Reinforcing a Terrible Case

[mnms238]

Hello, everyone. I'd like to ask you all for advice on how I may go about strengthening a case I own. You see, once upon a time, I was young and dumb. I am now slightly older and dumb, but that is another issue entirely. Anyways, being young and dumb, I managed to snag a Powmax case (this one (http://www.powmax.com/Index.htm), though mine is blue), thinking it was really neat looking. Never did I stop to consider that such a case, unique as it may appear, could be total and utter crap. Ever since I first started working with this case, I have been battling Powmax's terrible, terrible quality.


Now, I am at an impass. All the screws that hold the case together, in addition to being extremely prone to having their screwdriver notches gouged out, are tearing right through the acrylic. They are all directly implanted in the case, and each time I tighten or loosen them, they strip further, and become more difficult to use. I've already had to resort to never replacing the cover, because I have to use a wrench to break the screws that hold it on free.

My question, then, is if there is some accepted way to handle such a scenario. I would really like to embed some sort of metal nut at each screw hole, so that the acrylic wouldn't need to be threaded, and thus be prone to stripping out. Also, any general ideas on reinforcing this case? It's just sort of crappy, and I'd like to make it less so.

[Airbozo]

I know they make these brass ferruls (not sure if that is the right word), that will slide into the pre-drilled holes and they have a good thread on them. You will have to drill the hole out a little bigger to get the right ones to fit, then use some epoxy to hold them in.

[DaveW]

You could just use nuts and bolts? If you want to see how i increased the strength of my case, look at the Int. Stage 1's later pages. The link is in my sig.

Good luck! I know what it's like, working with cheap metal.

-Dave

[mnms238]

Thank you, guys, that's exactly what I need! As soon as I get the money together, I'm going to go buy some supplies and get to work. Hopefully this will bring this case one step closer to being not crap.

[b4i7]

mike?

[Brydagr8]

I recomend just buying a new case. You can get a fantastic one for only 50 or 60 bucks. I own a Cooler Master Ammo 533 Case. I got mine at Newegg. Its the best 50 bucks I ever spent on my rig! (http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/Products.aspx?pid=1169)

[b4i7]

if this is who i think it is...hes already got a new case......a p150 from antec...hes just wantin to fix this one up a bit

[Brydagr8]

Oh, ok. I thought he was using that horrible case for his main rig. I won a crappy case like that in a raffle at a LAN party once. It was just terrible. I cant imangine how anybody could use a case like that.

[b4i7]

Oh, ok. I thought he was using that horrible case for his main rig. I won a crappy case like that in a raffle at a LAN party once. It was just terrible. I cant imangine how anybody could use a case like that.

i can... practice modding...learning :)

[Cool1Net6]

Sadly I purchased a cheap case for my main rig, hoping that I could mod it to be better. I was wrong...

Good thing is it hasnt fallen apart yet, although I havent been real rough with it.

-Cool-

[b4i7]

heh...i think weve all bought a cheap case at one point

[Brydagr8]

definitely

[.Maleficus.]

heh...i think weve all bought a cheap case at one point

Heh, try 2. I got both of mine from TigerDirect, one FREE with a rebate, and the other $10 and a free Ultra 350W PSU (my test PSU now) with a rebate. Neither have turned out to be cheap quality wise, but man were they steals.

[mnms238]

@ b4i7 - Yes, it's who you think it is. Shouldn't you be busy with Bridget right about nao?

@ Everyone Else - It isn't my main rig. Bait's right, I've got an Antec P150 (which I lurve) housing my main rig. The case in question houses a golden oldie (P4 2.0GHz) which has been very good to me for the past five years. It deserves a better home! On that note, I'm chatting with b4i7 right now about what I'll need to pick up for all of this, and I can safely say that I'm on the right path to getting this thing ficst up. The only problem right now is that he's spewing some utter garbage about how I'm supposed to go to Lowe's, of all places! He should know better, really.