im lookin to cut through my aluminum chieftec case with a hole-saw, can someone give me some precautions, im gonna use like an 1in size holesaw, but when we tried cutting through the sheet metal with it, kinda took...a while lol, will i expect this much resistence on the aluminum case? or will it be done in a matter of minutes. cause i dont want to mess up and have a hole that i dont want on the top of my case. slow and steady rather then hard and fast!



and im not talking about s..e..x lmao!

why are u putting a one inch hole in the top your case? you could use a tool called a nibbler...but for a 1inch hole just put some force into it and maybe a block of wood on the other side of the metal.

Yes definately put something under like a piece of plywood 3/4 or 5/8 to spread the force and as you said go slow, this is not a race
Btw punch your center before doing your hole with the hole saw so you wont skate on the metal when you start better yet make a hole with a small bit before you start so the bit in the center of the hole saw will have somewhere to go

i still dont understand why people use holesaws to cut their cases....its like using a chainsaw to cut a straw

if you can get your hands on a dremel and an assortment of wheels and bits and take your time you will end up with much nicer exact results and alot less stress in your life

thx kobalt

whoops
the 2 holes are for the 2 nozzles on my heatercore, theyre gonna go through my case.

ah see gravy, if i had a dremel i wouldnt be asking this but since i already have my hands on a holesaw kit, i can work with that instead, but yes, i no how everyones saying dremel is so much better and stuff, but i dont have the money to dish out on a set worth having

If i remember hardnrg tip he said to do it in reverse and slow.
Never tried it but in plexiglass it makes sense

it would take hours to do it in reverse........ dremel is better

hmm, it took me about 80 seconds to cut through my aluminium case... hardly stressful, and i don't see how you can get nicer exact results with a freehand power tool versus a holesaw that is a perfect circle by its very nature...


i can only truly recommend the reverse method for hss drill bits on plexi... holesaws is up to you... for metal, if you do it in reverse you'll almost definitely burn out your drill

That is a pretty awesome sig, hardnrg =D

As for the hole, take the top off and and cut your holes. I did a 120mm fan hole on my friends case in a matter of a few minutes, just be sure to center punch where you want the center to be to protect the metal from scratching.

wow, thats a relief, thx hardnrg

imm0rt41
yeah the holesaw comes with a center drill that punches a hole in the center first before the holesaw takes over

whare can i get a cheap holesaw for my 1000s of 120mm fans i have laying around, ill make my old compaq case have 20 120 mm fans, that would be a ausome mod

and then your ears would bleed....

Make sure you cool the saw while drilling. It will save the saw teeth and make it go a bit faster.

you can pick up a hole saw at any lowes or home depot. 4 1/2", or 114mm is what i use for 120mm fans. mine cost me about $25. leaves enough room for mounting, but leaves lots of room for airflow.

I used a jigsaw for my top hole bc it was too big for holesaw Its not that hard with any tool if you TAKE YOUR TIME and go slow...specially with plexi(cracked 2 windows b4 i got my final one in). As long as you have a pilot hole, and maybe a block of wood under it, theres no reason why it wouldnt come out nice. A little finishing sanding around the edge and you're set Freehand or holesaw, a great mod is possible either way

If you need to cut small holes for your heater core nozzles I would suggest using Phil's idea.

whoa, didnt no people still read up on old threads

anywho, i finished the holes a while ago and it turned out good, of course i had to file out the holes but now i need to find something to cover the edge of the wholes, like some black rubber to hide the sharp inner circle and to make it look nice lol

Ummmm... yes that's the whole point of searching previous posts, the solution you seek may have already been solved

As far as using a dremel, nice if you've got one... but I've only got the angle grinder vs. drill & holesaw option @ the moment

I can only hope my first window & blowhole mods don't become a fiasco! LMAO

you mean this stuff:



it has many different names, but you can find it easily at modding stores online or maybe even places like Radio Shack cos it's used for similar applications in electronic instrument construction

i call that "C" molding because it forms a 'c' so it attaches to metal