Mounting a USB port: how?

[Sasquatch!]

I'd like to have USB ports on my cabinet, most likely on or underneath the control panel.  Looking through various sites, I come up with parts such as these:
http://www.mouser.com/index.cfm?handler=fra_pdfset&dir=613&pdffile=496
(part number 154-2742)
http://rocky.digikey.com/scripts/ProductInfo.dll?Site=US&V=23&M=87531-0001
(part number 87531-0001)

That's all well and good, but how would one go about mounting these into 3/4" wood?  Drill out a hole?  And then what?  And now that I'm thinking about it, the same would hold true for wanting an RJ45 or an RS-232 jack on/underneath my control panel as well.  How can I mount these connectors in so that they are sturdy and so that they look nice and professional?

Am I looking at the wrong parts?  Is there some kind of mounting plate that would work?

[Smack]

What about something like this:

http://www.gogocity.com//product_details.asp?dept%5Fid=500025&pf%5Fid=CO075USB

One of those usb expansion kits that let you add 4 in the space of a drive bay.

You could surely integrate that into the cab.

Smack

[Sasquatch!]

What about something like this:

http://www.gogocity.com//product_details.asp?dept%5Fid=500025&pf%5Fid=CO075USB

One of those usb expansion kits that let you add 4 in the space of a drive bay.

You could surely integrate that into the cab.

Smack

I thought about that - I was looking at this at newegg.com.  That would work, but I dunno if it would look "clean" enough, ya know?

[Smack]

If you were able to route / cut out a clean hole for it and then get yourself some almighty L-Brackets to secure it behind the face of the cab so only the ports show.

Maybe dismantle it first and paint the plastic to match your cab.

You could also mount it on another faceplate to make sure its clean, then affix the faceplate to the cab.

Place it someplace in conspicuous on the cab. (On the underside of the control panel?)

Just tossing poops in the wind and seeing what sticks...

Smack

[hevnsnt]

well, I guess one of my bags of tricks has to come out...

I was going to show how to mount a ethernet port and usb port and have it look clean. (I still have a few other things)

But what I suggest getting would be a snap in type face plate (for RJ-45) and then use a dremel to cut out your usb port hole.  Go to a computer swap meet and get one of those usb plates for $1 and use that port.  Then paint to the color of your cab, and there you go.

[AlanS17]

Since nobody is gonna see you PC inside, anyways, I suggest this...

Find one of those USB plates that fills up a slot on the back of your PC and attatches down to the motherboard on the inside. (It's a connection typically reserved for forward-mounted PC case USB ports, but they make plates so that your extra USB ports stick out the back.)

You could cut a small hole in your control panel (or underneath and just mount that one piece to it. You would have to cut off the ends so it wouldn't look like a plate, but i think it would work great and would look professional. (And if not professional, than certainly small enough to hide.)

Even if you were to try and use that piece you found, it would still require some sort of mounting plate. This is a nice all-in-one solution that is also easier to attatch to your pc.

[Sasquatch!]

But what I suggest getting would be a snap in type face plate (for RJ-45) and then use a dremel to cut out your usb port hole.  Go to a computer swap meet and get one of those usb plates for $1 and use that port.  Then paint to the color of your cab, and there you go.

You mean a wall-plate, right?  Not bad, but I still dunno.  Of course, if you've done it already, post the pics, man!

Find one of those USB plates that fills up a slot on the back of your PC and attatches down to the motherboard on the inside. (It's a connection typically reserved for forward-mounted PC case USB ports, but they make plates so that your extra USB ports stick out the back.)

You could cut a small hole in your control panel (or underneath and just mount that one piece to it. You would have to cut off the ends so it wouldn't look like a plate, but i think it would work great and would look professional. (And if not professional, than certainly small enough to hide.)

Like this?
http://www.mouser.com//index.cfm?handler=fra_pdfset&pdffile=842

[SirPoonga]

http://free.hostdepartment.com/S/SirPoonga/images/y_cab10.jpg

[AlanS17]

http://free.hostdepartment.com/S/SirPoonga/images/y_cab10.jpg

Can't see it. Don't have access...

[Brad Lee]

SOmebody mentioned wall-plates

I work for a phone co so I have unlimited acess to this stuff. I've got a 2-port plate on the back of my cab with a rj-45 and a coax(I'm using a TV so I might as well get cable )
It would be easy to dremel/drill/cut a small square for the USB and either get tiny bolt/nuts to go thru the plate on the sides or glue gun it or something


and before finishing..

[SirPoonga]

http://free.hostdepartment.com/S/SirPoonga/images/y_cab10.jpg

Can't see it. Don't have access...

Copy and paste the link into a new browser

[Generic Eric]

SOmebody mentioned wall-plates

I work for a phone co so I have unlimited acess to this stuff. I've got a 2-port plate on the back of my cab with a rj-45 and a coax(I'm using a TV so I might as well get cable )
It would be easy to dremel/drill/cut a small square for the USB and either get tiny bolt/nuts to go thru the plate on the sides or glue gun it or something


and before finishing..

Yup.  I like it, and I plan on doing the same sort of thing

[Sasquatch!]

http://free.hostdepartment.com/S/SirPoonga/images/y_cab10.jpg

Is that a USB hub there, or USB mounting plates, or what?  Details, man!  

[shmokes]

I am also interested in this, and while that PCI slot USB thing is alright, it's not quite what I'm hoping for.  I think I'm going to get USB extension cables and run them from my hub to little perfectly sized holes in the control panel and slip the end of the cable into the hole so it is flush with the top of the panel.  I still have to figure out how to secure it so it's sturdy.  I'll have to sculpt the holes with a drill/dremel/file since I have yet to see a tool that will drill rectangular holes  .  

At any rate, USB extension cables seem to me to give the most flexible mounting options for single ports without serious hacking involved.  Let me know if you have any ideas to expand on this idea cos it's pretty immature at this point -- I still need mounting options.

[marcoval]

(I'm using a TV so I might as well get cable )

Ditto, I'm planning on doing the exact same thing with mine.

[AX]

ok here is what i did.  Actually,  I did it 2 ways.  First was on the back of my CP i routed out a 3X3 square hole.   I then went about 1/2 larger and routed about 1/8 deep into the wood.  Took a spare pice of lexan and cut it to fit into the routed part of the square hole.  Then I used a few USB Extension cables with screw holders and marked out the area that the cable goes through.  Cut it with the rotozip(I recommend one if you dont have it) then drilled the screw holes out,  pianted the back black and peeled off the front covering.  After dry I mounted the usb cables to it and drilled 4 holes to secure it to the CP.  Also a nice touch was a bevel tool for my drill wich made a nice sink into the lexan.

  I wasn't too happy with my router area and the lexan because it wasn't too straight.  If your good with a router you may make yours look better.  What I did for the one on the outside of the cab is instead of routing out a 1/8 area to sink the lexan into,  I used a bevel bit on my router and ran the 3X3 lexan over it making a nice clean beveled edge.  (wow a bevel bit making a bevel no #$%^).  anyway,  I am happier witht he way this looks.  Also added to this plate outside is my Rj45 for my lightgun.  mucho pics coming.

If you have any ? please feel free to ask.

[BASSOFeeSH]

I don't know WHERE I want to mount them.  I like how SirPoonga has it, but I have visions of liquid refreshments spilling into the ports.

[SirPoonga]

http://free.hostdepartment.com/S/SirPoonga/images/y_cab10.jpg

Is that a USB hub there, or USB mounting plates, or what?  Details, man!  

You know the plate you can get for the pci ports?  I look the ports off of that and mounted to the plexi.

http://free.hostdepartment.com/S/SirPoonga/images/y_cab_usb.jpg

[AX]

well,  mine are ont he side of the machine.

[CitznFish]

http://free.hostdepartment.com/S/SirPoonga/images/y_cab10.jpg

Can't see it. Don't have access...

or just put a space at the end of the URL

you know, hit the space bar after .jpg  

works like a champ
Copy and paste the link into a new browser