Project: PCB - Completed September 24

Your pics aren't working.

 

Yeah, when I posted I realized I had uploaded the full-sized images, rather than the 640x480 versions. I deleted them (hence the dead images) and reloaded the new ones. Its all fine now.

One thought. I'm in a bit of a spot with the front molex connectors for testing fans, etc. without having to open the case. Molex connectors can be extremely difficult to disconnect once attached, and if I were to mount them in the thin control panel, they would be impossible to remove once connected. You would end up bending the control panel or pulling it off altogether! Ill have to devise a way to make it work, now that I have those holes in the panel. If anyone has any ideas, please tell me, this may be a very difficult problem to solve and still make things look good.

 

Take a spair molex extension and sand down the part that is too tight.

 

But its not only that the plastic housing around it is to tight, but when the pins connect together they don't slide out of each other very easily. Ill try sanding it down though, see if that helps at all, thanks for the tip.

 

Most pins of that style are loose from my experience. If not just drimp them slightly.

 

Found this little device

http://www.censuspc.com/3.5inch-Bay-Front-Power-Panel-With-3-4Pin-Molex-pr-132.html

Looks like they just made ones with little tabs on the sides that allow them to be bolted right on, so Ill have to come up with a similiar idea... Or maybe buy one of these kits and cannibalize its parts.

*EDIT* Also thinking of getting a pack of these:

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1710

 

A pic I just shot of the toggle switches (taken from a previous project) installed on the panel. The nuts on the ends of them hold the panel in place right now, but rivets will hold it on more securely.



Comments welcome.

 

If you want to get really tight rivet the panel then bondo the hole and paint then attach switches. Drill before paint 2.

 

Ok...

The reason I had to paint again was because my plan changed after I had painted. I would have done all the drilling and cutting beforehand but obviously I couldn't if the plan changed later.

How would bondoing the hole and painting before attaching switches make the rivets tighter? I'm planning on removing the switches before I rivet anyway, just so they don't get in the way at all and cause it to be messed up. In the pic you can see how one is facing upwards more, thats because of the nut on it, its in the way. Riveting and then putting in switches will fix everything.

 

Update

Some of the work I did last night on the front panel:


^ Using a punch, I widened the pin holes for the molex connectors. Now they slide on and off with about 10% of the normal force! Now they just need to be mounted on the panel.


^ The little metal piece, all painted.


^ Glued to the USB ports.


^ And mounted on the panel. Sadly, that hole still looks realyl screwed up due to where the original paint chipped off. Oh well.


^ And, I painted the buttons for the front and popped them into place to see how they look. The matte black really goes well with the gloss green.

Comments welcome.

 

Update

Today I removed the tape covering the primer on the soon-to-be black spots, then retaped off the green, and painted the black.


^ All retaped and ready to go.


^ During painting.


^ After painting, with the tape removed.


^ Inside, in some better lighting without low-light setting engaged. The green is a bit more greeny than that though, it looks quite dull there.

Comments welcome!

 

I like that look alot!

Green isn't normally a colour I would choose, but that with the black is rather smart!

 

Yeah, green is a colour I never would have chosen normally, but it just seemed to be good! Plus, like every other colour is overdone! Red, blue, black, white (apple owns white) so green seemed like a easy to get colour that goes with a lot.

PS I'm going on vacation to Australia and hawaii until the 15th, so no updates until I get back. I should be able to check my stuff though, so I can still answer any questions or comments.

 

If you wanted to be tight you could rivet the switch panel on fill the indent with bondo sand it drill it and attach switches. That way they are flush.

 

I guess I could... Ill consider it, but it would be quite a lot of work and it may not be really worth it to me. Thanks for the idea though.

 

sorry to be the one saying that, but your work is fairly ugly

 

LOL

With some parts of this, I definitely agree with you. This mod was made to be more functional than stylish, and almost nothing is made purely for cosmetics. What part/s did you find to be perticularly ugly?

 

You are doing a very good work. Some details do need fixing, but you don't need us mentioning.

 

Thanks! Yes some details do need a lot of work, right now I'm just trying to get the project together so I can put my components into it. Then I will be able to work out any problems with details after that.

 

UPDATE

I'm back from my trip to Australia/Hawaii (took around 4500 pictures in 2 weeks) so now its back to the modding.

Today I did the first layer of clear coat, which didn't turn out very well for the most part. The new can dripped a bit during the first thin pass on the right side panel, and I tried wiping off the drops before they hardened, but it left some bumpy spots and some dust behind there, so in the spot that happened I will need to sand very lightly and redo. Also, when doing the third thin pass on the front bezel something happened (either it wasn't totally dry yet or I put on too much) but the coating got very bubbily and totally messed up. Ill need to sand off the bubbles and respray it aswell. The rest of the panels turned out great though. Here are two pictures I quickly took, I will take some more later today and add them to the post.


^ Top and right side.


^ A shot of the paint can reflection off the right side panel.

*EDIT*

Some more pictures, much more clear.

^ The front.


^ The front again.


^ Closer.


^ Really close, showing the bubbles that messed up the front.

*EDIT2*
Sanded away the bubbles, so now its nice and smooth and ready for more clear. Also sanded away a spot that got messed up when I wiped away a drop.


^ The wiped spot sanded down.


^ The front sanded and cleaned for clear coat tomorrow.


Comments welcome.