Still learning...

Hello to all. I recently decided that it was about time I did what I always said I wanted to do, which is to mod a case by hand. It's certainly not anything fancy , nor does it have anymore than a color-based theme, but it's made me appreciate the true value of a workshop.

It's pretty much just a basic cut n' paint job. Used a dremel with circle cutter attachment to cut out a hole in the side of the case where a fan can be mounted, and right now I'm in the process of painting the whole thing black. I have been coming to terms with the differences between what I would like to do and what I am physically capable of doing, so let me know if I'm asking for too much in my questions.

In regards to the paint, I decided to try out the glossy black Krylon Fusion. The main attraction for the spray paint is ease of use. I don't really have a work area, so as far as painting goes, I'm a little limited in choices. Bottomline, I sanded the sides of the computer case (which I'm starting to believe was my first mistake), and I've already applied about 4 coats to the sides. However, I'm noticing that there seem to be some spots that reflect more light than others, and I'd like for this to NOT happen. I was thinking that maybe applying the spray-on polyurethane would help...or maybe I just need more coats of the Krylon Fusion.....your thoughts.

The second question I have pertains to adding lights to the inside of the case. Basically I'm just wondering if pink cold cathodes exist...anywhere. I've read the reviews of some red cold cathodes at newegg that are more pinkish than red, but I'd like to go with a sure thing, if it actually exists.

Thanks in advance for any time you can take to offer a reply.

welcome to the forums!
you did the painting good, you just need to sand it a little with a 1500 or 2000grit sandpaper and use a clear topcoat with some polish wax on top. the reason why its shiny in one spot and not the other is because the paint wasnt applied evenly so you need to sand for a nice even coating. heres a great guide on painting: http://modthebox.com/paintguide.shtml

Im yet to see pink cold cathodes. you are right, some cheaper red cathodes have a pink colour but i dont think they make specificly pink ones. and why do you want pink? just not an other girl in the modding community? :)

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Originally Posted by Frakk

and why do you want pink? just not an other girl in the modding community? :)

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Yes, scary though it may be, I am of the XX chromosome variety ;). And I'll tell ya the full story about my color preference. Blue is actually *my* color. I really adore blue. However, I also desire something...different, ya know? Something that would stand out. And as cool as blue is, everytime I go to our local LAN, at least 2 of my buddies have essentially the same case: Black paint, blue lights. Don't get me wrong here, it looks awesome, but I don't just want the "black case/blue light" thing. I'd like something that'll stand out a bit.

Plus I really think there's just some sort of sexy nerdy girl thing associated with the pink lights. I don't know...call me crazy...but that's what I want. :D


And btw, thanks ever so much for the link about the paint job. I'm anxious to take a look at it.

nothing wrong with pink.

You may want to look into white CCFLs and wrap them in a pink, clear plastic.

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Plus I really think there's just some sort of sexy nerdy girl thing associated with the pink lights.

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I agree, pink can look really good on girls if applied right. you can make pink ccfl out of white as fishies said, experiment with different wraps. pink or purple would do the trick.

That's a hell of an idea. Admittedly, I can't really think of anything other than just pink saran wrap, so if that's just fine to use well then hey, all the better. However, if you do have other recommendations, I'm absolutely all ears. Thanks again for the advice.

any craft store will have an assortment of seran film in different colours.

Studio Gels are definately available in pink for very cheap. Wrap a white cathode with one and SHAZAM!, instant pink light anywhere you need it.

Studio Gels are usually better than Saran Wrap because they're more designed for that purpose (stage lighting), and will last you forever.

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But are the gels transparent enough and the CCFL bright enough to adequately light up the case? I only ask because I would imagine stage lights to be much much brighter than a CCFL, but that could be the inexperience talking. ;)

I never thought of studio gels. Brilliant.

They will be transparent enough. They are meant to alter light colour.

Any advice on where I should be looking for these things? Thought maybe a place like Michael's (US craft store) might carry em, but no such luck. Tried just typing "studio gels" into google without any decent results as well, so I'm at a bit of a loss.

A quick google search lead me here. It has things like peach and rough...I think that will do you just fine. Good price too. Here you can find the different links to see all the stlyes you can choose from...hope this helps.

Yeah it does, thanks again for the links. Have to just give em a call and see what they can recommend.

Thanks again to everybody for the help. Lookin forward to putting these ideas in action.

Not a problem...if you need anything else just ask.

Well, the time has come again to seek the knowledge of the experts ;). The case is comin along, albeit kinda slow. Everything's been painted and is ready for some clear acrylic soon as things are about ready to get put back together. However, there is a point of interest that I'd like to pass by everybody here.

Using a Dremel tool with the Circle Cutter attachment and Multipurpose bit, I cut out a circle for an 80mm fan on the side of my case. Now, problem is, things didn't really go that well during the cut. It's as pretty as I could get it, but the bit had a tendency to wobble while I was cutting so the circle is too big in sections. 'No problem', I said to myself. 'I'll just make a bigger hole and install a 120mm.' There was poor planning on my part in that I painted the whole thing BEFORE making this decision, but that's the price I pay for getting too eager and not being patient enough. Bottomline though is this: Are there any recommendations on how to perform this cut cleaner and better than before?

First thought I've had is to trace out a many-sided polygon, cut it with the Dremel cutting wheel, then either leave as is or grind out the flat sides to make it more circle-like. However, I am very open to better alternatives if anyone has suggestions. Thanks again.

The way I cut circles is I start by cutting a cm or so away from my line. I try not to get on the line at all possibal and cut around it. Then I take a sanding bit and go to the line. Take it slow and just sand it to the line. You should end up with a good clean circle. This will not work on aluminum though...as you cant really sand that much of it. In that case there is a circle cutting tutorial somewhere in the forums or on the home page of this site. I will look later and post it.

Discovered what seems to be a fairly good article on using the Dremel for freehand circles. It's definitely worth the perusal of the folks around here:
http://www.mnpctech.com/Dremel.html

I couldn't find any circle cutting tutorials on this particular site, though that's not to say it isn't here. Anyhow, comments, advice, and/or suggestions are always welcome.

Cutting Circles.. Most tend to use hole cutter attachments on the Drill. like this linkie

Mal, I would look into that if I could afford it, but unfortunately I just gotta make do with what I got. I must say that the mnpctech article worked like a charm. Angling the cutting wheel like that turned out to be a great way to cut through it, and the circle is much more perfect than anything I had done before. I'm hoping that after all this is said and done I'll be able to look back and post a recollection of the whole project as I've learned loads trying to get all this stuff done. So until the next seemingly insurmountable hurdle approaches, bienvenue, adios, aloha, good-bye, thanks again. :D