Scratch Build – In Progress Project: Darkshines HTPC [Updated 22-Jun-2010][June 2010 MOTM Nominee]

Hi All,

This is my second attempt at a scratch build, and it's another HTPC case. Just managed to find the time to make a start, though I have had the design in mind for some time.

Project Name: Darkshines HTPC
Date Begun: 22-May-2010
Date Finished: n/a

Updates:
Update 1 - Motherboard Tray
Update 2 - Base Plate
Update 3 - Back Plate
Update 4 - Perspex sides [Part 1]
Update 5 - Perspex sides [Part 2]
Update 6 - Lid & cathode mount plate
Update 7 - Front panel
Update 8 - Finishing touches

Design:

I am going for a simple design made up of aluminium plates for the base and lid, with acrylic fins to make up the sides.


Overview of case design


Top down view of case design

Components:

The components are over a year old now, taken from my existing HTPC. It still does everything I require, so no need to upgrade.

J&W Minix mini-itx mobo.
AMD Athlon AM2 e4850.
2gig Crucial SO-DIMM.
OCZ 30gig SSD.
Gelid SlimSilence CPU Cooler.
PicoPSU 100w.

Materials:

Low cost is the aim of the game with this case, and I have found a wonderful resource in a local metals warehouse which sells various bits of aluminium offcuts for virtually nothing.

3x Sheets 2mm aluminium, roughly 500x500mm - £10
2x 1 metre aluminium channel - £2
2x 1 metre aluminium angle - £2
36x Pieces black acrylic, 220x50mm - £36
6x M6 Roofing bolts - £2
6x M6 Dome nuts - £1.50

Current total - £52

 

Update 1 - Motherboard Tray

As with my last project, the motherboard tray seemed to be the logical first step. The purpose of this tray is to raise the motherboard up off of the base plate enough to fit the SSD underneath it. This will allow me to keep the case quite narrow, and the height will still be quite reasonable.

I started off by measuring and cutting a piece of my 2ml aluminium plate to roughly the right size. I also cut a couple of pieces of aluminium channel which will be used to raise the plate up.


Rough cut motherboard tray and aluminium channel

After tidying up the edges a bit with a file, I clamped the lengths of channel to the plate and drilled some holes through both sections. I then used rivets to secure the pieces in place.


Motherboard tray with channel riveted on

The next step was to drill and tap some holes into the top of the plate for the motherboard standoffs, which left me with a pretty much complete motherboard tray.


Completed motherboard tray


Tray with motherboard screwed into the standoffs

 

Really nice start my friend. Nice and compact design too! Cant wait to see this product finished! Mod on!

 

Looks like a great start! Keep up the great work!

 

Thanks guys, I know it won't be up to the level of expertise and creativity which is present on these forums (especially your project Ang3l, which was simply stunning), but hopefully it won't suck too much.
It's been a pretty productive first weekend on this, so there's another update incoming.

 

Update 2 - Base Plate

With the motherboard tray complete, I moved on to making something to attach it to - the base plate. Not a very exciting piece of work, but necessary nonetheless!

I started off by rough cutting a couple of pieces of my aluminium plate for the base and lid, using a jig saw.


Rough cuts of the base plate and lid

Then I put in some more time with a file to smooth the edges and round off the corners, followed by putting some holes in for the acrylic side slots.


Base plate tidied up and with holes for attaching side pieces

Next thing on my list was to attach the previously created motherboard tray to the base plate. I achieved this by clamping the two pieces together, then putting some holes through the plate and into the channel on the underside of the motherboard tray.


Base plate and motherboard tray clamped together ready for drilling

After that it was a simple matter to tap the holes and put some small case screws in to secure the parts together.


Top view of the motherboard tray screwed to the baseplate

 

Looks good so far.
The renders are nice.

 

Update 3 - Back Plate

Work on this continues to go well without any major snags, which is a relief. Continuing with getting the basic structure put together, next up was the back plate.

I started off with a rough cut piece of aluminium plate and a chunk of aluminium angle.


Rough cut back plate

After tidying the metal up a bit, I clamped the angle to the plate and drilled some holes through both sections with a drill press, so that I could later rivet them together.


Back plate and angle clamped together ready for drilling

Drilling complete

With that done, I put the angle aside for a bit and marked out the area to be cut out for the motherboard backplate. I decided to dig out the Dremel for this particular task, a favourite tool around these parts I know.
Unfortunately my Dremel-Fu is pretty weak, so I left myself with quite a lot of work to do with the file.


My poor dremel skills, including the bonus groove from a slip...whoops!

Result of about an hour of filing

Once I was done filing out the hole, I grabbed my piece of angle and riveted it onto the plate, leaving me with a back plate ready to go.


Nearly done

A nice and easy last step was to drill a couple of holes into the base plate, then tap them and stick in some case screws to secure the back plate in place.


Done

It's starting to get exciting now (well, exciting for me), as the boring bits are now out of the way and I can start on the perspex side pieces. Given they represent the major cost of the build, I am pretty nervous about getting it all wrong!

 

I like this
And don't be nervous, it all comes with practice

 

This is great so far, I might even be stealing that motherboard tray idea for my own build

 

Update 4 - Perspex sides [Part 1]

So, as I said in my previous update I am now starting to work on the perspex side sections of the case.
The perspex is the only real expense incurred in this project, as everything else has been materials that were either obtained incredibly cheaply or that I had lying around already.

When looking around, I had held some hope that I could find a place that would cut the pieces of acrylic to the shape I wanted as part of the deal, but I soon discovered that would involve quite ludicrous cost. Instead I ended up buying a bunch of "blanks"; rectangles of acrylic to shape myself.
I started off by drilling a couple of holes in each blank.


My 36 little pieces of black perspex, with some holes

The next thing I needed in order to be able to get anywhere was a jig (template) to use as a basis. I knocked one up quickly out of wood, since that was the easiest material to use.


My jig, with a couple of holes to match those drilled into my blanks

I then bolted a small set of my blanks to the jig, ready to start the shaping process.


A small set of blanks bolted to the jig

I'd put quite a lot of thought into the best way to do the shaping, but with my jig it became pretty easy to use a router table to cut my blanks down to size. This is probably not the safest way to do things, but I was careful and sustained no injuries.


A set of blanks partway through the shaping process

I have a little video of the shaping being done that I'll throw online later for those interested, though again I should stress that this is not the safest way of using a router table, as I was doing it freehand, with some risk of slippage.

After repeating the process a bunch of times, I had 36 nicely shaped pieces of acrylic. Still some work to do on getting to the right shape as there are various notches that need to be added, but certainly got most of the work done.


My stack of shaped acrylic pieces

Next up is widening the holes to match my roofing bolts and add the notches to support the front and back plates.

 

An Excellent start. I have been looking at a good way to do a motherboard tray for my HTPC and I think your design takes the cake. I was going to hack up an old ATX motherboard tray but if you are going for a scratch build you may as well build it all . I will definitely be watching this build.

 

As mentioned in my last update, a video of the shaping in progress. Probably a good example of how not to do it.

 

Fantastic job so far my friend and thanks for your kind words too.
I love the design the concept the execution. Patience and attention to detail are your weapons!
Mod on bro!

 

Some of the things you did in the video made my skin crawl!!

Working with items that small on the router table is very dangerous.

Sweeping the table with your hands like that is a great way to lose a fingertip.

If I was you I would make a part that sandwhiches your parts with a long handle on the top part. keeping your fingers away from the router bit.

It looks like everything came out ok.

 

As someone, who has been working on and off in a carpentry for some 10 years, it's definately not something I'd like to recommend, what you did there with the router...

...I've seen far worse tho.

Nice outcome anyways

 

Holy God. Please never work like you showed again. You will lose a finger working that close to the router someday, no matter how careful you are.

 

Amen.

 

Off to a great start tris gotta admit that I was cringing when I saw the video half expected to see something from "most scary home videos ever" lol

 

Heh, expected responses to the router table usage, which is why I was careful not to portray it as the right way to do things.

I guess I need to learn to fear and respect power tools more!

Still, it's the result that counts....right?

EDIT: One thing I would mention, I was using a template bit which has a ball bearing that the jig sits against. That does make it somewhat safer than it might appear. Doesn't change the fact I should have been using a guard and/or push blocks though.