after some thought and rearranging... i must be retarded at searching the forums, but can anyone point me to a site/post/blog/guide/anything about making cut edges of lexan smooth and clean like the edges on a new piece? i know i've seen it, i just can't find it now... i really want my project to look sweet and hope to start soon; it's been very discouraging looking at the worklogs on this site, especially the ones with all the INSANE tools available to them e.g. g69t... this guy's project makes me just want to kill myself and not ever touch anything ever again because it could never be that cool plodding on anyway...
One thing I have found is that if you attach a nut to a length of threaded rod and heat it up, you can melt a hole in plexi! Just make sure that the nut is right at the end of the rod and you don't hold it in your hands... Then you just have to glue the nut into the panel, using epoxy or something like that, then you can screw into it from the front...
First of all, i like the design, could look pretty impressive. You have had the same idea as me with isolation the psu optical drive and hard drives from the rest of the case in that fashion. On to the fixing problems you are having. I don't think gluing nuts and stuff into plexi like low_violet suggested is the best idea, won't be very strong and will proberly fall apart the first time you pick it up. If I understood correctly, you want the aluminium angle on the outside of the lexan/plexi. If tat's the case why not glue the plastics together at the corners to create a cube with no base or top then after joining the aluminium, use long threaded bolts straight through the lot from top to bottom in each corner to hold it together. Hope that made sense. What size fans are you showing in the sketchup model? they look too small to the 120's, and if they're not, why not use 120mm fans as they will be quieter. I say go for it, it's got potential, good luck.
the model has 80mms, that was the first thing i found looking for a "case fan" model... 3 120mm might be a bit much, but the bottom being smaller seems to want to have 80mm or 92mm maybe. i like the long-thread idea but what i've contemplated of late is making the bottom out of wood and just the motherboard area completely of plexi... the problem is what do i glue it with? i could make the entire thing out of 3 pieces if i bent one long one into a sort of hood but i KNOW i would not be able to bend the stuff right. guess i just have to find some appropriate cool-looking small screws to put the plexi together with...
to glue the plexi use a product called weld on cement number 3 or 4 the number 3 is a super fast setting glue while the number 4 is almost water like and sets slower but its great for making but joints as it can flow in to the joints you have butted together if you use a seringe (sic) hope this helps
why not use 2 120's, just my personal preference mayb. Sounds like a good idea to make the bottom half out of wood. If so, I'd recommend using mdf with a laminate on one side, easy to work with and looks good if u'r careful not to muck up the laminate as it's only about 1mm thick. For gluing the plastic, use what flacowboy suggested, make sure u use it in a ventilated place, preferably outside, and if i remember correctly it works by melting the 2 pieces of plastic together, therefore extremely strong joint. Only thing i have to say is, be careful not to get it all over the rest of plastic, it will make it look terrible. For the idea of bending the plastics, i think it's a good one. If you have access to one of those hot wire things (can't remember the name) it's really easy, I remember using it in school. If not then a heat gun and bending brake might work. Suppose it's up to u.
Do you have a router you could use to cut a channel in each of the uprights? I've been thinking of ways to join plexi so you can remove it easily yet have rigidity. Currently my thinking is : Make a slot/channel in the tops of each side from front to back. The top would have a step removed on each side (imagine making a square dovetail joint in woodworking). The way i see it is rather like a tongue and groove floorboard (or like the drawer bottoms of a flat pack desk) where you slide the top plexi cover into the slots in the sides and then clamp it in by replacing the back of the case. Not tested the idea as I'm kinda scared to try the idea on something as splintery as plexi
Germonicus: using 1/4" lexan i think that would be pretty impossible. certainly for me, i don't have precision tools like that. i'm already trying to do a lot with a little here, with a super crappy ryobi battery powered toolkit and a dremel. measure 5 times? more like measure 15 times and set up a LOT of saw guides =P dullonien: i did up the sketch to 120mm after i found the case parts library for sketchup thatwas posted here =) the laminate is a good idea... i've been hunting for that 1mm thick stuff too for a couple other projects, i have no clue where to get it though...
I like u'r revised cad drawing, looking very good. You figured out exactly what i meant with the bolts in the corners. Those 120mm fans will help with the sound alot, ease cable management slightly and improve airflow, all for less money i think. I'd advise SilentX fans btw. I think it would be easier for u to find somewhere that stocks mdf with a laminate of wood already attached, they are quite easy to find here in uk, so can't be to dissimilar in usa, it's pretty hard just to get the laminate by itself, u'r gonna have to go to a wood merchants that specialize in wood, not something like home depot. If you do find some, when working with it, or any wood for that matter, remember to score the cutting lines with a knife before cutting. This will mean the splinters of wood that get pulled from the surface don't wreck the final finish. Look out for the design of my wooden sff this week in modding, mayb even tonight! I'll see how things go, am currently attaching materials and rendering in viz.
Do not get lexan if you plan on bending/moulding it. Lexan is FAR stronger then acrylic and more scratch resistant, so use it for the bulk of the flat area + chassis. I tried to s hape lexan.. Softened at 200c and was far too hot to handle. and it cools down too fast and stiffens up. any hotter then 200c it is instantly ruined and bubles up
Here's a guide I wrote. You are going to need acces to atleast a tablesaw, scrollsaw, and drillpress to make that case. http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=90412 Since you have never made your own case before I recommend saving yourself some considerable effort by simply purchasing a removable motherboard tray instead of trying to make your own. http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210&products_id=3387 1. True 2. True 3. Not True. Acrylic is more abrasion resistance, but can be difficult to machine. Regardless GO WITH POLYCARBONATE. It's a lovely material to work with and won't crack, split, or chip. In many ways it behaves similarly to hardwoods when being machined. You don't really have to do anything special with your tool setup to cut polycarbonate aside from using a plastic-specific blade with your tablesaw. You can adhere polycarbonate, acrylic, poleyster, and polybutyrate to themselves and eachother using IPS Weld-On #3 or #4 plastic solvent adhesives. It will give you a perfectly clear joint is applied properly using a 3cc syringe.
slug, i have built my own cases more than once actually but, this was when i lived on the east coast when i had access to my dad's entire wood shop. i don't have that now. and my previous projects were stuff i did when i was bored, not really anything special. so basically by your post i might as well give up while i'm starting. glad i didn't buy anything yet. while i do not have a tablesaw or drill press i'm confident enough in my intermediate woodworking skills to get that part done. given my limited tools it will take a lot of patience and time; it will probably take me a good half day to finish the bottom whereas with a tablesaw etc i could get it done in 15 minutes. i don't plan on letting that stop me. the plastics portion is where **** will just go wrong so i'm not starting that yet. also i already have two old motherboard trays, one still in a case and one cut out already. dremels are fun.
I'm not sure you have to entirely give up. While a scrollsaw and a drill press are great things, I think that case could be made with just a hand drill and jigsaw. I've managed the following cases with nothing but those 2: #1 #2 Working on the lid for #2. Box is held together with corner cubes and tabs, as I wish to retain interchangeability. But gluing straight corners is pretty easy. As you can see, the bench project has just a plain sheet of acrylic for the motherboard tray. As long as you stick to simple box type shapes, it isn't that hard, then again I've been tinkering with plastics for a little while. navig
Getting straight line cuts good enough to solvent weld together may be difficult using a jigsaw but it could be possible. If you can accomplish straight line cuts with wood then you shouldn't have any problems doing it to plastic provided you use the right blade for the job.
Wolverine made the nicest plexi/lexan case (i love full towers) a long time ago, UV demon i think, my guess is it'll give you pointers, at least boost you up to do yours http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=46844 Is it me or the pics arent there anymore!! bring'em baaaack!!!!
Well done, here's a sweety! edit. Sorry, but that comment isn't helping anyone, especially khendjara'aro. If it's well planned 3 120mm fans should be enough. Please try and be constructive with your comments next time!
