Project Turtle: 1993 Toyota Tercel/56K=FAIL - Page 7

freeflashstuff · 03-29-2009, 06:03 PM

The bezel is almost finished! I'm just waiting on Saul to get it painted. I went over to his place yesterday and got it re-fitted. Pic follows.

I'm still looking for a way to get my PC to fit under my seat. I thinking of risking the Morex again. Unless I can find my old IBM case, I probably will. Can't remember if I threw it out or not...

rdholtz · 03-29-2009, 07:37 PM

What size case do you need? How big is the system board? Do you plan to put a DC-DC power supply in it?

freeflashstuff · 03-29-2009, 07:40 PM

IDK the dimensions, but the board is a Full-sized ATX with 1.6Ghz Intel P4 W/O HT...

But I'll try to get the dimensions in the next couple of hours and posted. I have a case that almost fits, but it's a few inches too wide. I want to put it under my driver's seat horizontally(on it's side). I'm off to find a tape measurer...

rdholtz · 03-29-2009, 07:45 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by freeflashstuff

IDK the dimensions, but the board is a Full-sized ATX with 1.6Ghz Intel P4 W/O HT...

But I'll try to get the dimensions in the next couple of hours and posted. I have a case that almost fits, but it's a few inches too wide. I want to put it under my driver's seat horizontally(on it's side). I'm off to find a tape measurer...

It really isn't hard to modify a case if you have sheet metal shears, a drill, and a rivet gun. You could use mine, but it's a bit of a drive from Artesia to Atlanta.

. . . or you could go back and try that resin-impregnated corrugated cardboard we talked about earlier; the only tools you need for that are a brush, mixing cups, mixing sticks, and gloves.

freeflashstuff · 03-29-2009, 08:00 PM

I actually thought about that earlier today. I could actually use the fiberglass jelly that Saul and I used on my bezel so I would just need a putty knife...

The more I consider it, the more I like the idea. Starting with a big enough box(I have to have 2 PCI USB 2.0 cards; all on-board are USB 1.1, 2 WiFi cards[one for in-car ad-hoc for iPhone, the other for regular WiFi], and my PCI sound card) and some more fiberglass jelly, I could have a decent custom case. Now when's the next time I get paid?
*runs to check calendar*

Should be next week or two. Got about $80 bucks coming my way from the Crystal Gayle concert last night(3-28)(Minus about $20 for gas...). I got to meet her. She's pretty cool and laid-back. I've met some artists that could care less about the fans, as long as they're getting paid for performing... :@ They anger me.

I just spoke with Saul while I was typing the other stuff. He's leaning towards using plate steel or aluminum and welding the pieces together. That seems better, because fiberglass jelly dries rigid and cracks really easy. If it should get kicked from the front or back, it needs to hold together. I like both ideas... Help plz?

rdholtz · 03-29-2009, 09:38 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by freeflashstuff

I just spoke with Saul while I was typing the other stuff. He's leaning towards using plate steel or aluminum and welding the pieces together. That seems better, because fiberglass jelly dries rigid and cracks really easy. If it should get kicked from the front or back, it needs to hold together. I like both ideas... Help plz?

While that sounds good, it's a lot easier to bend and rivet than it is to weld. I look at welding as something I do to add strength, not to manufacture an entire case. You can get a little Harbor Freight 18-inch bending brake for $35 (plus $8 shipping if you aren't near a store), and it will handle 18-gauge steel. That's plenty of thickness for a case and lid. Look around PC repair shops to see if they have old cases they're throwing out, and grab the sheet metal parts to modify. For cooling grilles, cut the grille out of a case and rivet it over (or under) a hole in your new design, or drill a nice pattern of holes using one of the existing grilles as a pattern.

That's shade tree engineering at its finest.

freeflashstuff · 03-31-2009, 11:39 PM

I ordered this to use in conjunction with my MicroSDC from MPEGbox. Hope it works.

The Atom should be here tomorrow according to FedEX tracking. We'll see. Based on the events transpiring in my worklog, Saul, the guy that helped me do the fiberglassing, wants to put in a CarPC... LOL All this s*!t all over again.

freeflashstuff · 04-01-2009, 12:55 PM

The bezel is DONE! I got it yesterday, I just forgot to post about it. I'll edit this post later with pix of it. Just waiting on the board now...
EDIT: THE BOARD IS IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111111ONEONEONEONEON E

Tidder · 04-01-2009, 01:07 PM

Pics?

HiJackZX1 · 04-01-2009, 01:11 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by rdholtz

While that sounds good, it's a lot easier to bend and rivet than it is to weld. I look at welding as something I do to add strength, not to manufacture an entire case. You can get a little Harbor Freight 18-inch bending brake for $35 (plus $8 shipping if you aren't near a store), and it will handle 18-gauge steel. That's plenty of thickness for a case and lid. Look around PC repair shops to see if they have old cases they're throwing out, and grab the sheet metal parts to modify. For cooling grilles, cut the grille out of a case and rivet it over (or under) a hole in your new design, or drill a nice pattern of holes using one of the existing grilles as a pattern.

That's shade tree engineering at its finest.

I agree..... if you go to home depot, you can get tin snips for about $7.95... I actually used my crappy heat trapping Morex case for my new one..... I cut that bad boy up and use it to create my new case. It is so easy, just be careful, I cut myself a few times on the edges.

freeflashstuff · 04-01-2009, 01:13 PM

I would have pix, but I'm in class right now. I'll post some pix when I get home about 4:30 Mountain Time. K?

HiJack, that's a lot of cables...

Tidder · 04-01-2009, 02:14 PM

Pics?

HiJackZX1 · 04-01-2009, 02:50 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by freeflashstuff

I would have pix, but I'm in class right now. I'll post some pix when I get home about 4:30 Mountain Time. K?

HiJack, that's a lot of cables...

LOL, thats what happens when you have alot of system, lol.... Whats funny is that I just redid the cabling so its cleaner, and as you can see its still alot.

freeflashstuff · 04-01-2009, 08:14 PM

I've got the Atom in a bench-test setup right now. Repairing my XP install right now. Tried to boot it up straight, but got BSOD. So by the time I get home from church, it should be done repairing, then all I need to do is wait for the PSU I ordered and get it all installed. I forgot about pix. Posting some low-res pix in about 5 minutes....