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Custom Comission Case

post #1 of 15
Thread Starter 
I am looking for somebody (here in the us preferably) that builds cases for a living, or is very very very good at it. I have a design and some ideas for my new case, and would like either some pointers, or even to commission someone to build it for me. I know that it won't be cheap for the things I want, and I'm not the richest man, but if I can justify the cost somehow, I'm sure I can come up with money for a custom job.

My idea involves some intricate lexan work, so only those of you who are extremely good with plastics. I also am moving some of the things that seem to have been stuck in ruts.....i.e power buttons and usb ports for the front, etc. Also, I am thinking of re-orienting the entire thing, but again need some pointers. The best way to do this would be e-mail or IM really, (tho the stability of my current setup is tenuous at best, so text and call might be more beneficial) since some of my ideas are accompanied by pics. I'm a bit of a doodler. (speaking of, I need to finish drawing my current idea for my psu and mobo orientations)
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post #2 of 15
The cost of a custom case is already high, even if you build it yourself. It takes a serious amount of time to pull off a good build - not just in the building, but also the designing.

However, OCN is a great place to start if you want to build one yourself. And if, as you say, you want to look into plastics then you could save a lot of work/mistakes by getting parts lasercut (costly, again).

That being said, there are some people that will do commissioned builds but they are hard to find.
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post #3 of 15
Thread Starter 
Yup, yup... I know...lol I also know that using lexan instead of plexiglass is going to drive the price up quite a bit, but I want it to be durable, but lightweight. I also will need to find a auto paint shop or someone else who can do pinstriping around my town for the end designs.

And even if I can't afford a commission, possibly I can get some pointers from some peoples. I've been a big fan of ocn for quite a while, but never had the need for an account until recently, when I needed some help. I usually like to do things myself, just so I can say I did it.
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post #4 of 15
I don't have any experience with Lexan personally, it looks like a cool material thought. My experience with plastic cases is that they are heavy, and scratch easily. The strength really lies in a good design and good structure. Is Lexan good for scratch-resistance?
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post #5 of 15
Contact Lazerwerx. thumb.gif
post #6 of 15
Thread Starter 
Lexan is supposed to handle abuse a bit more than normal acrylics like plexi... Its also supposed to be a little lighter I believe.
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post #7 of 15
Thread Starter 
No reply from lazerwerx yet, but hopefully soon. When I put my case together, I want to have different "chambers"... This will allow me to keep certain things thermally remote from others. Not completely, I understand, but enough I can keep the whole machine a bit cooler with jus air cooling than if all components are being cooled by the same hot air as all the rest. Now, for this reason, I want all the sides and pieces of this case to be modular. My idea is to sink some small nuts into the lexan and epoxy or glue them into place. I would like to use machine screws to tie all this together, with beveled heads so everything sits flush, no bits sticking out. My question is, do machine screws that small exist, as well as the nuts to hold them? If so, where can I source them? If any one wants more details on the construction of my case for use with their own, or even for clarification as to what I am trying, please don;t be afraid to ask. Also, I have some ideas on possibly a water cooling setup but have not thought about it too much, so they might not work.
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post #8 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by imtheman0313 View Post

No reply from lazerwerx yet, but hopefully soon. When I put my case together, I want to have different "chambers"... This will allow me to keep certain things thermally remote from others. Not completely, I understand, but enough I can keep the whole machine a bit cooler with jus air cooling than if all components are being cooled by the same hot air as all the rest. Now, for this reason, I want all the sides and pieces of this case to be modular. My idea is to sink some small nuts into the lexan and epoxy or glue them into place. I would like to use machine screws to tie all this together, with beveled heads so everything sits flush, no bits sticking out. My question is, do machine screws that small exist, as well as the nuts to hold them? If so, where can I source them? If any one wants more details on the construction of my case for use with their own, or even for clarification as to what I am trying, please don;t be afraid to ask. Also, I have some ideas on possibly a water cooling setup but have not thought about it too much, so they might not work.


Yes, it is easily done where each piece of the case is modular using machine screws and hex nuts. I usually buy all my screws from McMaster Carr Let me know if I can help you with anything.
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post #9 of 15
Thread Starter 
AAAAHHHHH HHHAAAAAAA...... lol thank you kindly. I have been trying to source them locally and it's been a nightmare. Even tucson, 80 miles away, I can't seem to find anything small enough. lazerwerx, have you ever played with phase change cooling? I have some questions that I can't find answers to.

Also, what has been the most proven method for measuring air flow and finding hotspots inside a case? I could take sensitive parts out and do a mock up; then use a powder to see where the air is going, but that seems like too much work for what could be a simple problem. Any better ideas?
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post #10 of 15
Measuring or calculating fluid flow is certainly not a simple problem wink.gif

I would recommend an experimental method such as lighting a match and tracing the smoke through a mock-up as you suggest; computational modelling of such flow is somewhat challenging. You could also probe the case with a digital thermometer, but this won't help until you've put the computer together.
PAROXYSM
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V7 22" Logitech Deluxe 250 Antec TruePower 750W Modular Razer Lachesis 
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PAROXYSM
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Hard DriveHard DriveCoolingOS
2x1TB Caviar Black OCZ Vertex 60gb H50 W7 64-bit / Fedora 17 64-bit 
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V7 22" Logitech Deluxe 250 Antec TruePower 750W Modular Razer Lachesis 
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