Making my own mini-rack from old cases...

[chsh1ca]

Okay, the story is, I have 3 older mid-tower cases, 3 functional PSUs, and etc, but I want to make a more efficient use of my space. What I'm looking at doing is cutting up (via cutting torch) the cases and welding them together in my own configuration so I can use the systems in them in a sort of 3' cubed mini-rack.
My reason for using cases and not just going and getting some angle iron or something stronger like that for this is:
A) I already have the cases
B) I am not very experienced at welding, so if I botch it up, I won't feel so bad.
C) I want to redo the cases, since they are designed to all support regular mid-tower ATX motherboards, but I have all 3 as micro-ATX boards.

I have a couple questions though.
Assuming I can weld well enough to not weaken it structurally, is the material used in normal run of the mill cases strong enough for what I'm proposing?
Can anyone recommend any sites where someone may have already done this?

I can slap up some design ideas sometime soon, but basically my idea is to have the 3 hard drive bays sideways along the front of the case, slots for 3 cd drives facing outward, and slots for 3 floppies facing outward.

Comments/suggestions people have on the idea are very welcome.

 

[GAZZA]

Not having done much welding myself I do know that the thickness of the material you'll be welding is not very thick and I reckon you'll be burning holes in it left right and center, especially if you have never done any welding before.
You might be better off brazing it or rivetting or even bolting it together.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Try using some stiff plumbers straps and pop rivets.

 

[chsh1ca]

Yeah, after speaking to a welding-type friend I have, he suggested the same thing. So now I'm going to be pop riveting it. Just gotta dig out the dremel and start cutting (after I come up with a coherent plan).

I'm thinking that to save some vertical space, I would mount the motherboards up in an alternating fashion, since I will need 2 PCI slots for network and video.

Something like:
==MB1==XXXXX
XXXXX==MB2==
==MB3==XXXXX

Where X = open space for cards. Thoughts on this idea? If I manage to get this done over the weekend (when I'm aiming to do it) I'll post pics and my plans.

 

[amdskip]

Good luck, I'm not quite sure what its gonna look like so do post pics.

 

[chsh1ca]

Update: Well, I've assembled all the tools and the digital camera I need to get pics. I'm going to start work tonight. My project was delayed because of a last minute decision on my part to spend our (our meaning Canadians) recent holiday weekend with relatives instead of at home.

So far, for step 1, I've unscrewed everything that is removable from the cases, and pulled the plastic covers off, making sure to grab the switches for both power supplies off the cases, as well as the removable LEDs and such that I will be using later. I have yet to decide if I'm going to use the two plastic fronts to the cases, but since they are slightly different sizes, I'm unsure of how practical that is.

Now that I have a Dremel, I'm going to drill out the rivets, and disassemble the cases into parts, and draw up some design on how best to put them together.

I've been contemplating picking up a new pack of LEDs to try and make the set look identical (one case had square LEDs and another had larger round LEDs), but I'm wondering what people think of that idea? Good/Bad/Don't bother?
Also, I'm trying to think of an easy way to cut the case covers up, as the metal there is pretty thick, and I don't feel like spending a lot of money on Dremel cutting wheels. I'm thinking a hacksaw might do it, but not being at all experienced, I don't know how easily/difficult that would be, or if it would really destroy the Dremel cutting wheels. Tips/Suggestions on how to do that portion would be appreciated.