Hi guyz

so i've been working on a case now.. and im up to cutting side panels and cutting holes for fans.. i used file to smooth the edges out... but it's not smooth enough.. ( i still can cut my fingers if im not careful) and since i dont have any power tools (except dremel if you count that as a power tool lol) are there any other ways to do this? im thinking sand paper.. but what grits should i use?

Thanks guyz

I used a file to do 90% of the work of straightening and smoothing edges.
And I only used tough grit sandpaper when the hole was almost a perfect circle (a good 2 hours later).
I used fine sandpaper (maybe 200 or 400 grit) when I wanted to smooth the edges even more (but again, I didn't spend a lot of time with sandpaper).
What really did the trick was applying primer and paint. That pretty much eliminated the sharpness.

But don't spray on so many coats like I did, or spend a lot of time perfecting a circle with a file.

Pics:
Filed down (enough that it wasn't really sharp)
Painted

I would use a fairly rough grit "Emery cloth" to get the burrs and sharp edges off it, and then follow up with some medium to fine grit emery cloth....remember to keep the edges relatively "Flat" or you will end up with a knife edge!

Craftsman 28237 Assorted Grit Emery Cloth, 3 pk. at Sears.com

To be honest though, I have just used a "Half Round" medium file, It does a nice job of rounding out the circle, and if you use the right technique, there are no sharpedges left behind.
(Keep the file straight up and down fo the most part, only slightly rounding or "Rolling Over" the edges after you satisfied with the shape)

Files
Craftsman 31277 8 in. Half Round File at Sears.com
Craftsman 31296 10 in. Multi-Cut File at Sears.com

Hmmm....so the OCing section isn't enough, you have to take over the modding threads too, eh Necro?

Necro has it right, emery is the way to go. The only refinement I can add is using a shaped sanding block to back it up. Wrap the emery over a flat block to straighten cuts, and around a dowel for "rounding out" fan holes and curves, using it like a file. You can fix slight errors this way and make holes come out very consistent.

When cleaning up edges I usally hit it with a round grinding stone attachment for my dremel until it looks nice and smooth, then use some 500 grit sandpaper until it's smooth to the touch.

nice.. a lot of great tips.. thanks guyz

Yes very good tips. I really like emery cloth, that stuff might cost a little more but lasts sooooooooo much longer. The sanding drums for the dremel work great but don't last long. If you do have the grinding stones for a dremel they work good but might need to be cleaned from time to time. They have a little square stones that can shape and clean grinding stones. Just use them to take off the burs or like they said you will end up with a sharp edge.




and yes a roto tool is a power tool

and yes i do have the grinding stone but i tried that and it still wouldnt get as smooth..

Yeah, the temptation is always there to break out the power tools, usually due to impatience and wanting faster results, but even with the plethora of power tools I own as a carpenter, I daily make the decision between getting good results and fast results. With one-chance-only items like cases or huge log scribes, I always choose what I know will give the best results over having to replace my workpiece, even if it's slower. The replacements come out of my pocket, but the labor is paid for by the customer.

As you get more into case cutting, investment in things like a good jigsaw, a set of microfiles and a big fistful of varied grits of emery and wet-and-dry sandpaper will net you better results and more complex shapes you will be able to cut. I also collect things like emery boards (yeah, the kind used for acrylic fingernails) for getting into tight areas and removing just enough material. You can steal them from your girlfriend/Mom/sister for a while, but eventually you'll have to break down and spend a buck at the dollar store for your own. Just don't pick up any nail polish to go with it and we'll all feel safer about you. Mmmmkay?

Quote: Originally Posted by Wordbiker Just don't pick up any nail polish to go with it and we'll all feel safer about you. Mmmmkay?

ROFL ! thanks