Clear Box PC

This project is my attempt at making a small server with a custom case. The parts were leftover from an old Dell I had. The case I chose to build from acrylic. It's about 11" x 11" x 5.5".

Parts

  • Intel Celeron 2.2GHz CPU
  • 256MB RAM PC2100
  • Dell motherboard w/ video/audio
  • Western Digital 160Gb HDD
  • Seasonic mATX 200W PSU

The Build

Using my experience with the cardboard computer, I decided to build this in the same way. I would make the case the size of the motherboard, and put everything above it. The motherboard is 10"x10". While this isn't the greatest size, I didn't want to spend any money on a smaller board. First I drew up the case in CAD.

Once again, the power supply sits atop the PCI slots. The harddrive is attached to the side of the case. Air comes in the top over the CPU, and is exhausted by the power supply. I took pics and modeled the computer in 3D to get a better idea of the finished piece.

Here is a dry fit of the pieces cut out roughly. I used .22" acrylic, wierd size but it is definitely thick enough for this work.

The most difficult part by far was cutting the holes for the motherboard. I put the standoffs directly into the acrylic, they fit perfect into a 1/8" hole.

I cut out the power supply and IO plate with a scroll saw. The lid's fan exhaust was done with a drill press. And finally, the on/off was drilled and the LEDs were sealed with silicone.

After everything was cut, it was all glued with Weldon #4. This is nasty stuff, but quite easy to use. It won't ship via air, or to southern California, so it's a little hard to get ahold of. I bonded it together over a few days, with the components removed.

The pieces bonded together quite well. I acquired some clear acrylic hinges as well for the lid. These were also able to be bonded instead of screws or bolts.

In the end, it looks quite good, and cooling feels sufficient. It's kind of strange to have the io plate on one side, power on another, on/off another, and the lid hinges on the last side. But that's just the way it had to work out.

Conclusion

The computer probably won't be used until I return to school, where it could be used as a file server, DVR, or some other type of server function. It was good to see how easy it is to work with acrylic, and the acrylic bond worked amazingly well.