DIY Case - What is the typical screw size?

[The_Beast]

I should probably just pm litster but whatevers. So what's the typical screw size for a DIY case? I'm thinking 1/8" cap screw like this:
http://www.fastener-express.com/2-56-x-18-socket-head-cap-screw-stainless-black-oxide-qty-100.aspx

But I'm not 100% sure. Should I go with something bigger or is 1/8" enough?

[alaricljs]

If by typical you mean common, M3 screws in various lengths and heads are found on the Korean boards.  Mainly pan head, but also cap.

[The_Beast]

But I don't like metric :-(

[fohat.digs]

Do yourself a favor and use a fairly common size and shape.

Small nut drivers and phillips screwdrivers are much easier to find than Allen wrenches.

[The_Beast]

Do yourself a favor and use a fairly common size and shape.

Small nut drivers and phillips screwdrivers are much easier to find than Allen wrenches.

Good idea but don't Korean boards use allen/hex?

[alaricljs]

Yes, and hex/allen wrenches are not hard to come by nor expensive.  You can get a set of 26 (13 metric, 13 SAE) quality ball-head wrenches for $17 at HD.  And there's a lot of other options too.

[The_Beast]

M3 cap/pan head hex head it is then.


Another thought, would computer case feet work for keyboard case legs? Something like this?:
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=130_133&products_id=23683

[nullstring]

Would you use four of them? or two just to tilt it? IDK, doesn't seem like it'd work all that well in my ignore opinion.

[alaricljs]

Not really since there's no angle ability built in to them you'd have to deal with that in the case bottom. 

[The_Beast]

Would you use four of them? or two just to tilt it? IDK, doesn't seem like it'd work all that well in my ignore opinion.

Just 2

Not really since there's no angle ability built in to them you'd have to deal with that in the case bottom. 

Hmmm, yea. I'm looking for some with the rubber domes on the bottom like sherryton

[noisyturtle]

It's not the size of the screw, it's the actuation of the key 

[alaricljs]

Speaker spikes 

[The_Beast]

Speaker spikes 

Nice ^___^



Thanks

[nullstring]

Speaker spikes 

Nice ^___^



Thanks

Yes! That will work quite well

[The_Beast]

New problem, how do I hold up the plate without making cutouts just to hold the plate up? I was thinking spacers between the base and the plate. Any other ideas?





OFC the screw won't be coming out of the top

[alaricljs]

Ummm, which part is at the top of the KB?

[The_Beast]

Orange is the base plate. Basically just a plate with holes in it

Blue is the "middle", a ring that will have holes drill through and be tapped for M3

Red is the plate


The screw shouldn't be ending the top but I just wanted a quick mock up. So the top would be the surface where the screw comes out.

[alaricljs]

The face frame on a filco is 5/16" above the plate at the front and 3/8" above at the back.  The curve is subtle enough that it's only important as a design queue.

That's lots of space to work with.  In regard to how it's been done before, screws down through the plate ears to hold it to the base, screws up in another location holding the top frame and other layers to the base.

What material are you looking to work with for the case?

[The_Beast]

The face frame on a filco is 5/16" above the plate at the front and 3/8" above at the back.  The curve is subtle enough that it's only important as a design queue.

That's lots of space to work with.  In regard to how it's been done before, screws down through the plate ears to hold it to the base, screws up in another location holding the top frame and other layers to the base.

What material are you looking to work with for the case?

I thought about the case more tonight. I wasn't sure what you were talking about when I first read it but after thinking about it the case more, I was going to come back here and ask lol. Since the difference is so small, I'm not going to worry about it, like you suggested.


The only problem with your suggestion is that base is a 1/4" flat plate, nothing more. So I'm not sure how to secure the plate to the "middle" without milling the top.


I'd like for everything to be aluminum. 1/4" for the base, 1/2" for the "middle" and 1/16" for the plate.


My plan is to have the middle, base and plate laser cut a bit bigger than final size because the edge quality is poopy (except the plate since the deflection on 1/16" isn't nearly as much as it is on 1/4" and 1/2"). Then have them sent to a machine shop (or treble318, I've already sent him a pm) to clean up the edge, bring to final dimensions, drill the base and then drill and tap the middle.



Deflection:



I'll try to get better pictures up tomorrow. How many ears on the plate should I need? Right now I have 3 holes on the short side and 5 on the long side. Would you think 1 plate ear on each short side and 2 on the long side be enough? That would leave 2 screws per short side and 3 per long side to attach the base to the middle.

[The_Beast]

So a section view would look something like this?