Custom metal fabrication

[fruityness]

Am still thinking about the case for adding more waterworks into my computer. I like the idea of doing something a little more custom.

So the latest idea is to have a frame from steel made up, and slap on some aluminium (note the correct spelling please America ) Or acrylic for the sides. I dont have a welder myself, so thought about custom fabrication.

Has anyone used such a service? Is it expensive? Are there any known custom fabricators within the pc-modding world (uk area). I was thinking of a simple rectangular shape made from box steel. This sort of thing..

Run in fear from my amazing MS paint skill.. ahem..



Though maybe this is over the top, and it would be possible to just make the chassis out of thicker acrylic, but then I am unsure about how best to butt the edges up to each other.. Would a screw through the edge of the acrylic split it, or not have enough strength? Has anyone experience of using acrylic for custom chassis builds?

 

[SwaleSmith]

not had ny expereince with this but I have seen an article in custom pc mag

(i think) where he used glue to make a the acrylic panels stick together on a wc res

 

[meh]

Acrylic should be fine for any exotic case you plan to make, just mitre the edges to 45 degrees then polish and use a bit of weld-on (glue) to join the edges. The join should just about be invisible, and yet still be as strong as a single piece of acrylic...

 

[fruityness]

Acrylic should be fine for any exotic case you plan to make, just mitre the edges to 45 degrees then polish and use a bit of weld-on (glue) to join the edges. The join should just about be invisible, and yet still be as strong as a single piece of acrylic...

Thanks, been doing some digging last few hours, and seems it isnt too hard to glue acrylic together as you say, and is quite easy to work with.

Capillary cementing

This is the most popular method for joining acrylic. However, this method will not work at all unless the parts to be joined fit together PERFECTLY.

Make sure the parts fit properly. Then join them with masking tape or clamp them in a form to hold them firmly in place. It is important that the joint be in a horizontal plane, or the cement will run out of the joint.

Apply the cement carefully along the entire joint. Apply from the inside of a box-corner joint, and on both sides of a flat joint. A needle-nosed applicator bottle is recommended. The thin cement will flow into the joint through capillary action and form a strong bond. Maximum bond strength will not be reached for 24 to 48 hours. Source.

But now I find myself debating weather or not these cases look nice!

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Does this look nice..? What does everyone think? I really dont know. Perhaps it would be a nightmare to keep clean. The routing of cables would be hard to say the least - trying to keep everything neat and tidy with nowhere to hide bits...

 

[D-Cyph3r]

Never been a fan of acrylic cases myself. I love acrylic windows and waterblock tops but entirely transparent cases are ghastly imo.

 

[SwaleSmith]

I like its different, where can you get them???

 

[fruityness]

I like its different, where can you get them???

Sunbeamtech has a range of about 6 caes, including mini-itx and htpc.

 

[steesoftware12]

Steel Fabrication Software

Hi

The facility to integrate the full range of products enables AceCad to deliver the ultimate Fabrication Information Modelling. You can get more information from www(dot)acecadsoftware(dot)com.

 

[JN]

You could of course go with tinted or fully coloured plexi. I think a solid black plexi case would look quite nice as it would look pretty much like a high-gloss painted finish.

 

[steelfabric12]

Steel Fabrication Software

Hi,

Steel hose reels are normally used for heavy duty applications where strength,

stability, and rigidity are required for safe and efficient operation. Most

steel hose reels are preconfigured prior to shipping for either floor mounting

or ceiling mounting. You can get more information from

www(dot)acecadsoftware(dot)com.