Pictorial guide/worklog of modifications to 'HTPC', GAM's Home Theatre PC; Making a cheap, simple case better - Page 4

By Greig Mackenzie

Front Panel Mods - New Intake

Measure, Mark, Drill and Cut

Under the masking tape is the same plastic surface as the rest of this piece of the front panel/bezel. This piece more or less pops straight out of the bezel panel, just beneath the 5.25" drive bays.

Measure, mark and punch. 22mm hole saw selected for the cutting job to the top and bottom edge of each grill.

You can often get away with it, but I highly recommend always clamping the work piece when drilling, cutting etc. In this case, as the piece is rounded at the bottom I had to place suitably sized backing blocks so that the work piece could be clamped effectively and to provide appropriate purchase for the pilot drill of the hole saw. Usually I would have two clamps but due to the awkwardness of the work piece I could only manage one clamp and a very firm hand. The firm hand is particularly important when the pilot drill first cuts through and the work piece wants to ascend the drill bit--that's when things crack and snap.

It is not so bad with this flimsy plastic, but I clear the cut piece from the hole saw after each hole as the pieces can get quite stuck in there when there's a few of them.

Four holes later. Draw lines between the outside edges of each hole for a guide.

Now to the vice. I used packers for good backing support and then tensioned the vice firmly on the work piece for sawing.

NOTE: Keep within the lines as the edges are cleaned up easily with a bit of filing and sanding, especially as this is plastic.

Two done, two to go.

Now you can see what is going on. I've given the edges some rough filing already. I had to expand the curves of one side to overcome a sawing error. You wouldn't know it.

The rough furry bits you can see in the photo look much worse than they were. They're just fine little strands of plastic than come off in seconds with some sand paper... later on.

(You gotta' love the Wifey! :D)