Cheap hand cutting tools for aluminum.

[Goldstandard]

Ok, I want to add two 120mm holes for more case fans, a side intake and a blowhole. I don't want to spend the money on a dremel or some powertools, I figured it would be cheaper to just use one of my dads drills and get some good hand tools. Any recommendations?

[matttheniceguy]

hmm.... you could cut the aluminum freehand with a hacksaw blade. It will cut like butter, but you will have to have good saw control to keep you case from getting fubar'd.

what tools do you have aside from a drill? A jig saw works well. You might also consider getting a "rotozip" bit for the drill. It is essentially a drill bit mixed with a mill bit mixed with a file. They will cut just about anything in any direction, but they need really high rpm's go get anywhere with any decent speed.

tin snips cut aluminum very well, but doing a blowhole with one would be nearly impossable.

You should probably get a fairly fine rat tail file (a round one) this will help you clean up whatever cuts you make. some emery cloth is also nice to have.

[Goldstandard]

Thanks for the info. I think I will go the hacksaw route, I am confident I can control it. I don't know what my dad has since I will have to borrow the drill from him, what drill size would you recommend for doing the holes for mounting screws?

For cutting the hole, I think I will drill a bunch of small holes in a circle, then cut from hole to hole, which should make control easier, then file it all down. The rotozip bit might be faster then a file if my dad has a fast enough drill. I got to get a hold of him first though, since he is away at work so much.

Edit: What kind of teeth would you recommend for a hacksaw?

[clocker2]

Sheetmetal nibblers would be my tool of choice for your project.
Available for $10 from CompUSA or MicroCenter ( and prolly lots of other places).
It takes a bit of time ( each nibble is only 1/16th"), but you have excellent control and after-cut clean up is minimal.

[DeViL_909]

Well if you have a drill, you can always just use a hole saw. It will attach to the drill and give you a perfect circle.

[MyPCAlexi]

if you get a good pair of sheet metal snips and maybe something to sand down those pesky rough edges you will be fine....did it on my last rig when i needed a window on the side. 100% custom baby :D

[HiProfile]

Just stick with the drill and file if you want to use whats laying around.

If you want to go with a hack saw, get one with very small [high count] teeth. Less teeth means slower cutting, but a much nicer edge, gets caught less, more precision, etc. A tin snip will usually bend the surrounding aluminum up, so you'd have to cut a smaller hole and file a lot off afterwards.

I would highly suggest getting a rotary tool anyways. I couldn't even count the number of times it's come in handy.

[Goldstandard]

Yeah, after thinking about it a bit I think I will wait and get a dremel. I figure what I will do is wait till my Dad's birthday, get him a dremel, then "borrow" it to mod my PC :D

[DeViL_909]

In all honesty circles are easier to do with Jigsaws is you ask me.

[Turbokeu]

For cutting aluminium I only swear by a jigsaw (or fretsaw?), anyway this kind of saw :D:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0063.jpg

Once you're used to it it gives you the cleanest possible cutouts.
Dont' push on the blade when sawing, let the blade "bite" into the aluminium by itself, and let the blade cool down every couple of minutes. (I even managed to cut blowholes with this in a steel Supermicro 760 case...)
Every hole in my Lian Li PC-70 has been cut with this saw (and blades with 18 to 25 teeth/inch), and then finished with a file and some sandpaper.

Air intake hole for my cube radiator:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0069.jpg

Close-up:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0071.jpg

Air intake shroud for the rad:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0075.jpg

mounted:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0072.jpg

Various holes in the original Lian Li bezels for 40mm fans, CPU speed indicator, flowmeter, 120x32 pixel LCD, fanreg and voltage monitor:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0133.jpg

http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0190.jpg

Even my side window opening and plexiglass has been cut with that same saw:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0202.jpg

http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0232.jpg

New PSU mounting plate with radiator fan and separate mains input and switch for the pump, all fan openings have been cutout too:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0210.jpg

CD :)

[w00p]

You drill a huge hole using dads power-drill, and then cut away with an electrical jigsaw.
http://www.boschtools.com/SBPT/Bosch/images/image_packs/1590hero/web_3/1590hero.jpg

[MyPCAlexi]

d*** turboeku! i bet that thing moves wind like a tornado! you went 40mm fan crazy! :D

[jabaro]

d*** turboeku! i bet that thing moves wind like a tornado! you went 40mm fan crazy! :D
But it looks so clean and hi tech :D

[Goldstandard]

The work with the jigsaw looks nice. My onli issue is that the big arm thing that holds the blade seems kinda bulky. I can't remove the top from my case since it is riveted on.

[DeViL_909]

The beautiful part of that saw is that the blade can turn any way you want it to face (not the electric one). the blad also pops up so you can put it in the holes you drilled. It is what I use when I don't have my electric jigsaw handy or i want to make it perfect.

[Turbokeu]

d*** turboeku! i bet that thing moves wind like a tornado! you went 40mm fan crazy! :D
Not at all...
These 40mm Sunons are ball bearing KD1204PKB3 fans (6.3 CFM - 18.5dBA).
I needed them to cool the upper part of my PC-70 (which contains a lot of electronic circuitry).
They don't move a lot of air but even at 12V they are silent...

CD :)

[Turbokeu]

The work with the jigsaw looks nice. My onli issue is that the big arm thing that holds the blade seems kinda bulky. I can't remove the top from my case since it is riveted on.
Thanks,
Don't worry, the top of the Lian Li PC-70 is riveted too, just drill the rivets out, mod what you have to mod and finally replace the rivets by screws, or tap a thread into the holes and use "Allen" screws to secure the top, like I did.

The bulky arm of a jigsaw is needed to be able to cut bigger parts.
As you can see on one of my pictures above, the arm isn't big enough to cut the whole side of my window. I cut as far as possible from one side, then I finish from the other side...

CD :)

[Turbokeu]

The beautiful part of that saw is that the blade can turn any way you want it to face (not the electric one). the blad also pops up so you can put it in the holes you drilled. It is what I use when I don't have my electric jigsaw handy or i want to make it perfect.
Indeed!...

CD :)

[DeViL_909]

You can get a rivet gun for about $10 and some rivets for $4. This will open up your doors as to what you can do, because now you can take the entire case apart and mod it and then put it back together and be just as strong as it was before. I love my rivet gun and sleep with it nightly along with my dremel :) .

[Goldstandard]

Hmm. Interesting points. Since we are on the topic of cutting I have a question that has been on my mind. What is the best way to lay out the markings to show where to cut and drill?

[jabaro]

Hmm. Interesting points. Since we are on the topic of cutting I have a question that has been on my mind. What is the best way to lay out the markings to show where to cut and drill?

I was just thinking about the same... And how about on a black case? makes things a little more difficult...?

[Turbokeu]

Hmm. Interesting points. Since we are on the topic of cutting I have a question that has been on my mind. What is the best way to lay out the markings to show where to cut and drill?
I use large masking tape to protect the surface and to draw the cut.
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0199.jpg

http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0201.jpg

Works with black cases too...:D

CD :)

[warlock110]

one question from me, can u give us some pictures of the saw in action? i can't imagine how you would cut the case, it looks as if the blade is going to move outward instead of staying on the line if u move the saw up and down? wait how does this type of saw work anyways, does it uses up/ down motion? thanks, man i kindda mess up on my case using the metal snips, just want to have a cleaner cut :)

[PCGUY112887]

^^
Like he said.. I don't see how you could cut a hole in the middle of something with that huge thing. I have a small (almost kids) sizded version of that.. and it works good but you could never cut a hole in te middle of something with it.

[Mark620]

one question from me, can u give us some pictures of the saw in action? i can't imagine how you would cut the case, it looks as if the blade is going to move outward instead of staying on the line if u move the saw up and down? wait how does this type of saw work anyways, does it uses up/ down motion? thanks, man i kinda mess up on my case using the metal snips, just want to have a cleaner cut :)

It is just like a hacksaw with a very narrow blade and a deep throat. It has a specific name but I cant remember it right now. Like any tool it requires skill and practice and patience.

[Turbokeu]

one question from me, can u give us some pictures of the saw in action? i can't imagine how you would cut the case, it looks as if the blade is going to move outward instead of staying on the line if u move the saw up and down? wait how does this type of saw work anyways, does it uses up/ down motion? thanks, man i kindda mess up on my case using the metal snips, just want to have a cleaner cut :)

Like he said.. I don't see how you could cut a hole in the middle of something with that huge thing. I have a small (almost kids) sizded version of that.. and it works good but you could never cut a hole in te middle of something with it.

Yes it uses up/down motion.
The blade has teeth only on one side (the front side), and these teeth are (must be) pointed downwards so the blade is cutting only during the downgoing movements.
Also the blade is very thin (about 1 mm thick) and about 1.5-2mm wide, allowing for very narrow turns (a few mm).
Therefore the blades are very fragile, and need to be cooled down every few minutes especially when cutting metals.
During the cut the blade should be held perfectly vertical and perpendicular to the surface to cut.
Turns are made by gradually moving the big arm sideways to the left or the right while cutting.
Never try to turn the blade in the saw cut without movement, it will snap immediately...
Don't push the blade into the material while cutting but let the blade "bite" by itself.
The longest possible cut is determined by the distance between the blade and the other side of the arm (hence the big arm...), also the dimensions of the part to cut are limited by this arm.

Now, how to cut in the middle of something...
The blade is secured to the saw by means of two wing nuts.
Drill a few holes (a little bigger than the blade) along the markings on the part to cut (for a circle I drill 4 holes very near the inner side of the markings).
Loosen the upper wing nut, disengage the blade, pass it very carefully through one of the above holes, secure the blade again and there you go...
If the arm doesn't allow you to finish the cut, loosen the blade again, pass it through another hole, and continue the cut.

This is almost the position while cutting (here not perfectly vertical because I had to release the saw to be able to take the picture):
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0200.jpg

Here I'm at the limit of the arm (almost in the middle of the cut). I loose the blade, pass it through a drilled hole of the opposite corner, secure the blade again and then I continue the second half of the cut from the opposite direction:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0202.jpg

Another example: My radiator intake shroud: You can see the 4 holes in the marking for the fan circle.
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0080.jpg

After cutting:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0075.jpg

To be able to bend the shroud easier I made some precuts (note the little holes on both sides to pass the blade):
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0076.jpg

bended:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0067.jpg

And glued:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0068.jpg

And mounted:
http://users.skynet.be/turbokeu/mycomputer/pc-70/pict0077.jpg

All this seems very time-consuming but in fact with a little experience you're able to make quick and almost perfect cuttings...

CD :)

[PCGUY112887]

Ah ic! Thanks!
Looking nice :)

[gastro54]

What kind of glue do you use for the shroud?

[Turbokeu]

What kind of glue do you use for the shroud?
Rectavit "Rectafix" glue.
This glue comes in big packages like the silicone glue and remains elastic after drying.

CD :)

[Electron Chaser]

Turbokeu very nicely done.

[gastro54]

would anyone happen to know where to find a saw like that in the US? I checked out the stanley hand tools website and didn't find any saw with a deep enough throat

[gastro54]

Ah, I found the saw name... Its called a "coping saw" :) This helps greatly

EDIT: Also called a fret saw. Here is a place to buy it:

http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/product_family.asp?family%5Fid=3720&gift=False&mscssid=07950CACEAB644DBFA19A96B75B239A9

I'm not sure if it needs special blades for metal?

[Turbokeu]

Ah, I found the saw name... Its called a "coping saw" :) This helps greatly

EDIT: Also called a fret saw. Here is a place to buy it:

http://shop.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/product_family.asp?family%5Fid=3720&gift=False&mscssid=07950CACEAB644DBFA19A96B75B239A9

I'm not sure if it needs special blades for metal?
That's it, a fret saw (have to remember that...)

Originally for cutting wood and plastics.
Works well with alu too with the appropriate blades.

The blades I use for cutting alu (18 to 25 TPI) are wider and thicker than the standard ones for wood.
With a little care they last very long (I snap them generally before they wear out).

CD :)