Making a Desk Drawer Case - Part 2

[Jtalk4456]

OK so round 1 kicked off with a good set of feedback. One thing to note is I am not in the poll results as I have a skewed interest in this and wanted answers more reflective of the community than of myself

For material, the consensus was wood, though enough people voted either metal or having the option that combined it was pretty close. so I think i'll be going with both as options. With metal being stronger, I could make a thinner desk and I could more easily have grills and mesh patterns where ventilation is needed so I would consider metal being the more expensive option.

In a surprising turn, more people preferred some simple clips under the desk to trenching on the top of the desk for wire management. Even combining the trench lovers with the keep both options, they still are barely half the people wanting a simple under desk clip setup. When I build mine, I will use a trench design to fit my aesthetic taste, but it seems as a business model the trench is dead. For manufacturing sake I suppose that's better. I'll be able to face the I/O inward towards the legs if I want to make the wiring process more accessible, though I still might face them to the back for practical purposes. I can also implement the acrylic wire paths that @W-L mentioned with relative ease.

With the trench out of the way, trench depth is a worry of the past. As for grommet choices, I got a surprising response of brush grommets over hole grommets, but just barely. I also got a mixed answer for standard or usb grommets. I'm gonna have a new poll question try to make a tiebreaker with these at a later point when I have some visuals to work with.

The power button placement was overwhelmingly decided as the front of the drawer panel.

The "server" aspect was very mixed. In retrospect my poll choices made it hard to get a definitive answer there. I'm going to refine that in this one.

A few key points to note as there was some previous confusion. I am not making one of the desk pcs where the whole top is a PC. I am taking the idea of shoving a case in a desk drawer and trying to perfect the design. I believe with the case being the drawer, you gain accessibility without removing anything off the desk or lifting glass, etc. It should also be cheaper to produce and therefore not cost $2000 for the enthusiast user. The drawer design also means the desktop doesn't have to be THICC and we get the space savings vs having a tower case on your desk. This gives more flexibility in design, and you can choose to have an understated functional design or be more flashy and rgb filled if you so desire.

So the base idea now is this:

(I suck at graphic art so forgive the crude paint drawing)

[iamdarkyoshi]

Use a keyswitch to enable the computer. User inserts the key and turns it to turn on or turn off the computer. Removal of the key disables the ability to turn it on or off

[Tech_Dreamer]

suggestion :

 

some kind of clear spring loaded keyhole cover could be useful for the front as a power button protection, like you see in some old

 

for reference (this in acrylic or smoothed rounded glass that's see through)

 

 

or get a regular clear cover protection & lightly mod it to look seamless

[Ravendarat]

I want to make sure I am clear, are you doing a tempered glass panel on the top of the desk so you can see the PC in the drawer, or are you doing a solid top with no visible viewing? If you are doing a clear top panel then I would simply do some kind of RGB or white lights to light up the PC drawer internally, if you are doing a solid wood top id bail on RGB all together

[Jtalk4456]

16 hours ago, iamdarkyoshi said:

Use a keyswitch to enable the computer. User inserts the key and turns it to turn on or turn off the computer. Removal of the key disables the ability to turn it on or off

i like it! where would one find something like this, and how would i wire it to the switch?

3 hours ago, Tech_Dreamer said:

suggestion :

 

some kind of clear spring loaded keyhole cover could be useful for the front as a power button protection, like you see in some old

 

for reference (this in acrylic or smoothed rounded glass that's see through)

 

hmmm... also very nice. That would go well with a wood aesthetic as well. 

3 hours ago, Ravendarat said:

I want to make sure I am clear, are you doing a tempered glass panel on the top of the desk so you can see the PC in the drawer, or are you doing a solid top with no visible viewing? If you are doing a clear top panel then I would simply do some kind of RGB or white lights to light up the PC drawer internally, if you are doing a solid wood top id bail on RGB all together

At this moment, until further polls advise otherwise, I am having a tempered viewing panel as an option, some love viewing and some I suspect would rather just hide the whole thing and have a completely clean desk and have people wonder where the pc is. Again that\s only my suspicion, a later poll will confirm or deny

[iamdarkyoshi]

25 minutes ago, Jtalk4456 said:

i like it! where would one find something like this, and how would i wire it to the switch?

Amazon's search is next to useless, so you'll need something from ebay. Since ebay LINKs are not allowed, try the title "Momentary Switch Lock, Keyed Alike, Key Removable in OFF Position, with 2 Keys"

 

Turning on the computer would be the same action as starting a car, insert key, twist, and it springs back.

 

It'd be as simple as connecting the two terminals to the pwr button header on the motherboard.

[TVwazhere]

On 4/21/2019 at 1:34 AM, Jtalk4456 said:

OK so round 1 kicked off with a good set of feedback.

-super snip-

AS a side note I voted leave the bottom drawer alone, but I really do like the UPS idea. The problem is I feel like they come in different shapes and sizes (and their outlets are sometimes in the back, sometimes on top depending on the style)

Perhaps leave the back of the bottom drawer with either a punch-ed out cutout, or a door to open/close depending on if wires need to go through or not. 

 

I do wonder where you're going to slip the power supply, unless the drawer will have a hidden  basement level where the hard drives and PSU will hide. 

 

I like the idea of optionally having a second side drawer option, mostly just for extra storage not being PC related. 

 

I'm saying No to RGB NOT (just becasue) I'm personally against most RGB implementations, but because for maximum compatibility with a end users RGB ecosystem of choice, it might be best to leave that decision to the end user, but leave good locations for RGB strips to be placed for lighting. If you do end up having a higher tier option with the RGB, then the best bet is one that's compatible with motherboards (and not proprietary like NZXT or Corsair). 

 

One concern I do have is how moherboard I/O will reach peripherals like USB ports, Display cables, audio jacks, Wireless cards, etc. While extension cables seem like a logical idea (with termination close to the back of the table wall for users to plug into) you'd first have to have multiple different options for users who want to use either DP or HDMI, How many USB plugs they needs, any audio jacks ETC. Youd then have to make sure the connections are both quality and have enough flex to not put strain on anything when opening the drawer. 

 

One option I see around this is to have a swing door on the outside of the drawer section (optionally this door should have fan mounts for Airflow) but as to allow access to peripherals that would need to be plugged/unplugged when the PC needs to be opened. I drew a super quick sketch at work for explanation

[W-L]

On 4/21/2019 at 1:34 AM, Jtalk4456 said:

-SNIP-

That looks quite good, for the glass just make sure you can get a sheet of standard sized tempered glass of the right dimensions since custom sized tempered glass will be more costly than something you get get off the shelf. I would recommend to look for a desk top material that is made from solid material such as butcher block or such. 

 

For front IO and power you can always make a separate unit to sit on the desk or for it to be tucked away say under the leading edge of the desk. Main thing is making sure it gets enough airflow into the cabinet and exhausting to ensure nothing gets overly warm in a confined space. Having the drawer with no back or a half back would work well in terms of promoting airflow given that the rear cabinet section is open. 

[Jtalk4456]

On 4/21/2019 at 7:48 PM, iamdarkyoshi said:

Amazon's search is next to useless, so you'll need something from ebay. Since ebay LINKs are not allowed, try the title "Momentary Switch Lock, Keyed Alike, Key Removable in OFF Position, with 2 Keys"

Turning on the computer would be the same action as starting a car, insert key, twist, and it springs back.

It'd be as simple as connecting the two terminals to the pwr button header on the motherboard.

Found one, so basically unless the key is in the on position the power button won't work, right?

23 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

1. AS a side note I voted leave the bottom drawer alone, but I really do like the UPS idea. The problem is I feel like they come in different shapes and sizes (and their outlets are sometimes in the back, sometimes on top depending on the style)

Perhaps leave the back of the bottom drawer with either a punch-ed out cutout, or a door to open/close depending on if wires need to go through or not. 

2. I like the idea of optionally having a second side drawer option, mostly just for extra storage not being PC related. 

3. I'm saying No to RGB NOT (just becasue) I'm personally against most RGB implementations, but because for maximum compatibility with a end users RGB ecosystem of choice, it might be best to leave that decision to the end user, but leave good locations for RGB strips to be placed for lighting. If you do end up having a higher tier option with the RGB, then the best bet is one that's compatible with motherboards (and not proprietary like NZXT or Corsair). 

4. One concern I do have is how moherboard I/O will reach peripherals like USB ports, Display cables, audio jacks, Wireless cards, etc. While extension cables seem like a logical idea (with termination close to the back of the table wall for users to plug into) you'd first have to have multiple different options for users who want to use either DP or HDMI, How many USB plugs they needs, any audio jacks ETC. You'd then have to make sure the connections are both quality and have enough flex to not put strain on anything when opening the drawer. 

5. One option I see around this is to have a swing door on the outside of the drawer section (optionally this door should have fan mounts for Airflow) but as to allow access to peripherals that would need to be plugged/unplugged when the PC needs to be opened. I drew a super quick sketch at work for explanation

1. Well if i'm including a UPS as part of the cost, i would be choosing one that fit well. But I do think that's going to be too much addition in cost to the end user and some might already have a UPS. Also the bottom cabinet is pretty big, most any UPS should fit

2. I agree

3. I hadn't considered the different ecosystems, I was thinking more of a kit that plugged in to the wall or to USB.

4. The display cables will be a pain, but the usb and audio are fairly standard, I am worried about the cable strain, but that can be dealt with

5. That panel would be easy to make, but in that position, it would be met with the bottom of the board where all the headers are, i'm not sure much would come of a panel right there

19 hours ago, W-L said:

That looks quite good, for the glass just make sure you can get a sheet of standard sized tempered glass of the right dimensions since custom sized tempered glass will be more costly than something you get get off the shelf. I would recommend to look for a desk top material that is made from solid material such as butcher block or such. 

 

For front IO and power you can always make a separate unit to sit on the desk or for it to be tucked away say under the leading edge of the desk. Main thing is making sure it gets enough airflow into the cabinet and exhausting to ensure nothing gets overly warm in a confined space. Having the drawer with no back or a half back would work well in terms of promoting airflow given that the rear cabinet section is open. 

i figure a sheet roughly the size of a motherboard will be enough with paralax

I was going to have no back, but have a half back made of fans.

I was also considering having fans go side to side, not sure what is better/easier

[TVwazhere]

58 minutes ago, Jtalk4456 said:

3. I hadn't considered the different ecosystems, I was thinking more of a kit that plugged in to the wall or to USB.

I'm just assuming that someone buying this would want all their lighting systems to be synchronized across all devices, unless of course they're like @seoz and know they're going to stick to one color most of the time. 

Spoiler

58 minutes ago, Jtalk4456 said:

5. That panel would be easy to make, but in that position, it would be met with the bottom of the board where all the headers are, i'm not sure much would come of a panel right there

The idea of the trap door would be to eliminate the need for a separate header; your cables would instead run directly to the motherboard, and the panel would allow easy access to connect and disconnect before and after each drawer pull. I cant imagine people constantly opening and closing this drawer to modify it (I rarely take my side panel off my PC case) so this might be an easier solution to that problem. Cables just have to be long enough to reach around the table (like keyboard and mouse) to get to the motherboard I/O which I dont foresee being an issue on most PC parts these days. 

[iamdarkyoshi]

4 hours ago, Jtalk4456 said:

Found one, so basically unless the key is in the on position the power button won't work, right?

The ones I found on ebay would actually replace the power button. They would directly turn it on and off. Turning the key is like pressing the button

[Jtalk4456]

6 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

I'm just assuming that someone buying this would want all their lighting systems to be synchronized across all devices, unless of course they're like @seoz and know they're going to stick to one color most of the time. 

  Hide contents

The idea of the trap door would be to eliminate the need for a separate header; your cables would instead run directly to the motherboard, and the panel would allow easy access to connect and disconnect before and after each drawer pull. I cant imagine people constantly opening and closing this drawer to modify it (I rarely take my side panel off my PC case) so this might be an easier solution to that problem. Cables just have to be long enough to reach around the table (like keyboard and mouse) to get to the motherboard I/O which I dont foresee being an issue on most PC parts these days. 

If the trapdoor is how you access wiring the you'll have a bunch of wires coming out of the side of the desk. Or are you just talking the RGB use?

3 hours ago, iamdarkyoshi said:

The ones I found on ebay would actually replace the power button. They would directly turn it on and off. Turning the key is like pressing the button

Interesting. Could you DM a link to one for me?

[TVwazhere]

1 minute ago, Jtalk4456 said:

If the trapdoor is how you access wiring the you'll have a bunch of wires coming out of the side of the desk. Or are you just talking the RGB use?

No it would be how you would easily access cables to plug them in and out. The actual route of the cables would go out the back 

[W-L]

7 hours ago, Jtalk4456 said:

-SNIP-

Yes that key switch would work it just needs to be a momentary based switch. For airflow it depends on the material and if you mind having the front as intake, either installing a mesh or making gill type opening along the edge of the drawer front or cabinet can achieve that. 

 

As for cables I'd probably recommend to do something like an umbilical to the rear of the drawer and have all your connections extended out towards the rear edge of the desk for screens, USB, etc. A cable arm is very commonly used on servers would allow all the cables to neatly fold and provide strain relief. 

[Jtalk4456]

8 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

No it would be how you would easily access cables to plug them in and out. The actual route of the cables would go out the back 

maybe i'm missing something, but isn't ease of access by pulling out the drawer the whole point? and if so, I wouldn't need a secondary access point would I? 

 

8 hours ago, W-L said:

hmm, never seen those. I wonder how cheap these would be to implement

[W-L]

7 minutes ago, Jtalk4456 said:

maybe i'm missing something, but isn't ease of access by pulling out the drawer the whole point? and if so, I wouldn't need a secondary access point would I? 

 

hmm, never seen those. I wonder how cheap these would be to implement

The most basic versions I've seen are just two strips of steel with zip tie points and three hinges tack welded on to very fancy adjustable length ones with covers and nice high flexibility cables. These are used mainly for rail mount server racks to act a guides and strain relief. 

 

This way all your cables to the PC are in a single bundle including all your rear IO, power, and front IO which can then be broken off to their respective locations around the desk. 

[Jtalk4456]

4 minutes ago, W-L said:

The most basic versions I've seen are just two strips of steel with zip tie points and three hinges tack welded on to very fancy adjustable length ones with covers and nice high flexibility cables. These are used mainly for rail mount server racks to act a guides and strain relief. 

 

This way all your cables to the PC are in a single bundle including all your rear IO, power, and front IO which can then be broken off to their respective locations around the desk. 

so at the very least, I can diy these myself on the cheap if they are too expensive to buy