"Slimming" a fan?

[Nagoshi]

I was wondering, since Im getting an Antec 900 soon and don't feel like seeing a big colored square of blue-lit plastic around the fan on the side panel, if it was possible to slim it down using a Dremel. Had some questions.

1. Would it affect air flow if I would cut all the exterior bezel of the fan but keep a small plastic line for the screws, as well as the plastic "legs" that holds the fan to the bezel?

2. Would it look good? Assuming Im using my patience and don'T rush through.

3. On a LED fan, would there be a way around this or I should keep another plastic ring around the fan so that the LED actually works?

I personally always liked the look fans had without the bezel, such as the stock Intel fans, and was wondering if it would look good.

Id "slim" a new CoolerMaster blue fan when I will have my new case soon, and since it's led I may sand the whole remaining so that it does not look clear. But of course I would try it out on an old black fan I have lying around, and make some test about the airflow. May eventually post a tutorial about if it ends up nice.

[chaksq]

Hmm, I'm not totally sure how that would work, might work if you have a spare fan give it a shot. I was thinking of doing something kinda similar on one of my mods. make sure you know which way you want it blowing before you cut and one side is used to hold the fan in it's case so you can probably only do this one way. If can afford to spare a fan I say go ahead and try it.

[Spawn-Inc]

ya it would mess with airflow. it needs the ring so air can come in one side and out the other. you will still get some air flow but it will be messed up a good deal. but you can always try on a cheap fan you don't care about.

and as for the led's they normally run the power wire in the 4 arms that attach it to the ring so they should be fine.

EDIT:
did you mean going from this

to this?

[Nagoshi]

Yes that'S what I was exacly thinking. Oh well, if the airflow is reduced I won'T do it. I might cut some plastic out tho but keeping the "funnel" around the blades, as well as the screw holes, to keep the airflow as well as the LED strip.

Thanks for stopping me from scrapping a good fan

[Spawn-Inc]

i forgot to correct my post but i didn't feel a difference actually it was maybe a little more scattered in terms of where the air was pushed but not as bad as i thought it would have been. if you have a old psu or bad psu just rip the fan out then to a before and after test. thats where i had that fan from.

though i do kinda like that look a bit better, if i were to do it i would shave even more off but that was a quick cut with a hack saw. also if you do try it careful when your almost through, i cut the ends of the blades a bit.

[Nagoshi]

Thanks for correcting yourself and clearing my mind.

I would probably use such a fan on my sidepanel and maybe on my future CPU cooler (Thermalright Ultra-120 eXTreme) since the Antec Nine Hundred already comes with all the fans it needs except for the side panel one.

I have a couple of spare fans around the house as well as old and dead PSUs, Ill give them a shot, trying to get two identical fans and comparing. If I see and find out there's not enough loss, Ill build up something and post it here so others may enjoy the slimmy look.