toledogeek
Member
a couple days ago It dawned on me that i don't think I've ever seen someone build a Monochrome AND PowerPC mac classic. there are plenty of threads around dealing with color classics, which, honestly, don't look all that great at 640x480.
Parts used in the build:
Mac Classic - completely gutted and retrobrighted.
Performa 62xx - Motherboard, edge connector and auxiliary boards, pretty much everything except case, psu, and CDROM/HDD.
80W industrial power supply - you need +5, +12, -12. the Mobo draws about 5A on the 5V at a full load, so something that can handle that, 12V supplies just need to "be there" I used one that was handy, but meanwell make some that are pretty much the same.
9" SVGA Monochrome monitor - this one was branded "miracle" . i was lazy and didn't build a VGA cable, i just used the video out board and a mac multisync monitor adapter.
some random heatsink for the CPU - the one thats included is a joke, root around and find something else.
so lets start!
i decided to start the build with the monitor and electronics, the tube bolts right up, the monitors board was on pretty short leads, and i didn't feel like extending them, so i used a plastic tub that got cut up to act as a "shelf" the plastic shelf is screwed to the front panel
you'll need to cut down the classics cage to a bare minimum to support the floppy, and lengthen (widen?) the mount holes so you can use the manual inject drive without toothpick fingers. Aux boards and speaker get tucked under the CRT board. there is just enough space to mount a CF to IDE adapter under the floppy. make sure that its isolated as well.
so that about covers that half. pretty simple so far. next up, the motherboard.
get out your dremel or hot knife.. time for smelly messy fun. cut out the "port cover" area of the classics shell, leave yourself a little room on the top and sides of the recess, so you'll have something to glue to.
you'll also need to cut or melt in a slot on both sides of the port area about 3mm into the plastic to support the motherboard in the rear, test fit it, and you'll see what i mean. these grooves are needed for clearance in the front, and to get the performas port cover to fit properly.
as you can see it barely fits.
next up is the PSU the only place left for the power supply is the upper right corner. everyplace else is taken, there is not much room left once assembled, and you don't want anything near the CRT neck.
wire up power to your edge connector, and please note that the -12 is on the little grey connector that went to your old PSU, pin 1. you'll need the -12 if you want sound.
if using a CF to IDE adapter, you'll be pleased to know that you don't need to wire power for it, it'll grab it off the IDE bus.
wire up your fan, of course.
in order to keep it "modular" i ran a short IDC cable from the switch, so i can connect/disconnect the monitor. i did reuse the switch and back metal from the classics analog board.
i actually wanted the tuner, so that got mounted up as well. "I Love Lucy" looks great.
the nice side affect of this approach is you have 2 distinct halves that can be separated out for service/hacking/etc.
got all that? good. now it can be assembled.
lay the front panel face down in front of the back case, everything should JUUUUST reach and plug right in. put the front panel on top right corner first. work clockwise... it'll be tight.
i put 2 small screws in the bottom of the case to hold the front.
hey, it all fits!
if you did it right, you'll be greeted with that funky startup chime about 2 seconds after flipping the switch on the rear. you'll likely need to fiddle with screen geometry to get it right.
things to do:
relocate CRT adjustment pots to back panel, under access door, of course i'd have to make it so they unplug.
find a small fan for the CPU. it runs hotter than i'd like.
clean up the back port area.
waiting on the ethernet card to arrive.
so, that was a fun little escape from the SE/30s and color classics I've been working on. both mac classics and Power Mac 62xx's are not really worth anything. so i feel as though i didn't ruin anything in the process. and now i have a 9"mac that can play doom pretty well, so then theres that.
also.... does anyone need a just-recapped mac classic motherboard w/4MB ram and a FPD card?
Parts used in the build:
Mac Classic - completely gutted and retrobrighted.
Performa 62xx - Motherboard, edge connector and auxiliary boards, pretty much everything except case, psu, and CDROM/HDD.
80W industrial power supply - you need +5, +12, -12. the Mobo draws about 5A on the 5V at a full load, so something that can handle that, 12V supplies just need to "be there" I used one that was handy, but meanwell make some that are pretty much the same.
9" SVGA Monochrome monitor - this one was branded "miracle" . i was lazy and didn't build a VGA cable, i just used the video out board and a mac multisync monitor adapter.
some random heatsink for the CPU - the one thats included is a joke, root around and find something else.
so lets start!
i decided to start the build with the monitor and electronics, the tube bolts right up, the monitors board was on pretty short leads, and i didn't feel like extending them, so i used a plastic tub that got cut up to act as a "shelf" the plastic shelf is screwed to the front panel
you'll need to cut down the classics cage to a bare minimum to support the floppy, and lengthen (widen?) the mount holes so you can use the manual inject drive without toothpick fingers. Aux boards and speaker get tucked under the CRT board. there is just enough space to mount a CF to IDE adapter under the floppy. make sure that its isolated as well.
so that about covers that half. pretty simple so far. next up, the motherboard.
get out your dremel or hot knife.. time for smelly messy fun. cut out the "port cover" area of the classics shell, leave yourself a little room on the top and sides of the recess, so you'll have something to glue to.
you'll also need to cut or melt in a slot on both sides of the port area about 3mm into the plastic to support the motherboard in the rear, test fit it, and you'll see what i mean. these grooves are needed for clearance in the front, and to get the performas port cover to fit properly.
as you can see it barely fits.
next up is the PSU the only place left for the power supply is the upper right corner. everyplace else is taken, there is not much room left once assembled, and you don't want anything near the CRT neck.
wire up power to your edge connector, and please note that the -12 is on the little grey connector that went to your old PSU, pin 1. you'll need the -12 if you want sound.
if using a CF to IDE adapter, you'll be pleased to know that you don't need to wire power for it, it'll grab it off the IDE bus.
wire up your fan, of course.
in order to keep it "modular" i ran a short IDC cable from the switch, so i can connect/disconnect the monitor. i did reuse the switch and back metal from the classics analog board.
i actually wanted the tuner, so that got mounted up as well. "I Love Lucy" looks great.
the nice side affect of this approach is you have 2 distinct halves that can be separated out for service/hacking/etc.
got all that? good. now it can be assembled.
lay the front panel face down in front of the back case, everything should JUUUUST reach and plug right in. put the front panel on top right corner first. work clockwise... it'll be tight.
i put 2 small screws in the bottom of the case to hold the front.
hey, it all fits!
if you did it right, you'll be greeted with that funky startup chime about 2 seconds after flipping the switch on the rear. you'll likely need to fiddle with screen geometry to get it right.
things to do:
relocate CRT adjustment pots to back panel, under access door, of course i'd have to make it so they unplug.
find a small fan for the CPU. it runs hotter than i'd like.
clean up the back port area.
waiting on the ethernet card to arrive.
so, that was a fun little escape from the SE/30s and color classics I've been working on. both mac classics and Power Mac 62xx's are not really worth anything. so i feel as though i didn't ruin anything in the process. and now i have a 9"mac that can play doom pretty well, so then theres that.
also.... does anyone need a just-recapped mac classic motherboard w/4MB ram and a FPD card?
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