25
Jun 2002
Or
Mungler's Further Adventures in Case Modding
Well,
I think it has be long enough since my last adventure in
case modding. If you missed the first installment (the Lian-Li
Stealth Modding Guide) you can find it here.
I
still have the Lain-Li case from the previous episode and
it is still my subject for this further modification. [ed.
note: how many modifications would it take before it's no
longer a Lian-Li PC-60?]
Anyway,
as you may of guessed from the title of the article, I am
going to install a window in the side panel of my case.
Windows have become increasingly popular mods and I can
think of no better way to show off your expensive (when
I bought it), cutting-edge (when I bought it) and good looking
(ahem) equipment.
As
always, I begin my mod by planning exactly what I am going
to do to it first. The are many options available to the
happy modder once they decide to install a case window.
Many online retailers are now stocking windows in a wide
range of sizes, shapes, window colours and extras like appliqués
and neon. If you search the internet you can come up with
a good selection of suppliers and price ranges...choice
remains one of taste (of which I will not attempt to dictate).
I
narrowed down my choices to these possibilities.
1.
Buy a Lian-Li window side panel from a reseller.
2. Buy a self install window kit from a reseller.
3. Go the whole hog and do a custom window kit from scratch.
Well
as you may have guessed, I am going for option three. After
the success of my previous mod,
I have become more confident with modding and have decided
to take my junior hacksaw skills to a larger portion of a
still relatively new case (*shiver*)
As
mentioned above, planning the mod comes first. You should
have no doubt in you mind what you want to accomplish before
starting surgery on your case. The nature of this mod means
that there is a point of no return very early on.
Here
is a scan of the terrible drawing I did to plan my mod. The
first section labelled on the picture is the inside of my
case. The 'shaded' parts on the drawing show areas of interest.
The second part of the drawing shows various designs I was
thinking of that would show off those areas.
In
the end I decided I like the puddle effect of the first design
and moved on to transfering my design onto the side panel.
I
have 'enhanced' this picture a bit as it would normally be
impossible to see the pencil lines in this shot. I have marked
out various area's on the side panel.
The brown line shows the area of the side panel that I can
have my window. I have left a one inch space around the brown
line for mounting my window. If I use any more space than
that I will not be able to slide the panel on and off the
case anymore. Obviously, this is important. The green line
shows the area which the piece of plexi I have covers. Once
again, I have left a gap between the edge of the window and
the edge of the plexi to allow for fixing the plexi to the
side panel - I don't want any gaps in the window when viewed
from outside. The area also gives you room to apply whatever
adhesive method you choose to implement.
I
have chosen to use polycarbonate as opposed to regular plexi.
The poly sheet is less brittle and won't crack so easy when
I rip of the side cover to put out the fire!! [ed. note:
Is that a hint at a third mod?]
Above
I have carefully marked the amount of poly carbonate sheet
that I will need. I only have enough for one try so it had
better not go wrong!!
You
will need some sticky back plastic or similar protective sheet.
Apply this to the outside face of you case panel before you
do any drilling or cutting. This sheet will protect the outside
face of the panel from any scratches by aluminium swarf. If
you do have a small amount of scratching, you can buff those
out later with a metal polish (beware: do not use abrasive
polishes on coloured, anodised surfaces, the anodised suface
is very thin and comes off easily which looks horrible!!)
For
this job you require good quality metal cutting blades from
any good hardware supplier. Blades come in a range of widths
- the style of your window hole will determine which one you
need. If you have a design that involes very sharp curves
then you need a narrow blade which allows you to turn the
jigsaw in a much smaller arc. If you are going for smooth
long curves (the effect I'm aiming for) then you need a medium
width blade. I have selected a 4mm (1/4 inch) blade.
Here
you can see I have begun to cut the hole in my side panel
(*gasp*). Look at that ancient jigsaw!!
The
hole is finsihed! Take a moment to inspect the edges of
the freshly cut hole. Those with cheap or very old jigsaws
(like mine) will need to file down the edges of the hole
to remove burrs and other nasty bits. In order to get a
clean edge, I suggest a set of very small rounded files.
It will take longer to get all the edge's clean, but the
results will be a lot more even than with a larger file.
This
is a good opportunity to even up some of the curves. But
remember, don't file off too much or you will have a gap
in the window or will not be able to fit the panel back
on to the PC when you are finished.
I
have chosen to use Unibond bathroom silicon sealant for
the job of fixing the polycarbonate sheet to the panel.
I picked up a translucent one that so that when the fixing
is dry the sealant will be very hard to see around the edge's
of the window.
I
applied the sealant using the can (no sealant gun required
on the one I bought) and then spread the sealant over the
mounting area using a small pice of thick card. You do this
in order to ensure that evey part of the poly sheet is stuck
firmly to the side panle (I don't want it to come off).
Press the polycarbonate sheet into place, then put clamps
on the corners on the sheet to hold it firmly while the
sealant cures. You will need to leave the sealant set for
about three hours in a moderately warm room to aid the bonding
process. Make sure that the side panel rests on a flat surface
so that the side panel remains straight during the bonding
process. If the side panel is allowed to bend while the
sealant is still wet, then the fixing will not be very strong
and the window may peel away from the panel.
The
finished product, mounted in it's home. Now I need to get
a new desk to show it off!
Comments?
