help woith removing side panel

[Corporate Thug]

i have this case and i want to remove the side panel to replace with a plain plexiglass one because i want to cut holes in it for fans. i noticed that the panel is held on by some sort of adhesive, prolly super glue. what can i use to remove the plexiglass panel? thanx

 

[paperfist]

Try heating up the offending area with heat via a blow dryer. But don't get to close just in case you don't have that insurance

 

[Corporate Thug]

thanx for the suggestion, how far away should the blow dryer be? 3 or so feet?

 

[paperfist]

I think you could get a little closer, but close like 1 foot might put too much heat on the plastic and start to melt it. If you warm up adhesive just enough it will usually allow you to pull the part away from its bond. Also don't stay on one spot for too long or you will damage the plastic.

Are the 2 pieces of plastic on the front of the case what is keeping the panel from coming off? It seems kinda odd that they would do that, you sure there isn't any hidden screws holding it in place? It could also be riveted from the inside like my Antec Sonata case. Also if you really wanted to, with a little effort you could use a hole saw to cut circles out of the side panel to install the fans.

 

[beatle]

Make sure you move the blowdryer back and forth as not to melt anything.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: paperfist
I think you could get a little closer, but close like 1 foot might put too much heat on the plastic and start to melt it. If you warm up adhesive just enough it will usually allow you to pull the part away from its bond. Also don't stay on one spot for too long or you will damage the plastic.

Are the 2 pieces of plastic on the front of the case what is keeping the panel from coming off? It seems kinda odd that they would do that, you sure there isn't any hidden screws holding it in place? It could also be riveted from the inside like my Antec Sonata case. Also if you really wanted to, with a little effort you could use a hole saw to cut circles out of the side panel to install the fans.

there are no screws at all, the plexigless is glued directly to the aluminum side panel at 4 spots (left side, right side, top, bottom). thanx for the advice all

 

[paperfist]

There is another way to remove adhesive, which I forgot about, but not sure if it will work for you. In the body shop I used to work at we took thin wire and slid it behind the plastic parts that had to come off the vehicles. You then basically moved the wire back and forth like if you were flossing your teeth or sawing something. That separated the adhesive from the plastic part. In your case you could use something like fishing line, but again it will only work if you can get the line behind the part and perform the sawing motion. Good luck and let us know how it works out.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: paperfist
There is another way to remove adhesive, which I forgot about, but not sure if it will work for you. In the body shop I used to work at we took thin wire and slid it behind the plastic parts that had to come off the vehicles. You then basically moved the wire back and forth like if you were flossing your teeth or sawing something. That separated the adhesive from the plastic part. In your case you could use something like fishing line, but again it will only work if you can get the line behind the part and perform the sawing motion. Good luck and let us know how it works out.

thanx for the suggestion! i think that will work, i will try it ASAP

 

[Gage8]

can't get the side panel off a coolermaster? That is really wierd