BOX-37

Rúben Ferreira · June 27

Hello everyone,

My name is Ruben, and this is my first time participating in the CMWS, and I am excited to share my project with you. I will be modifying a Cooler Master MasterBox 5 with the aim of improving airflow while maintaining its elegant aesthetics.

My project features an extension of the case's cross-section at the front. By creating a custom bracket integrated into the extension, it will accommodate three 140mm fans instead of the original two.

Additionally, I am designing a lifting mechanism for the radiator. The goal is to remove the radiator from the system to give it access to cold air from the outside, thereby improving the overall temperature. I am still working on figuring out the best mechanism and the optimal fan orientation. I will keep you updated on my progress and hopefully make it work.

Feel free to give your feedback.

Rúben Ferreira · July 22

Hi everyone!

I've been focused on designing and building my PC case and haven't given any updates on the build. I plan to provide updates more regularly from now on.

To keep using my PC while working on the case, I bought the cheapest case I could find to temporarily house all the components. After cleaning and disassembling all the parts, I started measuring and modeling them, along with the attachment points, to replicate them in my design. After a few iterations, I now have a solid base to work from. Please disregard the print quality for now; these were printed quickly with very little infill to save time and filament. At this stage, I'm just aiming for dimensional accuracy.

The front panel has some location pins and clips/tabs that secure it to the case with friction. These turned out to be too fragile to replicate, even when printed separately and in different orientations. To simplify things, I will use the location pins and repurpose them with magnets to create six strong attachment points.

I printed a separate panel to secure the fans, which will also help mitigate fan recirculation. Again, these are just test pieces. The final parts will be printed later, as I intend to add cable routing and other features.

I am waiting on some hardware (bolts and threaded inserts) as well as the AIO and fans to arrive. Once I have them, I'll start working on 'Phase 2': the lifting mechanism for the radiator.

Feel free to ask any questions. Should I provide more or less detailed updates than this?

Have a good day, everyone!

Rúben Ferreira · August 13

Hey everyone,

Most of the parts needed for the build have arrived. Right now, I’m finishing up 3D printing the linear actuator mounts—more on that soon.

I’ve marked up all the cuts needed for the case and used an angle grinder and a small Dremel. It went better than expected, and I’m pretty happy with the results, all the cuts won’t be visible anyway.

I initially bought a thin mesh for the upper section but later found a better option, an aluminium-coated mesh with a hex pattern. I’m not sure which one I’ll go with yet.

The prototypes for the hinge are finished, and it’s working properly. A drive shaft from an old printer turned out to be the perfect fit for the 608 bearing.

Soon, I’ll be testing whether the mechanism actually works, and I’ll post another update then.

Rúben Ferreira · September 9

Hey all !

Here’s an update on the project:

The main structure that holds the radiator is complete and functioning as intended. This was definitely the most time-consuming part of the project to achieve.

For those interested:
- Two 90º aluminum extrusions are glued and screwed into the main structure. These bear most of the load by connecting the linear actuators to the radiator. The radiator itself will be attached to the extrusions using the fan screws.
- I wanted the radiator to tilt up to 50º to match the original sloped front panel of the case. This aesthetic choice made the whole process harder than it should be lol.
With a 50º range of motion, a 100mm stroke for the linear actuator, and a fixed point on the radiator, there was only one spot where the actuator could be attached to the case.
While this could be calculated or determined with a few sketches in CAD, in reality it turned out to be more difficult due to parts flexing, the case itself flexing, and my ability to measure precisely with the tools I have.
It was a game of stubbornness, but I’m very happy with the result!

The USB extensions embedded into the radiator hinge turned out quite good. The only issue with this part was the cable routing through the case.

Here is the side panel for the buttons

This is just a cool pic

Once again, ignore the colors, this is just cheap filament and it helps to keep track of the iterations for each component. I have already started printing the final parts and, in the end,
should look like the inicial renders.
I am working on a bay for the bottom of the case to hide the psu and ssd/hd, will post more later this week.

Rúben Ferreira · September 13

Hey all ! Here’s another update.

Finally, I’ve got what should be the final iterations printed in their intended colors: dark red and grey. I’ve also started assembling the case, so things should start coming together and make more sense from here.
These are the extension parts, already assembled with threaded inserts and captive nuts in place. This will allow me to attach the extension between the case and the original front.
The cable grooves turned out great! I hope everything looks good once it's all finished.

This is one of my favorite parts so far: the support for the linear actuators. It has a thru-hole for the cables to pass through to the back, where they’ll be connected, hopefully keeping all cables out of sight.
This piece also sandwiches the case and connects the extension, making the whole structure sturdy. It turned out so clean!