PC into 50's Television [Build Log]

[Polku]

So hello,

 

I'm new to this particular forum, but not new to tech-forums in general. What I tought is to hit the ground running and begin my path in these forums with a build log.

This is a idea I got at our local fleemarket couple of moths ago when I saw this nice looking old TV for sale there and tought "that would make one unique all-in-one-case" Unfortunately that particular one was priced over 200€ (somewhere around 250$) so it was bit too dear to become a base for experimental project. So little time passed and I found a one closer to my comfort zone at 50€. It is -58 or -59 17" hornyphon :lol: :

 

 

I first began with a stripdown:

 

 

After emptying everything unnecessary, I started to experiment the layout of the case and this one was the one I'm currently going to carry out:

 

 

So I went on to cannibilize a old M-atx case for motherboard tray and couple of other parts:

 

 

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/Polku_86/Retro_TV_PC_project/Reunojasiistitty.jpg

 

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/Polku_86/Retro_TV_PC_project/Trayjavanhavaumllikatto.jpg

 

Next step was to create support structure for PSU and the storage drives (it's quite rough, but I let it slip because you can't actually see it from any angle when finished):

 

 

And then we come to the present moment. Earlier this week I cleaned off the old chipped and partially flat varnish and applied new varnish:

 

 

 

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/Polku_86/Retro_TV_PC_project/Jotainyritystaumlpintakuvasta.jpg

 

This was quick recap of what I have done so far on this project. It's quite shorten version of the log I've kept on a Finnish tech-site, but if you are intrested in seeing more photos from these early stages, feel free to visit Finnish topic: http://murobbs.plaza.fi/kotelot-ja-modifiointi/1036061-kone-retro-tv-seen-build-log-paivitetty-28-8-2013-a.html

 

The actual computer parts this project will include are open at the moment. Only things I've decided on those lines is that Motherboard is M-atx and the gpu can be a mid-range model (for the display will only be 1240x1024px 17" screen).

 

I try to update this log simultaneously with the Finnish version, but I try to keep slow and steady paste overall and not to rush things

 

And last, I must apoligize any typos or grammar errors for English is only my second language

[Trickster]

Keep up the great work! Can't wait to see it finished!

[ciprian97pop]

OMG. This is going to be beautiful

Can't wait to see it finished

[KushKomputers]

This is going to be epic! build log of the week! 

[<boss2939>]

That wood finish on the tv looks very nice. Lan party rig?

[_ASSASSIN_]

so ridiculously cool, subbed

[Qpm5]

Awesome build idea this looks awesome

[Stickeric]

I would love to see some more photos

[CJPowell27]

Would be cool if you somehow could put a 1080p monitor in the display part of the TV box and use it for LANs. Also, I could add rubber vibration dampeners under the psu

[unraw]

Can't wait to see the outcome of this build! 

[Polku]

Thanks for the support and andivolaj123 quessed right it's going to be lan-party rig

 

Would be cool if you somehow could put a 1080p monitor in the display part of the TV box and use it for LANs. Also, I could add rubber vibration dampeners under the psu

Yep, I know that 1080p monitor would be cooler choice, but I'd had to adapt a 17" laptop display for this end and it would run the build costs too high at this moment (I'm currently unemployed)... This doesn't mean that I won't change the display to 1080p if the right deal comes along or my financial situation improves dramatically later on. I also tought buying bigger TV for a while just for the 1080p reason, but it would have seriously lessen the ease of moving this case around into Lan-parties etc... For the psu dampeners. If I end up with non-semi-passive psu, I have some laying around that I can install, but while I enjoy my silence optimiced systems as much as the next guy, I don't mind my computers making little noice under heavy loads

[Dacho]

this will be awesome

[Polku]

Dear diary:

 

Today I accuired the 17" display and started the most difficult and time consuming part of this build. That part is the fitting of the new display.

The display I ended up with is Viewsonic VX724. It is a 1240x1024p display as planned, but it has DVI-connector witch I've found quiten rare find in this size-range:



No time like the present so I dove in with dissassembly of the display:



And then went on to draw some lines how to fit the new display into old fitting-frame:



Then was time for dremeling and shortening my lifespan for few years (vapors released from dremeling didn't smell very healthy):





After hour of nerve wrecking operating the result was this:



At first I tried to glue the peaces together, but the glue I used didn't hold:



Then I ended up fetching "Chemical Metal" from store and glued pieces together with it and started to fill in the gaps:



And at last pictures of the "ready" upper- and lower edges (both still have some filling and sanding to do...):

 

So that concludes this day. I will return to arduous filling and sandin tomorrow or day after that (when my wife lets me ). My goal is to get this painted by tuesday and to be able to start fitting the whole display assembly into the case at latest by thurstday

[ciprian97pop]

More pics and more info

[hiyayhi]

Wow, this is awesome!

[Shrubpig]

This is going to be so cool

[KittenHat]

This seems really cool, I want to see this finished.

[Nicktrance]

Such an awesome idea, can't wait to see more .

[crunzaty]

Such an awesome idea, can't wait to see more .

It looks nice!

[onevoicewild]

That's a bonus, it already comes with a fan grill installed.  I really love art deco stuff, they really knew how to make things.

[Serbian_Souljah]

This is awesome! Can't wait to see it finished.

[Polku]

First off all, thank you for the support

And then to the sideways progress of this project...

After yesterdays post I went on and market little imperfections in "finished" sides, where this days part begin:



Slowly the filler started to cumulate to form wanted curves:



And then very much sanded:



At this stage I decided to give it a coat of paint to better see where I'am in terms of  quality of the surface and over all smoothness of the curves:





The paint revealed that the fillings and sanding are allready ok, and I could just sand down the paint and give it the final coat. BUT as you can see from the photos the fitting collar and the front bezel of the display had sifted about 4mm off the center somewhere during the process and I now get to figure out how to fix this....

 

At first I will most likely just try to dremell 2mm off from the outside of the wider side and try to fit it with 2mm offset into the case, but if it still looks stupid I'll have to take it apart very carefully and then glue the pieces back together in correct position filling and sanding the old work to fit the new position...

[Homicidium]

AWESOME concept! 

[Polku]

So I did jump into conclusion about my failure as human being and that I screw up with the fitting collar bit too hastily

 

I gathered myself and tought "What the hell, I'm going to have to rework it quite a bit so let's see what else is wrong", So I went on and assembled the display assembly to test fit it into the case:







And for my supprise the collar fit into 2mm offset without any reworking and after doing it the 4mm difference between sides was nearly non-noticeable Also luckily I did the test fit before I went trought all the trouble of finishing the paint as it turned out that the lower edge needs more support as the filling/glue fractured under the weight of the screen itself...

[900d]

really interesting build i like it.