A4000 Desktop New Case

[tubecracker]

I'm interested. 1Piece needed.
I have one Aluminium Front Bezel in Spare.

 

[MarioPL]

Something about the subject?

 

[Ordyne]

Sorry for the long delay, I have other projects out of the way so I can spend some time on this.

There has been some progress, drive tray made, power switch mounting has been added, I also did another version for a more generic switch but the original TV style works the best and they are still obtainable as I’m sticking with this for now.

I added larger expansion slots over the psu, in this set of pictures I’ve used the double slot as ventilation but it’s just a wider version of the other slots I put in over the ports.

I also made a little cf carrier for one of the expansion slots above the ports on the mainboard to give an idea of what could be done.

Zorro card cage has been made and also the top bar to hold the Zorro daughter board. There has been many versions of each part getting things to where I am happy and it is still work in progress. I’ve remade the top cover in 1mm Galvanised Steel as per the original as the 1st ones I made were 1.2mm the same as all the other parts but that extra 0.2 stops it slotting into the recess that’s in the back edge of the front bezel.

Today I met with a machinist who is going to make a tool so I can press the X into the bottom of the case to strengthen it like the original. Hopefully that will work ok as from factory these must have been made on a form press.

I should have the top cover painted in 2k polyurethane in the next few days, not sure how long it will take the tooling guy to get the press tool to me but I’m happy to let some prototypes go out as soon as that’s sort (or maybe before if it’s going to be a while)

Any suggestions welcome.

 

[Boing-ball]

Something to note from someone who has recently built up a 4000D system. Could do with more space for Accelerator cards and definitely Cooling. For example I’m running a Cyberstorm 060/PPC setup With SCSI. So a need for more cooling is a must. Would be nice to have a case that will accommodate 2 x 5.25inch drive bays or 3 3.5inch drive bays. The failing of the original case is space and you end up needlessly adding external SCSI drives outside of the system.

 

[Amigalove4Ever]

nice the a4000 !

 

[Ordyne]

Something to note from someone who has recently built up a 4000D system. Could do with more space for Accelerator cards and definitely Cooling. For example I’m running a Cyberstorm 060/PPC setup With SCSI. So a need for more cooling is a must. Would be nice to have a case that will accommodate 2 x 5.25inch drive bays or 3 3.5inch drive bays. The failing of the original case is space and you end up needlessly adding external SCSI drives outside of the system.

I’m not sure how more space for accelerator cards is possible without a totally different size case, the only space we are gaining is half height of the psu and part of that will be interrupted by the power switch I’m afraid. Cooling is something we can tackle, I could make an optional lid with vents and fan mounts if people are interested.

 

[Boing-ball]

I’m not sure how more space for accelerator cards is possible without a totally different size case, the only space we are gaining is half height of the psu and part of that will be interrupted by the power switch I’m afraid. Cooling is something we can tackle, I could make an optional lid with vents and fan mounts if people are interested.

That would help having a top mount fan The heat from both 060 and PPC needs to escape. Maybe 2? One over the CPU side. One over the Zorro side? What you also need to remember. Not everyone is running stock Zorro 3 daughterboards. I’m currently using a Prometheus Firebird with a Voodoo 3 card, that can get very hot
Cheers

 

[Boing-ball]

That would help having a top mount fan The heat from both 060 and PPC needs to escape. Maybe 2? One over the CPU side. One over the Zorro side? What you also need to remember. Not everyone is running stock Zorro 3 daughterboards. I’m currently using a Prometheus Firebird with a Voodoo 3 card, that can get very hot

What also would be a nice touch. A Keyboard garage Underneath, like the Checkmate 1500 case.

Cheers

 

[Ordyne]

That would help having a top mount fan The heat from both 060 and PPC needs to escape. Maybe 2? One over the CPU side. One over the Zorro side? What you also need to remember. Not everyone is running stock Zorro 3 daughterboards. I’m currently using a Prometheus Firebird with a Voodoo 3 card, that can get very hot
Cheers

It's easily doable, not sure if vents one side and fans the other or fans each side in push and pull. Does anyone else have any preferences on cooling?

What also would be a nice touch. A Keyboard garage Underneath, like the Checkmate 1500 case.

Well the A4000 isnt very wide, the original keyboard is a lot wider, you might need a garage complex

 

[Boing-ball]

It's easily doable, not sure if vents one side and fans the other or fans each side in push and pull. Does anyone else have any preferences on cooling?

Well the A4000 isnt very wide, the original keyboard is a lot wider, you might need a garage complex

There are keyboard adapters out there for 3rd party keyboard use

 

[MarioPL]

Beautiful .
What is the cost ?

 

[Ordyne]

Beautiful .
What is the cost ?

I will know when I get a working tool and it’s cost for pressing the cross break in the case bottom. Hopefully in the next week.

 

[Nelson]

There seems to be a hole missing in the front for the LED and Keylock.

 

[Boing-ball]

There seems to be a hole missing in the front for the LED and Keylock.

Yep. well spotted. But the earlier cases didn’t have such a cut out like the latter cases from Commodore

 

[Ordyne]

There seems to be a hole missing in the front for the LED and Keylock.

It’s already in the next revision which has quite a few changes to it, as Boing-ball has said only the later cases seem to have had this or so it seems as the only a4000 I have with this is the Rev D mainboard which was the final version.

 

[Nelson]

the earlier cases didn’t have such a cut out

The hole is also missing on one of my A4000s.

 

[Xanxi]

How to you pass the wires without the hole?

 

[Nelson]

At the top between the front and the daughter board bracket.

 

[Ntsimouris]

Impressive work indeed! Please count me also for 1-2 pieces when you will make it a sale product!

 

[Ordyne]

Here is the latest cad design I spoke of now in actual metal. I’ve also gotten time to matching some paint and painting some covers, these have a light texture added to help not show every battle scar as time goes on like the originals.

Later Rev hole added for bezel wiring.

Back without the knockouts removed.

Rear with expansion parts fitted, Zorro card holder has now had ventilation holes cut.

I have reverted to traditional length drive tray and separate tower for power switch.

Many parts are adjustable so you can make small changes, power switch tower can be moved back and fourth to suite the switch and how far you want the power button to stick out when it’s switched on and off.

Another adjustment, Zorro card cage can be raised or lowered, you can fine tune the height to the daughter board.

Small cutouts are made so the Zorro cards aren’t as prone for catching the case, it’s not much but it helps.

Cases will come with power switches

Still waiting for tooling to add the cross bracing to the bottom but it is quite strong now.

Here it is with the painted cover, this is 2K polyurethane industrial paint.

I took a video of cutting the case bottom out, I thought some people might like to see that.