Custom Grommet Guide

[tarfeef101]

Hi guys,

 

After pouring too much time and too much $ into my latest build, I saw the Inwin 303, and realized that it looks cool. Dammit Inwin. So, I was looking into it and realized that there's no grommets anywhere. Being the OCD freak that I am, I needed to fix this, so enter custom grommets. I've seen some questions about this topic, and there isn't much information online about it, so I decided to make this basic guide. I haven't actually bought all the parts for the build, so this won't have any pictures, but if people want some I can get the rest of the stuff and get that up in a week or two. Anyways, guide time:

 

1. Find some rubber. Now, there's a couple things that you need to consider here. First is colour. If you want black, that is the easiest to find. Of course, since we are doing this ourselves if you're adventurous you can experiment with other colours. However, make sure it matches your case colour well (black specifically can look kinda bad if the shades don't blend well). Next, you need to get the right thickness. Generally, 1-2mm or 1/16" is ideal. Last, check reviews or specs if available to make sure it is flexible enough to handle a good amount of cable insertions and won't stiffen.
   1. An example of something that works decently is: https://www.amazon.ca/LASCO-02-1048E-Rubber-6X6-Inch-16-Inch/dp/B0074II2K6/ref=sr_1_7?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1470151863&sr=1-7&keywords=1%2F16
2. Get some double sided tape for putting the grommets onto the back of the motherboard tray. This is pretty easy to find, just keep the width of the tape low if you can. Here is a decent example: https://www.amazon.ca/Genuine-9448AB-Strength-Double-Adhesive/dp/B01ADR2HGY/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1470152074&sr=8-12&keywords=3m+double-sided+tape
3. Once you get your rubber, grab some KY and bring up an Incognito window... Take a piece of paper, and trace out all of the cutouts on the motherboard tray that you want to cover on the paper, keeping at least 4 inches (10 cm) between each one if you're using one sheet for multiple traces. Then, depending on the width of your tape, trace around that shape, but with some extra room to allow for tape to be put around the edges.
4. Take the paper, and put it on top of the rubber. Put a slight imprint onto the rubber with the inner and outer shapes, then grab an exact-knife (sharp blade) and cut out the larger shape only. 
5. Now you want to consider the cutout shape you want to use for the grommet. There are a few ways, that very in stealth, effectiveness, etc. I have attached a file with a few designs that have worked for me (sorry for the crap quality, I'm doing this at my office in Paint). Look at some other cases on the market for more ideas and/or examples. Once you choose a design, cut that out of the inner shape with your blade. 
6. Now, adhere the tape around the cutout on the back of the motherboard tray, and apply the grommet.
7. Enjoy your cleaner system!

 

Grommet Tracing: 

 

Cutout Designs: