Best method for cutting cirlces?

Billy 2 Sips

Billy 2 Sips

Billy 2 Sips

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18 Jul 2006
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609
I'm wanting to drill 2 holes an inch in diameter in my akasa eclipse, preferably just above the 120mm rear exhaust fan.

I have a dremel and some rubber grommets but I'm unsure of the best way to go about it. I've seen a few cases on here with the same thing done and just wondered if anyone could share their method with me so I don't screw up my case :D

Cheers

Billy
 
Shouldn't this be posted in case central?

The only method I've read about is to start at the center and create a orange peal type pattern so you only risk messing up the waste metal rather than your remaining case.

Alternatively buy a hole saw.
 
Yeah a holesaw at low speed and lots of patience. The aluminum is tougher than you'd think.
 
Cob said:
Yeah a holesaw at low speed and lots of patience. The aluminum is tougher than you'd think.
Click to expand...

yer that is true, but when i did mine i used a dremel first.. then tin snips then the best method i've found which is a jig-saw with metal blades!!

works a treat! quick easy, and you can alter and direct it really easily. also cheaper than a holesaw.

the dremel just burnt through the disks quickly, the tin snips just made a mess. but definately i found metal blades for the jig-saw the best way.

;)
 
Chris Beard said:
Shouldn't this be posted in case central?
Click to expand...


Oops yes your right. Was checking out the watercooled case gallery and forgot to change threads.

Chris Beard said:
Alternatively buy a hole saw.
Click to expand...

Davey D said:
you want a holesaw. you can get them from DIY shops. Ive got a load of Bosch quick relase ones like this:

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/n...earch=bosch+holesaw&selected=products&x=0&y=0

. they are by no means the cheapest, but they are good.

a cheap holesaw like this:

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/n...efview=search&ts=1195060896964&isSearch=false

will lead to much upset when it all goes wrong :-(
Click to expand...

Cob said:
Yeah a holesaw at low speed and lots of patience. The aluminum is tougher than you'd think.
Click to expand...

Thanks lads

Think I'll pick one of them up tomorrow then. Sounds easier than what I use going to try. I was going to mark out the circle drill a few small holes round the markings, then play a little dot to dot with the dremel.
 
Aluminium is soft once past any surface treatment i.e annodising.

For smaller diameter holes upto about 32mm you can use normal wood spade drills bits for a fraction of the cost of a hole-drill & madrel & pilot bit.

Whatever you chose, make sure you centre punch it before you start you avoid it wandering, automatic punches are well worth the couple of quid cost.
 
i once took a really really thin peice of alaminium, and got a baking cicrle cut out for like making pastery circled food etc and sharpend it around the rim with a peice of sand paper and placed it under the sheet and whacked it in the middle with a hammer really hard and it cut the hole just fine

dont try this on somthing fairly thick or expensive tho, because it was a bit bodged, i had to sand it to get it 100% rounded :p
 
If you want normal 120mm or 80mm holes, there are places that will do them for a very reasonable cost. Got a £20+postage quote for cutting my case top for 3x120mms (PA120.3 pattern)

At that price it'd cost me MORE to do it myself + extra effort ect.

Not a prob if you already have the kit and experience to use it, it i dont, so why take the risk when i can have it done profesionaly?
 
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