Scratch Build L.R.E.C. *completed*

[Pranja]

I know that you all are wondering what L.R.E.C. means- it means Living Room Entertainment Center. It is compact mITX HTPC which grands a lot of entertainment for whole family.

I made a SketchUp model of L.R.E.C. so you can see what it will look like when I complete it.


















I would like to all my sponsors and donors for making this build possible(they rock ):

Thanks to Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH for providing their quality and silent PSU. Please, check out their site-thay have powerfull lga2011 barebones and small and silent HTPC's: http://www.shuttle.eu/



Thanks to Blacknoise Deutschland GmbH for providing ultrasilent Noiseblocker fans. Check their site for more silent fans: http://www.noiseblocker.de/en/index.php





Also,big thanks to my friends Kristian, Mislav, Robert and Ivan for donored parts and help.

[Pranja]

I received cool products from sponsors.

Shuttle send me PC61J 300W PSu. It is soo silent-I could not hear it and it id tiny compared to normal PSU.



















Blacknoise send me Noiseblocker XM1, XR1 and XE1 fans. They are ultrasilent and they are perfect for HTPC build.

[Pranja]

First, I started with PSU mod. Since case will be in black and white colour, PSu had to follow that color scheme. I removed stickers, painted PSU housing white, soldered longer cables that I sleeved with paracord and replaced all white connectors with black ones. I also solderes two blue LED's to PSu fan to enlight PSU interior.

[Pranja]

Then I started with case build- I cut out piece of black plexi to make a motherboard and HDD try. I drilled holes and set the spacers for the motherboard and drilled additional holes for mounting the HDD. I also set the brackets for mounting on the chassis and connect the two parts.











After a successful making of MBO ​​tray and rear, I made the lower part (aka bottom) and connected it with a rear part. I made the front with space to place metal grilles for the air flow of 92 mm fans.

[Pranja]

Now was the time to produce the upper part of case using white plexi which should be bend to get the rounded edge. But unfortunately, plexi got blisters and it turned yellow (bad wanabe plexi) and I took a plain clear plexi and bent it using the casing of dead PSU's as a mold. It will be painted white after I make additional cuts on it.















After that, I cut the edge of transparent plexi so as to be equal to the model, and I added a bar in the upper housing and additional brackets to the motherboard tray. The housing is now very strength.

[Pranja]

I set the upper corners of the chassis and made holes in the back side of the housing for MBO ports, 2x60 mm fans and PSU.















I assembled the case i glued mouns for 3,5'' card reader.

[Pranja]

Update:

I placed mounts for case sides, drilled holes in each side and plced them using plastic push pins. I had to remove MBO and HDD tray to be able to trace holes for right side. Transparent plexi need to be sanded because of the difference in thickness between the white and transparent plexi (= 4mm transparent, white = 3 mm).

[rwb97]

Looks like a good, clean and simple design. I'm especially liking that PSU!

[Pranja]

Originally Posted by rwb97

Looks like a good, clean and simple design. I'm especially liking that PSU!

Thank you very much.

[Pranja]

I started making the front grill, I finished the sides (angular and rounded edges like the model) and drilled holes for the power button and button for lighting. Grill still need to be completed and installed, now just leaning on case.





























See you in two weeks.

[Pranja]

Here is a new update after a small break.

I cut the plastic mesh (I used plastic mesh that left me after my last project) to proper size to fit it in front, finished front grill and cut the hole for DVD reader in top panel and sanded to prep it for painting.











Tomorrow will everything be painted and that will conclude exterior works (if weather is nice).

[Pranja]

Today's update.

Unfortunately, it rained so I could't paint top part and mesh.
Instead of painting, I made fan port distibutor and also fitted 40 mm Noiseblocker fan on HDD/MBO tray to cool HDD.








Now i need to make small box for fan port distributor and sleeve it's cables.

[Pranja]

Today's update-I finally painted grille and upper part- I had to paint two times because some mutt rushed into the yard and made a hubble-bubble around and all over my freshly painted case parts.

The grill is mounted on the front, and I thought of and intelligent solution for mounting fans, rather than using complex bolts and additional elements on the frame, I took two angle, drilled holes in the card reader and four ties later had a perfectly mounted fans.

There was enough space on the grill so I settled there power and HDD LED which I previously paracorded.

[Pranja]

Here is the massive update-my work since last update.

I made a cover for the HDD and DVD (not in picture) and put cable ties on the other side of MBO tray and started asembling the case.


















Placed distributor for the fans (made of demo case for the garage door remote control and those of my soldered connectors), mounted switches (paracorded ofcourse), installed lighting, half-finished cable menagment, sides taken out of the foil and placed on the case. Grill is just leaned on the case (will be glued later).

[Pranja]

Nearly completed-my dremel is finally stored in a suitcase.

Made cover plate, painted the cover for the board, started with final asemly of case, placed black foil on RAM.

[whatsthatnoise]

Good idea with that little white case for your cables. Nice progress so far and pretty fast, too. Keep it up.

Some suggestions;
- add some light (LEDs, ...)
- use a file on all cutouts (they look a little to rough)
- add a dust filter on the front (micromesh, fly screen or something like that should do the job)

[Pranja]

Originally Posted by whatsthatnoise

Good idea with that little white case for your cables. Nice progress so far and pretty fast, too. Keep it up.

Some suggestions;
- add some light (LEDs, ...)
- use a file on all cutouts (they look a little to rough)
- add a dust filter on the front (micromesh, fly screen or something like that should do the job)

Thank you very much. I am glat you like it. I am making a new updae as we speak.

There are blue LED's attached to top part. I sanded that cutouts like mad but I had no progress on them. Originaly,I wanted to put metal mesh in front,but I was not been able to faind it-not a single store has it.

[Pranja]

L.R.E.C. is completed!

I put white stickers on RAm for better fit in whole colour scheme,installed DVD (and put white cover on it), completed cable menagment,fitted case sides and finally placed white grill in front.

[Pranja]

Here is the rest of pictures (please, do not pay attention to my crapy tv).






































Thanks again to my sponsors (they rock ):

[shah]

Very nice build and inspirational