Rubbermaid Container Fan Shroud

Cheap and effective DIY shroud – Marko Oviir

The original thread on this container seems to have created quite a bit of interest, so I decided to create a proper write-up on this very cheap and very effective shroud.

I bought mine at the local Target where they were going for 99 cents each.

Pictures are worth a thousand words, so this is what my container looks like:

Here is a picture from the side:

Write this info down, before you go out – that way, you should have less trouble finding it. Thanks to iNSiGMA for this picture.

The container is pretty deep, so the first idea was putting the fans inside the shroud, like so:

Let’s locate the tools we need:

• First find a Sharpie or something similar to mark the container.
• Find a CD, preferably an old or blank one so there’s no harm done if you damage it.
• We need a sharp cutting tool; a razor bladed knife is what I used, and it works perfectly. A Dremel tool would make this job too easy. 🙂
• We also need a drill to make fan holes, with a drill bit that’s about the size of the screws. I just picked one from the tool box in the shed, so I have no idea what the size is. (Sorry 🙂
• And last, but definitely not least, have PLENTY of patience. If you don’t, you will get small cracks in the container from pressing too hard with the knife.

SO, now that we have that, let’s get started!

1) Take the Sharpie (or other marking tool) and put the CD inside the container. Try to center the CD to the best of your ability and draw a circle around it. I used the fan, since I didn’t think about the CD first, so my circle is not pretty:

2) Next, let’s go to the shed (or somewhere where your mom/girlfriend/wife won’t be mad at you for damaging anything) and place the container upside down. Now take the cutting utensil, and slowly go in circles (I made about 3-4, before it started to cut through it).

{mospagebreak}

3) Now finish the second container

off the same way and let’s get onto drilling. Take the drill bit that fit exactly in the fan’s screw hole, and put the fan right in the middle of the container, approximately where you marked it. Steady it to the best of your ability, turn the container around and mark the spots for screw holes. Try to make sure the fan doesn’t move between individual markings or else you are going to be in trouble. Then proceed with drilling:

4) Now comes the final laborious phase. It’s time to cut off the sides of the container. Place the container upside down and start going around the sides with the knife. The corners will be hard, so you might have to press down more to cut through there.

Now finish the other container. I’m fast forwarding back inside the house here. Put the fan either inside or outside the container, depending on how much space you have in your case. Putting the fan outside the container is ideal, so the compromise I made is putting the intake fan outside, so the air goes through more fins, and the sucking fan inside. This is my final result (in these pictures both the fans are still inside).

This is the final result:

The container is a very nice fit although there is some looseness, so it doesn’t fit perfectly. I tried making the container thinner by cutting off the straight part before it curves inwards (you know what I’m talking about once you have one in hand). The container was too small now! (And I destroyed it) So don’t try this, because it won’t fit on your heater core (At least not on the 86 Chevette one that I got)

I hope I will be helping someone by making this write-up. Now go out and get this container!

Special thanks go out to iNSiGMA, for hosting the pictures for me, BigSmokey, for discovering this great container and MoreGooder, for reminding me about the use of a CD as a 120mm hole template. Thanks!

If you hurt yourself or anything while following my guidelines, don’t hold me responsible, because I’m not!

Marko Oviir