Help: Cutting The Case.

[Bajawoojie]

Alright, so I want to work on better airflow in my case, since I only currently have one fan in which is sucking air out of the back of my case.

My idea is to cut a hole on the top of the case in which a nice size fan can fit. Then arrange it to suck the air out the top since warm air rises. And possibly the same thing on the side only sucking air into the case toward the motherboard so that the other two fans have some fresh air to suck out.

This sounds like a good plan to me but I'm not sure how to go about it. My guess is that I would use a dremel to cut a square (Or maybe circle to fit the fan) in the top, and sand it down so it looks nice.
Once the plastic is cut and sanded. There is a thin layer of metal just underneath, would I do the same thing with the metal?

Once the hole is cut and sanded to be pretty, as far as I can tell I would just screw (or attach in some other way) the fan to the metal, plug it in, and have power.

As far as I know that is all correct, but if not - any advice would be appreciated.

[jdbnsn]

That would work, but it would be easier to cut the hole with a scroll saw. An yes, you just screw the fan in with the provided screws.

[Bucko]

His case is a real bitch though. This is it:

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9907/delldimension8300opendclw0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


Using a scroll saw isn't as easy here as on a case you can just remove the side panel.
My suggestion is use a hole saw on the outer plastic and a dremel or an angle grinder on the steel inner. Keeps it neater on the outside at least. Fit a fan grill and be done.

[jdbnsn]

What a mess! I see your point Bucko.

[calumc]

god i hate dell........

[Quakken]

Yeah, dells are serious ho's. They're meant to be for people who are likely to never even open up their case in their computer's lifetime.

But, if you can't get a hole in the top of the case, i'm pretty sure i saw a lot of room for one on the side, if that would work for you. but i only have that picture to go on, so if you can fit a fan on the top, more power to ya.

You should just be able to plug the fan you get into a free "molex" connector on your power supply, and after the hole is cut, just screw it in where you want it with the supplied screws. Pretty simple.

[Olen]

Yea, just to add to bucko's advice use the hole saw on the plastic then put the case together, put the hole saw in the hole and give it a very short buzz. That will mark a circle exactly where you want it.

If you don't have a hole saw and can't get one your best course of action would probably be to draw a circle using deviders or a compass on the plastic then drill a hole where the center was with the case together which will give you a matching centre point on the metal then draw an identicle circle on the metel by not changing the setting of the deviders from the circle before.

Bear in mind that grinders are great on the straight but are awkward on curves so it might not be ideal for this, I'd think about a jigsaw.

[Bajawoojie]

Well as a couple of you probably already know, I have an extra Gateway case sitting around - and I'm just going to practice cutting holes in that one and whatnot so when I go to do it for real on my good case I know what I am doing. Except heres the problem, I tried a zip saw on the metal (aluminum?) side that slides off except I broke the bit.

Then when I talked to my father, he said a dremel may not cut it without going through a lot of the bit things, so if anyone has any ideas please let me know ^_^
**EDIT**

Whoops, I didn't see all of the posts before I made that ^^^, but how would I get the initial hole for a jigsaw? Isn't that a manual tool?

[Bucko]

you just drill a hole for the jigsaw blade to go into. It's not a manual tool, it's a small electric saw.

[Bajawoojie]

Oh, A jigsaw is a thing in which you hold as if its a gun - and then the blade goes in and out really fast? Alright, I got one of those and will give it a try tomorrow...

[Bucko]

Make sure you have a blade designed for steel. The teeth should be fairly fine on the blade, not big chunky looking ones.

[Spawn-Inc]

like this,
http://www.tool-up.co.uk/tooldev/images/items/10744.jpg

vs. this wood cutting

http://www.tool-net.co.uk/data/tools/jiblt101ao.jpg

and this is a jig saw

http://reviewboard.com/uploadedImages/Reviews/Household/Tools/1590hero.jpg

vs. this, a saws all or reciprocating saw

http://contractorschoiceinc.lohrehosting.com/catalog/images/DW304PK_1.jpg

[Bajawoojie]

Oh, I was thinking the DeWALT one that you linked.

[Spawn-Inc]

well you might be abelt to get away with it but it will be really hard. try and find the smallest blade you can for it. not short but skinny like the jig saw blades above.