Guide written by: Charles (Duck) Jackson
Introduction:
Start Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 (actually planning began before this date, I started modifying the case around here).
This isn't really a How To Guide, its more like tips to make things easier should anyone care to attempt hand hammering a custom case or for that matter hand hammering small details in metal. I will describe what I went through during the process of building The Hard-Drivin' Dragon mod, and a few steps you can learn from if you should attempt something similar. I will also go over tools needed, planning and construction.
Tools Needed:
* Hammers
Claw Hammer
Ball peen Hammers in various sizes (I used 7 different sizes)
Wooden Mallet
Teardrop Mallet or similar (steel, wood or poly, its up to you)
Tinners hammer (sheet metal hammer)
* Wizard rotary tool (similar to a dremel)
* Corded Drill
* Cordless Drill
* Tin snips
* Needle-nosed pliers
* Regular pliers
* Wire cutters
* Riveting gun (or a Welder)
* Screwdrivers (Phillips + and Flathead -, of various sizes)
* Etch-pen
* T-square, Ruler, Protractor (Millimeters and Inches)
* Pencil, Sharpie Marker, Ball Point Pen
* Scissors
* Compass (any round object)
* Hand files (flat, round and triangle files)
* Drill bits, (various sizes for drilling in metal, I mainly used a countersink bit. Super strong, hard to dull, drills fast in metal)
* Dremel bits. grind tips and various, I also used craftsman Diamond cut-off wheels for cutting
* Vise with anvil on the back
* Binder clips, clothes pins
* Ratchet and sockets
* Utility knife
For safety, the following are recommended:
* Gloves
* Safety Goggles/Glasses
* Dust Mask
* First Aid Kit with Band-aids... "Mod It Til You Bleed!"
It seems to be a lot of tools but not all are NEEDED, you can get by with a basic home repair kit, one hammer 2 screwdrivers and tin snips but I recommend using as close to the right tool as possible that you can.
Materials needed:
* Metal
* Plexi glass
* Cardboard and Paper
* Rivets
* Switches and LED's
* Computer Components
* Fans and Fan Grills
* Fabric and Batting (fluff stuff for padding the fabric or foam)
* Epoxy modeling clay or body filler
* Paint
Preliminary Planning:
The design of your case should be influenced by several factors, including but not limited to...
* Anticipated use (gaming, server, video editing, personal or business, etc...).
* Air flow or venting of parts.
* Existing structure of the donor case.
* Visual aspects (the way it will look when finished).
* Safety.
* Access to internal components .
*Other personal needs, preferences and performance.
Construction tips:
Here are some additional suggestions that may help you in building your case.
* Always measure twice and cut once.
* A half inch here or there can make a big difference, add a little extra space to your design.
* Always try to pre-plan for parts, their sizes and the room needed for the parts and the possibility of future upgrades.
* Try to know what parts are going in so you can accommodate them, their connectors and wires.
* Gather materials ahead of time, there is nothing worse than putting everything on hold waiting for parts or materials.
* Leave room for extras. you don't know if the latest part you will "have to have" in a few months will work in your case so leave some room for it.
* Vent holes and fans. Every case has them and few people realize they actually serve a purpose so try to work them into your design as much as possible. No sense spending all your time building an airtight case and burning up all the parts inside.
* Know your limits and the limits of materials, everyone can design a complicated structure but few can actually build it. the structure has to be able to hold all the parts plus the weight of outside forces such as being dropped, your feet propped up on it, stuff sat on top of it etc. Keep it simple!
* Preplan for those little extras like cable management, tabs to secure wires, upholstery, lights etc.
* Remember needed items such as switches, power supplies, stand offs, and a way in the case to mount parts.
* If you don't have the right tools improvise, use something similar or make something that will work.
Be creative, not everyone has the right tool for the job.
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