The PC2
The PC2(Just the thing for LAN parties.)
This project is quite old now and it took me a long time to get round to writing it up. Basically I wanted a small lightweight computer to take to LAN parties to play Quake II on. I wanted something which would be look different amongst all the beige coloured PC cases which everyone had at the time -(how things have changed).I wanted to use standard PC components, to keep the cost down, -(no notebook hard disks or special power supplies).
I measured up all the components and sketched them out on paper to get an idea of how small I could make the case. To start with, I wanted a fairly flat case like the Sony PS2, but when I laid the components out, I realised that I had to make the case a fairly boring 'box' shape in order to fit in everything. (These days, people building special computers are spoiled for choice with all sorts of special low size hardware. I could build this computer again today and make the case half the size or less.)
Construction started in typically home project style, using a chair with a piece of wood across it as a workbench and my bed as extra workspace. Thin plywood from a model shop was used for the case. This was reinforced with lengths of square section wood, which was glued into the corners. The wood was measured out and cut using a small model making saw.
The ports on the side of the motherboard were measured and a sketch made on paper. This was cut out and placed on the wooden panel which was to be the back of the case. The shape was traced out in pencil and the paper was removed again. The hole was cut out with a burr, fitted to a mini drill (or Dremel).
PVA glue was used to stick the wood together. This glue is great because it doesn't smell very much and it is quite strong when dry. It does take about 12 hours to dry though and it is not waterproof, -(not really a problem for most computers but worth considering if you are building a water-cooled computer with a wooden case). I'm sure waterproof versions of PVA wood glue exist, but I digress...
The inside of the case was lined with a thin layer of expanded foam to reduce noise and offer some protection to the components inside.
The components were stuck directly to the foam lining of the case using contact adhesive. This glue really smells so I moved the case out of my bedroom for this part of the project.
The case was hand-painted with glossy black paint and finally, the decals were traced onto the case and hand painted.
There were some nice touches on the case too, such as the discreet hard disk LED on the front of the case, which not really noticeable except when it was in use. There was also a hidden power switch, which was placed inside a ventilation hole on the back of the case, -(this sounds awkward, but it was easy to use in practice).
It was quiet too, at a time when most PCs were starting to get noisier in general. I had to experiment a bit with different CPU coolers, before I found one which was reasonably quiet and also kept the chip cool under load. I spent quite some time testing the computer to make sure it wouldn't overheat in use. The last thing anyone needs at a LAN party is a computer which flakes out in the heat of a fierce battle.
I messed about trying out different ideas, -drawing on scraps of old newspaper, trying out different paints on pieces of wood. I tried a metallic paint on the wood, but the wood just seemed to suck all the metallic flakes up! -I guess metallic paint has to be applied to a non-porous surface. I also played around with Paintbrush, trying to visualise the layout, -(these days I would use AutoCAD or Photoshop).
Sketches on a piece of newspaper
The layout was done using Paintbrush
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