Open Air

[Waynio]

This is turning out gorgeous mate, like the magnet fixing method too.

[blueonblack]

This is turning out gorgeous mate, like the magnet fixing method too.

Thanks on both counts! Magnets are awesome.

Nearing completion on this project! I had three pieces of wood to finish and them assembly. To make the finishing easier I screwed the shanks of two long machine screws into the columns...

And glued a piece of scrap acrylic rod to the back of the button...

The rod will come in handy later.

Made a poor man's drying rack out of some craft foam...

Took a lot longer for the finish to dry this time, must have gotten the mix wrong somehow, but the color and finish came out just fine.

I got the acrylic card securement bracket cut, painted, polished, drilled and tapped!

The outer two holes are just through-holes to mount to the columns, obviously, but I tapped the other seven to 6-32 machine thread.

I couldn't find any screws that I liked the look of enough to use on this high-profile portion of the case, so I decided to make my own. I had some nickel-plated 6-32 machine thread acorn nuts in a box...

So I took some 6-32 machine screws and cut a little bit of the shank off...

Screwed the shank into the nuts and presto! Shiny-head machine screws that look good against the black.

I used the same method to mount the bracket, screwed the shanks into the columns, set the bracket in place over them and then put the acorn nuts on...

One of the great things about this method (for the card mounting) is that by raising or lowering the shank in the threaded hole before putting the nut on top I can control exactly where the nut bottoms out. That lets me make every nut stop in exactly the same position in relation to the bracket. Looks a lot better in my opinion.

So on to the button mounting. Here's the hole it's going into...

The button goes into the hole just fine but it's too big to go in far enough to press the button to open the tray. I cut that acrylic rod down just enough to serve that purpose...

And put a dab of superglue on the end of it and stuck it in place. Turned out perfectly.

Next update will be the finished photos!!!!

(Yay, I'm actually going to finish it!)

[blueonblack]

Yep, assembly went very smoothly and I am very pleased with the end result.

My system is in its new home as I type and looking pretty damned slick there if I do say so.

(I'm honestly just glad I finished it!)

Pics!

[Fuganater]

Very nice!!!

[SXRguyinMA]

super clean Shane!

[Waynio]

Very nicely done, looks awesome.

[msmrx57]

Looks great!!! Very clean and simple.

[xr4man]

oh that's just amazing looking. well done!

[billygoat333]

Very cool! great work.

[blueonblack]

Thanks very much guys!!