help with a hardware mod

[skisteven1]

If you're unfamiliar with what I'm talking about -- there's a good intro here. Most of the mods that are out there use a hot blade. Here's my plan:

I got my sc420 a while ago but was waiting for a good deal on a video card before sitting down to mod it. I've been using an X-acto blade or box cutter heated on a stove flame, and have had a lot of trouble cutting through the dividers. I even went out and got a dremel to try that, but it doesn't seem to fit (the PCI slots prevent it from going low enough). Here's a picture of what I've done so far:
current status

The problem is that the blade just doesn't seem to cut very well. Maybe I can't get it hot enough. Anyway, so I had a thought. What if you cut sideways with the dremel? just cut the whole thing out? I mean, you'd have two huge gaps in the slot, but it should work just fine. Any thoughts? I wanted to run this by the community before doing it myself. Here's a (very rough) diagram of what I'm talking about:
proposed cuts

What do you think? Is using a dremel to cut out the SIDE of the slot a bad idea? good idea? dumb idea?

thanks for any advice!

EDITED to add links (whoops)

 

[Hans5849]

you need a blow torch, use propane. I think the problem is your not melting the plastic enough.

 

[skisteven1]

any other thoughts about the sideways cuts? Or is getting a blowtorch and heating up the blade just the best way to go?

 

[Hans5849]

I used a dremmel to do my case fans and let me tell you that they love to get a hold of plastic and run with it. Plus if you slip you could nail the mobo.

You just need to get the knife very hot so that it does more melting than cutting, i think.

 

[Jiggz]

Personell, I would use a dremel that is permanently mounted like a drill press and then have the mobo slide under it and move it to my liking to cut those bridges. YOu want to use either a pointed grinding bit or sanding kit. Cover the entire mob is plastic shrink and cut hole through the slot you want to make a cut so you do not mess the entire board.

 

[Abhi]

I work at a polymer(rubbers+plastics) component manufacturing facility, and this is what we have divised for task such as these....

We have shaped the head of a soldering iron like one of a flat screwdriver, by grinding the head. Now all we need to do is turn on the soldering iron, and simply touch the plastic where we want it to melt.

See if this method will work for you. Soldering irons are cheap.

 

[CrispyFried]

Originally posted by: Abhi
I work at a polymer(rubbers+plastics) component manufacturing facility, and this is what we have divised for task such as these....

We have shaped the head of a soldering iron like one of a flat screwdriver, by grinding the head. Now all we need to do is turn on the soldering iron, and simply touch the plastic where we want it to melt.

See if this method will work for you. Soldering irons are cheap.

I like that idea, many irons have replacable tips, easy and cheap enough to have several custom shapes.

 

[thescreensavers]

I dont see any pins in your slot like in the artical?