DIY diy build make making computer cases case modding Always try to improve society rather than just take from it. Until then, lawyer stuff. Those using this information do so entirely at their own risk. This is because the author simply does not want some parasitic lawyer coming on heavy because some damn fool thinks they are some brilliant engineer, or stubbed their toe and wants a fortune because they happen to be stupid. I put my knowledge on the web to help make a better world, not so that some damn fool can sue me. As lawyers get richer the rest of society gets poorer. Always use your vote to keep lawyers out of politics. Errors and omissions excepted. Contents subject to change without notice. All material herein is subject to copyright, patent and other intellectual property rights. All rights reserved. Copyright (C) J.Partridge. 2004.

The monographs with the fewest replies get dumped to make way for others. So if you liked this monograph, email, and offer any advice or things you would like added, so that I can make it more useful to all. See also my monographs on Affordable Computing and DIY Water-cooling.

I first got into modding computers in 1980, and with many engineering qualifications and a couple of (British) degrees in technology and science, I've learnt a lot about computing since. Although a trainee technology teacher in 1990, my Jobcentre has yet to find me a teaching job, - Gizzajob, please.
The most important is that most Brits do not want to build their own if it is too difficult, which is a shame. The many clever Brits are all too often unemployed, so it must not be expensive, no matter how complex or stylish a computer case may be.

This monograph is like most of mine, with basic design process plus a couple of design examples to show how it's done.

First a run through simple modding, side panels and front faces which is the basic stuff.

Secondly, designing and building your own computer room and desktop and seat, as the monkey in front of the screen is always the most important item.

Then designing and building your own dream case.

The first case design example in the monograph is yer basic MDF box, perhaps with a little flair, but more importantly, with some reasonable design considerations, easy to make, even for 12 year olds.

The second part is also simple, but offers the ability to make a very cheap and easy 'designer' computer case. But the difference is always in the finish and subtlety of design.

The third part is merely a general reappraisal of design, then other places to go in your imagination with your skills.

The parts are easy, but more importantly teach the reader how to design first, then build afterwards. Britain is full of superb designers who need to encourage the next generation. Unfortunately, the modern British education system rarely seems to go beyond making stuff on paper or computers. As a teacher, I saw masses of excellent engineering equipment being dumped from schools to make way for more computers. No wonder kids don't learn how to use their hands. Being able to actual build is vitally important too. All to often in Britain, those who can't- teach. (Those who can, like me, end up stacking shelves in supermarkets.)
As you can guess, an unemployed technology and science teacher, (male, over 40 years old, and Anglo-Saxon B.Ed, B.Sc. etc) I only offer my skills via the internet. The levels of teaching I now see in British schools appall me. The local technology college for 11 to 16 yr olds is pathetic. No wonder Britain is loosing a world class manufacturing and design base. Technology and the mind-set to produce the best is handed down through the generations, otherwise the core knowledge which can never be found in books is lost for ever. This last two generations have made a open gap which can never be rebuilt and as such, Britain has lost its one decent advantage over the rest of the world good design and good engineering. Since WW2, three quarters of Japan's and the USA's engineering has been built upon British fundamental design and research, but today we import nearly all our TV's computers, cars and so much else.

Britain can and indeed must do a lot better.
Please vote to keep lawyers out of politics.

Pretty, or pretty awful.
There is a predisposition in this facile and shallow world to make computers look exciting - at any cost. A bit like the TV home make-over programmes we all love to hate. The use of clear side panels, illuminated fans, strip lights and glowing front panels are often more akin to tacky furniture components or amusement arcades, - they just happen to be fitted to a sophisticated piece of engineering. One day, these may only survive as joyful and gay or rather embarrassing reminiscences in the pub.

Better design is always possible.

As this is a hands on webpage, let's start with the simple stuff.

Side Panels.

If making holes in steel sheet, then small holes can be done with a hole cutter, but are rarely worth the effort. A large hole will require a jig saw or cold chisel or angle grinder. If chiselling out a hole, always make sure it is kept flat. Then trim the edges to allow the cover to remain flat. To prevent distortion in large thin flat panels, a grinder is best, but can be dangerous. A better solution is a cheap Jig Saw or to take your time with a decent, fine tooth hacksaw blade wrapped with cloth for a handle.
Most side panels are pressed with indentations to maintain rigidity and a modicum of style. Use these deformations as a guide to the panels shape, but keep the small pre-forms to retain rigidity and make a recessed mounting flange for the clear sheet.
For those who want something better once they have cut out an enormous hole, consider hiring a joggler. It is a special tool for off-setting the edges of car body panels, allowing a small stepped flange to be made which can maintain alignment and onto which to glue the clear panel. Jogglers can be hired from most tool hire centres.

There is no need to screw or fix the clear plastic to steel unless it is to have a hard life. It is much easier to simply glue it in place. Strong bathroom sealant is easy, but always mask off the clear areas before use. It may be preferable to tint or gradient shade the plastic first, to match the rest of the casing. Perhaps spraying in the original case colour, but fading into the clear areas for a smooth effect.

It is accepted that clear panels in computers are a little tongue in cheek approach to computing. Therefore it is but one step from the plastic gold fish, shark and jelly fish inside the case held by a strand of cotton or fine wire. Rocks and ferns are optional, as are temperature displays of all sorts. Also consider little pieces of light cotton or silk to show the airflow inside the case is correct. (Well, you need a genuine excuse for some of this stuff.)

Cutting a hole and fitting a fan in the side of the case also causes noise during use, but can be mounted using strong double sided foam adhesive pads to reduce drumming from an imbalanced fan. A ring of foam rubber plus strong glue makes for a better seal of a rubber mounted fan. In some cases, case fans are not worth the effort or cost, while some simply make the system worse.

Few if any think that cutting a hole then placing a cooling extraction fan on the top of the case was a good idea in hindsight. It may make good sense thermodynamically, but awful sense with regard to noise and also prevents using the top of the case for placing things on. It also encourages loose pens, coffee and worse to find its way to the innards.

Most ventilation holes cut into cases are less than wonderful. Look to the bonnet (hood) of the classic E-type Jag for true inspiration.
Perhaps consider drawing the area of opening, perhaps a circle, in pencil then a series of parallel lines about 10mm apart. The first line crossing though the centre of the circle for a neat look. Then cut slots along these lines, using a miniature grinding disc, or an unsupported 10" hacksaw blade. Use a wooden guide to keep straight lines. Once the central slot is made, insert the hacksaw blade and lengthen the slot to the edge of the circle. Insert a strong knife blade or similar item to lever open out the slots. Then insert a tapered bar, such as a spoon or poker, sliding it sideways to widen the slots as much as possible. Opening up the slots by sliding the bar sideways will create even slots all pointing in one direction and with smooth edges. With a little effort, some really neat slots can be made. Finally smooth the edges of the slots with some emery cloth or a small smooth file. It may not need painting if you have been careful.

These slots will deflect the airflow, offering little more resistance than an open hole. Where the insides of the slots touch the fan, use some rubber foam to space the fan off the case. Camping foam mats will often suffice. Such slots not only look neater, but can be a little quieter, especially if pointing away from the operator. When made on the side of the case and pointing down, they can prevent spillage and dirt entering the case.
If wanting a little more ventilation on the side of the case and not near a fan, consider long, thinner slots for passive ventilation.
I like to fit a set of thin slots in the bottom and the top of a side panel to allow warm air to escape convectively and allow a small draught across the back of the motherboard.

Front panels.

Making a tinted plastic or wood effect front panel.
Front panels of computers are still a bit of a joke. Although some attempts to make sculpted or stylised panels are attempted, most computers tend towards the least offensive with a basic front panel.

You may have a computer which otherwise works brilliantly but looks damn ugly, or perhaps 'just not quite right'. In these days of house make-overs and such like, the front of the computer may also move with the times.

Two main forms mentioned here. Wooden forms and edge lighted tinted clear plastic, But there are many cross over effect as well, including foam and filler.

A wooden front panel, sculpted to your preference may take time, but not cost much. Finding some matching sticky vinyl wood effect sheet will suffice for the rest of the machine and can be easily removed if not successful.
Take the front off the computer. It is usually held by a few easily broken plastic tabs, so be very careful, and perhaps a handful of self tapping screws. Also disconnect the LED and switch wires. Keep the front panel intact should the project not work out as well as hoped.
Remove the front panels and trot down to your local wood supplier, or scavenge in skips or dumpsters for a nice piece of wood.
Cut to size, then cut the slots, and finally sculpt the front to your personal preference. Then check the fit, and remove before finally finishing off with plenty of elbow grease, smooth sandpaper, then many layers of French polish or tinted lacquer or wood stain to match any side panel wood effect adhesive films.
Do not forget to fit any extra front panel USB and sound card connections, and a small inset for any badge to make it look truly professional.

Always take the opportunity for making life easier in use. -
If you have a digital camera, then you can also add a small slot for 2xAA batteries for charging using the 5volt rail and a current limiter. Inserting a cheap battery holder into the front of the case is not difficult.
If your scanner or other item needs a small 12 volt supply, then this can be mounted inside the case, and a switch and socket can be fitted at the front for convenience.
If you work in a dark room, then you may with to fit a couple of small white LEDS into the top fit the case, to shine down over the keyboard or your work area.
If you get it wrong first time, then have another go, perhaps you would prefer to make a simpler frame from a central section, the width of a CD drive and add two side beams to make up the width of the case and make a stronger front panel.
Use your imagination, it may be just a piece of wood, but it is also the extent of your imagination, and cost noting but merely time and effort.

Tinted clear panels.
Not all computers want a simple piece of wood, painted or varnished at the front. Some people want flashy looks or glitz.
Take the front off the computer. It is usually held by a few easily broken plastic tabs, so be very careful, and perhaps a handful of self tapping screws. Also disconnect the LED and switch wires. Keep the front panel intact should the project not work out as well as hoped.
Retain the wires to the power switch and the LED lights with the front panel. They can be replaced with other wires, switches and lights. See later.
For clear plastic panels, the underside front of the computer looks a stamped out tin mess. The first step is to clean it up with a thin sheet of aluminium or steel or wood or plastic or simply a piece of strong card. Sources include aluminium trays or offcuts from some metal merchants or scrap yards. Aluminium is best, as it is easier to cut and polishes well. The easiest is strong card, with a few neatly placed strips of adhesive alloy foil as used for guttering repair, available from most builders merchants. Cooking foil over cardboard also works well, as it can be polished flat or crinkled or folded for any effect you wish. Each side offers a different finish of shiny and matt.
To prevent distortion of thin alloy film, always use a thin wash paste over the cardboard, so the foil can be smoothed down perfectly, without any bumps or irregularities from dabs of ordinary glues.
Mark around the CD's and floppy then trim the panel to fit. Or use the old panel as a cutting guide. As the alloy or card will be retained by the front plastic, it need only be retained by a few dimples of blue tacky putty at this stage.

The computer shown here has a tinted acrylic front panel which uses pressure points for the power and reset buttons. It now has a glass top and also uses a water wall to run the processors at less than tepid temperatures. See water-cooling monograph.

The thick sheet of tinted acrylic sheet can be found from sign makers or from specialist modelling stores or from the average DIY store. I've used an old Hi-fi cover for the panels of the case opposite. It also has no discernible on/off switch, but uses a touch sensitive front panel. The light oak stain has not worked well, so was later painted a dark gunmetal to complement the panels.

If clear or tinted panels are not available in suitable (or cheap) sizes, then consider sheets made from acrylic for plastic windows, available from hardware shops. Simple and cheap, clear sheet of perspex from the DIY shop, washed over with a tinted varnish will often suffice, and also offer the option of getting the colour co-ordination perfect.

For those who really want to push the limits, consider making the front panel double thickness glass, then seal with silicone sealant like a fish tank. Place a few filament lights in the base, and fill with a mixture of clear oil and tinted water. The 1960's 'lava lamp' computer face. Best done with glass sheets. Please do not put fish in such items unless they are plastic balitini bead types with neutral buoyancy. To make your own, carve in wood, paint and then stick lead inside a hole in the bottom until they just sink slowly but remain upright. Silk octopuses and sea anemones and such like are also possible.

For some front designs, simply fitting two long darker strips on the sides to align with the sides of the protruding CD drives, then a couple of contrasting sheets in the middle. Thick tinted acrylic sheet is not cheap, but is available in a vast range of tints and solid colours.
An alternative is clear acrylic sheet, with a thin wash of tinted lacquer or very thinned paint. For solid colours, then simply paint the inside surface. Lay horizontal while drying for an even tint, or tilt the sheet while spraying for a graduated tint with layered lacquer.

As in the example shown, place the sheet of coloured acrylic sheeting over the front of the computer and trim to clear the CD's and floppy first. Use the cardboard or alloy as a template. With just the clear plastic in place, decide where the best place is for the four or six securing screws. These may have to be tightened from inside the case, so must not obstruct any components in the case. Drill holes appropriately in the case, then mark the sheet from the inside, after it has been aligned on the CD drives. Do not trim the outside edges yet.
If you do not want to drill clear acrylic, then make a small base gutter for it to fit into, to take the load, then retain the upper end with another gutter so it can be slid into place, or held with blue adhesive office putty.
The example uses just one screw for securing the front panel, and a locating lug in the base - which works very well.

When drilling acrylic, always drill a smaller hole, then cover with tape and drill the larger hole from both sides to prevent it cracking as the drill breaks through.
On thick wooden front panels, it is possible to fit hidden fasteners such as bolts which are epoxied into the rear of the panel and will not show. There are special studs with wood screw threads on one end, and engineering threads for nuts at the other, for 'blind' fixing of wood panels. A whole packet of blue office putty can also be used instead.

Fit the panel in place. Where the nuts are difficult to reach, use a piece of cardboard or use longer fixing screws. Once the main panel is fitted, the outside edges can be marked, removed and trimmed. Likewise the slots for the drives and any lights and switches. Do not be too overzealous with making chamfers. Start with a parallel line all around, then file or plane to shape.
On acrylic, ALWAYS leave the protective sheet in position, or use low stickiness masking tape to protect the polished surfaces until finished. Polishing the edges of acrylic will require patience and elbow grease. Use masking tape to protect the rest of the panel. Leaving a rough edge will allow the light to diffuse. The simplest way to smooth the side of a plastic panel is to scrape it with a sharp knife or veneer scraper. Then finish off the cut edges with polishing, or a simple layer of clear lacquer or nail varnish.

At the top and base of the acrylic, or perhaps all the way around, 'edge lights' may be wanted. These will require a small recess to fit into, but are usually easy to stick into position with a little clear contact adhesive.
The choices of edge lights are numerous, but the coloured 12 volt lights from Christmas trees or from model railways systems are superb, of the right size and voltage and offer a few colours. 12 volts and 5 volt supplies are available from the computer power supply.
LEDs, when connected to the HDD connector will allow the front panel to glow accordingly for a fairground effect.

Switches.

Some front panels may not even have visible switches, just a touch sensitive area and is the method used on some of my stylised computers. When edge lights are also used for the hard disc drive and other LED's, then the effect can be superb.

Lights.

Materials.

Keep the original front panel intact, should your dream end as a nightmare, then fitting the wires of the modified front panel to the motherboard will require scavenging from older components. Many computer shops try to sell old stock for mere pennies rather than have to pay for them to be sent to the local recycling tip. If you have no motherboard connectors, simply place the bared ends of the wire in small plastic tubes such as the centre tubes of old ball pens and slide them over the appropriate motherboard pins. Model shops sell similar pin connectors for radio control servo extensions. As most connectors will not fit the spacing using the plastic shrouds, then simply wrap in a couple of turns of electrical insulating tape.

French polishing of wood takes many layer of polish with plenty of fine sand paper between each layer. When lacquering wood, the first coat will bring up the bristles, so will need sanding down before subsequent coats.

Other options include carving the wood, perhaps the face of a troll from your favourite dungeons and dragons game.
If using a skull shape, possibly make the eyes large red hard disk drive LED's, and the power button inside the mouth. There are many plastic faces available from joke shops to act as moulds and starting points.
For gothic game playing, stroll to your local medieval cathedral and sketch out the best gargoyles for ideas, then make by carving in plaster.
If not good at carving, possibly use the original cover to stick on various theatrical components, or build up with filler and carve into a shape of whatever is popular at present. The options are unlimited. Printed sheet can simply be pasted onto the case and there are many forms of self adhesive flexible vinyl sheeting. If you have a digital camera and printer, then print out your own front and side panels.

An alternative to wood or plaster is blue structural foam, as used in the building trade for insulation. This can be cut with hot wire or a soldering iron. If using some foams, especially white or blue foam, a hot wire cutter can enable long slices. These slices need not be in a single plane as demanded by a conventional saw.
To build a hot wire cutter, carefully unwind the element of a 1kW domestic electric fire, or heater from an old washing machine or similar item. Stretch this firmly between the ends of a one metre bow, weak bamboo pole or similar, so it is tensioned enough not to distort under the pressure of cutting. A broom handle with end arms tensioned by a Spanish windlass or a spring will also suffice. There is no need to straighten the wire fully, as it will straighten itself wonderfully when heated.
Connect each end of the wire to a 12v transformer output such as a domestic car battery charger and test. If it does not heat up enough to cut cleanly, use a larger amperage transformer, or tap off prior to rectification, or position one of the connectors to heat a shorter length of the wire.
Although accuracy at this stage is not important, a length of hot wire longer than is needed is not a good idea, as excessive bowing of the cut can ensue. Likewise, if the wire is too short, the ends will cool too fast and will not give an even cut.
Speed of hot wire cutting is important and must be decided by the pressure felt by the builder, as bowing of the wire will cause a variation of cut. Greater wire tension is a solution, but hot wires can only be tensioned so far, whereupon a shorter bow, hotter wire or variation thereof must be contemplated.
The use of pinning profiled thick card or wooden side plates on the foam will allow the wire to be cut along an intended path. Reversed, they will allow perfect symmetry on the other side. This has been the stock in trade of most model aircraft builders for many decades.
When the basic shape is carved and is slightly undersize, apply plaster then smooth to get the shape perfect.
If the shape is not what you want, simply add more plaster, or sand away and continue until one side is perfect. If not too sure about how it will look, splash on some primer to see how it will approximately look.
A wavy line for the front of the case in rigid foam, smoothed then covered in alloy cooking foil, then for pennies, you have the front of a case similar to the latest top of the range cases.

If the case is to be sprayed, then the world of custom paint is a wide and wonderful place to start. Carefully mask the front light and switches with special rubber protective paint or pieces of tape or grease which can be removed later. Available from model shops, this rubber paint prevents paint getting in the gaps and causing problems. Better still, this is a good time to remove the switches and lights, then replace or modify such items. Perhaps covering in alloy foil to give a polished metal effect to various components and sections.
If engraving onto wood or acrylic, print out your favourite pattern or logo, then lay over and pin-prick it through to the surface. Then any of the small hand held engraving tools can be used to very carefully and gradually tease the pattern out of the wood or acrylic. With clear or tinted acrylic, edge lighting can bring the engraving to life.
When getting keen, and the old computer is ready for a rebuild, then everything is up for grabs. Even the front covers of CD drives can become integrated panels with the same acrylic or wood, foam or filler or wood effect adhesive sheet.

Computer cases can look like anything from artistic ancient Greek artefacts to frightening alien devices.
There is no reason why you cannot have a selection of many front panels.

You can go further:
I am not impressed by most computer cases, so I build a few computer cases to order. They are often exo-frame designs with see through acrylic tinted panels with modified EMF shielding. Anyone can do it. I also build fully integrated suites. The best designs do not show the computer, just the CD and floppy slots, minimalist remote switch control panel, with all the rest being hidden away, even on the glass desktop suites.

The Art of Apple Macs have shown what a computer should look like if wanting style or techno excellence with gentle perfection.
But you can always do better.

Computer desks and Cardinal Fang's dreaded comfy chair.

A good computer is but half the story.
There is always someone in front of it and this means ergonomics. Whether at work or gaming into the wee hours of the morning, the user must remain the prime design consideration.

Do not assume a computer desk available from a commercial supplier is good at being a computer desk. Few are.
In most situations and in my humble opinion - chipboard and MDF suck !

I hate self assembly furniture. - It is a statement that British people deserve this crap - it goes well with TV soaps and football.

You deserve much better.
Decide just exactly what you want, then build your own.
Get the tape measure out first, inspect the nearest options then be prepared for a little modification. You will always start by measuring yourself in the ideal chair. The ideal chair is not the most expensive, especially if you design and build it yourself.

The best chair is the one which keeps your body in the best possible health.
Good posture came from the Victorians and is now an exact science. If taking your health seriously, consider taking a short evening class in physiotherapy and chiropractice, which should open your eyes to the human body as a finely honed machine. These are often available as a guide to alternative medicine. You may even end up practising meditation at the computer on quiet days at work.

The best chairs, designed by the worlds experts for sitting comfortably for long hours with your hands out in front of you, with adjustable squab (back), possibly with pneumatic lumbar support and adjustable height is available for a few quid.
Yes, just a few quid. -
Just pop down to your local car scrap yard for a wide selection, colour coded, and including leather covered seats.

Once the best chair is chosen, then adjust the chair to the best position.
Now modify the computer desk, or build your own.
You may then wish to modify any slide-out keyboard tray, adjusting or changing the tray mounting to optimise it to your arm height. Routing and tidying up the wires in the back may require some scalloping or slotting. Preventing the mouse cable dangling down the back may require a little adhesive clip or other device.

How to build a simple computer desk.
If required, the author also builds custom computer desks, from home to complete graphics suites. See also later for more involved computer desks.
It is common for many people to have a computer room/study. This allows a dedicated office environment. Don't accept the usual levels of banal computer rooms, go for broke: The best is always possible and usually cheaper.

Do not start with the computer, nor the desk. Start with you.

Get the most comfortable upright seat you can afford. For all 'ordinary' office seats, be prepared to pay as much as your comfort, posture and good health require.
For savvy home builders, choose an old car seat, as they are the most comfortable with good posture for the purpose of working for long hours with your hands in front of you and concentrating by looking ahead. This may cost from ten pounds, perhaps forty for a leather one with electric recline and pneumatic lumbar adjustment to make everyone jealous.
If having friends around, get the matching set, plus the rear car seats for making a small sofa. Scrapyards are only too happy to sell them.
Mount the car seat on a metal frame or a strong wooden base. Castor wheels optional.
If keeping the electrical car seat adjustments and using castors, use a small rechargeable battery as found on modern mopeds and scooters, they cost about a tenner, or an unwanted 12 volt rechargeable drill pack. Don't forget a cheap charger. If not using castors, then simply plug the seat into a 12 volt battery charger of about 5 amps. If a small charger, then add a small battery. Preferably connect the seat to the same switch block as the computer, so one switch works all. Also consider integrating speakers and microphone boom into the seat or headrest.

Sit in whatever comfy seat you have chosen, with your feet on the floor and the thighs comfortable on the seat base. Adjust height as required.
Adjust the squab (backrest) to a sensible computing position for many hours of use. Either for word processing, or for gaming using a pad, keyboard and mouse, or whatever ergonomics is required. Now close your eyes, relax and place your hands where the keyboard should ideally be. Mark or note this position. Close your eyes, relax and look ahead. This is where the centre of the monitor is to be placed. Measure and mark.

If suffering back problems or posture problems, consider the 'kneeling' types of seats, which look awful, yet are surprisingly comfortable while maintaining good hip and spine posture. They certainly work.

The desk height is now decided, but the shape of its edge can be whatever you desire. Swivel around in the seat to see where your legs will pass, then mark this out in ribbon or chalk on the carpet so that any supporting table legs, printer cables, coffee machines or throw cushions will not be in the way.
The monitor base will limit the choices of the desk line, but all else should be absolutely wonderful to live with for the next ten years.
The rest of the gubbins must now be positioned. If right handed, then the CD drive slot and mouse go on the right. If using the printer rarely, then off to the left. South paws can swap positions. Leave room to swap between joystick, steering wheel, mouse and keyboard, or all at once if keen on games. The CD rack can also be integrated along with the scanner and other such accessories.
As modern scanners are lightweight, then they can be glued to a strong piece of plywood, then screwed to a wall hinge and folded up against the wall when not in use and simply fold out and held in the right position with a piece of string over the printer of coffee percolator for occasional use. To make it look prettier, the bottom can be covered with a poster.
Always make a special place for a mug of tea or coffee or beer, as this must not spill over the computer or printer etc.

Now look at the room.
Will you need a good electrical socket. Now is the time to fit that ten way socket and the surge protector you always dreamt about. Perhaps route a dedicated power cable to a separate fuse on the main fuse box. Re-route the phone connection and such like. Sockets do not have to be at ground level.

When all is prepared, place the seat as required. Check the posture is good, feet on the ground and a little weight on the thighs. Then measure the ideal positions for the main desk top.
Make a strong frame for the work surface, but ensure plenty of leg room.

It is unnecessary to copy the work of many woodworking or metalworking classes here. If in doubt, join a local woodwork or welding course.
If making a glass top with a steel frame, then you may wish to neatly cover the steel in alloy cooking foil to give a neat, light look and style to the frame. The easiest computer desks are always made by welding inch, to inch and a half square steel box tubing, then adding mounts to this to take the various peripherals. The simplest desk top is simply asking for a kitchen work surface, or a nice piece of plywood if making a sinuous edge line. The choices of desktop are vast, from plywood, MDF (medium density fibre - always use a face mask when cutting and sanding) to a nice new kitchen work surface in mock granite effect, - ideal for optical mice.

It is always worth allowing the desk height to be adjustable if you have the skills. I occasionally like to use old electric car seat motors and worm drives to allow the desk to be raised and lowered using a switch. Making a swing out TV style monitor arm also helps make the desk a more usable work zone.

For the neatest and clutter-free monitor set-up, remove the base and support the monitor on a strong nylon strap as available from camping and climbing shops. For lightweight monitiors, the available arms and supports are very good, but for CRT for gaming, then these are often insufficient. Old car seat belts will also do well. Then support it from the ceiling. If a largew CRT, then use though bolts to the floorboards below and use flush fiting flanges bolt heads or large steel washers. If a flat screen TFT style monitior, then the mounting problems are mininmal. The monitor is now very easily moved and can be angled and raised or lowered as needed, and all without upsetting the work area ! To adjust side angles and to prevent it swaying about, simply secure a loop of string to the sides and wrap this around a hook or hooks on the wall behind the monitor, so it is lust slightly pulled back, to tension the string. If the string is slipped over the wall hook, the monitor can now be twisted easily sideways for all possible positions. It really is not rocket science.
I use large CRT monitor for gaming and photo work as they offer the best screens, but need strong webbing and a good ceiling mount. TFT and LED screens are much easier to manipulate.

It is alleged that some people use flat-packed chipboard desks which have self assembly instructions in some strange form of incomprehensible English.

Glass desktops are possible, but will need to be cut by professional glass workers. Always mount securely with rubber pads. If possible, use specialist glass, so ask the advice of the local glass company. If spending such money, always make a dummy test desktop in plywood first, so it can be tested, trimmed for refinement, then taken to the glass cutter as a pattern. When I make glass desk tops mounted with the minimum mountings, I mount the plate glass on rubber pads, set at the Airey Points. (length / square root of 2).

Check the seat runs in and out neatly, then if required, make a simple sliding keyboard mounting. For gaming, it is much easier to have two small metal bars running out from the monitor base to hold the keyboard up, off the table surface, so you can attach your gaming steering wheel, but still have access to the keys for the games menus.
If using a slide-out keyboard tray, then add a couple of subdued lights inside to light the keyboard, should you be gaming in the dark. A neon string or tube as used for case 'modding' would do well, I use the internal neon tube from an old scanner, run the width of the keyboard and not cluttering the area. Another option is a small spotlight mounted on the ceiling or to one side of the desk. Can be colour coded to the case front panel and use similar 12 volt mini lights or a 'string' light for modding cases.

If you have an extremely cramped computer 'hutch' or box room or broom cupboard under the stairs, then make what some aircraft have; place the seat on sliding rails or a pivot for easier access.

Wiring is an opportunity, not a hassle. When all is done, wire it up neatly. Allow plenty of cooling room for the computer and never permit any stretched or tight connecting wires.

Make sure there is no screen glare. With the modern range of 12 volt lights on sticks with transformers and diffuse lighting being very common in interior design, then ideal positions can be made.

As can be seen, a dedicated secondary 12 volt supply is recommended if the room is often dark, or you use an electric car chair or need to power chargers for camera batteries or cell phones etc. This can be used for the seat, interior lighting, auxiliary computer lighting via a simple plug and socket, also the keyboard tray lights, foot well lights for the games pedals, and a host of other items.

The wire to the mouse and games pads should be free to move and do so without any drag. Make a little clip or simply use some blue tacky putty to stop the mouse lead dragging the mouse down the back of the work surface.
If keen, or usually succumb to ten hour gaming sessions, place the hi-fi and kettle within reach and check the reach to the fridge, hot drinks and food vending machines.

When all is done, you can then bring the cat, hamster and pinball machine back into the room.
Then your friends, their games consoles, a few beers and perhaps an air freshener.

Perhaps add a guitar and electronic drum kit, while the ceiling can be used to store mountain bikes, surf boards or hang gliders. Many friends have three mountain bikes mounted on their ceilings with large hooks or chains. Then add the sofa followed buy the LedZep, Rammstien, Abba or Lamborgini posters and the all important tea pot.

Alternatively you can use ragging to make plain walls colourful, some lace shawls pinned up to fill the corners of the ceilings, with subdued lighting and a few scatter cushions and the all important tea pot.

Once you have a good computer room, you can now to start thinking about making some decent computer cases from scratch.

A few design considerations.

Therefore we come to the main point of the computer case, - what is it for?

For many, such as the consumer, dumb or politically correct, it just happens to be the way computers are made. For others it is an opportunity to modify the design. The computer modding world is increasing and taking no prisoners, but in my opinion, needs far wider horizons.

For many, the bigger boxes are inconvenient, so the trend for micro cases is growing. Eventually the computer, video and DVD will become a small unit we have all forgotten about, as we use the cordless keyboard and mouse, turn towards voice control which is already underway too, and simply enjoy the large screen.
Eventually, the boot up sequence for the user will simply to say 'computer' or some code word. From thereon, the computer will be ready for use. Therefore we can assume for the purposes of the first exercise design, that the large computer box is due to die.

I.T. and associated technology will gradually get smaller, as the 2.5 and now the 1.8 inch hard drive is among us, while the CPU and other chips are gradually becoming integrated, or with fewer support chips. This will cause the motherboard to gradually get smaller. The superb use and rise of the USB over the PCI slot will leave just updating the graphics card as the only need to open the box. Even then, many motherboards are now using integrated graphics, such as the excellent ATI chipsets.
Therefore we can begin to see the computer as a piece of the furniture, perhaps as a micro box or hidden altogether.

So where do we go from here?

We can get creative.

The following is just one of my website monographs concerning creating your own designs, including computers and a host of other things. From steam engines to stair lifts, you can, indeed should have a go at making your own designs.
This is probably the easiest of the monographs, so there is no excuse for not having a go.

Let's start with a look at the basic computer motherboard.

The motherboard, with the CPU cooler and a graphics card is not intimidating: The collection of cables look untidy, but are not a problem. Even an old computer should have a decent home.
I believe in making good designs, but for little or no money. Ideally I would prefer zero costs, but even in this day and age, when so much good stuff is thrown out due to lack of decent engineers, a zero cost is not always applicable for the average reader.

For a simple computer case, we must consider cheap materials. Steel is cheap, but expensive in time and materials and tools to use.
Plastics are not up to the job and are often expensive, especially acrylic sheet.
Wood is cheap and easy to work. Wood also fits in with the furniture or can be painted to look like a metal unit.
The craftsmen of past years, especially from Britain and Japan have given us a magnificent library of uses to show the capabilities of wood. There really is no limit to what can be done with wood.
Glass is relatively cheap and can be cut to size from your local retailer.

A computer does not need a strong case. If you applied the normal loads to a computer case, you will find they are well within the usual limits of a cardboard box. Even a dozen books and a cuppa coffee on top is not going to cause problems to a cheap computer case. Even a simple wooden box is more than adequate. You can now buy cardboard computer cases and I can even build a working computer case in an hour using an old cardboard box, knife and some gaffer tape.
I think you can see a very basic idea appearing.

(Cardbaord computer cases are ideal for testing an idea or simply for the 'anti-snob' effect to upset your friends with their latest expensive computer cases, where you have spent all your money on a much better, 'killer CPU' and GPU to pan their arses off.)

A specification for a typical custom build.
There will be two starting points, a favourite or special computer which has an awful case, or an old computer that has been lying around.
As this is for beginners, then let's go for the old computer. Perhaps an old system that's got more dust than use in recent times.
There is no point modifying a laptop as it is already very compact and usable. If the motherboard is dead, then the screen and drives are usable. For a compact domestic computer, simply integrate a laptop to drive a larger monitor and better keyboard. But otherwise, it is not worth modifying a perfectly good laptop.

I'm using an old discarded P500 unit as an example and have decided to have the following specification:

The computer is for general web surfing and emails, play music CD's and for writing letters and perhaps a few of the older games. Basically it should sit unobtrusively the living or drawing room as a general purpose machine for occasional use, but must not intrude into daily life. Interfacing to a TV is possible, but a monitor and TV tuner card will also do the same job. To be unobtrusive, it could be interfaced to an old 14 inch TFT monitor screen discarded from a shop till, or from a modified old laptop computer and thus be acceptable for use in the living room for occasional household, internet and email use.

The specification (in 2004) would therefore be something like an old PIII 500, 128 megs. windows 98SE, Lotus smart suite 98, Mozilla Firefox and a CD/RW. A floppy disk is not used, as the machine will not need regular reinstalling of windows, as a CDRW or USB keyfob drive is now preferred for personal data.
The main computer would still remain in the study, with the proposed design probably connected to the main computer if broadband is used, otherwise, a stand alone modem may be in a PCI slot, or plugged into a flying USB slot and then integrated inside the computer for neatness.
Therefore it will blend unobtrusively in with the furniture and preferably not look like a computer, but be available for dragging out for general use, emails or playing music through the hi-fi.
If you want to use an old DVD in place of the CDRW, then this will need two spaces, or simply buy a DVD RW. They can be stacked on top of the other, or side by side. Even when the two optical drives are placed side by side, the case need only be just over 12 inches wide. There is nothing preventing you mounting the drives side by side, other than the drive cables, so check first.

Therefore this computer will preferably be unobtrusive and fit in with the rest of the furniture. The use of wood is beginning to look best choice.

The first problem is size. The motherboard, drives and power supply are collected together and the game of rearrangement of the 3D jigsaw puzzle is begun. The CPU cooler will need airflow, so the PSU is mounted to one side, usually with it's exhaust to the rear. The CDRW is then mounted in the remaining space, usually with its drawer opening to the front.
If a floppy is wanted, then this could be fitted somewhere and at almost any angle, possibly tucked under one of the CD drives or vertically down one side. I use a floppy with multi card reader

The rear connections for the motherboard are to the usually rear, although if the user is constantly using them, or moving the machine from room to room, they could be on the side or even to the front. If the motherboard is positioned with the 'back' plane connections to the front of the case, then a cover panel can be used to maintain a decent look and keep the cables tidy. Just because almost every computer case manufacturer does it only one way, does not mean that you have to.

If the motherboard is moved so that the backplane connectors are about an inch or so recessed from the front of the case, then it need only stick 10 inches out from the wall. With a little thought, neat cable runs and easy access will make a very easy to use computer. In this example it would also allow a graphics card to avoid the PSU and allow a lower case.

For example, if the back plane connectors are to the front for convenience, then the motherboard can be moved to the rear of the case as much as possible. As the 9200 SE graphics card is not very tall, the upper metal mounting tag can be shortened to allow a much lower case. A quick bend with a pair of pliers, a reduction with a hacksaw and another couple of hacksaw slots to make the mounting screw slot. The minimum height is limited by having to leave a half an inch between the PSU and memory banks. The rest of the bits will fit into this compact arrangement. A reasonably compact micro case is now possible, simply by using standard components in a creative manner.

The hard drive being small, is left to last and can slip into any convenient slot, either horizontally or vertically.
With time, a general arrangement for the assembly is found and this must have the following demands: The CPU and PSU coolers must have reasonable airflow. The whole machine must be accessible for repair, but is unlikely to be upgraded unless a special machine.

As the example has two CD drives side by side, the overall internal width is just 12 inches !
For convenience, the main power switch to the mains should be easily accessible, so an extra mains switch can be included at the front, so the machine is not always switched on at the mains. This main power switch can also switch on the power to the modem and screen. A high visibility red power-on light in this switch is probable, as the machine is otherwise designed to go unnoticed.

TIP: Due to the dust involved, it is recommended to protect the motherboard. Dust in memory slots can cause unreliability. If adding memory to an old board, check the socket is clean first, as dust accumulation over many years of use can cause the occasional problem, especially if fitting additional memory to a previously unused but dusty socket.
Due to the dust involved, always consider placing some tape over the unused memory and PCI slots, so they remain pristine when needed. Dirty memory contacts cause many problems. I use a single strip of masking tape over the three unused three memory slots, with one the end of the tape overhanging the levers, then aligning a pen knife blade between the levers, to gently slice down using the gap between each plastic moulding to give three strips of neat tape. Each strip can then be neatly removed when needed. I also cover any unused PCI slots as I tend to use a computer for many years. This practice is not common, but a little preparation goes a long way and almost everyone will want to add some extra memory at a later date, so keeping dust out always makes the machine more reliable.

There are many variations for making you own computer cases, but the following is fairly common to all.

Assuming a very basic, unobtrusive box is to be built, then the first step it to measure the overall dimension of the components to go inside. This will give the basic working sizes. Juggling the motherboard, power supply and drives will eventually achieve a compact layout with reasonable room for cooling.

Now to choose the materials.
As wood is easiest and cheapest, then there is the large choice available.
Wood is a natural material, allegedly grown as trees to reduce the atmospheric carbon content, sliced into planks, seasoned then cut to shape.
Plywood is thin layers of wood, laid in cross pattern and glued together to give exceptional strength in all directions.
MDF, (medium density fibre) a wood substitute made from sawdust and glue, but to a very high standard. It is thought to cause cancer or lung problems, but is not proven :( Always use a face mask.
Chipboard is cheap board, made from sawdust and glue. It is often used for cheap furniture such as cupboards and sink units, then given a plastic veneer. Used properly it can do its job adequately.
Cardboard is a fine wood pulp material, a thick form of paper mainly used for lightweight use. When employed carefully, can be very strong and lightweight. Can be used for computers, but not in a rough environment.

For general use, real wood is preferred, although plywood or MDF is probably a better choice as it does not split, nor causes warping after many years and is more fireproof. I do not like MDF personally, but it gets used in British teacher training a lot, so must be OK, and does its job very well. Therefore a warning: always use a breathing face mask for when using MDF, or work outdoors in a breeze.

The first step is the local wood merchant. You will need to have a shopping list.
For the example P500, it looks like this:
MDF, 5mm thick, 300 mm wide x 1.5 metres. Wood screws. Small tub of PVA wood glue. Sandpaper.

I actually used discarded plywood as used to protect better wood, and this was found in the skip (dumpster) of the wood merchant.

My tools are commonly available but those I used are:
Medium wood saw. Rechargeable drill with a selection of drill bits. Screwdriver. Set square. Pencil. Rule. Small drills and large wood drills up to one inch diameter. If possible, borrow a jig saw for the CD slots.

The problem with making boxes, is that many kids do not enjoy woodwork. As a British teacher of technology (B.Ed, B.Sc etc.) I have suffered this problem: of teaching classes of kids from 11 to 16, and rarely seen anything comparable to what I made at secondary school decades before. Skills and crafts standards have most definitely dropped, mainly through an increasing attitude of demanding instant toys with designer labels or the latest fads and not from making it themselves. So the best possible no longer involves dovetail joints, nor even anything even remotely similar. There are a few kids out there who can do wonders, if encouraged. I hope they are reading this and can read beyond the basics.

In Britain, we must understand that the age of Chippendale has changed from master woodworking craftsmen, to cheap and tacky strippers. The standards of building have likewise plummeted.
Nevertheless, even with poor standards, a reasonable case can be made.

The first problem is the poor build quality. - Take it from me, there are too few who will be capable of making a decent box. To all those who can, I apologise, but perhaps we can still get the ordinary Brit to have a go at making a reasonable box.
Therefore I am going to keep the first example as easy as possible. If the final finish of the case is marginal or adequate, then its imperfections can simply be filled, sanded smooth, given a coat of primer rubbed down then given a coat of gloss paint.

The best way to make a reasonable box is to make the base, a pair of identical sides, then fit the font and rear panels.
If the base, then the front was to be built first, the builder would have to start getting accurate and may only lead to tears.

It is assumed the wood is cut square at the shop. If not, then make a pair of adjoining edges at 90 degrees on the base sheet.
First a 6mm line, or whatever the thickness of your wood is, drawn around one side of the wood. This gives the side panel thickness dimension. The motherboard can now be laid on the sheet of wood, and another pair of lines drawn to give reasonable clearance for the internal items. If the power supply, CD and hard disk extend beyond the motherboard dimensions, then allow for this extension.
Now add 6mm or the thickness of the wood to these lines and saw just outside these lines. Leave the edges oversize as they can be trimmed later, once all the bits and pieces have been built.

If you have not designed the final layout, then place the base and one side piece on the table, then start arranging the internal components, until satisfied, then mark these onto the base and side pieces as the dimensional guides.

Measure the internal height of the various components. It may be necessary to include a wood support for the CDRW, so add another more height if an internal tray is needed.
Always allow an extra few mm height for the motherboard as it will be mounted directly to the base with simple wood screws and small plastic washers.
It is important to understand that the CDRW will need to be secured in the case. In this example, the CDs are retained sideways with a snug fit and restrained from the rear simply with a small wooden block. To prevent it falling out to the front, I recommend six dabs of blue tacky office putty to the base of the drive to hold it in place and a small piece of rubber cut from an old bicycle inner tune on the top to prevent it lifting. (I said I'd keep this as simple as possible.)

You may note that there is no blanking plate between the staggered upper and lower front panels. (Arrow). It allows for air to flow more easily and keep the drives and CPU cooler. If I was in a dusty area, I might consider gluing a piece of cloth across this area. There is rarely any need to create fancy problems with airflow, as there is usually some simple solution to keeping the insides cool without causing problems or complex woodworking.
If I was in a cold country, then I would change the direction of the PSU fan to blow warm air though this vent onto the keyboard areas, so the user can have warm fingers. It's called 'using design to advantage', and just needs common sense.

With the height of the internals decided, the sides can be cut. Again, these will be over length, extending at the rear, awaiting later trimming.

The side pieces should be cut and then trimmed as a matched pair. This allows the edges to be sanded flat using the rule and square using a set square as a 90 degree checking tool. If you do not have a set-square, simply use the edge of a CD drive to get the 90 degree line. In this example, the front is to have a staggered front face so the sides are cut accordingly, but will depend upon personal choices. Perhaps the reader may prefer an angled front face.
When the choice of front panel is reasonably flat and square, the sides are ready for fitting.
The base wood can now be sawn to width, leaving the rear of the base oversize to be sawn to size later.
At this stage, the box will not be glued, but to make it easier to build, it should begin assembly. Draw a line along where the screws will need to secure the side panels. Drill pilot holes though the base so that three screws can be inserted from below to secure the side pieces. These holes can be a little on the tight side, but not larger than the screws. Then countersink the holes so the screws will be flush with the base. The sides can now be screwed into position. They will be longer than needed, at the back, but the front will be flush with the base.
As this example uses two CD drives side by side and thus the widest part of the design, they are used for checking the internal dimensions. I have also allowed for a small piece of thinner wood to be positioned between the CD's. The CD's are used for alignment during screwing the sides to the base for a snug fit.

The motherboard can now be positioned in the base. But only use one or two small screws for a while as you may want to readjust the final position for the various connections. Make some rubber washers to keep the motherboard off the base, using some blocks of rubber cut from an old bicycle inner tube or soft plastic material such as plastic milk bottle caps.
For a compact machine, the metal mounting bar can be shortened and bent then slotted to still secure the VGA socket in position. It will be seen that the bottom of the graphics card metal bar will not fit, so a slot will need to be made in the base to made it fit. Mark the position of the slot and use a very small drill to make a hole on the edges of the slot. Then another drill hole in the middle then very carefully tilt the drill sideways to open up the hole. Normally this is done with a fine chisel or knife blade, but is not appropriate for modern standards. Carefully use a drill bit to make a neat hole. If it is a real mess, simply remove the VGA card and fill the hole with filler, grease the metal bar and insert into the filler. When dry, trim to a perfect fit once the filler has dried. Don't expect me to give you high marks, but for a computer this is perfectly adequate for the purpose.

The CDR and CDRW will now need to be positioned.
I will be using both drives side by side, on the upper face of the box. Therefore a tray will be needed to support them. This tray of wood will in turn be supported on two strips of wood on the side pieces. As the CDs will be side by side, and therefore about 12 inches wide, this will use a piece of 6mm plywood for adequate support.
Eventually I secured the tray with two screws entering from the sides. I mounted the hard drive in a small box glued and screwed to the base of this tray. To keep the hard drive noise low, it was mounted in foam from an old bath sponge and simply a gentle push fit into its mounting and some tape to hold it in place during transport.

As the front of the drives will be flush with the front face, then they are positioned with their front faces 6mm out from the front of the tray and base, which is the thickness of the wood for the front panel. Then the rear of the CD drives marked. A small pair of blocks are screwed to prevent the drives moving backwards, but without obstructing the drive, sound or power cables.
In many designs a single CD drive is used and so a side piece is also fitted so that it will remain snugly fitted.
If there is room for a little gap above the drives, then this should be done, to allow cooling air to circulate, especially if playing movie DVD's and CD's.

The power supply and hard drive are now fitted but may need their own trays to keep them in position.
As the hard drive is usually mounted with screws and this is difficult, then it can simply be mounted in foam. If you are really lazy, it can even be held with tie-wraps or blue tack. There must be room for air to circulate, so some strips of foam to hold the base, corners and the sides will suffice to keep it in place without damage. Always make sure the cables can be connected. To prevent them moving rearwards., a small piece of wood can be glued to the support frame.

As the CD drives are now positioned, then there will be plenty to room left for positioning the various items in the front panel. The front switches are going to have to fit wherever there is room. Likewise the USB connectors if your motherboard has the connectors at the rear. Otherwise, the USB sockets are easily available at the front of the motherboard, or perhaps by using a small PCI card, and cutting down the metal support bracket. This is preferably done with some style.
The USB connectors are usually mounted on a rear panel metal strip so this can be used by drilling some mounting holes in the metal plate, cutting it down to size and then screwing it to the inside face of the front panel. Then marking and cutting out the appropriate access holes.

I'm using a front mains power switch, so the machine can be fully switched off easily when not in use. The power is supplied to the master switch via a long cable to the rear to the three-pin mains plug. I tie a knot in the cable just before the rear panel exit, so it does not strain the cable on the switch. From the switch, the wires go back out the rear to the power supply box by the three pin connector.
The switches and hard drive lights are left loose at the front of the case at this stage.
If a multi card reader is to be used, then this must be finalised at this stage.

The front panel can now be made. As this is to be very neat, its sides should be made slightly oversize, so it can be sanded to shape after final fitting. First the slots for the CD drives are cut out. These will need a lot of little drill holes to remove the wood and leave a rough hole. If a jig saw is available, this will be much easier.
If using a piece of acrylic sheet, then always leave the protective film in place until finished. always drill from the front face, as the exit of the drill can splinter the acrylic surface, but preferably drill the hole from both sides.

To make life much easier for this particular box, the slot for the CDs is simply an open recess, with no upper face, as the top of the CD's will be touching the lid for much easier manufacture. With holes cut for the CD's, the front panel can be slid in top position to align with the rest of the case.
Eventually the CD and socket holes will be perfect, and the drives and front will slide into position neatly, with plenty of spare around the outside to be trimmed perfectly a little later. If not, then filler can be used to tidy it up.
The various switches can now be fitted to the front panel. As these are usually designed to fit into a specific case, it may be necessary to make or buy or find different switches.

As example, my mains switch will be from a local electrical dealer, in many shapes and styles, with a 240 volt neon in the switch. This is placed as a push fit into the front panel, and the wires soldered and covered in electrical tape. The rear of the wire is left loose for the present.
The computer will need a standard start switch and reset switch, hard drive light and speaker, which are already connected to wires, so are mounted into the front panel in small holes so they remain in position. You can use anything, often glue or silicone sealant for retaining the switches and small screws for the speaker and USB sockets.

The modern computer power-on switch and also the reset switches are simple 'push to make' switches. At their most simplest, these can be made with just two brass screws sticking out, then use a piece of metal across them to switch on. It will deter kiddies, and you can use the metal shield of your USB key fob.
A little more traditional is using a piece of brass screwed to the front panel. This can then be pressed to touch a hidden brass screw under this brass strip. With a wire from each, this will do the job perfectly well. Although this sounds, and is primitive, it allows to almost any shape to be possible: Perhaps a strip of brass or alloy or steel trim is used on the front panel. This, if employed in such as manner as to be a hidden switch could make a very neat case. If the metal strip was hidden under a later cover of wood veneer, then a completely hidden switch is possible.
For a neat switches, look to the front panels of any discarded video or other electrical device.

To keep the front of the case neat, the motherboard speaker was mounted in the vent slot, but it could have been positioned on the side panel, then many holes drilled so the sound can pass through. The sound card speakers were positioned separate from the case.
Where the switches cannot be easily fitted, then most electrical shops can supply small switches, although the very small switches from old videos can make excellent switches which can remain flush, with small drill holes used to pass the wire and motherboard connectors through the front panel.
There are many ways to make neat front switches, so taking time here can pay dividends in both convenience and design.

The front panel is now secured in place with a few screws in the side and base.
If the front panel is a fine piece of wood and you do not want to have screws showing, then glue some blocks on the inside and these can be screwed to the inside of the side pieces.

Once the front panel is correct and all the various switches are cabled up and looking about right, the rear panel can be made to fit the rest of the items. Always make a check with each connector, just to make sure. The base and sides are still left overly long so can be trimmed down after the rear panel is fitted.

The motherboard is fitted and checked, then the rear panel can now be made to fit. If the rear panel of the motherboard is to the front, then adjust this first.
If the rear panel of the motherboard is in the traditional, rear position, then the motherboard can be screwed into place after the various slots are cut out. The back plate will usually need cut-outs for the various motherboard connections and the graphics card if fitted.
As all these connections will need slots, it may be simpler to make the back plate to fit the upper bent parts of the graphics metal bar mounting, The cut holes for the various connections; The base of the rear panel will then slide into position between the side pieces and the graphics cards secured by their upper metal plates by screwing directly into the wood. If wanting a neat finish of all the holes to the various motherboard connections, then the best tool for this is a side cutting drill with cutting edges on its side, then gradually fitting the various hoes to fit the motherboard. In essence, it is far, far easier to make a suitably large rectangular hole which allows for extra ventilation.

As the power supply demands a large vent hole, this can be made circular for the air flow and the power supply fitted to the rear panel using longer metal screws. Alternatively, if longer screws are not available then the power supply can be mounted flush with the outer edge, so a large rectangular hole can be made. The power supply can then be held in place with flat metal tags from the four PSU mounting holes, to screws in the wood. The metal tags are simple strips of metal with two holes, one for the PSU mounting screws, and the other for short wood screws to holes the PSU in place in the large square hole. It would be wise to glue a small support block to the side plate to support the rear end of the PSU inside the case.

Eventually the rear panel will be shaped to fit, to slide easily into place and allow good assesses to the various connectors. Always make a check with each connector, just to make sure. The black plate can then be screwed into position from the sides and from below, using countersunk screws.

The motherboard can now be finally fitted, with the graphics card or front or rear sockets deciding the fine adjustments for its ideal position.

The upper face of the rear panel can now be trimmed to match the sides and to give a flat upper surface for the lid. Alternatively, the sides and lid can be longer to the rear, to hide the various cables. Always make sure there is adequate ventilation for the PSU fan and general ventilation.
The sides can now be trimmed, but if being used as furniture, then the rear of the top and sides should be another inch or two longer, so the case can fit flush against the wall, so no messy cables can be seen.

As the lid offers good access, then this should be easily removed. Six countersunk screws will suffice unless being carried by a handle on the lid.

All these screws look awful. Apart from the lid screws, they can be filled with glue and sawdust or filler once the case is finally assembled.
Now the shape can be trimmed, chamfered and smoothed. Make sure all the internal components are removed, even if only to prove they can be replaced at this stage, but most importantly to ensure no dust gets in the fine connections.

Before gluing the case together, always make lots of large drill holes in the various trays and internal panels to allow cooling air to circulate but without upsetting the integral strength of the case. A side cutting drill and a flap wheel is very useful. A flap wheel is a radial array of abrasive sanding paper used in a drill, which can clean up the inside really easily.

The case should be sanded smooth to remove any rough areas inside. It can then be glued and screwed together. The lid is not glued in place, but simply screwed to allow access.
Because the base, front and rear are left oversize, it is far easier to now sand these down to a good finish. If there are any holes or poor external joins, then simply add a little wood glue while sanding, so that it uses the sawdust to fill the gaps.
For best results, always fold the sandpaper over a flat piece of scrap wood for a smoother, flatter finish.

When strong, the bare case can be cleaned free of dust the inside can be given a light varnish to reduce the effects of moisture. If using ordinary wood then it can be given a internal coat of lacquer to prevent moisture distorting the wood. Ordinary spray lacquer or paint will suffice, although any old paint will do, even old hair lacquer, as it will not be seen, but will prevent moisture intrusion.

To assist cooling, the non supporting areas can be drilled open and large holes made to allow cooling air around the CD drives and hard drive.

Where the case may have been less than perfectly made, perhaps the CD slots are a little ragged, then they can be built up with filler and trimmed again. Perhaps the speaker holes are ugly, so the these can be recessed and a piece of hi-fi speaker cloth or fine wire mesh neatly glued in the slot.
If the sound card is amplified, then the speakers could be mounted in the case for stereo effect. although this is usually external speakers to get a greater stereo or surround sound effect. Where powered external speakers are used, then the power supply can be built into the case and switched with the computer. Where the speakers use 6 or 12 volts, then the computers 5 volt or 12 volt PSU supply will usually suffice for small speakers.

Where the switches are less then ideal, they are usually touch sensitive or needing just a small push. In such cases, then they can be recessed and a thin film of wood or plastic placed over them, held with a dab of glue, so the neater panel is lightly pushed to operate.

The case is almost finished, but probably not very tidy. With all the bits removed, the visible parts of the case can be given a really nice layer of primmer, followed by a couple of layers of glossy paint.

As an alternative to paint, if the edges are not too bad, the case can be simply given a coat of adhesive vinyl film, perhaps a wood veneer or pattern style. If wanting chrome facia then use heat shrink model film as used for model aircraft. An alternative is simply to apply a thin layer of wood glue and carefully cover in cooking foil, burnish flat with a large, smooth, flat tool such as the back of hair brush or spoon, then gently polish.
Whatever you do to make the case look good, preparation is everything, so do it well.

If the case is made such that if has no complex curves, then it can be given a walnut or other wood veneer.
The veneer is carefully trimmed and glued to the case, held with lots of masking tape until it is completely dry. If your tape is too sticky, then use the tape the wrong way around, or use cling film and lots of it. When dry, very carefully trim with a very sharp knife.
Decent veneer demands French polish, plus many layers to give a deep luxurious finish.
Where the case is to integrate with the furniture, then an appropriate, paler veneer is possible, plus a suitable stained wood varnish. Then layers applied until it matches the rest of the furniture.
With a great deal of care, veneer can also be applied to the CD front panels and trays. It is usually best to take a paper profile and lay this over the veneer, then carefully cut to shape, trim then varnish and finally apply to the CD with a little glue.
Then any brass or silver trimmings added to give a feel of a jewel box or other suitable object for the room.
An accompanying TFT screen can be given a veneer trim or perhaps a cloth cover if the house is listed or architecturally profound.
For a little modernistic style, the edges can be curved by sanding and then a thin adhesive film of perhaps silver, metallic or other finish used to give the case a minimalisitic look.

The internals replaced and all given neat cable runs and perhaps a final wax polish two weeks after any varnish has hardened.
A small label can be inlaid to the front, to give an air of professional build quality. There are many labels, often available from the front of old computers or with graphics card.

The case is then rebuilt and the CD trays checked many times for easy of use. Once finished, the internals can be replaced and ready for checking.

Depending upon use, even a small, insignificant box could duct warm air onto the keyboard area, and small white LED's used to illuminate the keyboard area in front of the case with a gentle glow, with the overall style and finish matched to the rest of the room.

When done well, such a box need not look like a computer.

For brass or veneer inlay and high quality paint and spray jobs, there is host of information on the internet and in your local library. I prefer the local library as books are still ten times more effective for craftsmen than that available on the internet.

The case is given a set of four rubber self adhesive feet and cleaned, assembled then tested. Take special note of the CPU temperature. If plenty of holes were made, then air cooling should be acceptable. If the machine is too noisy, then quieter fans can be used in the PSU and perhaps for the CPU cooler. Try rubber or felt feet on the base of the case.

The front sockets for the USB can be disguised by making a snug fitting cover in the slot, perhaps with a small brass or alloy handle, or the cover carved to give a finger slot for easy removal.

The final touches are not on the case itself, but the overall package and making sure the computer fits suitably in its place in the household.
You may wish to take a photo of the finished surface and use this as the background or monitor screen wallpaper for total effect.
If in a very posh household, the start up screen could be the coat of arms in the corner of the splash screen and the sound could be a suitable recording of the butlers bell or a genteel voice saying 'the computer is ready M'lady'.
If a techie box, perhaps a photo of HAL 9000 's eye from 2001 movie and a spooky 'good morning Dave' .wav.
For normal domestic use, perhaps a desktop picture of the case with simple operating instructions.
If your computer case is a fluffy nightmare, perhaps a picture of a toy teddy bear.

Your choices are unlimited.

For a co-ordinated look, the keyboard can be opened up and the surround given a similar varnish, with the mouse given the same treatment to match the rest of the machine.

Done well, even a simply made case and its internals can blend into any situation. From crystal white designer studio, to Ye Olde House, or even a pink fluffy designers nightmare.

It's not rocket science, so have fun. :)

John Partridge.
Gizzajob.

It's all very well making a nice, neat little case, but that's not what everyone wants. Some want the ultimate machine and this means water-cooling and the best possible for the computer bits inside.

Many people like to worship at the design alter of the Apple computer, whose designs are indeed rather tasty in form. The cube design was a classic and phenomenally small.

Unfortunately, most modern PC machines are more akin to the domestic fridge rather than a racing car.
Even the most expensive alloy and stainless steel cases are still just a tin box rather than a full blown exercise in design.
If you want a cheap computer case, then by all means make sure it can be stamped out in steel and made in the tens of thousands and does well enough. But a cheap, yet far nicer machine is possible.

A little history before we delve into making a box.
The first PC was in 1980 and a desk top design, a rather good design with far more style than the latest lame offerings in desktops. But only corporate 'suits' would think that 25 years of beige boxes is a good idea.

The early machines had a cool chip, indeed, by today's standards the processor was asleep. Then came the hotter CPUs and then the rise of the all powerful and greedy 'computer game' which has led to the PC becoming a hot and hectic machine.
The 5.1/4 inch floppy drive (I still have a few) did not know about the CD drive, but they were to become a great combination: The 5.1/4 for its dimensions and the CD for a rather longer history than Philips envisioned. - Nice one Phillips.

The latest machine layout is the BTX format, due out soon. But as many will be voting with their wallets, and NOT buying this, it is not likely to be such a great leap forward as expected.
The change from AT to ATX was needed, as there were real advantages, - not many - but just enough to justify the changes. The BTX is still suspect, as the advantages are not really needed except for intel who have rather hot processors and subsequent problems.
I am NOT buying a new case, motherboard and all the bits needed just because intel cannot get their chips to run cooler.
Because the BTX looks more and more like just another round of a new format without real advantage for many and simply to make lots of money for the corporate, then the ordinary customer can do a lot better for themselves.
The BTX format is aimed to make the best of the cooling processes inside the case. All very well and good so far as it goes, but the savvy computer modifier knows a lot better. Not only does the computer builder deserve better, then they can also do better. Hence this monograph.

This section is to look beyond the steel stamped out steel box.
The steel box does its job, but does not inspire. Even when given fancy, stylish or just plain stupid plastic front facisas and side windows, the computer case still does not inspire as it should.

The reader may need to be inspired, so a few of my favourite quotes are given. Two from musicians, people who look beyond corporate styling and lame mentalities.

To know where you want to go, it's always a good idea to look back first.
Before looking at better solutions, first a look at the problems at present, so you don't act like a British politician, and to make the same mistakes over and over again.

First, the modern processor is getting ridiculously hot and the cooling solutions are getting out of order. Luckily AMD and ATI are making some really serious and sensible silicon with really excellent speeds and sensible temperatures.
The massive copper heatsinks and moves towards water-cooling have made life difficult. There are rumours about intel and nvidia making chips chucking out over 100 watts, - which to me is unacceptable. I am no chip designer, and I am sure they are doing amazing work, but for me - no thanks ! Likewise the heat of the fastest graphics cards have caused cooling problems.
It can be seen from the CPU and GPU heat problems that a desktop case would support the heavy CPU heatsinks far easier. Also the GPU would benefit from not having the hot bits on the bottom of the printed circuit board. The desktop case format would support the heatsink safer, and allow the GPU to radiate heat away more easily.

Following this train of thought, there is a simple leap of imagination: It would be better if the standard midi tower case was simply turned upside down.
The GPU would dissipate heat easier from the lower, cooler case air, and the PSU would be away from where the hot air resides. The drives would be cooler and if used in a desktop, would be easier to reach.
Hey, - it's a cheap BTX format !

As many cases simply have bland plastic fronts, they could easily be turned upside down and the front modified to take the changes. Even the CD drives would run cooler and the top of the case would simply be a hot air collection area, not a CD oven.
Turning the case upside down, the base would need a thin layer of plastic, painted to look like the top. Now the bottom would need four self adhesive rubber feet and perhaps an extra sheet of plywood glued underneath to add some support.
If the old base has the metal stamped with extended foot mounds, then a cover can be glued to these, to give a false top, and holes cut in the metal to allow hot air to vent out passively in the gap.
The CD drives will fit in as the central screws will line up easily. The hard drives would not line up so easily and either drilling a few holes or removing the support / alignment tangs would suffice. The floppy drive would need new holes to keep it secure and in line with the front slot. The USB sockets would be upside down, but not really a problem.
The power supply will need a hole or two to be drilled for security, but the exhaust vent will need to have part of the panel cut away. The motherboard would still be poisoned using the standard mountings, but this time it would be on the bottom of the case, or in a midi tower, would be about the same position. The GPU would at last be pointing the right way up to passively remove heat. The top of the case would be a large empty area, ideal for the rising and then removing this hot air.
One easy step for case modding and at almost no cost.

If you have a very cheap case, which made from separate panels which are riveted together, then you can disassemble the sheets and re -rivet or use screws to rebuild the whole case 'back to front' using the rear panels at the front and such like to customise the case components usually swapping the motherboard sides to the other side and perhaps upside down, with the drive bays remounted wherever you want by using simple metal screws to hold them wherever you want. If the case is spot welded, then these can be simply drilled out and new screw holes drilled as needed. If you do this properly, then the side panels often fit back perfectly well as the left and right panels are often the same stampings so the sides are wonderfully symmetrical !

Anything is possible.

It is with the above in mind that making the ultimate case can be considered.
I am not thinking of slabs of alloy and a metal box. Nor a micro case, nor anything else, just the basic concept, free of any early designs, or shapes or forms.
Nor am I considering water-cooling or air-cooling as being any better than the other. Nor transparent HDD or CD lids, - just the basics of design.

First, the hot bits must be kept as cool as possible.
The motherboard can be lowered in the case.
The CPU fan and cooler can be positioned to duct cooler air in from below.
The hard drives can be mounted sideways vertically to encourage heat to radiate upwards, rather than the trapped air around the bottom circuit board of a horizontally mounted drive.
The CD drives mounted lower, to be away from the hot areas. Many times I've removed a CD, to find it was rather warm and occasionally some labels have slid off !

The problem is how to build the case in such a way as to have other advantages:
Easy access to components.
Better airflow for cooling.
Better styling.
Lower noise.
An ability for the case to modify or change form.
Ease of manufacture - if it cannot be made, then it's dead in the water.
Perhaps, as in the given example, you want a far more compact machine.

Not all of the above will possibly be wanted, mainly because everyone has different ideas on style. In the following example the CDs were not mounted low enough, but a MK 2 is on the way.

Not everyone has the same ideas about the basic sizes, and / or needs of the machine, so just one example will be considered here.

Because of the various needs of the process, I will not be covering woodwork, metalwork or other basic skills. These should have been taught to an acceptable level at any half decent school. The example shows very simple assembly techniques using simple tools.
I will not mention choosing computer components or software as they are mentioned in my companion monograph on Affordable Computing.
Neither will I mention making and designing your own water-cooling design and manufacture, as they can be understood by reading my companion monographs on designing and building your own water-cooling systems.

To reappraise the various components and capabilities and limitations of a computer, I always prefer to deconstruct the design to see what is and what is not fixed in the design itself.

For example, the power supply is a standard box, but otherwise can be positioned anywhere and in any orientation as long as the cables can reach and the cooling airflow is adequate. In extreme cases, the PSU casing can be removed to reduce volume in an ultra compact machine. If PSU heat or radiation is problem, then simply make a cardboard and alloy foil cover.

Drives.
The hard and floppy drives can be positioned anywhere, in any orientation, with only the CD's requiring a horizontal alignment to prevent the CDs from falling off the tray. Nevertheless, the CDs can still be mounted with the trays at a slight incline for easier access. Design would be even easier with slot drive DVD RW's.

For those who want to make interactive case designs, then there is no reason why a CD drive cannot fold down from the front, to become level to insert the CD, then to push the whole drive back into the upright, by which time the CD itself is secure inside the device. Likewise, a CD drive could fold down sideways to offer a level tray for insertion prior to folding back into the case.
The ideal CD drive for extreme cases, would be to cross breed a slot drive with a DVD RW so that it can be placed at any angle.

The hard drives are sealed, so can be positioned in any manner, nor suffer from dust problems. They can get hot, but placing them vertically helps with heat convection.
The floppy drive can also be fitted in almost any manner, but the designer should consider digit (as in fingers) ergonomics needed for inserting and removal of the floppies.
The USB sockets should be a mix of easily accessed form the user and a few from the rear, with cables hidden away for items permanently connected, such as printers.
The motherboard can be positioned in any manner, but for structural integrity, is normally tested by the manufacturer in horizontal or vertical manners.
The motherboard is suspect to dust. In reality, many machines have airflow's such that the motherboard will accumulate dust almost as fast as many sheltered domestic items.
The need to fully enclose is considered suspect by the author. Only passive settlement of dust causes large build ups, so an upper cover is needed to prevent dust settling on the motherboard. All other dust entrapment is active, caused by a plethora of fans. I prefer few, well designed fans, or water-cooling for a neater machine. Some of my water-cooling designs do not use pumps nor fans for truly reliable, silent operation.

The keyboard and mouse need not be considered here, as making your own is not so easy. For gaming, a self illuminating keyboard is preferred, but this is covered in other monographs. Hacking down and painting a cheap keyboard into a games tool is easy.

With the above in mind, it is seen that the purpose of a computer case is simply to keep all the parts in a single item and such that they do not move relative to each other. Although it is possible to have a few parts moving around slightly, this is not going to offer any advantages as there is nothing in the computer which would gain advantage from being moved.
If wanting to position your computer in both desktop and tower positions, then only the CD drive trays are relevant for this aspect of design. Therefore the whole case, with all the parts inside could be considered moveable, such as from a midi tower, laid on its side into a desktop, depending upon the needs of the time. In this manner, the design could be integrated to become a dual personality, without changing anything other than perhaps a CD mounting pod.

If the design is to have both midi tower and desktop modes, then the motherboard alignment must be the defining component. The motherboard can be mounted so the GPU has the chips uppermost, and yet the motherboard can also work with the desktop more with the GPU vertical.

Therefore it can be seen that one face and one end of the motherboard will become the fundamental design starting points and these must be used to prevent damage from poor alignment of the components when used in either form.

The neutral alignment of the case in both modes is fore to aft, front to rear. Placing the pump and motor along this axis will not upset the pump and if the inlet and exits are at a mid angle of 45 degrees, then the air bubble problem of the pump is mostly eliminated. By placing the pump such that it is below the CPU and GPU in both midi tower and desktop modes will also reduce some minor problems.

In both desktop and midi tower modes, there will be natural tops or lids and these are often used for holding documents, or in desktop mode, for supporting the monitor. Therefore in the desktop mode, the monitor must be supported securely and this means strong posts to the feet, or a very strong beam across the monitor support area, as true gamers still prefer CRT monitors.

If the design is to employ some of the hotter modern components, then at least consider water-cooling. When used in both midi tower and desktop modes, then any water-cooling must be carefully considered. In most cases, the water-cooling is sealed and only bubble entrapment in high spots will be of concern when moving from desktop to mini tower.
By choosing a neutral axis for the waterpump and it's components, good design will reduce potential problems and minimise chances to change anything. For such a case, I would simply build my own custom CPU ad GPU water-cooling headers and radiator to fit.

The core of the design is to house all the components, in such as way as to minimise the heat problem of the next generations of computers.
I do not believe that the BTX is going to rule the world, but that the old ATX format and standards will still remain essential.
The PCI express will take over, but little else other than motherboard specific processor mountings. The mounting holes will still remain standardised, as will the back plane alignment for the various cards, - be they PCIe or PCI or AGP. Therefore I can use the standard motherboard for dimensions and assume an AGP card and perhaps one or two PCI or PCIe cards or later equivalents may be required.

In a mini tower case, where the motherboard is to be slightly above the waterpump for those who distrust liquids, then it is to be positioned such that the upper mounting point of the graphics card metal mounting plate. This will be similar in height to a conventional CPU heatsink and fan. Using this as the limiting factor for the airflow of a traditional CPU heatsink, then this must be such in both midi tower and desktop forms and in a manner which does not need changing by the user.

At this stage we have the fundamental requirements for the design, but no formal structural design.

To create a slightly radical design, I'll be diverging from the normally accepted design standards to show what can be done for pennies.
I will not be going daft and considering expensive machined alloy or carbon and aramid components, but keep in the real (British) world of those who do not have much money. The reader need not follow these methods, but revert to a more traditional forms if they prefer. But by going along a less traditional manner, will allow the reader to also think wider and perhaps create the ultimate computer case for themselves.

To allow maximum cooling and to support the components, and as an example, break away from the tin box: I will use 'no box', nor use metal structure.
I will be following the human form and use a skeleton, with the parts attached. It sounds difficult, but is very simple.
In this manner, the outside or 'skin' will be merely to protect the design, and not become a structural part. This will liberate the styling to a much higher extent and allow a wider range of potential designs.

Being a typically unemployed science graduate, I'll be using cheap materials.
Low cost is not, and never was an excuse for poor design.
In many cases, being poor is the real inspiration for the world's greatest designs.

For this example, I've reduced the design work down to five basic designs, three of which would work reasonably well from the outset and one which is the easiest. Two are slightly complex, fairly reasonable but skeletal, one using an adaptive form of single spine with innovative coverings where the covers simply fold or slide away.
Two are exoskeletal but one is far beyond the scope of this monograph as it does not use many 'hard' items to make the ultimate in silent machines and involves cheap but complex materials design and manufacture.

I enjoy building radical designs but only a few computers get built as I have so many other projects, - hubcentre steering recumbent motorcycles, of which three are road legal and tested across Europe, also Books on Dartmoor, Ice skating, mountaineering, swimming and lots more. (Gizzajob - pleeeeease.)

If anyone wants radical computer cases, then email for their ultimate machines. If it can be built, my costs are truly reasonable.

As Goldilocks would say, . . . . 'and this one is just right'.
One of the easier designs is rather refined and uses very cheap glass and wood. As it is the easiest and cheapest, it will be used as an example. This will give beginners a reasonable chance to make a case, without resorting to welding or messy composites. (For welding, making your own composites, vacuum bagging and autoclaves, see my other monographs. Gizzajob.)

An example.

There is the need to mount CD's possibly two, for those making copies on the fly or wanting space for another 5.1/4 drive for future expansion. To take into account the need to prevent CD being inserted in the tray, this CD mount must be able to rotate 90 degrees between midi tower and desktop forms. Therefore the CD mount must be placed on the neutral axis.
The hard drive mountings must be capable of two drives for raid or simply for two hard drives, as many people upgrade from a hard drive to a larger, keeping the original for backup or as an original boot drive. Luckily, mounting hard drives is easy as they can be mounted in any alignment, as can the floppy drive.
This leaves just the power supply unit. Again this can be mounted in any manner, although the exhaust should ideally be to the rear.
As the modded high specification computer often uses a see-through PSU, this can be incorporated into the design if needed. The use of windows in the side panels is popular, as custom builders are usually proud of their machines. Therefore it is but one more step to make the whole sides clear.
This example has the hard drives to the front, and such that one can have a transparent cover for sheer curiosity value, as it looks good to see the internals of a hard drive bivvering away - much better then any fancy 'modded' lights.

The ability to position the case in desktop or midi tower leads to many forms, but the simplest is the basic case.

So basic, that it is merely four uprights to position and support the internals. Just two examples on such a simple theme are given, although there are as many variations on this as Mr Chippendale did for chairs. If the glass does not work well enough, or the internals are ugly or poorly laid-out, then the case is simply a quick spray inside the panels to give a solid look. This simple glass design also happens to be the form I prefer for water-cooling, as fewer fans reduce dust build up and the design allows far cooler case internals and waterwalls. Please note that waterwalls are not very suitable for changing between mini tower and desktop.

A major need of the design is to ensure all the small internal brackets are done superbly well.
I find that alloy or polished and lacquered steel works well, but wiping the tin-plate CD cases and PSU in a subdued colour also helps reduce any potential clash of internal colour balance.- It must never simply become a box of bits, so always take time to get the internals looking balanced and as good as possible.

The simplest design uses cross members and in this particular form, front to rear members made from brass plated steel though bolts, although simple gluing is possible for cleaner lines.
This simple structure then sandwiches simple acrylic or glass panels to allow easy disassembly of the side panel for access and a spare front panel to allow the CD's to be positioned in either desktop or mini tower form should it be requested.

The design needs really nice wood and glass to be effective.
In reality, a decent piece of wood is preferred, then perhaps stained as oak or whatever fits in with the furniture. The illustrations show a heavily grained wood, but always use a straight grained woods without knots to ensure strength. On one case, I eventually painted a gunmetal finish. The glass can be replaced with cheaper perspex and tinted if needed, then polished to a high shine to simulate glass.

The example opposite shows that all internal components are solely supported on wood or wood effect beams to maintain a minimalist, open look to the machine. Alloy strips also look nice in such cases for securing drives, usually available from the DIY stores who supply the wood and glass. The alloy strips are available in many sizes and cross sections. Where a known noisy component is specified, I prefer to rubber mount it.
The motherboard is mounted 'upside down', BTX style, on the left. The two CD's at the top should ideally need an air gap to help keep them cool, but to keep a compact machine this almost zero, but the airflow around the sides will help to some extent. One CD drive has an integral extractor fan.
Below the CD is the floppy, simply for convenience and to allow all disc removal buttons to be in a line. Just below the floppy are the two frontal USB sockets.
The two hard drive bays are at the front and there is a very large, cool area around the CPU fan and cooler which can take cool air from three directions on the bottom and remove it from the top slits.
The power button and HDD and green and red LED power lights are in the top left hand corner, but could be mounted anywhere. By using flexible perspex for the font panel, I can adjust the fixing of the panel to allow me to simply push the perspex top left hand corner to switch the machine on and off. The longer, thinner piece of perspex to the left of the CDs will be flexible enough to enable the upper panel to become this simple and effective, hidden switch.

Air ducting would be through the end gaps between the glass panels, some closed, a few open to allow cooling air through as needed. For hot markets the slots could be slightly larger. For cold countries I close the gaps slightly to keep the machinery warm to reduce condensation, then add an anti condensation film on the insides of the panels.

As can be seen in the mini tower example, the CD's could be moved to the bottom of the case, and the lower edge of the front panel trimmed to make manufacture easier. Alternatively, the front panel could be split, sliding sideways to gain access to the drives, which would be very easy in a desktop form and used on my first custom case over ten years ago.

As designed at this simplistic level, the design has many attributes and few faults.

The faults are prone to good choice of wood, preferably mahogany or similar, to give an air of high quality. Likewise decent glass.
The design is prone to glass breakage, so acrylic or polycarbonate is recommended unless glass is specified for cooling. The face is easy to wipe clean but will show up finger prints.
The case is open to view, so cabling and internal tidiness is mandatory for this design.

The move to prettier or garish motherboards and graphics cards and flashing fans and lights of all sort is now helping or hindering the trend towards real style. The design could be far more subtle.

I do not believe that a well designed computer needs the commonly available internal lights for effect. The proliferation of atrocious three colour LED fans, neon strings and other tatt, does not make a work of art.
There are various lights that a computer may genuinely need.
Lights can be used to illuminate the various sockets or controls if used in the dark, such as playing games or for entertainment. I prefer to mount the HDD LED such that it illuminates the insides of the transparent hard drive at the front of the case.
The simple use of clear or tinted plastic set either side of USB sockets and back lighted by a small LED can make use in the dark much easier. Simply sandwiching a thin film of clear thick perspex can be added to various sockets, around switches, or other interfaces for a computer used as a multimedia machine, where it may regularly be used in the dark.
For those who like flashy lights, then the internal illumination could be directly connected to the hard drive LED and thus flicker on as windows access the hard drive every three seconds or so, or during boot up, loading a programme, saving files and shut down. I find this particularly important when saving important files.

If the user does not want, or dislike self illuminating keyboards, then the mini tower or desktop case could have integral white LED's, set in adjustable spherical mounts which can then gently illuminate the keyboard in the dark.

Other use of lights is to genuinely enhance the style or design of the machine can be subtle, with just slight illumination to highlight the form such as a gentle overall glow, or to tease out the form as it sits quietly in the place of use.
Lighting need not be harsh on the eyes, indeed, it can sometimes be useful.

Cutting glass should be done by experts. Get any edge polishing done if the service is available. Matching the sizes of the frame to fit the glass to slide into place in the wood frame as it is being assembled will not pose much of a problem, but any trimming of glass to size or cutting holes will require careful handling. Tinted acrylic or perspex panels would suffice for most beginners needs.
TIP: Get the glass cut first, then fit the wood frame to match the glass for a perfect fit.

The size of the wood in the example design allows me to include my hi-fi mounting spindle feet to reduce noise and reduce shock loads and general noise.
Suitably designed feet can even reduce the effects of p and s waves if in an earthquake zone, as specified for my Hi-fi designs for Japan.

The main advantages of the example are incredible ease of manufacture, as the main components are wood or metal skeleton, with small, unobtrusive brackets attached to support the items. The PSU and drives will need extra internal beams, but when made in wood, or subdued alloy, will usually look correct.
The design is partially exoskeleton, but a fully internal skeleton with fully enclosing glass panels would also be simple and effective.
The use of acrylic panels will allow a vast range of colours and perhaps a selection of panels for the customer to include in the supplied box. Spraying the insides of clear panels with a light coat of lacquer or thinned paint will also simulate tinted panels, while still leaving the outer surfaces easy to clean and polish.

Construction of this example was kept deliberately simple by using slots in the ends of the four beams to take the plywood. The slots are cut diagonally through half the beam and the edges of the plywood rectangles chamfered to suit. This gives a very accurate and strong frame which is mostly self aligning, and only needs checking the right angles while the glue sets.
The beams are cut as a matched set of four, then a small plywood insert to hold the four together and the outsides sanded and shaped so they are all identical. This is the time to add any sculpting, such as waisting on the centres, or tapered feet. This is also the time for any slots to take glass or plastic side panels which can be slid in and out from above with no need for securing devices. I prefer to have side panels which are secured in the top and retained in lower slots, so the panels can be lifted up, out and then slid out. Similar to sliding mirror panels in your bathroom cabinet.

In the photo, note the holes for cooling the drives and small locating pieces for the drives and PSU. The upper three of six PCI slots are blocked off by the CD drives, but three PCI and the AGP are more than sufficient for this compact case of 14 x 10 x 8 inches.
All components have small locating wooden lugs to keep them in their place.
The only screws were to hold the motherboard, power supply and PCI card brackets. The CDs and floppy are held with blue tacky office putty, while the hard drives are held with an elastic boot lace, which allows them to be mounted in foam if they get too noisy.

Even this simple strategy gives a very easy, accurate and robust design.

The general concept of the design can be easily used in both tower and desktop formats, with just the removal of the front panels, rotating the CD's, then replacing with the other panel. For desktop design which must take a heavy monitor, then the plywood ends can be reinforced with two smaller compression beam inserts at each end. If a slot drive DVD RW is used, then the computer could be easily switched between desktop and midi tower formats with minimal hassle. Ordinarily CDs can simply be rotated 90 degrees and the hard drives mounted in a slightly different plywood cradle

The use of glass panels has many advantages.
First it stops you from messing about with the material as glass is hard to work, so the savvy designer naturally tries to work around the material and thus makes for far cleaner lines. Clear side panels makes life very easy during customer modifications and allows direct temperature readings of the internal components while under test. Some of my designs using full size glass sides allow the whole front panel to be counterbalanced and mounted on a damped pivot for easy access to the CD drives. Motor drives are also possible, but they tend to be slow and unnecessary in normal use. Powered doors and sliding panels are only really suitable for the disabled or for posing machines.
I prefer glass to be unadulterated, and as you may have read in my monograph on water-cooling, the side panels could be waterwall radiators in the midi tower form.

The front panels switches would either be many and flashy, with dials and LED read-outs and such alike, or be minimal. I prefer just one off/on touch sensitive button on the front panel. Likewise a reset button if needed. I do not like visible switches unless absolutely necessary.

This is just one of my many designs and shows that even with a minimalist approach; a degree of style is possible for computers. More importantly, to do so without undue cost or manufacturing requirements.

This case cost under a fiver.

The only real cost is the glass or acrylic panels, but anyone near a DIY shop can use perspex panels, then spray them with a light tinted lacquer to get the colours or tints, or graded tints as they wish.

As I learnt during British teaching training, most of your resources may have to come from scrap yards. Suitable tinted panels can be from old record desk covers, shop window displays and lots more besides and they are often free for an education system in cash crisis. My classes tended to end up with a class of scavengers, be they making their own paper, to building their own computers.

Such a case can be built for nothing, - it you put your mind to it. Even poor Brits with a few skills are often quite capable of building well designed custom computer cases. Even the poorest kid can make something to be genuinely proud of. (You can see why everyone says I should be teaching technology and design with my B.Ed and B.Sc. and many engineering quals. Gizzajob)

Total cost of this example should not cost more than around 5 quid. Done to high standards, about thirty to fifty pounds if using tinted glass. - Just be careful with the glass panels and choose your wood carefully.
Wood and glass is cheap and often thrown away, so grab some and have a go. For tinting glass to a high standard, simply call the guy who tints car windows.
If using alloy, anodising is covered in other monographs.

Feel free to copy and modify the design, but only for your own personal use.

Remember that the computer is merely an assembly of parts; and these can be in any form. I am not going to divulge my better designs, as this is where I make a little cash, but I believe the reader should always be able to go beyond the box.

At the minimalist level, you can build a computer by connecting all the cables, then hanging the parts in free form from the ceiling, using pieces of string. The machine will still work. Mine did.
It would be more akin to a child's mobile which moves in the breeze and run rather cool. By opening up the power supply box too, would make the whole machine run cool without fans. The problem of course would be potential problems from damage and dust. But it would be a computer and it would work.

This minimalist approach is the way many computers are tested when hardware problems occur, allowing quick changes of the components, such as swapping power supplies or drives or memory until the fault is diagnosed, or to sort out your collection of unknown processors and memory sticks.

The next step up from the eminently simple, if somewhat impractical 'no case', is almost as primitive: The computer could be mounted on a simple block of wood, with its internals simply held in close proximity. This could be mounted in a bottom cupboard of the office desk, with the CD and floppy drives mounted for easy use when the drawer is slid open, or on extended leads to the top of the desk. It would be reasonably neat and tidy, but poor in cooling and need a hole in the back of the drawer for the power, printer and monitor, keyboard cables etc. Again, it would be a computer and do the job well enough. It would be very easy to upgrade - and would really be a part of the office furniture. This would also work in a small room with a dressing table with a flat screen beside the mirror.
I normally mount the motherboard and PSU under the back of the desk knee area on a simple wooden frame, and extend the CD and floppy drives to the rear of the desktop or under the front lip of the desktop above and to the sides of the knees.

The next step up from no - case, is a cover or basic box and is essentially what the computer industry uses today. Many cases are very fancy and very expensive, but they are nearly all just variations of the tin box.
In some situations, you can make a cardboard box. - Have a go- it takes just a couple of hours and allows you to make almost any shape and size !

But the box need not be a box.
The box can be a big wedge, or a hemisphere as per Apple, or any shape you desire if appropriately thought through and sensibly designed.

The see-through desk, especially made to house or integrate a computer can be a work of art. Take a glass desktop and place a nice TFT monitor in the middle and add a comfy seat.
With a decent glass top desk, then the computer can be hidden under the rear of the desk, with the power supply and all the electronics hidden to the rear, under the glass, with just a few hidden cables running forwards to the CD and USB sockets just below the front edge of the desk to the right hand side. Here would also could be recessed power on/off button, along with the various sockets for USB and headphones.
I have said little on this design as 'less is more', as the less that can be seen, the better the design.

The point to note is that the computer need not be visible, nor housed in a box.

This brings me to the last of the designs and for once, I'm not using an open mind.

This time I am following along similar lines to the old but superb design example created by the masters of design Bang and Olfson, and a later, if similar design, the Yamaha 'Opus One' hi-fi units of the eighties. This is 'Modern Retro', merely a personal choice and as such, is only an example of boxes as having some style when not rectangular.

In many ways, this is just an extension of the first, easy to make box.
The designs were long, wide and not very tall, designed to offer the user a hi-fi desk with all the controls in a stylish form. The European manufacturer being particularly adept at making the design clean, stylish and timeless. This is the reason I cannot call the B&O machine a 'retro' design, but an 'early future' design.
I have friends with superb Quad Hi-fi systems with electrostatics, mounted in old gramophone and wireless cases which were built in the thirties and are excellent examples of craftsmanship. 'Quad' is a superb British hi-fi manufacturer and still show that there are a few geniuses in these once great Isles.
Retro deigns are often just as applicable as the latest chrome and glass designs, and they usually last ten times longer in the family than the rest of the furniture.
Without infringing copyrights, the underlying design can be followed, insofar as making a computer which can be seen as a stylish slab.
The most important aspects would be the ability to make a totally clean finish of the form, so it does not intrude with glitz or tatty controls or bright lights. The limiting factor would be the use of the CD and the controls in such a way as not to interfere with the overall cleanliness of the style.
The controls of a computer are far fewer, being simply the on /off, reset, and CD eject buttons, plus the various plugs and sockets.
As can be seen, unless using laptop components, then the front is a little too tall for a neat design, so the PSU could be modified to bring the upper face down to a steeper angle for a neater form. When integrated with a mount for a TFT screen, this could become a rather neat desktop design.
For those who wish, the top could be semi transparent or tinted to allow viewing of the internal components if the builder wishes. Perhaps just a couple of subtlety positioned neon strings from case modding suppliers.
The last step before building would of course, be to include the HI-FI itself, for a completely integrated entertainment unit.

If making the design as a desktop wedge, then the overall footprint need not be excessive.
The modern computer CD drive is difficult to turn into a flip lid design, so the motorised tray would remain. Finding slot drive DVD burners is almost impossible unless you cross breed both.
The ordinary CD trays could slide out, perhaps from under a dark tinted acrylic or glass lid which would slide up as the tray pushes its way out. As two CD's are common, then these could make the left and right as 'design anchors', with the rest of the structure in the middle. The eject buttons could be extended with a couple of wires or simply a hidden push-bar to the front to act as a slightly protruding form.
If wanting a design which can be short but wide, then the CD's could eject from the side, stacked above each other to reduce room required, or laid on the top of the case, ejecting sideways.
If you really want, there is no reason why the computer box cannot be thin but wide, hanging off the wall within easy arms reach, near a small desk to reduce space in a small area. If you want a really flat computer, then the CD drive could fold out to become level for inserting the CD. For an ultra flat computer, then use a laptop drive which has a central clip to prevent the CD from falling out.
There is more than one way to position a standard CD drive.

The various connections for a long case would be as per a typical motherboard layout, but probably to the side, so the power and VGA and keyboard plugs would not cause excessive rear projections. The usual USB sockets will still be able to be positioned at the front, in the lower line of the case beside any other auxiliary sockets such as a card reader. Integrating a wireless keyboard and mouse would be almost obligatory. Likewise headphones.
The floppy drive could be a slit in the front base or angled to be a simple slot in the centre. If any slots are fitted to the upper face, they must be protected from dust and foreign objects.

The position and choices of switches and lights can be whatever you like, as the choices are almost unlimited. I prefer easy to use, unseen panel switches, where pushing a corner of the panel will switch the very small needs for the power on and reset switches, also the CD eject buttons. Only the floppy eject needs a real button, although modifying an apple mac floppy or adding a small, damped solenoid via a hidden extension shaft to the eject button arm may be used for totally clean designs.

Some USB headers can be deconstructed from their standard mountings and mounted direct into the wood for a very clean design, allowing the USB sockets to be positioned anywhere. I often buy unused USB extensions for a pound a pair, which allow the motherboard plug and cable to slide through a neat hole in the front, so that the USB socket becomes a very neat push fit into the front of the case.
The rest of the design would be simple and allow for many small, sophisticated touches.

The point to note here is that if you have a favourite design, perhaps HiFi, or other item, perhaps even a retro America Car dashboard, - it could possibly be made and applied to your computer.

I build a few cases for fun and pocket money, and am therefore available for building exclusively custom cases to order. I don't charge much, you describe it, I can build it.
What you would otherwise pay a fortune for, I can offer far more style and innovation than the metal box. Although trained as an engine fitter and can craft steel and alloy as good as anyone, I prefer wood and glass. My metal work is mainly directed at radiators.
If you manu