Any Ideas? - Spring Loaded Fan Controller

[Matt_Rapp]

I have a door on my case and it's making my attempts to add a decent fan controller difficult.

As of right now I'm thinking about getting a Sycthe Kaze Server controller, the problem is that the knobs stick out to far and will not allow my case door to close.

I want to make my own spring loaded mount so the whole unit will slide back into the drive bay when I want to close the case door. I think I'll just cut some rails out of the sides of the controller in line with the mounting holes, and then mount it on somewhat loose nuts, bolts, and washers.

The problem is that I haven't figured out an elegant way to lock it in place yet though. I want to push the controller back further when it is already inside the case to unlock the spring, and also be able to push it in to engage the lock when I'm done with the unit, like a very large push button switch if you know what I mean.

Anyone have a good idea about how to do this?

 

[vage]

I would think it would be easier to fabricate some shallower knobs so that the door will close on the controller.

Other than that, my only idea for something to help lock the controller in place would be to somehow mod the part of server rails that lock when the server is pulled out, into the fan controller.

 

[Matt_Rapp]

Well my case is an Apevia X-Cruiser, which has practically zero clearance between the door and front plate, so I don't know if shortening the knobs would help any. They would have to be thinner than a millimeter!

I hadn't thought about using mounting rails at all, my case doesn't have them, but I'll think about ways to add some in for the controller's bay. I don't really know if it would work.

I could always set up the rails cut in to the side of the controller the way I first thought of, and then just grab a knob to pull the controller in and out by hand, but that's kinda lame. I think I can do better, but it's a fall back plan in addition to just mounting the controller ugly recessed in the case.