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!

Cur7 · 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.

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

.

dankicksass · 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.

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.

CTFan

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

and a Box one

BroKilla93 · 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???

Turbo Tax 1.0 · 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

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.

Droke · Post by **Droke** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:33 am

Just mislinked, here.

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

What ply engraving plastic should i use from that website.

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

What ply engraving plastic should i use from that website.

Retromaster · 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

limpport · 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?

limpport · 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?

I have sat at my computer for long hours, staring at the screen, refreshing, refreshing, refreshing, to see if there is an answer to this question. I have sat here for two years. TWO YEARS! And alas, there is no response. No response, no PM, no email, nothing. In light of these events, I have only one word:

BUMP

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