Mod of the Month - July 2007

Author: Brett Thomas
Published: 30th July 2007
Comments (60) Stumble

ATX Cube Case

by Dean MF
Worklog

Some cases start out as complicated, fancy chassis by high-end case manufacturers. Others start out at a modest, bargain bin purchase of an ugly case, in an effort to make it beautiful. And still others still start out as just a few pieces of ugly metal.

Such is the case with Dean MF's ATX Cube. The foundation is designed from nothing more than iron L-brackets. It may not be the prettiest so far, or even the most unusual - but Dean MF is doing everything right for his first mod. A read through the project logs shows someone who's not afraid to ask a question, make a plan, or work with things as they change...so what may look rough around the edges to start will undoubtedly end up being a great piece in the end.

With that being said, there's still a lot of work to do. But, let's take a look at the progress so far...


Mod of the Month - July 2007 ATX Cube Case by Dean MF Mod of the Month - July 2007 ATX Cube Case by Dean MF

The ATX Cube is starting off right with some well-done plans. Each of the black bars in the Sketchup diagram is actually a piece of angle iron, which you can see he has all cut and at the ready.


Mod of the Month - July 2007 ATX Cube Case by Dean MF Mod of the Month - July 2007 ATX Cube Case by Dean MF

Some people use pop rivets, others use JB Weld. But Dean MF just welds. The angle iron pieces are properly welded to create a frame that would need a truck to hit it in order to break. Then again, that same truck may be needed to lift it.


Mod of the Month - July 2007 ATX Cube Case by Dean MF Mod of the Month - July 2007 ATX Cube Case by Dean MF

Welding isn't an exact science, so the corners needed cleaned up a bit. Fortunately, a bit of bondo and some sanding later, and they look perfectly smooth - as if it was one piece of metal.


Mod of the Month - July 2007 ATX Cube Case by Dean MF Mod of the Month - July 2007 ATX Cube Case by Dean MF

The tray and backplate were scrounged from an old case, dismantled and wet sanded. By roughing up the surface a bit, it was easier for the black paint to stick, leaving a nice and soft matte finish.


Mod of the Month - July 2007 ATX Cube Case by Dean MF Mod of the Month - July 2007 ATX Cube Case by Dean MF

The base of the cube is made of wood, and Dean MF made sure to drill some holes to help ease ventilation concerns underneath the motherboard. Once some standoffs are put in, we don't see it being a problem anymore.

It may not have the most unusual or eye-catching design, but some days it doesn't seem like there's enough people working to just build a proper job from the ground up. If you want to see a case that's built well through and through, there's no excuse not to check out Dean MF's worklog.

If you think this mod should win this month's competition, don't forget to vote for it in this thread! Voting closes on 9th August 2007.

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