Scratch Build – In Progress Project: Wooden HTPC (15th March) UP AND RUNNING!

Wooden HTPC

Totally new to case modding and work logs, so here goes!

so I got sick of having to watch the movies on my computer actually on the computer, and decided to build a HTPC to chuck with the TV.
I took advantage of my school Design Tech; Wood class at school for tools, and I also get to make it in class time, double score!

For the 'guts' of the computer I'm planning on using the following:
Zotac IONITX-A-C ION N330 Dual Core ITX MB
4gb of ram
500gb HDD I have laying around
LGE GGC-H20L Black Blue Ray HD Combo

The wood I'm using is African Cherry and Koto in 20mm square strips.

SKETCHUP!





so I'm going to build the two parts separately, the wood shell at school and the aluminum frame at home.

So far!
I've got the wood thicknesses down to 20mm ready to start!



More to come every couple of days as I get work done in class and at home.

Next! Cutting the wood!

 

From the way your images look each side is seperate, would it not be stronger if every other layer overlapped at the corners? What I mean is like when you come to a corner of a house, sides look like this (crap ASCII art below), then when they are fitted together they interlock.

Code:

--     -
-     --
--     -
-     --
--     -

You may have already worked this out though, if so ignore my post.

 

Nice!
Everyone seems to be doing wooden HTPCs

 

Not too worried about strength, as the glue I'm using is actually stronger than the wood itself.
After thinking about it though, I might change the corners anyway, use a miter joint instead of just putting them flat against each other.



This will make it smooth along the edges and cleaner in the end.

 

Got into cutting up the wood today.
Taking advantage of the schools tools!
Used a table saw to cut the 20mm x 20mm 'sticks' so they'd be all the same and super accurate.




All cut up!


And a bit of a teaser.

Probably start gluing tomorrow, and then aluminium framing this weekend I hope!

 

Nice choice in wood. You plan on staining any? Also, might I suggest a nice coat of glaze to make it nice and tough. There's a mix-yourself type I use that comes in a box with 2 bottles (catalyst and mix). It forms a thick "1/16-1/8" glaze that is tough as nails (stronger than the wood). I use it on my picnic table outside which gets all kinds of abuse. Not a single crack and the scratches come out very easily (like buff it with a towel easy).

 

use a drum sander instead of a planer. also take care when making cross cuts.

 

ALUMINIUM!

So I didn't get any gluing done the other day like I'd hoped.
But that's okay! Because it gave me motivation to get onto the frame for the inside!
This is made out of 11mm aluminium square tubing.


The handy hacksaw!


All the tubing cut!


How it's all going to be joined together.
I really need to work on cutting strait...

 

Oh man I see workshop, metal rods and wood. All these items combined...i am captain planet! No but seriously, this is a recipe for win. Subscribed

 

Nice! Finally i get to know how to make a wooden HTPC, Thank you!

 

Looks good! That wood will look highly sexy yet organic when lacquered.

 

Thanks for all the replys and encouraging words!

Updates form the last week:
All the sides are now clued together, and I've started on the case feat!


Gluing!



And the feat!
I got the idea off another mod I saw a while ago, where they used metal disks and perspex, thought I'd adopt it to my case as I loved the idea so much.
They'll have blue LEDs in the middle in the end to light up the perspex.








Progress so far!


Yes the top doesn't cover it in this photo, but the base will become smaller when I cut the miter joints on the corners.


I'm thinking of putting one of those USB LCD displays on the front, 4 rows by 20 characters.
What do people think?
Probably a blue one with while letters, and cover it with the same perspex which is a clear smokey one.

 

Wow, got half way down the page and this thing is almost finished!

 

Thats lookin niiiice! Good luck with the last stages!

 

Did your shop teacher see you cross cut your wood on the table saw?

 

Theres something really retro or almost Art-Deco in the style of this build, i really like it. Essentially quite a simple concept but this could yield staggeringly good looking results if you keep the craftsmanship. Great work!

P.S. Now i wonder which project you could possibly be referring to for the feet idea Wouldn't be one which is surprisingly..err..'wet' would it?

 

Cool looking mod. That is some beautiful wood, looks good so far.

 

Been pondering doing a mod for a while, and decided if I was gonna do one I had to be sure to finish it, what better way then to just hack into it every step of the way!

Thanks!

Yeah, he helped me with it, Why?

Thanks thanks!
Yes it would be
Rather enjoyed that log.

Thanks again!

 

This log ain't dead!
My current computer has been for a bit though, and that's why there's been no updates!
But here they all are, and I'm happy to say it's gettin there quite nicely!

Started off by making a jig so I could easily drill and tap holes to get all the aluminium together.
Unfortunately this turned out 100000000x harder than I thought it would be.



The drilling the first lot worked out fine, got the holes in the bars and tapped.



Then I cut the angle, at first by hand, but I am in noooo way a strait cutter, so after trashing a whole set of them, I got onto the schools power hack saw, and what a beast that is!



After that I took it all home and drilled the wholes on my bench press, this was the hard part.
It was a 4 hand job and I only have 2, so I got lots of holes in the wrong place, and ones that were misplaces by millimeters. oh the headaches that part caused.



And a quick look in my workshop, couple new benches have been made [=

This is bench one,


Bench 2


And bench 3 in the making!



And then finally after a couple of weeks of struggle, I get it all together





In the meantime all the compter bits and pieces have arrived and ready to put in there.

All that's left is to;
cut the holes for the optical drive, LCD and ear I/O pannel.
Glue together
Polish
And stick the internals in it!

Yay

 

BIG UPDATE!!!

So it's been a while, but to be honest I don't actually have much time left!
It was onto the wooden stuff, the main partttt!
I cut out the spots where the optical drive, screen, and motherboard I/O panel will go.


Sanded those out and it fit perfectly.


Next I glued the sides together, with the miter joints. And then the top went on.








Unfortunatly I forgot about the 1cm motherboard standoffs, so I had to re-cut the hole for that, easy fix though, I added in a strip of the same perspex I'm using the over the screen on the front so it all matches, and I might even put some lights there so its east to see the back panel.





Now all the wood is sanded up and waiting for a coat of whatever I decide to varnish it in.