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Step 3Drilling & Cutting
Boys and girls, it's time to break out your drills and Dremels!
If your transformer is a wee bit too tall to fit in the project box, you're going to have to do what I did- Dremel a nice hole for it to stick out of. Look at the 2nd picture to see how it will fit. Try to put the transformer as close to the end of the box as possible.
I don't have a picture, but if you look at the 2nd picture, you can see how I cut a (really crappy) hole in the box for the fan. Just use the biggest hole saw you have and then slowly make it bigger by using smaller hole saw bits until it gets to be the size of the fan. Also, drill a couple smaller holes for screws to hold the fan in.
Cut a small hole in the back (opposite the transformer) of the box for the two leads of the thinner fan, then run them through and solder. Make sure you cut the hole BEFORE soldering, otherwise you'll just have to unsolder the connections to run it through. You could also cut a small slit in the box where the lid connects to just set the wires in, but it won't look as pretty.
Next, cut a rectangular hole JUST the size of the Peltier cooler in the top of the box (not the lid!). You might have to cut a couple slits for the leads to rest in as well. Make sure that the side that gets hot is facing away from the box and the cold side is facing in.
While you're looking at the top of the box, cut three holes for the toggle switches (mine were 1/4") and try to make them in a straight line, equidistant from each other. Drill a couple of smaller holes for the LED's as well. I put these holes next to the 1st and 2nd switch.
Drill a few holes in the transformer side of the box for some air flow past the components. That transformer and those diodes get hot, you know!
Finally, drill a few large holes on the side of the box with the Peltier unit. These holes will be the ones that cool air is blown out of.
Put away your tools, cause you're done with cutting!
If your transformer is a wee bit too tall to fit in the project box, you're going to have to do what I did- Dremel a nice hole for it to stick out of. Look at the 2nd picture to see how it will fit. Try to put the transformer as close to the end of the box as possible.
I don't have a picture, but if you look at the 2nd picture, you can see how I cut a (really crappy) hole in the box for the fan. Just use the biggest hole saw you have and then slowly make it bigger by using smaller hole saw bits until it gets to be the size of the fan. Also, drill a couple smaller holes for screws to hold the fan in.
Cut a small hole in the back (opposite the transformer) of the box for the two leads of the thinner fan, then run them through and solder. Make sure you cut the hole BEFORE soldering, otherwise you'll just have to unsolder the connections to run it through. You could also cut a small slit in the box where the lid connects to just set the wires in, but it won't look as pretty.
Next, cut a rectangular hole JUST the size of the Peltier cooler in the top of the box (not the lid!). You might have to cut a couple slits for the leads to rest in as well. Make sure that the side that gets hot is facing away from the box and the cold side is facing in.
While you're looking at the top of the box, cut three holes for the toggle switches (mine were 1/4") and try to make them in a straight line, equidistant from each other. Drill a couple of smaller holes for the LED's as well. I put these holes next to the 1st and 2nd switch.
Drill a few holes in the transformer side of the box for some air flow past the components. That transformer and those diodes get hot, you know!
Finally, drill a few large holes on the side of the box with the Peltier unit. These holes will be the ones that cool air is blown out of.
Put away your tools, cause you're done with cutting!
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