Removing fan grills on Antec 182

jeepescu · Post by **jeepescu** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:06 am

Maybe a dumb question but I never worked with metal before, what tools would be the best for cutting out the fan grills on an Antec 182?
Hack saw ? Other type of metal saw ? Reciprocating ?
Then, what did you use for dulling the freshly cut edges ? Metal file ?
Any other general thoughts on what should I look for when attempting this ?
Thanks in advance.

deerf · Post by **deerf** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:25 am

jeepescu wrote:Maybe a dumb question but I never worked with metal before, what tools would be the best for cutting out the fan grills on an Antec 182?
Hack saw ? Other type of metal saw ? Reciprocating ?
Then, what did you use for dulling the freshly cut edges ? Metal file ?
Any other general thoughts on what should I look for when attempting this ?
Thanks in advance.

A plier and a metal file worked nicely for me.

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:26 am

A rotary cutting tool (Dremel or similar) with fiberglass-reinforced cutting wheels are best. The standard cutting wheels just don't "cut it", and will break constantly on you--they're good for short usage (cutting bolts and stuff).

You can buy flexible edge protector material to go over the sharp edges at local hardware and home-improvement stores usually. If not, McMaster-Carr has it.

Just be sure you remove everything from the case before cutting and clean it out thoroughly before putting components back in. Any loose shavings could potentially short out your components.

deerf · Post by **deerf** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:58 am

jhhoffma wrote:A rotary cutting tool (Dremel or similar) with fiberglass-reinforced cutting wheels are best. The standard cutting wheels just don't "cut it", and will break constantly on you--they're good for short usage (cutting bolts and stuff).

You can buy flexible edge protector material to go over the sharp edges at local hardware and home-improvement stores usually. If not, McMaster-Carr has it.

Just be sure you remove everything from the case before cutting and clean it out thoroughly before putting components back in. Any loose shavings could potentially short out your components.

Dremels and special bought edge protectors are overkill imo. Pliers, some filing and an old electrical cord (splice the tubing open and use it as an edge protector) is enough for a perfect result.

kittle · Post by **kittle** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:54 pm

I got a pair of "industrial strength" tin-snips from the local hardware store. Cost me about $15. but now i find lots of other uses for them.

Take a screwdriver and poke/bend an opening in your fan grill and start cutting.
Get a metal file to file off the rough edges when your done (get a round one - my flat one is a pain to use). Then pick whatever edge covering you want to use and your good to go.

aztec · Post by **aztec** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:35 pm

good quality tin snips from HomeDepot and a semi-round file.

This has worked great for me.

Also, putting U-channel molding around the hole allows you to hide any rough edges or imperfect cuts. If you take your time with the file though....you can get it really round and smooth.

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 5:50 am

deerf wrote:Dremels and special bought edge protectors are overkill imo. Pliers, some filing and an old electrical cord (splice the tubing open and use it as an edge protector) is enough for a perfect result.

Yeah, but you'd be surprised how much you find to do with a rotary tool once you have it. It's hella useful...

deerf · Post by **deerf** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:36 am

jhhoffma wrote:
deerf wrote:Dremels and special bought edge protectors are overkill imo. Pliers, some filing and an old electrical cord (splice the tubing open and use it as an edge protector) is enough for a perfect result.
Yeah, but you'd be surprised how much you find to do with a rotary tool once you have it. It's hella useful...

The idea has crossed my mind

I'm buying one next week actually, I need to do some heavier cutting in my P180 for cable management. (But still, if your only goal is to cut some fan grills there is no need for a rotary tool, not everyone is a modder)

Tephras · Post by **Tephras** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:54 pm

jeepescu wrote:Maybe a dumb question but I never worked with metal before, what tools would be the best for cutting out the fan grills on an Antec 182?
Hack saw ? Other type of metal saw ? Reciprocating ?
Then, what did you use for dulling the freshly cut edges ? Metal file ?
Any other general thoughts on what should I look for when attempting this ?
Thanks in advance.

Sticky: Modding & Cutting with Tin Snips

aimfox · Post by **aimfox** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 4:32 pm

i used a snipper to cut it around

Luminair · Post by **Luminair** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 2:49 pm

I didn't want a hassle. I wanted the quick and clean method. So I used tin snips.

I don't need to file anything down because the dust filters cover the mess up.

Plekto · Post by **Plekto** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:30 pm

Dremels are the best

Cuts through mild steel like this, well.. like butter. Tons of sparks, though, so get a pair of cheap goggles. 3-5 seconds per cut. Use the side of the grinding disk very gently to smooth out the burrs afterwards. Yes, you will need 2-3 discs, but the typical "kit" comes with a tube with 20 or so in it.

The problem with tin snips and the like is that they are utterly lacking in precision, while a Dremel or similar tool can be moved into very tight spaces.
(obviously it's a lot LESS safe, though - that disc will slice off a chunk of skin before you realized it happened - so be very careful)

colin2 · Post by **colin2** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:52 pm

Another vote for snips for the rough cut and a file to clean up. Cheaper tools, safer to use, easier to control, and durable -- you're not using up grinding disks.

And a little physical effort every now and then might be a good idea.

Michael Sandstrom · Post by **Michael Sandstrom** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:07 pm

Weiss tin snips for sure. Using Dremels for cutting out fan grills makes no sense. Do a forum search for Weiss snips to find definitive guidance.

Post by **MikeC** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:28 pm

Michael Sandstrom wrote:definitive guidance.

sticky in this forum: Modding & Cutting with Tin Snips

jeepescu · Post by **jeepescu** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:19 pm

It took me a while, but I finally did it, my fangrillectomy.
Tin snips were definitely the way to go, cutting was a <5 minutes job for the top and rear.
Blunting the sharp edges was a different thing altogether. I tried a dremel with a bit that appeared to serve this purpose, but besides a lot of sparks, it did not appear to do much. The angle grinder was a bit cumbersome, and I was still not happy with the results.
I tried wrapping electrical wire insulation around the edges, but somehow it did not want to stay in place. In the end I found some wire loom sitting in my garage, and it did the job perfectly. Sole caveat, I could not use the fan screws anymore, had to zip tie the top and rear fans.

As for the results, acoustically speaking, my case is almost inaudible now. I am totally happy with he sound level. I definitely perceive a slight hum very late at night, in total silence, but it is absolutely bearable.

Thanks to all who helped, next project is a completely inaudible machine.

Removing fan grills on Antec 182

Removing fan grills on Antec 182

Re: Removing fan grills on Antec 182

Re: Removing fan grills on Antec 182