Don’t be a tool – get the right gear to work your case over. The last thing you want to do is retrieve lost fingers from your makeshift saw, or redo some sanding because your sister’s nail files are too fine. Have a read of Ron Prouse’s kit guide and grab the right stuff for the job.
There is one really important genre of modding tools I'd like to mention first up -- safety equipment. Sheet metalwork is fun, but go to any metal-fabrication workshop and have a look at the OH&S measures taken, which are required by law. Wearing safety goggles, leather gloves and ear muffs might feel stupid at first, but protecting your sight, aural capability and body extremities when cutting, grinding and polishing metal is just simple common sense. Have you ever been fragged by a one-eyed, deaf gamer with three fingers? I rest my case!
As case-modding has become a mainstream marketing phenomenon, 'after-market' companies have been quick to release products that cater to the growing group of people who want the 'modded look' straight off of the shelf.
You can now buy a 'standard' PC case that, only two years ago, would have won an international modding competition!
So where does this leave the hard-core enthusiast -- the people who gave birth to this popular trend? Should we just give up on the DIY enjoyment factor and buy pre-made? After all, there is little satisfaction in completing a mod that looks second-rate compared to one you could have bought over the counter! The answer is, “Hell, no! I want to add my own touches!”
To some of us, all this means is that the challenge has been made, and the 'quality' bar has been raised a notch. Although glamorised by housing some of the highest tech components known to man, the hobby of modding the humble PC case is simply a process of cutting, grinding, polishing and painting. These are the critical skills -- the challenge is now to produce a professional-looking result that also reflects the individuality of the owner.
The theme of this Modjitsu is to explore some of the tools that can be used to achieve that final, mind-blowing result -- tools that will simplify the process, and the attributes that make them a good choice. To keep costs to a minimum, none of the tools in this article are excessively expensive. Also, keep in mind they will last you for many years to come, and for countless other projects and cases.
By having the right tools for the job, and with some practise and experimentation, you will find you can quickly gain the sheet-metalworking skills you need.
Remember, there is always something unique that can be done to any PC box -- as long as the modder has the tools and the skills to turn the initial concept into a reality.
Polishing, drilling, tapping and soldering If I was buying tools 'from scratch', a drill-press is the first thing I would spend money on. It's the best friend you can have when it comes to drilling holes with precision, especially when you combine it with a good 'engineer's vice' and a range of high quality drill-bits. Look for a press that has five or more speeds, a 13mm chuck, and accurate micrometer depth-adjustment. As an example, the LCD display tutorial in issue 26 required 4mm deep holes to be drilled in a bezel 5mm thick -- leaving no room for error! Once you have your drill-press, make sure it's mounted securely, with the base at roughly chest height and plenty of light on the table area. Enjoy it for years.
Wherever possible, I use standard 'PC' screws to assemble mods. This means drilling and tapping holes to fit 3mm x 0.5-pitch screws. The best buying option is to only purchase the taps you need individually. The most suitable wrench is a 'T-bar' drill-chuck, as it's easier to control in thin-gauge metal than the standard tap wrench, and less likely to end up cutting on an incorrect angle. When tapping into plastic, always back right out of the hole every two full turns inward.
Bench grinders are another 'must-have' item, and with some additional attachments are really versatile. I have mine set up with coarse and fine grinding wheels, a wire brush and a polishing bezel. Like a drill-press, grinders should be mounted securely, and it's a good idea to have as much clear space around them as possible for manoeuvring the part being worked on.
Using a buffing wheel on a bench grinder is the quickest way to polish metal and plastic components. There are three main types of buff pads -- 'sisal composite' for heavy duty work, 'stitched rag' as an intermediate step, and 'floppy' or 'linen pad' for final polishing. The 'ingots' are polishing compounds, and they also come in varying types and degrees of abrasiveness specific to the material being polished. Buffing plastic is easy, but be careful not to get it too hot or it will burn.
Soldering is an integral part of modding, and it's important to have irons that suit the type of work you're doing. A large-tip, high-wattage iron is good for tinning and joining wires, but for PCB or component work a needle-tip is a must. Magnified 'extra hands' are useful for intricate work, and heatsinks (the red thing) will protect sensitive IC components. A multimeter is an absolute given, but that's a whole chapter on its own.
Keeping errant wiring looms under control and out of sight is never easy, but something I've just started to use for that task is a glue gun. Rather than using a heap of wire ties, it's easier to place strategic dobs of glue wherever they are needed -- and it's an even simpler task to peel them off later if need be. This is an excellent way to mount cathode tubes, too, and the elasticity of the glue helps to protect them against shocks.
If looking at this list of tools (and the associated cost) has horrified you, then look at it from a lon
Issue: 137 | June, 2012