I started work again on my Project: NEServer again this morning. If you don't know or don't remember, the project involves hacking an LC 475 mobo into the empty case of an 8-bit Nintendo. I couldn't afford a dremel tool right now, so I bought a variety pack of dremel attachments and have been using them on my standard cordless powerdrill. A powerdrill makes a poor substitute for a dremel because it's size limits the versatility of it (getting into tight spaces, etc.) and the fact that it only has two speeds, both of which are a fraction of a dremel's 10k-35k rpm range.
But, make do is what I did. I cleared out as much of the raised, plastic pieces from the bottom of the NES case as possible using a fiberglass reinforced cutting-disk. Something of note, I quickly learned that the standard cutting disks would shatter almost instantly when attempting to cut through the plastic used in the NES case, and did the same when I tested them on part of the LC 475's now-empty case. So, if anyone is out there trying to cut through Mac cases with a dremel, make you use at least a fiberglass reinforced disk, otherwise you'll be breaking them left and right.
Anyway, the dril ran out of power before I could finish so i left it charging until I get home tonight. The great thing is the mobo fits the bottom of the NES case almost perfectly, like it was made for it. I had to cut a tiny bit of one corner of the PCM board off to make sure it went all the way to the bottom, but this was only because it would have been more difficult and potentially less elegant to modify some of the NES case's bottom support structure to the point where the mobo would have fit unmodified.
at any rate, things are going along very well. I've decided to use hot glue to secure the mobo to the bottom and the PSU along the ceiling. I'm also going to affix a standard drive sled to the ceiling, next to the PSU, located just behind the NES cartridge opening. If all works out, this means the SCSI hard drive will be swapped by pulling it in and out of the cartridge slot/door!
I still need a few more parts, though. The mobo is currently running with 20MB RAM, and since it's going to be a server, that's just not enough. I at least want to throw a 32MB 72-pin SIMM in it, so that it'll have 36MB of RAM. I'm also looking on eBay for some 64MB or the uber-rare 128MB 72-pin SIMMs that will fit it. I also still need an LC PDS ethernet card desperately, as all attempts to trade for one before have fallen through. I don;t want to have to get one off eBay...somebody help me out!
Last, I need a big hard drive. Presently, the unit is ready to go with a 2GB drive, but this is only a quarter of the size of the storage on my Quadra, and that doesn't include the system. I have an 80-to-50-pin SCSI adapter, so I'm looking for at least a 9GB 80-pin SCSI drive to use for it...though 18GB or 36GB would be even better. 
No pics yet, but I will have them available when I take them!
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Total 68K Macs liberated: 7
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Edited by - cinemafia on 30 Sep 2002 14:15:55
Edited by - cinemafia on 30 Sep 2002 14:23:00
NEServer Project Update
Posted - 30 Sep 2002 : 13:17:05
68k of the Week: kastegir's PowerBook 180.