How to Cut a Hole in Your Case

When I first became interested in case modding, I wondered what was the best method for cutting a hole in your case. If you want to add a window kit or fan hole, finding the easiest way to cut a hole in your case is very important. This article is intended for those individuals that want to begin case modding but are unsure of how to cut apart their case and those individuals who have tried to cut their case and found it frustrating.

Tool to use:

There were a couple ideas that I heard and/or tried such as a Dremmel or the practical plasma cutter (that everyone has access too!). The best way that I have found to cut a hole in your case is to use a hand held jigsaw. Make sure to use a metal blade. Borrow a jigsaw from a friend or neighbor or if you are planning to do a lot of cutting, it might be better to buy one. A hand held jigsaw is not that expensive. They will cost you around $40 at Lowes or Home Depot.

Setup:

If you can, it is very important to take out the computer components. This prevents metal shavings from landing on cards and possibly shorting out your system. If you do not want to take out your components, I have two suggestions that have worked for me. Lay a bath towel over the componenets. The shavings will fall on the towel and you can remove the towel without the shavings falling into your system. The second way is to use a vacuum cleaner. Hold the vacuum cleaner hose under the part of the case where the blade is cutting. The suction will pull the metal shavings into the vacum cleaner as they fall; thus, away from your components.

Now that you have an idea of how to cut your case, you need to layout the pattern to cut. Many window kits come with a tracing design. With fans you will want to use a ruler and trace out the size of the fan. This may sound simple but make sure you do not make the hole too big. Remember you will need to mount the fan using its screw holes. I prefer to cut a square the size of the inner diameter of the fan, the part the air blows through. You can also cut a circle for this diameter, it just takes a little extra work.

The jigsaw blade will have to be inserted into the metal before you start. Therefore, you will need a drill to make a hole that the blade can fit into. It is best to make a hole inside of your cutting area and then work the saw to the outer edge. This will save you from making a mistake.

Cutting with the saw:

In case you have never used a jigsaw here are some pointers.

It is best to have your case laying on its side so you can push the saw down. Do not put a lot of pressure on the saw, just enough to keep it flush against the metal. If you can remove your side panel, place it across two crates. This is a good way to cut a hole in your case without shavings falling onto the components.

Move the jigsaw slowly. If you move it too fast, the blade will snag and possibly break. Breaking the blade is not going to harm anything, just frustrate you a bit when you have to buy a new blade.

Do not try and turn the blade sharply. The blade will bend and snag causing it to break. Plan to cut in straight lines with a slight angle to them. You can cut a circle if the diameter is large enough. Remember go slow when cutting a circle.

If you stop in a section and want to continue cutting along the same line, put the blade in at the beginning of your cut. Run the saw and move the blade down the cut again. If you put the blade in where you want to continue and turn the saw on, the blade could snag. This is because the side of the blade can catch the metal on startup.

Conclusion:

Using a jigsaw was the easiest way I found to cut a hole in a case. I have tried to use a Dremel. They make unprofessional looking cuts and take a lot of time to cut a hole. With a jigsaw, I cut an 80mm hole in my case in about 2 minutes. This way I don't have to find someone with a plasma cutter or work for hours with a hand saw.