Custom Wood Case

[NorthernYankee]

I saw a link for a kewl wood case on [H]ard today.

http://ny.liquidninjas.com/Pics/Woodie/WoodCase.jpg

They can be found here. (http://www.waiteworks.com/cases/cases.html) They cost $3500 for a full system but I know a lot of people would be interested in just the case so I emailed them about a price for case only and it costs $1500:eek:. Thats a pretty penny but they are really nice I might have an new project to build.

--NY

[foment]

wow that looks really awesome.

I bet the sound dampening is even better in a wood case.

You could probably build one yourself though, 1500 is a pretty penny for sure.

There seems to be a 120mm fan exhuast on top, but then there is a wooden overhang covering the top...so I wonder how effective that top exhuast fan is.

[Cabal]

looks nice, but a fairly simple design for 1500, i would have expected something fancier.

[Gregorach]

Well, decent cabinet-making doesn't come cheap you know! I'd expect truly superlative build quality for this sort of product.

In fact, I came up with this idea about 4, maybe 5 years ago - never did anything about it though... I was thinking of aiming more at the executive crowd though - those guys with the rainforest mahogany desks and leather suites in their private offices. They'll pay a fortune for stuff like this.

[Spazzonater]

That site has been up for awhile, and what would the cooling be like in that case, wouldn't the wood keep in the case or would it aid in cooling sorry i'm all about the performance.

[Drake]

Wood is definitely an insulator, but if you've good enough airflow, that's not an issue.

[Szandor]

Hello All, I had a small wood-working business for 12 years making hardwood dining room furniture so I'm fairly handy at wood working myself. I saw the case link over at [H] as well, I think its the best looking "woody" I've seen to date. However with some very basic tools that case could be made for under $100.00. There are many simple joinery techniques that could be used or even doing the same mortise and tenon with only a small table saw and drill press. Maybe someday I'll try messing with one. He should have used that Lian Li MoBo tray from PC Mods, would have looked nicer and been far more functional. Happy Modding All.
Regards, Szandor

[dfrancis]

Talking of pcmods....

http://www.pcmods.com/list.asp?CtgID=114

[Szandor]

Hello All, Those are nice too, also very easy, they're using an iron-on veneer. The stuff is a little pricey but very effective, uses high quality wood veneer with an adhesive backing. All you do is cut it slightly oversized and use a thin cloth to protect the wood then use a regular household clothes iron on low. Wrap it around the edges and iron those and then trim with a very sharp exacto knife. The good thing about using veneers is they aren't effective by the climate/humidity changes as a solid 3/4" thick piece of wood is so you don't get swelling and shrinkage that can cause doors to bind or gaps to open up. The other nice thing about veneers is that you can make things out of exotic woods from Asia and Africa that you wouldn't normally wouldn't be able to afford in solid wood construction.
Regards, Szandor

[dfrancis]

Where can you buy that stuff Szandor?

[Szandor]

Hello All, Let me check my catalogs dfrancis, I'll get back to you in a bit, I haven't worked with the stuff in a few years now and I don't remeber the best suppliers off the top of my head.
Regards, Szandor

[foment]

won't the system temps increase a lot because you will be adding a layer to the other case?

[dfrancis]

temps wont increase so much, no way near as much as adding sound killing foam inside anyway!

[Drake]

Good airflow negates the downsides of an insulator as a case material.

[Szandor]

Hello All, Okay I've found some stuff for ya. Heres some places you can check.

http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/home.exe

http://www.woodworkerswarehouse.com/default.asp?SID=&shopperid=E5AQCNNUPH4W9LMSCGMQQJH3A9HPABXC&tproi_cid=

http://www.rockler.com/index.cfm?clk=5000

http://www.meiselwoodhobby.com/

When you do something that has a thicker edge, like the top in the PCmod link case, you will need to add a second strip around the edge and then trim. They make a cheap little angled jig that holds a single edged razor blade like used in box cutters for trimming this joint. Its a little tricky but if you take your time with a good sharp blade you won't have any problem with it. If you have any other questions just ask away. Oh and I personally prefer hand rubbed oil finishes and not laquers or varnishes as you can acheive a nice gloss but still allow the wood to breath which helps keep it stable.

Regards, Szandor

[Tom T]

Szandor is right. I too have been building furniture for 15 years and I can tell you, with a little time and patience, you can create some beautiful and truly unique stuff. What a great way to personalize your rig. If you'll notice on the original case, the top has an opening all around the top. This is nice, cause all you would need then is a fan pulling air in at the bottom. Nothing more. Wood holds in heat, which is why the top has been elevated. I would also suggest a good polyurethane finish inside the case (and out). This will aid in the smooth flow of air. However, be warned, even with quality kiln dried wood for your case, the repeated heating and cooling of the case due to interior temps. will cause the wood to expand and contract, so make sure not to glue across the grain and use mortis and tennons to build the main case. If done right, these joints are sturdier than the steel cases. If anyone needs advice, just ask. Tom BTW, while building your own case can be as complicated or as simple as you want to make it, the case in the original post is a lott tougher to build then you might think, but not impossible.