Hey bit-techers, After not being able to find a mini ITX case that's just right for me, I've decided to design and build my own. As it will be my first custom case, I decided to use acrylic as I believe it'll be easier to make a scratch build from as I have no experience with designing or building scratch cases. Also, I'm a student so my budget will be limited to hand tools. I did ask my friends if any of their unis have a workshop but it seems none of the unis in London seem to have a workshop. Hardware: The hardware that I will be using will consist of: CPU: i5 3330S GPU: MSI 7850 1GB OC Motherboard: AsRock B75M-ITX RAM: Samsung Green 8GB PSU: Seasonic SS-250SU 250W Flex ATX Intake fans: Gelid Slim PL Blue 120mm 15.8mm thick fans x2 Not very high end, but more than enough for what I do and need. Concept: (V2) Previous version (V1) As you can see, I've tried to fit my case under 6L (~300x70x270 = ~5.67L). I'm currently using the setup listed above without a case laid horizontally along with a Xigmatek Praeton LD963 cooler without the fan (instead using the Gelid fans to blow over the PSU and CPU cooler) and it runs cool enough for my liking. The white outer acrylic will be 3mm in thickness and will consist of one sheet bent with a heatgun on all 4 corners, with a separate piece that will be attached via a hinge to allow easy access to the hardware. The front and back acrylic pieces will be 5mm in thickness to allow me to screw the outer shell pieces on. Questions: So as I'm new to this, I have several questions to ask. Strikethrough denotes no further discussion required, obtained answer 1. Laser cutting vs hand tools: How hard would it be to do all the cutouts by hand? Would it be more advisable to simply learn how to do CAD drawings and send it off to get it laser cut instead? [Update: Still deciding on best way for the vent cutouts.] 2. Tools: If I were to do this by hand, what tools shall I use? Would a dremel be fine for everything if I take my time? I will be needing to countersink some things such as the fan holes and will definitely need to thread the screw holes, would a dremel be fine in this regard too? [Answer: Read posts below] 3. Graphics card support: As the back plate for the case will be 5mm thick, how should the graphics card be held? The only real solution I can come up with is to shove a small piece of acrylic in the gap between the acrylic and have it screwed on either side of it, would that work well? [Answer: Simple acrylic piece] 4. Painting: I would like to paint the Flex ATX PSU case white to match the case, what exactly are the steps? Is it simply sand, primer then paint? [Answer: Yes] 5. PSU safety: As the case is sealed off, would it be safe to have the top cover of the PSU off to allow more air flow into the PSU? (Stock 40mm fan is loud) [Answer: Safe but risky, I've decided to cut out a hole and glue mesh on instead of taking the whole cover off] 6. Custom length cables: I want to make custom length cables using all black cables, is it safe to unsolder all the current cables from the board and resolder new ones on? Or should I cut off the current ones and simply solder new ones onto those? [Update: Still deciding on what to do - thinking of just using plastidip on the wires.] 7. Power plug: I can't seem to find any low profile kettle plug (UK) to attach to the PSU so I was thinking of buying the female socket and simply soldering wires from it straight to the prongs on the PSU - is this safe enough for usage? [Answer: Risky so I will get kettle cable and cut material off it] 8. Acrylic bending: I bought a piece of 3mm acrylic to test how it'd bend (freehand using heatgun without clamps) and the bend was not sharp at all [see here], will I be able to get sharp bends without using a wire heater if I purchase a proper work bench and clamp with a block to hold it? [Answer: I'll pass on bending and simply glue panels and sand corners to get curved effect] 9. Gas mask: What type of gas mask will I need whilst I work with bending the acrylic? Will a FFP1 be enough, like the 3M 9312 or do I need something more like the 3M 4251? [Answer: Yep, FFP1 is enough but you only get 1 pair of lungs!] 10. Acrylic type: Do I need to worry about extruded acrylic vs cell cast acrylic? [Answer: Yes, do not buy extruded as it sucks] Apologies if some of these questions sound stupid, but I really want to make sure I get everything right. Thank you very much in advance!
nice case!. Answers (or at least for some) 1. this is doable by hand, the shapes are not that difficult. Expect it to take a while and to do a lot of touching up. Lasercutting has its own problems, one major one is cost. 2. tools: a dremel is fine for rough cutting, but you'll need a file and sandpaper to clean up the cuts. A jewelers saw is a good idea too, for those pesky corners. You can make small holes with a dremel, but a dremel is no drill, the bitholder is way to small to accept a countersinking bit (except if dremel has a special one, but I guess not). Threading is done by hand, not with a dremel. 3. I don't really see what you mean with this? 4. yes. don't forget the preparations: unplug the lead and remove the insides. You don't want to paint the inside of your PSU. 5. Yes it would be kinda safe, no it is not a good idea. the case acts as a faraday-cage, keeping the rest of the computer a bit shielded from the electromagnetic interferention. You like shielding. 6. If you're confident, yes you can do that. Be aware that they don't use normal solder (as far as I know) and it may be hard to unsolder them. Be sure to test EVERYTHING after such surgery. 7. I'd look into a normal kettle lead and cutting away the plastic/rubber housing until you've got a low profile one. you're playing with a lot of voltage here, remember. But yeah, if you manage to isolate everything decently, why not? 8. Yes, you'd bend a bit tighter. No, I don't know how much tighter. 9. No idea, sorry. 10. No idea neither, sorry.
Thank you very much for your time in answering my questions, I really appreciate it. 1. I've watched some videos on YouTube, and it seems with the right tools, nothing is difficult at all. If I were to go through lasercutting, I'd still have to tap a thread through each hole anyway as well as bend the acrylic so it seems getting it lasercut doesn't actually save me much work. 2. Threading is done by hand? Oh my, so the people making their own case have to thread each and every screw hole by hand? I never knew it was that difficult! As most of the holes are either rectangular vents or screw holes, would it just make more sense to buy a cheap drill and jigsaw? I'm not sure how to cut the rectangular holes for the vents, I was thinking of drilling a hole in each vent and then using a jigsaw to cut the rectangle, would this be the best way? Of course, I will buy the appropriate tapping/threading tools. I assume countersinking will only require a different bit piece for the drill, is this correct? 3. I'm not sure how to explain it better but the problem is that as the acrylic piece in the back of the case is 5mm thick, it covers the holes where you would normally screw in the graphics card. Therefore I'm not sure how I should tighten the graphics card in. I'll see if I can do a sketchup on what the problem is later tonight. 4. Sounds great! I've tried to do dismantle the PSU board but it seems to be stuck, I'm guessing there must be more screws than I can see. 5. Ah, in that case that means it would be safe for me to simply drill holes into the original PSU cover then and use it like that? Or perhaps I could simply cut a big hole in the cover and glue on some mesh underneath it? (Prefer the mesh idea as it requires less work and will most likely look neater) 6. Well I've been soldering cables for PicoPSUs quite often, but there are much less cables to it (no 24 pin ATX!). I've never tried desoldering the cables from the PSU itself though, and I have overheated a PicoPSU board before, rendering it broken. It's quite tight inside the FlexATX PSU though so I'm not sure how viable either of these are though but cable braiding in an ITX case uses quite a lot of space and I really dislike the look of the rainbow coloured wires. I assume a cheap multimeter will be fine for testing the PSU? 8. Guess I will need to buy more test pieces to bend as bending will be the final step, I don't want to ruin the bends at all.
1. That is a dangerous assumption. With the right tools, the right experience and the right amount of concentration & dedication, everything is easy. Or let me put it another way: a good metalworker will deliver better work with better tools, just like a bad metalworker. That doesn't mean the 'better' work of the bad metalworker is 'good'. Good tools won't make your work good. Before discouraging you: your goals are not way out there, and are quite attainable with common tools and little experience. They will, however, take a decent amount of time (because you have a lot of little slits). Lasercutting would save you time, but I'm not sure it's worth it. 2. Yes, threading is done by hand, and should be done quite slowly too, as tapping tools are very hard, but brittle. On the other hand, acrylic is not the best material to tap. It tends to crack with much pressure, but if you're careful it's doable. It's not really hard, it just takes a bit of time. Some people use metal inserts they melt into the plastic with a soldering iron. Here is a good example of that technique by Parvum systems. Drilling a hole in each vent to start them is indeed the way to go. I'm more reserved about a jigsaw. How thin are your slots? About 4mm? How much room for error do you have? A jigsaw is quick and versatile, but a bit impricise (especially the cheaper ones) and the cuts need a lot of cleaning up. In each case, you need a decent set of files There are specialized countersink bits for drills, and if you buy a kit of drillbits sometimes one is included. If you don't have one, a drillbit that's as big as the screws head can be used too. 3. Yes, I see what you mean. Maybe consider thickening the backplate there (by gluing a piece of acrilic or so) and putting a screw coming from the outside (downside) into the backplate? Be creative! 4. check under the warranty stickers 5. Why would you want to cut up the psu? It was designed with a certain airflow direction in mind, with a closed case. 6. Otherwise painting the wires is maybe an idea? And yes, you can measure with any multimeter. Be sure to measure everything tough. 8. Good idea. Changing your design to one with a bit more rounded corners will save you a lot of headaches too.
I like the ultra-snug setup. -You are not going to get perfect 90 degree bends in plexiglas like that even with professional equipment. It would be better to glue the seams together. -Laser cutting will not give you a good edge to glue because it's very rough and not very flat either. It would be good to make the parts to be glued about 1/16" bigger, and make a sanding jig that can smooth your edges down to 90 degrees. Once you are used to fusion gluing plexiglas, it may change how you design with it. 10: You will want cell cast acrylic. It will make the work much easier. Extruded melts even with hacksaw cutting. -Tapping is best with a little oil. If the material is very thick, you will want to back the tap out and clean it a few times for each hole.
I'm reading randomly and replying just as random. Bear with me. -If you want to work by hand you might want to change how you build. For example: The vents will be difficult to cut without some kind of router jig or incredible patience with a file. You could, however add a mesh panel there instead and frame it with another layer of plexi. -Tapping the edge of 3-5mm material is nearly impossible, you might want to add another layer of material in the spots where you intend to tap. 3: I've seen a few people solve this problem by making a larger copy of the GPU backplate and bolting it directly to the back of the case. 4: little PSU's often have so much stuff crammed in they are hell to disassemble. I swear some of them are partially soldered together after being screwed in the box. 6: You could use one of these with a laptop power unit. It's easier to rewire a connector than it is a PSU. (Never mind. You already have a PSU.)
Not sure how I should reply to the both of you, so I'll just reply separately as I don't want to confuse the people who are trying to help me! @alpaca: 1. Ah yes, I worded it badly, I sounded quite arrogant/too confident there. You said exactly what I meant. 2. Yes I saw that before and I have to admit, it does look rather lovely and on second thoughts, it's actually easier to do than trying to tap a blind hole into 5mm thick material (as Cheapskate has also pointed out). About 6mm, looking at my ruler, that's pretty damn hard to cut! 3. Sorry but now I'm the one who doesn't understand what you mean, it's a tricky issue but as you say, some creativity will definitely solve it. I just want the easiest yet still aesthetically pleasing and strong way to hold it in there (doesn't everyone want that when it comes to modding ). 4. I don't see any warranty sticker, the lid came off with no problem and I undid the only screws I could see where the board was screwed to the base but when I tried to lift the board up it doesn't seem to slide out, I'm sure I've just missed something but as I'm typing this from the PC, I can't really check again, I've zapped myself twice from touching a live heatsink there (yes call me dumb for making the same mistake twice haha, I didn't learn the first time it seems. I never knew the heatsink would be live though, that shocked me (pun intended). 5. 1U Flex ATX PSUs fans are LOUD. This is one of the quieter 40mm fan models but 40mm fans are still loud. A 120mm fan blowing over it should keep it roughly the same temperature whilst being much quieter in operation (I've touched the non-live heatsink and it feels as cool as it does with the 40mm in operation). The most optimal fan would be a 80mm fan blowing over it (from my simple tests) but for symmetry sake on the case design I've decided a 120mm will be "fine". 6. Yep, I've considered just simply plasti-dipping the wires, much easier and quicker than soldering the wires, plus I can just keep dipping it each time if it rubs off, seems like a easy way of doing things IMO and it looks half decent IMO. If I put on cable ties it should hold up reasonably well too as the wires won't be moving much and thus the plasti-dip won't rub off. 8. Easiest way would be to just keep a box design and glue all the faces together, but I really like the look with some small curves in it. Overdoing the curves makes it look somewhat "fat" though and I'm thinking it may have some impact on the internal space, but I can't actually think why, so I guess I'm just overcomplicating things. @Cheapskate: Thanks, I could probably go somewhat smaller but it would be very hard to work in, I can't imagine the case design that I've got now is easy in the first place. -90 degree bends: Ah I have to say in that regard, my sketchup model is wrong, 90 degree bends would be quite impossible indeed, I'm hoping though that as the material is only 3mm in thickness, it'll bend "tight" enough and not end up too "curved", but I guess I will have to experiment to find out. -laser cutting: I don't think I'll go for laser cutting, but wouldn't I be able to file or sand it out anyway to make the edge "glue-able"? I'm a newbie at modding so I'm not sure what you mean by "It would be good to make the parts to be glued about 1/16" bigger, and make a sanding jig that can smooth your edges down to 90 degrees." -vents: I'm not fond of how mesh looks on acrylic though, and I did consider a 240 rad grill like this but I think it'll be quite hard to "integrate" the rad grill. -tapping: I guess as I'm a newbie at this, it'll be safer for me to use metal inserts for the threads, they'll last longer too. 3. So you mean a custom backplate? I think that'll be too hard for me and it'll just be easier to work with an acrylic piece. 4. Yeah, they've really packed it together well, Seasonic have done really well with their SS-250SU but it's just a little too old school (no paint work, no PCI-E cable). 6. Yeah I've already got the PSU so I'll pass on those with a brick. I did consider sourcing the Alienware X51 brick but decided against it due to the need of a power brick. 10. Thanks, will make sure I buy cast acrylic. Now that you mention fusion gluing, I've thought of another idea where things will be much easier: New possible "structure" So as before, the design will be the same, however, the main frame will now consist of 3 pieces, the top, one side, and the bottom, glued together along with the front and back. The original hinged side now will however be simply screwed on. This means I won't need many screw holes, plus I will have more space to access the internals as it will no longer be covered by an upper and lower "lip". However, this will lead to a box, but I can simply sand down the corners to get what I intended. This solution would no longer required bending and I wouldn't even need many tools to achieve this; I believe it'll also allow for more errors too. I'll try to do a revised sketchup on what I mean later. I'm not sure how "fusion gluing" works though, but it sounds to me that the acrylic will appear to be seamless once it's glued together? I'm thinking that as it's white acrylic, it'll be hard for the glue to show anyway so either way, I should be good right? Also, compared to the original case "structure", will this way be at least almost as strong structurally? I know that acrylic isn't exactly famous for being a strong case material, but compared to my original design, will it hold up just as well? I hope I'm not expecting too much from this fusion glue thing. EDIT: Updated first post with a "v2" of the case and solution to the graphics card mounting problem.
get as fine as you can and can afford m8 you only get one set of lungs but for what your doing ffp1 or ffp2 is more than enough
Thanks, guess I won't risk it then! Just found out from the following two threads about vinyl dye, seems just what I'm looking for as it etches the colour onto the plastic, as opposed to covering it with a layer of paint, meaning I shouldn't have to worry about the paint flaking/peeling off. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1450227 http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=369375 Also found out about liquid electrical tape but I think it'll be easier and quicker just to use vinyl dye from a spray can as opposed to brushing liquid electrical tape.
About making the parts 1/16" larger: You are working in very close tolerances. If you have to sand the parts flat to glue them, it's better to have a little extra. Also, Plastics tutorials.
