Sheet metal sheets?

[Jimmer411]

For the people who build their own cases, where do you source up your materials?

I was looking at mcmastercarr, and prices are upwards of $100 for a 24"x24" 1/8 thich sheet of steel. aluminum is a lil cheaper, but this is just insane!

[friedchips]

Umm. I work for a company that does sheet metal fabricating so I know I could get you a way better price than that.... Only problem is how do I get it to you??? ( WAAAAAY CHEAPER ) Shipping ideas? PM me.

[Stuey]

1/8" steel? Dang that's pretty thick! I ordered some 0.036 (20 gauge) steel and it's pretty rigid - I think it's a drop thicker than both the alum of my Antec case and steel of my Silverstone.

18 gauge steel should be more than adequate for your needs - from $96 for mirror finish to $59 for #3 Satin finish.

I'm looking at page 3553 of the McMaster catalog, (304 steel) online btw.

[friedchips]

yeah, I completely agree with Stuey. 1/8" steel is way overkill for a computer case. That sheet you are looking at weighs ~20 lbs.... Shoot me a PM before you order from McMaster though, we order all of our steel in bulk so I can get much better pricing than that.

[GrumpyShack]

I live in Washington State, shoot me a message if you need some help, I'm an eastsider, but I know Seattle area metal suppliers also.

Grumpyshack

[Jimmer411]

Thanks for the help guys. I was just trying to figure out what I was looking at if I decided to build my own case.

Since I was pretty set on buying a Lian Li G70, I looked around at a few other cases and seen other people made their own cube cases. I figured Id price 6 24x24 inch sheets and see if I could keep the build cost below $200. A 18x18x18 Cube would solve all my problems, and only really wanted 1 sheet at 1/8 thickness for the base and to use the excess for misc support brackets etc.

I could make the side panels out of black ABS or HMWPE for free since I work with plastics and acrylics and there is always scraps. I would just prefer something more sturdy, like aluminum or steel. But something cheap!

[Stuey]

Well, for $70 you can get 1/16" stainless steel 24" square or $25 for ~1/16" low-carbon general purpose of the same size.

Your local hardware shop should have a nice variety of aluminum which isn't too expensive when purchased in 8' lengths.

1/2" channeling, 3/4" angles, and perhaps 1" square tubing should allow you to construct a solid frame.

In my opinion, you can definitely build an 18" cube for less than $200 in tools and supplies, especially if you can get plastic panels like you say.

If you're really concerned, you can skimp out on the steel and just get a panel of moderate thickness. Or you can just use steel strips or angles for bottom supports.

Take a look at the gauge of typical case steel and purchase sheeting of a similar size.

A 1/8" sheet might present more problems than its worth. I've got steel tubing with 1/16" walls and it's proving to be incredibly difficult to work with.

[Stuey]

I was taking a look at cases earlier randomly and came across the description of the Antec P182. It says that the case is made from 0.8mm steel.

That translates to 0.0315 inches. In other words, choosing anything between .030 and 0.036 thickness should be more than adequate. You can use aluminum for the brackets and supports because it is lighter, more easily machineable, and lighter.

[Jimmer411]

I had considered aluminum for the brackets. I didnt exactly know what type of metal "cheap sheet metal" would be, so I checked steel.

Even a few .8mm 18x18 sheets would work out nicely.


That low-carbon general purpose sounds more like what Im looking for. Im just looking for the metal equvilant of plywood. Cheap and ugly, but sandable, paintable and such.