Here is a how to I just wrote up. I haven't got the pictures in yet, but they are coming. You guys think there is a chance it can make it on the "Guides" section on the overclockers.com homepage?
-Cutting Fan Holes 101-
By Robert Benya (NcBaller1985)
Here goes my first write up for Overclockers.com!
-Introduction-
Alright, I know that someone else has probably done a “How To Guide” on cutting fan holes before, but I got WAY to much time on my hands so I figured I would do one too. I just recently got hooked on computers, overclocking, and case moding. Let me tell you…it is addicting! For my first case mod I figured I would go all out, so I bought a DIY Clear Acrylic case. They looked really cool and I wanted something that my friends would drool over, so I bought the clear acrylic case. It is a standard ATX Mid-tower and came with 5 pre-cut 80mm fan holes (1 front panel, 2 side panel, 1 back panel, and 1 blowhole). Anyways, when I got it I found that all the fan holes had these slots in them, thus decreasing my airflow by as much as 50%. I am doing some pretty heavy overclocking, so I need the best amount of airflow as I can get. That meant it was time to brake out some tools and cut those annoying slots out! Now this guide can just as easily be used for cutting fan holes in metal cases as it can be for cutting Acrylic. Even though I am just cutting slots out in this project, you can follow the same steps to cut completely brand new holes in your case. So sit back class, as I teach you Cutting Fan Holes 101.
-What You Need-
• Dermal or any other kind of Rotary Tool
• Heavy Duty cut off wheels
• Grinding Stone
• Utility knife or razor blade
• Clamps
• Card Board (just a small or medium size box)
• Tape (any kind will do)
• Eye Protection (unless you are brave and don’t care about your vision!)
-Preparation-
Find an open workspace with plenty of arm space. Lay whatever you are cutting on your workspace and clamp it down. I had to do all of my cutting on the floor because I am in the process of moving and all of my furniture is gone! I used some old Architecture books (I knew they would come in handy someday) to raise my sheet of acrylic off the floor.
Now, cut a square piece of cardboard big enough to fit a cut out of whatever size hole you are cutting. Use cardboard instead of paper because it is more sturdy and when you are smoothing out the edges with the grinding stone, you can get closer to the edges without going off track. Also, if you slip there is better chance you won’t scratch the surface you are cutting. Use a compass to draw whatever size circle you are cutting on the cardboard. I already had an 80mm case fan hole in the back of my PC so I just used it as a template to trace out the circle. Once you are done doing that, get a utility knife and cut the circle out. Now you are ready to get this show on the road!
-Step 1-
Center the piece of cardboard with the whole you cut out wherever you want the hole. Tape it down. If you are cutting Acrylic, I would recommend covering the entire piece with card bard to protect it from scratches. Now wasn’t that an easy step. Now let’s start cutting.
-Step 2-
Grab your Dermal and attach a Heavy Duty cut off wheel to it. I only went through two of them while cutting one hole and that was only because I broke one when I set the Dermal on floor. If you are cutting metal then I would have a few more cut off wheels on hand, as metal wears the cut off wheels down faster. *Put on some SAFTEY GLASSES as pieces of whatever you are cutting will be flying all over the place!* Set your Dermal to high speed and slowly start to cut out the shape of the fan hole. Stay inside of it a little, about a 1/8”, as you will be smoothing the edges with the grinding stone in the next step. Take your time while cutting. If you rush, you may slide off track give your nice case some nice new scars!
-Step 3-
Now that you have a rough cut of the hole, it is time to smooth it out. Attach the grinding stone to your Dermal and set your Dermal to a high speed. SLOWLY start to grind back the edges so they are close to the card board. Now set your dermal on low speed and grind the edges back until the grinding stone barley touches the outlined circle in the cardboard. *TAKE YOUR TIME.* If you want a nice finish, and especially if you are cutting Acrylic, be patient and your results will be much better! Smooth all the edges back until you can’t see any more metal or acrylic in the outlined circle.
-Step 4-
If you want, grab some sand sandpaper and smooth all the edges out even more. Start with a lower grit then gradually work your way up to very fine grit. If you are putting a fan guard over the hole that doesn’t expose much of the circle, then I would skip this step as you won’t even see it. After that you are all done. Now, was that really that hard????
-Conclusion-
This project is an easy way to increase airflow. Airflow is vital to any computer set up and will dramatically improve temperatures, which will in turn increase performance. If your not sure where to put your fan holes, then just ask around in the overclockers forums and you will get the best advice from some of the most experienced case moder’s around. Whether you are cutting slots out or cutting completely new holes, this is a VERY easy way to do it. I had no problems and you shouldn’t either. If you have any questions you can PM me (NcBaller1985) or e-mail me at
[email protected]. Alright, schools out! Go home and cut some fan holes!!!!!
thanks for the info
