I'ts really not that bad, you just need the correct type of drill bit, make sure to mark where you want the holes before you start drilling, or better yet. find a friend with a drill press

you'd be done in about a minute and a half

EDIT: I will say though, drilling through metal is scary, loud and tiring the first time around. lol

make sure the bits have this point a the end too, it makes it MUCH harder to slip

http://img.diynetwork.com/DIY/2011/02/23/RX-DK-DIY054036_wood-drill-bits_s4x3_lg.jpg

 

Drilling aluminium is not that hard... if you want them for M4 screws, you need to first drill 3.3 core diameter, and then drill the M4 thread.

How thick is the material that you are drilling trough? You need at least ~3mm, so an M4 screw can hold in aluminium correctly.

 

A drill press isn't an option at all unfortunately. I can probably purchase a vice, however the piece i am drilling into is rather large....

and the material is 2.3mm thick. I dont actually need threaded holes, because ill be tightening a nut and washer on the opposite side

I never implied it was hard. Im simply not going to just jump right into drilling a hole into my expensive case. If I mess this piece up, its nearly 70$ and a week minimum before I can start my build. Im just nervous, forgive me

 

Get yourself an automatic center punch; any hardware store or Home Center will have them. You will need it to make an indentation where you want to make the hole so the tip of the drill bit won't walk over the surface. To use, mark the center of the hole you want to make, put the end of the center punch on the center that you marked, then, holding the center punch perpendicular to the surface, press down on it until you feel it snap. Check to make sure the indentation you just made is in the correct place then repeat two or more times to make sure the indentation is deep enough to ensure the bit won't walk. The reason I suggested the automatic center punch is it won't distort the metal, unlike a regular center punch and hammer can very easily do.

Once the hole location has been center punched, start the hole with a bit that is smaller than the final size, say 2mm or 1/16"; smaller bits are less likely to drift while drilling and are less likely to grab when breaking through. Ideally, you should back up the surface with a piece of wood but, if that isn't practical, just use a little less pressure as you start to break through. Finish the hole with the appropriately sized bit. You can clean up the burr around the hole using a larger bit; for aluminum, I would just hold the bit with your fingers and rotate it manually to avoid overcutting.

Since you have never used a drill before, I suggest that you practice on some scrap, if possible, to get the feel of it. Just take your time, don't rush, and you will be just fine.

 

My 2 cents:
When using a cordless drill make sure that you're going in perpendicularly to the surface. Thats whh a drill press is best for this but because you cant source one, have a go at being on top of the piece you are drilling. Cant the caselabs case be disassembled?
Furthermore, if you drill directly into the material it is best to have a secondary material like wood behind the piece. When you push with the drill you can warp the aluminium. The backing adds support.
Something i do when using a powerdrill is to drill into a medium thick material like 7mm plywood with the desired hole size, and then i place that on top of the material i want to drill and go through to make sure the drill doesnt drift.
Make sure everything is clamped down... And besides. This is aluminium not steel, alu is easier to deal with

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by LokSupguller

Furthermore, if you drill directly into the material it is best to have a secondary material like wood behind the piece. When you push with the drill you can warp the aluminium. The backing adds support.
Something i do when using a powerdrill is to drill into a medium thick material like 7mm plywood with the desired hole size, and then i place that on top of the material i want to drill and go through to make sure the drill doesnt drift.

This is a great piece of advice and one that I commonly follow. I use a small piece of thick acrylic with the size hole I want to make. Clamp it to the surface that needs cutting so that the hole lines up with your planned cut. It is basically a hole cutting template and it has greatly reduced the number of misplaced holes that I made with previous mods, where I had to make fan holes for rads and slight misalignments make them difficult to mount.

 

Agreed,

It seems so obvious and easily assumed, in yet I would have never excercised those tips and probably would have made a horrible first hole....Thanks so much guys.

Hopefully ill get good symmetry and level lines with the holes, I want to mount the reservoir clamps against the walls so they can be side by side, as ive seen with so many builds.