The Easiest Way to Cut an Aluminum Case

Separate the aluminum case panel from the rest of the case. Use a screwdriver to remove any screws securing the panel in place, or use an electric drill with a 1/8-inch bit to drill through any rivets holding the panel. Drill through the center of the rivet to break it, then pull the rivet free to loosen the case panel.

Cover the panel you're cutting into with masking tape on both sides to avoid scratching the panel while cutting. Label the tape with a marker to distinguish the interior and exterior sides of the panel.

Lay the panel onto a flat cutting surface with the interior panel side facing up. Use a pencil to sketch out the pattern you wish to cut onto the masking tape.

Place the point of a nail onto the inner edge of the sketched hole. Strike the head of the nail with a hammer to create an indentation in the panel. Clamp the panel to a piece of 1/4-inch plywood to secure in place. Drill a hole through the panel at the indented point with a 3/8-inch bit to serve as a starter point for cutting through the aluminum. The indention keeps the drill bit from moving around.

Attach a fine-tooth blade to the jigsaw. Place the jigsaw blade through the starter hole with the blade aligned with the penciled line. Start the saw and cut through the panel along the line. Follow the line until you've completed the desired cut through the panel. Unclamp the panel from the plywood after completion.

Finish the cut lines with a hand file. Drag the file along the line both to smooth out the cut and straighten any undesired wavy lines created from cutting.

Wipe the surface with a clean cloth to remove any metal slivers, then remove the masking tape from the newly cut panel.