I have to remove the panel, b/c I'm having someone else cut the holes in my top and side panels and attach the fans for me. Here's some advice I got from Techru over at amdmb.com, which sounds easy enough:
The best and simplest method is to use a 1/8" drill bit and a drill and just lightly drill through the rivet. Since the rivet is aluminum sheathed, it doesn't take much pressure. Also, if you do put a lot of pressure on the drill bit, you'll end up just spinning the rivet, rather than drilling through it.
To reinstall, just use 1/8" x 1/8" aluminum rivets and a rivet gun on the four holes that will be left. You can get both items, rivet and rivet gun, from your local hardware store for under $15.00. That will include 100 rivets.
Place the rivit in the hole, making sure to push it all the way in through both holes, and let the rivet shoulder rest against the outside panel. The "pin" will be sticking out, about 1.5" or so. Slide this "pin" into the rivet gun mouth. When the gun is all the way down on the rivet, squeeze the handle. Repeat this process two or three times and the "pin" will snap off, and the rivet will be secured.
It's really that simple.
The other option would be to use some small short sheet metal screws, but it doesn't look as good. The benefit for this option would be that you can just unscrew them if you ever want to remove the panle again.
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Andrew D. Smith
President
www.designcomp.com
