...and I need some help.

I have two projects going on right now. The first is building a new comp within a decorative wooden box. It's a Duron 950 with 512 pc133 sdram, integrated audio/video, etc. for only about $222. That's not the one that I need help with, I'll certainly get screenies of that posted once it's done.

The one I DO need help on is much more mundane. I'm going to window the case on my real rig (the other is to be a server/spare web terminal) and need advice on cutting. My brother-in-law has a dremel, which I hope to borrow this weekend. Does the cutting wear down a bit significantly? If that is so, then I'll have to buy a bit to do this with.

Also, is there any recommended way to put trim around the window? This is going to be a custom job, as I'm too cheap to buy a kit.

Man those n00bs are growing like weeds.....

Anyway their have been a couple of dremel threads posted in the last couple days......

Read these and ask anymore question you have..

Thread 1

Thread 2

Have you noticed how many Lurkers there have been lately? I think I saw over 120 earlier today. This is just the beginning.

Got to give credit to GK and his coding though, no slowdowns. We'll see what happens when our guest list breaks 1,000 like it did on the last site.

All right.

Thanks!

Now, how would I make a custom etching with a dremal? How would I make a template, etc?

i know BA, theirs lurkers everywhere, "ever get this odd feeling your being watched" .....ive been keeping the who's online screen up when im surfing just to keep an eye on them....hopfully more then a few of them will register

Just head down to your local store and look for a engraving/etching bit



they come im serveral diffrent sizes and varitys, look on the back to see what kind of matieral they are rated for.

As for a template, well thats up to you........or you can do it freehand if you artistic

Artistic only in the sense of 3d level design or arranging things in Real Life. Drawing is a whole nother matter.

A good rule of thumb with dremel cutting wheels is that you will always need 1 more than what you have.

actually as long as you have more than 1 wheel.... never ever ever attempt to do a project with only one wheel. cause it will break and it will break fast.

and definately get the reinforced cutting wheels. the "normal" ones are extremely flimsy

An etching is generally a single layer, simple art design, nothing fancy. So just mask it off real well to prevent "skipping the tool across the other areas, (cardboard isn't too extreme for the masking with good tape), and keep the plexi on a large flate surface leaving nothing unsupported.

Luck.

Quote: Originally posted by GoldenMouse Also, is there any recommended way to put trim around the window? This is going to be a custom job, as I'm too cheap to buy a kit.

no no no not to cheap too skilled too smart too bad ass but never too cheap to by a kit kits are cheap

Quote: Originally posted by The_Lost_Monkey no no no not to cheap too skilled too smart too bad ass but never too cheap to by a kit kits are cheap

Punctuation is a good thing monkey LOL

Quote: Originally posted by The_Lost_Monkey no no no not to cheap too skilled too smart too bad ass but never too cheap to by a kit kits are cheap

Way too bad-ass then! I'll buy some lighting once I can some a suitably bad-ass way to do it.

LMAO. reminds me of a guy in another forum i frequent. his sig is something like:

",./;'[]<>?:"{}!@#$%^&*()_+- I put all punctuation at the end, use them as you see fit."

ok, i think i killed it, but you get then point

that engraveing bit is hard to use. i was just messing around with some aluminum and the dremal and i couldnt even make my name. i also suck with the airbrush. i need more practice.

Hey bro, it's ok we all start somewhere. For me it began in the backseat of a car in North Georgia, for you it's modding case windows! haha!

No seriously, just send me your dremel tool and $100 and I'll teach you how to use it. You can stay home... and I'll keep the dremel, too.

Ok, SERIOUSLY now, it's super easy to use. Best advice I can give is no never do that "hurry up" right at the end on that last little piece you have left to cut. That's where I mess up 80% of the time... not that I mess up 80% of the time, it's more like 5% of the time, so the end is where I mess up 80% of 5% of the time. No the begginning cut is where I succeeed 95% of 20% of the time? RIGHT? No, it's 80% of 100... oh screw it.

Anyways plan ahead, and ALWAYS cut about a hair width inside of your line, and then sand down to your line. Do that the first few times until your leet dremel technique develops.

After time you
ll find yourself using the dremel in all sorts of ways. I find frequent excuses to use mine. I took it outside and trimed a gutter pipe yesterday. That was cool. I could have done it in 5 mins with a tin snip, or heck, let's be honest, I could have done it with a swiss army knife. But instead I took 15 mins getting an extension cord, my bits, my dremel, a few test swipes on scrap to test my skillz, and THEN used it. Speaking of which, there was a fire ant bed ON my roof. I was like, WTF? Sure enough, I was sweeping the roof with a broom, and moved this giant pile of leaves and pine straw and ants came pouring out. Usually I just burn them, but I figured a fire on my roof wasn't cool, so I just swept them all off onto the floor and them burnt them. Double death. I imagine if you're an ant and you fall off a roof, that's like one of us falling off the world's tallest building. No, it's like even bigger. Oh, and they have an exoskeleton, too, so instead of one of us just hitting and SPLATT, they just bounce, but on the inside all their organs bounce and SPLAATT... I bet it's painful.

Ok I forgot what I was talking about. Something about dremels, I see. Well, good luck whoever and remmeber to always wear a Cup. Gotta protect junior, ya know.

Dremels are like anything else... the more ya use it, the better you get with it.

My first window-cut was pretty hacked, but as I developed some skill, I went back, smoothed it out, and now it looks pretty good. One of these days, I may get good enough to do intricate designs...

I'd suggest keepin' it simple to start. Do a window kit, or a not-too-hard cut-out. Also might try a fan blow-hole for practice.

Good luck!

This case has some patterning on it with upraised parts. A rounded off square lies an inch or two from the edge of the case. In the center is a sort of X shape, again with the edges (inner and outer) curved. What I've been doing is to follow the inner pattern. Having it slightly upraised from the rest of the case makes cutting along the line very easy.

Unfortunately, the dremel that I've been using is having problems with the contact areas both on the battery and where the battery plugs in. I think I may have gotten a dremel-like tool for christmas last year, so I've spent most of today hunting for it.

If its the dremel 7.2v cordless, you are talking about
ive had the exact same problems golden......It seems like if you try to get a good grip on the shaft, your palm moves the battery away from the contacts(which are very small), if i where you id pick up a corded dremel.....you can actually get them pretty inexpensive(around 30 bucks)....plus with a corded model you will get a lot higher torqe, and faster speeds..