Need some opinions :)

[dgrmkrp]

After seeing how easily aluminum can be cut and bent, i got a lil daring and while waiting 7 hours for my train to arrive, i sketched this on a paper.. after a well deserved nap of.. ooh.. 12 hours, i turned to CAD :) this is what i pondered.. some things still missing.. like the side panels and mobo "tray":
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/59c7990a.jpg
screen capture of what i have up to now..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/a1c1cab1-1.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/10ad0e32.jpg
..this will be the lower part of the inside.. it's like a shroud for the heater core i have, adds some strength and possibly aids with hiding wires.. i envision some cuts to make it lighter, but maybe later.. it also hides most of the psu and offers room for etches, paint jobs and more refining..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/a1c1cab1.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/a1c1cab1-2.jpg
..this is the upper part, which is the 7x5,25" compartment and adds strenght to the top part of the case.. this is again just a primitive, without holes and spaces.. and i think a fold or two might add more strength too.. still refining..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/7df0a7f7.jpg
the 4xhdd cage.. which is almost done.. just needs some holes and rivetting work..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/30e2547d-2.jpg
..front panel.. space for 6 drive bays and a "window" for the reservoir.. because the radiator is 190x160mm, i can't use 120mm fans.. so a 4x4 matrix of 80mm fans will have to do.. i'm thinking of using either 8 blue led fans or 8 x 220V "leaf-blowers" ;) i've got room...

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/30e2547d-1.jpg
..back panel.. psu is down, mobo is reversed, and i have some spare space with no idea what to do there..

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/30e2547d.jpg
top panel.. i was thinking that once i manage to get an international credit card and order on-line/find a 2x120 rad here, i will like this feature.. also, there is a hole for a fill-port...

putting things together, i get this:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/59c7990a-1.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/59c7990a-2.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/497bb42f.jpg

all pieces are made from bent aluminum sheets, riveted together or bolted, as needed.. so for now, i'm thinking of how to lay down the parts on a sheet of aluminum and waste as less as possible..

My questions to you:
1. what else do I need/forgot?
2. what do you think about the strength? it's gonna be 1.75mm aluminum...
3. can't decide on the mobo tray design.. i have 2 spare ones and may canibalize them, but i want something ..special..
4. i hate the 4x80mm fan idea, anyone care to help? can i find like >15cm fans? or maybe use a cover...?!
5. how and what should i use for side panels? i wanted something that could go around the case.. and seem seamless ;) maybe add some height to the bottom and a handle to the top.. in one shot.. anything else will do.. just needs to be practical, good-looking and go with the rest.. or not...

[Cannibal23]

looks like a pretty good design. i dont know how sturddy aluminum is going to be on that back panel. you may want to concider makeing a some 90 degree bends allong the edges of it to keep it from wanting to flex and be wobbley in the middle part where its not connected to anything. other then that its looking pretty good. for the mobo try did you concider makeing it slide out the back for easy mainintance?. i have seen a few systems with a rail and groove system in the top and lower parts of the case that allow the board and cards to slide out the back as one unit for quick replacement or maintanance.

[dgrmkrp]

removable mobo tray? ..it would be interesting and add strength :) still, it is fairly complex to mate the mobo with the pci's and i/o... gonna have to study this.. virtually and physically... 10ks..

[Cannibal23]

on the ones that i have seen that were removable the backplate area with the I/O card slots acctually slid out with the mobo tray as one peice. all you

so imagine a rectangle for the back plate of your case and then another rectangle area inside that one that screws into place. when its been unscrewed the rectangle slides out with the IO cards in place and still screwed into place. i will show you a pic when i get home

[dgrmkrp]

no no.. wait.. i know how a removable tray works.. but if i rebuild one from scratch.. there is that "rim" on which the pci cards bolt to.. that's the one i'm having problems imagining and building.. i have 2 more pics, with the drawer style mobo:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/84d2bb5a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/dgrmkrp/misc/adb0d19a.jpg

..problem is between the mobo and pci holes :)

[Chel]

Instead of all those 80mm get like 1 120mm or maybe 3 92mm fans in a triangle arrangment (if theres enough room for that).

[Airbozo]

Just modify the slide in tray so that the bend over the pci attachment area is useable.

EX:

http://www.hardwarezone.com/img/data/articles/2002/538/removable_mobo_tray_install.jpg

http://www.virtual-hideout.net/images/hx08_mbtray.jpg

http://www.addtronics.com/gif/SlideOutMotherboard.jpg

http://www.techangel.co.uk/reviews/atcs220/tray_slide.jpg

[MitaPi]

HEY! That is a pretty cool design! Nothing like boredom to spike up some inspiration eh!?

That mobo tray idea is SWEET! But when you slide it out... wouldnt you have to disconnect all the wires that are hooked up to the mobo first?

[DaveW]

Still get blown away by the quality of your design work, man.

The case looks cool, but i'm wondering about the Aesthetic side to it all? It looks professional and well designed, but what about panels and such?

It looks good, but something's missing. It could be cool with a clever paintjob...but...i guess it's all in your head at the end of the day, when you have ideas like these, and trying to explain them is nothing compared to just building it and showing people.

-Dave

[dgrmkrp]

chel, airbozo, mitap, davew.. 10ks all of you.. i'll get some work time soon.. on everything..

thanks for the too airbozo:) quite useful.. i'm gonna sleep on it..

chel, yea, i don't like em.. but i cant put 1 120 fan in there as it will be < than 4x80mm flow-wise.. 3x92 are going very lil overboard, but i'll try it tho :)

davew.. 10ks man :) i know something's missing ;) i need an idea for that too.. i can't seem to be able to go beyond function for a while.. maybe after my exams pass.. i'll either go happy and make it a beer themed case ;) or go dark/gothic on it ;)..

mitapi: depends.. a removable mobo is designed to aid in installing and "management".. i can live with disconnecting wiring.. but, of course, any idea to avoid this?... ;) throw it this way..

about an aesthetic idea.. how about wrapping everything in alu mesh ? all black or silver? i sincerelly don't know :( how my artistic side will wake up..

[Cannibal23]

yep that mobo tray is exactly what im talking about. so now onto the acctual panels. how handy are you with a drimel? i have some ideas in my head but i dont know if you (or even i for that fact) would be able to pull them off.

[dgrmkrp]

post 'em , cannibal23 :) i'll check on them :) i'm going to dremel all this case if it ever sees material form :) dremel, drill, rivot gun.. maybe some pliers for bending.. and a trusty hammer or two :) i'm using custom-made cutting discs so i get the cheap way out :) modding my tools is the only way for now as i can't find a better/cheaper way right now..
note to myself: redo hdd cage for strength, add some more bends as guides to the mobo drawer area, research alternative fans for water-cooling area, modify the i/o plate zone so as the pci+i/o are more inside :) that's my homework for tomorrow night :)

[Cannibal23]

seeing as this is going to be an aluminum case i dont know if you were wanting to keep it unpainted or not but here we go. pick a color scheme. then head on down to your local tattoo shop. talk with them a little bit about what your trying to do. take a look at some tattoo flash. probably could get some killer designs from there but your probably going to have to be real handy with that drimel to make it come out right. maybe some tribal stuff might look good. really depends on what kind of look your trying to have for this case. do you have a theme yet? maybe some flames cut from your side panels? and lit up on the inside? maybe depending on the lines of your case some kind of smooth lined star trek kind of look.

[dgrmkrp]

seeing as this is going to be an aluminum case i dont know if you were wanting to keep it unpainted or not but here we go. pick a color scheme. then head on down to your local tattoo shop. talk with them a little bit about what your trying to do. take a look at some tattoo flash. probably could get some killer designs from there but your probably going to have to be real handy with that drimel to make it come out right. maybe some tribal stuff might look good. really depends on what kind of look your trying to have for this case. do you have a theme yet? maybe some flames cut from your side panels? and lit up on the inside? maybe depending on the lines of your case some kind of smooth lined star trek kind of look.

interesting ideas... you're gonna laugh, but there are no tatoo shops around :) on another note, i used to "tatoo" (washabel tho) people and made some bucks out of it :) few years back that is.. and i studied art for a while :) but i'm not sure how this will fit in the design.. maybe some flames (non-traditional.. real like flames :D )?

an idea i had on my own is a black high quality leather covering for the outside :D.. eh? i'm gonna test this on the mouse.. i got my hands on a nice piece :)

also, i'm leaving for a few days and i'll be back on sunday hopefully :)

[EPYK]

dont put side panels just shield the mobo... that might keeping this look so nice, and wont be to hard to keep it that way