Dremel: See the section on Dremel bits for details, but in a nutshell the Dremel can make an excellent finishing tool. With bits such as sanding drums, grinding stones, wire brushes, and polishing wheels there is not much you can't do with the Dremel.

Hand Files: A good set of hand files is invaluable. With a few strokes of a good file you can correct some of the most grievous cutting mistakes you make while hacking your case apart. In addition to full size metal files, you should also have a set of micro-files for getting inside those detail cuts you make with the Dremel.

Sandpaper: No workbench is complete without sandpaper. Whether you are working with wood, plastic, or metal, you have to have sandpaper. The only difference might be which types. For those that are not familiar with sandpaper here is a quick primer for you.

There are two basic types of sandpaper: Dry, and Wet/Dry. The dry sandpaper is what you typically use when working with wood and at rougher grits (more on that in a moment). It looks like sand that was glued to a piece of paper. Wet/Dry paper is generally black and looks more like a piece of chalkboard. It is used at the higher grits and can be used with water (or other liquids) to lubricate the process.

The roughness of sandpaper is measured in Grits. The lower the number, the rougher the paper. For instance, 100 grit sandpaper has appx 100 grits per square inch; it almost looks and feels like somebody glued pebbles to the paper. Move up to 600 grit and it looks more like the fine sand you would used for sand art projects. Jump up to 2000 grit and it gets hard to tell which side of the paper has the grit, it's almost smooth.

When working on finishing the case you will generally use the higher grits, since the idea is to smooth out a cut or surface or to prepare it for painting. Right now you can check the DawG PounD forums for some painting how-to's and information. In the future we will publish a detailed how-to.

Sanding Block

A sanding block is usually a large rubber block with slots to insert sandpaper. This sanding block is primarily used for wet sanding. It makes a smooth level surface when used. The sandpaper is placed in the grooves and then even pressure is applied to the surface. Water can be applied directly to the sandpaper OR the sanding surface.

Electric Sander:An electric sander is a great addition to your tool collection. Although it may not help with delicate/intricate sanding projects, it really gives that extra help you need when your elbow grease wears out. I recommend using an Electric sander for the initial sanding on a case. It grinds off the bumpy texture on cases and leaves a very even surface. When sanding by hand, it is easy to apply uneven pressure to certain areas, and the electric sander helps to prevent this. I use an electric sander for all my large modding projects. As always, I only use DeWalt power tools (excluding the trusty dremel). Obviously, an electrical sander is NOT used for wet- sanding.

Buffing Wheel: If you decide that you want to polish up your case to make it look bling-bling, you need a buffing wheel, or A LOT of elbow grease. There are buffing wheel bits available for the dremel, which are great for getting into the small places and such, but if you have anything big to buff and polish you will want a bench mounted buffing wheel.