Doesn't this look great ??

Here you can see that recently I've just spent my hard earnt pennies and bought myself a lovely Lian Li PC70 and had a PCMods Server Window fitted. Now let's be fair, the PC70 looks awesome without a window but the window just adds another dimension to the case. I had the case, I had the window but something was missing! Ah, queue a leisurely visit to CoolCaseMods.com and lo and behold what do I spot; only the window etches. CCM can do virtually any etch for you, regardless of size or how intricate the image you making into an etch is. However, they do say that its best if the image you send to them for transformation into an etch is one solid colour.

So I decided to get an etch, that's all well and good but what would I have an etch of. After about 2 hours (ok, 2 minutes) of deliberation I decided on having an etch of the band Jamiroquai's 'Buffalo Man' logo. The logo was funky and so fitted in perfectly with the PC70 and window. But most importantly, I am a major Jamiroquai fan so what better etch to have on my favourite piece of kit!

So I emailed CCM the graphic of the logo and sat tight in anticipation of the etches arrival. When it arrived I was very glad to see that the etch had been well packed to ensure it arrived to me in perfect condition. CCM had flattened a cardboard box down, slid the etch inside and then taped the whole thing up. It took me about 20 minutes to get into but at least it meant I had a flat etch.

During fitting

Next I had the task of fitting it. Now this is my only gripe with the etch, there were no fitting instructions include. You may well say "well how hard is it to stick something down?" but I think that if CCM just included a sheet giving a few clear steps on how to apply the etch to your window. But anyway, on with the application of the etch I decided to take the side panel off the PC70 and lean it up a wall to make it easier to apply the etch. At this point I decided to get the bottle of Windolene out and give the window a quick wipe to make sure the etch had best effect. Next I carefully peeled some of the etch away and began placing it on the window. I used a ruler to make sure that the etch was flat but as you can see in the picture I ended up with quite a few air bubbles in the end 9. After carefully placing the last half of the etch onto the window I went back over the whole etch with the ruler again flattening it out as much as possible. I cant really explain how I ended up with so many air bubbles. Maybe I just rushed in the excitement of it arriving but all I can say is take your time when applying the etch and make sure you flatten it out as much as possible at every available point.

Conclusion: A great addition to any window and is great value for money. A bit tricky to fit but a simple instruction sheet would solve this no problem.

"Rikk" offers this advice:

"The easiest way to 'install' a window applique, and avoid all of the bubbles, is to use the same method as the people who apply window tinting to cars ..... a really weak solution of dishwashing liquid (your Mother will know what it is!) and water. About 100:1 is cool. Mix up a few drops of the detergent with water in a spray bottle, peel off the backing on 1/2 the sticker, and spray the window AND the exposed sticker liberally. Slam on the decal in the approximate position, peel off the remainder of the backing paper, spray the rest of the decal, and pat it down. The applique will be able to slide around on the window until it is in the right spot. Once located, gently use a 'squeezee' (ask Mum again!) to gently remove all of the solution from between the two surfaces - start in the middle and work your way to the edges. The applique should be left to dry for about 48 hours before it is handled. Any 'cloudiness' will disapear during this time as the detergent dries out." Rikk adds... "BTW, avoid using any cleaners that contain ammonia - it will leave fine scratches on the plexiglass. The best method to remove fine scratches from plastic (any plastic) is a brass polish ... an old English product called "Brasso" is one that I have used with success. It is even less abbrasive than jewelers rouge." - Cheers Rikk