Newb needs help for Amiga project

Methanoid · 21 Feb 2006 at 10:50

I’m considering fitting an Amiga motherboard inside a PC mini tower and there are a few bits that your experienced modders can help me with.

I can have a modified backpanel made I can fit with cutouts for the Amiga mobo and some expansions but there are a few more issues to sort:

What sort of thickness of steel should I be using – 1mm?

The existing panel has to be removed. It’s riveted in which means drill them out and should be easy enough.Are those cheap (under £10) rivetting kits sufficient to attach the new back panel?

Yewen · 21 Feb 2006 at 12:15

The steel thickness depends on the current case, 1mm should be more than fine.

The £10 riveting kits can be hit and miss, I had one which worked for ages, but they do not compare to the more expensive (read £25) kits.

You also have to make sure the rivets you use wont interfere with the motherboard if you are using them in close proximity.

Methanoid · 21 Feb 2006 at 12:34

Thanks!

Yewen · 21 Feb 2006 at 12:49

Sorry I could not be much help, there is a riveting guide in the Sticky though if your unsure about doing it.

Le Samourai · 21 Feb 2006 at 20:04

What was the Amiga production version that did make it into a tower case?

Good luck with the project!

Steves_pc · 21 Feb 2006 at 20:11

The A4000 was a desktop style box but i dont remeber seeing a tower version.

Not much help but good luck with the mod, tis a worthy computer.

Le Samourai · 21 Feb 2006 at 20:30

Steves_pc said:
The A4000 was a desktop style box but i dont remeber seeing a tower version.

Not much help but good luck with the mod, tis a worthy computer.

It's maybe the 4000T I've remembered seeing in some mag a while ago.

Flibster · 21 Feb 2006 at 20:36

There was a 3000T and a 4000T *got one in the cupboard acting as a render station at the moment.*

Most of the workstation machines were set up in desktop cases.

There was also commercially available kits for the A1200 which converted it into a tower, with zorro slots, 3.5" IDE, SCSI and other kit - including in some cases G3 CPU's *Have one of them in pieces at my parents - getting repaired.

*

Also - the Amiga One was released and was in a tower as well..

So yes..it's possible.

For the back plane - I'd use aluminium - will save you a lot of time.

Simon/~Flibster

Methanoid · 21 Feb 2006 at 20:46

have to be thicker if Alu.. esp as the PSU will be moved and then supported solely by virtue of being screwed to the backplane...

binaryknight · 25 Feb 2006 at 03:39

something to consider if its the a1200 or all in one keyboard type units, the amiga had special keys and i doubt that any standard pc keyboard will do so youo would need a method to rehouse and connect the original keyboard.
as was mentioned there were commerical kits available (of which i drooled over) as i had an a1200 which is in the attic atm! these had a new housing for the original keyboard. cost a fourtune though.

happy modding am subscribed to the thread and await the pics!

binaryknight · 25 Feb 2006 at 03:41

Flibster said:
There was a 3000T and a 4000T *got one in the cupboard acting as a render station at the moment.*
Simon/~Flibster

just out of interest what do you use it for? lightwave? how do you find the networking to a pc and remote access?

back in the day the a4000 and lightwave were the kiing of effects, gonna shed a tear in a min!

Le Samourai · 25 Feb 2006 at 10:50

binaryknight said:
...back in the day the a4000 and lightwave were the kiing of effects, gonna shed a tear in a min!

Yup... wasn't Babylon 5 Lightwave rendered?

Methanoid · 25 Feb 2006 at 10:56

binaryknight said:
something to consider if its the a1200 or all in one keyboard type units, the amiga had special keys and i doubt that any standard pc keyboard will do so youo would need a method to rehouse and connect the original keyboard.
as was mentioned there were commerical kits available (of which i drooled over) as i had an a1200 which is in the attic atm! these had a new housing for the original keyboard. cost a fourtune though.

happy modding am subscribed to the thread and await the pics!

well to use the case I want to (matches my PCs) I have to get a 1d4 or 2B revision A1200... fancy a trip up to your attic to check yours? Otherwise I'm down to scouring the Bay or Bootfairs!