How to plug holes where mesh used to be?

[Molot]

My parts: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZTvfrD

 

Kindly please ignore the dust and the stickers on the photos, I know, I know. They'll be gone soon, promise!

 

My old case can't fit all this stuff. So obviously I asked a friend for help and we hacked out the front of the case and now radiator of the CPU cooling AIO is connected on the outside of the case's metal frame. Actually it is functionally a part of the frame because we took out quite a lot of metal, too.

 

Sadly, the plastic front had predetermined square where we could cut. It is wider by 2cm and taller by about 4mm than the radiator, leaving 1cm vertical holes on the sides, and easy to ignore 2mm horizontal ones on the top and bottom.

 

Any ideas how to plug them in a way that would keep my rad easy to remove if needed? I'd like to be able to give this case a paintjob someday. I'm open to suggestions and I have a resin 3d printer but no modelling skills.

 

 

[Founders]

You could use some weather stripping on either side of the rad to fill in the gap. You can use some 3M adhesive tape to hold it on. Just trim it up to your desired lengths, pop it on, and you should be good.  

[Molot]

2 minutes ago, Founders said:

You could use some weather stripping

Certainly approach I haven't consider. I'm give it some thought.

 

I'd prefer something that would go well with custom front grill, as having fins in the open is unsettling a bit, but your solution seems easy, cheap, fast and easy to remove if something better will show. Thanks!

[Founders]

2 minutes ago, Molot said:

Certainly approach I haven't consider. I'm give it some thought.

 

I'd prefer something that would go well with custom front grill, as having fins in the open is unsettling a bit, but your solution seems easy, cheap, fast and easy to remove if something better will show. Thanks!

Sure, the only other idea I have involves a 3D printer and making your own grills that slot in. But I figured if you had one you would have done that already. Maybe you have a friend that can help you out. 

 

Here's a grill I did for a project so yours is definitely doable:

 

[Molot]

2 minutes ago, Founders said:

But I figured if you had one you would have done that already.

I have a printer all right, what I lack is the imagination how the product should look like, and modelling skills to make it good using parts no larger than  115 x 65 x 155 mm (build volume of my printer).

 

I think I can brute force my way though the modelling part, but I would still need an idea of what do I want to accomplish, exactly. Flat grill is easy but radiator extends to the front and I'm not the fan of gettho / cyberpunk / matrix dystopian look unless I can go all the way with it.  I'm just not that good with aesthetics

[Founders]

16 minutes ago, Molot said:

I have a printer all right, what I lack is the imagination how the product should look like, and modelling skills to make it good using parts no larger than  115 x 65 x 155 mm (build volume of my printer).

 

I think I can brute force my way though the modelling part, but I would still need an idea of what do I want to accomplish, exactly. Flat grill is easy but radiator extends to the front and I'm not the fan of gettho / cyberpunk / matrix dystopian look unless I can go all the way with it.  I'm just not that good with aesthetics

I have some ideas. You said you’re ok with the gaps top and bottom it’s just each side which looks to be 1 cm in width on either side assuming your rad is centered. What’s the Z height from top to bottom? My build volume is 235x235x250 so maybe I can help.

[Molot]

11 hours ago, Founders said:

1 cm in width on either side assuming your rad is centered.

The rad is centered. height of the rad is 138mm, height of the hole ~142mm, and radiator protrudes from the case for 31mm, to the best of my ability to measure. Side "plugs" triangular in cross section would do the job and fit my printing volume but making them look good and fit the case aesthetic is a bit beyond me.

[Founders]

30 minutes ago, Molot said:

Side "plugs" triangular in cross section

I’m not entirely sure what you mean here. Do you mean printing each side in two pieces?

[Founders]

Let me know what you think. I think it matches the aesthetics of the HAF series really well. You can print four of these and super glue one on top of the other for each side. Then 3M adhesive tape can hold them on either side of the rad. The dimensions may need to be adjusted a bit in your slicer so be sure to get another measurement or two before you print.

 

 

 

   

Cooler Master HAF Rad Spacer.stl

[Molot]

2 minutes ago, Founders said:

Let me know what you think.

Amazing. I'll turn on my printer tonight!

[Founders]

Glad you like it! Post some pics when you're done, I'd like to see how it turns out.