Homebuilt acrylic case project part II

[UncleDavid218]

Dang nice work dude!

[General Septem]

Wow, Hi Septum. Its been awhile. I see you are finally getting close now. You decided to go with wood. It looks very (hmm) Im searching for a word. Beautiful sounds a bit square, nice sounds too generic, Cool just doesnt do it justice. Well you get my drift. Your workshop is definately awesome. I wish mine was that pro.

 

If you want a straight line when using Mr Roto then clamp a straight edge alongside your work so the outside of the safety housing on the Roto tracks against it. Gets you a straight cut everytime. Freehand is impossible.

 

Thanks. It's all in the tools really. The tools, the design, and the details. I watch a lot of Woodworks, and Norm Abram.

 

What do you mean about the roto-zip, you mean how I was having trouble with it earlier?

[Technohydra]

I think you're definitely on the right track here. The heater cores look like a great idea at first, and some of the setups do in fact work quite well.

 

My first heater core mode was an f-150 core with 2 6"x6"x2" Tupperware containers attached to the sides. They had 120mm holes Dremeled out of them for the fans on each side, doing a push/pull of air. The fans screwed directly on to the Tupperware. All in all, it workd great. It also took me almost a week to fully design and 8 hours to assemble. Counting the fans, core, cookware, sealer and zip-ties, I spent the same amount as a BIX 120.3.

 

The big advantage was that I'd done it myself(mod props) and it was able to fit in an OEM midtower.

 

I'm planning the WC system for my new sig rig, and I'm already ordering a Swiftech 320 Quietpower from SVC. I'd highly recommend you take a look at these before you get a BIX. I also have the designs for my previous original clear case, if you'd like a look at them. The big difference is that my hdd's were caged mounted vertically, and the cage was removeable from the front, with 2 120mm fans in the front of the assembly to cool off the drives.

 

Opticle drives were also verticle, with the long side facing the front of the case, and a custom button pannel for opening them. They opened out the top of the case, and had custom clear Lexan bezels on them.

[General Septem]

I think you're definitely on the right track here. The heater cores look like a great idea at first, and some of the setups do in fact work quite well.

 

My first heater core mode was an f-150 core with 2 6"x6"x2" Tupperware containers attached to the sides. They had 120mm holes Dremeled out of them for the fans on each side, doing a push/pull of air. The fans screwed directly on to the Tupperware. All in all, it workd great. It also took me almost a week to fully design and 8 hours to assemble. Counting the fans, core, cookware, sealer and zip-ties, I spent the same amount as a BIX 120.3.

 

The big advantage was that I'd done it myself(mod props) and it was able to fit in an OEM midtower.

 

I'm planning the WC system for my new sig rig, and I'm already ordering a Swiftech 320 Quietpower from SVC. I'd highly recommend you take a look at these before you get a BIX. I also have the designs for my previous original clear case, if you'd like a look at them. The big difference is that my hdd's were caged mounted vertically, and the cage was removeable from the front, with 2 120mm fans in the front of the assembly to cool off the drives.

 

Opticle drives were also verticle, with the long side facing the front of the case, and a custom button pannel for opening them. They opened out the top of the case, and had custom clear Lexan bezels on them.

 

That sounds cool.

 

I've actually redesigned the case since my first post in this thread. Right now I've designed it with a few horizontal HDDs in the top part of the case, and several rows of vertical HDDs in the bottom section next to two rows of optical drives. I also don't have anything obstructing the two main 120mm intake fans nor the main 120mm exhaust fan.

 

If you've got your design, though, I'd love to see it. Did you have a worklog too?

[Bu113t]

Looking good here. It really makes me want to go to the workshop and get something made. I am getting tons of Ideas from all the wood cases I see being made. Thanks for keeping us updated

[EllisD]

Very nice work General, im eager to see how it all comes together. That is one hell of a workshop...you are only limited by the tools you lack, which dosnt look like anything, lol.

 

Keep up the good work

[General Septem]

Very nice work General, im eager to see how it all comes together. That is one hell of a workshop...you are only limited by the tools you lack, which dosnt look like anything, lol.

 

Keep up the good work

 

Well, there's one thing we don't have - a Leigh dovetailing jig. But we do get along without it.

 

Thanks for the interest everyone

[Technohydra]

I don't have a worklog, unfortunately, as I designed the case for someone else to build, and only did the specialty mods, like the button panels and custom bezels. I can get some designs up pretty soon though.

[ollietwinam]

Looks amazing man!

Good luck

[Technohydra]

Here's the important parts of the build. Pardon my crudeness in Paint, but I'm at work, so I had to make up some quickies.

[General Septem]

Here's the important parts of the build. Pardon my crudeness in Paint, but I'm at work, so I had to make up some quickies.

 

I really like that drive cage idea. I'll have to keep that in mind for mine. :nod:

 

 

Well, I tried cutting the dovetail sockets into the wenge today. I was less than successful. But fortunately I did it differently this time, I cut each piece one at a time - and, in fact, I only actually got one done. And at that, the one piece wasn't really "done" either because it got botched and ultimately broken in several pieces.

 

It's alright though, because tomorrow I'll be right by a lumber yard and we'll get some more wood to replace it. I know what I did wrong and how to prevent that in the future. I was on the right track in doing them one at a time, though, since the slight variations in width between each board meant that the dovetail pins came out just differently enough that each adjoining piece would have to be fitted individually anyway.

 

Dovetailing with a router table is definitely more time consuming than using a Leigh. If I get into selling these cases, I'll probably consider investing in one - it's not like a single hand crafted case won't pay for it three times over once I sell it anyway. But for the time being, what I've got will work.

[Technohydra]

Are you planing your stock before you try routing? I know it's an extra step, but it'll get you right in there for repeatability, so all you'll have to do is shave a few mils with a medium width chisel blade before you can fit up.

 

Edit: I work with a knifemaker that may have a few large pieces of cocoabola for sale at a decent price, let me know if you'd like me to talk to him about it.