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Building Aluminum case from scratch

I

Insane Lunatic

n00b
Joined
Sep 7, 2004
Messages
3
Hi guys! I'm a newb here and I'm planing on taking on a huge project.

I'm designing an aluminum case from scratch. been working on plans & innovations for the past year. I'm ready to start building... I think..., but I'm not experienced in working with metal.

Features will include:
- 100% completly tooless
- mobo latch design
- mobo tray opens up with the right side panel, along with the back and top panel.
- HD cages and power supply attached to right side panel
-- you can open the case up and have complete unobstructed access to all components, withount unmouting a single wire
- all components have fans that draw air out of the case
- QUIET

That's the plan anyways!

What kind of tools do I need to work with aluminum?

I'll be aquiring some scrap aluminum to experiment with first.

When this case is done, it will make a CoolerMaster look like last years technology! I'll post updates when I get started.

Anyone have experience working with aluminum, I would greatly apreciate any advise! Or if anyone has any other suggestions?

Thanks!
 
Whoa take it a bit at a time.

Before you do ANY cutting you are going to need really good drawing or stuff won't line up later on. Measure all you plans twice then make paper cut-outs to stick to the alluminum sheets and cut round, then sand down to the exact size.

For tools I would imagine you would be wanting a jigsaw with alluminum cutting blades, a decent power drill with hole saw kit for fan holes, LOTS of sand paper and a work bench with vices etc for bending the alluminum.
 
That sounds pretty ambitious, especially the toolless aspect. Make sure everything is measured exactly or nothing will line up and it will look like shit. I am going to recommend a bending brake rather than a vice, or at least a brake attachment for your vice. For the number and sizes of pieces you will be doing, a brake will give you much better, cleaner bends. Also, a pop riveter would be good to hold a lot of the structural pieces together.

Are you saying that you will have the motherboard, hard drives, and power supply all mounted to the right side panel? It is a bit odd to have anything mounted to a side panel. Unless you are very creative and skillful, you will have screws sticking out of the side of your case. Also, what do you mean by "all components have fans that draw air out of the case "? That is a bit ambiguous and unclear.
 
XtuRmN8r said:
I am in disbelief noone has said dremel yet. I used mine to make my diamond aluminum case :) umm.. outside of that, I'd recommend "borrowing" ideas from lian li, or even entire parts, like the motherboard tray.. that thing is hella handy :D http://www.silverpcs.com/product/CA_LIANLI_MD_TRAY <-- 22 american cashitos
Click to expand...

They let people who don't own a dremel view these boards? Nah I don't believe it!

Over looked it as it is the tool that EVERYONE has/needs for pretty much every mod
 
I understand using a dremel to do some finish work, but the dremel is not the only tool that should be used to build a case. If you are borrowing parts from a lian-li then you might as well borrow an entire case.
 
If you really think you're going to do this, at least use a jigsaw and straightedge, or router and straightedge For anything halfway decent, you should use a table saw. Regardless of what you do, make sure you purchase blades/bits/etc. that are designed specifically for aluminum. Use cutting oil designed for aluminum, or at least WD-40.

You should have exact plans ready, especially for a complex design like the one you propose. Know exactly the dimensions of each piece, and how you will machine each piece to spec. It's all about planning, as you probably know by now.

Hopefully you will go through with this. Maybe 1 of 10 of these types of threads actually reach fruition.
 
woah buddy... its not that easy... right now im trying to make a cardboard case because i cant find a real one and thats pretty hard.... slow down cus its not like, say and slap it together and its done

you gotta have drawn plans... tools to use, etc

if i were you, i wouldnt make a case that is like one you get in stores and all... if i was already making a case, id make it different... be creative... make it a triangle or something... im just saying that theres more to modding than i think you see
 
Draw out your plans, then build one out of cardboard/posterboard. You will have to adjust thickness a bit, but it will be a great test build. Test fit drives, cables, fans, etc to see if it is what you need.

When you get ready to get the major pieces cut, check with some local machine shops. They can make the straight cuts and 90 degree bends for almost nothing. If your local shops charge too much, let me know. The one near me is very reasonable and it beats the cost of some different tools depending on what you need.

This is a custom radiator box with aluminum end panels they made for me. Bottom panel is included but not pictured.
RAD_box.JPG


Anyway, design it. Make what you can, then get assistance with what you can't/don't have the tools to make yourself.
 
M1dknight said:
They let people who don't own a dremel view these boards? Nah I don't believe it!
Click to expand...
I got mine when I signed up here. :D

Anyways I haven't seen it mentioned and I am working on "retro" fitting my Antec case with plans to build several cases later on so I'll ask a question. :)

What grade of aluminum is best for cases and at what thinkness (I believe .2 is the highest you should go, no?)?

On a side note I was wondering if I should make my case plexi/aluminum (inside frame made from plexi with load bearing stuff aluminum as well as the exterior) for a "light weight" case?

Hey Xeese how much did they charge you for that? I'll have to look around here but it would be nice to have a baseline for it. ;)
 
I had a couple questions while we're on this topic...

1-What kind of attachments/blades/whatever do you need for a dremel to cut aluminum or steel?

2-How much does a bending brake cost?

3-Would it be feasible to make a shroud for a radiator (for watercooling) out of aluminum? How would one seal the shroud to make it airtight with the radiator?
 
2.) You can find some cheap one for $20 at Freight Harbor.

3.) I wasn't aware of anything else you could a shroud out of. ;)
 
1. Use cutoff wheels for cutting sheetmetal. Again, though, the dreme really isn't the best tool for this job.

2. Yes, harbor freight does have some el cheapo brakes. Beyond that they start getting into the hundreds of dollars.

3. Aluminum will work just fine. Why does it need to be airtight, though? It is just there to direct the airflow mainly. I made a shroud out of some sheet metal and I just put a few pop rivets in it. I didn't see the need to completely seal it. If you wanted it completely sealed then you could weld it together(find someone who is good at welding aluminum) or put some silicone sealant or something along the seams.
 
EbolaZaire said:
I had a couple questions while we're on this topic...

1-What kind of attachments/blades/whatever do you need for a dremel to cut aluminum or steel?

2-How much does a bending brake cost?

3-Would it be feasible to make a shroud for a radiator (for watercooling) out of aluminum? How would one seal the shroud to make it airtight with the radiator?
Click to expand...
1 you need standard or reinforced cutoff wheels for a dremel to cut aluminum or steel... depends on how you're cutting, you typically use standard ones for normal stuff and reinforced for longer cuts or thicker/harder materials

2 dunno, google?

3 i dont see why you need it to be airtight but there are ways... if you do it ghetto way, DUCT TAPE :D but you can always add rubber molding and bolts to lock it together tightly
 
wayne said:
3 i dont see why you need it to be airtight but there are ways... if you do it ghetto way, DUCT TAPE :D but you can always add rubber molding and bolts to lock it together tightly
Click to expand...
How about Aluminum tape? ;)
 
CrimandEvil said:
How about Aluminum tape? ;)
Click to expand...
aluminum tape?... interesting... :rolleyes:

if i had to do something like that, id pull out my trusty glue gun and just fill the gaps... i use hot glue a lot and sometimes looks messy but it does the job
 
He could probably use Duct dape too. :D That stuff's a life safer at times, lol.
 
some tips and tricks I've learned over the years working with metal. Always make models out of poster board or cardboard. Always have good plans drawn up in 1:1 (lifesize) scale and make multiple copies.

Use rubber cement to attatch plans onto the actual metal. Put a coat, not too heavy on the sheet of paper with the plans and let it dry. Put a coat on the metal sheet and let it dry. Now put the two together being careful to line it up and they'll stick and hold. Smooth these down. This will hold during any cutting with any tools.

Always drill pilot holes with small drill bits before using the full sized bit or hole saw.

For very intricate design cutouts I recommend a jewelers saw.
http://www.monsterslayer.com/HandTools/HandTools.htm
try to get as deep of one as you can. with larger sheets you'll need it.
use a candle to wax up the saw blades so they are lubricated, you may have to do this multiple times. When cutting turn the metal not the saw if you can, sometimes though this isn't possible with larger sheets. It's awkward at first but the reward is worth learning.

rivets look good to hold cut outs in place but only if done well. a pop rivet is usually the best bet, but with practice you can get really good doing hand hammered rivets.
 
CrimandEvil said:
He could probably use Duct dape too. :D That stuff's a life safer at times, lol.
Click to expand...
yup

i just bought a super roll of duct tape the other day... when my brothers sleeping, imma drag him to the kitchen and tape him down.... this is gonna be SOOO FUNNNY :D :D :D
 
First off, i would like to thank everyone for their inputs! There's some pretty good stuff here.

Now to try and answer some of your questions:

jpmkm:
The components will not be attached directly to the side panel. the mobo tray, or rather side panel tray, will be attached to the side panel. This design gives me the freedom to mount any hardware on this side. It is also necessary because the mobo tray is actually several trays:

- There is a seperate flat panel beneath the mobo tray that rest on springs (or rubber, not decided yet). On this tray are "removable pins" with rubber gromets at the ends, that conform to the ATX and Micro ATX specs. The mobo will slide over these "pins". then, when the lever is closed, that plate will drop, flatening the rubber gromets and locking the mobo in place. Secure, fast, and a layer of shock absortion to boot!

The back and side panels are one piece just like the Wavemaster, however, the top panel is also attached to the side panel but on hinges and will open at 45 degree, flush with the side panel. To open the case, there are 2 levers on the top panel that you open at 90 degree angels. these levers, lock in place and become the supporting legs when the side is fully open. The PSU, mobo, fans and HD can all stay connected, even when the side panel is fully open. I also want to pre-wire the components... but that's another story...

As for the components being cooled:
- The 5 1/4 bays will be removable cages, or boxes, specifically designed to have fresh air drown in and over each component and then sucked out by a 120mm fan on the top of the case. Same with the HD cages, but air flo comming and going from another location. The Idea here is to keep all components cool and prevent any heat from these devices escape into the case.

wayne / Xeese
I work in a box plant, and have access to all the cardboard I want. My first cardboard prototype is halfway complete. Having trouble with stength issues thow!

I will also attempt to anodize the case myself. I hear that aquiring the material here in Canada will be an issue though.

Someone on Futuremark suggested that I use a cad program to design it first. Sounds like a good idea, however, I don't want to spend an enormous amount of time learning a new piece of software. Any suggestions?

The premise of this case to make it a gamers and hobbiest wet dream come true: Beautifull case, fast and painless access to all components foreasy upgrades, very quite, and excellent cooling for OC'ing the crap out of your components!

I would love to market these cases and posibly start manufacturing the coolest cases on the planet.

Thanks all!
 
Welding aluminum?...Not easy and calls for an expensive setup (prefrebly TIG) If you do plan to "weld" aluminum I would recommend "Alumiloy" it is a aluminum alloy that melts somwhere in the range of 720 degrees Farenheight thus allowing to make a strong bond almost identical to welding with just a regular small propane torch. I have posted links below.
-BBC
http://durafix.com/
http://www.muggyweld.com/super5.html (has vids of alumiloy in action!)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2489507572&category=34284

P.S. About the aluminum grade, If the heat dissipation proporties for low grade aluminium are the same for higher grade aluminum I would build with the lower grade as strength I wouldent think be an issue and your wallet will thank you as well.... :p
 
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My family business is actually a metal shop. We have the large 5 ton shears and 15 ton metal breaks to do all of this work. I build chimeney caps and conductor heads all day long. We also have bulk rates on that thick sheet metal. Its alot more expensive than I bet alot of you think. Example, a 4'x10' sheet of .032( AT LEAST the thinest you would want) can be in the $60(our cost) range. Add in break work/labor and it gets MIGHTY expensive.

Now if the [H]ard forum only had a good guy who would be more than willing to hook folks up. ;)

Lmk, i'm in Georgia.
 
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