Need a precision cutting instrument

[Krusty]

Ok, I have drawn out the design I am planning on cutting out of my side panel. You can see the idea behind the design here (http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62808).

For those of you that checked there, you can see that it will take some precision cutting that may prove too much for a dremel cut off bit. So what sort of tool should I use? If it is something I don't have, where would I find access to it?

The easiest solution would be some sort of dremel bit that is able to cut tight curves and sharp points into sheet metal. Anyone know of a bit that could accomplish this?

[JDXNC]

take it to a good machine shot and have them cut it with a laser, it does a fantastic job and can make any shape or curve u can dream up.

[Krusty]

Originally posted by JDXNC
take it to a good machine shot and have them cut it with a laser, it does a fantastic job and can make any shape or curve u can dream up.

ooh, sounds expensive. I'll call a few machine shops tomorrow to find out.

EDIT: Ok, forget that! I just bugged my roommate for a little info he might know on laser cutting and found out that those lasers need to be programmed to cut and are not moveable by hand. It would cost a ton of money to program a flaming face into one of those things.

[Diggrr]

You could use the dremel and cutoff wheels to take out most of the meat, then cut into the sharp corners with a narrow blade jigsaw.

Another option would be to mask the clear areas with contact paper (or plastic film adhesive/masking tape) and paint the whole window. Remove the masking to reveal the clear areas left behind. Just use a normal size window on a normal size hole. You could also brush paint the design on the backside of the window too.

Yet one more option would be to use the large acetate sheets you can use in many bubble jet printers (kind of like over-head projector sheets), and print your design for a full size window. Peel and stick on the inside of the window.

A couple of ideas for ya to kick around.....have fun with it bud.

[Darrenct]

That could probably be done with a plasma cutter. I know dozens of people that have those...
Of course, I live in Idaho... The welding equipment to person ratio is 12:1. But I'm sure someone in Cali has one. Machine shops definitely would... It'd be less expensive than laser.

[dream caster]

(not native english speaking and now I don't have a dictionary to look for the exact name of the tool)

I think you will able to cut any shape you like with those C- shaped saw that you move by hand if you get the type jewelers use. It may take longer than laser or plasma cutters but you´ll have it in your house and may make any changes right at the spot


P.S. you'll need some needle files to deburr.

[Darrenct]

I think your talking about a hack saw. I don't think it would work, because that saw need to have somewhere for the back of the saw to be.

[dream caster]

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Something like that , where the : are that hair like blade.
The problem could be size of the bow part, because most of the time you have to have that part in the outside and the blade where you are cutting, so there is a maximun distance between the edge of panel and the edge of window.

[Darrenct]

That is the problem that I was talking about... The bow part will get in the way. I bet a band saw would work well... If they make metal blades for it.

[Krusty]

I'm going to start out with my dremel and some cut off wheels. Once I start to get to the smaller areas, I'm going to take those leftover tiny cut off wheels to work a bit in there.

For the even smaller stuff, I'm thinking of looking for a very narrow jig saw blade (or search around home depot for that hair-like tool). For the final touches, I'll take out the engraving dremel tool (tiny ball with sharp ends on it) and scrape away at the final bits.

It'll take me quite a while, but I think it'll work.

I'll post pics of my design a bit later today. I marked it all out with permanent marker on the inside and I must say it looks damn cool:cool: .

[flounder43]

Jig saw with a metal cutting blade.

[Krusty]

Here's the design I drew out. The fireball on the right is actually a 120mm fan hole that will blow directly on my pci cards.

I'm thinking a nice addition would be to stick a couple of red LEDs in for the eyes.

[Rezman5]

Oh man, that would like so awesome. Forget the red LEDs for the eyes, just get a red cold cathode for inside the case!!! That would be sooooo sweet!

[Krusty]

One down, one tough one to go! My confidence level in this just went up a lot! Who's your daddy?

Oh, and it was all done with 2 cut off wheels!

[natopotato]

while the actual cut is very impressive the fact that u only used only 2 cuting blades is stagering

i plan on somthing similar i want to cut a biohazard symbol into the side off my alienware hydro

[Ottoman]

only 2!!

wow... I used like 8 to cut my round rectangle...

but my case is like body armor..

maybe yours is a little thinner

[Krusty]

Originally posted by Ottoman
only 2!!
wow... I used like 8 to cut my round rectangle...
but my case is like body armor..
maybe yours is a little thinner

Nah, my case is plenty thick. seems thick enough to take a few hits with a shotgun without taking any holes.

The trick I have found is not to put the dremel on the highest speed. With a new disk, keep it at about half speed. Only increase it when there isn't much disk left and, therefore, less speed on the edges of the disk. It sounds to me like you guys just turn the thing up and jam it as deep into the metal as you can. I go slower than you guys, but get cleaner cuts and use less disks.

Next week I'm going to make my first attempt at cutting out the flaming face.

[Darrenct]

Once you get used to the dremel, speed, angle, etc... You really don't waist very many disks. And as Krusty has shown us, You can make some pretty impressive shapes!

[JFettig]

Originally posted by Darrenct
That could probably be done with a plasma cutter. I know dozens of people that have those...
Of course, I live in Idaho... The welding equipment to person ratio is 12:1. But I'm sure someone in Cali has one. Machine shops definitely would... It'd be less expensive than laser.


as for the plazma cutter DONT DO IT!
you must be extremely experienced with that! and eaven then i dont think you could do it.....i made a few cuts with one of those one time hehehe nevermind about that!
but those dont cut very clean and you cant really see were your going with it, because if you dont use any eye protection itll blind you and a little itll heart and the rite amount you cant see what your cutting