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Electrolytic Etching, For What A Dremel Can't Do
Dustin writes "A lot of people modify computer cases, often requiring them to cut intricate custom designs in
sheet metal. For most, there is the Dremel tool. But
sometimes, that just isn't good enough. Possibly due to an insanely complex design, or
unsteady hands, a Dremel just might not cut it (pun honestly wasn't intended). JimBob, a member at OverhauledPC.com, has a much better way. Using
readily available salt water and electricity, his technique is much easier than trying
to cut patterns with a rotary tool."
I preloaded this into the Coral Cache, just in case it gets slashdotted.
Here's the Cache Link if it's needed.
Using readily available salt water and electricity, his technique is much easier than trying to cut patterns with a rotary tool.
The site is down. Therefore I will assume that he poured water over the case and shocked the shit out of it.
You could get some interesting burn patterns that way. You might even match your case.
The coolest voice ever.
First off, there's nothing a Dremel can't do.
But since your alternative involves electricity, water, and chemicals, we'll forgive it. (But next time, could you kindly use something more dangerous than sodium chloride? We've got reputations to uphold here, and if the case mod weren't so danged cool, we'd feel we were slipping.)
Now, instead of merely cutting myself, I can electrocute myself as well. I love case modding!
Let's see your fancy "salt water" and "electricity" do this!
http://trigeek.net/mirror/etch/guides.php.html
I'll try to summarize this since I managed to read the first few pages before the horde of slashdot ate the website.
You take two plates of metal and hold them parallel (not with your hands, they're going to be electrified!) underwater. Electrify the plates and the positive ions in the water will collect at the negative terminal and the negative ions will collect at the positive terminal. By adding some salt to the water however, you can encourage a chemical reaction to happen at a given electrode. By covering the metal with paint or duct tape, you insulate it from this effect. So what they're doing is, essentially, painting around the hole they want to cut, leaving the hole itself barren, then submerging it in saltwater and electrifying it, causing the exposed metal to oxidize and be eaten away.
It's roughly the opposite of electroplating, which is the procedure which this technique is likened to in the article. Instead of trying to accumulate more on a given electrode you're trying to reduce the amount of matter present there.
Reinvent the wheel only at either a lower cost, greater effectiveness, or your own personal enrichment and satisfaction.
FeCl3 is cheap, relatively safe (don't eat it kids!), and easy to handle. It stains like a bitch though, and will attack most metals so be careful with spills.
Let me introduce you to mirrordor.