Project: iMac Mini

[Technochicken]

As some of you may know from my posts, I have a stash of semi-working macs, courtesy of my schools' recycling pile. This mod is going to put to use parts from three different mac computers:

1. Macbook that had coffee spilled on it
2. Macbook with smashed screen
3. iMac with fried motherboard- just displays grey, fans make horrible noises


I am going to use the screen from the fried laptop, the motherboard from the smashed one, and the frame and stand from the iMac to create a super thin mini iMac. You might ask why I would not just put the working screen on the laptop with the working motherboard to get a fully functional macbook. Here's why:

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/8693/p4080834.jpg

See those 10 little grey rectangles in two rows? That is where the keyboard header used to be.
Since the power button is normally on the keyboard, I soldered two wires to the power solder points on the motherboard:

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/9422/p4230849.jpg

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/672/p4230855.jpg

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/8150/p4230856.jpg

Macbook (with some bits remove...). Plus an awesome ammo case:

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8139/p4080830.jpg

2.4 GHz C2D:

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/4528/p4080837.jpg

I've stripped the screen down a bit:

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/4550/p4230859.jpg

Here's the iMac's frame and base I will be using:

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/3571/p4230860.jpg

http://img860.imageshack.us/img860/1657/p4230861.jpg

That's all for now. There probably won't be any real updates within the next three weeks or so, because finals/AP's are approaching. Thanks for looking!

[Kayin]

Where do you get all of these Macs? I have to ask, I'm looking for a G5's innards if you can find them...

Also, this is excellent. Can't wait to see what you're doing.

[Technochicken]

My high school runs almost completely on macs- every teacher has a macbook, and we have a ton of desktops and laptops for student use. Whenever one breaks and is out of warranty, it is just put in an electronics recycling pile. Most of the stuff is worthless, e.g. ibook g3's, or too broken to be worth salvaging, but sometimes there are intel imacs/macbooks with some working parts.

As for the G5's innards, I doubt I'll be able to get any more of those, since I'm pretty sure the G5 I recently modded was the last one in the school. I do have a broken G5 motherboard, dead PSU (without the top half of the casing), and two working 1.8 GHz G5 CPU's left over if those bits are of any use to you.

[Kayin]

How is it broken, but the CPUs are certainly of use.

If you can let me know about the board and such, but yeah, actually that's EXACTLY what I'm after. Unless you have a good working dual G4 setup...

I have a really fun idea. A REALLY fun idea.

[AmEv]

iBook G3 clamshells, IMO, are some of the sleekest lappies.


I wonder, if we got a Pico to fit in one, with a new screen, how well would it be?

[Technochicken]

Well, the PSU is what died originally, so I know for a fact that it is completely dead. Some bits of an exploded MOSFET fell out when I opened it. The motherboard I have not been able to test, but I did desolder a fan header from it. It may still work, but I have no way of knowing. The CPU's have not been tested either, but CPU's tend to survive things like PSU failures.

Funny you mention the G4, I actually did have one, although it was a 1.25 GHz single with 1.75 GB ram, but I sold it on craigslist a few months ago.

@AmEv- no clamshells, just the plain white ones. Some G4's as well.

[AmEv]

Awww :(


Excited to see how this turns out, though........

[Kayin]

I can get a PSU. Those board survive armageddon, though. Let me know if here's anything you're looking for ATM...

[Technochicken]

"looking for" as in for trade? The only thing I could use right now is a faster AM3 CPU, if you happen to have any of those lying around.

[Kayin]

None of those at the moment, though Luthien will upgrade to BD when it hits. What would you want for the stuff? Just the board and CPUs, the PSU I can get later.

[diluzio91]

i'll also put in for an old laptop (age dosnt matter, heck, even a G3 would work) or 2 if possible, i have an idea for a kitchen PC mod for my mom, and if your school is just gonna toss them... Pm me and maybe we can work something out.

[AmEv]

My friends would be impressed with a Mac lappy.
Coming from a Dell-infested school.


Maybe a g4......
Broke right now. Don't want to dump shipping on you.

[diluzio91]

lol. just thought i would put it out there, im not really looking till i get well into my summer project... which will be showing up on here after the 13th of may some time. just thought i would ask.

[Technochicken]

Update time!

I would have started working about a week ago, but it has been difficult do work, since an orthopedist had to mod my ankle:

http://imageshack.us/m/23/1529/p5060902.jpg

Anyways...

I extended the wires for the LDC's inverter, so that they would reach once the screen was in position:

http://imageshack.us/m/820/8403/p5170912.jpg

Then I took off the plastic back of the screen, and market the outline of the LCD on it. I did rough cutting with a rotary tool, and then filed the edges for the last few mm:

http://imageshack.us/m/836/527/p5180916.jpg

I drilled then filed holes for the webcam, cam led, and mic:

http://imageshack.us/m/109/9340/p5180917.jpg

Size compared to a 17" imac:

http://imageshack.us/m/638/4731/p5180918.jpg

Then I disassembled the screen, and flipped it around in the brackets that held it to the plastic:

http://imageshack.us/m/593/1396/p5180919.jpg

And then screwed it back in place:

http://imageshack.us/m/52/7425/p5180920.jpg

http://imageshack.us/m/708/4008/p5180921.jpg

Then I reattached it to the laptop body, so you can see what it will look like:

http://imageshack.us/m/153/3313/p5180924.jpg

http://imageshack.us/m/857/1763/p5180925.jpg

http://imageshack.us/m/804/9748/p5180926.jpg

http://imageshack.us/m/153/6735/p5180927.jpg

http://imageshack.us/m/21/523/p5180928.jpg

Here's it by the stand:

http://imageshack.us/m/840/4937/p5180933.jpg

http://imageshack.us/m/839/3060/p5180936.jpg


That's all for now. I will be getting some aluminum sheet to mount it to the stand, and then all I need are a new HDD and OD.

[AmEv]

Apple fanboys, prepare to drool.

Modders, grab a mop and a siphon.

[Technochicken]

I've done some work on the stand. I gave up on finding some aluminum scraps for cheap, so I just used some steel scrap I have left over from the side panel of an old case.

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/237/p5270985.jpg

I filed down the stoppers on the friction hinge, so that it can lie flat with the steel:

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4345/p5270986.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/8264/p5270989.jpg

To mount the hinge to the steel, I decided to try soldering it. I have never done any large-scale soldering with a torch, so the results were not exactly pretty. It cleaned up pretty nicely though.

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/5230/p5270990.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/5577/p5270992.jpg

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/4404/p5270993.jpg

http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/1087/p5270994.jpg

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/1051/p5270995.jpg

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/873/p5270996.jpg

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/1302/p5270997.jpg

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/8182/p5270998.jpg

Screwed to the base:

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/18/p5270999.jpg

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/4965/p5271000.jpg

http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/5093/p5271003.jpg

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2720/p5271004.jpg

I am going to make some sort of fixture to conceal the hinge and the top of the base, but I have not decided exactly how that will work. Also, I will be painting the steel, probably white.

I'm finally off for summer, so hopefully I'll be able to update this more frequently. Thanks for looking!

[Technochicken]

I made four metal brackets to hold the screen to the back half of the laptop. To access the components, now you have to remove the LCD, since the stand will cover the access hole in the back of the laptop.

Brackets:

http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/5681/p5311087.jpg

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/5788/p5311086.jpg

I also cut and filed holes for the AC adapter and the power button. I am reusing a power button from a white iMac:

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/3019/p5271011.jpg

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/7339/p5281014.jpg

I sanded down all the steel on both sides of the stand, and glued in the power button. I made a bracket to hold the button out of a scrap of aluminum.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/7246/p5281017.jpg

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/4384/p5281021.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4931/p5281022.jpg

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/6956/p5281024.jpg

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/368/p5281027.jpg


Then I sanded down the plastic back of the macbook, and epoxied it to the steel plate. This is basically what the final product will look like, minus some touch up work:

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/1682/p5311056.jpg

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/1420/p5311073.jpg

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5107/p5311075.jpg

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/882/p5311076.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/8109/p5311080.jpg

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/9917/p5311085.jpg

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/7824/p5311083.jpg

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/8025/p5311082.jpg

http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/9224/p5311081.jpg


I'm waiting for some heat-shrink to get here, so I can wire up the AC adapter port. Also, I may keep the back steel, but brush it all in one direction and clear coat it. Then I just need to pick up a 2.5" HDD, and it will be up and running.

Thank's for looking!

Also, +Rep to the first person who can spot my new toy in one of these pictures! :D

[SXRguyinMA]

you picked up a Dremel kit :D

[Technochicken]

Nope, I've had that for a few years. I did get a new Dremel two days ago though, since my 400xpr burned out during my G5 mod.

[AmEv]

Bench voltage thingy?

[Technochicken]

Nope. I doubt anyone will get it, so here it is:

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/7234/comparisonq.jpg

[Fuganater]

lol so one of the blurry things in the background.

[AmEv]

Would NEVER have guessed that.



Next step, MacBook Air.

[Technochicken]

After transplanting the HDD from another one of my computers into it, I've discovered that the computer's USB ports may be broken, rendering the computer useless. USB devices seem to get power, but the computer does not respond to mice or keyboards, and the ports won't charge my ipod.

So, this project is on hold/dead, depending on whether I can fix the problem or not.