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Here are the results of the External USB Port project:
Disclaimer!! Most of my life has been spent using Precision Machine Tools (Lathes Mills, Grinders, CNC, CMMs, Optical comparators, et, al..) on a nearly daily basis: if you aren't absolutely sure about your ability to control powered tools such as the ones mentioned here, get assistance from someone who is!
Background; Since I stuffed every available slot in my system with some kind of adapter, I couldn't use the supplied External USB Port slot adapters. I started looking around the back of the case to see about a place to put the ports.
I found a suitable area on the case as highlighted below:
The positioning of the cutout for the USB Ports was close enough to use the supplied cabling and a standard USB Motherboard port adapter to get all of the USB 2.0 and the additional USB 1.1 ports functioning.
Here is a pic of the Mobo with the Locations of the USB Port Headers circled.
Modification of the existing USB Brackets consisted merely of Trimming the ends off...
Below:Stock Brackets:
Below:Modified Brackets:
Now, the task at hand was to measure the actual requirements as far as space was concerned for the cutout on the back of the case:
I used a pair of Digital Calipers, a Steel Ruler and a Dykem marker to hash out the locations for the adapter plate. I was going to allow 0.375" (~9.5mm) around the cutout for the adapter plate for mounting screws and cosmetics.
The cutout was made with a 3" Cutoff wheel in driven by a 3/8" Pneumatic Diegrinder: Eye protection is a MUST when working with metal! Cleanup after cutting the hole was done with a 2" disc sander driven by a 1/4" Pneumatic Right Angle Die grinder. Don't try and check smoothness with your fingers the first time around: it is however a great way to lay yourself wide open on a burr or razor sharp edge...use an alcohol-soaked towelette to clean the work; if the towlette tears, you know have some more deburring to do.
Here is a picture of the completed cutout and two of the four mounting holes drilled and tapped:
The adapter plate was fashioned out of a piece of 1/16" thick Aluminum sheet. Again, using the steel ruler and a scriber, I laid out the positions for cutting the slots and drilling the holes for the modified adapters. I scribed all of the locations on the BACKSIDE of the work to avoid scratching the front surface. The front surface was covered with masking tape to provide a shield that protected the outward facing part of the work until all operations were done.
The Millwork was done on a 42" Vertical Milling Machine using a 3/8" endmill, a 3/8" handchuck, a #2 centerdrill and a 1/8" drillbit. The method for setting up the work was simple: Nothing more than "eyeballing" the edge of the endmill to the desired locations and cutting within the scribed lines.
Now, the trimmed USB Brackets were positioned over the holes drilled in the mounting plate and marked with a dykem pen, centerpunched and then drilled for #4 Sheetmetal screws. I was able to reuse the 3mm fasteners from the USB 1.1 Slot Adapter.
Here is the finished assembly:
And the finished product:
Now, wasn't that that easy?
Disclaimer!! Most of my life has been spent using Precision Machine Tools (Lathes Mills, Grinders, CNC, CMMs, Optical comparators, et, al..) on a nearly daily basis: if you aren't absolutely sure about your ability to control powered tools such as the ones mentioned here, get assistance from someone who is!
Background; Since I stuffed every available slot in my system with some kind of adapter, I couldn't use the supplied External USB Port slot adapters. I started looking around the back of the case to see about a place to put the ports.
I found a suitable area on the case as highlighted below:
The positioning of the cutout for the USB Ports was close enough to use the supplied cabling and a standard USB Motherboard port adapter to get all of the USB 2.0 and the additional USB 1.1 ports functioning.
Here is a pic of the Mobo with the Locations of the USB Port Headers circled.
Modification of the existing USB Brackets consisted merely of Trimming the ends off...
Below:Stock Brackets:
Below:Modified Brackets:
Now, the task at hand was to measure the actual requirements as far as space was concerned for the cutout on the back of the case:
I used a pair of Digital Calipers, a Steel Ruler and a Dykem marker to hash out the locations for the adapter plate. I was going to allow 0.375" (~9.5mm) around the cutout for the adapter plate for mounting screws and cosmetics.
The cutout was made with a 3" Cutoff wheel in driven by a 3/8" Pneumatic Diegrinder: Eye protection is a MUST when working with metal! Cleanup after cutting the hole was done with a 2" disc sander driven by a 1/4" Pneumatic Right Angle Die grinder. Don't try and check smoothness with your fingers the first time around: it is however a great way to lay yourself wide open on a burr or razor sharp edge...use an alcohol-soaked towelette to clean the work; if the towlette tears, you know have some more deburring to do.
Here is a picture of the completed cutout and two of the four mounting holes drilled and tapped:
The adapter plate was fashioned out of a piece of 1/16" thick Aluminum sheet. Again, using the steel ruler and a scriber, I laid out the positions for cutting the slots and drilling the holes for the modified adapters. I scribed all of the locations on the BACKSIDE of the work to avoid scratching the front surface. The front surface was covered with masking tape to provide a shield that protected the outward facing part of the work until all operations were done.
The Millwork was done on a 42" Vertical Milling Machine using a 3/8" endmill, a 3/8" handchuck, a #2 centerdrill and a 1/8" drillbit. The method for setting up the work was simple: Nothing more than "eyeballing" the edge of the endmill to the desired locations and cutting within the scribed lines.
Now, the trimmed USB Brackets were positioned over the holes drilled in the mounting plate and marked with a dykem pen, centerpunched and then drilled for #4 Sheetmetal screws. I was able to reuse the 3mm fasteners from the USB 1.1 Slot Adapter.
Here is the finished assembly:
And the finished product:
Now, wasn't that that easy?
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