A4000T Replica
- Thread starter Ordyne
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A bit more work done, those fold over tabs on the front are driving me nuts 
I’ve added some lugs for cable management down the side of the mainboard, the eagle eyed of you will also notice the bracket from the middle 5.25 drive bay that fouls the cup card area is gone and this is now part of the upper drive bay. I will also add some lugs to that so cables from the psu can be cable tied to them.
The 80mm fan has been changed for a 120mm and the psu is now at the top of the case leaving space for other goodies below.
Thoughts, comments, ideas welcome.
I am still on the fence about turning centre 5.25 sideways bay into a 3.5 bay and making the cover to match
I’ve added some lugs for cable management down the side of the mainboard, the eagle eyed of you will also notice the bracket from the middle 5.25 drive bay that fouls the cup card area is gone and this is now part of the upper drive bay. I will also add some lugs to that so cables from the psu can be cable tied to them.
The 80mm fan has been changed for a 120mm and the psu is now at the top of the case leaving space for other goodies below.
Thoughts, comments, ideas welcome.
I am still on the fence about turning centre 5.25 sideways bay into a 3.5 bay and making the cover to match
Looks super awesome! Keep it as close to the original as possible (just my 2 cents).
I’ve added some lugs for cable management down the side of the mainboard, the eagle eyed of you will also notice the bracket from the middle 5.25 drive bay that fouls the cup card area is gone and this is now part of the upper drive bay. I will also add some lugs to that so cables from the psu can be cable tied to them.
The 80mm fan has been changed for a 120mm and the psu is now at the top of the case leaving space for other goodies below.
Thoughts, comments, ideas welcome.
I am still on the fence about turning centre 5.25 sideways bay into a 3.5 bay and making the cover to match
I would turn that center bay and make it 3.5 inch, that would be much better anyway.
That 120 mm will cool a lot better this way with any 060 inside.
Now we need to see the finished look
Should do
studioxswe
New member
Looks like I could finally find some good use for my re-capped fully working A4000T motherboard ;-)
Just my two cents on the design decisions:
- I don't mind seeing some enhancements to the case, for me it does not have to be 100% identical to the original C=
- For example
-- 2.5" bays cold be useful for SSDs that some of us are using today
-- a slot for a Compact Flash card
-- front USB
-- extra LED you can hook up to your network card
- not saying these are perfect examples of changes, just saying there are things that are different in 2024 and I wouldn't mind having that.
- The front glass is kind'a a deal breaker however. Does it have to look 100% identical? No, not for me as long as the price can be "reasonable"
- The top panel does not have to be identical, I mean its cool to have a keylock but yea, for me not the end of the world if its not there.
- As most of us won't have a PSU (unless you already have an original 4000T) I would prefer an ATX style mount (Perhaps that is what the original case had, as it looks like on the pictures that will work fine)
It this would end up on kickstarted I would back it
Just my two cents on the design decisions:
- I don't mind seeing some enhancements to the case, for me it does not have to be 100% identical to the original C=
- For example
-- 2.5" bays cold be useful for SSDs that some of us are using today
-- a slot for a Compact Flash card
-- front USB
-- extra LED you can hook up to your network card
- not saying these are perfect examples of changes, just saying there are things that are different in 2024 and I wouldn't mind having that.
- The front glass is kind'a a deal breaker however. Does it have to look 100% identical? No, not for me as long as the price can be "reasonable"
- The top panel does not have to be identical, I mean its cool to have a keylock but yea, for me not the end of the world if its not there.
- As most of us won't have a PSU (unless you already have an original 4000T) I would prefer an ATX style mount (Perhaps that is what the original case had, as it looks like on the pictures that will work fine)
It this would end up on kickstarted I would back it
@Ordyne
I really hope you keep the front bezel with door etc. as close to the original as possible for purists like me. If there is finally a possibility to get a 100% equivalent version of the Commodore A4000T case or very close to it, I prefer to keep it at that.
If someone prefer to have some "improvements" to the front bezel, please do another version of it for them.
Regarding the metal case, for me it's the same whether it's close to the original or with some modifications.
I'm only interested in the front bezel as I already have the case for it.
I really hope you keep the front bezel with door etc. as close to the original as possible for purists like me. If there is finally a possibility to get a 100% equivalent version of the Commodore A4000T case or very close to it, I prefer to keep it at that.
If someone prefer to have some "improvements" to the front bezel, please do another version of it for them.
Regarding the metal case, for me it's the same whether it's close to the original or with some modifications.
I'm only interested in the front bezel as I already have the case for it.
This was so nearly the final version until I found a mistake on the rear
I plan to change very little on the front plastics, the only consideration was change the sideways 5.25 bay to 3.5 but I understand this might be a dealbreaker for some hence why I was speaking opinions. I’d like to use magnets to attach it rather than those nasty spring clips, that’s about it, I’d like to keep everything else the same.
I plan to change very little on the front plastics, the only consideration was change the sideways 5.25 bay to 3.5 but I understand this might be a dealbreaker for some hence why I was speaking opinions. I’d like to use magnets to attach it rather than those nasty spring clips, that’s about it, I’d like to keep everything else the same.
I’d have to make them, but I wince every time I have to pull a cover off an A4000T
Very nice progress Ordyne, I was following you on Acill's discord too but this thread is much better to keep to the topic.
My opinion is, like Hese's above: the outside SHOULD remain the same, even as unpractical as it has been designed by C= (the vertical 5.25 bays, for example, and the crazy cover with its Aluminium tape trim, the "Turbo" button... etc.)
On the other hand and on the inside, it will be fantastic to add some extra features, such as more drive bays, or rear brackets for CF2IDE adapters, or ZuluSCSCI, more fans...
But the idea is it should be usable by anyone having old boards or new boards from TBTorro.
Ideally maybe a variant back plate for the new Ports PCB open source available too...
I will support (even financially) an injection molding solution for the front plastics, I even have contact in China who could possibly help. I don't think machined solutions are any good, we can see how many problems the A4000D has with these...
I have some little skills on Google Sketchup3D; I know you're doing well on ProEng, but in case you need help...
My opinion is, like Hese's above: the outside SHOULD remain the same, even as unpractical as it has been designed by C= (the vertical 5.25 bays, for example, and the crazy cover with its Aluminium tape trim, the "Turbo" button... etc.)
On the other hand and on the inside, it will be fantastic to add some extra features, such as more drive bays, or rear brackets for CF2IDE adapters, or ZuluSCSCI, more fans...
But the idea is it should be usable by anyone having old boards or new boards from TBTorro.
Ideally maybe a variant back plate for the new Ports PCB open source available too...
I will support (even financially) an injection molding solution for the front plastics, I even have contact in China who could possibly help. I don't think machined solutions are any good, we can see how many problems the A4000D has with these...
I have some little skills on Google Sketchup3D; I know you're doing well on ProEng, but in case you need help...
Magnets are a good idea, you may also add some "locating" pins to align neatly the metal front and the plastic front... maybe slightly conical.
Sorry I have been on vacation for a couple of weeks and then playing catch up. I should have something to show by the end of the week
I'm interested in a tower more commodore looking front and modern off the shelf parts inside more rearranged to fit
I've been lurking mostly here, but have an Escom 4000T that I'd love to do a bezel swap for the Commodore bezel. I also have several Enlight BigTower cases the 4000T is based on - again would love the CBM bezel. I'm very interested and would support whether small batch sales or as a kickstarter. Fantastic project.
OK, its been a while since an update! I had a vacation and now there is a case conundrum !!
Not sure how many are aware of the Commodore prototype which differ slightly to the small number of production units that were made.
Basically the production unit cases are the same as the Escom / Quikpak cases apart from the front covers.
The production case is more or less a CR (cost reduced) version of the PC (486 etc) case that came before it which the A4000T case is based on.
The Commodore prototypes or based on this case, the main noticeable difference is the PSU is not AT/ATX form factor, other than this at a quick glance it looks the same. However it is built quite differently, the case material is thicker, the main body of the case isn't a one part folded piece like the production case as the front is separate and then spot welded after. The lid doesn't use the same hooks to hold it to the body, it uses a number of spot welded plates (IIRR 12 in total) to do this. The result of this is the case is stronger, fits together better and just feels much much better. I've had one of the PC versions to hand for the last couple of weeks and I have to say the production case feels like trash in comparison.
This is where the dilemma is. Do *WE* do this right and make it to the spec of the prototype build quality wise, obviously we would use and ATX psu and to look at it would basically the same. The material cost raises some what as its 1.5mm steel for the main body rather than 1.0 (as per the original production case) but the material cost isnt going to make that much different to the case price. There is more work in welding all the plates on but after making a bunch of the one piece production case it was nasty, they did it like that as it was quick and cheap!
Here are some pictures.
I will also post a couple of prototype A4000T pics.
Production case lid/case gap (due to design)
Prototype lid fitment
Production front
Prototype front
Prototype lid , not using clips
Prototype A4000T
Not sure how many are aware of the Commodore prototype which differ slightly to the small number of production units that were made.
Basically the production unit cases are the same as the Escom / Quikpak cases apart from the front covers.
The production case is more or less a CR (cost reduced) version of the PC (486 etc) case that came before it which the A4000T case is based on.
The Commodore prototypes or based on this case, the main noticeable difference is the PSU is not AT/ATX form factor, other than this at a quick glance it looks the same. However it is built quite differently, the case material is thicker, the main body of the case isn't a one part folded piece like the production case as the front is separate and then spot welded after. The lid doesn't use the same hooks to hold it to the body, it uses a number of spot welded plates (IIRR 12 in total) to do this. The result of this is the case is stronger, fits together better and just feels much much better. I've had one of the PC versions to hand for the last couple of weeks and I have to say the production case feels like trash in comparison.
This is where the dilemma is. Do *WE* do this right and make it to the spec of the prototype build quality wise, obviously we would use and ATX psu and to look at it would basically the same. The material cost raises some what as its 1.5mm steel for the main body rather than 1.0 (as per the original production case) but the material cost isnt going to make that much different to the case price. There is more work in welding all the plates on but after making a bunch of the one piece production case it was nasty, they did it like that as it was quick and cheap!
Here are some pictures.
I will also post a couple of prototype A4000T pics.
Production case lid/case gap (due to design)
Prototype lid fitment
Production front
Prototype front
Prototype lid , not using clips
Prototype A4000T
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