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Hello everyone,

After searching online for a PC case and not finding anything that suits my taste, I’ve decided to take on the challenge of designing and building my own custom PC case.

I’m aiming for the most premium design possible and have created a 3D model of a chassis made out of metal. However, I’m unsure if my design is feasible within a reasonable budget (sub £500). Specifically, I’m wondering:

• Can this case be made out of metal like aluminium, or is the outer chassis too thick to be bent at the edges?
• Does adding holes to the material (for airflow or mounting) make bending the metal more difficult?

I’ve attached a picture of one of my designs along with an example of the chassis shape I’m trying to achieve.

Does anyone know how I would go about fabricating this chassis? Is it possible to use thicker metals for this design? What would be the theoretical limit for bending the corners of a flat slab of aluminum after cutting all the holes? Would it be better to cut the holes before or after bending the metal?

Thanks in advance for any advice or guidance

Note: these metal parts will probably be made by a company such as send cut send, so i assume they will be using high end machinery to make the parts, therefore i hope this isnt a limitation.

Also if the images I've attached below don't appear, give me a shout and I will set up a link :)

https://preview.redd.it/xl86vsi489ae1.png?width=1761&format=png&auto=webp&s=f04ab28a2653675b7b7fc7df4c9f7bdcac518517

https://preview.redd.it/n2t4xk4d89ae1.png?width=1941&format=png&auto=webp&s=362185509dc8efaa48b496a83175a9fbeafb3779

Hi all, I'm in the planning stage for a home project and am trying to see if anyone here knows of a product I'm missing.

Basically, I want to build an old school steamer trunk style chest with metal edges riveted on. The rivets are mostly for decoration so pop rivets would be strong enough but I really don't like the look of them.

Normally I would just use solid rivets but I won't be able to reach to run the rivet gun and bucking bar at the same time and the wife has no interest in learning to be my assistant. The distance also rules out using a hand squeezer.

So I'm left looking at pop rivets and wondering if there's a way to make them look solid? Or if there's a different product I'm not thinking about right now that would accomplish the same goal.

I know it would probably be ideal to just have to separate vises and one mounted permanently to table, but I have to stretch my money as far as I can. Finally bought my first vise after years of doing janky and tiresome setups with clamps and trying to weight those down various ways when needed. Wondering I can make this versatile and have it be semi ridgid and stable on table but still have the ability to carry it outside for cuts and grinds (I can’t do that in my garage, it’s shared and I would cover a lot of things in dust that would make my family mad.)

I have a few ideas but I’m wondering if there’s a standard approach for this kind of thing.

Some possible ideas of mine include just mounting the vise to a 2x6 and then clamping that to the table with bar clamps. I’m sure with enough clamps this would be fine but I still don’t love the idea because one it’s not very fluid on setup and removal, would be having to setup and remove at least 2 clamps and I can imagine them getting in the way of work. One other reason I like this idea is because when the vise isn’t secured to table if I have it attached to a large piece of wood I’ll be able to weigh it down with dumbbells or whatever else I have around the garage when needed.

Another idea was to have some sort of pin system with cotter pins on the end as a substitute for bolts and nuts or lag screws how a normal vise is mounted. I know this would allow for more slop than normal unless I’m extremely precise with the pins but I’m wondering if this is a terrible idea.

Any other ideas? I feel like I can’t be the only one who has wanted to do this kind of thing. Eventually I’ll of course buy another vise but I can get by with one right now and there are a pile of other tools I’d rather buy before a second vise.

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I use a regular welding shield (2x4) with an auto lens shade. It's not bad, but when I use 6010 I can't really see around the area that I'm welding. I try drawing it with soapstone and I tried one of those silverstreak pens but my welds usually just get angled and aren't accurate. Sometimes the welding smoke gets in the way so I have adjusted my hands accordingly.

Is getting a professional helmet with a larger viewing area + auto shade, would that help visibility for someone new to welding? I've heard that they take in more light, so I might be able to see around the area that I need to travel to.

Thanks for any help

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Maybe thoughts regarding brushless ones ? Much more expansive, i doubt about the real benefits, but can't manage to try one as its still rare.

Thanks in avance !

Hi folks

I just re painted my 5 year old delivery box It’s outside and exposed to rain and sun .. especially rain

What’s your suggestions for a clear coating that I can use over painting to insulate the box from rust ?

Thanks!

Hey guys. So, what is the best way to mechanically fasten sheets of, say, stainless steel? 3-5mm thick.

For example, I need sort of an upside down box. So, the top deck part will be SS, and then also on all 4 sides. The bottom will be open to the ground.

I assume I'll need bends in the 4 sides, so there's a lip at 90 deg, so the bent lip can fasten into the top plate/deck. I'd have the required holes cut/punched.

OR, is it just better to have this welded by a pro. I do need it to be relatively water tight, but it's not critical. I just can't have it leak like a sieve.

Someone mentioned a while back using helicoils. If I went with that I'd need some sort of 0-ring or grommet to keep water from leaking in between the fastener.

Any ideas?

I've have a few gallons of evaporust that I've been using to treat some rusty angle iron. I made a tube from 4" PVC and I've been putting a few pieces at a time in overnight to clean them up.

The last couple batches have been taking longer and not coming out well at all. The evaporust is basically black now too. I tried filtering it but didn't get much out of it.

Is my evaporust just worn out? Is there anything i can do to get it working again? Or is it time for another bucket?

I've had this for years, never knew what it was, I thought it was for pushing something like leather into a form. I recently found out you can use it for deburing. I tried it on some aluminum I hacksawed recently and it works well. Cleaned it up and took it to an oilstone and then 400 wet/dry. Should the edges be very sharp, or is crisp ok. Is the missing screw-on ferrule very necessary?