# HTPC cover build.



## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

LOL, yes I do have time, and materials to make something everyday, some stuff like the butter dish and hammer use small scraps.

Today was different.

Back story...

I have a quad core HTPC with 12TB of storage. It also acts as a server feeding the media files to the 2 plasmas, one in our room, the other in the living room, and to my monster shop machine ( I have woodworking videos, and do like a movie or show playing).

I have the HTPC in an old ugly Compaq tower, and it sits on the dresser below the tv. Cables visiable, its fugly.











So, as you can see.....ugly, nasty, uber nerdy with a computer under the tv.

Now, I was and am on a bit of a time crunch today, so I am not doing this live. Right now I'm waiting for glue to dry for final assembly.

Started off with some rough cut ash.











And I resawed, jointed, planed some 1/2" stock, and some 1" stock.

I then ran some dados, cut some tenons, and now have this..











I also pulled some 1/4" walnut plywood down and cut some pieces to size, again I had done the measuring by this point, then again, I had drawn plans up at 06:00.












Then after sanding, I decided to put watco on the parts prior to assembly, as I was going to use the dark walnut watco on the plywood, and natural on the ash.











I also took 2 pieces of 1" thick walnut, and edge glued them to use for a top.












And I assembled the panels and used a dab of glue to hold them together.


So, I'm off to do the top, be back soon

Sent from my Galaxy Tab using Woodworking Talk


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

oldmacnut said:


> LOL, yes I do have time, and materials to make something everyday, some stuff like the butter dish and hammer use small scraps.
> 
> Today was different.
> 
> ...


 
LOl...you're too much...I have been loving watching your builds....you're inspiring me to try stuff I haven't attempted yet...keep it coming.....:thumbsup:


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## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

Teaser pic.....












Sent from my Galaxy Tab using Woodworking Talk


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## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

All done now. Just need to hinge the top, put it in bedroom



















































Sent from my Galaxy Tab using Woodworking Talk


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## cocheseuga (Dec 15, 2010)

Airflow?


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## Fsucraigk (Nov 4, 2011)

12TB!! I have more movies than I can ever hope to watch on 2TB of storage. That's a lot of media storage. The case looks really nice as well!!


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## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

cocheseuga said:


> Airflow?


ha ha, i was in such a hurry to get it put in the room before the wife got home, to surprise her, i forgot to snap pics of it empty.

The bottom is wide open, with 2 slats holding the tower, i ran a dado down the bottom of the side pieces, a rabbit on the 2 slats, and tacked them in place with some brads.

and the side of the case is off to, plus i have an after market cooler on the cpu and drives.


as for the 12TB, yeah, entire collections of TV shows, Kids stuff and movies, all BD rips done in MKV format, heck I think Avatar is 17GB in size. I just ripped the entire Fraggle Rock collection for the kids to.


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## cocheseuga (Dec 15, 2010)

Good stuff.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*what air flow?*



cocheseuga said:


> Airflow?


 Heat is the enemy of electronics, dust is it's partner. Nice job on the unit however. :thumbsup: bill

OK I see that you have accounted for that.


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## kinghong1970 (Jul 28, 2011)

wow! 12 TB!

nice build... can't say the same bout your compaq case tho... hahaha...

next project, watercool that beast!


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Once again, a very nice looking project. love the contrasting woods. Very nice.


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## Tucker43 (Sep 8, 2011)

*NERDS!*​hah just kidding guys.
great build oldmac. Just wish I was knowledgable enough to set up a HTPC system :icon_sad:​


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## whatalesyou1 (Mar 18, 2011)

Gorgeous build! 

Did you give any thought to making a case for the HTPC, instead of putting the case in a box? Just curious...



Tucker43 said:


> Just wish I was knowledgable enough to set up a HTPC system :icon_sad:​


A HTPC is just a computer. I built one a few years back. I had to update the video outputs when I switched to HDMI. The ripped Blu-Rays look _nice_ on the 65" plasma...

I've only got about 2TB, though...hmmmmm


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## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

whatalesyou1 said:


> Gorgeous build!
> 
> Did you give any thought to making a case for the HTPC, instead of putting the case in a box? Just curious...
> 
> ...



Yeah, i kicked around building a custom case for the better part of a year. I wanted to, just to have the flexibility of the layout, but i didnt want to because i knew it would be a total pain.

Im glad i went this method, less than a day, and it looks nothing like a computer compared to a nice custom case.


And Tucker, I am probably the biggest nerd on this site. Published film editor and camera operator, develop on android platform, house networked, and who else do you know with a core i7 960 system with a 30" monitor wall mounted in their shop? yeah, i am white and nerdy...


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## Tucker43 (Sep 8, 2011)

oldmacnut said:


> And Tucker, I am probably the biggest nerd on this site. Published film editor and camera operator, develop on android platform, house networked, and who else do you know with a core i7 960 system with a 30" monitor wall mounted in their shop? yeah, i am white and nerdy...


 
lol. I hope no one took offense to 80s movie flashback.
You've got one hell of a bucket o' brains. Film Editor-Camera Operator-Android Developer-Home Networker/Computer builder-Woodworker? Where do you find the time? :thumbsup:

I know the basics of the HTPC but if you gave me a PC and told me to make a HTPC out of it, I would look at you like this :blink:

Although one thing I would REALLY like to build if money ever allows is a MAME cabinet <--that's a litte nerdy itself


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## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

Tucker43 said:


> lol. I hope no one took offense to 80s movie flashback.
> You've got one hell of a bucket o' brains. Film Editor-Camera Operator-Android Developer-Home Networker/Computer builder-Woodworker? Where do you find the time? :thumbsup:
> 
> I know the basics of the HTPC but if you gave me a PC and told me to make a HTPC out of it, I would look at you like this :blink:
> ...


I don't edit or film anymore, been about 2 years. Android started cause I was sick of the way my tablet was running, I wanted a custom rom, I ended up releasing 12 roms on xda. I couldn't work in my shop during that time as my injuries were way to bad, had all the time to sit at the computer.

The htpc, LOL that started about a year ago after a blu ray I loaned to an inlaw came back looking like 20 grit paper, I set out to figure out how to rip and encode. Once I had that down, just started ripping our blu ray and hddvd collection, started with the one computer and an Xbox 360 as an extender, now we use xbmc for everything.

I don't like spending to much time at the computer any more, unless I'm researching, 7 years of editing will do that to you.

I started this woodworking thing December 2010, got my first tablesaw in Jan 2011, it comes natural for some reason, a lot of math, and problem solving, its right up my alley. Wife started really supporting my hobby when I made a dresser for my son, then a bed for my daughter, man that woman has a list a mile long now, she wants a cherry bedroom set, I'm looking to buy 300bf of cherry now.

Its fun, and a lot cheaper than buying furniture or the little things from any store, and I know its solid wood, and will last.

Sent from my Galaxy Tab using Woodworking Talk


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## kinghong1970 (Jul 28, 2011)

oldmacnut said:


> Yeah, i kicked around building a custom case for the better part of a year....


hmm...
maybe these builds (custom built htpc & pc cases) will give you some ideas...

Vesperdeco

Art Deco Zenith

Cygnus X1 (this guy does amazing builds with aluminum, all by hand...)

Ingraham

Atomwood

you can actually take a look in the forums to find build logs...
i just love the pc + wood builds...


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## oldmacnut (Dec 27, 2010)

kinghong1970 said:


> hmm...
> maybe these builds (custom built htpc & pc cases) will give you some ideas...
> 
> Vesperdeco
> ...



Those are nice, however im a more simple clean look in some aspects.

The one that i found online, that really grabbed my attention, i saved all the pictures of, i cant remember where i found it, so i cant provide a link, however i found the clean simpleness of it to be almost exactly what i would have wanted.

Maybe, some day ill clone that case, make it out of solid cherry, but now the problem is, since i did this cover, lol i am in NO rush for sure.


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## kinghong1970 (Jul 28, 2011)

that's pretty easily made...

you have the woodoworking part done easily...
you can also google for form factors and you can find the size/placement of MB tray and PSU face plates and such to mount on MDF/Plywood of choice with standoffs or... you can buy existing MB tray and PC parts and assemble your computer upon it.

you can buy pre-made MB trays and such from various pc enthusiast stores or if you want to splurge, MountainMods make very nice components...
anyways, let me know if i can be of any help if you need sourcing for pc parts... hdd cage, bay device cage, mb trays and the likes...

and on the case you posted, that case was built to accommodate a watercooling system with a 4x 120mm fan iirc... you can probably make that shorter if you don't intend to watercool your pc.


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