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Project: small cool and quiet.

R

RAA-Kr1cH

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Messages
205
My wifes current rig, needs some serious help. We recently got new desks, and they're really nice. You can hide the pc inside the desk, this works great for hers because it's not OC'd or anything. The problem is heat. I had an xp120 lyin around waiting to get put on her computer, I figured it'd help keep the cpu cooler from being inside a desk. It's an old raidmax case, nothing fancy, but the problem is the PSU is pushing ever so slighty on that xp120, and giving not so nice temps. The case is old and beat up, so I figured I'd just get her a new case alltogether.

I decided to go shopping for a new case, one where the psu isn't right above the mobo.
I came across the PC A05 from Lian-li http://www.lian-li.com/product/product06.php?pr_index=19&cl_index=1&sc_index=1&ss_index=4&type=a it's a sexy little case, but I didn't really have the money to buy a whole new case.

A few weeks back we got an old emachine in at work that a customer wanted us to take a look at. Unfortunately I don't remember the model #, but this KINDA shows you what it looked like. http://www.shutterbug.net/images/archivesart/0302digitalinno194i3.jpg It was a crappy little pc, but had a pretty pleasing shape to it.

And that brings us to last week, where I started playing with some ideas on sketchup.


I'll be moving the psu to the front, and completely isolating the heat it generates from the rest of the case.

I'll need to relocate the plug and the switch on the power supply, but sitting like this, it pulls cool air in straight from outside, and vents it into a cavity under the bottom of the case.

The plate on the front will be 1/4" brushed aluminum, and will be held away from the case by 1/4" standoffs. This will allow the cool air to be brought in from the outside around the edge of the aluminum panel. I'm actually going to use a slim slot load drive, instead of the regular kind you see in the model. This will allow me to have just a small slit in the aluminum. (looking to find one on the cheap, or maybe find someone willing to sponsor the case and hook me up with one)

The case itself will be made from 1/2" mdf. It will be sanded smooth and painted flat black. I don't want any seams to be visible. I hacked up an old case to make myself a removeable mob tray, then cut up one of the side panels to be used as a back panel.



This guy is all fabbed up and ready to be taken apart to prep for painting.
there will be a rabbet milled around the inside edge of the case to allow for the panel to sit a little below the surface.



This is where I need some help. Seeing as how the sides and top will be all one piece, the only way i'll be able to get to the insides will be through the bottom.

I cut a large portion out of the bottom of the mobo tray to make room, but I still need to figure out how to include the mdf to form the bottom, and still have some kind of door or removeable panel that will allow me to get to the insides.

 
This should give you a clear shot of my mental block.



This will be the only way I'll be able to access the insides of the case. I need to come up with some kind of door or removable panel for the bottom there.
 
something you can slide in from the back perhaps?

love the design, got myself a soft spot for small cases
you are going to clean your hsf ?
it looks like it could use some tlc too
 
Oh hehe sorry, that's the old dead guts that came out of the donor case. I just have them thrown in there for reference.

For some reason I can't access my imageshack account right now... so an explanation will have to do.

First post: 3rd and 5th pic: What you see there is all one piece that will be slid into the back of the case. I actually an brainstorming an idea right now of having the majority of the bottom and the front slide out as one piece. This should make installing the optical drive, and psu easy, as well as making the connections to the mobo easy. I'll see if I can mock up something in sketchup... although right now, I'd much rather stop playing with it in sketchup, and go start creating!
 
Cut the case pieces out of 1/2" mdf. I clamped both pieces together to ensure they'd be the same shape. Straight cuts we're made using a 14.4 circular saw, and a clamping straight edge. Curve was cut with a bandsaw, and cleaned up with the oscilating spindle sander you see in the background, and a palm sander.

I then cut 1/2" rabbets 1/8" deep along the top inside edge of the sides, and dados 11 1/4" below the bottom of the top cut.

Case was assembled using wood glue, and 18 gauge nails.



A 5/16" x 1/8" deep rabbet was cut around the inside edge of the back. I then drilled 4 5/32" holes through the metal and into the case. Using a large thumbscrew, I then installed brass inserts into the case where the thumb screws are to be installed.
 
That looks so fun to put togeather, great choice for building materials.
 
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