My custom SE/30 access port cover

[joethezombie]

In the process of building my ultimate 68k Macintosh, I felt the need to create a custom access port cover for simple access to the SCSI2SD.  So, I came up with this idea, which I plan to cut out of steel with a Dremel and a file.

• I'll use an SD card extension cable from the SCSI2SD.  (I prefer fullsize SD cards to the micro versions), so the slot is cut for regular SD.)
• I'll use a USB Micro-B extension cable for the SCSI2SD access port.
• For the video card's external DB-15 connector, I will remove it from the existing access cover and place it in this new one.
• For the Ethernet port, I will relocate the card's daughterboard to where the HDD normally sits (easily enough space there because SCSI2SD is so small), then run an extension cable to new port cover.  An alternative, I could run an AAUI cable directly from the cards header to the new cover and use an external transceiver.  The latter would give me blinkin'lights, so that's interesting, but I'd need to change the port cover slightly to accommodate the AAUI connector instead of RJ45.  And I'd need to worry about having the transceiver instead of a built-in solution.

The extensions I use are panel mount versions.  I will braze small nuts on the rear of the cover so I can screw the panel mount connectors in for a solid fit.

Inside the Mac, I am running the Asanté MacCon IIsi with PDS passthrough, and an XCEED on top of that.  I still need to build the angle adapter to make it fit in the case.  The last piece in the puzzle to make the ultimate machine would be a socket mounted Daystar SE/30 PowerCache accelerator.  If anyone can help with that last item :O  , please PM me.

 

[360alaska]

I could just 3d print that for you if you want

 

[joethezombie]

Thanks for the offer alaska! I can 3D print it at the library for free, but since I am attaching panel mount connectors on it, it kind of needs to be metal to hold the nuts and screws with stability.  Plus plugging things in and out, I'd be a little weary of filament plastics.  Once I get the thing built, I'll put the file up here if anyone does want to print one.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

See if anyone does water jet cutting in your area. Laser might work, dunno, thermal properties made aluminum problematic for laser cutting back in the '90s.

If you're hand tooling it, be sure to keep a generous waste area surrounding your plate for clamping and rigidity. If you start with a right sized blank you'll bend the crap out of it squaring off the inside corners during file work finishing. Cut your completed part out of the oversize work piece after all the hand work's done.

 

[360alaska]

Thanks for the offer alaska! I can 3D print it at the library for free, but since I am attaching panel mount connectors on it, it kind of needs to be metal to hold the nuts and screws with stability.  Plus plugging things in and out, I'd be a little weary of filament plastics.  Once I get the thing built, I'll put the file up here if anyone does want to print one.

You can 3d print for free? that's neat!

 

[Scott Squires]

You can get that laser cut from steel fairly inexpensively. Check out ponoko.com and lasergist.com. Hmmm... looks like lasergist is requiring minimum 2" size in each dimension, which is a bit ridiculous. Probably can have them override it if you email them. Lasergist is fairly new and I haven't tried them yet. But I have used Ponoko in the past and was pleased with them. I have also heard positive things about bigbluesaw.com. They do water jet.