Scratch Build – In Progress Dark Vortex - 11th May - Drive Rack, Lettering

That's brilliant work man.
I wish i knew enough about electronics to design and make my own circuit board!

 

Really sweet looking work done so far mate! Keep it up!!

***subscribed!***

 

mm WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT project

show more please.. .work work I love it very dammm much

good luck and take care

 

I like the case design and what you have going to far. To bad you don't have a welder for all the metal parts. Easier than screws.

 

Thanks, its not too difficult to learn, the electronics forum is a must, and there are lots of helpful guides around.

Thanks

Thanks!

Lol, me too. thanks

I hope to restart work on this case soon, back from hols and settled into my new job

Things to be done:

* Cut Most panels (except the sides...for now)
* Re make the front bends in Alu
* Add some more Square section to the case; for the bottom compartment and for Mainboard/ CDROM Support
* Create a Fan Controller (similar in style to the light controller)
* lots of other stuff

 

First off for this update, I bought a new tool from Axminster Power Tools (UK) which was a Fretsaw:


The first thing I did was to apply Duct Tape to the underside of the clamp, as it was not smooth and this could (and did on a test piece) mark the metal I was cutting:


Motherboard back plate
I decided to redo the back plate I had made originally out of galvanized steel, with a new version out of aluminium. This is the new design:


The actual back plate is the same:


The new tray cover:


And the acrylic insert:




This is the end result (it may have more stuff added, but for now it’s done):


All my acrylic joining is done with Plastic Weld (liquid), which is a capillary action glue, and (apparently, though it seems to be accurate), the joins it creates are as strong as the original material:


The Bezel
The original metal sides on the front of the case are find in design, but are made out of steel, which has rusted, and I have decided to remake in aluminium. I really[i/] wish I had started the project in alu.

So I have created two new CDROM sides:


I also created the top of the case bezel, out of 2mm acrylic:


This is the mock up of the front as it stands:


And another angle:

(and the F stands for Front not the drive letter )

My ‘workshop’
I share this with my father who is an engineering pattern maker, and very skilled with all things wood.

From left to right: Bench Grinder, Metal Work Vice, Fret Saw, Pillar Drill


Band Saw, Dremel, and it’s all sat on the bench circular saw


Freezer, CD Player, 5 Cordless drills, all kinds of crap, and the thing under the tarp is a Myford Metalwork Lathe


Thanks for reading, comments welcome as usual

 

Nice tools you got wish I had em. Great work so far, keep it up

 

nice work space !!! keep it up

 

Over the last couple of weeks I have been modding, however very slowly…I just don’t have time what with work and swimming, so progress is slow, but steady

Mainboard Tray

I did some more work on the motherboard tray, mainly attaching it to the back panel. To help keep it square, I made a small bracket:


Another shot of the bracket:


And a couple of the whole tray:




I also went to Bodge & Quick (also known as B&Q, but not in our household), and picked up a pair of drawer runners to make the motherboard tray:


Drive Top

I decided to modify the top for the drive bars as well, to extended the height of the shape, and allow one drive bay to be fitted in.

I used the existing piece of acrylic, and added a wall to it:


The two ‘feet’ that are visible slot into the CDROM sides, and hold them in place:


Now to create the top part of this, either a single sheet of aluminium /acrylic that covers the entire top of the case, or a separate piece of acrylic or aluminium.

Questions and comments welcome as usual!

 

Very nice, precise cuts mate. I really want a fret saw! It would be a bit of a pain lugging it round though (renting).

I also love the idea of using runners for the mobo tray!

 

Nice work! Are you going to use the drawer sliders to make the mobo tray slide out from the back?

 

Thanks

Yeah, thats the idea, i just need to find where on the tray i can affix them without obscuring any mounting points.

 

Very good you works, I am enjoying much of the work process !!! Good Luck


Sorry for my bad English !!!

 

An update! At last!

Fixing the Motherboard Rails

First off, holding it in place with tape, to help set the distance correctly:


And the result, with tapped holes, and no tape:


And the money shot, with the tray fully extended:




Rear panel

Not a lot left of my large sheet of alu...lol:


The back panel, cut out (using a jigsaw, rather than 3 million dremel cut off wheels), and filed to a straight edge.


Talking of filing, I bought a new set of small files, as I have used the other ones so much, they appear to be blunt/smooth!

And here it is attached to the case, using the standard M3 Hex head bolts.


There might be another update this weekend, it really depends how much I get done...

 

Great job! I love the inventive rails for the mobo tray.

 

Emachine case! I had an emachine pc not so long ago, cheap and chearful but they were good pcs! Still got the cases and parts around!

Will read the project in more detail in a minute

Do like they keyboard shelf rollers for the motherboard try though, true inventive modding!

 

I'm loving this, impressed with how much work you were prepared to do in order to get back to where you were when you swapped over to aluminium.

 

Nice slide-out mobo!

 

PSU Consideration...

Oops.

 

dude, plz dont hijack another dudes thread... just make you own thread




@GuardianStorm
nice case man
like you workshop! a nice set of tools you got. cant wait to see how this one turns out!