v1000 + drilling blowhole..

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maxiedaniels

Gawd
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May 25, 2005
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i have the lian-li v1000 case, and seeing as there is no intake fan for the main chamber of the case, i was thinking about using a holesaw to drill a whole in the side of the case. has anyone done this? the aluminum seems pretty sturdy, so would it be difficult?
 
Pretty easy, actually. Just clamp a scrap 2x4 or plywood underneath where you drill, to help keep the circle clean. Saves alot of time filling when you're done.
 
I would think that a blowhole or 2 would be better than that PCI slot cooler (or whatever it is).

My advice is to buy a holesaw and mandrel. Blu-Mol is a good brand, and are relatively inexpensive when compared to some other brands. I was leery at first because the combo usually costs about $35-40 (for a 4 1/2'' holesaw and quick change mandrel) but I am extremely pleased with it. I will never go back to a dremel for cutting precision circles :).

But yeah, drill a pilot hole...a small one is fine. You also want to clamp some plywood under where you are drilling.

I have noticed something else that you may want to take into account, too. It seems that the exit end of what I drill into comes out cleaner (at least in my experiences). Taking off the panel that you will be drilling into is the best way to go, imho. You will also not need to worry about cleaning your case of metal shavings if you do this.

Oh yeah, use a powerful high-torque drill. You only need to run it at low speed....at ~60 rpm. Have a steady hand, and don't push the holesaw into what you are drilling - let the saw do the work. You will hate yourself if you mess up your case :)

I hope all goes well, and that my advice helps you out.
 
how do i make the fan screw holes for the fan after drilling the big hole though? what tool does that?
and how do i get the spacing, just hold a 120mm fan up to it?
 
dingobiatch said:
how do i make the fan screw holes for the fan after drilling the big hole though? what tool does that?
and how do i get the spacing, just hold a 120mm fan up to it?
Click to expand...

You need a tapping tool to do that. Since they are sorta expensive, I just drill a hole the right size of the the screw (maybe a tad smaller) and screw the screw into that. Use machine screws that are self tapping.

Sure, it doesn't do quite as good a job, but it has worked just fine for me. Add a nut and/or washer behind the panel if you want, too.

Oh, be sure to drill your holes accurately :). I suggest clamping your fan down to your drilled hole and drilling the holes right through your fan mounts, so you know everything lines up.

Good luck.
 
I did my v1000b the easy if not cheating way...Got a pre-modded window for the side because i wanted one and the site selling it predrilled the fan and screw holes. Not as fun as doing it on your own, but it looks the way i wanted it..
 
problem with that is that i dont want a window.. are there any premodded sides that arent windows, just have fan holes??
 
Here is what I suggest:

Get a 4.5 inch hole saw as suggested before. Take a piece of 3/4 inch plywood or something similiar and make a template, which you can use over and over again.

To make the template:

1. Cut the plywood a few inches larger than the fan size, cutting it square is fine.
2. Take the fan or fan grill and drill the screw holes in the plywood.
3. Drill the pilot hole in the center of the screw holes. I have a fan grill with a hole right in the center so I just bolt the grill onto the plywood and drill the pilot hole. You can also draw an X using a sharpie and a straight edge.
4. After I have the pilot whole drilled I usually clamp the template piece down to a larger piece of plywood.
5. Take the holesaw and drill the fan opening.
6. Bolt the fan to the plywood to make sure everything fits. Get some long bolts and nuts from Home Depot or something, you will use them later.
7. If the fan fits and looks center now take the fan off the template and decide where you want to place the fan on your case.
8. Take a fan grill, or the fan, and drill the screw holes.
9. Use masking tape and tape the area where you will be drilling the blow hole. Tape a much larger area so the metal shavings won't scratch the case.
10. Mount the template to the outside of the case, and bolt it down somewhat tightly. Steady the side, I like to bolt it down through another piece of plywood, to make it a sandwich, so it doesn't move at all.
11. Take the holesaw and center it on the template, drill a little bit to mark where the pilot hole is going to be. Take the holesaw out, and drill the pilot hole.
12. Once the pilot hole is drilled, put the holesaw back in the drill and drill the hole slowly. The template will make sure holesaw doesn't slide around and scratch your case all up.
13. Once the hole is drilled, remove the template and you should have a nice blowhole. After drilling the hole, I like to smooth things out with a dremel.
14. Remove the masking tape and mount the fan. You do not need a tapping tool, since the fan screws will thread the plastic on the fan when you screw them in.

This is the best way that I have found, and I haven't mauled a case yet. By creating the template, it will keep the holesaw from sliding around. I used plywood for a while, now I made a template from a plastic cutting board and it works great.
 
I don't think you need an intake fan. The front bottom fan pulls cool air into the case. The PSU blows hot air out the back end of the case. The middle compartment back fan sucks heat out of the case. There are all kinds of ways for air to get inside your case through the the grill structure of the V series cases.
 
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