Lexan external WC housing?

Question to those who have made Lexan cases etc:

I'm planning on upgrading my whole rig, and one of my plans was to also make the external housing for my watercooling rig a little spiffier (right now it's sitting in an officedepot plastic file tub). How long did it take you to make your cases and how much previous experience did you have with lexan/acrylic?

I would assume making something smaller (and less complex) than a computer case out of lexan would be easier, but I want to know what I'm getting into before I go out and buy all the equipment (will probably need a glass/lexan cutter, the lexan, the adhesive, plus something to drill two holes in the case for tubing -- the housing would sit atop my case).

Also, I'm trying to figure out what I would to to make it so that I can open the top of the housing...the only thing I can think of is hinges, but I want the thing to look sleek. Thumbscrews are probably out of the question because the lexan won't be that thick...any othe ideas?

Bare essentials for working with Polycarbonate and Acrylic

- Drillpress Or Power Drill (preferrably with a set of shallow bite angle bits and a few spade bits)
- Tap & Die set
- Some kind of power sander or sanding wheel attachment for the drill
- Small File
- Jigsaw

A TableSaw or BandSaw will cut down your work time considerably and help to make your cuts precise and clean.

To affix the sheets together into a single assembly I recommend getting some acrylic square rod. 1/2-inch or larger. You can then cut this to length and use it as a screw-mounting post for the corners of the assembly. Simply drill the holes precisely, then clean off the drill bit with an X-acto knife, or a heat source which will shrivel the remaining plastic off of it. Then tap the holes for whatever screws you want to use. I've had great success with using #6-32 screws in 7/64th-inch holes that I tapped myself. Using this method will allow you to assemble (or disassemble) the whole unit easily.

If you do neet to adhere sheets together there's nothing more effective than JPS Weld-On Acrylic Solvent.