# Proof of Concept Prototype: VerTech BenchBox



## CyberDruid (Nov 24, 2008)

Hey guys I thought I'd show you my latest techstation concept. It's rough around the edges, just a rapidly constructed prototype to demonstrate the idea.






It's constructed entirely from PVC. Expanded PVC panels and Extruded angles.





These Lian Li Trays are available at PPC and cost about $40.









The base is lined with 3/16" neoprene to absorb noise, make it non slip and no-marring.





Here it is with tray removed.









This is your What the Hell moment shot...









PSU slides in. No tools, friction fit,. The PVC won't scratch the paint.





Ditto on the Optical Drive













HDDs drop into pockets.









Fan slides in, friction fit.





Removable tray makes mounting mobo easy.





Modification makes changing out Heatsinks and Waterblocks easier. No need to remove mobo from tray.





Tray slides in, agan a friction fit.





Tray is secured with a thumbscrew. Now you can haul your station to the LAN 

Whaddya think?


Oh here's a vid...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjT2Vtc19iU


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## erocker (Nov 24, 2008)

I think you're a freaking genius!


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## CyberDruid (Nov 24, 2008)

I like the color scheme...Spec-Op black and Battleship gray.

I'll be making another and taking a bit more care gluing up and so on. This one is so I can pick it apart and improve the next one


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## MRCL (Nov 24, 2008)

erocker said:


> I think you're a freaking genius!



+1. Some manufacturers should learn from you^^

But: Why don^t you make two fan pockets instead of one? Would be more efficient in my opinion, since this one fan here practically blows on a wall...


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## oily_17 (Nov 24, 2008)

Love the pocket idea for all the parts...saves messing about with screws that you always seem to lose anyway.


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## Urbklr (Nov 24, 2008)

Beautiful...Great work!


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## panchoman (Nov 24, 2008)

Freaking Awesome


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## cdawall (Nov 24, 2008)

very nice but what if you want to run dice etc?


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## CyberDruid (Nov 24, 2008)

MRCL said:


> +1. Some manufacturers should learn from you^^
> 
> But: Why don^t you make two fan pockets instead of one? Would be more efficient in my opinion, since this one fan here practically blows on a wall...


The fan has a dead spot right in the center...but That is an easy modification...but HDDs do not get that hot. One thing I am adding is a little strip of the neoprene to cushion the drive. The next version will be slightly different in that area. 



oily_17 said:


> Love the pocket idea for all the parts...saves messing about with screws that you always seem to lose anyway.


I always find them later...in my vacuum cleaner


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## MRCL (Nov 24, 2008)

One more question, is there a ventilation hole or something for the PSU?


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## mullered07 (Nov 24, 2008)

MRCL said:


> +1. Some manufacturers should learn from you^^
> 
> But: Why don^t you make two fan pockets instead of one? Would be more efficient in my opinion, since this one fan here practically blows on a wall...



exactly my thought, that fan is going to no use at all imo, either try and get 2 blowing over each hdd or maybe try and cut away some of the pocket the hdd's sit in so its blowing somthing on them ? 
aside from that not too bad


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## CyberDruid (Nov 24, 2008)

cdawall said:


> very nice but what if you want to run dice etc?



In the Vid I show how it could be easily modded to run Horizontal.



MRCL said:


> One more question, is there a ventilation hole or something for the PSU?


There will be. I want to act on all the improvements I hear coming in 


mullered07 said:


> exactly my thought, that fan is going to no use at all imo, either try and get 2 blowing over each hdd or maybe try and cut away some of the pocket the hdd's sit in so its blowing somthing on them ?
> aside from that not too bad


Yep that's something I plan to change. I ran out of material It took way more angle than I anticipated. There's Ten feet of the thin angle and 5 feet of the thick angle. But only a 12" x 24" piece of 1/4" expanded PVC Panel 

I've got enough panel to make another one...but no angles

I want to make it less "accretionary"  I basically stacked and glued and worked my way up the wall....

So I'll just box in the whole side and put in dividers. That will give the PSU fan room to breath, make room for Neoprene lining for the Optical Drive Cubby (they are noisy), and enlarge the pocket for the HDDs so that it _includes_ the *two fan*. This will make for a cleaner set up.

After that all it takes is to extend the top and bottom edgea an extra inch to allow for airflow to the PSU and HDD Fans when the bench is set Horizontal _for DICE_, Phase or LN2 setups.


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## cdawall (Nov 24, 2008)

there you go all i wanted to know is that DICE worked i should have a pot ready by XMAS


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## kenkickr (Nov 24, 2008)

That looks SWEET!!  When you going to build me one like that? J/K


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## Binge (Nov 24, 2008)

DO WANT


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## imperialreign (Nov 24, 2008)

I'm diggin the tool-less design, man!


that's a sweet build just for testing stuff -

so . . . where'ya gonna put the phase unit or LN2 feed?


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## crazy pyro (Nov 24, 2008)

That's an awesome idea, I'd consider building a system if I had a case like this (rather than getting it built by someone else.)


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## CyberDruid (Nov 25, 2008)

*Revision Two*





As you can see this one uses about three times as much material. But it's stackable, it can be set Horizontal or Vertical and th emain change is that the HDDs now slip in from each side rather than dropping in when vertical. The light blue indicates the 120mmhole for the fans.

I think this has got to be a first. 13" cube that can be set Horizontal, Vertical, and Stacked.


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## theJesus (Nov 26, 2008)

Sweet idea!!

Are you going to be selling these?  Can the rev2 be stacked vertical and horizontal?  How's cable 
management for the HDD's?


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## andrewsmc (Nov 26, 2008)

Wow.................. Now put a handle on it!


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## mrw1986 (Nov 26, 2008)

When can I buy one and how much?


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## Solaris17 (Nov 26, 2008)

amazing market it.......i also came up with an idea..why make a version 2 when you can design it with interchangable slots etc? like for example make the hdd bays etc movable design a tpye of interlock system were they conect together to make both horizontal and vetical setups dont know if this came out right im kinda tired.


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## crazy pyro (Nov 26, 2008)

I sort of understood what you were talking about solaris, this would seriously be an awesome case to sell though.


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## CyberDruid (Nov 26, 2008)

If it were made of Legos!

nyuck nyuck

I ordered a buttload of angles and channels and some more Expanded PVC Panel so after T-day I hope to make the one in the draft.

I have not even figured out how much it will cost so hang loose.

Sure is nice to see all the responses.


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## theJesus (Nov 26, 2008)

That reminds me, I still haven't gotten around to making a lego chassis yet


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## crazy pyro (Nov 26, 2008)

Damn you Jesus, I want to do that now, of course I won't do so since that would cost a bloody fortune.


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## theJesus (Nov 27, 2008)

It wouldn't cost a fortune if you already have a ton of legos like me


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