Ben's Case Construction Notes

Yes it is nice to be able to put your projects INSIDE something isn't it? You know, to hold everything together so it doesn't flop around? Discuss the techniques here!

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Ben's Case Construction Notes

Post by benheck » Sun May 14, 2006 7:57 pm

Yo folks Ben Heckendorn here with some notes about case construction.

Symmetrical is Professional - Much like the human body, a cat or perhaps the Pentagon building it's always nice to have a unit with a equally shaped sides. If you're going for the best look possible it's the right place to start.

Engraving Plastic is Cool - Stop by a trophy shop and see if you can get some 1/16" thick engraving plastic. It's easy to cut and comes in a variety of colors and styles. Here's a place I use a lot:

http://www.maintrophysupply.com/

Don't be afraid to use hot glue - It may seem nOObish, but I use it all the time! It's a great tool and is a lot easier than messing around with screws and mounting brackets, especially for trivial parts. Also works great for wrangling and arranging wires.

CNC is a great way to go, but there's plenty of ways to build a case manually, as described in my book and as well as this forum. Good luck!
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Post by Cur7 » Mon May 15, 2006 2:07 pm

Thanks for the tips ben :),
I'm bragging my Design & Technology teacher to let me use his cnc...
Doesn't seem to be working thought. :(

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Post by Gamelver » Mon May 15, 2006 3:23 pm

hot glue is indeed quite extraordinary, and better yet, can be found ordinarily!

Seriously, I also use it all the time and it works wonders....of course, on some plastics, it doesn't stick as well, so epoxy would be a better choice :).
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Post by dankicksass » Mon May 15, 2006 4:12 pm

Ben, could you show us how engraving plastic works, with close-up photos please? I, and I imagine most people here, have no experience with engraving plastic, or the results of using it. Can you show us some benefits of using it versus using a painted-back lexan sheet, like Apple does with their iPod? I understand that you use a stacked-cuttout assembly method; can you give us a protip on why that method is preferrable over other methods? Thanks.
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Post by CronoTriggerfan » Mon May 15, 2006 8:32 pm

Well, engraving plastic is the standard for all Ben's book projects; it's fairly easy to cut, glues/epoxies well, and it looks pretty nice when used right. However, many of us here feel it's a bit flimsy and unprotective. Personally, I stick with good 'ol fashioned ABS or polystyrene; they do the same job, only sturdier and sleeker in appearance, in my not-so-humble opinion.

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Re: Ben's Case Construction Notes

Post by Mr.Game and watch » Fri Oct 27, 2006 10:02 pm

and a Box one

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Post by BroKilla93 » Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:37 am

Could Ben or someone tell me how he made that laptop case. It looks cool. I get how to bend the metal and all but what type of plastic did he put on the outside???

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Post by Turbo Tax 1.0 » Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:05 pm

pretty sure its made out of aluminum, and rewuired some machinery to make it
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Post by lifeisbetterwithketchup » Sat Dec 09, 2006 10:44 pm

Turbo Tax 1.0 wrote:pretty sure its made out of aluminum, and rewuired some machinery to make it
I think he did some welding of some sort, but I'm not positive; the link the the making of is dead.
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Post by Droke » Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:33 am

Just mislinked, here.

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Post by Dilberitio » Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:22 pm

What ply engraving plastic should i use from that website.
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Post by Dilberitio » Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:22 pm

What ply engraving plastic should i use from that website.
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Post by Retromaster » Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:44 pm

there's no need for ply.
get some engraving plastic that is 1/16" thick. this stuff doesn't come in layers, except for color layers. the outer front is one color, but when you cut it it displays a different color.

EDIT- my mistake, 2 ply. it's already listed for you. get some two ply plastic
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Post by limpport » Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:36 pm

Dilberitio wrote:What ply engraving plastic should i use from that website.
I think the "ply" means how many layers of colors there are. I'm pretty sure almost all of the plastics on that site are 2 ply.


Question for knowledgeable people: Is engraving plastic ok to use with vacuum forming?

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Post by limpport » Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:57 pm

limpport wrote:
Dilberitio wrote:What ply engraving plastic should i use from that website.
I think the "ply" means how many layers of colors there are. I'm pretty sure almost all of the plastics on that site are 2 ply.


Question for knowledgeable people: Is engraving plastic ok to use with vacuum forming?


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