Minnesota monthly gathering - Page 19

PatO · 01-31-2006, 07:43 PM

I used to go to MSU (er, MSU-M)! Boy do I miss that place....
I'd be up for a meet down there if anyone's up for a drive. It's only 2hrs for me - around an hour from Shakopee (for those on the west side). That run is the main reason I built my carputers!
Heck, we could make a night of it - hit Metties, B-Dubs and the other dives around downtown....

nitropwd · 02-08-2006, 12:38 AM

Anyone up for making a PC case for me out of MDF and Plexiglass? of course i will provide the material and pay for labor.

zryder · 02-08-2006, 06:09 AM

sure.. i will

neon_eddy · 02-08-2006, 08:14 AM

mmmmmm B-dubs

neon_eddy · 02-08-2006, 08:15 AM

also: I'll throw my lot in with making a case, .. mdf is thick though..

nitropwd · 02-08-2006, 08:39 AM

B-dubs??

well i was planned on using 1/2" mdf is that too thin? 3/4" seems to me too much

neon_eddy · 02-08-2006, 09:10 AM

ahh I supose it's fine.

I've been making stuff from plexi lately.. oh what fun! .. I made a HTPC case of out only 2 peices, using a lot of bends.

zryder · 02-08-2006, 11:17 AM

1/2 should be fine, but all plexi or aluminum is cool too. what do you need it out of mdf for? not quite a common case material..

aspitfire · 02-08-2006, 11:36 AM

anyone have any links on making cases out of plexi? i would like to see what i can make, just not sure what i am getting myself into.

PURDooM · 02-08-2006, 01:32 PM

b-dubs = buffalo wild wings

nitropwd · 02-08-2006, 05:15 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by zryder

1/2 should be fine, but all plexi or aluminum is cool too. what do you need it out of mdf for? not quite a common case material..

well i wanted to use mdf beacuse its inexpensive and very easy to come by. and wood doesnt conductor electricity as far as i know. (lol)

techyguru · 02-09-2006, 07:30 PM

I have started installing. I have some pics in my worklog. I invite all of you to take a look and give me an opinion of what little I have done so far.

By the way, anyone in the mood for a meet a little closer than mankato?

PatO · 02-09-2006, 08:28 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by PURDooM

b-dubs = buffalo wild wings

Formerly known as BW3 (Buffalo, Wild Wings, and Weck).

Are you thinking of using the MDF for the base, and plexi to cover it? That might be cool. Paint the MDF first, of course.

Joints on Plexi can be difficult. You can glue them, but I have yet to find a way to carve them to perfect 45deg angles. I ended up getting some aluminum angle iron and rivets to cover the edges. Turned out pretty good.
I highly suggest getting a jigsaw, though. Making hundreds of cuts with a hacksaw is painful - even if it's on soft aluminum!

I went with a pexi base and used 1/8" screws with rubber washers to mount the mobo. Used several nuts to offset the mobo from the plexi about 1/2". (round black things in the photos in the link) Works pretty well.

http://jeepmp3.home.comcast.net/

Almost forgot - I used 1/8" plexi. It's kind of flimsy. I dread cutting (er, snapping) the thicker stuff, but it's cheap - so buy more if you mess it up.

aspitfire · 02-09-2006, 09:54 PM

that case looks pimp, how much did that all run you?

PatO · 02-09-2006, 10:06 PM

Don't really know...
Couple sheets of plexi (I had laying around) SWAG=$5
L-Channel Aluminum (another SWAG) $20
Rivets and AL washers = $20

Dozens of hacksaw blades... Rivet gun... Heating the garage during X-Mas week last year (high of 10 degrees...) Hundreds of $

I honestly didn't care about the cost. It was less than $50, for sure. It was about making something. As is everything dealing with carputers.

Home Depot and Menards have all the parts you need. Buy extra - I spent hours driving back and forth to pick up a few cents worth of parts. You can always return them.