CUSTOM RADIATOR
MOUNTS
Ever wanted to put a radiator in a place where
your case doesn’t have a mount? Do you
want to add fan blow holes to boost cooling or
expand a water-cooling system? Custom fan
mounts are one of the best ways to make an
otherwise stock case look unique, and have
the benefit of improving cooling and boosting
water-cooling potential too.
You might want to perform other cutting
tasks too, and the same rules apply here for
any case-cutting jobs. As always, don’t start
cutting with your hardware installed in the
case. It needs to be removed first, and your
case cleaned before you reinstall it.
If possible, remove the panel you intend
to cut, but if this involves drilling out rivets, it’s
possible to do most cutting with the sections
still in place. Either way, make sure there arehigher, which can result in the surface needing
a huge amount of clear coat if it’s too high.
Don’t be tempted to sand down the marble
effect to thin it out, as this will dislodge it and
ruin the marble pattern. You also won’t be able
to sand it once a few layers of clear coat have
been applied, if you’re hoping to need less
clear coat, so it’s really important to keep the
marble effect layers to a minimum.
It’s easy to remove the stray excess though- it will just brush away, but avoid pulling the
strands, as it’s easy to pull them off the paint.
The strands will dry very quickly, so once
you’ve removed the excess, it’s time to apply
the clear coat. This isn’t essential, as the marble
sticks like paint, but a clear coat will help to
protect it and the paint beneath.
The clear coat can be applied in the same
way as our guide on p102, but here, you’ll want
to apply many more layers so they cover the
marble strands beneath. As a result, this will
probably take a couple of days.
On a flat panel, you can apply the clear coat
liberally and at close range in fairly thick layers,
but only if you can lay the panel flat.
This will save a lot of time compared with
suspending the panel, where you have to be
really careful to avoid the spray running before
it dries. Gradually build up the layers, allowing
each one to dry for 30 minutes before applyingthe next, but ensure all the marble effect
strands are hidden beneath an even layer of
clear coat.
It’s important to buff and polish the final coat,
and you can see how to do this in our guide
on p102. Standard clear coat should be left
according to the manufacturer’s suggested
drying time, but you usually need to leave it for
at least seven days before it can be polished.
Meanwhile, 2K clear sprays dry faster and
harder so you’ll be able to get polishing after 24
hours. Polishing is where the magic happens,
as the clear surface will become glossy and
reflective, giving real depth to the marble
strands beneath it.no exposed case fittings and ports nearby –
remove them or mask them to protect them
from metal dust and fragments.
If you’re creating a radiator blowhole, then
you’ll ideally want the radiator to hand so you
can test-fit it in the case. This way, you can
make sure it won’t foul any other parts, and
you can also use it as a template to mark your
cutting lines onto masking tape, which will also
help to protect the panel.
Cutting metal is never an easy task with
basic tools and dealing with steel can be
especially tough. You’ll also generate dust,
so be sure to wear a mask and protective
goggles. A mini circular saw (such as the
Dremel DSM20 ) is a fantastic tool for this work,
and will save a huge amount of time compared
with a standard Dremel rotary tool. A jigsaw
is another option and, failing that, you can cut
some fairly large holes using a Dremel and
steel reinforced cutting disc, but it might take
you a while. Once you’re done, you’ll need to use a
metal file to remove any sharp edges and
fragments from the edges. With radiator
blowholes it’s usually best to overlay a radiator
or fan grille on top of the blowhole, as the
edge you’ve cut likely won’t be clean enough
to show off, unless you get it machine-cut
by professionals.
To do this, place the grille over the panel
and tape it into position, before using a pencil
to mark the positions of the mounting holes.
Finally, install your fans, radiator and grille into
the panel and replace it in your case.Our finished custom radiator mount at
the front of the case, complete with grilleA mini circular saw, such as the Dremel
DSM20, is a fantastic tool for cutting metalYou can use your radiator as a template to mark
your cutting lines onto masking tape on the panel
Overlay a radiator or fan grille on top of
the blowhole, as the edge you’ve cut
likely won’t be clean enough to show off