list O good tips

ok guys help me out on this one. we all got to pitch in here and we can make a list of uber important tips.

my absolutely best tip is this

if your cutting from a design.. make sure its centered (or wherever it has to be) then tape it or mark it or whatever. then make sure again.

this will burn you if your not careful!

get safty goggles if your going to be useing power tools. ya you might look like a goof and it may be an extra cost and inconvienace, but not being able to see is more of one. play it safe.

nothing is perfect, but you can make it pretty close if you pay attention to detail.

always remember there are parts of your pc people will almost never see. you dont need to spend so much time on those places.

be patient. rushing through something because your excited to be working on your newest idea is a bad idea. take your time, do a good job rather then doing a crappy job and then haveing to fix it.

look at what your doing before you start. you dont need to plan the whole thing out if thats not your style, but you should definately look at what you want to do and see what is going to be complications and their solutions BEFORE you get too deep.

if your cutting some metal that you have to paint later, sand it before you start cutting. that way you wont get sliced when you sand.

a long preperations usually equates to a good finished product.

dont get discouraged if something dosent work. just look at why it didnt work and make it go your way.

you will never be able to find a tool you need when you need it. get in the habbit of keeping your workstation clean.

when your cutting something be conservative about your cuts. its alot esier to file things down cause their too large then have to go back, get more material mark it out and cut it again.

ask your friend / gf / wife / coworker some time for a left handed hammer or screw driver some time and see if they clue in.

even the most complex problem is just a serise of smaller probelms. break them down and handle them individualy and your set.

things are only as complicated as you allow them to be.

when painting, prime your work. and seal it when your done.



be creative. ya ok, you have a problem. look at it. think about it. think about what other materials you know about that might help you. if your totaly lost for ideas, welcome to the internet. vast welth of knowledge here. lots of products that do things you hadent even thought of before.

nobody is pefect all the time. look at mistakes as oppertunities to learn a new way to fix something. in the end of it you might just use the new skill you learned to fix not only your mod but something else arround the house.

whos arround? although probably the people arround you arent computer modders, everyone has a profession. maybe you know someone that builds metal things in a factory or shop. maybe you know a carpenter or an electronics guy. ask them questions. these are invaluable resources to you. they might be able to suggest a faster or better way of doing something for you.

My biggest Tips:

1) Make sure your workplace is well lit.

2) If someone, anyone, will disturb your workplace-then move it. Have it somewhere that no-one will touch your stuff, or care if you damage the worktop and such.

3) If you're not sure, triple check.

4) Plan ahead, but don't over-plan. You might change your mind about say, which parts you're going to paint. Ideas will come during the building-so make sure that you've got the space to impliment them.

5) When working with plexi...leave the sticky paper on till the very last minute.

6) Don't mess with the PSU unless you have 100% certainty that you know exactly what you're doing.

7) Always double check your wiring.

8 ) Windows DON'T always need trim, contrary to popular belief.

9) Practice on cut-offs and rubbish before going in for the kill on your only piece of Perspex or Metal.

10) Some ideas won't work. Others will. When they don't, don't let it get you down-because when it's all coming together at the end of the day, it's worth it.

-Dave

Confucious say:

1) When presented with a technical problem to solve, always look at the stuff you have already rather than bamboozle yourself with all of the options available to you from outside. Creativity comes from adapting existing resourses.

2) Dont throw anything out!

3) Lazy people are more creative. Go for simple solutions to simple problems.

4) Google is your friend.

5) New tasks are only difficult to complete because you lack experiance or skills... Dont be afraid to develop new skills, you are only likely to fail a couple of times before you start getting better.

6) Dont try and reinvent the wheel, unless you are an expert on wheels already... adapt existing technologies to your purposes. A creative mind though will adapt good ideas from disperate sources and disciplines

7) Beware of advice you recieve from forums. You dont know the knowledge, experiance and bias of those that give it. That is not to say dont listen to it, but do your own research as well. Forum advice is best taken as guidance not instruction.

8.) Unless you are prepared to fail.. read and take heed of manufacturers advice. Thats not to say that going against manufacturers advice is a guarantee of failing, buts its a good indication you might.

9) Polar bears are not left handed, dont approach one from either side.

10) Dont ever listen to advice from anyone named Dave! It is a known fact that people called Dave never give good advice.. (Sorry Dave) Whenever a piece of misinformation is spread, it is always a bloke called Dave that started it. It was a barman called Dave that convinced my flatmate that polar bears are left handed.

11) Never finish a top list on 11, its a good indication that you ran out of sensible advice at around 8!!!

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10) Dont ever listen to advice from anyone named Dave! It is a known fact that people called Dave never give good advice.. (Sorry Dave) Whenever a piece of misinformation is spread, it is always a bloke called Dave that started it. It was a barman called Dave that convinced my flatmate that polar bears are left handed.

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Polar bears are left handed! Didn't you know that? oh, and on a side note, penguins have gills.

I had another piece of advice, so i'll add this as:

2.1) Worklogs are your friend. You will have no resource in the world greater than the worklogs of other modders.

-Dave, the polar bear worrier

Here's my three rules:
1. Don't do stupid stuff.
2. If it doesn't fit, it doesn't work without a bit of filing.
3. Mind your hands.

my rule about materials:

-metal takes brute force, wood takes patience, plastic takes heat, and fibreglass has the infinite ability to take your life

my rule about tools:

-hands work just as good as tools sometimes, plus its a good stress relief

my rule about fire:

-flames are your friends, but fires arent. fires are the cause and end to all problems. fires ARE a good way to destroy evidence though...

my rules about methods:

-if it take more than 10 minutes, walk away now

-if you think you're doing it right, you arent... but dont stop, something cool might happen

-when all else fails, kick the crap out of something that cant fight back (younger brothers are good)

and my golden rules about art:

-art teachers are asses, no one teaches art. having rules, teachers, and classes for art is completely contradictory. art is art is art is art is art. i am art.

-as one of my math teachers once said, "you dont make mistakes, you make art, and by art i mean horrible math."

lol sounds like my art teacher...

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look at what your doing before you start. you dont need to plan the whole thing out if thats not your style, but you should definately look at what you want to do and see what is going to be complications and their solutions BEFORE you get too deep.

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so true. look at my worklog. the time it takes to actually plan my stuff out is the time taken to actually do the whole mod.

and my tip is:

never think too heavily about a mod before you go to sleep, otherwise you will never get to sleep (although sleep is the best time to think).

Because no one else has put this up here yet:

The KISS method:
Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Note: This does not apply to ideas :p, just methods

1) Estimate the time need to complete your project (in hours).
2) Add 1/3 more time
3) Triple that number
4) This is your Actual Halfway mark.

It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take Hofstadter's Law into account.
- Hofstadter's Law

Sawing & heating plexi (for small tasks):

- Not too fast, the plexi will melt and the saw blade will snag on it

- Use plexi blade to cut out the line as guidance, moving saw blade will chip the side

- Saw at about 30 degrees tilt, it'll be straight and easier compared to 45 deg and above.

- Move the heat gun about 6 inches away and dont stop at a spot too long, you'll melt the surface and if accidentally pressed it'll leave a blurred surface