Under the Knife
With the green light in terms of internal components, we then began focusing upon the case design. Looking at the bare skeleton frame of the SN41G2, we realized that the motherboard tray was essential to keep life as simple as possible when mounting the motherboard. The remaining frame however was relatively useless for this application and was removed through the use of a trusty Dremel tool.
In order to build a custom case, we need to select a material which will be easy to work with and limitless in possible appearances. The best choice at our disposal was a thick acrylic sheet which could be purchased at the local hardware chain store. This material was chosen due to its strength, workability, and light weight. In addition, it can be found in varying thicknesses to suite whatever application we might have for it. The most helpful characteristic of this material though is the fact that it is clear. This proves to be priceless when lining up holes and trying to determine correct spacing as you can visually confirm things on the other side are where they should be. All initial construction with this material will be done using various epoxies, with the chief product being ‘Liquid Nails’. This product has an extremely strong bond and dries clear to ensure it won’t have any adverse effects on the final look and appearance of the system.
Before we get into designing the case, we thought it best to see what we were working with. Taking a 3/8′ piece of tubing and placing it within the original case dimensions, we confirm that the original design does not give us enough space to work with effectively. In order to have everything in place, completely internal, and functioning properly we will have to scrap the current format and design an entirely new component orientation. We’ll tackle that challenge next week in the second installment of this project. Between now and then, brainstorm some ideas and see if you come to the same conclusion we did.
