achieve the same results with a dremel/Roto-Zip, as you can with a bunch of other tools. You just have to have a hell of a lot of patience. But, don't forget that these are tool you will be keeping for life for the most part. Makes good sense to buy them now instead of later. If you don't go the Dremel route, these are the things I suggest you get...

- Corded power drill, with clutch. (cordless drills are nice, but for less than half the price you can get 3 times the power in a corded drill)
- A set of QUALITY drill bits. (don't got cheap on these, because you'll only regret it later. I have two sets. One cobalt impregnated for metal, and one High-speed steel, for everything else)
- Jigsaw (most people will find a use for these other than case modding)
- Once again QUALITY blades for your jigsaw.
- Holesaws (DO NOT BUY REGULAR HOLESAWS!!! You want the "Bi-Metal" hole saws. Regular holesaws are meant for cutting into wood only. The teeth will wear out and/or break when trying to cut through metal.)

Those are the things I feel would be the most useful in the long run as opposed to the Dremel, and the most useful for other things besides case modding.

[JesDer]

Originally posted by Über~PhLuBB


That's exactly why my story's so bad. The Antecs use such high quality thick gauge steel, they're difficult to cut with a Dremel.

Yes the Chenming cases are thick, but the alloy is soft as hell. I am working with some 16gauge steel that is a MUCH harder alloy rightnow, If I was paying attention when I picked it up, I wouldn't have even attempted it :)


Jigsaws - If you arent doing any detailed work they are fine

ScrollSaw - if you can manage it, you can get much more detail than a Jigsaw

Dremel - High Level of detail in the right hands. Can be used for just about anything.

Jeweler's Saw - The king of detail. Problem here is it is a handsaw and normally is too small for working on a panel. Best if used along with a dremel.

[illbreakit]

You can polish plexi real nice with a dremel too.
My latest waterblock

[illbreakit]

oops, forgot pick

[ssjwizard]

personaly i have a dremel and also a jig saw and drill i use a combination for my modding. you will use dremel in more places than you know. when it comes to taking off small amounts of something fast dremel has it owned. i had to cut some drawr slides the other day 4 mins with the dremel total and only used 1 disk(fyber reinforced disk) it was still good to take off some bolts that needed to be shortened and clean up some stuff on a box i was building. jig saw does have it for a large undetailed window

[CSaddict]

I use my jigsaw for most of my cutting ie. windows,fan holes,etc.
But I use a dremel with a rotozip style attachment for cutting my plexi. It works awsome and the kit was only 14 bucks at Lowes and comes with 2 bits.

[Captain Slug]

Originally posted by CrystalMethod
- A set of QUALITY drill bits. (don't got cheap on these, because you'll only regret it later. I have two sets. One cobalt impregnated for metal, and one High-speed steel, for everything else)

Don't forget the cutting oil... Otherwise your bits won't last very long when used on metal.
CUtting oil also produces much cleaner edges.

[KiKaL]

Originally posted by Captain Slug


Yeah...
Tight spaces (i.e. small cuts).
I largely prefer jigsaws with metal blades, but I was forced to use a dremel to cut out the window for my aluminum case because I didn't want to scratch the paint and I didn't have a metal blade handy. It took FOREVER with a dremel and I had to go back over the whole thing with a sanding bit...


So you dont scrape it cover the whole panel with tape and then draw the cut on the tape. I used the blue tape....cant think of what its called ATM. Thats what I did and I got no scratches.

[Penguin4x4]

Painters tape is the blue stuff

[Penguin4x4]

Originally posted by JesDer


Jeweler's Saw - The king of detail. Problem here is it is a handsaw and normally is too small for working on a panel. Best if used along with a dremel.

Jewler's Saw, oooooooh yeeeeaaaaah....