how and what do you use to drill holes for 80-120mm Fans

[btaki]

I'm thinking about drilling 2 holes for 2 80mm or 120mm fans. What do you guys use and where can I get it from.

I greatly appreciate all the help you can give me.

 

[JSLIM]

a drill bit?

 

[bdoople]

I'm interested in this as well because I want to add a blowhole to the top of my case and bore out the hole in the side for a 120mm.

 

[viivo]

You can get hole saw bits in many sizes for drills.

 

[btaki]

I looked at the saws 4 3/4 for a 120mm and it's 30$ !!!

 

[viivo]

You may be able to find it cheaper at a local hardware store, or a big one like Ace or Lowes - I've seen them for ~14.99. Of course you get what you pay for, and if I were going to be cutting up my case I'd want the best quaity piece so as to make the cleanest cut.

 

[Greenman]

Don't buy a cheap hole saw, often they aren't round, and the teeth will dance around when it bites the metal. $30 is a good price for 4 3/4". Though I doubt that includes the mandrill (sp?). And be very sure the metal you're drilling is clamped down well, you don't want a large piece of sheet metal spinning on the end of your drill, it will hurt you.(Trust me on this one). Also, have a good grip on the drill, if the bit binds it will twist your wrist, this also will hurt you.(I've done this as well) If you're drilling aluminum, water will help keep the bit from loading up, have a helper with a little spray bottle. And don't try to turn a large bit at high speed, because, (wana guess?) it will hurt you.(Yup, I did this too) And since I seem to be on a rant, wear saftey glasses as well, hot metal in the eye really hurts.

Edit: I should mention that I've been in construction for 29 years, I didn't do all those stupid things at once.

 

[runestone]

Green's advice is sound. I've used a jigsaw to cut the hole for a 120 fan-lay some masking tape over the surface being cut and lay your circle out on that; cut a bit to the inside of the line. The tape protects the case from the jigsaw base.
Then smooth with a dremel or file and sandpaper.

 

[imported_Kiwi]

Originally posted by: btaki
I looked at the saws 4 3/4 for a 120mm and it's 30$ !!!

Home Depot here had the 3" one, for an 80 mm, for under $15, with sales tax and all. Then, for an almost-5" hole for a 120, space out the individual centers of four 3" holes on a 2" square center marker. Be careful with this latter trick. I had trouble keeping a handheld 3/8" drill from jumping out of its pilot hole, when the saw teeth would "catch" the lip of an overlapped hole. One such incident ran the saw across my left thumb. Made a mess out of a work glove, and scratched up the side of the thumb and thumbnail thoroughly. Could've been a lot worse.

Before finally finishing, I was definitely wishing for a drill press with a much deeper throat than the one I have. For either multiple holes, or the single 3", I'd strongly recommend starting from the "back" of your piece, to avoid unsightly damage to the finished side, even if you plan to repaint (deep scratches would mean lots of elbow grease sanding out the marks).


😎

 

[slsmnaz]

Originally posted by: viivo
You may be able to find it cheaper at a local hardware store, or a big one like Ace or Lowes - I've seen them for ~14.99. Of course you get what you pay for, and if I were going to be cutting up my case I'd want the best quaity piece so as to make the cleanest cut.

Amen on the cheap hole saws. We sell them and my cost on good ones is b/w $20-$26 for a Dewalt and Lenox. Don't forget to get the good arbor (another $10-$12) and you shouldn't have any trouble getting a good cut.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

This has been discussed over and over on this forum over the last year, and probably before that, but there are always new people with the same questions.

In addition to the hole-saw, which fits a drill, there are other options. First -- the "nibbler" -- a tool you can buy at Radio Shack for between $5 and $10. You WILL get blisters on the palm and fingers -- even pinching your fingers if you're not careful. It is a time-consuming and painstaking process to cut holes with the nibbler, but it works pretty well. You need to start it by drilling a 3/8" hole near the line where you will cut.

My preferred choice is the Dremel cut-off wheel. It has to cut in straight lines, but you can do a circle quite well by cutting an octagon, decagon -- whatever -- then refining the edge a bit with the Dremel metal-cutting bits. Holes as large as 92mm or 120mm can pretty much be cut as perfect circles without the multi-faceted geometry. It also takes patience, but you shouldn't get blisters. Just make sure the sparks are flying away from you, that you're not forcing the cutting wheel but merely touching -- caressing -- the metal with it. Spare cutoff wheels are probably a nickel apiece. You WILL consume a cutoff wheel after a few 120mm holes, but Home Depot sells them in little packages of 20 or 30.

When I began my sojourn in computer science and info systems, I never thought I'd become involved with sheet-metal-work.