My Custom Tech Sation/Benching Table!

[smee]

Well, I've been wanting to build my own Tech Station for a while now and today I got to doing some work on it.
I got an old motherboard tray out of a PIII HP case that I'm going to use for the top and under that will be a space for the PSU, Opticals and HD's, along with the extra wires, etc... the whole base will be made out of some nice 1/2" Baltic Birch wood.

I'll give more details on it once I get more of an idea of how I'm going to do the wood base.
But for now, here's what I got done today:

The victim...

The victim upright...

The victim on the work table with ze mighty dremel, sander and power strip...

The victim held down for safty (err, torture...)

The victim being cut (*screaming is heard*...)

The victim cut up a little...

The victims nice edge...

The victims other nice edge...

The victim being held down for more cutting (err, another torture...)

The victim being cut again (*more screaming again*...)

Close up pic of the victim being cut up (err, right arm...)

Another close up pic of the victim being cut up (err, left arm...)

All done cutting up the victim... (err, torturing...)

Nice edges of the victim (err, wounds...)

Close up pic of the victim...

Another close up pic of the victim...

And another...

The victim sanded down and ready for more... (err, more torture...)

The wounded victim upright...

And finally, the victim laying down for a nap...

Alrighty, lol... "the victim".... hey, I was bored....
I'm going to be painting the mobo tray black, BTW...

More updates later!
Comments? Suggestions? Questions?
Thanks all!!

 

[tylerdustin2008]

Looks good so far.

We need more pics!!!

 

[Dangman]

Looks good so far. Can't wait to see your take on a benching table.

 

[smee]

Looks good so far.

We need more pics!!!

Looks good so far. Can't wait to see your take on a benching table.

Thanks guys!
More pics later this week once I get to building the wood base.

What do you mean "my take on a benching table"?

 

[shadowlord]

very interesting

/subscribed

 

[Living Weapon]

+1 for rounded corners

Are you planning to back up the steel with a layer of acrylic, or just file the edges smooth?

 

[FadedSpark]

Im just gonna warn you now, you're going to have to get rid of that off-spec motherboard mount on that case. The one that is out of line with the other rows of three... Otherwise you're going to have some serious shorting problems I only noticed because I have a case with the same thing going on.

Looks cool, keep it up

 

[smee]

+1 for rounded corners

Are you planning to back up the steel with a layer of acrylic, or just file the edges smooth?

You will see

Im just gonna warn you now, you're going to have to get rid of that off-spec motherboard mount on that case. The one that is out of line with the other rows of three... Otherwise you're going to have some serious shorting problems I only noticed because I have a case with the same thing going on.

Looks cool, keep it up

I've tried the tray with my striker extreme mobo, and it fits perfectly with a little bit of wiggle room.
I don't know what your talking about anyhow, they line up perfectly.

Thanks!

 

[smee]

Little Update!!
3-6-08

So I got to some wood work today.
Pic's speak a 1000 words so here ya go:

And thats where it sits for now.

The dimensions are going to be: 1ft. Wide, 15" Long, 9" Tall.
It'll be nice and roomy.

I should be able to do more work tomorrow.
Thats all for now folks!

 

[m0s3s27]

Looks great, keep it coming.

 

[smee]

Hey guys!! Man, it's been a while here.... *shrugs*
4-6-08

I actually did this a couple of weeks ago, but been to busy to post it..... kinda...
But here ya go! Pics speak a thousand words:

(sanded down the back's of the holes)

Looky looky, bunch o parts!

(I love these things!)

Drilled a hole for the stem of the nut thing...

Drilled in a little bit for the root of the nut thing... (I forget what you call em)

Close up

Hammered them in. nice and snug fit!!

Check that out

And the screws screw right in! (see my boo boo there on the wood? yea my bad, messed it up a little... but it won't be seen.)

The mobo stand offs

Put in place

And the mobo tray screwed on!! w0000t!! I love how this turned out.

As you can see, the screw head doesn't go flush with the tray, but it's not close to the mobo, so it's alright.

Well, what do you guys think so far??

 

[Concentric]

Looks good. I was just about to say "Why not paint it black" and then I read that you were already going to. If you can be bothered, give it a nice sand down beforehand, so it's all dead smooth and shiny

 

[smee]

Looks good. I was just about to say "Why not paint it black" and then I read that you were already going to. If you can be bothered, give it a nice sand down beforehand, so it's all dead smooth and shiny

Thanks! I'll sand it down first, and then paint it a nice semi flat black

Ok, last night I got to a lot of work too!!
4-6-08

Heres more PICS!!!!!!!!

This is kinda a what it's going to look like once completed (but without the PSU).

I sanded down all the edges of both pieces of wood, they are as soft as babies skin.

Hehe, why are is there a hole in each corner Parker??

I rounded the edges too BTW. Came out really good.

Ooooh, what are these???

Hey check that out! (I decided to ditch the wooden sides and go with these steel poles)

They also serve as standoff's for the bottom!

The tops on!!!

Thats a half an inch of piping for standoff's.

The mobo tray stand offs put in place...

The mounting screws, cut them down a little bit too so they are flush with the wood when they go though.

Being screwed in.

And there ya have it, the mobo tray on! but wait!?!?!?! wheres the third pipe????

Well would you look at that! Hidden under the mobo tray....

It's not even touching... (I planned on this to happen BTW)

Check er out mates!

Everythings mounted up!

I wouldn't call this done, but it's close!
I still am going to paint the mobo tray, I may polish up the pipes too.

And BTW, the wood didn't just slip onto the pipes, my dad and I had to hammer it on, which was a process that took a long time.
My dad helped me a lot last night, thanks Dad!!!!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

 

[morgwon]

Nice work. A more sturdier HSPC. Are you going to cut down the pipe so it doesn't extend so far out the top? What do you have cooked up to mount drives and shit? Going to be following this mod closely.

 

[smee]

Nice work. A more sturdier HSPC. Are you going to cut down the pipe so it doesn't extend so far out the top? What do you have cooked up to mount drives and stuff? Going to be following this mod closely.

Thanks!
Yes I have something planned to hold up the drives... just haven't gotten around to making it yet!

Alright! Small update!!
5-3-08

Got some work done in the shop, I'm preparing the for some tests I'm going to conduct with the Fuzion V1 and Fuzion V2.
So, since both blocks use backplates, and because I always like backplates, I cut out a nice hole in the mobo tray and the wood underneath so I can easily access the backplate on the mobo.
Pics:
(sorry for the bad pics this time guys, took them too quick...)

Underside:

I also got some nice rubber feet to go on the bottom of the poles:

Also notice that I cut off the tops of the poles flush with the wood, I did this because I saw no use for them sticking up like they did before (see above):

So, Monday, this bench table gets a face lift with watercooling gear!!

 

[DaIceMan]

Very nice. Been thinking of doing something similar myself.

 

[Annaconda_is_my_hero]

well done smee

 

[EnGbudd]

Very nice, i love the plywood and how you have managed to finish it

 

[crazyfinx]

nice job man, bet your getting some good temps out in the open like that