Putting Cheap New Cases on Old PCs

[99m]

At a college, the librarian had a progressive idea to use Ubuntu Linux
on cheap old desktops (that the school was going to get rid of) to
spruce them up and give them new life without any cash. This has caught
on and not only was it a success in that lab, but in some cities around
the world people are doing this same thing to help poor people get more
access to PCs in community centers.

The hardest selling point? It's getting supervisors of
progressive-thinking people like this to accept the use of old, dingy
looking PCs in those manilla-looking cases. What is needed here is some
low-tech, inexpensive innovation.

I had an idea that every PC could be pulled out to nothing but it's
motherboard and frame. It still functions without the case. Then, if
you put a larger "slipcover" case on top, it gives the illusion that
all the PCs are brand new. The problem here, of course, is cost. How do
you do this extremely cheaply and provide about 4 different sizes so
that one of these sizes fits most kinds of mini tower PCs?

* It would have to use thinner plastic. Remember, you're just setting
this facade on the PC to give it the illusion that it is attached to
it.

* It would have to have anchors you could turn with an allen wrench to
tighten the facade slipcover case to the inside of the metal frame.

* It would have to have a USB port on the front so that people could
use that instead of floppies, and a plug you can put in if you don't
want to hook that up. The USB port on the front would connect to a
cable and then plug into the back of the PC where the existing USB port
is located.

* It would have to have a hole in the back so that all the cables went
through and reattached to the PC ports in the back of the PC.

* Since this is a PC that does not have a CDROM (a locked down PC), you
won't need that on the case. Future cases you build, if they need a
CDROM, could build the CDROM, DVD, or CDR into the case and attach it
to the inner PC over USB 2 port or Firewire.

* You might not even need to mold the plastic. If you use sheets of
white or black plastic that's fairly hard, perhaps 3/4 or 1/2 inch
thick, you could build a square box where the bottom and the top hang
over the inner box inside. Then, run aluminum rods through holes on all
4 corners of this overhang and it has a really interesting look about
it. Stick the PC inside this kind of case. Ordinary wood-working tools
could be used to build such a thing. Then it's a matter of
mass-producing these exactly the same dimension.

* If you use white plastic, you could add neon snakelights (that get
their power from USB) inside to make it even snazzier.

 

[philo]

At a college, the librarian had a progressive idea to use Ubuntu Linux
on cheap old desktops (that the school was going to get rid of) to
spruce them up and give them new life without any cash. This has caught
on and not only was it a success in that lab, but in some cities around
the world people are doing this same thing to help poor people get more
access to PCs in community centers.

The hardest selling point? It's getting supervisors of
progressive-thinking people like this to accept the use of old, dingy
looking PCs in those manilla-looking cases. What is needed here is some
low-tech, inexpensive innovation.

I had an idea that every PC could be pulled out to nothing but it's
motherboard and frame. It still functions without the case. Then, if
you put a larger "slipcover" case on top, it gives the illusion that
all the PCs are brand new. The problem here, of course, is cost. How do
you do this extremely cheaply and provide about 4 different sizes so
that one of these sizes fits most kinds of mini tower PCs?

If you are good a spray painting...
strip the machine down...then re-paint the case...

that would be the cheapest option to "spruce-up" the appearance

 

[John]

* You might not even need to mold the plastic. If you use sheets of
white or black plastic that's fairly hard, perhaps 3/4 or 1/2 inch
thick, you could build a square box where the bottom and the top hang
over the inner box inside. Then, run aluminum rods through holes on all
4 corners of this overhang and it has a really interesting look about
it. Stick the PC inside this kind of case. Ordinary wood-working tools
could be used to build such a thing. Then it's a matter of
mass-producing these exactly the same dimension.

* If you use white plastic, you could add neon snakelights (that get
their power from USB) inside to make it even snazzier.

I was thinking of erector set type cases.

Cases and frames made of generic parts. You make the frame from
various standardized bars that attach at the ends to creat a box
frame. Then you have small attachments to this to hang MBs, drives
etc. The panels then just attach to the frame.

If you could boil down all the common shapes and sizes - full, mid and
micro sizes to the minimum number of pieces then it could be cost
efficient expecially when shipping since it can be in a much flatter
box. Then you can entice people by selling more fanciful panels to
decorate their boxes anytime they want.

Alum panels, Plexiglass, Wood etc - different colors and textures.
You could put decals on them or have painted logos, pics of Feynman,
Hendrix, Derrida, abstract shapes etc.

 

[kony]

At a college, the librarian had a progressive idea to use Ubuntu Linux
on cheap old desktops (that the school was going to get rid of) to
spruce them up and give them new life without any cash. This has caught
on and not only was it a success in that lab, but in some cities around
the world people are doing this same thing to help poor people get more
access to PCs in community centers.

The hardest selling point? It's getting supervisors of
progressive-thinking people like this to accept the use of old, dingy
looking PCs in those manilla-looking cases. What is needed here is some
low-tech, inexpensive innovation.

I disagree. What is needed is a damp cloth with a detergent
solution to wipe off the dirt on the case. Done.
It's a ridiculous waste to buy a new cheap case for an old
system. Thin flimsy metal and crap power supply only
downgrade the system, usually making it noisier and less
reliable. If a PC is being donated or for public use, the
last thing it needs is expenditure on cosmetic details.

I had an idea that every PC could be pulled out to nothing but it's
motherboard and frame. It still functions without the case. Then, if
you put a larger "slipcover" case on top, it gives the illusion that
all the PCs are brand new. The problem here, of course, is cost. How do
you do this extremely cheaply and provide about 4 different sizes so
that one of these sizes fits most kinds of mini tower PCs?

Ok, you had an idea. It wasn't so great now perhaps putting
the $ and time towards whole newer systems or fund-raising
instead...

* If you use white plastic, you could add neon snakelights (that get
their power from USB) inside to make it even snazzier.

Yeah, that's just what the poor are dreaming about every
night. Not. Just get them working and move on.

 

[GlowingBlueMist]

At a college, the librarian had a progressive idea to use Ubuntu Linux
on cheap old desktops (that the school was going to get rid of) to
spruce them up and give them new life without any cash. This has caught
on and not only was it a success in that lab, but in some cities around
the world people are doing this same thing to help poor people get more
access to PCs in community centers.

The hardest selling point? It's getting supervisors of
progressive-thinking people like this to accept the use of old, dingy
looking PCs in those manilla-looking cases. What is needed here is some
low-tech, inexpensive innovation.

I had an idea that every PC could be pulled out to nothing but it's
motherboard and frame. It still functions without the case. Then, if
you put a larger "slipcover" case on top, it gives the illusion that
all the PCs are brand new. The problem here, of course, is cost. How do
you do this extremely cheaply and provide about 4 different sizes so
that one of these sizes fits most kinds of mini tower PCs?

* It would have to use thinner plastic. Remember, you're just setting
this facade on the PC to give it the illusion that it is attached to
it.

* It would have to have anchors you could turn with an allen wrench to
tighten the facade slipcover case to the inside of the metal frame.

* It would have to have a USB port on the front so that people could
use that instead of floppies, and a plug you can put in if you don't
want to hook that up. The USB port on the front would connect to a
cable and then plug into the back of the PC where the existing USB port
is located.

* It would have to have a hole in the back so that all the cables went
through and reattached to the PC ports in the back of the PC.

* Since this is a PC that does not have a CDROM (a locked down PC), you
won't need that on the case. Future cases you build, if they need a
CDROM, could build the CDROM, DVD, or CDR into the case and attach it
to the inner PC over USB 2 port or Firewire.

* You might not even need to mold the plastic. If you use sheets of
white or black plastic that's fairly hard, perhaps 3/4 or 1/2 inch
thick, you could build a square box where the bottom and the top hang
over the inner box inside. Then, run aluminum rods through holes on all
4 corners of this overhang and it has a really interesting look about
it. Stick the PC inside this kind of case. Ordinary wood-working tools
could be used to build such a thing. Then it's a matter of
mass-producing these exactly the same dimension.

* If you use white plastic, you could add neon snakelights (that get
their power from USB) inside to make it even snazzier.

Automotive paint shops do a great job on sprucing up cases. It helps that
they know how to deal with painting plastic as well as metal.

 

[John]

Automotive paint shops do a great job on sprucing up cases. It helps that
they know how to deal with painting plastic as well as metal.

Yeah thats the killer. Thats why Im against painting cases unless its
just the metal parts. It usually comes out horrible looking when you
try to paint plastic pieces especially intricate areas like burner
face plates.

I saw some CD roms for sale at one small shop here that had obviously
been painted silver. They had that spray painted look in front and as
soon as you opened the tray it looked like hell. They had one mounted
in a demo system. Not to mention it all scratches and flakes off
easily and really looks like hell.

I could see spraying it the same color to freshen up the original case
color if its dirty and scratched up. Those old cases though are
surprisingly durable. I recycled some old free cases from another
neighbor so that I could build some systems for some other neighbors.
All I used was fantastik to clean the outside.

Where I did use paint was gray rust proof paint for the inside frame
since old cases expecially here tend to get all corroded looking. If
you sand them down a bit and spray it looks new inside and all you
have to do is spray the rusted areas as long as the paint matches the
gray of course otherwise it looks like hell.

In general I also think trying recycle old systems is a waste of time
but then I dont know the situation hes talking about so he might be on
to something. Who knows.

My neighbor --- I built a new system for them for $220 bucks years ago
that very usable using parts I got in rebate sales etc and giving them
stuff I had. They had a PC they spent $1600 on in the late 90s or
early 2000s that was totally out of date. They were talking about how
they had relatives in the Philipinnes who are extremely poor. I mean
POOR. But who also wanted a PC. Actually they wanted a new one. My
neighbors go --- hey Ill send them my old one! Frankly I cant imagine
even their relatives getting a lot of use for it especially considered
how much it would cost to send it there. I looked it up for the hell
of it and saw you could actually buy a very low end one for only a bit
more than the cost of shipping a large totally outdated PC system
there.

 

[kony]

Yeah thats the killer. Thats why Im against painting cases unless its
just the metal parts. It usually comes out horrible looking when you
try to paint plastic pieces especially intricate areas like burner
face plates.

Vinyl Dye

it works very well and the results are better than what any
auto shop can do, because it is not paint but rather seeps
into the plastic. That means it does not scratch off and
unlike paint, does not blur detail at all like any
supposed-good automotive paint will because they apply it in
several coats for more durability.

Since some plastics like drive faceplates are softer than
others, if one scratched really hard the vinyl dye would
still come off, but we're talking about a degree of force
that would be completely gouging the plastic, and the only
real cosmetic solution to that for colorizing is to put the
color into the plastic when it's being made.

I saw some CD roms for sale at one small shop here that had obviously
been painted silver. They had that spray painted look in front and as
soon as you opened the tray it looked like hell. They had one mounted
in a demo system. Not to mention it all scratches and flakes off
easily and really looks like hell.

Not even so-called paint-for-plastic is going to do well but
vinyl dye is the ticket. Main downside is you match your
paint to the vinyl dye not the other way around because it
comes in such limited colors.