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Basic Case Mod Question

E

Exocet956

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jan 25, 2001
Messages
1,387
This maybe a very noobish question but i am currently building a mini itx system and i was thinking of adding some ventilation to the case how do you secure a window or a mesh vent cover to the hole that has been cut?

Case:

Mini ITX

I was planning on adding some ventilation to the sides so a graphics card could breath but also to add more air intake or exhaust.

I was planning on using some of this to cover the hole Mesh

How the hell to I secure the mesh to the hole? I have not really modded much so this goes beyond simple blow holes which i can just simply add a fan and wire fan guard. I might add fans to the case but until i get and determine the clearances my plan to give air intake to the graphics card will involve some kind of vent cut into the sides of the case. Since leave the hole open would leave many diced fingers I need to have some sort of guard to prevent errant finger damage. Keep in mind the clearances on a mini itx are going to be incredibly tight so i need a method that does not add much height inside the case.

What do you expert modders recommend?
 
While I am no expert modder (and others will provide more experience), I have used stright up bolts through drilled holes (see my build here - using the same mesh that you are using).

You could also use double-sided tape - the 3M stuff sold by performance-pcs holds substantial weight, and has decent durability (and you don't have to drill holes).

Could also use some sort of u- or H-channel to sit a cut piece into.

That covers my thoughts (excluding arc-welding, of course ;) )
 
zerocount said:
While I am no expert modder (and others will provide more experience), I have used stright up bolts through drilled holes (see my build here - using the same mesh that you are using).

You could also use double-sided tape - the 3M stuff sold by performance-pcs holds substantial weight, and has decent durability (and you don't have to drill holes).

Could also use some sort of u- or H-channel to sit a cut piece into.

That covers my thoughts (excluding arc-welding, of course ;) )
Click to expand...

I like the tape idea but will it really hold long term? My concern is the adhesive will break down if the internal case temperature is on the warm side. Welding is definitely out. A. I don't have the tools or the skill to do so B. the welds most likely would cause clearance issues ( I'm not really sure until I get the case.) the third idea would work if the case has sufficient thickness ( I assume you mean cut a channel in the case itself and slid the mesh in it) but alas I fear the skill is most definitely lacking for that kind of work. how did you bolt it on there just using a standard screw and nut I assume? One of the guys at work suggested something like hot glue or some sort of adhesive. What adhesive binds metal to metal well? I honestly have no clue.
 
The tape holds extremely well (depends on the strength you get). But the gray 3M version is pretty strong. For my car, I use it to hold up the rear spoiler on my trunk and the window spoiler on my car.. and through 3 summers and 3 winters here in chicago, it's held up extremely well.

As for adhesive, your best bet is some sort of epoxy.
 
I'd go with some bolts and some rubber gaskets. Get some of that U channel stuff to go around the hole to make it look clean then bolt through the case to hold the mesh on. This plus the rubber washers will keep vibration noise down.

You could use some sort of goo to glue it on but you'll need something that will stick to aluminum. A two part epoxy or liquid nails type thing. This will look pretty ugly from the inside though. If you go this route I'd still get some U-channel around the hole just to guss it up a bit.
 
Exocet956 said:
Would this work for the edges. Link
or would i need something more like this Link



This would work for the mounting i assume Tape
Click to expand...

The descriptions suggest that this is for cases with thinner metal (3/64") and that this is for thicker cases (1/8").

So take a look at your case. My bet would be that you need the thinner C channel molding.
 
Yet another stupid question, what holds the molding to the channel? Does it just snap on and stay affixed by friction, or does it also need to be secured by adhesive of some kind.?
 
I was planning on having a vent on the side with the expansion slot for vga cooling intake and either a another vent on the other side or a blowhole with a slim 80mm as a exhaust. Which would be more effective airflow wise? I don't know how much heat this machine will create but it makes me nervous building a mini itx box that has no discernible ventilation besides the rear and the power supply fan.

System specs

J&W 780G mini itx board
AMD Athlon X2 4850e (45w)
2gb ddr 800
either
7600GS or x1950pro
250 gig ata
dvd drive
 
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