Filling small holes in case - any good way?

[Jeff7]

I have the Enlight 7237 case, and it has a lot of small slot/holes in the side of it. I'm going to be painting the case, but I don't want those holes showing there. Is there a good way of filling them in? It would have to be semi-flexible too so that it wouldn't crack if the side would flex, and it would have to hold up good over time.

 

[TheYetiMan]

Clear packing tape ?

 

[Jeff7]

I thought of that, but that's not really a long term solution, and it's not too durable.

 

[toshiba3020]

Those are ventilation holes. If they are there, they are there for a reason. I would leave them.

 

[Jeff7]

Ok, I know that. I'm an Anandtecher though. You think my case has NORMAL cooling??? Come on!!!


I have quite enough cooling without these tiny holes, which are virtually useless anyway.

Still looking for suggestions.

 

[toshiba3020]

You could put a window in your case.

 

[Jeff7]

I'm also doing that, except that the hole I have drawn up just doesn't cut them out. Isn't there anything that can fill them in without breaking under a little flexing?

 

[toshiba3020]

Put sheet aluminum behind it, and punch it threw til flush.

 

[Soulflare]

They're speed holes, another Intel innovation that makes the Internet faster.

 

[Jeff7]

Aluminum sheet idea's about the best one so far; these are pretty tiny holes though; there's not too many of them left though - I have the hole cut for the case window, and there's 14 holes left. I'll give that a go tomorrow then; bedtime now; class early tomorrow.



They're speed holes, another Intel innovation that makes the Internet faster.
I want my money back then. Internet speed here sucks.
Good one there.

 

[jteef]

what about bondo?

or fiberglass/resin.

jt

 

[WarCon]

I was just going to suggest a little bondo or even JBWeld and then some light sanding.

 

[guitronics]

I am not Joking here....Use Duct Tape. Then paint the case. The tape stays reasonably flexible,and it's the easiest way.

Sure, you could put stainless-steel (100 M.P.H) tape over the holes, or go all-out with various fillers and/ or adhesives, but why?

Do yourself a favor.....get a roll of duct tape, tape it up from the inside, and scuff-sand the case first with fine steel wool,wipe it down with solvent (outside!) let dry without touching the metal, and paint it.

Trust me.

 

[drx9175l]

I can't believe you missed the obvious solution. Those vents are only on one side, right? And the case panels are reversible? You need the un-vented side panels from two cases! You should have bought two 7237's, kept the panels you wanted and returned the other case. Don't feel guilty like you're doing something sneaky, think of as it as a favor for the next guy- he gets EXTRA vents! J/K. Seriously though, you could find someone else with the same case that isn't bugged by the holes and swap. Too bad you already mounted the window. Of course that might make it easier to find someone willing to trade. Good luck.

 

[DIRTsquirt]

bondo is the ticket. dont tape the holes on the inside before applying the bond it needs to ooze through the holes to give it a place for a firm foothold. you can file the excess of providing you leave enough of a nub to retain the bondo. And read the prep instructions completely

 

[Jeff7]

Where do I get Bondo? I've never even heard of it.
I did think of an improvement on the packing tape idea - packing tape on one side, fill the hole in with some regular 2 part epoxy, and tape over the other side then. Would that work?

guitronics, the duct tape idea - is that on the inside or outside of the case panel? If it's on the outside, wouldn't the duct tape still be visible as a raised area under the paint?

 

[DIRTsquirt]

bondo is brand name of Auto Body Putty. dont use glasing compound case it is intended to fill scratches. it isnt very strong otherwise
the epoxy would work but it is mondo hard to sand.

 

[Metalloid]

<< They're speed holes, another Intel innovation that makes the Internet faster >>



I think you are mistaken, that was Al Gore's idea.

 

[RalfHutter]

I use the shiney aluminum tape that air conditioner guys use for taping ductwork together. It's thinner than regular cloth-based duct tape, is more durable and the stickum on the back is less messy. It works great and lasts a long time. I use it on every case I do for sealing up all the small holes and openings. This allows me to control the airflow in the case

 

[HouRman]

Bondo would be a good solution.

First sand down the paint on the panels and buy a sticky net tape, like a metal mesh tape and tape up the holes on the inside. Then apply bondo on both side. Smooth out the bondo on both sides with a spreader and sand down with 400 grit(or 80 to 120). Put a few coats of primer, and then your favorite paint and voila. Bondo fixes dents, holes, scratches and is comprised of unsaturated polyester resin, styrene monomer, talc, non-asbestiform, magnesite, and fibrous glass. Bondo dries in about 30 minutes depending how much hardener you add to the compound. Very stinky stuff I got mine at Kraagen Automotive store for like $5 which I use to fix mat board bases for 3D designs.

My solution was gonna be to first sand down the holes on the inside of the panel (So it's flat and not bumpy). Then buy a small sheet of aluminum or tinted lexan at home depot and glue or tape it on the inside of the panel.

 

[fell8]

The best method to close holes in sheetmetal is simply weld them closed and sand them smooth. This also restores most of the structural integrity.

 

[RayZor]

<< The best method to close holes in sheetmetal >>

, and easiest way, was said before, and that's BONDO
Just ask yourself, What are most cars made of, and what do Body shops use to fill holes? Most of the time, they use BONDO

Look here
You can pick up a can at any Auto Parts store.

Ray

 

[crash2much]

What about Permatex, ya know, the gasket making stuff that comes in a tube ?
Great things about that is it comes in colors, stay flexable(rubbery), and will come back off if ya decide to peel it away.
Link to Permatex .
You can get it at any autoparts store

 

[BooneRebel]

Hmmm. Cheapo solution - how about screws from the inside of the case through the holes to the outside, & then grind them smooth?

 

[Jeff7]

I'm going to K-mart tomorrow; I'll see if they have anything like Bondo in their auto-parts section.
Permatex sounds interesting too. I'll see what I can get. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Most of my posts end up like the one in my sig with no replies.