my first pc case

**teeach** · 09-23-2007, 03:56 PM

be gentle its my first time fabricating anything.

basic box with temp display and 2x80mm fans at front and 1 80mm at rear and window in the top with led fans and a hidden neon tube.

the base is 1inch thick mdf and the sides are plywood

the base had motherboard pillars/risers screwed into it and the mobo sits on those the same as a normal case.

the sides were initially screwed in then fibreglassed to re-inforce it

these are the first pics i had taken when the front and back fan holes and the temp display

test fitted the fans etc with a little bit of carpet i had bought and they were a nice fit so onto the carpeting.

I thought this was going to be easy but i was wrong. Damn it was annoying trying to work it out so there wasnt any folds etc because ot the diagonal front

still isnt perfect but its ok, it is trimmed in the same carpet that i have for my boot install which should be fun...... not!!

heres a pic of it carpeted with some old fans (awaiting on my led ones)
they are in the wrong way so they are blowing and not sucking and look crud but that will be rectified when my new ones come

Window

Heres a pic with the temp display on and functioning

another of the side of the case with the i/o panel
crud picture i thin i put a fingerprint on the lens

as you can probably tell im new to this.. any tips feedback is appreciated

will get pics up of the new fans and lighting when they arrive

**Danzzigger** · 10-02-2007, 07:50 AM

I think you should have mabye used thicker material for the sidewalls, probably more like 6mm MDF or something. and it looks like it would have been a pain in the *** to do the carpet, as in some places it looks as though its not molded around it properly, might just be the pics though. Like for instance in the window pic, u can see the carpet overlaying the plastic window slightly on the corner, but I'm a cabinet maker so im pretty fussy :P. Otherwise id say good effort with it, next time use a more study sidewalls, obviously its not a issue of weight as you've gone overkill with the base (25mm is way too much, heavy as too) try something like 10 - 18mm that'll be enough.

Should look shmick with the LED fans.

~Danz

**Dennis5587** · 10-02-2007, 07:54 AM

...the fiberglass dosn't count for anything?

**teeach** · 10-02-2007, 12:46 PM

the fibreglass holds the sides together. yes the left side does stick out a bit. any tutorials of carpeting boxes around?

like i said im new and thought it would come out ****e but its not to bad, i shold have carpeted or painted the inside aswell im guessing. might do another one

ah here some pics with the lights etc....

**Danzzigger** · 10-02-2007, 08:40 PM

woooo looks nice with the shiny lights

**underwaterdan** · 10-03-2007, 07:17 AM

The answer is probably no, but I wonder if the lights give off too much heat - I mean you are trying to keep it cool, so do you have an option of turning the lights off when you are not showing the case off or when it is out of view???

**BiGGy** · 10-03-2007, 07:21 AM

I love the laundry workshop

I would hate it if I had nowhere to work.

**underwaterdan** · 10-03-2007, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by BiGGy

I love the laundry workshop

I would hate it if I had nowhere to work.

Atleast he has the dog to keep him company!

**sxtnitehawk** · 10-03-2007, 10:18 AM

not bad for a first attempt... if i may, here are some pointers for the next time around:

i always use 1/2" MDF for light duty jobs like in home speaker boxes, custom pc cases, etc...its strong, but still light and easy to work with...

dont use fiberglass to hold stuff together...if you have one, use an air compressor and brad nailer(18G) and wood glue...the brads will hold it together while the glue bonds...once the glue dries, its VERY strong...if you dont have one, find someone that does, or rent one...

Angled front panels are cool, but also over rated...they make building your enclosure a little harder becuase you have to account for the angles and cut accordingly...

Your cuts all seam very rough, like they were cut with a jigsaw(small reciprocating saw), try to use a table saw for smoother straight cuts.

Those fans are going to get annoying, and honestly they dont look very good sitting on the outside like that...I'de recommend mounting them on the inside and putting fan grille's on the outside, but thats up to you...here's an example of what i mean:

Also, use thin carpet, there's companies that make carpet specifically meant for speaker boxes. I get mine from a local place called Three Rivers Supply Co.

When carpeting your enclosure, use a sharp razorblade and a drywall T-Square or some other straight edge. This will help you make seemless carpeting and really put the final touch to the outside, another example:

If you have any questions...let me know

**teeach** · 10-03-2007, 11:05 AM

yes i used a jigsaw with a rather coarse blad i thing if it was a finer blade it wiould of been better. the fans are recessed ito the case but not mounted inside, the reason for this was to hide the wonky cuts which it has dont and still looks pretty good. next time if i can get the holes perfectly square i will mount them on the inside.

as regarding the carpeting do you actually cut pieces for each panel? i was trying to carpet it with one piece which didnt happen. i then had to cut the carpet on the corners

thanks for your help and i will hopefully put it to practice when i build the boot install (finger crossed)

cheers