Case Mod - In Progress G5 Sacrilege update Jun. 15th a tale of two doors

What is John up to?

Back working on the mod slowly.
A picture:


Now what does an ancient tinkerer want with an old waterlogged book from the charity store, roll of masking tape, jigsaw, and an old broken mop handle?

Well.


Cut the mop handle into "book size pieces. Make 3. Tape the raggedy old book up with the tape, slap some tape on two of the tubes just made. and:

tape the parts together. For what you ask


This is the form for bending the temporary plexi to the Apple wrap around shape. I needed 1 inch for scale instead of Apples 2 inches for handles and feets. Not being overly confident in my ability to free hand a curve with the heat gun or /cough pressing iron /cough, I made this so that me and Mr Trout ( he was last seen in the Casdon log) could form the plexi into pretty. One inch book to hold the flat and the tubes to be the round.

Overheard in the charity store " I've never seen anyone measuring books with a tape measure!"
Mission accomplished!
John

 

Congratulations, John! MOTM!

 

Thanks. I need to thank everyone on Bit-Tech and the moderators for their confidence. Still a ways to go with this mod.
John

 

Universal sentiment, brother.

 

As I said before ... one vote from me Congrats !!

 

you've my vote too, I like mini cases and G5 has style, killing combination

 

Does it look right????

Been busy today. Weather was great in Colorado and I had a day off from work. Hung with the wife and then back to modding.
I cut a plexi piece 8 inches wide - the size of the G5 - by 32 inches long. Yeah it's too long but not much.

Layed out some holes to bolt the tiny beast to the plexi.

I bolted the motherboard side down tight. Cost me a few drops of blood and a BandAid trying to reach inside. Remember, nothing has been final fit yet and lots of rough edges to "Get Ya":


Bolted and clamped in the WorkMate.


Applied the previously mentioned hard back book and mop handle pieces.


Now I shut up and just like Filimon I give you pictures:


















The plexi is temporary so space off the bolts.

What do you think? Did I get the G5 shape or not?
John

 

Congratulations, John
MOTM! ....... put my vote down for your build ..............


Alan

 

imho angles are to sharp, but near the g5 look. If you could find bigger dimension of pipes mop ones have about 25mm and in the mac is something more. Don't worry plexi and policarbonate are getting back to their shapes easly. Somewhere at this forum one guy is making g5 all in perspex he used old iron to heat the plexi and bend it i doon't remember what he used to make g5shape but i will look for it.

 

Not really feeling this last step, John.

There are a few problems with the execution- the radii aren't consistent and the top section is kinda wavy- but mainly it's the change of material.
I think the primary strong point of the original case is the integration and using only one material (aluminum) reinforces the effect.

Unless you were planning on cutting away to create the "handles" after the bending, the look I get now is just one box suspended in another.

Ironically, had you just presented these last pics as the beginning of the worklog and said "Hey, look at the case I'm building", I think I'd like it much more.
But from the outset you've emphasized how important it was to maintain as much of the Apple material/ethos as possible (the "Apple core", if you will*) and this last move is a radical departure.
The handles/feet which seemlessly flow from sidepanel to sidepanel are probably the most iconic element of the original design and that seems lost to me now...maybe if the plexi wasn't clear (assuming you're dead set on using plastic instead of aluminum) the element would be more pronounced.
As it is now, you've taken the most important original design hook and deemphasized it.

I can see how you're up against a scaling problem at this point.
Simply reducing the handles in direct proportion to the body's new smaller size will leave them thin, almost spindly.
Had you just changed the case height you'd be OK, it's the length reduction as well that's the problem.

Unfortunately, at this time I have no suggestions (ah, how easy it is to just be a commentator/critic).
In your shoes, I'd probably just forge ahead on the main cube body and hope that its finished look would suggest a solution.




*How is it possible that the terrible Apple puns haven't made an appearance in this thread yet?

 

Thanks for the replies guys. What I am after IS the G5 look.

The plexi is/was supposed to be a visualization of what the final aluminum panel shape will be. I am using the original top aluminum panel for the new door. The original Apple wrap around piece is just too thick IMHO to reuse on a case this small. Maybe if I make an aluminum panel instead of the plexi one the look would show better. I grabbed the plexi cause I had it on hand.

I agree that the corners are too square looking. I'm working on a different approach to get the radius back in line with the G5 look.

Work continues on the inner structure daily.

Still trying.

John

 

Cube in original skin

My last post seems to have created some confusion. There never was any intent to use the plexi as anything but a tool to help me judge shape and size. Well I found another way to show you guys what I am up against. Remember in my rantings that I have tried to use as much of the original Apple cage and it's inner liner. SO ...

I bolted the tiny cube back into the original skin using the original mounts on the skin that line up with the saved pieces.

From the front:



3/4 view fron door side:



From the top sort of:



Now the side shot from the original door side:



Now the challenges should be better pictured. It has the look from the front and the top - sort of. The side shot should give you some idea of how hard it will be to shorten the handles and feets to get two handles together. If I don't thin the front to back width of the handles they will almost bang into each other.

Maybe the original wrap around isn't too thick after all. It seems to work and keep the look.

Hope this helps elaborate how I'm trying to make the new wrap around. The door is the door - just a square to cut down. no problem

 

after a quick cut and paste in my favourite image editor this is what came out




and then do the same to the feet ........
Just keep the upward bends the same for original looks.........



Alan

 

Great minds - you and my wife! I took it downstairs for her opinion and she came up with the size

Two people with same idea must be mocked up. I'll do it today. Sacrifice one G5 wrap around coming up.
Sacrilege and now sacrifice. I'm on a roll.
John

 

John, how about using original alu stands to bend plexi. It will be smaller a bit or bigger if you do it otside alu stands or inside.

 

....and that is what you are after ...... keeping the looks ........
I don't believe that it's too think.It will give the
cube even more stability.


Alan

 

I showed my lady wife Marilyn the picture and she says "It's got to be that!"
Back on track.
John

 

and I'm sure that it will look awesome with the modded parts.
It will be a worth while "sacrifice" of the original G5 wrap around.


Alan

 

You MUST use the original outer skin. I can't see this working without it.
-and congrats on MOTM nomination.

 

Thanks for that!
Snow storm coming tomorrow high of 40 and windy - 74 degrees now - out getting stuff for the pythons, and a new red tailed boa.
Humans and their pets!
John