First off, the materials used for the case.
The genesis of this project was probably this tray I ordered from good Mountain Mods . I was mystified by its craftsmanship while ogling it on their websight, and was only more impressed when it arrived:
The detailing on it amazing. I love the stainless steel inserts for the standoffs and PCI screws:
Here's a closeup. I immediately fell for the look of the raw brushed aluminum. Expect to see more of this effect throughout the mod:
That tray will probably be the extent of the pre-fab components for this project. Everything else I intend to construct from scratch. (I'll also be chopping up the mobo tray a bit, but more on that later...)
Here's my initial shipment of raw aluminum from MetalsDepot.com:
- (3) 2'W x 4'L x .80" thick 3003 aluminum sheet
- (1) 1'W x 2'L x .125" thick 3003 aluminum plate
- (1) 8'L x .5" x .5" x .125" thick 6063 aluminum architectural angle
- (6) 8'L x .75" x .75" x .125" thick 6063 aluminum architectural angle
- (1) 8'L x 3" x 3" x .125" thick 6063 aluminum architectural angle
Shipping weight, 63 pounds:
Some nifty setscrews arrived today from McMaster-Carr. 6/32 Stainless, 1/4" in length. Perfect for joining two sections of 1/8" aluminum angle frame parts together in a tight spot:
Another McMaster order came in today. An assortment of button head hex socket screws, some cone point set screws I have plans for, a couple sheets of 2' x 3' x 0.177" thick smoked cast acrylic (in the cardboard, not pictured), and some 3/8" OD aluminum tubing:
The plan for the tubing is actually structural. I'll use it to tie the two case sections together. It's inside diameter is sized ready to tap for 10/24 screws:
Here's an order from OnlineMetals.com; some 2" OD 1/8" thick wall aluminum tube, and some rather unusual perforated aluminum sheet that was pretty pricey, but I just had to try out:
This is a closeup, to show scale. The perforated sheet is half inch holes with a 5/8" stagger and an "open" rating of 48%. It's also 1/8" thick, the same as the tube:
to be continued . . .