Project: NSGBox :: 07/31/05 Mounted a lot of stuff! (Update #2 of the day)

[PirateTheMeep]

Update Log
- August 6th (This one)
- August 7th
- August 8th (SketchUp)
- August 9th (SketchUp)
- August 10th (Fire)
- August 10th (Project News)
- August 18th (Baught stuff!)
- November 28th (New camera, Mounted stuff!)
- Jully 31st (New mobo tray)
- Jully 31st (Mounted PSU, Harddrive, And more)

Heh no name for this project but heres the idea:
- Make a case out of a semi-heavy-duty case normaly used to store cables.
- Have a builtin router (For Lan partys at my/other peoples houses)
- Builtin speakers (Note there will be a switch to select from using the built in speakers or using headphones)

Notes: A. Im 13, Now 14 B. My first mod

So heres day 1

Bottom left. My server "Aqualung" (FreeBSD hosts 3 of my sites). (This is what im using for the parts)


The case it's going in


Open with a mobo, harddrive, CPU, memory, a few cables, router.


Diffrent angle


Motherboard sticking out a bit


Heres a spare Linksys router (4x Lan 1x WAN 1x Uplink OR normal 10/100 LAN)

Specs:
- Albatron KM266PRO
- AMD 2000+
- 333mhz FSB
- 512 DDR
- Albatron nVidia MX440SE
- RL 10/100 Card (Note: I was going to use what it had (trusty 3C905b) but it was larger than I had hoped.)

Note: This is my old server so no its not the best for gaming but I do use it when a freind can't bring his compy to a lan.

Current Problems:
- NIC/GFX card need someway to hold them in place
- To small for full sized CD drive (im workin on it)
- Need to buy cement for plexi-glass
- Need to buy something to extend the IO ports on the mobo or remount it
- Harddrive needs mounted
- The Two green fans need mounted on the upper plexi-glass which is non existant.

Money Invested:
- $16 for contractor pack of 5 RJ45 connectors
- ~$70 for lights, etc..
- ~$30 for Acrilic.




- Jeff

[PirateTheMeep]

I forgot to mention a few things:
1. The video/Serial/Audio/Network (Router)/Power connections will all be done on plexi glass:

| [vga][network][pwr][serial][usb]| <- Plexi Glass
|                                             |
| |various stuff-----------------  |
| |various stuff-----------------  |
| |various stuff-----------------  |
| |various stuff-----------------  |
| [motherboard-------][router--]  |
|--------------------------------|

Top view would be SOMETHING like this:

|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| +--------------+        +-------------+          +----------------+           |
| + Fan Air blow  +        + FAN             +         + Duct from CPU   +           |
| + by router      +        + Suck air from +         + Fan.                +           |
| +                   +        + AGP/PCI cards+         +                       +           |
| +--------------+        +--------------+         +----------------+           |
| +--------------+    +--------+-------------+-------------+----------+   |
| + DUCT            +   +SOUND  +NETWORKING +OTHER         + POWER    +   |
| +  from  PSU     +   +           + 1 2 3 4 5      + [serial][usb]+ [pwr] [s]  +   |
| +                    +   +[][][][s]+[][][][][]       + [lpt-------]+  [led] [led]+   |
| +                    +   +           +         [s]      + [video][usb]+               +   |
| +--------------+   +--------+-------------+-------------+----------+    |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Notes:
[] in sound are MINI connectors
[s] in sound is a switch, Up: builtin speakers, Down: Output
[] in network are RJ45 connectors
1,2,3,4,5 in networking will have LED's behind them that indicate Link/activity
The "input board" will be mounted on metal and will be attached like this:

|-inputboard********+
|                              |
|                              [PSU-]|
|                              [PSU-]|
|----------------------------|
[side view]

- is directly in the case
+ then | is a rod mounted to the PSU

NONE OF THESE DIAGRAMS ARE TO SCALE

Things to buy:
- Cement for plexi-glass
- "Bling-Bling" Fans from tigerdirect
- "Bling-Bling" Neon light strips from tigerdirect
- Somekind of cable management

OTHER IDEAS FOR CASE:
- because the top lid of the case would be empty ill make something to hold a keyboard, mouse, NIC cables, and power cable (for LAN's)

[Rexxie]

Blurry pics oO

Good luck

[PirateTheMeep]

Today we (my Dad and I) have cut the bottom layer of plexi-glass, mounted the motherboard, mounted the PSU, setup temp power switch, setup temp lights (pwr/hd), and setup a temp harddrive mount. It is finaly starting to realy come togeather.

I am also trying to rethink the I/O Panel to be more like it would be on a motherboard.

Pictures:

This is before anything was done. Nothing here is mounted at all (No plexi-glass)


Same state. Installed Coundition-Zero


Heres the motherboard and PSU mounted on the plexiglass. We did this by marking where to drill then using the drill press. Then we used plastic spacers and nuts.


Same


Same


Heres the first layer of plexiglass inside with mounted stuff in workshop.


Diffrent angle


Running. Note: It doesn't detect it has a CPU fan so I am letting it run to try and dry it out.


Heres the harddrive's temporary mount (double sided tape r0x0r!)


Diffrent angle.

Today we got a good amount done but it took a long time. I am glad we have a table saw! So far we have not had to buy anything for this project (Note: thoes RJ-45 connecters probly wont be used so lets just forget about them). We already had plexiglass from when we where going to build a all plexiglass case (Many years ago. Was there any bling-bling mods then?) and the system parts from my old server.

Lates,
Jeff

PS: Still don't have a name...

[Dimazz]

Hmm nice ideas!! I like the way its going.

Ceppt......That harddrive mounting, if the case gets set down a little to hard, that drive is prone to damage, its sittin right on the bottom with nothing to absorb the shock.

My suggestions are remount HDD and get a better camera

[FILTHY1337]

do u plan on leaving it open durring operation? if not u need to exhaust that psu air.
it dosent detect the cpu fan becasue the stock fan has an extra wire to send speed info, if thats important to you there are manny 80mm that have this feature, or go back to a stock 60mm if ur not clocking it.
ok now to your curent problems, for mounting the card double sides tape is non-condustive so there u go, and as for the cd drive buy a laptop drive from ebay very cheap then source a ide adapter


ps for god sakes use a table or a tripod or even your knee to take a picture on

[PirateTheMeep]

Dimazz: Yeah that mounting blows but heres what I think im going to do:
[side view]

+                                              +
+  [fan air in]        [fan air out]      +
+-|--------------|plexiglass-------+
+ [harddrive------]                      +
+---------------------------------+
| = Screw

[top view]

+----------------------+
+               [FAN----]   +
+               [FAN----]   +
+ [Harddrive]               +
+ [Harddrive]               +
+ [Harddrive]               +
+ [FAN----]                +
+ [FAN----]                +
+----------------------+

About the camera.. Yup I know a $50 camera cant take the best shots.

ocedamd@3000+: Im not sure I belive I will make it closeable and make a duct from the output of the psu and to the outside (also putting on the casing) AND Adding a fan on each side of the case (One blow one suck)

[top view (No other stuff but fans/ducts/psu)]

+-----------------------------------+
+[PSU------]                             [F]+
+[PSU------]                             [A]+
+[PSU------]                             [N]+
+[PSU------]                                 +
___/   /                                         +
_____/                                          +
+[F]                                             hole
+[A]                                             for wires
+[N]                                             +
+-----------------------------------+

Yes I did a bad job and next time I will use my tripod.

About the CPU Fan: It was what I suspected it needed to dry out a bit (Had just been cleaned)

About the laptop drive: I have 2 spare 25x Notebook CD readers. I just need to find the right adapters. Any links?

Project news: I have patched the system up and I overclocked it only a small amount (133 clock -> 142 clock) This makes it run like a 2100+ instead of a 2000+. Anything about 142 makes it very unstable and anything about 144 makes it crash before booting into the OS.

Tomarows goals:
- Wire the router into the PSU
- Buy more plexiglass
- Buy fans/lights from Tigerdirect
- Mount router


Thanks for all of the replys (ok 3)!
- Jeff

EDIT By the way I think im going to make the name of this project NSGBox. Why? When I host the Lan Partys we always call them NSGLan's (Not So Good). NSG was our old local clan

[¿þŘΩĐĮĢΫ?]

looks pretty good for you only being 13, it has lots of potental , mod that box

[livelife46290]

hey i have an idea for the i/o panel, why not desolder what you need, add extentions then mount them to some plexi then open the case a little when you want to use it, have this piece of plexi pop up with some lights behind it to make it look schweet then plug eveything you need into that....i think that would be pretty sweet!

[Death Reaper]

Heh, nice modding! Something like I plan to do with a video/camera case I got off of ebay. I think I'll subscribe and watch this mod as well

Regards,

[PirateTheMeep]

¿þŘΩĐĮĢΫ?, Thanks a lot mate. Of cource this isnt just me doing it. My dad has helped a lot but none of us could have done this as fast as we have alone.

livelife46290, I have considered that but I don't know if I realy want to desoder it. Do you know of any places I can buy thoes connectors and then put them on a breadboard (Spelling?) like on some mod I have seen in the past.

Death Reaper, The problem with some of these is (like this one) they are designed for strength and cutting the actual case will mostlikely weeken it.

Project News---------------------
Today or tomarow I will be ordering:
- 2x Red fans (For the top lid)
- 2x Blue fans (For the bottom lid)
- 1x Red light strips (Dual)
- 1x Blue light strips (Dual)
- 2x Rounded IDE Cables

Today I also plan on buying 2 more sheets of plexiglass (Soon I will be replacing that black plastic thing with plexi and putting another layer on the side with the mobo. Along with the plexi we will be buying eather PVC or metal for the PSU duct.

Also: So it can run closed we will be cutting a hole and turning it into a door with some kind of hindge for the cables to go in but today we may not do to much to it.

EDIT: About the harddrive mounting: We may keep it how it is (The tape does absorb some shock) or we will just screw it directly into the case. Probly keep the tape because with the tape the harddrive is silent

Thanks guys,
Jeff

[PirateTheMeep]

Theres a sketchup. No port hole yet. Just the bottom lid. No top layer of plexi-glass. Fans may be moved. No duct. [My first SketchUp :-/]

[PirateTheMeep]

Photobucket is down so here I posted this new sketchup on my site


Next to sketch: Power/Keyboard part of the I/O Panel (I have another idea...)

[PirateTheMeep]

Uh oh! Today I had a few buddys over to play some counter-strike/ut2k4. I hadn't installed UT2k4 yet so I shut down NSGBox and poped in a CD-Drive. I sat it at an angle the base of the CD-Drive on the harddrives circut board. I smelled something then looked in my case.. IT WAS SMOKING so I moved the CD-Drive quicly and then I saw it... MY HARDDRIVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. I pulled the plug to the PSU and it stoped. After some inspection I noticed one of the chips was very very messed up and there was some blackness on the circut board. Simply put: I have no harddrive in it. I packed it up and it will be sent off to Maxtor tomarow.

PS: I will be gone till wednesday but I may be able to post tomarow afternoon. Maby not.

Edit: Sorry if you where looking for a huge fire or my case being destroyed :-P

[R@Mo]

Look at the bright side: now you can start a new post here.

[PirateTheMeep]

Originally Posted by R@Mo

Look at the bright side: now you can start a new post here.

heh good point and done but its a good thing there was no plexi glass or else it would have melted BUT if there was plexi glass then I would have not had the CD-Rom on top of the harddrive. So time to bash head and cry

[PirateTheMeep]

Project News
Project is on hold for a few days because:

1. Im going on a trip
2. My harddrive caught on fire
3. I don't have a harddrive (Sure I do have many 8.5gb's laying around and an 80gb SATA)
4. My Dad works durring the week (duh)

[Sc0rian]

lol or post here

http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthrea...930#post685930

[PirateTheMeep]

Originally Posted by Sc0rian

lol or post here

http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthrea...930#post685930

Ah didnt see that

Uh oh 4am I am leaving in the morning (in a few hours) i SHOULD sleep..

[Pygo]

Wow, I have never seen a harddrive catch on fire. what I have seen though is a drive that did not need to do any reading/writing, so the heads just sat in the same place for about 2 years, and so they wore off and then there was a very nice loud screetching noise. My boss rebooted the system and then found out it was a hdd that was dead... lol


well, hope you have better luck with the project. and I hope the next hdd doesn't catch fire. Next time I would use a peice of paper to separate the cd-rom and hdd. I notice some components on some old hdds stick out a wee too far, and have metal contacts.