Cutting a window?

[hitokiri_808]

Bolts are cheap, easy, and they look good.

I find it easier to cut holes and stuff with a jigsaw. Except for cutting flimsy metal or by an edge. A Dremel works better there.

 

[(Clanger)(DOA)]

Bolts are cheap, easy, and they look good.

I find it easier to cut holes and stuff with a jigsaw. Except for cutting flimsy metal or by an edge. A Dremel works better there.

Who needs a dremel when you have a 5 axis CNC router in your garage....

 

[Celeron_Phreak]

Yeah, a dremel is no good for thick high grade aluminum cuts. When I cut the HAXOR logo into my case I originally started with the dremel but I was going through a reinforced cutting wheel WAY to fast. If you want to use a dremel for it, get about three of those diamond cutting wheels and go slow.

Otherwise just go with the jigsaw like others said and get yourself a saw guide that clamps down. That way you can keep the saw against the guide and still cut without worrying about making the cut crooked. Works great for cutting sheet metal for me.

 

[Holy Diver]

If you are only 15 and are going to school you might want to ask a shop teacher if you can use a scroll saw or something of that nature for an hour after school. That way you will not have to pay.

 

[Maviryk]

I don't get why everyone is saying how long it takes to cut out windows(with a dremel)... ya'll must be doing something wrong.

IMHO reinforced cutting wheels are overrated for cutting aluminum and steel. They're too thick and cut slow. Personally I use No. 409 cutoff discs. The trick is to use several light passes.

See this mod project here, takes less than an hour to cut a window and a blowhole and file the rough edges out. A 20 pack of No. 409 cutoff discs costs about 6 dollars and each disc should cut anywhere from 4-6 inches depending on the material. The discs cut a lot faster due to their thin profile and you can also make nicer curves.

And the diamond coated discs are useless. After about one pass the diamond coating wears off and you're trying to cut metal with metal. Not worth the $25.

Remember folks, it's all in the technique.

And don't forget goggles and earplugs.

 

[TheSonOfX51]

I just used metal snips to cut my window. It took about 5 mins and looks just fine. As for mounting the window, my friend hooked me up with some really good double-sided tape to hold it and its never coming out

 

[stool]

You must be talking about air-powered snips, right? I used regular manual snips for a small and it took forever
What I use when cutting a straight window with a jigsaw is a sheet of thin plywood hotglued to the inside for stability, masking tape around the pattern to prevent scratching(depending on a paint job being done or not), and as suggested above, you definitely want a saw guide.
For a window with curves or odd shapes, a dremel is the way to go.

 

[NODES]

try using a dremel on a side panel from an ANTEC P180..good luck..

 

[infinitevalence]

why would you ever do that, it would totaly distroy its sound dampening design...

 

[NODES]

why would you ever do that, it would totaly distroy its sound dampening design...

cause ive had an extra 2 side panels and tried making a window version for it...

 

[stool]

why would you ever do that, it would totaly distroy its sound dampening design...

When you make the decision to cut a window, you are sometimes sacrificing other attributes that the case offers. This is, after all, the alt-modding section. Somewhere along your planning, you have to decide whether you want quiet, or you want cool.

 

[Celeron_Phreak]

Or you can be like me and preserve quiet and still stay cool.

Just takes time to think mods out. Some mods are no brainers, like the case handles and the top fan I put in my V1000. Others, like hte side panel fans on and the HAXOR cut took me about a year to decide upon. Take your time on big mods and think out situations which it could be good and which it can be bad. There's the secret to successful modding....A well thought out mod that is awesome and effective at the same time doesn't come up every day...

 

[Paco420]

My dremel worked for me, But I also have the rubber molding to hide any defects in the cut. This is a thick heavy case and it cut with no problem, just use the thicker cutting wheels.

 

[stool]

Where did you get your molding from? Auto or elsewhere?

 

[Paco420]

It came with the window kit, From www.Frozencpu.com
It worked out great, I think.

 

[autolex84]

I just used metal snips to cut my window. It took about 5 mins and looks just fine. As for mounting the window, my friend hooked me up with some really good double-sided tape to hold it and its never coming out

I wonder who that was!?

 

[RevelatorHarmon]

Well, how did it go? did you get it cut? how does it look?