preparing for some moddage

i am about to embark on my first window mod (i can do fans which i am very proud of, but anyway) and i was wondering several things:

a) i am thinking of painting my case, should i do this pre-windowing or post-windowing (or in the middle (cut hole but no window)?

b) how do you cut lexan or acryllic?

c) is it superhard to make a fan hole cut into a piece of lexan? cause i already have a fan on the side of my case but i want to move it so i can get more window coverage and the coolest place/only place to move it is into the window.

d) anyone have a link to really comprehensive guide on window modding (i dont want to mess up the case with 7 fan holes, you all understand i'm sure)

gracias.

Well, youl probably want to find some trim for the window, so it wouldnt matter when you cut the hole. Trust me, you WILL WANT trim, no matter how careful you are its hard to get a smooth hole. Cutting in the lexan should be easy with a holesaw, i assume you have one from your fan-hole cutting, and a bandsaw will work great for straight cuts. As for a guide i cant help you too much, but check http://www.virtual-hideout.net , they might have something.

i gots a dremel. does that cut lexan?

Sure, but its gona be really hard to get a neat hole, because of the thickness of the material. You can do straight lines though.

Okay, don't paint anything till you finish with the metal work. A table saw is the thing for lexan straight cuts. Holes, a bimetal holesaw will work quite well. A routing bit for a dremel cuts a lot of stuff quite nicely. I will have to look up a site for you later. Oh yeah, door edge molding works great for the edging.

The only problem I have with using the dremmel to cut lexan, is that if you go too slow, it melts. You go too fast and the cutting wheel skips and you get a rough looking hole. I found that a jig-saw works really well. Even for cutting straight. all you need to do is get a staight piece of wood/ ruler/ whatever, and two C-clamps, and use it as a guide for the jig-saw to butt up against.

yeah i know this guy with a workshop in his basement, i think i'm gonna go ask him to use some of his stuff.

I got this trick from doing it myself. Use a small (1x2 or so) peice of wood or metal as a guide. Measure everything so its square. then clamp the guide to it. and drill a hole at the ends of the straight edges of the hole. Use a scroll saw or reciprocating saw to cut the straight edges. then use a sanding wheel to finish the corners. the result (if you take your time): almost perfection


Hope this helps