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.

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.

The cd drives are located conveniently under the monitor. I'll be using 1/4 clear plexi for the outer shell.

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.

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.

Originally Posted by Quakken

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)

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.

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.

first plexi ever.

first plexi cuts/drills ever.

[SgtM]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.