RE: Case modding / cutting to install SATA multi-disk caddies

["Paul Gordon" <paul_gordon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Absolutely that'll do the job... - I've had a Dremel for many years
now, an=
d
it's undoubtedly one of the most versatile tools you can own.

PC cases tend to be pretty much exclusively made of fairly thin / soft
material, and one of these multi-tools fitted with a reinforced cutting
wheel should go through it like a proverbial hot (well, lukewarm!) knife
through butter... there will be plenty of sparks IME, but they don't tend
t=
o
be hot (I've never burnt myself yet), but you DO want to wear some eye
protection (I'm shamefully lax at this), as occasionally there are tiny
bit=
s
of swarf thrown out with some gusto...

Depending on the amount of material to be removed, you may find it
preferable to use a grinding wheel instead of a cutting wheel, but you'll
have to experiment to see which is best... (10x more sparks with grinding!)

Either way will produce a fair amount of fine metal particles - you DON'T
want those getting into any of the PC components, so you really should
remove everything from the case - or if possible just remove the entire
drive cage from the case and work on it separately.

As for cutting wheels, I've come across two different types, one is fairly
expensive and works extremely well, the other cheap as chips, and a pile of
doo-doo. The kind I've found best are referred to as a "reinforced
cutoff
wheel" and appear to made of a fibreglass like material with a visible
reinforcing mesh in the construction. - typically sold in fairly small
pack=
s
of 2 or 3 wheels, and IIRC usually working out at around =A33-=A35 per
whee=
l.
The crappy kind that I've some across appear to be made from some kind of
thin ceramic material, and are very brittle - you can snap them in your
fingers without too much effort. These tend (IME) to snap very easily in
us=
e
- usually throwing shards of cutting wheel into your face at 600MPH in the
process! This kind I've seen on the shelf in packs of 20 or more for the
same price as 2 or 3 or the former kind....

Of course YMMV, I've got a mains tool rather than a battery one, and I
can'=
t
comment on the likely difference in performance between the two, nor
betwee=
n
different makes..

HTH

Paul G.

Actually, you *MAY* even be able to do it with some tin snips, but that
wil=
l
depend on access to the bits you need to cut, - I can imagine it's quite
restricted to get at these tabs and tin snips might not have the reach
required to cut all the way through the depth of the drive cage...



-----Original Message-----
From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
keyvan2r
Sent: 17 August 2010 16:06
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: [ukha_d] Case modding / cutting to install SATA multi-disk caddies

Hi all

A while ago I switched from WHS to unRaid for my media server and am very
happy with it. I can stream 4 bluray movies to clients without any
skipping/freezing - not so with WHS!!
I am using a coolermaster case with 9x exposed 5.25" bays. While
looking to
expand the hot-swap bays (5x3.5 in 3x5.25).
The caddy will not fit as it has flat sides (i.e. no grooves between
inidividual 5.25 drives) and the case has guide/supports for single 5.25
drives. These are small tabs which are formed by a cut-out from the side
an=
d
bent/angled to 90 degrees. My only option seems to be to cut these tabs so
the caddy/cage can slide in unobstructed. My question is what would be the
best tool to do this?
So far I am considering a rotary tool like this one:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=3D223105

Can anyone offer some advice please? My knowledge as to what might cut
steerl / alloy is very limited. Do these small 18v rotary tools have enough
power / correct cutting disks to cut through the average pc case / drive
enclosure?

Thank you...

K



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