Comput3r Case Creation: Atlantean Control Panel

[ChevronX]

http://chevronx.com/comput3r-case-creation...-control-panel/

Just letting you guys know of a case I am designing and wish to create. Having done nothing about this what so ever, I really appreciate some suggustions and comments.

[killzone]

I think you got a great idea there fore a case. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but its also a good theme case.

Don't get discouraged, building from scratch is hard.

Couple of suggestions: if you temper the aluminum slightly before you cut/drill (if it is infact the material you build with) it will go even easier.

Measure twice and cut once. ;)

do you have any idea as to how you want to make the blue lighted portions of the case>?

[ChevronX]

Not really, I thought maybe having a water reservoir behind them and have some material infront of it, so it sort of gives out the bluish glow of the water. But someone had told me it was not a good idea, as it might put too much weight in the top, causing it too tip whenever pushed.

I was thinking of making it with fiberglass, and have maybe aluminum cages, just taken off old computer cases, for the harddrive etc.

At the moment I am completly lost s too what to do. My cardboard model I had tried to make fell down alot. My friend is going to help me make a more slightly better and less huge model. But seeing as this is my first time doing something like this and I like the good idea for it (The control panel) I dont want it too go wrong.

Any comments and suggustions are welcome. The views of other people will help alot here, and I having abolutly no idea with what I am doing at the moment, while I learn. Would welcome your advice.

Someone mentioned I should create a virtual copy of it in an application like AutoCAD 2008 for the measurements. I couldnt really get the hang of it, nor could I get the hang of sketchup to do what I wanted. That is why I tried to create the cardboard model.

[ShinmaRyuu]

Foam core is your friend. It's dirt cheap and really easy to put together with straight pins and makes model making a lot easier than cardboard and tape. Get yourself a few sheets, a box of straight pins, and a good box cutter with lots of blades and you should be good to go.

[digip]

Foam core is your friend. It's dirt cheap and really easy to put together with straight pins and makes model making a lot easier than cardboard and tape. Get yourself a few sheets, a box of straight pins, and a good box cutter with lots of blades and you should be good to go.

That and you can trace your cardboard cutouts as templates over the foam to cut.

If you ever watched Monster House then you could see how easy it is to carve foam blocks into shapes.

[killzone]

Foam is great! I use it to mock up as well. Sometimes eyeballing works too.

For the Blue aspects of the control panel ive seen peple do similar things by frosting plexi and then placing led's or cathodes behind them.

Frosting is easy: Simply sand with a fine grit sandpaper until desired effect is achieves (opaque - ish) (wet sand for you lungs / eyes sake)

or

Sand blast the plexi pieces, jsut be careful not to remove too much material.