Build Your Own Computer Case
Are you a person that has pride in his computers system, but is too afraid to show it off cause it's still in that grey stock-case. Here you will find tips and tricks when it comes to choosing or building your own computer case.
Steps
- Decide more or less what you want your computer to look like. Start off by doing some rough sketches followed by more intricate designs. Think about the material you will need to use to achieve your design. Will it be cardboard, wood, metal, acrylic, glass? Plan out what colors you will use, even down to small details such as LED lights, and graphics. This will allow you to revise your design and get it to a point you will be happy with.
- Think about parts you can salvage for your case. It may be that you are thinking of building a wooden case, and a second hand motherboard steel tray could fit in your case perfectly and save you the trouble of drilling holes for different motherboard sizes. Salvaging computer parts and parts of other objects (TV's, VCR's, bar fridges etc) can be very easy and cheap and can assist you with some of the more harder steps in creating a computer case. Recycling plants, online auctions, local auctions, garage sales, and even scrap bins at your local computer store can be ideal places to find cheap or free spare parts to use.
- Creating a computer case can be a complicated process. There are many elements involved that need to be considered such as size, number of drive bays, ventilation, the type of computer that will go into the case and many other aspects. Be sure to look at bare cases online and cover every avenue that you will most likely encounter.
- Make sure you have all the tools needed to complete the job. Being a Do-It-Yourself'er can be an expensive endeavor if you need to purchase all the tools required prior to building your case or while building your case. Typical tools required for wood/metal/acrylic are Jigsaw, hammer drill and/or drill press, hammer, file, sharp knife, masking tape, measuring tape, rotary tool/grinder, rivet gun, heat gun, saw, stain/varnish, spray paint (including primer, color and clear gloss), pencils/markers and various bits and pieces such as nails, screws, rivets, drill bits, clamps. Having the correct blades, bits and pieces for your drill, jigsaw, rotary tool and other equipment is also important.
- If you do not have the required experience to use a certain tool or perform any special cuts or mods then researching via books or online is invaluable. There are many videos online for DIY jobs and many specifically on case modding and building cases.
Tips
- Painting the case before any work and modding is done can be beneficial as it makes it easier to get into any nooks or crannies that may arise as a result of the work.
- Marking out screw holes needed for the motherboard can be done by either downloading the selected ATX specification or by using an old motherboard placing it on the area and penciling in each hole. Make sure this motherboard is the same size as the one you will be using, there are many different sizes such as FlexATX, microATX, miniATX, ATX, Extended ATX (EATX), workstationATX (WATX).
- Be sure to test all supporting brackets for components such as PSU, CDROM by using broken or old second hand parts. This way you do not damage any valuable equipment.
- If cutting a window or design in a panel then place masking tape on the inside of the panel like a sheet of paper. Draw your design or window on the tape. Leave tape on while drilling and cutting only to remove when the job is complete. This minimizes scratching the inside of the case and creates an easier surface to attach/draw your design.
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