Custom Raspberry Pi 500, Rasp Pi 400 inspired-CODE NAME: GIZMO

[granz]

Do you, at least, have a sheet metal break? Missing that would make things much more difficult. I have seen people make their own jury-rigged break, but that would be a bit difficult too.

Sadly, no.... I do have an old bed frame that I can cut up to make a makeshift one.

Hmmm, that could do the job - never considered that before. It would seem to me that you'll need two pieces, one for the edge of the workbench (desk, table, etc.) and one for the top of the sheetmetal.

Great idea.

[JKnightandKARR]

Do you, at least, have a sheet metal break? Missing that would make things much more difficult. I have seen people make their own jury-rigged break, but that would be a bit difficult too.

Sadly, no.... I do have an old bed frame that I can cut up to make a makeshift one.

Hmmm, that could do the job - never considered that before. It would seem to me that you'll need two pieces, one for the edge of the workbench (desk, table, etc.) and one for the top of the sheetmetal.

Great idea.

Yeah.  I'm going to try and print what i did last night, just gotta glue togeather.

[granz]

Where did you come up with the 3mm wall thickness? Is that a standard, or is it something that you came up with on your own? One of the things that I want to print is cases, and I'm trying to come up with measurements.

[Chris Savage]

Where did you come up with the 3mm wall thickness? Is that a standard, or is it something that you came up with on your own? One of the things that I want to print is cases, and I'm trying to come up with measurements.

I wasn't sure what this question was in reference to. I looked back and may have missed it, but didn't see a reference to 3mm. So, why am I replying? Well, I did want to point out that all of the stock material I have for my laser cutter / engraver (basswood and acrylic) is 3mm stock. That all comes from xTool. The stock I use in my Acrylic LED Signs is 2mm, which required me to construct a better shim for the bases.

P.S. - Most people I know use 5mm stock, which I don't have at the moment.

[JKnightandKARR]

Where did you come up with the 3mm wall thickness? Is that a standard, or is it something that you came up with on your own? One of the things that I want to print is cases, and I'm trying to come up with measurements.

Just what I think might be best. Not too thin or thick.

[JKnightandKARR]

Where did you come up with the 3mm wall thickness? Is that a standard, or is it something that you came up with on your own? One of the things that I want to print is cases, and I'm trying to come up with measurements.

I wasn't sure what this question was in reference to. I looked back and may have missed it, but didn't see a reference to 3mm. So, why am I replying? Well, I did want to point out that all of the stock material I have for my laser cutter / engraver (basswood and acrylic) is 3mm stock. That all comes from xTool. The stock I use in my Acrylic LED Signs is 2mm, which required me to construct a better shim for the bases.

P.S. - Most people I know use 5mm stock, which I don't have at the moment.

Does that work well for you?

[granz]

Where did you come up with the 3mm wall thickness? Is that a standard, or is it something that you came up with on your own? One of the things that I want to print is cases, and I'm trying to come up with measurements.

Just what I think might be best. Not too thin or thick.

Thanks. OK, that seems like a pretty good starting point for my experimenting.

[granz]

Where did you come up with the 3mm wall thickness? Is that a standard, or is it something that you came up with on your own? One of the things that I want to print is cases, and I'm trying to come up with measurements.

I wasn't sure what this question was in reference to. I looked back and may have missed it, but didn't see a reference to 3mm.

It came from Joe's reply # 28:

Created a 3-part model for the case, I've got keyboard supports built in, and all parts are 3mm thick, not inc the 6mm thick supports.  I just have to lay out all the holes for cables, ports, and the upper text, which I have to try and figure out how todo.

So, why am I replying? Well, I did want to point out that all of the stock material I have for my laser cutter / engraver (basswood and acrylic) is 3mm stock. That all comes from xTool. The stock I use in my Acrylic LED Signs is 2mm, which required me to construct a better shim for the bases.

P.S. - Most people I know use 5mm stock, which I don't have at the moment.

Thank you, this seems to confirm that Joe's guess is accurate - at least accurate enough for me to use as a starting point when I start designing my own cases.

So, 3mm to 5mm looks like a good starting thickness.

[JKnightandKARR]

Where did you come up with the 3mm wall thickness? Is that a standard, or is it something that you came up with on your own? One of the things that I want to print is cases, and I'm trying to come up with measurements.

Just what I think might be best. Not too thin or thick.

Thanks. OK, that seems like a pretty good starting point for my experimenting.

I litterally just gave a quick thought and figured less then that be flimsy, and 5 might be too thick.

[granz]

I litterally just gave a quick thought and figured less then that be flimsy, and 5 might be too thick.

That's where your experience comes in - you just thought about it, and came up with (what seems to be) a pretty good guess.

[Chris Savage]

Thank you, this seems to confirm that Joe's guess is accurate - at least accurate enough for me to use as a starting point when I start designing my own cases. So, 3mm to 5mm looks like a good starting thickness.

Granted, 3D printed enclosures aren't quite as rigid as a injection-molded polystyrene or ABS case, but they seem quite solid to me. You may remember the ones I posted that have the LCD cutouts and mounts? They were ~3mm thick.

As for the 5mm stuff, the people I know that used that were building custom clear PC enclosures. I haven't talked to those people in many years, but for a short time, I was fascinated with the clear enclosures. Then I realized you could see all the dust (bunnies) over time. LOL

[granz]

Then I realized you could see all the dust (bunnies) over time. LOL

Ha, yeah, it's not normally a good idea to see dust bunnies inside a computer.

One client that I had, manufactured metal finishing products (think world's biggest sandpaper factory!) One of the computers, out on the manufacturing floor, needed work and I started to open it up. I immediately closed it back up, and took it outside along with a few cans of compressed air. The dust inside, covering the motherboard, was over half-an-inch thick. When I started blowing the dust out, several people came running to see where the fire was!

[Chris Savage]

One client that I had, manufactured metal finishing products (think world's biggest sandpaper factory!) One of the computers, out on the manufacturing floor, needed work and I started to open it up. I immediately closed it back up, and took it outside along with a few cans of compressed air. The dust inside, covering the motherboard, was over half-an-inch thick. When I started blowing the dust out, several people came running to see where the fire was!

My computer repair horror story was from a customer that had dogs, cats and birds in her house. The PC / Desk sat right next to the bird cage. When I opened the case, the entire inside was crammed with hair and feathers. The CPU fan was completely clogged, as was the power supply. Disgusting! 

[granz]

One client that I had, manufactured metal finishing products (think world's biggest sandpaper factory!) One of the computers, out on the manufacturing floor, needed work and I started to open it up. I immediately closed it back up, and took it outside along with a few cans of compressed air. The dust inside, covering the motherboard, was over half-an-inch thick. When I started blowing the dust out, several people came running to see where the fire was!

My computer repair horror story was from a customer that had dogs, cats and birds in her house. The PC / Desk sat right next to the bird cage. When I opened the case, the entire inside was crammed with hair and feathers. The CPU fan was completely clogged, as was the power supply. Disgusting! 

Ugh! People can be pretty disgusting with their PCs.

Another job that I had (I was a database application developer, but was the only one who knew how to repair the things) I was walking through the office, and heard: hiss, hiss, hiss... I looked, and one of the girls had a hanging plant directly over her monitor (CRT.) She had just watered the plant, and it was dripping directly into her monitor! 

I grabbed the power cord for her monitor and unplugged the thing, and then explained to her that she was about to electrocute herself, or start a fire. She was suitably unnerved, so I took the plant, and moved it away from any electronics devices, and made her wait until the next day for her monitor to dry out.

[JKnightandKARR]

On side note, are the leds on the ethernet ports connected directly to the data lines?? Not required, but was thinking of grabbing ethernet port off of old system, and wiring the leds up, just for status needs obviously.

One client that I had, manufactured metal finishing products (think world's biggest sandpaper factory!) One of the computers, out on the manufacturing floor, needed work and I started to open it up. I immediately closed it back up, and took it outside along with a few cans of compressed air. The dust inside, covering the motherboard, was over half-an-inch thick. When I started blowing the dust out, several people came running to see where the fire was!

My computer repair horror story was from a customer that had dogs, cats and birds in her house. The PC / Desk sat right next to the bird cage. When I opened the case, the entire inside was crammed with hair and feathers. The CPU fan was completely clogged, as was the power supply. Disgusting! 

Ugh! People can be pretty disgusting with their PCs.

Another job that I had (I was a database application developer, but was the only one who knew how to repair the things) I was walking through the office, and heard: hiss, hiss, hiss... I looked, and one of the girls had a hanging plant directly over her monitor (CRT.) She had just watered the plant, and it was dripping directly into her monitor! 

I grabbed the power cord for her monitor and unplugged the thing, and then explained to her that she was about to electrocute herself, or start a fire. She was suitably unnerved, so I took the plant, and moved it away from any electronics devices, and made her wait until the next day for her monitor to dry out.

Yeah... I've seen some where the cpu cooler was totally clogged.