Some Prodigy Mod ideas

[Xaiux]

I'm pretty new to case modding, but I was wondering how hard it would be to make the cutouts for my front IO in the metal of the top of my case. I have a Bitfenix Prodigy, and want to move the IO panel from the side to the top. The circles seem easy enough, but the USB ports look difficult to cut out. I was also wanting to mount a second 240mm rad one the top of my case on the outside with fans on the inside. I don't think I technically need to do any mods to do that but how would I prevent dust buildup with an external radiator? Thanks!

[Bombastinator]

These sound like very ambitious mods for an experienced modder.  You’re biting off a lot I think.  
 

Square holes are generally cut in steel by drilling out, cutting small, and filing to size.  Takes a while.

 

 

[Xaiux]

1 hour ago, Bombastinator said:

These sound like very ambitious mods for an experienced modder. You’re biting off a lot I think.
 

Square holes are generally cut in steel by drilling out, cutting small, and filing to size. Takes a while.

 

 

Ahh okay. I did already cut and drill an acrylic side panel for it but those are very different materials. The top rad should be easy in this case though. How hard is it to make a dust filter for a 240mm rad?

[Bombastinator]

7 minutes ago, Xaiux said:

Ahh okay. I did already cut and drill an acrylic side panel for it but those are very different materials. The top rad should be easy in this case though. How hard is it to make a dust filter for a 240mm rad?

Metal acts a lot like acrylic except it’s much harder and therefore slower to cut.  It doesn’t have near the cracking or chipping problems of acrylic though.  
 

Depends entirely on how you want to do it. I’ve never done a filter for an exterior rad myself.  I’ve done case filters.  I used stage 1 (outer pre filter) filter material from an old Honeywell circular air filter.  Stuff was pretty similar to aquarium filter material.  I’ve heard it referred to as overkill though and it did impinge on static pressure.  I has to use static pressure case fans. I’ve read here that pantyhose also make good filters and that would be less impinging.  A filter needs to go on original intake. If an exterior radiator is blowing out of the case it relies on filters elsewhere from fans blowing in.  If an exterior radiator wants to blow into the case the only thing I can think to do is build a box around the thing to mount a filter on.