Dust filter on a transparent panel?

[Aristotle2019]

If I switch one side panel of an RVZ03 Raven with a custom made glass or acrylic panel with proper ventilation over the CPU cooler is there any way I can attach a dust filter on it? 

[NickPickerWI]

Sure, with a little RTV silicone. It's like $8 a tube, and dries with air. Holds well, and comes off easily. Useful for all sorts of stuff.

 

DEMCifilter makes magnetic filters of all sizes, so you could pick one up and use the RTV around the edges. I would make a completely open hole in the acrylic that's the size of the fan's diameter, and mount the filter from the outside face of the side panel (it will look better and be easier to clean).

 

There's no clear filters that I'm aware of, the best you can do is get a great looking filter. These do look great, but they're somewhat restrictive (any filter tends to be, but these are very fine mesh so they "clog up" quickly).

 

You won't get a glass side panel, I've looked into it - not one with any holes in it, anyway. Tempered glass needs to have all the holes put into it before tempering, and if you could even find a place to do a custom panel like this, it will either require a volume buy or be incredibly expensive (I'm talking over a thousand bucks for a single panel).

 

Make sure, if you do get a side panel like this, that you consider how you will be mounting it. You will more than likely need to mod the case or have some funky provisions on the panel to get it to mount.

 

Good luck! It's a neat case, and I wish it had a clear side panel option - though that's not really what SilverStone was going for with it.

[Aristotle2019]

20 minutes ago, NickPickerWI said:

Sure, with a little RTV silicone.

Great, thanks !!

Also.. I have never done this before. If I source acrylic, how do I manage to cut it? Is there an online service that can make and provide me parts as per a design ?

27 minutes ago, NickPickerWI said:

Tempered glass needs to have all the holes put into it before tempering, and if you could even find a place to do a custom panel like this, it will either require a volume buy or be incredibly expensive

Oops sorry missed it 

 

there's Protocase, and at one point I was like "lemme revise blender , and I'll have a go at a completely custom case " 

Obviously, I'm looking at something almost completely like the RVZ03, and I think they can give me a ventilated tempered glass side panel if that's what I put in my design 

Wud that path be better ? A bit more premium, but it's a case (and to me, the case is more important than even the hardware) 

 

Otherwise how do I cut acrylic and .. just asking, can't I just have a ventilated design like the Skyreach 4 Mini only above the CPU or is a whole cutout the best bet ?

 

Thanks!

[Aristotle2019]

@NickPickerWI

Also.. does a magnetic dust filter have borders magnetic or the entire thing magnetic? If I buy a large one and cut it to dimensions (again, how exactly?) For weird positions non conventional positions ?

[NickPickerWI]

2 hours ago, Aristotle2019 said:

@NickPickerWI

Also.. does a magnetic dust filter have borders magnetic or the entire thing magnetic? If I buy a large one and cut it to dimensions (again, how exactly?) For weird positions non conventional positions ?

Just the borders are magnetic. To have the whole thing be magnetic would be impossible - it would have to BE a magnet, and would not be a filter anymore.

 

Again, you can look at DEMCiflex/DEMCifilter, because they have a whole variety of filter shapes and sizes.

[NickPickerWI]

2 hours ago, Aristotle2019 said:

Great, thanks !!

Also.. I have never done this before. If I source acrylic, how do I manage to cut it? Is there an online service that can make and provide me parts as per a design ?

Oops sorry missed it 

 

there's Protocase, and at one point I was like "lemme revise blender , and I'll have a go at a completely custom case " 

Obviously, I'm looking at something almost completely like the RVZ03, and I think they can give me a ventilated tempered glass side panel if that's what I put in my design 

Wud that path be better ? A bit more premium, but it's a case (and to me, the case is more important than even the hardware) 

 

Otherwise how do I cut acrylic and .. just asking, can't I just have a ventilated design like the Skyreach 4 Mini only above the CPU or is a whole cutout the best bet ?

 

Thanks!

There are whole articles online on how to cut and bond acrylic, I'd suggest you learn that way. I won't be able to do the subject justice.

 

I've found it easier to do what you suggested - find a local shop and send them designs for what you're looking for. I use a place called American Acrylics, and they can make anything I want out of acrylic, and I can pick it up a few days later. Your best bet is to look for custom acrylic/plastic shops in your area.

 

Protocase is nice, but very expensive, and they have a LOT of design rules you need to know (like you can't have holes within X millimeters of a bend, etc.) I designed a small case with no acrylic, no glass, no super insane features, and I was quoted $1800 for it by them. Whether or not the cost is worth it to you is up to you. And that's designing the case without needing them to redesign it, because I spent a lot of time understanding their design rules and limitations.

 

Even then, you're looking at a severe cost hike to get a ventilated glass panel. Most shops won't do it. The only reason you might see it on a high-end case is because companies like Cooler Master can afford to buy the custom tooling to make that glass, test it, break many of them, fix their tooling...and then sell tens of thousands of them. I would not recommend going with glass. I know, I'm heartbroken by it too, but it's reality.

 

Personally, I'm having steel parts laser cut, and I bought a mini pressbrake to bend them myself. A rivet gun and rivets to put it together. Paint to make it pretty. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than $1800! But I also work in Engineering, and am comfortable designing something like this that I have to turn around and build.

 

And the reason I suggested having a cutout the size of the (circular opening for the) fan is because once you put a filter over it, the filter restricts airflow. All filters do. The more open area you have to start with, the more airflow you'll have after you put the filter over it. A fan can't really pull much more air than a hole the size of the fan blades would allow, so it doesn't have to be bigger than the circular hole in the fan housing.

 

And you do not want to suffocate your parts in this case, or any computer case. You sacrifice looks, but I don't know about you - I'd rather not kill my parts because I cooked them to death.

[Aristotle2019]

1 hour ago, NickPickerWI said:

 

.

Alright.. thanks a lot for your input. 

 

I had no idea how expensive Protocase would be. 

And ok, I'll go with a complete cutout then. 

How much average will a shop charge to cut me some glass or acrylic or aluminium according to my dimensions ? And how much the *should* charge ? 

[Aristotle2019]

I'm kind of heartbroken. 

Do you think shops that make custom aluminium and glass decor can make such plates for me ? It might go cheaper than Protocase. Because their usual ones are large thick wall designs. There are some in my home town. 

And, do I need tempered glass ? I can save and have standard glass drilled to my needs with like a dark screen over it. I lose all that durability, but if it breaks, easier to replace . And goes cheap. And it's mostly for display.. 

Argh I don't feel good about this. 

[thrasher_565]

its kinda the same way as wood or metal. drill a hole in a corner or some were to get your cutting device in. do a ruff cut then file, sand it smooth. but drill a small hole and make it bigger as it can crack.

 

in this case since your using a dust filter it will cover up the cut job so make as nice as you want.