Briefcase PC - Monitor too deep, need to get creative

[Fauxhound]

So I've been working on a briefcase PC for the past few weeks, and have run into a more-or-less self inflicted problem.
I needed a screen for it (planning a complete PC in a briefcase, Screen, mouse, keyboard and all) and it worked on my CAD drawing, but the briefcase was a little smaller on the inside, and my motherboard higher than i measured.

Long story short, i have a 60mm deep monitor, that has to fit into a 50mm deep lid. Here's some pics of what I'm dealing with:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/383/img1770e.jpg (http://img527.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1770e.jpg)
That's a bit outdated, but it's what the insides look like (waiting on perspex for the bottom part)
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/5786/img1781y.jpg (http://img40.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1781y.jpg)
There's a side view, I picked the screen for it's width to fit, and does, but oh only just. The scratches are from the screw heads holding the hinges on. I thought about countersinking them, but neh, it fits as it is.
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/6757/img1780m.jpg (http://img33.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1780m.jpg)
Top view ontop of the case

Here's some CAD i did up last night to help me try to solve it.
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/8746/monitorside.jpg (http://img29.imageshack.us/my.php?image=monitorside.jpg)
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/6743/monitor3.jpg (http://img132.imageshack.us/my.php?image=monitor3.jpg)

So far, my best soloution is to cut out a rectangle from the lid to allow the monitor to sit flush with the lip of the lid, then use some aluminium box section to raise that rectangle so that it covers the back of the monitor. Ideally that'll give me a neat, silver edged box on the back of the lid that matches the theme of the briefcase-ish.
Any advice would be appreciated before I take an action that might make this a 1-way thing :p

[x88x]

Another thing you could try is moving the monitor's power and control circuitry to the bottom portion of the case. That would probably cut the depth needed to around 30mm (guessing).

[madd0ct0r]

have you tried removing the plastic casing?

If need be, remove the metal case underneath too and mount the circuits on a piece of plywood.
You might be able to save 10mm overall.
cooling may be an issue.

[Fauxhound]

I've been thinking about pulling the case off too, altough the main thing stopping me is that i'd be breaking a $170 monitor, to fit in a $50 briefcase:D

I'll have a fiddle with it today, see if i can get the casing off without causing irreperable damage.

[Fauxhound]

Went with Plan B, and swapped my old 22" for my girlfriend's 19", which is smaller and fits more easily in the lid. While it's the same depth, as you can see:
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/2195/image005h.jpg
The power box on the back is far smaller and more square, meaning i should have an easier time cutting the back out of the lid to fit it.
Only problem with it is, stand is fixed to the screen in a way that makes it impossible to remove and have any hope of ever getting it back on, so i'll take to it with a hacksaw and dremel.

I'm thinking I'll use some tinplate left over from my RC-Car-From-Hell project years ago to attach the section of lid I remove to the actual lid. I'll model that up in CAD once I manage to get this stand off.

[crazybillybob]

Take a look at the work log.
I did some thing similar to what your looking do here.

CrazyBillyBob's PackNPlay (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12174&page=5)


Hopefully it will give you some Ideas and show you some of the pitfalls.


Fits thing I can see, your going to have heat problems with your Vid card....toss a fan in there blowing air between the heat sink and mother board.

Good luck!

CBB

[Fauxhound]

Thanks CBB, had a look through yours, your PVC looks similar to how my perxpex should once it gets here (except it'll be clear)

Dunno if you can see from the angle of the pic, but there's a fan infront of the graphics card, taking air in from outside the back of the case, and blowing it straight onto the heatsink (which has it's own fan as well). I think i might need an exhaust fan somewhere though to get the hot air out though.
Original plans had there being about 8mm clearance between the top of the PSU and the perspex, so the PSU would be exhausting the air, but the breifcase was a bit smaller on the inside than i'd have liked, so that had to get ditched.

Now on to what I got done today;
Managed to hack the stand off the monitor, passing through 4 internal bolts on the way (they didn't want you getting it off for some reason)
Here's my idea for how to mount the monitor;
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/5056/monitormounting2.jpg
The top and bottom is held on with 'S' shaped pieces of tinplate, looking like this;
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/8415/sbracket.jpg
While the sides are just right angled pieces, covering the gap.
Here's a see-through shot, so you can see what it all looks like on the inside
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9360/monitormounting.jpg
All the bumps on the back of the monitor are for the remants of the stand, the power cable, and the DVI cable.

I also used an old PSU and power cable to hook up a plug on the back of the lid that connects to the screen.

I'm holding off cutting the hole for the monitor until I come to a decison about how I should mount it in a way that looks nice. I'm all for having something that covers the edges of my tin plate, since I doubt they'll be perfectly straight. So far I'm thinking of using my left over aluminium angle to cover it up.