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Making a cost list for a bartop

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justinjstark:

--- Quote from: leapinlew on October 28, 2010, 11:36:22 am ---How big is the bartop going to be? I'd save money on the internals if possible. Money spent on artwork and finishes adds much more to your cabinet. Much like a house. No one cares about your awesome subflooring.

I've built many cabs and I've used older parts and newer parts. I do prefer using new stuff when possible, but older stuff can work fine. Theres a fine line between spending all your time trying to get some old clunker working, but you can find some decent machines around.

--- End quote ---

I have been looking at some "old clunkers" on craigslist.  The new internals (mb, cpu, hdd, ram) are costing me $160 right now.  Maybe I could pick up an old computer for $60 (if I am really lucky I could find one with the right size monitor) and probably have to add more ram ($30?).  That's a good chunk of savings.  But then I also have to worry about a big ATX fitting in my cab and who knows about the hardware support.  You are right; it is a very fine line.  And if I build another then I have different hardware (I guess not a big deal but I am a bit OCD and I love uniformity).

I also want to figure out how much it would cost to build more of these (mass production FTW).  I have some family and friends that are interested in buying them and would love to gift one or two eventually.  Thus things need to be more perfect than if I were just building one for myself.

I have attached an early sketch of my bartop.  Each minor gridline is 1 inch so it is about 22 inches tall and about 18 inches deep.  The width will be 17 inches (15.5 plus the 3/4" sides).  It will be so much easier to cram all of the components in it if I use a mini-itx.

leapinlew:
I think a freebie isn't out of the question. Post on freecycle or craigslist.

Where are you at? Someone here may have some old equipment you can try. My Tempest cabinet was just about those dimensions and I had no issues putting in a full sized board. The biggest challenge is the PSU.

justinjstark:

--- Quote from: leapinlew on October 28, 2010, 01:06:21 pm ---I think a freebie isn't out of the question. Post on freecycle or craigslist.

Where are you at? Someone here may have some old equipment you can try. My Tempest cabinet was just about those dimensions and I had no issues putting in a full sized board. The biggest challenge is the PSU.

--- End quote ---

I am slowly being talked into using old hardware.   :lol  And maybe I should.  As much as I want to use new hardware, I would also like to use that money to build more cabs.   >:D  I will see what I can find that is free or cheap in the area.  I spend my time in Omaha, NE and Lawrence, KS (and drive through Kansas City, MO every weekend) so it's not like I couldn't find old parts.  I'll draw it up to see if it all fits, figure out the potential savings, and report back.

BTW: How do you guys go about mounting the PSU, HDD, and motherboard in your cabs?  For the mb, do you just use screws with spacers?

BobA:
PSU and HDD either L brackets or strapping.   MB use spacers and screws. 

justinjstark:
I've been searching around for used hardware and I think I am going to go with the new stuff.  I didn't have much luck shopping craigslist (the cheap stuff is ancient) and the good stuff is not much cheaper than new.

I updated the shipping costs and just got a quote on monitor glass that is less than what I expected so my cost list is again below $500.

I have a little more designing to do and a few more prices to get.  Then I will order everything, post a project announcement, and get to work.   :applaud:

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