Looking for a Testbench.

[BeepBoop.PC]

Just switched from enormous case, to mITX. I was able to transfer all components, including custom watercooling. Now I have left over, this eATX board, with a 6-core processor that I spent forever trying to get my hands on. Plus full motherboard watercooling and I've grown attached to my old system! Instead of selling it off, I'm building a new watercooled system and I'm gonna try my hand at Linux! This system, though, would look SO much better on an open air testbench, since almost all of the hardware is on the motherboard. Plus, I'll be using it as such.

 

So, I need a testbench that's compatible with eATX boards and at least a dual radiator. Primochill Wetbench is a perfect candidate, but it's never in stock and it's almost $200!!!! It's like a few sheets of acrylic and some screws, for real?!?! I'm looking for something that's like $50 or less. I've looked everywhere, but I can't find anything! Testbenches aren't sorely needed, but they're definitely in short supply. (Also, no, I'm not making one out of an old case and wood)

 

[Streetguru]

14 minutes ago, BeepBoop.PC said:

 

Just buy the cheapest E-ATX case?

[Lehan]

Not sure if "not making one out of an old case and wood" just means you don't like that particular design, or you don't wanna DIY it, but since test benches are a fairly niche application, you may have some trouble finding one for under $50. I myself have made a test bench for around $35, made entirely out of sheet aluminium and steel threaded rods and such. I'll be making a video on how to make it soon, but:

 

How to make the Alubench V2.0

Buy:

A ~600x900mm piece of sheet aluminium (at least 0.8mm thick)

A 1m (or longer) M10 threaded rod

8 M10 nuts

8 M10 washers

A 1m (or longer) 10mm ID aluminium tube

A 3.5" drive bay (I got mine from an old case)

A bunch of motherboard standoffs (you can get 100 M3 ones off Ebay for $5 with accompanying M3 nuts)

Some M3 6mm bolts

Some M3 nuts

Tools:

Manditory:

A drill or drill press (with a 10.5mm, and 3mm drill bit) - a dril press will have more torque and be faster, but both will suffice)

A screwdriver

A centrepunch (3mm)

Something to bend metal (I used a magnabend, but when it comes down to it you can use any old sheet metal bender or even a table vice and some patience)

Aviation cutters or a guillotine

A hacksaw

A ruler

A scribe or whiteboard/permanent marker

Table vice

Hammer

Eye protection (glasses or goggles)

Useful:

Rivets and a pop-riveter

A 90mm fan

A gooseneck phone holder off ebay (able to hold phones upto 90mm wide)

A nibbler

A guillotine (the kind for cutting sheet metal)

A G or F clamp, or a spring clamp

 

Method:

1) Mark the sheet metal down the centre, dividing it into 2 separate pieces, each measuring 600x450mm. Cut down the line using guillotine or aviation cutters. This may take a         while. If using cutters, this may warp the metal. That can be corrected with a hammer or a vice. If you have a power nibbler, it can also be used on this step instead of the             cutters.

 

2) Using table vice, secure threaded rod and cut into 4 equally sized rods. For a 1m long rod, cut 4 200mm lengths of rod.

 

3) Secure aluminium tube in table vice and cut into nine pieces. For a 1m long threaded rod, cut 8 20mm pieces, and 4 100mm pieces.

 

4) Mark where EATX standoffs need to go on one of the 2 pieces of metal with either a scribe or a marker pen. Try and align the I/O of the motherboard about 20mm away from the edge, and ensure it is at least 30mm from any corner. This will be your top plate.

5) Centrepunch the markings you just made by aligning the centrepunch with the marking, and striking the top of the centrepunch with a hammer. ONLY HIT THE CENTREPUNCH ONCE, OTHERWISE YOU WILL WARP THE METAL. Now drill through the centrepunched hole with the 3mm drill bit.

 

6) On the top plate, mark each corner with a point 25mm in from each side. Centrepunch the markings. Then stack the top and bottom plate (top on top) and try to ensure they stay atop each other (you can use your clamp, if you have one). Use the 10.5mm drill bit to create a hole in the same spot on both plates. Do this to all 4 corner markings. 

7) On each edge of each plate, make a line 8mm from the edge, stretching along the entire edge. Use your nibblers or tin snips to cut 8mm or more out of each corner. Then either:

a) Align the marked line with the bending point of your magnabend/other bending tool of choice, and bench to about 90 degrees.

b) Align the marked line with the top of you vice grip then hand bend it to ~90 degrees.

Repeat this step for 8 more times. For the top plate, on the side the motherboard I/O is facing, you will need to flatten the 90 degree fold into a 180. You can do this with either the table vice or a hammer. Do not do this for any other sides.

 

8) PSU mounting! There are a number of ways you can do this - though for both the PSU will need to be recessed to accommodate the bends:

a) I used some scrap aluminium, drilled the appropriate holes in it and bent it and riveted it to the bottom. - this is not the best option

b) You could also find markings for PSU bottom screw holes, then centrepunch and use the 3mm drill bit to create holes. - This is probably more sensible, though more difficult to mount the psu

9) For the HDD mount, it will depend on what bracket you intend to use. All I can say is that you can probably drill some 3mm holes on the bottom plate, then secure the HDD bracket with M3 nuts and bolts.

10) Using the holes drilled into the top plate on step 5, attach the motherboard standoffs (the ebay ones are M3 threaded and come with M3 nuts). Where the graphics card it located, you will need to cut an intent so the plate does not interfere with the I/O bracket on the GPU.

 

11) Add any modifications. I added a https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Gooseneck-Bendable-Aluminum-Long-Arm-Phone-Mount-Holder-Double-V-Clip-Black-EV/263684107356?hash=item3d64cc2c5c:g:BiMAAOSwA3dYavtH gooseneck arm holding a 90mm fan, for flexible cooling. You may want to add radiator mounting, which can be done any number of ways, which include using sheet aluminium tabs.

12) Attach all hardware except radiator and GPU. Get a piece of threaded rod and screw a nut about 10mm up the rod. Repeat this for each rod.

13) Put a washer atop the nut. Put a 20mm piece of aluminium tube atop the nut. Repeat for each rod.

14) [repeat the following for each rod] Put the bottom plate on, then put the 100mm piece on top of that, then put on the top plate, then put on another 20mm piece of aluminium tub, then put a washer, then put the other nut. Hand tighten, until there is fairly little flex. Put on your GPU and/or radiator.

15) Plug everything in and short the power I/O pins with a screwdriver. Enjoy your new bench!

Notes:

The sheet aluminium may be harder to come by, as it is often only sold in specialist shops. Most hardware stores only stock 0.5mm thick sheets, which is not thick enough for this application.

Generally schools and Unis will have workshops which are stocked with all the required tools.

Photos are of the Alubench V1, which is smaller and designed slightly differently.

For finding motherboard standoff points, I used https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmods/comments/1chkph/i_made_an_atx_motherboard_mount_template_would/this template, by centrepunching through a printoff of it. I cannot find any equivalents for EATX.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Lehan

[BeepBoop.PC]

9 hours ago, Streetguru said:

Just buy the cheapest E-ATX case?

Cheapest is like $120. Plus, I don't have time now to turn it into an open air bench

[BeepBoop.PC]

31 minutes ago, Lehan said:

Not sure if "not making one out of an old case and wood" just means you don't like that particular design, or you don't wanna DIY it, but since test benches are a fairly niche application, you may have some trouble finding one for under $50. I myself have made a test bench for around $35, made entirely out of sheet aluminium and steel threaded rods and such. I'll be making a video on how to make it soon, but:

 

How to make the Alubench V2.0

Wow. Fantastic job! Personally, I haven't had much luck with metal, and I'd like something cleaner this time around. I think I might try the same with PVC sheets which I recently discovered. They're thin enough to cut with an exacto knife, so I can do cutouts for grommets and for the power button and fan holes, etc. I just have to double layer it to make it strong. Any connectors, couplers, washers, etc, I can just make on my 3D printer. And I can sand it easily and spray paint it cleanly. Check out this:

 

He built an entire case by doing this and it's very cool to watch. I'm doing something simpler so it shouldn't take me more than a few days to get a Wetbench quality product!

 

[Lehan]

11 hours ago, BeepBoop.PC said:

Wow. Fantastic job! Personally, I haven't had much luck with metal, and I'd like something cleaner this time around. I think I might try the same with PVC sheets which I recently discovered. They're thin enough to cut with an exacto knife, so I can do cutouts for grommets and for the power button and fan holes, etc. I just have to double layer it to make it strong. Any connectors, couplers, washers, etc, I can just make on my 3D printer. And I can sand it easily and spray paint it cleanly. Check out this:

 

He built an entire case by doing this and it's very cool to watch. I'm doing something simpler so it shouldn't take me more than a few days to get a Wetbench quality product!

 

Damn! That looks good! I might make a V3 using those sheets if I can find the time...

 

You could also use plywood or similar, which would be cheaper, but it'd need to be quite thick as to ensure it doesn't flex, and you can't bend it, and it wouldn't look as sleek! 

[BeepBoop.PC]

11 minutes ago, Lehan said:

Damn! That looks good! I might make a V3 using those sheets if I can find the time...

 

You could also use plywood or similar, which would be cheaper, but it'd need to be quite thick as to ensure it doesn't flex, and you can't bend it, and it wouldn't look as sleek! 

Not plywood, too thick. I think you can get MDF that's pretty thin. As for flex, MDF is pretty strong, but thicker than PVC. PVC is very flexible and easy to break, that's why I'd double layer it. Acrylic is another option, if you can work with it, it definitely won't flex or break, and you can get any color, plus clear, it's just hard to work with unless you have a CNC.

 

It'd be cool to see a bench from you using one of those materials!

[Lehan]

7 hours ago, BeepBoop.PC said:

Not plywood, too thick. I think you can get MDF that's pretty thin. As for flex, MDF is pretty strong, but thicker than PVC. PVC is very flexible and easy to break, that's why I'd double layer it. Acrylic is another option, if you can work with it, it definitely won't flex or break, and you can get any color, plus clear, it's just hard to work with unless you have a CNC.

 

It'd be cool to see a bench from you using one of those materials!

Hmm, I was under the impression that you can cut acrylic with a bandsaw or a jigsaw. I might actually make one out of acrylic (though it wouldn't be able to fit EATX, cause they sell them in sheets 10mm too short!) You can also drill through acrylic by increasing bit size slowly, I think. 

[BeepBoop.PC]

10 hours ago, Lehan said:

Hmm, I was under the impression that you can cut acrylic with a bandsaw or a jigsaw. I might actually make one out of acrylic (though it wouldn't be able to fit EATX, cause they sell them in sheets 10mm too short!) You can also drill through acrylic by increasing bit size slowly, I think. 

Idk, personally I don't want to work with acrylic unless I have the right tools that pro modders have. Like bending hard tube or sleeving cables, there just really aren't good alternatives. I think I'll try the PVC thing. Let you know how it turns out!

[Lehan]

Sorry its been so long, but I just had an idea. Instead of using 1mm aluminium and bending the edges to strengthen the plates, you can just use 2mm aluminium and make it so much easier!

[TekRed]

Not sure if you ever heard of the InWin x frame 2.0 but it would make a sweet testbench, it can be either vertical or horizontal 

[Lehan]

Looks pretty cool, though I doubt it'd be "under $50"

[MaverickBNA]

Wow! That In Win case is a looker!

 

I also remember the Antec LanBoy Air - anyone else remember that?