tips thread

[rhino56]

know of any good tips to help with modding?
anything you would like to contiribute that you think you know and others dont?
do it here.

if you post in here you got to post a tip.
heres mine-
when installing lighting into a case it looks better to not see the light itself but only the light from it.

[shard]

the dremel is not the end-all be-all. there are other tools for modding out there, look into them, like hole saws, metal routers. and so on!

[Daewood]

#1 - always make sure when cutting a material tape over the area to be cut to prevent chipping and scratching

#2 - always go slow and take your time (this is the downfall of most good mods)

hope that helps anyone :D

[Optimus Prime]

i find that most of my modding mistakes come from mixing alcohol and modding... they usually dont go together.... sooo um ya.

[Section8]

i find that most of my modding mistakes come from mixing alcohol and modding... they usually dont go together.... sooo um ya.

LOL for sure.

One thing about going slow that does not apply when cutting Plexi glass you must go at a high RPM and let the drill or whatever do the work otherwise crack!!!!!!

[Daewood]

What i meant by going slow is take your time and dont rush things

[SniperXX]

One thing about going slow that does not apply when cutting Plexi glass you must go at a high RPM and let the drill or whatever do the work otherwise crack!!!!!!

I found out the hard way my 1st time I drilled plexy. :-/


My tip is to measure several times before you cut something.

[Guderian]

What i meant by going slow is take your time and dont rush things

When did this become a tips for dating women thread?

Seriously though:

Pre-planing is as, if not more important than the modding itself.

Measure twice or thrice, cut once.

[rhino56]

ahhh you guys are doing great, no posts yet without a tip in them


tip- when drilling a door or case make sure it is secured so it doesnt spin with the bit and cause damage.

[neonblingbling]

Better be safe than sorry... Wear at LEAST eye protection while using power tools. After that, a dust mask, long (but tight, so it doesnt get caught) sleeves, and possibly ear plugs.

....and pick up PSU covers from the ground, so you dont step on them at 1 am in the morning.

[shard]

if you get tired or frustrated, JUST WALK AWAY! you are just bound to fubar it. and if you get mad, dont vent on the case. unless thats your thing! lol

[Cerberus2k7]

Cerbies tip #1: On all failed projects, proceed to dump gas on it and light that sucker on fire!!! Then take pics for all of us to see. :D

Cerbies tip #2: SAVE YOUR SCRAPS during the mod. That way if you want to paint or test something, you don't have to worry about fubaring your actual mod. Then burn it all after youre done. :p

[BroncoBob]

If you can find a good spot, hang your Dremel cord at shoulder height (or higher) and slightly behind you. It makes the tool easier to control without the cord dragging/snagging on your work area.

[Inceptor]

A good solid pair of professional grade tin snips can cut metal better then a power tool with less chance for screwing up. (Provided you arent trying to cut 12 gauge steel decking) :P

Tip for the snips is, green isn't for the left hand and red for the right hand. You get two pair because they each feed the scrap out a different way. The tooth of the snip that sits at an angle should be facing the scrap side of what you're cutting.

[shard]

when cutting a window, Dynamite IS an acceptable method of cutting































































ok now for my real tip
when cutting plastic, go slow, as one once said, it becomes Flaming Peices of pooh

[neonblingbling]

ok now for my real tip
when cutting plastic, go slow, as one once said, it becomes Flaming Peices of pooh

No no no, you got it all wrong. Flaming Pieces of Poo From Hell. ;) Pooh is the cuddly yellow bear from Disney.

[Maximus Faticus]

There were a lot of tips in my case thread, but I'll share a couple that Sean Lindstrom posted.

For cutting wood;
The clamps are handy for countless tasks - especially when you're making do in a poor workspace.

Here's how to make a guide for straight 8 foot cuts, out of two strips of plywood:
Take your circular saw and roughly rip about 8 inches off the long edge of a plywood sheet. The sheet should be at least 1/2" thick and 8" wide for dimensional stability. It's the factory-cut edge you want; it may be a little course looking but it's very straight. Now measure the base plate of your saw from left edge to blade, add an inch, and add 8 inches more for the width of the straightedge you just made. Roughly cut so wide a piece out of preferably thinner stuff (1/8" hardboard, 1/4" ply, etc.) or in a pinch use the same ply you cut the straightedge out of. This second piece should be 8' long too. Screw the two together, face-to-face, with the factory-cut edge near the middle and on top. Next, set the shoulder of your circular saw base plate against the factory edge plywood, and run the length to trim the wider plywood base. The saw guide is complete. Now every cut you make with the guide (and same saw) will always follow this last cut edge. You can line that edge up to layout marks, clamp the guide, and get cuts as true as any sawmill. The clamped-down guide also helps prevent grain tear-out as you cut.
For cutting plexi;

Use the right tool: a plastic/laminate cutter (http://www.olfa.com/Products.asp?C=4&P=58). Any big tool supplier will have these, and they're inexpensive. They work by progressively scratching through brittle materials - at some point it becomes easy to make a clean snap along the scored line. As with other knives, you can guide the cut accurately along a steel straightedge.

[w00p]

Another piece of considerate evidence of how sucky stock grids can be...
http://img51.exs.cx/img51/5387/Casemod014.jpg

As for my personal advise: if you have a low quality steel case, support it for every little thing you do to it...

See that pic, it was a 33€ case (+-40$).
Look at the I/O panel. Stock, the second USB/ethernet port was covered, the audio connector port was covered and the game device port too.

They all vibrated loose while cutting out that grid unsupported. Now I have open spaces without a mobo that fills it all up.

Just a little example

[stryder2720]

Wear protection to keep the metal flakes outta ya nose...you know what I mean>)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/stryder2720/100_0842.jpg

[shard]

when painting, it never hurts to sand it some and reaply some more paint, and repeat

[alpha_gamer]

1. Whenever using a Dremel or other high speed tool, make sure your bit is tightly secured. Especially when working in a garage between a Lexus and a Mercedes, you guys can get the picture.

2. Let stuff cool before you pick it up, even plastic. Burning your fingers can really screw up the modding process.

3. Remember to turn off your automatic sprinkler system before spray painting on your lawn.

4. Never improvise tools, even using a Dremel to drill holes doesn't work very well. I usually end up with quite a few broken bits and jagged holes.

5.Remeber to clear coat after painting. It's a real heart break to see 1/2 your new paint job rubbed off after driving to a LAN.

[neonblingbling]

Don't use old eletrical tape... And if you do use eletrical tape, superglue the last itty bit of a section; the heat gets to the sticky-ness.