hey has any1 here trid modding their side panel of their pc...i got some plans but i dont know if it ill work???? in other words i need help.....
Modding the side panel??
- Thread starter rash219
- Start date
well ok here it is....actually its quite simple....the first thing i have noticed wth many people is that they cut their side panel and fix in the plexiglas....what i want to do is make the entire side panel itself with the plexiglas....possibly a thin sheet that is still durable under pressure.....now i dont want to show the entire inside of the case...just the mobo area so i will cover the back with a custom sticker design from the game fear.....as seen in the images below...the black will sorta be glossy
http://www.bagthatpic.com/imag...d=31&file=tLM82480.jpg
http://www.bagthatpic.com/imag...d=31&file=HDB83462.jpg
The white areas are all transparent....i will put in 2 blood red UV rods inside.....as for attaching it i was thinking of getting 4 of those small L shaped tool carpenters use and sticking it to the top and bottom of the case with those double sided tape.......so it hold the plexiglas
ok so there thats my idea........now the question are
1) What do you think is it possible
2) where can i get the plexiglas custom cut and do stores like fex-ed do custom sticker printing
http://www.bagthatpic.com/imag...d=31&file=tLM82480.jpg
http://www.bagthatpic.com/imag...d=31&file=HDB83462.jpg
The white areas are all transparent....i will put in 2 blood red UV rods inside.....as for attaching it i was thinking of getting 4 of those small L shaped tool carpenters use and sticking it to the top and bottom of the case with those double sided tape.......so it hold the plexiglas
ok so there thats my idea........now the question are
1) What do you think is it possible
2) where can i get the plexiglas custom cut and do stores like fex-ed do custom sticker printing
WoodButcher
Platinum Member
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Originally posted by: rash219
ANYBODY!!!!!!!!
u could use a dremel and then cut the opening on the side. Or use a dreme/jig saw combo. The dremel to start the line, and then the jiggy to finish it.
Then to mount the acrylic, you could make holes on the edges of the side pannel, and then bolt it from the inside. Or you can use some type of adhesive and stick the acrylic.
The letters, and fear and pictures would need to be taken to a sign maker. Or you can find an airbrush specialist, and have him air brush it for you.
That hole is fairly simple, i could probably do it half drunk. Just make sure you use masking/painters tape so you dont scratch too much of the side pannel. And do it SLOWLY. Never rush in anything you do when cutting. It just takes 1 OOPS, to mess everything up when cutting.
VinDSL
Diamond Member
If it was me...
I'd spend 30 bones and have Mountain Mods laser cut/etch a custom side panel for you!
Here's the link
There is NO WAY you could do this good of a job yourself...
Example
I'd spend 30 bones and have Mountain Mods laser cut/etch a custom side panel for you!
Here's the link
There is NO WAY you could do this good of a job yourself...
Example
Originally posted by: VinDSL
If it was me...
I'd spend 30 bones and have Mountain Mods laser cut/etch a custom side panel for you!
Here's the link
There is NO WAY you could do this good of a job yourself...
Example
True but i am not having a BOX PC case i have the P180B and plus i have a picture not etching to do.......well anyways i have to go savaging the Yellow Pages to see who all can do a good print job for cheap and check out Lowes because i herd they do cut jobs with Plexiglas Sheets.....wonder if thats true ???
- Sep 28, 2005
- 21,087
- 3,595
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Originally posted by: rash219
Originally posted by: VinDSL
If it was me...
I'd spend 30 bones and have Mountain Mods laser cut/etch a custom side panel for you!
Here's the link
There is NO WAY you could do this good of a job yourself...
Example
True but i am not having a BOX PC case i have the P180B and plus i have a picture not etching to do.......well anyways i have to go savaging the Yellow Pages to see who all can do a good print job for cheap and check out Lowes because i herd they do cut jobs with Plexiglas Sheets.....wonder if thats true ???
oh shiet.... you do know the side panne lof a P180 is VERY Difficult to cut. Reason is because its insulated.
If its a P180, id give up on moding it. I thought u were moding a Lian Li or a CM case.
HOLD UP!!! i aint gonna destroy my side pannel........ atleast not yet......
thats what i wrote in fr my idea.....The stock side panel is to good to destroy it u know
VinDSL
Diamond Member
Um...
They etch your pic onto any size window you want!
LoL! I saw a guy that had pictures of his dogs etched into the window... looked great!
n/m
Have you tried Home Depot?
BonzaiDuck
Lifer
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You can build the entire side-panel from clear plastic, but it requires special attention to fitting the panel to all four edges of the chassis so that it's just as precise, snug and secure as any factory-made side panel.
I tend to choose the simple solution. So, no art-work or etching for me -- just Mylar window film:
My Chrome Window
So I bought my side-panel window grommet from Frozen-CPU, cut the Lexan myself as well as the side-panel. This is one reason I'm totally stoked on resurrecting old ATX cases from the local junkyard, small computer-shops and other sources -- if you make a mistake, you haven't spent as much as $200 on the case, and you don't need to panic nearly as much about how to "fix" that mistake.
The Dremeling needs to be done carefully and precisely. I can't tell if your choice of Plexi or acrylic over Lexan is a matter of price, but I've long ago determined that I'd use Lexan over either of these other two plastics. I won't go into the reasons.
I tend to choose the simple solution. So, no art-work or etching for me -- just Mylar window film:
My Chrome Window
So I bought my side-panel window grommet from Frozen-CPU, cut the Lexan myself as well as the side-panel. This is one reason I'm totally stoked on resurrecting old ATX cases from the local junkyard, small computer-shops and other sources -- if you make a mistake, you haven't spent as much as $200 on the case, and you don't need to panic nearly as much about how to "fix" that mistake.
The Dremeling needs to be done carefully and precisely. I can't tell if your choice of Plexi or acrylic over Lexan is a matter of price, but I've long ago determined that I'd use Lexan over either of these other two plastics. I won't go into the reasons.
Well ummmm no........ i havent checked Home Depot because many ppl on other forums told that they didnt have them or they did but dont do cuttings........instead they told to check out the store by name LOWES.......anyways i maled moutainmods to see if they will give me an estimate......and y the way VinDSL.....if you see my sample the only thing tat will ever need etching is the word F.E.A.R. and First Encounter Assault Recon.....i doubt that etching the girl (character) will look good any good.....
Damn that thing looks WICKED!!!.....i wonder if there are any junkyard ummm i mean substitute case that will fit on a P180B
WoodButcher
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Yep, The Duck does nice work, right up there with my own,
An old P3 Toshiba, and a Silverstone where my quad currently resides. I don't care for the mouldings so my cuts need to be perfect and generally require painting. I use a slide miter saw with an abrasive wheel to make the cuts and the next I do I use a hole saw for the corners so I get a radius like Duck has. I think the curve looks more finished. The dremel works fine but you'll need patience and a steady hand. Let the tool do the work and practice on a scrap first.
Hey Duck! you mentioned mylar, automotive window tint? I'd like to try that. How's it look at night? if you have light inside can you see in?
An old P3 Toshiba, and a Silverstone where my quad currently resides. I don't care for the mouldings so my cuts need to be perfect and generally require painting. I use a slide miter saw with an abrasive wheel to make the cuts and the next I do I use a hole saw for the corners so I get a radius like Duck has. I think the curve looks more finished. The dremel works fine but you'll need patience and a steady hand. Let the tool do the work and practice on a scrap first.
Hey Duck! you mentioned mylar, automotive window tint? I'd like to try that. How's it look at night? if you have light inside can you see in?
BonzaiDuck
Lifer
- Jun 30, 2004
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Originally posted by: WoodButcher
Yep, The Duck does nice work, right up there with my own,
An old P3 Toshiba, and a Silverstone where my quad currently resides. I don't care for the mouldings so my cuts need to be perfect and generally require painting. I use a slide miter saw with an abrasive wheel to make the cuts and the next I do I use a hole saw for the corners so I get a radius like Duck has. I think the curve looks more finished. The dremel works fine but you'll need patience and a steady hand. Let the tool do the work and practice on a scrap first.
Hey Duck! you mentioned mylar, automotive window tint? I'd like to try that. How's it look at hight? if you have light inside can you see in?
_________
Woodbutcher, now I think I know how you chose your handle. I think you got me beat hands down.
The LEDs inside the computer case shine right through the Mylar, and I don't see any difference in the optical quality or appearance.
On the Mylar: I'd posted questions about this in another thread. GILA, the maker of the film, says that using it on polycarbonate Lexan, acrylic or plexiglas will cause discolorations because of interaction of the mylar's adhesive and the organics in the plastic. I tried it on a 5"-square lexan plate, waited a week, and saw nothing-- NOTHING wrong with it. Of course, if you check GILA's footnote on their website, they say "if you're not concerned with appearances, go ahead, it'll work fine. But check out our other [static-cling] products for use with plastics."
I think, however, that it makes a difference how you let the mylar and its adhesive dry and cure. And I think they assume it's going to get lots of sunlight, as it would applied to your car or home windows. Mine didn't really "see the light of day" until long after it had dried and set.
From the test square, I quickly realized that wet mylar and its adhesive layer are not going to slide as easily across Lexan than with glass. I've had enough experience with this stuff to know that you either use their own water-based solution, or (according to earlier releases of their product) -- a spray-bottle filled with water and a little dish detergent. I was concerned about manipulating the mylar and Lexan once the mylar backing was removed and made wet, and thought maybe immersing the Lexan in a shallow tray and juggling the mylar on the water surface to apply it was the best route. I was about ready to remove the side-window from the side-panel, and then realized that the rubber-grommet actually provides the "tray" I was searching for, so I poured enough soap solution on it -- maybe an eighth-inch deep. I had to trim the Mylar to fit perfectly, and of course I'd been warned that its better to use an oversized piece and then trim it, but it worked out well enough to my satisfaction.
Make sure you use a squeegee to apply the film smoothly. It seems touch and go at first, but no different than putting the stuff on your automobile windows (hopefully according to legal guidelines.)
BonzaiDuck
Lifer
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Rash, you could just go down to the local sheet-metal supplier in your town and pick out a piece that's the right gauge. It's probably not worth the trouble modding the sidepanel from another, older case, although you might get lucky with that approach as well.
But the problem arises when you have to make folds or bends in the sheet-metal, and you don't have a "press-brake and slip-roll" machine to do it.
You could try this, though, but you'd better plan the work carefully or you're going to destroy that case side-panel.
Cut the panel so that the edge-fittings on all four sides are intact, and so that you now have a metal frame -- with maybe an inch and a half of sheet metal on all sides. You can then do (at least) one of the following things:
1) Cut the Lexan to fit the frame with edges flush with it, carefully countersink holes in the Lexan for quarter-inch-long 6-32 flat-head screws, and secure the Lexan that way. You would use a $5 6-32 screw tap and drill from Sears to tap the screw holes in the metal. In this approach, the Lexan panel will not sit flush with the remainder of the case metal, but it might still look good.
2) Very carefully cut a frame for the Lexan that just overlaps the main panel by at most an eighth of an inch. VERY CAREFULLY position the panel on this frame, and glue it CAREFULLY SO THAT THE GLUE DOESN"T RUN OR DISCOLOR THE PLASTIC -- all the way around. THEN -- this rectangular Lexan frame would fit on the inside of your panel, and the main Lexan window would be flush with the case-side-panel and fitting in the rectangular hole you would've made according to (1). You would trim the hidden Lexan frame so that it doesn't interfere with the sheet-metal fittings for your chassis. You can either then tape the hidden frame to the back of the case-side-panel (frame) with a special tape from Home Depot (see www.mnpctech.com for a video on side-panel windows) or figure out another approach to using the 6-32 flathead screws (from the inside). Most likely, you'd still drill through the metal and the resulting tapped screw holes would go all the way through. But you could carefully trim the excess metal and smooth the surface so -- once painted -- you wouldn't see it.
My only reservation is adding screws to a chassis that could come lose and fall inside it, but between hard-disk screws, fan screws and motherboard standoffs, there is always a risk there anyway. Even so, you can dab a bit of "Automotive GOOP" adhesive on all case-interior screws to keep them from falling out and keep them from coming loose.
But the problem arises when you have to make folds or bends in the sheet-metal, and you don't have a "press-brake and slip-roll" machine to do it.
You could try this, though, but you'd better plan the work carefully or you're going to destroy that case side-panel.
Cut the panel so that the edge-fittings on all four sides are intact, and so that you now have a metal frame -- with maybe an inch and a half of sheet metal on all sides. You can then do (at least) one of the following things:
1) Cut the Lexan to fit the frame with edges flush with it, carefully countersink holes in the Lexan for quarter-inch-long 6-32 flat-head screws, and secure the Lexan that way. You would use a $5 6-32 screw tap and drill from Sears to tap the screw holes in the metal. In this approach, the Lexan panel will not sit flush with the remainder of the case metal, but it might still look good.
2) Very carefully cut a frame for the Lexan that just overlaps the main panel by at most an eighth of an inch. VERY CAREFULLY position the panel on this frame, and glue it CAREFULLY SO THAT THE GLUE DOESN"T RUN OR DISCOLOR THE PLASTIC -- all the way around. THEN -- this rectangular Lexan frame would fit on the inside of your panel, and the main Lexan window would be flush with the case-side-panel and fitting in the rectangular hole you would've made according to (1). You would trim the hidden Lexan frame so that it doesn't interfere with the sheet-metal fittings for your chassis. You can either then tape the hidden frame to the back of the case-side-panel (frame) with a special tape from Home Depot (see www.mnpctech.com for a video on side-panel windows) or figure out another approach to using the 6-32 flathead screws (from the inside). Most likely, you'd still drill through the metal and the resulting tapped screw holes would go all the way through. But you could carefully trim the excess metal and smooth the surface so -- once painted -- you wouldn't see it.
My only reservation is adding screws to a chassis that could come lose and fall inside it, but between hard-disk screws, fan screws and motherboard standoffs, there is always a risk there anyway. Even so, you can dab a bit of "Automotive GOOP" adhesive on all case-interior screws to keep them from falling out and keep them from coming loose.
Ok guys i just went to my nearest Fed-Ex and found out that to do a print job it wold cost me like 45$ max...WHOA !!!......that a crazy amount....and thats only the print work.....assuming the plexi (20x20) would cost like 10~15$ and the lights around ~15$ the whole she bang would round up to ~75$!!! i think thats a LOT..........anybody know a good solution.......and i really dont want to try cutting i am really bad with power tools and NOOOO i dont want to cut m stock case........sooo any clues....or any site where i can get it done cheap.....
Here's my P180 modded(slightly):
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2086330&enterthread=y
The side panel is a pain in the butt because of the aluminum-plastic-aluminum construction but spend some time and you can do it. Just be warned that with some cutting tools the aluminum will probably "tear" (ie. it won't be a nice clean cut).
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2086330&enterthread=y
The side panel is a pain in the butt because of the aluminum-plastic-aluminum construction but spend some time and you can do it. Just be warned that with some cutting tools the aluminum will probably "tear" (ie. it won't be a nice clean cut).
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