Planning to make my custom case.

[superfrog76]

So, after a lot of back and forth; I've abandoned the idea to put my 1200 board in the 1000 case (the case went down the drain with the owner; it happens when people get too greedy).

Now, I've visited few stores, and sadly, there is not a single desktop case with slim profile, that would fit the 1200 board plus extras....which force me to the sad truth: I must build one from scratch.

Which options do I have? I saw custom made of wood...but wood is the worst choice for a computer that should dissipate heat (plus the heat warps the wood...at least looking at the wooden spoon that we use to cook ), and a 1200 with AC adapter and accelerator board is not exactly cold.

Altho I was suggested to go to craft places, and get basically a wooden box and then customize it, so at least I have a solid base to start with.

The other option is to buy something made by a case maker, but I have not found any that makes custom cases in USA; I see modders that modify tower computers, but nobody that makes the case from scratch.

Last thing that I was looking into, is plastic (the one used to make cases for things like raspberry pi, minimig and such...not sure what kind of plastic is that); I may be able to order the sheets cut as I want, and either glue them or use screws, but I am not sure about having a transparent case, nor if I can spray paint it, without somehow cause a fire hazard

The option to make it with the 3d printer is not feasible, nor I know if is possible to have parts made of ABS plastic, like the original 1200 case, from a company, if you give them the specs...from what I heard, they don't make single unit, and I don't really need 500 case (unless someone want to share the load and buy ? )

Not sure how many of you attempted the transplant of a 1200 board in some different case; I've found only few projects, made many years ago on the site; and they inspired me because they look quite nice

I am all ears...any suggestion would help, since I am not exactly a modder....I built a bird house with plywood...so I can make square things

[superfrog76]

I love you Thanks! They sell it at the local computer store I think I saw it but since they had just the box, I was not able to figure out if it was big enough, and if it has a good internal layout to place the board.

Indeed it is a really nice starting point; and being made of metal, allow me to screw on top either some decorative piece of painted wood or ABS; Or I can paint it directly (in "Amiga white") without fear

As side note; is there a quick way to adapt a keyboard? I will get the adapter from Amigakit (the one that you stick on top of the chip on the motherboard), but if there is another option I am available to explore.

Also for the power: I have an ATX PC power supply; would be better to get one of these laptop AC adapter (12 or 15V, about 75-90W), and use that adapter from Steadman, in conjunction with a picoPSU?

I love the 1200 case but I need space on the desk...I can save the PS2 keyboard in the drawer when I don't use it, and keep the Amiga ready to be used under my monitor

Thanks!

[superfrog76]

I see, so it is it any better than a PicoPSU 120W? I could fit probably the whole power AC and picoPSU inside the case, and have more space, compated to the flex-ATX PSU (at the cost of 100 dollars extra thou)

So the only way is the ps/2 adaptor then...I was hoping that I can just somehow use the original keyboard and stretch the cable to a size that is longer than the original ribbon cable

Getting the case today; will post some photos of how is coming up together I have the A1200 tag from the original case, and probably will have to make a decal for the AMIGA name and the boing ball on the top

Thanks!

[superfrog76]

Well, isn't the original PSU 65W? I've heard that it is not enough to power an expansion board (I have a 030/50, 64 mb), plus the CF card and the DVD rom.

90W should suffice then? I see people using 300W PSU for their case conversion...what the heck do they put in?

[superfrog76]

So, I've ordered the material needed; and for the case I am planning to keep the motherboard a bit closed to the center, since the only 3 ports that I will use will be the joystick and mouse ports.

The video is done trough a scart to HDMI converter; so I will keep the scart cable and the HDMI converter inside the case, leaving out only the HDMI cable for the output.

The power is internal, so I will not have to expose the power connector.

Now, is there a way to extend the 9 pin ports? I can get a serial cable, but I am looking for a way to fix the port to the case; and I don't recall to see any bracket with serial connectors...do I have to make my own?

I am planning to cover the back of the case with acrylic, and then cut trough the acrylic to fix the ports that I need (HDMI, 2 serial, the power cord)..is this OK or should I do things in a different way? Better ask before playing frankenstein with my dremel

Thanks!

[superfrog76]

Thanks Som Last time that I tried soldering a connector, people on the other side of the world started to scream in pain and anger I am ok with bigger items, but the connector is too small for my fat fingers

I will try to find something like you posted....the guy does not ship in USA sadly; will check my electronic store, hoping that he does not ask a hand a an arm for it (they robbed me 12 dollars for a serial cable; when I was making my joystick LOL).

I do not have a MIG Welder; probably either I have to bolt it, glue it or put rivets It sounds simple enough for me; after all I will need just 4 plugs going out of the case.

Will post pictures as soon as I start; I placed the order for the keyboard adapter and the case yesterday Thanks!

[superfrog76]

So, time for an update

Got some parts here and there….the Lyra, and a PicoPSU with brick (the one that I have already is too big and won't fit in the case); and of course the case.

First thing first; today I was able to open the box and actually see the case for the first time! It is larger probably than an A1000 case, but slimmer than a 2000, which makes me happy!

I've take it apart and tried to fit stuff, and here comes the issues, for which I am sure that you may have some logic suggestions.

1) I need to fit CD and floppy, but there is no space for the floppy, if I put it on the front. The cage that sustain the CD is fine; I have cut off the lip that was supporting it on the base of the case (it has 4 screws, so it will be solid enough, plus I have on the board the caddy for the HDD, which will support the cage), but there is no way to put the floppy inside, facing forward…..so the alternative is either the floppy sideways to the left, under the cd cage, and cut the case on the left, or remove the cd and put a floppy adapter (don't even know if anyone sell them), to fit the floppy in the CD bay (which means that I will just have to cut the actual CD cover plate).

The mobo leave no space to add the floppy facing forward; I even tried to place it on the area where the usb ports are (they are removable, so I can just cut trough and make the slit for the floppy); another option that I was experimenting, was to put a riser under the mobo, so I can place the floppy under it, but I am not sure if it is a good idea or not

2) the case is made to support micro atx boards, and I am planning to remove the shield from the bottom of the mobo, so I am not sure exactly what I can place at the bottom to avoid that the board will just short on the case and fry…the Amiga has no holes except 2 if I recall correctly, plus the accelerator board would be hanging if I raise the Amiga without supporting it too….and I am concerned about use a wood board under to support it, since it heats up a lot….what would be the best way to place and support the mobo?

3) I have taken apart the case and painted it white; now I am planning to make some stencil to put a boing red ball on the top of the case, and the AMIGA text on the side, but I am not sure if there is a better way to do so, like ordering a laser cut plate? I've attached few pictures to show how does it look now just painted white.

The main pain was to sand it down; overall the paint seems to be fine, without causing too many bad effects, like bubbling or orange skin effect, but the front plate is the one that is giving me the most pain of all….it is not made of plastic only, but they had the brilliant idea to put some sort of aluminum plate, with very thin grooves…can't explain honestly, it feels like metal brushed with small thin grooves in circles; if you see the picture of the front plate you can have an idea.

Anyway, the issue is that there is a pretty evident channel where the plate has been placed, and I was not able to paint that in a nice way, so in some areas got oversprayed and look not that nice….I may try to sand it down again, and remove the metal plate.

[superfrog76]

And this is how it looks after painting, 2 coats and 4 coats.

Waiting for the paint to dry, and tomorrow I will take some pictures showing the internal arrangement attempts

[superfrog76]

The problem is that I have a full size DVD drive, not the slim one (

Found brackets to resize the floppy to 5.25; I can use the bay cover to make a floppy opening, but this means to renounce to the dvd then.

Thanks! I am glad that you liked the paint job Used Rust Oleum universal spray can; they are good for any material, and has the primer, so you need just one product.

I sanded the case (altho not to bare metal), and did 4 pass each, in 15 minutes interval…not perfect but for being my first case painting job, I think is decent

Today I didn't  accomplished too much; I will get an acrylic sheet at the local store, so I can use it as base for the motherboard; I will also get a fan to be placed where the PSU should go, so I get some air out of the case (1 fan should be enough; the Amiga is fan less, and in the worst case, I will grab a small fan for the accelerator CPU). I've ordered the 9 pin extension cable so I can bolt them on the PCI covers.

Next step: solder the ATX connector on the bottom of the Amiga power connector, so I can use the picoPSU

[superfrog76]

Yes, I used a Lyra adapter, the connector has already a plate so you can mount it easily.

I can't use a microswitch keyboard because it is too loud But it is nice to be able to use either an Amiga keyboard from a 1000-2000-3000-4000 or a generic windows keyboard.

I will try also a usb keyboard with the adapter for PS/2; I was told that some are working.

[superfrog76]

Y all

Some updates! Long week, but glad that finally the weekend is here

So, I tried to fit stuff in it, and so far I had to change my mind 3-4 times about how to fit all in, but now it seems that I've found a decent configuration, which allow me to keep everything in a decent position, and also that there is enough air going trough the case.

There are few pictures showing how did I positioned the components.

- I've made a piece of wood as the base for the mobo, in this way I can Screw it to the bottom of the case, and screw the mobo on the top of the wood, and nothing should move around. I am aware that wood does not conduce nicely as metal (in fact it is an insulant, not a conductor), but the board does not heat up too much...the only thing that heat up is the accelerator board, so I have made a hole below it, to place a small fan to blow directly on it.
AFAIK, no amiga 1200 with accelerator has ever needed a fan, so I should be OK

- I have placed the mobo 180 degrees, so the connectors will face the inside of the case, not the outside; this gives me space to put the video->scart->dvi converter board, cables and connectors. I am using extensions for the joystick and mouse ports, so no big deal. I don't use any of the other port (parallel, disk).

- The floppy ended up being on top of the raiser used to hook up the 2.5'' drives on the case; I've tried my best to place the floppy at the bottom, or under the CD drive, but there was no space whatsoever to do anything, so I ended up placing it on the raiser. Now I need to cut a hole trough the case and the front plate...if anyone has suggestions about how to do a clean job, I am all ears. I have a dremel and the cuts that I make are anything but straight; plus it makes the edge very irregular and I have no clue how to smooth it out.

- I have the HDMI board hanging for now, but I need a solution to mount it on a PCI cover ....does anyone has a suggestion about how to do so? I see that regular PCI cards has a screw that hook the metal plate to the board, but the HDMI board that I have, has no place to put a screw. As now I have the HD metal caddy positioned at the bottom, to keep it in position, but I need a plate for it.

- The HDMI board needs a 5V connection; altho I am not sure if the one coming from the PSU will be fine. The board has a small AC adapter (5V, 1A), I want to avoid to use it, since I can take the power directly from the PSU....is that a good idea?

- Does anyone has instructions about where to solder the cables for an ATX connector? I have purchased an ATX connector, to plug into the PicoPSU, but I would like to solder the connector on the bottom of the board, where the power connector is; instead than trash a PSU and use the original connector. I was not able to find a good set of instructions that show how to do so, and I don't want to trash the miggy

- Tomorrow maybe I will get the extension for the 2 serial connectors, so I can put them on the back plate, or maybe on the right side, like the A1000.

- Does anyone knows what would  be a good way to copy the AMIGA text from the 1200 case ?I tried to find a similar font but I had no luck finding it; I would like to make a stencil and use it to paint it on the front panel. I never did such things, so I am not sure how to do it. I am planning to put a boing ball on the top; I've purchased a sticker paper in bright red with glossy coat; so it will be perfect! I just need to use the little hobby knife to cut the boing ball parts and put it on the case; then I want to spray paint on top of it a coat of clear coat paint (the one used for the cars), so I can put a layer on top of the case and protect the sticker....I will put a monitor on top of it so I don't want to ruin it

man...was a productive day Sorry for the many questions, and hope that I didn't bore you to death LOL

Can't wait to turn on the spaceship...I mean, my Amiga

[superfrog76]

Hey PantherHZ Thanks!

Yup, using the standard one; I don't even know how to mod a regular floppy, so I tried to just use what I have already available. I live in USA, so I can't order from the stores online because they are all located in UK or Germany, which means that it cost me an arm and a leg to order I usually make one single big order with all that I need, to minimize the costs, and sadly I've already ordered recently....so gotta use the amiga floppy.

So I can use a filer? I am just concerned to warp the aluminum, but who cares...as you said it goes under the front plate, so no biggie.

I was dreaming of making the face plate like the one in the Amiga 3000, 1000 or even the mac classic, but I realize that they are injected mold, not made by hand, so probably I would just make a mess doing it by hand I would like a nice solution for the drive, and would like to avoid to show the standard floppy front pane, which looks so "pc style"

Now the problem is to figure out a way to make it stable; tried to adapt HDD brackets but the screws are in different places, so gotta find a way to lock securely the floppy...I will not use it too often, since the majority of the time I will use the internal drive, but I don't want to push the button and send the drive flying into the case

BTW, is there any solution for the expansion card slot? I would like to have something like a flat ribbon cable, so I can put the accelerator card in a different position from the mother board. So far I've found nothing, except the expansion card that let you use PCI on the amiga, but I simply want an extension of the expansion connector, nothing fancy

Thanks!

[superfrog76]

Iggy, that's the case that I have painted and modded to fit my Miggy

What kind of board you want to put in? All the Amiga boards are more or less bigger than any miniATX, unless you are talking of Amigaone boards

[superfrog76]

Another update:

Got my cables, so now I am adding the 9 pin connectors to the back plates; the Lyra has it's own plate so I am done with the connectors.

Next now is to fix the floppy and cut the holes for it! Sadly the caddy that came with the case does not have the holes in the right position, so I guess that either I drill the caddy, or I must find a different approach.

I've also found that the metal brushed front plate was glued, so I was able to remove it. I will sand again and paint the front plate, after making the cut for the floppy.

I am still looking for a way to fix the HDMI board on the back plate....I had no luck finding anyone doing anything similar, so I am kinda stuck with that Any help would be really appreciated

Pictures coming soon

[superfrog76]

I gave a try to the floppy...usign the dremel I cut a slit, and then tried to make it pretty, with a round drop shape....the results are quite horrible LOL

Will try with the filer and see if I can make it prettier...it is hard to use the cut tool on the dremel!

I've done McGuyver work on the floppy; screwing one hole and making a handmade metal L plate, to hold the other side; I dare anyone to do worst than what I did Will post some pictures later. Anyway now it is secured on the case, even better than on the original Amiga

One thing is for sure: this case will never be converted back again after all the cuts and damages that I've done to it

Regarding the HDMI card, I went again McGuyver and made my own support: top of a CD jewel case as base, got a PCI bracket out of a network card (4 bucks), and cut it to let the connectors to be reachable. Then I screwed on top of it the HDMI card, securing it with one screw and some elastic bands....just looking at it gives a new meaning to the word "ugly", but works

Last thing left now is to put the mobo back in, and fix it permanently in the case, cut a side hole for the PCMCIA card slot; fix the power switch to the case (probably will put it on one of the cover plates that I made at this point, or I could just make another hole on the case....WTH ) and the power connector, to power the PicoPSU.

I hope it will turn on