Hackintoshes, Oh no...not another G5 case replica!

[spuddly2003]

G5/Mac Pro "built-from-scratch" case mod. I'm thinking along the lines of "what could have happened if Apple had decided to design a Mac Pro/XServe server...but in a server-tower design case?" I have just bought an old ATX server case on ebay...purely for it's chassis to provide some "structure" to this one-off case design. I am intending on using a full-size Gigabyte board...and a triple-circuit water-cooling setup. The "chassis" I am beginning with is 610mm tall...here are some pics of the donor chassis.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/b5ea_1.jpg
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02702.jpg
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02703.jpg
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02704.jpg
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02705.jpg
This is...as I said...more a "Concept" case mod/fabrication...so it won't necessarily be an accurate Mac Pro "replica" as such...just an idea of what could have happened if there was a Mac Pro/XServe in a tower format. But where possible...I will try to stay as true to the Mac Pro/G5 "style" as possible.:rockout:

I hope you enjoy following this thread...as I will certainly be having a ball creating it!
Cheers!:toast:

[King Wookie]

Wow, some serious space in that frame.

I'll be watching with interest then.:toast:

[spuddly2003]

Just a small update...I had a dilemma facing me as to how to mount 2 optical drives, I didn't want to have to make a drive bay specifically for the job...but I still want the front panel looking as close to authentic MacPro as possible. Thankfully, I still have some old technology laying around!

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02781.jpg
...an old Pentium 200 MMX...surprisingly a still operational machine (but why!)

It just so happens that this design of case has a "removable" dual optical drive bay...therefore saving the drama of having to make a dual optical bay from scratch!

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02782.jpg
The "donor" dual optical bay...still located in the "victim"!...lol

Out with the CD-RW drive...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02783.jpg
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02784.jpg
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02785.jpg
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02787.jpg

...off with the plastic front panel(didn't even bother disassembling the rest of the machine!) ...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02789.jpg

...and out with the cordless drill to drill out the pop-rivets...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02791.jpg
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02796.jpg

...with a quick flick of the wrist...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02797.jpg

...voila...dual drive bay...ready to be used!
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02798.jpg

They aren't much to look at yet...I will be sanding them up smooth...and painting them in "chrome" paint...but I'm not real worried...in true MacPro form...it will be hidden behind the aluminium finish panel.

[Silverel]

Looks interesting so far. Curious as to how well chrome paint is gonna work. I've used it on plastic with decent results.

-subscribed-

[Exavier]

looking good so far...keep us updated :)

[commandercup]

shouldn't this be in the project logs forum? ...

anyways, interesting idea... I don't think the finished product will look anything like a G5 though lol

[spuddly2003]

shouldn't this be in the project logs forum? ...

anyways, interesting idea... I don't think the finished product will look anything like a G5 though lol

Well as I had already said in my first post...the intention wasn't to build a "replica"...just to follow a similar concept...there are other G5/Mac Pro Hackintoshes (that are actually using "genuine" Apple cases!) that still haven't ended up retaining their "G5" appearance from an internal point of view either, but they've still been damn nice mods...all the same! But I do plan on trying extremely hard (where possible/practical) to stay as true to a Mac Pro in design as possible...but thank you for your comment...

[lemonadesoda]

Go to the chemist. Buy a small bottle of "EUYCALYPTUS" oil. Put a small drop of the oil on a rag or kitchen paper, and it will wipe those stickey glue marks off within 5 seconds.

[blkhogan]

Very interesting.... Keep the pics coming, we love our pictures :rockout:

[spuddly2003]

Ok...so here's the theory...don't you just love it when people say "it's all good in theory?" Anyway...the idea is:

*Invert the chassis(BTXstyle).

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02801-2.jpg

*Remove the motherboard tray(D'uh!).

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02802.jpg

*Disassemble the chassis panel by panel drilling out all the pop rivets holding it together.

*Completely cut out the original front and rear panels...leaving basically a 20mm "frame" for a front panel...and about a 10mm "frame" for a back panel.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02799-1.jpg

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02800-1.jpg

...and apart from the motherboard tray and the slides that it slides in on and of course the front and back "frames"...pretty much discard the rest of the chassis!

I have had it pointed out to me on this thread...that there are doubts as to just how close this mod will actually be to a G5/MacPro.

In light of that comment...I had discovered that with the depth of this chassis...it would have only allowed me to have 3 hard drive bays across instead of 4. These of course will be double drive bays instead of singular...(more hard drives, 8 in total, true to servers) but I did say I wanted this mod to be a "concept" of what Apple could have done if they'd thought of it...rather than a true "replica"!

So therefore...I have decided to rejoin the front and back panels with aluminium angle...to make for a little more depth, which in turn will also allow the case to grow a little wider...in better proportion with a "genuine" MacPro case!

Unlike a MacPro...the rear panel will be flat, instead of curved at either end...but the front panel will still have the integrated curves top and bottom. It will also have a flat front panel behind the curved "perforated" front panel...to allow for mounting of 3 120mm fans to cater for the CPU's water cooling loop...along with a Radiical® Ultra Triple120 mm Fan Radiator-Dual Pass.

Due to the overall height of this case...I am having to deviate away from a MacPro in design slightly...just so the structure of the case doesn't become too "flimsy" and weak...this is going to be quite a heavy computer!

Thats all for now...another update in a few days!

[newconroer]

The pictures with the electric screw driver made me chuckle. What in the world..

[spuddly2003]

The pictures with the electric screw driver made me chuckle. What in the world..

Cheers for that...here in Australia we call them a cordless "Drill"...and I was illustrating drilling out the rivets that held the drive bay in place!

[spuddly2003]

Just a quick update. I went out to Bunnings today and bought 4 1 metre lengths of 20mm flange aluminium angle, and 4 1 metre lengths of 12mm flange aluminium angle, that will be used to tie the front and rear panels back together, and also tidy up some of the original steel edges. This will form the new chassis with which the rest of the MacPro/XServe tower will be built around.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02803.jpg

Stay tooned, as over the next few days, I will be starting to disassemble the original server tower, cut out the front and rear frames, bog (bondo) the holes up in the front panel, and start to form the new chassis!

[spuddly2003]

I apologise for the lack of recent updates...have recently changed ISP, but I'm back now...with some all-new updates!

Cutting up the original Front Panel... to leave a basic "frame" for an aluminium faceplate to be mounted, to accomodate the 2 optical drive bays (at the top) and 3 fans for the triple-fan CPU water loop radiator (about 2/3rds the way down the faceplate).

Firstly...here is marked what needs to be cut away...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02813.jpg
(This was originally the top of the case...where the floppy drive and power switch were)

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02814.jpg
(This was originally the lower front of the case...where the factory fitted 80mm fans were, for hard drive and case ventilation)

The front panel will be inverted (to make for a cleaner edge for the optical drive bays) and in keeping with the original theory of inverting the whole case BTX style.

Next is a photo of me holding the angle grinder in my hand getting ready to start the cut, with a devious look on my face!
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02815.jpg
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02816.jpg
....after all...how often do you hear the words "angle grinder" and "computer" used in the same phrase...???...lol...!!!

...first cut...the top section where the floppy drive was...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02823.jpg
...and the cut out section completed...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02824.jpg

Next, moving on to the lower section...
...starting the cut...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02828.jpg
...about a third of the way through...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02831.jpg
...and finishing up...section falling away...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02836.jpg

It doesn't show in the photos...but it actually took 3 full cutting disks from start to finish (just on this lower section!)...I have learnt my lesson now...you get what you pay for...cheap, rubbish cutting disks!!!

Lastly...the complete...cut-out original front-panel...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02838.jpg

In future updates...I will be bogging up this panel...and smoothing it out...in preparation for forming the new chassis...stay tooned!!!

[spuddly2003]

A little more progress made…front panel roughly scuffed up a little…so as to have a raw surface to use Stainless Steel reinforced bog (bondo) on…filling up as many of the original holes/gaps as possible.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02839.jpg
Front of front panel roughed up…
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02840.jpg
Back of front panel….

Masking up of the front panel…from behind…so the bog would actually stick and not just fall through the holes…
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02841.jpg
…and lastly…the first stage of applying the bog and filling up the holes…
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02842.jpg

I don't honestly really know why I am going to the trouble…the front and rear frames are going to be trimmed with aluminium angle…and as the project progresses, these frames eventually won't even be visible…but call it my perfectionist nature, I guess!

The aim is to try to get the finished case to be as smooooooth as possible…and if I know it's there…and it ain't right…I won't let up till it's put right!

The completed bog filling job...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02885.jpg
...painted in red oxide primer...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02886.jpg
...and finally...painted in grey primer...
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk39/spuddly2003/DSC02887.jpg

The frame has only been bogged and painted on the front so far...I decided to start making the aluminium angle frame first while it is still at this stage...that way if there's any damage to the paint in the process...I'll just touch up the paint all in one go...

Anyway…that's all for now...by next update the frame should be ready for stuff like hi-fill primer to be applied and sanded, etch primed and painted chrome…in preparation for the aluminium framework which will eventually support the "hidden" front.

[intel igent]

where's your goggles? :)

[spuddly2003]

where's your goggles? :)

...many years in the metal fabrication industry...you sorta get to know stuff like which way sparks/shavings are gonna go after a while...but...yes...kiddies...don't try this at home....this man is a trained fuckwit....lol!!!

[Silverel]

:rockout:

Keep at it sir, I thought you had dropped off this project. Good to know you're still around.

[Squirrely]

Looking good!

And I know how fast cutting wheels go, lol. That's why if I cut anything, I usually just go and use a plasma cutter at my friends shop. :P Just hook up a straight edge next to where you want to cut, and it works wonders. :D

[spuddly2003]

Hi, Y'all!
Just a short note to say I haven't given up...and that I am still here...I just have no current updates to report. Unfortunately I am going through an Australian winter here at the moment...and I do the majority of my work outside (bit difficult when it's pretty much constantly raining!)...and I also have 2 other completely unrelated mods on the go as well (one for my wife, one for my eldest son) which were actually started long before mine...and I have had them both breathing down my neck to make some more progress on theirs!
Hopefully I will have another update soon, possibly while I am painting the other two!
Cheers...and see you all again soon!