Well to start off with I chose the name Breazy as it was the first thing that popped into my head when I thought of this case and its not really a HTPC it will sit under the TV but it's main role will be to Surf the web, play music, videos over the network and stored on the HDD and other things like this its not going to do the hard core HTPC tasks like rip shows using dual tuners. I want a PC just to surf and do all sorts basicly as the TV has built in Freeview so don't need that and anything i want to watch again i tend to buy on DVD. If you've skipped the above then here are the images to start off the project . Right here is the plan i drew in SolidEdge its a flat plan as i've not mastered any 3D drawing I'm working on it but its a slow process as i've now moved onto SolidWorks which is a little different from Edge. Well from that I then transfered it to our CNC machine which looks a little like this and is what I like playing with the most, its nothing like what others use like Darkblade but hell its quick, its cheap to run and does what we want. CNC Delta Shape [20stations] Well after a 625x650 piece of 3mm alluminum and 2m20s this came out . Had to take a file to some of the edges and ran it through are Grindmaster to take the burr off the non-punch side which leaves the *brushed* affect that everyone loves. Hopefully Tomorrow I'll get enough time to... Fold it up into a box. Weld up the corners. Sand off the outside welds so that its clean. Test fit an old mATX mobo and PSU and then go from there I've not got a completed parts list yet but this is what im planning on putting in it s939 mATX mobo 3000/3800x2 CPU 1GB Ram 300+GB HDD 350w Silent PSU and maybe some ligts. Extras will be Watercooling [suprise to come ] Bulgin eluminated switch for the center on the front. Thats all I've got so far updates will come Questions and comments are welcome. Morgan. [Edit] sorry about the pictures the camera on my Nokia n93 isn't bad but nto great.
Hey, that looks really sweet, But, are you going to use any of the pci slots? I noticed that you didnt cut them out. Are you just going to use the PSU for airflow?
No pci cards well there will be an Wifi card but thats going to be mounted in everse as it only needs an aerial cable. There wont be any air flow only what naturally comes into the case from the side vents will see how this goes and then possibly add 1 fan to move some air around, the PSU has no fans in it its a fanless PSU will see when it arrives. The machine will be passivly watercooled more about this later . Morgan.
- update - so far have folded it into a box, welded the corners [by our welder he's a legend], sanded the corners and finished them off, fitted the fixtures for the motherboard and the HDD cage. Next is to do a test fit and then to move onto the Lid and getting brackets done Will upload pictures when im home from work. Morgan.
sounds sweet. This seems like a very efficient way of making a case and is coming out nicely so far. Good job and keep it up,
- Update - Well got all the pictures uploaded so Its time to show the progress, got alot done today would of done more but left the motherboard at home lol. Constructions Folded up the side of the case to make up the box and then got our Expert welder to run a weld down each of the seems to close up the corners and stiffen up the box. Then used a sander to remove the bulk of the weld and the rest of was done with a file and an orbital sandy, this i didn't photo as its quite dusty and my phone eats up the dust plus i forgot and was cleaning up the box while doing other jobs lol. Pictures Starts off like this Then ends up like this But with corners like this, which get welded and cleaned up. The cleaned up corners end up looking like this. Sorry about the pics, anyway its come out good so far, coming together as you can see, i did clean up some of the edges with a deburing knife and file but after it went through the grindmaster there wasnt too many sharpe edges. .........
next up was to fit all the fixtures for the front HDD cage and the motherboard, off to the assembly area now . back of the box you can see where the studs will go for the motherboard, am using some BSO-M3x8 Alt standoffs if that means anything to you it does to me anyhoo. Well bellow is all the studs fitted to the bottom of the case i will get some pics of the machine when im back at work. Basicly though the top part of that tool is flat and the bototm has a hole you put the stud in the plat then put the stud in the hole and it squashes it in, i'll grab some better pics when I can if anyone wants to know. Anyway on with the case.. next up was the 4 4mm studs int he front for the Cases these are just m4x10s they should do the job nicely . As you can see from the front view they do blend in quite well when its painted you wont be able to see them. Now i got all that done i test fitted the PSU which arrived after lunch but too my suprise it was a bit different then i thought. I thought that the heatsink poked out the back but it didn't it poked out the front so a bit of modification was in need, also i punched the mounting holes in the wronge place which didn't help matters either. Thats as far as it can go, as its a square heatsink going through the round hole lol. Well after a while with the rotary files and some sanding, filing and more sanding I got it to fit nicely and could then move onto redrilling the holes. ....
Now to redrill the holes, bit of measuring and a centerpunch does the trick and kazam its done . Does look good in the box i must admit All done with these tools nice candy shot of what I used rotary sanding drums are great . I also took some pics of the PSU as it looks so damn good This would be a Coolercases Specal PSU Well thats it so far might post some of the watercooling bits i've got on order and have at the moment . Morgan.
thats frikkin awesome morg... that passive psu really does look rather sick, and the CNC punch looks awesome, one hit and its done xD also like the fact its welded alu.... rather sick
4-01-2006? Stop living in the past! Looking very nice at the moment! The PSU slot looks a bit small to me, but meh.
This is great. Very good idea and good skills. And some great tools and machines. I wouldn't mind having some of those around...
update Today i got a bit more done, test fitted the motherboard which fitted pretty much like a glove . Which then pretty much gets another task out the way which i thought might not of worked but all the measuring payed off bit more planning went into that then the PSU mount. Next up was to make the lid or the top of the case, simple enough program had didn't take too long again out of 3mm alluminum, its pretty simple square same size as the top of the case with 4 tabs on it. The tabs get folded down, the holes are then countersunk and i'll mark on the case where they line up and drill some holes as i didn't put this feature in my drawing [long story]. Im going to use some 6mm Stainless steel screws and some m6 avdal in the case then i can screw the lid to the case will look good and will be nice and secure . More pictures will be updated on monday as i need to add the folds and countersinking etc... plus the watercooling suprise . Next up took some more pictures of the fitting machine and of it in action. Well that shows it in a bit better light and also how it works, its a very neat way of doing things, some of the jobs we make have quite a few fittings in you can do it by hand with some squeezers but this thing puts them in pretty quickly and with little effort can do upto a 40mm fixture as thats the longest tool that we have for it. Monday updates Test fit other componants, watercooling, HDD PSU mobo. Make the brackets for the HDD and Res. Fit some M6 Avdels into the case for the lid. Fibre wheel all the edges on the case and lid to get them smooth and burr free. Drill some holes for the Pump and open up the holes on the back too accept the correct size holes and possibly add some grommits. Its nearly done, will finish everything off and get it off to the painters for some nice Powder coating or depending on what they have I'll pick the colour next week. Morgan.
