PaPang Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I´m pretty sure you explained everything well enough, but I´m having a hard time imaging what you are trying to do. Do you have a sketch or better yet, something developed on Sketchup? Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icejon Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 I have included a sketchup view, but I am not so good at sketchup yet. Both aluminum bars have to run parallel to the top of the system chassis. Because of their length I will have to attach them using L shaped brackets on two sides (similar to a bathroom towel rack). Functionally they need to hold the weight and will be drilled with 4 small holes on the top and 2 holes on the bottom to bolt into the chassis frame. I need to know if I should use lexan/polycarbonate since they will be easy to work with normal wood tools, or use an aluminum right angle of which I do not have all the tools to cut and drill yet . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaPang Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 If you are going to use it regularly (like lan parties & such), lexan might hold up a while, but in the long run, I would use aluminum (1/4"). Thick aluminum looks good. You would have to have a press at least and bend it with a mallet but protect it so as not to mark it or use an angle as you mentioned. Polish it up or paint it and your good to go for the long run. I would use at least 1/4" machine screws with a pressure washer and nut. Your machine might not weigh as much as a full tower but why risk it? If you polish your bars up to a mirror finish, it would look cool vs. the red/black of the case. If you put leds into the ends, you would get extra bling. I have not seen anyone do so before, so it would be a first or very rare at most (I look around forums all over the world). Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icejon Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 If you are going to use it regularly (like lan parties & such), lexan might hold up a while, but in the long run, I would use aluminum (1/4"). Thick aluminum looks good. You would have to have a press at least and bend it with a mallet but protect it so as not to mark it or use an angle as you mentioned. Polish it up or paint it and your good to go for the long run. I would use at least 1/4" machine screws with a pressure washer and nut. Your machine might not weigh as much as a full tower but why risk it?If you polish your bars up to a mirror finish, it would look cool vs. the red/black of the case. If you put leds into the ends, you would get extra bling. I have not seen anyone do so before, so it would be a first or very rare at most (I look around forums all over the world). Cheers Thanks for the tip! Well I decided on aluminum right angle. I found a 1.5x1.5"x1/8" aluminum angle piece at home depot since I don't have a vice or a mallet to make a clean bend myself. You're right, the lexan especially with 4 holes on the top parallel and very close together will break in the long run. Since the insides of the bars are hollow, I plan to wire LED through the bar and perhaps illuminate something. I can't polish the handles yet because I have something really cool planned for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icejon Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share Posted July 18, 2009 I did something easy while I am thinking of how the top piece is going to work so I decided to put in the window. Being that the chassis is around 15-16" long it makes no sense to have a huge window. Also since the chassis is too narrow, I still need plenty of vents for air circulation. So with this being said, I needed a small window exactly the width and length of the chassis that didn't cover the grills for the power supply or grill. Here is where the HAF 932 window comes in! It fits the perfect size and includes the holes predrilled as another bonus. I just had to tape it off very carefully since by installing this window I am cutting through and over a 120mm fan grill. While I lose the airflow over the cpu, I think the window fits my look even better than the HAF being its unique shape and grid pattern. I taped off the window, and made sure to mark all the little holes. These holes I will cut out to match the windows holes. I need them to be clean so the window can close and also need them to be accurate since the side panel of this Elite 360 case warps a little. I simply make the cut, but since it is my first time I screwed up if you look at the top left corner. I used a dremel cutting wheel + jigsaw and I held the dremel too close to the chassis. I ended up scratching the finish with a long gouge from the spinning dremel chuck . I ran to the store, and got some flat black paint to touch it up. I also had to file the edges of the chassis since they weren't so cleanly cut. You can see the ragged areas where the grills were that I couldn't remove since I was worried about taking away excess material too close to the window holes. I used the CM stock plastic rivets which are easy, just push into hole and they expand and fix the window firmly. I got these as a Storm Scout part request and you can see that they add to the side panel's strength rather than taping it. Viola, here is the final product of the first RC-360 + HAF 932 Frankenstein side panel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaPang Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Yup, that is why most modders cut their windows before they paint their cases (except for coolermeister but look at the tools he has and his experience). I can´t see clearly enough but did you file down the raggedness of your dremel cut? An experienced modder would see that or even someone with a keen eye for detail. Anyways, if this is your first, it looks good, especially your choice of size for the acrylic/lexan. Waiting for the next installment. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icejon Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share Posted July 18, 2009 Yup, that is why most modders cut their windows before they paint their cases (except for coolermeister but look at the tools he has and his experience). I can´t see clearly enough but did you file down the raggedness of your dremel cut? An experienced modder would see that or even someone with a keen eye for detail. Anyways, if this is your first, it looks good, especially your choice of size for the acrylic/lexan. Waiting for the next installment. Cheers What I wanted to do was keep the original thick black paint on the side panel. It is a thick treatment equivalent to many good coats. I didn't file it down because the gouge digs through the thick paint and I am wondering how I can fix the side panel up. The chassis has a pebbly, glossy black paint that isn't matching my normal flat black color. I will probably end up taking the window off, squaring the edges of the cut and repainting the whole side panel a satin black paint, semigloss, or a heavy duty paint. Whatever matches the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icejon Posted July 19, 2009 Author Share Posted July 19, 2009 Because this chassis has thin steel, and because the power supply is in the front there will be noise. I am going to insulate it from noise using some scraps of this acoustic insulation material. The material in my hand is 1/4" acoustic foam with a self adhesive backing. This material is scraps from a Sileo 500 chassis. I cut it a little off on the left side so I can insert a 2/5" piece later to fill the gap. I measured wrong cutting it so I have areas that need extra insulation and I had to insert scraps that I cut to fill. The power supply sits on this area so It prevent the power supply from vibrating. I guess it wont matter once the PSU is on top of it. I've noticed this whole worklog I haven't offered an picture of the whole chassis so here it is. Now on to modding the top lid anchor brackets for the handles . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icejon Posted July 19, 2009 Author Share Posted July 19, 2009 I decided to get to some real work of making something new tonight. I am going to take these pieces of angled 1.5"x1/8" Aluminum stock and make my top right angled brackets for my handles. I tape out the cutting area with painter's tape and start to imagine how the handles will look. Since I only can cut a 45 degree angle with the tools I have I decide to start there. The aluminum handles I have from the 532 have twin holes about 7/16" apart on center for screws. I had a plastic part from the 532. I cut this original mounting out and made into a template. Using this I can trace a line and also place holes where the screw holes would be. Now I traced these parts out I clamp them in my miter box and start using a hand tool to cut the aluminum. I can't afford to rent a miter power saw to cut a simple angle in 5 seconds, so I have to do it by hand which takes while longer. I use a fine tooth 32 teeth per inch aluminum cutting blade because I need to be confident I can have an edge that requires little or no preparation since I have no tools. About an hour later I am working on the second cut for the other side. Then I also cut another piece off my stock to be almost the same as my first piece. Two hours pass slowly hacking away at the aluminum bar and I have a second piece. Now I have two angles taped together to make it stronger. Now I can test fit for length. My problem is that although it eyeballs right lengthwise it may be too long. With the chassis top I have to put my screw holes on the very edges of the frame, especially on the back of the chassis since part of it will be outside the chassis. My dilemma is I could put my bolts into the chassis only if I attach them at the very end of the brackets or find a way to cut down the tubes at the exact same lengths. After cutting aluminum with a hacksaw for the last 2 hours, I favor leaving the length the same. Next up I have a drill bit, two types of bolts and a clamped bracket. I am going to use 5x10mm hex head bolts on the bottom of the brackets to hold it to the chassis, and on the top I will use standard wood threaded .5" long screws. Monday I will have a chance to take this to a drill press and go to town! That's it for now, thanks for tuning in to my first time mod . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaPang Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 He, you could've fooled me about your metal working skills. I couldn't have done a better job & now I can see how your bars will look. Don´t want to be picky, but the closeness of your bars do hinder the top fan´s outflow, although, since they are round, it won't be so noticeable except for maybe a whistling sound of the air forcing itself between the bars. Nice touch on the angles which must have been a pain to cut. Thick aluminum looks good but it hard to work with by hand. Are you planning on using the top hole for a fan? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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