Sometime within the next several weeks, I'll be posting a project-summary for my "Chrome Lightning" case-mod. The "thinking" about the project began around November 2006, and the actual sheet-metal and other work started around end of February, 2007.
I have an associate who runs a hole-in-the-wall computer store a couple miles from here. In addition to his store-front business, he acquires many discarded computers and components, and augments revenue by recycling the cyber-junk. On my end, I have to drive 15 or 20 miles each way to dump cyber-junk at a designated county landfill, and I have to pay $8 for each visit. So we arrived at a tacit agreement that he could have my cyber-junk for free if I could occasionally pick items from his cyber-junk pile -- either for free or for a couple dollars -- depending on the level of reciprocation in electronic trash.
For about six months, a complete 1994 Compaq ProLiant Server case stood in his outer shop -- with four two-inch-high SCSI drives, the back-plane, motherboard, video card -- all the LEDs -- the whole enchilada. Initially, I thought it was too big, and didn't warrant my interest. But I changed my mind. We settled on $10, and I later returned the SCSI drives with a cyber-junk delivery.
I'd acquired a few other used-computer discards -- a 1997 IBM Pentium II midtower, and a 1999 Dell Pentium III midtower. As the project took shape, I had an epiphany of inspiration for using components from these latter computers to mod the ProLiant.
So it will be interesting to gauge the interest in the project when I finally finish organizing and selecting photos, and get it written up. Even so, there are some previews scattered among recent posts here in this forum -- most notably my recent pontifications about "Motherboard Ducting."
It will also be interesting, since computer magazines and web-sites such as this one seek to promote the sale of new products in the industry. So the publishing forums for this type of project might raise ambivalence toward "cyber-junk-recycling."
You'll want to get familiar with some local hardware stores, specialty tool stores and sheet-metal stores. My local sheet-metal provider also features a store-front operation that offers a variety of specialty-tools (e.g., drills, drill-bits, pop-rivet supplies, paint, calipers, tap-and-die parts and kits, etc.)
Just as an initial recommendation, I'd suggest you acquire some tools depending on the level and sort of case-building or case-modding you intend to pursue:
1) For measuring, in addition to plastic and metal rulers with a certain precision on the metric scale, a cheap, $20 Centech digital caliper-micrometer comes in very handy.
2) A decent Dremel tool with an assortment of cutting wheels, drill-bits, polishing and sanding wheels, etc. Dremel is "the best," but there are some cheap knock-offs that can be had which I've nevertheless found to be nearly equal in reliability -- from AllTrade and Harbor-Freight (Pittsburgh and Chicago tool companies). For cutting plastic, get some "saw" wheels, and for cutting metal, the fiberglass-reinforced cutting wheels for various grades of mild steel can be had at various hardware stores in 2" diameters, such as ACE. MNPCTECH.com also offers Dremel-compatible cut-off wheels.
3) A "nibbler" for punching through sheet-metal of various grades. A cheap manual spring-loaded model can be had at Radio Shack for about $10. Harbor Freight offers a motorized nibbler for about $50.
4) A pop-rivet tool and an assortment of pop-rivets (steel or aluminum) in various sizes.
5) An assortment of good files -- flat, triangular and rat-tail
6) Some people prefer hole-cutting drill-attachments for cutting fan-holes, but I've found a dremel cutoff wheel to be up to the task, which allows you to leave rigidity-enhancing "frames" of sheet-metal spanning the hole.
7) A $7 spring-loaded punch will help you keep your Makita from skating on sheet-metal and promote accurate hole-drilling. And a good set of carbide drill-bits will come in handy.
8) 6-32, 4-40, 8-32 and 10-32 tap-and-die threaded hole-taps for these standard screw sizes, the drill-bits for cutting holes to be tapped, and the hand-tool for the taps which allow you to manually cut the threads.
9) If you plan to work with Lexan sheets (for case side-panel windows, for instance) and if you need to bend or shape Lexan, you can use a $30 heat-gun from Harbor-Freight. It is even possible to "blow" curved bubble-shapes in Lexan with an air-compressor, home-made mold and a heat-gun.
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