CorporalAris

Okay, I have a lot of questions that I would like answered. I have taken a quick look around and haven't seen them, so here they come. I am doing my first mod, a full case mod.

1. In order to cut aluminum with a dremel, what cutting blade do I need? Is there anything I should know before cutting the metal?
2. What kind of Acrylic do I need to buy for a window?
3. What is special about cutting Acrylic?
4. How do I polish cut acrylic?
5. What is 'Wet Sanding?'
6. How do I get rid of spray paint drips?
7. Should I sand the metal before painting?
8. What sort of file should I use to smooth my cuts?
9. Any extra help?

Thanks in advanced you guys. I may add more questions later as I run into them...

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McStuff

I'll answer a couple:
5: Wet sending is using some sort of liquid like water or oil on the sandpaper.
6: Sanding with a high grit until it's smooth, and then paint coats over it.
7: It would be optimal to sand before priming and painting because it helps the primer adhere better.

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Darkknight512

5. Wet sanding is just pouring water over the material and sanding like you would normally do. This gives a smoother texture (Do this at the end with high grit sandpaper is you wish)

CorporalAris

Cool... Thanks for teh quick answers. +repage.

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Syrillian

Hi.

1) If a Dremel is all that is available, I would use a carbide sideways (spiral) bit. This is (imho) not the ideal means. A cutting disk could be used, but cutting around hole with a flat surface is inherently problematic.

2) Any type will do. But, if you are intending to use power tools on the acrylic then I would try to get "cell-cast" as opposed to "extruded".

3) Acrylic is brittle, and shows every flaw clearly. Polycarbonate is a good alternative that is easier to work with. Specialised bits and blades yield a cleaner result that leads to less clean-up time.

4) Sandpaper and a power tool that has a muslin wheel attachment in conjuction with rouge. Polishing can be done soley by hand using 1500+ grit sandpaper. For a really clean finish one can use Novus products.

5) Using water or another liquid to assist in the reduction of friction and to assist in heat-disipation (generally for "super-shine" results).

6)Wet-sanding, more (light coating) painting...repeat until smooth. Waxing will really make the surface shine.

7) For the most part yes. Sanding and Primering will increase the durablility, lifespan and aesthetics of a paint job.

8)



9) ..patience and attention to detail will make for a memorable experience. Quality, not Quantity (imho).

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Semper Fidelis

"There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of us acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic."

japan1

7) yes, first sand then prime it will look much better and last longer.

9) Download google sketchup, its a free 3d modelling thing which lets you plan your work to see if it looks uber cool, or not.

Thats all I really know, hope it helps

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Syrillian

Nice one, japan1.

Sketchup is so easy to use that an Old-nobblet like me can make quasi-professional-looking models

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Silentium ~ Arcane Arts

Semper Fidelis

"There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of us acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic."

BlackandBlue

1) I used the regular cutting wheel. I used painters tape to mask off the area I was going to cut and drew on that.

2) For the acrylic, see if you can get 2-3mm thick.

3) Acrylic likes to melt back together when cutting it, so have the dremel on a high setting to cut threw it faster.

and for 9) If you are spray painting, slow and even coats. Make sure they are all in the same direction. I usually go from left to right and make a thin coat, wet sanding after each with 1000+ grit.

radodrill

all depends on what you're using to cut it; cutting discs tend to melt it more than cutting; and higher cutting speed actually induces more heat making it more likely to melt. I do most of my acrylic cutting with a jigsaw using a high-TPI blade and that works quite well.

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iandroo888

read bold...

*edit*

dang it syrillian. always beat me lol

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