Project: The Desktopper

[Quakken]

This is going to be my first modding project ever. I'm jumping in head first, you could say.

I am going to make a full computer case from scratch. The main idea is to have a case that is pretty much all in one, with a monitor attached. It's designed to be pretty portable as well as fun to look and work at.

i will be taking components from my current computer and putting them directly into the new case.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i233/quakyr/ScreenShot006.jpg
This is the front view, of course. By the way, i'm too cheap to spend $20 on registering my screenshotter program, so they have the "unregistered version" over laying things. Sorry for the annoyance.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i233/quakyr/ScreenShot002.jpg
The cd drives are located conveniently under the monitor. I'll be using 1/4 clear plexi for the outer shell.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i233/quakyr/ScreenShot003.jpg
The power supply wires will hit the hard drives and CD drives easily and snake around the backside of the mobo for the mobo power and video card power also. I actually think it will be able to hold 3 hard drives, not four like it says. but whatever.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i233/quakyr/ScreenShot004-1.jpg

the Mobo tray will share the same mount as the monitor. If you look close, you can see it. The mount will be welded to the top of the CD drive cases and
have legs down to the steel base.

For mobility, i'm thinking of a 5-point strap thing. Two will go down around the monitor mount on the front then go around the bottom, converge into one, then come up around the back connecting to the handle. Two more straps will
go around the sides. There will either be backpack straps or a handle to carry it around on the top.

On the back, i am probably going to attach a power strip so i can plug the monitor, computer, and someday my wireless keyboard and mouse chargers all iinto a centralized location and just have one cord coming out of the entire setup.

So now, i need to order the plexi and find some sheetmetal, as well get some more fans and a power button as well as other doodads to make this case complete. this is going to be quite an undertaking!

[Bucko]

Looks interesting. Make sure you get plenty of pictures as you build it.


This is the front view, of course. By the way, i'm too cheap to spend $20 on registering my screenshotter program, so they have the "unregistered version" over laying things. Sorry for the annoyance.



Who would pay $20 for a screenshot program? I use the free one that comes with windows.
Hit the PrtScn key on the keyboard and then past into MS Paint.

[Quakken]

Yeah, I'll take many pictures. I can't get "printscreen" button to work, but whatever.

I'll try as soon as possible to go to lowe's or Home depot to see what kind of metal they have there, as well as if they have any plexi solvent glue, and if they don't i'll get some acetone and make some of the acetone-plexi glue stuff.

And... anyone know how to permanently bond steel without welding? i don't really want to have to resort mechanical fasteners, but if i do i will.

thanks for the support.

[Quakken]

a pretty terrible model i made for pure being-able-to-see-it-outside-of-the-virtual-worldness.(don't worry, i'm building off of the sketchup, not the model)

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i233/quakyr/P7050883.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i233/quakyr/P7050881.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i233/quakyr/P7050880.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i233/quakyr/P7050884.jpg

gives you a bit better of an idea of what it might look like.

[Spacehonkey]

I was just looking at your Desktop mod and it looks cool. I noticed on your SketchUp models you used some other program to paste your text on it. I thought I would give you a little tip. SketchUp has the same feature for 3D models. Here's an example on one of my models.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/PelvicBaseside.jpg
(http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6802)
When you're in SketchUp click on the Tools button in the top menu then look about 3/4 the way down on the window and you should see the TEXT button, click on it then just click model you want to make a label for. Type whatever you want in the text box. You'll be able to see the new label from any angle. So just remember to hide it when you don't want to see it.

[scar~face]

hah! that looks sweet

the first thing that came to my mind was the brightly coloured Imac, ya know? the ones with the sceen and everything built in?

lookin forward to seein this thing done

[Quakken]

okay, thanks for the text help, man. I'm still learnin.



imac?


yeah, it's a bit like an imac, really. Like the ones from the nineties.

"Form of an imac, the not-suck-at-gaming of a pc."

still gotta buy the supplies though... i will be going to home depot or lowes asap.

and if they have bad prices i'm off to to internet. so excited!

[Quakken]

Got some plexi from home depot.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i233/quakyr/P7060888.jpg
first plexi ever.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i233/quakyr/P7060891.jpg
first plexi cuts/drills ever.

[SgtM]

Yeah, I'll take many pictures. I can't get "printscreen" button to work, but whatever.

I'll try as soon as possible to go to lowe's or Home depot to see what kind of metal they have there, as well as if they have any plexi solvent glue, and if they don't i'll get some acetone and make some of the acetone-plexi glue stuff.

And... anyone know how to permanently bond steel without welding? i don't really want to have to resort mechanical fasteners, but if i do i will.

thanks for the support.

Looks like a cool project. BTW, there is a feature in sketchup that allows you to export to jpg.. then you don't have to worry about taking screenshots. Go to file, then export.. You'll see the options there. Hope you read this so you can save $20 on your screenshot program.

[Drum Thumper]

This reminds me of TGS's Dumb Terminal.

Looking good so far, should be a killer machine once it's all done.

[simon275]

Please make your pictures smaller so the page looks neat and to be kind to our 56ker's thanks.

Nice mod good work on making a paper model most people don't bother but it is a good idea.

+rep

[Quakken]

Looks like a cool project. BTW, there is a feature in sketchup that allows you to export to jpg.. then you don't have to worry about taking screenshots. Go to file, then export.. You'll see the options there. Hope you read this so you can save $20 on your screenshot program.

okay, thanks for the sketchup tips everyone. I'm in the process of trying to get either sheet metal or some 1/2 inch plexiglass for the base. Either way, if i buy it in small quantities from the internet or home depot, i'm going to get ripped off sadly. I'll keep looking though.

[Mach]

And... anyone know how to permanently bond steel without welding? i don't really want to have to resort mechanical fasteners, but if i do i will.

I've been playing with solder-it to solder copper and brass which it works very well for. The website says it works for steel too but YMMV.

You can buy it at Lowes for sure and Home Depot should carry it too. I found it in the plumbing section next to the solder.

Make sure you use it outside or where there's alot of ventilation. The fumes are nasty. Also the same rules apply as regular solder, make sure both pieces are mechanically clean of paint or adhesive meaning clean it with sandpaper or steelwool. Then make sure its chemically clean of oil or grease which means use a thinner or alcohol to clean it before soldering. Good luck!

http://www.solder-it.com/solderpaste.asp

[Quakken]

okay, thanks i'll look into that.

------------------------------------------

Today I remembered an old steel case my family had in the basement.

I don't have a picture of the case altogether, but it was black and had very nice, thick sides.

I wanted the atx mobo tray from it and the steel off of it so I didn't have to buy sheet metal for the base of my project.

here are the parts i ended up getting off of it.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i233/quakyr/P7070893.jpg

I salvaged 3 good pieces of sheet metal (thick and around the right size). Two large pieces for the base and motherboard tray base, and one for extra pieces. I got a full ATX mobo tray with an I/O backplate, which will be very useful, 4 rubber feet (just another item i won't have to order) and a hard drive cage.
I also funked up my finger on a video card. If you look close, you can see blood on my mobo tray!

that's what i got. what i scrapped-
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i233/quakyr/P7070896.jpg


i'm looking forward to the actual build portion of my project. More fun to come!

[Drum Thumper]

Two things:
1. Don't scrap that case fan, you'll never know when you'll need one.
2. Is that a drumset I spy?

[Cymae]

lol, yeah I thought of an IMAC too. This is going to be a bitch if you ever want to upgrade your screen...

[Quakken]

I'm pretty much prepared to upgrade my screen mounts when i upgrade my screen. I don't think it would be a huge process, although it does suck how most monitors are totally different in mounting than most other monitors. I won't glue the mount to the case, i'll just bolt it for when i want to upgrade.

And yes, that is a drumset. A no name internet brand, "vex" percussion. Pretty sure they went out of business after i bought the crazy thing. But i really only use it to play around on, the cymbals are really where it lacks, of course. Still crappy stock except for a zildjian heavy ride. I suppose it's really the skill that counts, though... but i digress.

I'm ordering some weld-on 3 and an applicator syringe from tapplastics and by the time that gets here i'll probably be in california for a week. So slow goin for now, but once i get back from cali in two weeks i'll get crankin on that plexi and probably a week after that you'll be lookin at a nicely done functional case.