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Project Spitfire
- Thread starter KikBox
- Start date
Noni said:
Thanks for the input and I respect your oppinion. The case was never intended to be a replica or period looking piece. My goal has been to combine the WWII images with polish and chrome. I have seen many olive and camo cases and I don't want this to be another one.
I will be putting some more time in on the design this weekend and intend to start my fan control mod and the interior paint job. I think the fan control will really help to tie things together. While the shiny "hot rod" looking idea is not for everyone, I think the finished design will work well.
Troney1169
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2003
- Messages
- 307
First i just want to say great job on the worklog thus far and two a question, why paint the interior if there is no window?
Troney1169 said:
Tim-bit nailed it. I want this to be a first class job and that means inside and out. Why do car maniacs clean and detail their engines when the hood is always closed? Because they can AND when people look at the system and are blown away by the exterior, I want them to be equally stunned by the interior.
I organize a gaming and mod club and a whenever we go to events half the fun is opening the cases to get a good look at the details. Interior details are fun to do and I think they set the great cases apart from the good ones.
goodcooper
[H]F Junkie
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2005
- Messages
- 9,771
fuelvolts said:Spitfire? Why would anybody do a tribute to a Duron core with 64kb of L2 cache? Kinda a weak chip to be honoring, huh?
/still has his spitfire
//good job btw
lol i was thinking the same thing
but i beat him to it ... excuse the camera phone pics.... and mines a tribute to applebred not spitfire... but any durons a KA duron
You may have noticed that I only cut a hole big enough for 3 of the 4 5.25" bays in the new face plate. This is because it is my intension to integrate the sunbeam fan bus right into panel. I will be mounting the control hardware into the bottom bay and cutting holes in the face plate for the knobs.
Just a brief word about this controller: It's very simple but I love it. It has 4 channels with an off position and then variable voltage (basically a dimmer). Each channel features a high intensity LED that changes from red to blue as the fan speed increases. The rheobus also has a few hidden features that make it good for mods.
The knob stems each have 4 washers or spacers that keep the face plate in the correct position. The reason this is good is that if you change out the face plate on this unit you can remove spacers to increase the length of the stems. This allows you to mount the device behind face plates that are thicker than the standard bay cover. The knobs can also be easily removed and the whole unit comes apart in minutes at no risk to the hardware.
The fact that I am using a 1/8" thick face plate made of diamond plate presents some problems. Mounting the unit in 1/8" aluminum that was flat would be easy because of the variable nature of the knob stems. However, in my case it's more complicated because of the addition clearance required for the diamonds. Even with the extra long stems I could not easily clear the diamonds. I also think it would look goofy.
To get around this problem I have come up with a design that will sink the entire knob in a larger hole. Think of it like counter-sinking fan control knobs. I start by cutting the holes for the knobs. I have replaced the stock knobs with black knobs that look like there belong on an old shortwave radio. I think this fits with the theme a little better.
Tip
After you take apart the face plate from the stock unit you can use it as a template to mark the holes in your new panel. In my case I used it to mark what would become the pilot holes for my large holes.
After cutting the panel I cut a small panel out of 1/16" acrylic. I measured this to fit inside the stock bay cover. Why am I doing this? I cut the holes in the face plate large enough so that there would be some clearance around the knob. I am going to back the knobs with etched acrylic and then back light them with the stock LED's. As the fan speed is increased the ring around each knob should change color. You will notice that the LED's are not showing through the front of the bezel. This may change depending on how my lighting experiment goes. I have no idea if this is going to work but it sounds cool. With high intensity LED so closely packed, everything may just look purple...you never know until you try!
I mark and cut holes for the knobs and the LED's then slip the acrylic into the bay cover. The knob stems require a hole just a bit bigger than my 1/4" drill bit so I enlarged the holes with a round file prior to installation. I tried a large bit and ended up breaking my first acrylic panel.
I etched the plastic with some 400 grit sandpaper. I am going to see how this looks and if I need more etching I can always do more.
Installation of my design is very simple. Install the controller as normal. Put the face plate in place and then attach the new knobs. Here is the finished look. I apologize for the quality of these pics. I hope to load some clearer images later this week. I still have not tested the lighting but I hope to do that soon.
Just a brief word about this controller: It's very simple but I love it. It has 4 channels with an off position and then variable voltage (basically a dimmer). Each channel features a high intensity LED that changes from red to blue as the fan speed increases. The rheobus also has a few hidden features that make it good for mods.
The knob stems each have 4 washers or spacers that keep the face plate in the correct position. The reason this is good is that if you change out the face plate on this unit you can remove spacers to increase the length of the stems. This allows you to mount the device behind face plates that are thicker than the standard bay cover. The knobs can also be easily removed and the whole unit comes apart in minutes at no risk to the hardware.
The fact that I am using a 1/8" thick face plate made of diamond plate presents some problems. Mounting the unit in 1/8" aluminum that was flat would be easy because of the variable nature of the knob stems. However, in my case it's more complicated because of the addition clearance required for the diamonds. Even with the extra long stems I could not easily clear the diamonds. I also think it would look goofy.
To get around this problem I have come up with a design that will sink the entire knob in a larger hole. Think of it like counter-sinking fan control knobs. I start by cutting the holes for the knobs. I have replaced the stock knobs with black knobs that look like there belong on an old shortwave radio. I think this fits with the theme a little better.
Tip
After you take apart the face plate from the stock unit you can use it as a template to mark the holes in your new panel. In my case I used it to mark what would become the pilot holes for my large holes.
After cutting the panel I cut a small panel out of 1/16" acrylic. I measured this to fit inside the stock bay cover. Why am I doing this? I cut the holes in the face plate large enough so that there would be some clearance around the knob. I am going to back the knobs with etched acrylic and then back light them with the stock LED's. As the fan speed is increased the ring around each knob should change color. You will notice that the LED's are not showing through the front of the bezel. This may change depending on how my lighting experiment goes. I have no idea if this is going to work but it sounds cool. With high intensity LED so closely packed, everything may just look purple...you never know until you try!
I mark and cut holes for the knobs and the LED's then slip the acrylic into the bay cover. The knob stems require a hole just a bit bigger than my 1/4" drill bit so I enlarged the holes with a round file prior to installation. I tried a large bit and ended up breaking my first acrylic panel.
I etched the plastic with some 400 grit sandpaper. I am going to see how this looks and if I need more etching I can always do more.
Installation of my design is very simple. Install the controller as normal. Put the face plate in place and then attach the new knobs. Here is the finished look. I apologize for the quality of these pics. I hope to load some clearer images later this week. I still have not tested the lighting but I hope to do that soon.
ElektronikSeraph
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2002
- Messages
- 1,663
That paintjob is absolutely incredible. Absolutely. Incredible. Far and above some of the nicest work I've ever seen on a case.
I'm not as keen on the front bezel, and I'm afraid the shininess of it all may detract somewhat from the paintjob, but the quality of work is definitely there all-around. Even if you just used darker/less shiney diamond plate it would look less awkward. But, I won't really know how it all comes together until I see the final product.
Again, definitely good craftsmanship (and outstanding paint work), I just don't know if I have the same taste as you do. Although I may steal your idea of front-mounting that 120mm fan when my own PC-7B gets here.
I'm not as keen on the front bezel, and I'm afraid the shininess of it all may detract somewhat from the paintjob, but the quality of work is definitely there all-around. Even if you just used darker/less shiney diamond plate it would look less awkward. But, I won't really know how it all comes together until I see the final product.
Again, definitely good craftsmanship (and outstanding paint work), I just don't know if I have the same taste as you do.
Although I may steal your idea of front-mounting that 120mm fan when my own PC-7B gets here.ElektronikSeraph said:That paintjob is absolutely incredible. Absolutely. Incredible. Far and above some of the nicest work I've ever seen on a case.
I'm not as keen on the front bezel, and I'm afraid the shininess of it all may detract somewhat from the paintjob, but the quality of work is definitely there all-around. Even if you just used darker/less shiney diamond plate it would look less awkward. But, I won't really know how it all comes together until I see the final product.
Again, definitely good craftsmanship (and outstanding paint work), I just don't know if I have the same taste as you do.
I agree with you to some degree. When I am finished with the case build we are going back to the paint booth to add some highlights and additional detail that will tone things down just a bit and tie it all togther!
TheAcorn said:Beautiful work!
/subscribed
Also, not to be a nag but are you planning on doing something with the edges of the bezel?
I bet you are.
Thanks and yes I am going to do something with them but that will be one of the last things I do. As long as I am still hammering away at the bezel I will leave them alone.
jackofalltrades
2[H]4U
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2006
- Messages
- 3,740
Awsome!
Time to get to the interior paint. I have selected a color that is close to the red we have used on the nose cone. I am planning to paint the interior of the chassis as well ass the front and the back. I start by masking to the top panel, the bottom of the case and the rails where the panels attach.
After masking, I clean the exposed surfaces with denatured alcohol to get rid of any grease, oil and grime that might be on the aluminum.
The first coat I apply is an etching primer for metal. I obtained this primer at an automotive supply store. The etching primer helps to ensure that we don't get any chipping or peeling later. I apply a light coat moving back and forth across the case holding the can about 8-10 inches from the surface of the metal. Because of the cooler temps, I once again soak the paint cans in warm water prior to application. In all it takes 2 coats to get the coverage I am looking for.
After the primer has dried, I apply the first coat of color. Using the same procedure I apply a light coat to the surface and let it dry before applying the second. In all, it takes 3 coats to complete the job.
After masking, I clean the exposed surfaces with denatured alcohol to get rid of any grease, oil and grime that might be on the aluminum.
The first coat I apply is an etching primer for metal. I obtained this primer at an automotive supply store. The etching primer helps to ensure that we don't get any chipping or peeling later. I apply a light coat moving back and forth across the case holding the can about 8-10 inches from the surface of the metal. Because of the cooler temps, I once again soak the paint cans in warm water prior to application. In all it takes 2 coats to get the coverage I am looking for.
After the primer has dried, I apply the first coat of color. Using the same procedure I apply a light coat to the surface and let it dry before applying the second. In all, it takes 3 coats to complete the job.
I am putting a diamond plate floorboard in this case. In order get the right fit I am making a template from a file folder so I can get just the right cut. A few measurements and a little cutting with the exacto knife and I am good to go.
I like to use file folders because they seem to be just the right thickness so that I don't get buckling when I am tracing my patterns. They are also more durable than paper patterns. I usually save all the patterns I make just in case I do a similar mod in the future. After the initial cut I do a quick fitting to make sure everything is good. There a few minor modifications.
Unless your design is symmetrical, don't forget to flip your template over before you trace it. In this case I am using diamond plate so the pattern needs to be traced on the back of the sheet. I cut along my lines with the jig saw and then clean up the edges with a file. Pretty simple but it looks great when it's in place.
The new floor board will be held in place by washers and cap nuts securing the wheels I plan to install. My wheels use a 3/8" bolt so I mark and drill those and I am ready for the installation.
I like to use file folders because they seem to be just the right thickness so that I don't get buckling when I am tracing my patterns. They are also more durable than paper patterns. I usually save all the patterns I make just in case I do a similar mod in the future. After the initial cut I do a quick fitting to make sure everything is good. There a few minor modifications.
Unless your design is symmetrical, don't forget to flip your template over before you trace it. In this case I am using diamond plate so the pattern needs to be traced on the back of the sheet. I cut along my lines with the jig saw and then clean up the edges with a file. Pretty simple but it looks great when it's in place.
The new floor board will be held in place by washers and cap nuts securing the wheels I plan to install. My wheels use a 3/8" bolt so I mark and drill those and I am ready for the installation.
It's a bit since I posted last so I have quite a few updates. Recently I have been taking care of many minor details that I want to finish before I send it back to Adam for some detailing. I think it's the little details the make the case special and even though this case does not have a case window I still think it's important to finish things properly.
Case Wheels
I am going with a lot of chrome highlights on this case so I am adding a set of mercury case wheels. The shroud on the wheels reminds me of landing gear and the wheels are very functional. The installation is very easy. The Lian Li P7 case comes with cheap rubber case feet and after removing them I found that the existing holes were the perfect size for the 3/8" post on these wheels. I drilled matching 3/8" holes in the diamond plate floor board and then installed the wheels easily with rubber washers and 3/8" cap nuts.
You will need to adjust each of the nuts individually until the case sits nice a level.
Power Switch
I have a momentary toggle switch for this case that I purchased from the mod store at mnpctech.com. This switch has been modified to work has a momentary switch so make sure you get one of these if you plan to use your toggle for power!
I drilled a hole in the case for the switch and also had to make a larger slot in the chassis for the switch body to fit. It's a pretty good sizes switch body to make sure you take this into account when considering where to mount it. I drilled 2 large holes and then cut between them with my jig saw. After filling down the edges I trimmed them out with some "U" channel also from mnpctech.com. I think it looks nice and clean from the inside of the case.
Bullet Holes
To add an additional element of fun to the case I created a series of 5 bullet holes that run diagonally across the intake fan opening. I tried to place them in a pattern that gave the appearance of damage caused by an enemy strafing. I decided not to drill out the frame of the intake fan that is showing in one of the bullet holes. I think it looks kind of raw just showing the fan frame, kind of like the rig took some damage and they just replaced the fan and then rejoined the battle.
After drilling the holes I beveled the edges with my Dremel so they would look punched rather than drilled. Adam is going to work on these holes with his airbrush to give them some real depth. I think the final effect is going to kick ass! Cathode lights will be mounted inside the bezel so that light will spill out of the holes.
Slot Covers
The slot covers on the P7 have a nice shiny finish that goes well with our theme. To really finish it off I drilled out the screw holes and replaced them with chrome thumb screws. While I was at it, I also drilled out the screw holes for the panels and put in some blue thumb screws that have much more style than hex head screws. This process was not without problems. I do not yet own a tap set so I attempted to thread the new holes using thumb screws and ended up having 2 of them snap off. It cost me about 30 minutes of mod time and mad me mad to boot. I guess this is the incentive I need to finally get a tap kit! I may put a word or 2 about his in my blog.
Exhaust Fan
I remove the exhaust fan and grill that I had installed previously and replace the fan with an aluminum frame fan to match our intake. I also used a standard fan grill and I think it looks much better.
Trim
The P7 comes with the inside edges of the chassis trimmed in white plastic channel. I replaced this with more mnpctech "U" channel. I love the stuff and I am glad that I purchased 12' of it!
Painting
I had not yet painted the removable drive bays so I cleaned them up and put a shot of primer on them. Unfortunately I ran out of paint so I will save the rest of the painting for later. Here you can see what it looks like with the bays installed.
Sanding
The final step was to remove the diamond plate bezel and sand the edges. For this step I completely disassembled the face plate and sanded down all the outside edges with my belt sander. I have Ryobi belt sander with an "always on" switch. I flipped it over and secured it in my bench vice. As an aside, I picked up these great soft rubber bumpers for my vice. They were about $3.00 at Home Depot and attach right to the jaws with magnets. This should save a lot of wear on my tools.
With my belt sander secured, I ran the edges of my face plate along the sander. I created a slight bevel on each of the edges to give it finished looking edge and eliminate burs. I did all the inside edges with my Dremel but I think a sanding drum for my power drill would have worked even better. Now you can run your finger down the edges of the face plate with no risk of cutting yourself. I also think the slight bevel make a nicer looking transition where the edges meet the bezel.
Now what?
Well, now we go back to Adam for some more airbrushing. He will be focused on the little details the will help tie this entire mod together. In order to protect the system I had to do some major surgery on the packaging. The new case wheels added an additional 3" to the height of the case making it impossible to put it back in the box for transport. A little work with a hack saw, utility knife and duct tape and I was good to go. Maybe I should post a case box mod work log? Hmmmm.
While he is doing that I am going to work on some other projects. Once Adam is finished I will need to do some additional work before we can call this project finished. I plan to remove the plate that covers the PSU and polish that to a chrome shine. I also need to finish painting the removable drive bays and then I am going to polish and wax the entire case. That should be just the finishing touch we need.
Case Wheels
I am going with a lot of chrome highlights on this case so I am adding a set of mercury case wheels. The shroud on the wheels reminds me of landing gear and the wheels are very functional. The installation is very easy. The Lian Li P7 case comes with cheap rubber case feet and after removing them I found that the existing holes were the perfect size for the 3/8" post on these wheels. I drilled matching 3/8" holes in the diamond plate floor board and then installed the wheels easily with rubber washers and 3/8" cap nuts.
You will need to adjust each of the nuts individually until the case sits nice a level.
Power Switch
I have a momentary toggle switch for this case that I purchased from the mod store at mnpctech.com. This switch has been modified to work has a momentary switch so make sure you get one of these if you plan to use your toggle for power!
I drilled a hole in the case for the switch and also had to make a larger slot in the chassis for the switch body to fit. It's a pretty good sizes switch body to make sure you take this into account when considering where to mount it. I drilled 2 large holes and then cut between them with my jig saw. After filling down the edges I trimmed them out with some "U" channel also from mnpctech.com. I think it looks nice and clean from the inside of the case.
Bullet Holes
To add an additional element of fun to the case I created a series of 5 bullet holes that run diagonally across the intake fan opening. I tried to place them in a pattern that gave the appearance of damage caused by an enemy strafing. I decided not to drill out the frame of the intake fan that is showing in one of the bullet holes. I think it looks kind of raw just showing the fan frame, kind of like the rig took some damage and they just replaced the fan and then rejoined the battle.
After drilling the holes I beveled the edges with my Dremel so they would look punched rather than drilled. Adam is going to work on these holes with his airbrush to give them some real depth. I think the final effect is going to kick ass! Cathode lights will be mounted inside the bezel so that light will spill out of the holes.
Slot Covers
The slot covers on the P7 have a nice shiny finish that goes well with our theme. To really finish it off I drilled out the screw holes and replaced them with chrome thumb screws. While I was at it, I also drilled out the screw holes for the panels and put in some blue thumb screws that have much more style than hex head screws. This process was not without problems. I do not yet own a tap set so I attempted to thread the new holes using thumb screws and ended up having 2 of them snap off. It cost me about 30 minutes of mod time and mad me mad to boot. I guess this is the incentive I need to finally get a tap kit! I may put a word or 2 about his in my blog.
Exhaust Fan
I remove the exhaust fan and grill that I had installed previously and replace the fan with an aluminum frame fan to match our intake. I also used a standard fan grill and I think it looks much better.
Trim
The P7 comes with the inside edges of the chassis trimmed in white plastic channel. I replaced this with more mnpctech "U" channel. I love the stuff and I am glad that I purchased 12' of it!
Painting
I had not yet painted the removable drive bays so I cleaned them up and put a shot of primer on them. Unfortunately I ran out of paint so I will save the rest of the painting for later. Here you can see what it looks like with the bays installed.
Sanding
The final step was to remove the diamond plate bezel and sand the edges. For this step I completely disassembled the face plate and sanded down all the outside edges with my belt sander. I have Ryobi belt sander with an "always on" switch. I flipped it over and secured it in my bench vice. As an aside, I picked up these great soft rubber bumpers for my vice. They were about $3.00 at Home Depot and attach right to the jaws with magnets. This should save a lot of wear on my tools.
With my belt sander secured, I ran the edges of my face plate along the sander. I created a slight bevel on each of the edges to give it finished looking edge and eliminate burs. I did all the inside edges with my Dremel but I think a sanding drum for my power drill would have worked even better. Now you can run your finger down the edges of the face plate with no risk of cutting yourself. I also think the slight bevel make a nicer looking transition where the edges meet the bezel.
Now what?
Well, now we go back to Adam for some more airbrushing. He will be focused on the little details the will help tie this entire mod together. In order to protect the system I had to do some major surgery on the packaging. The new case wheels added an additional 3" to the height of the case making it impossible to put it back in the box for transport. A little work with a hack saw, utility knife and duct tape and I was good to go. Maybe I should post a case box mod work log? Hmmmm.
While he is doing that I am going to work on some other projects. Once Adam is finished I will need to do some additional work before we can call this project finished. I plan to remove the plate that covers the PSU and polish that to a chrome shine. I also need to finish painting the removable drive bays and then I am going to polish and wax the entire case. That should be just the finishing touch we need.
ElektronikSeraph
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2002
- Messages
- 1,663
It looks great, but as I mentioned earlier I'm still bothered by the shininess of the diamondplate on the bezel. Also, the fake carbon fiber strip up top is out of place (although I know it's stock), as does the silver aluminum on the sides of the bezel (it would be fine if it showed up elsewhere on the case, but between the beautiful paint and diamondplate it looks unfinished and ignored). I don't know if you addressed these, and I apologize if you have.
Great craftsmanship, though.
Great craftsmanship, though.
Thermite Paste
Supreme [H]ardness
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2003
- Messages
- 5,650
You should give the diamond plating a nice paint job, and put some decals around the bullet holes. Maybe the worn look of a cockpit dashboard?
Other than that, nice job!!
Other than that, nice job!!
ElektronikSeraph said:
Thanks for the comments. As I mentioned in a previous post, we are adding painted highlights to the diamond plate bezel that will tone it down quite a bit. As for the top and size, I totally agree with you and those area will be dealt with in my next round of mods.
I am considering bending a stripe of diamond plate that will slide down from the top covering both the sides and top carbon fiber plate. The only thing I don't like about his idea is that the plate would need to be removed before the bezel could be detached from the chassis. The other option I have considered is covering only the top carbon fiber with diamond plate and then polishing the sides to a shine that matches the front of the case. This is also a good option but I need to see how our paint highlights come out first so I can match the look.
Noni said:
I would say reserve judgement until the project is complete but "to each his own".
Right now, that plan is to continue the painting so that we can tie the bezel into the paint job more. currently you are looking at bare metal...an unfinished case front with no additional design elements. There is also the issue of completeing the sides and top as well as a few other updates on the back and inside of the case.
Now that most of the fabrication on the front plate is done it's time to do a little antiquing. We are going to paint the front bezel to make it look worn and used.
Dimension is given to the bullet holes by adding highlights and shadows. The simple addition of highlights and shadows really gives the impression that the bullets punched through the metal leaving not only a hole but a dent in the process. Smokey black stains are added to create the kind of burns you might see on the side of a plane from hot exhaust. We also added some running rust stains around the screws by including a hint of orange.
We plan to continue this theme on the parts I will be creating for the next set of mods. The case is really starting to look battle tested!
Dimension is given to the bullet holes by adding highlights and shadows. The simple addition of highlights and shadows really gives the impression that the bullets punched through the metal leaving not only a hole but a dent in the process. Smokey black stains are added to create the kind of burns you might see on the side of a plane from hot exhaust. We also added some running rust stains around the screws by including a hint of orange.
We plan to continue this theme on the parts I will be creating for the next set of mods. The case is really starting to look battle tested!
Thermite Paste
Supreme [H]ardness
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2003
- Messages
- 5,650
That looks much better.
Good Job!
Good Job!
ElektronikSeraph
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2002
- Messages
- 1,663
Yeah, that is definitely an improvement. Nice!
HistoryModder
n00b
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 41
totally kick a$$ dude
Aeauvian12
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2006
- Messages
- 291
Wow, great job so far, keep it up and it will be even better! /subscribed lol
UnphasedData
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- May 31, 2005
- Messages
- 210
The antiquing really changed it alot. I like this alot.
aerosaaber
n00b
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2005
- Messages
- 28
awesome mod, keep up with the great pics.
So, I finally got a look at MNPCtech's new 120mm blow hole kit and seems perfect for this project. Originally I was thinking of something else but I am going to give this look a try and see if I like it.
Putting the 120 in the top of this case is pretty easy. The right tools and experience make all the difference. This case has a built-in vent for an 80mm fan on the top. I can use that vent to find my center and I start by using a 1 1/2" hole saw in my hammer drill to punch a small hole for the draw stud on my 4.5" punch.
After the 1 1/2" hole is cut I drop in the punch and tighten it down. A quick check with the ruler lets me know it's centered that I crank down the punch with a huge ratchet wrench and it's done. Less than 5 minutes and we have a blow hole.
The 120mm billet blowhole kit looks great with the shinny diamond plate.
Putting the 120 in the top of this case is pretty easy. The right tools and experience make all the difference. This case has a built-in vent for an 80mm fan on the top. I can use that vent to find my center and I start by using a 1 1/2" hole saw in my hammer drill to punch a small hole for the draw stud on my 4.5" punch.
After the 1 1/2" hole is cut I drop in the punch and tighten it down. A quick check with the ruler lets me know it's centered that I crank down the punch with a huge ratchet wrench and it's done. Less than 5 minutes and we have a blow hole.
The 120mm billet blowhole kit looks great with the shinny diamond plate.