Case Mod - Complete [Completed] IBM PC-AT - Update 3rd, October - Painted and Built

Index
Update 1 - 4th, April - Emptying the box
Update 2 - 9th, April - Frame and Back Panel
Update 3 - 17th, April - Fans and power switch
Update 4 - 1st, May - Front Fan Mounts Finished
Update 5 - 3rd, May - Monitor Mod
Update 6 - 19th, May - Cable Sleeving
Update 7 - 16th, June - Almost Done!
Update 8 - 3rd, October - Painted and Built

Introduction:

Hi all,

First off, this is my first major mod, and my first project log, so with that in mind, please be kind That said, helpful tips and suggestions are very welcomed!

Ok, so this project is something I've wanted to do for a while. The back story is that I have always liked old computers (old to the point that they're "cool" or "vintage", not just some PII machine). I currently own an Apple IIGS, a Toshiba T2000SXe, and an IBM PC-AT (5170) all of which are in working condition

The Idea
I wanted to do a mod of an "iconic" old computer case, and I decided to go with an IBM PC-AT 5170 case. I will be modifying this case to fit my current desktop components. The main hardware:

• GIGABYTE mATX Motherboard
• Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 2.66GHz @ 3.0GHz
• 8GB G.Skill DDR2 800
• 2 x OCZ Vertex 2 60GB SSD
• 750GB Seagate HDD
• Lite-On Bluray/HD-DVD combo drive
• Lite-On DVDRW Drive
• Sapphire ATI 5750 Vapor-X, but have a 4850x2 that will hopefully be put into this build
• Hauppauge 2250 TV Tuner
• Silverstone 850W Modular PSU

The Mod
These are some of the "concept" pictures:
The idea of the finished project (though the drives will be different, just a concept):


"Mock-up" of the parts in the case cover to check fit:


More to come shortly!

 

Update 1 - 4th, April- Emptying the box

Update - 4th, April
So after a month of anxiously waiting my case was finally delivered.

Here's the front, it doesn't look so bad...

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But then again, maybe it's going to need some work...

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Ok, that's for later anyway, so I won't worry about that now.

After taking out the parts that came in it (non-original parts) I was left with what I wanted. Some parts in it to test the fit of things

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Now, on to the fun part:
Since it was a nice sunny 45F (7C?) outside, I decided to take my modding outside.

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I decided to start by making an attempt at taking out the hard drive cage that needs to move:

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Right, so that wasn't quite going as well as I was hoping at that point... I needed to drill out some spot welds to get the cage out, and I couldn't get to them. So I turned my attention to the rear PCI slot dividers that also needed to be removed. Hoping that with my 12" drill bit I'd be able to get the drill back far enough to get at the spot welds with that part gone.

Did I mention there were a LOT of spot welds holding this thing together?

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Doesn't appear to be so bad:

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On the other hand... maybe not so good either

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It was at that point I decided that I'd be cutting off the whole back, and making my own rear brace section (was already planning to cover the whole back with 1 piece of steel anyway).

After packing up, and eating some dinner, I then moved things into the garage to tackle that hard drive cage again.

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I then started taking off the remaining mother board support braces that were there

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Apparently my screw driver was slightly magnetized...

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I then cut off the back that I had mangled earlier

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This little bit was just hanging there after the pass with the jig saw...

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I drilled some rivets and got myself a motherboard tray and back plate out of an old donor case and trimmed it up a little so it wouldn't be too long. I set that in there to see how it would fit, and it looks alright, I'm pretty happy with that.

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A decent collection of scrap metal at this point, so I called it a day. Up for some fun in the next update, I will tackle the back brace that I am going to need after mangling the first one.

Until then thanks for viewing!
-Mos

 

Update 2 - 9th April - Frame and Back Panel

Update - 9th, April

Back at it again, over the past few days I built an aluminum frame support structure for the back of the case, to hold the top up.

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Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the rest of it, but I put 3 braces that run from the back to the front, to keep the back straight when putting the top case on or taking it off. You can see the three braces in some of the other pictures.


Today's work station, more or less

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Here you can see the 3 braces, also, I cut a piece of 1/16th" thick steel for the back plate which can also be seen in these pictures

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Then I cut out the hole for the I/O plate and the PCI slots, which I bought from Danger Den, instead of using the one I cut out earlier.

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After that, I cut out a hole for the power supply to be mounted

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That's about all I've got for this update, but it was some pretty good progress. I got done today what I wanted to get done, so I'm happy with it. Next update will hopefully be some fan mounting.

Until next time, thanks for taking a look!
-Mos

 

Man, that thing is a tank!

 

Pretty much... it weighed 39 pounds shipped... I should weigh it again sometime and see where it's at now

 

those old case with 2mm steel are very tough to work on. but you managed to get it done well. if the front needs some attention from yellowing you might look on retrobrite.
now you need model m keyboard, 1 button mouse and crt to complete the look.

 

I would love to obtain the set to finish the look. I have a full set of working hardware, and when this is finished I may do a side-by side shot or two. I am currently pursuing a lead on a possibly non-functioning keyboard to get my hands on. As for the CRT, that bit may be a little more difficult. It's unfortunate that not everyone holds on to their old non-working parts the way I seem to (or at least they're not selling them) So anyone with an old IBM Keyboard or CRT monitor (non-working) that would be willing to ship them in the States... you may have a buyer

 

theres a bunch of model m keyboards on ebay all of the time, if you keep an eye i'm sure you can get a working one under $20. if you need to you can always get an at / ps2 adapter for it.
if you're interested in a *working* ibm monitor i actually have one, though i understand not wanting a working one with the tube inside as it would cost very much for shipping, it weighs probably 80 lbs.
if you're near minneapolis theres lots of used stores and flea markets that often have crts for $5-20.

edit : here you go, http://cgi.ebay.com/1985-IBM-F1-Mod...801?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3366dc2a01

 

Update 17th, April - Fans and Power Switch

Update - 17th, April

I got a few packages in the past few days, containing some fans, a power switch, and a few other odds and ends. Nothing much major in this update, but they're things that need doing, and it's all I've got for now.

Right, on with the pictures, first I received and installed the 60mm fans in the rear.

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Then, a day or two later I received the 120mm fans for the front of the case, and created one of the two brackets for holding the fan

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Along with this, came the first casualty of the mod:

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Luckily I had a spare, so I was able to carry on. Finished shots of the one fan mounted in the newly made brackets

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Then it was on to the fan plug multiplier, and the mounting of the power switch

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A little filing was required to get the switch to fit. A little uneven, but it is hidden from view, so I can live with it. It will work.

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And then, the second casualty... I managed to break a fan... oops... looks like I will be ordering another 60mm fan....

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That is all for this update, stay tuned for more!
Until next time, thanks for taking a look!
-Mos

 

Maybe I was just being too picky, but I guess I was looking for a specific version of the model M keyboard... but maybe I'll go for the one you posted, it's cheap enough that even if the look isn't 100% what I was going for, it still fits the role well

 

Update 1st, May - Fan Brackets finished

Update - 1st, May
Work has been a little slow on this project lately, for that I apologize, but it isn't dead. I just don't have very much in the way of major work. I have mounted the second fan, and cut out excess aluminum on the fan brackets, drilled holes for attaching the motherboard tray to the frame, and made a bracket to hold a hard drive into the 5.25" bay, which will be scrapped for something else to hopefully hold 2 SSD's and a hard drive.

Enough talk, on with the pictures.
Cutting the excess out of the first set of fan brackets

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Drilling some holes in the second fan bracket assembly, and the second fan mounted, and both mounted

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And a little bit of what's to come...

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That is all for this update, stay tuned for more!
Until next time, thanks for taking a look!
-Mos

 

Update - 3rd, May - Monitor Mod

Update - 3rd, May
Last week I had bought and gotten a non-working IBM PC-AT (5151) monitor. I also got a Daewoo 12.1" LCD monitor, which I received on Monday. I gutted the Monitor of its parts and then I installed the LCD screen into the old monitor body.

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That is all for this update, hopefully I will have more work done shortly. I also got the parts I needed for the SSD and HDD installation, and hope to get that squared away. After that it's down to paint and final assembly!

Until next time, thanks for taking a look!
-Mos

 

Update

Update - 19th, May

A minor update I guess. I have more, but it goes with the next update. I have done some cable sleeving of fans, SATA cables, and the power switch/LED leads.

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I also purchased some black fan plugs that I swapped in for the brown/white ones in these pictures.

I ran into a bind for mounting the hard drive and my SSD's... the bottom 5.25" bay ended up being about 2/3's the height of a normal 5.25" bay so my plan didn't work. So now I will be figuring out a new place to mount the SSD's while mounting the hard drive in the smaller 5.25" bay somehow. Then it's time for finishing this thing!

Until next time, thanks for taking a look!
-Mos

 

Update - 16th, June - Done! (almost)

Update - 16th, June

It's done! (almost)

These are pictures from when I used some of my "spare" hardware to see how things fit. Cabling is a little tight, but I think I can make it work. I don't have a picture with the top cover on yet, but may update later tonight with some. The front lower optical drive is missing a screw on the front left rail, because that drive has stripped threads. With the actual drive it will be straight like the other one.

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Hoping to get this painted in the coming month or two, and then this will be 100% done!

Thanks for taking a look!
-Mos

 

Update - 16th, June - Done! (almost)

oops, double post

 

Looking very nice, I love it!

 

yea, really good, and nice to see someone else who likes desktop

 

Thanks! This was something I wanted to do for a while now. Currently what I have left is just paint and hardware install. Hoping to get it painted soon...

 

you should start to watercool it
with dual 240mm's and then cram stuff in until it blows like a ballons

 

I was actually throwing around the idea of a single 240 in the front where the two fans are now, but didn't like the lack of airflow to the rest of the components that way. That and it'd be my first water cooling adventure, and I don't know that I'd want to do it on 3 year old hardware lol