142 replies to this topic

[Baudouin]

Some pictures with the external acrylic panel onto the case, not yet attached to the mobo tray
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Here you can see the original apple frame used to lock the door with the latch. The external acrylic panel is attached to the mobo tray by using four cpu's standups shorted and screwed. It is not obvious on these picts, but the frame is cut at the bottom part, when I realized that some space was necessary for the opening movement of the door. So I will cut the door in two parts, the down one removable and the upper one will be the moving door. . Before cutting the mesh panel (still to order) to cover the outer of the acrylic panel (to hide the frame and standups), I will make a paper one with an opening centered with the logo , just to visualize how wide can be this opening. Pictures will follow.
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View on the mobo tray with standups, apple logo onto the mobo tray and frame to lock the external acrylic door with the latch
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I took out the cables for the two removed suspended hdd's. Remains the ones for the optical drive.The power will be supplied by the original thinner black cable on the right , which now supplies for the yellow cable from the upper fans. The two fans will be connected directly to the mobo, still have to finish the soldering for the three wires plug. The bigger original black powers the two upper hdd's via two self made 4 pins plugs. By lowering the bottom plate, I will have enough room for the Power Supply Unit.
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Seeing the last pic, you can understand why I was depressed after having discovered too late the TorqueX86 way to keep the back panel untouched, because I had already cut it at the time. But I am still looking for a broken case with a good back panel to do the same way.

After my night shift, will try to take some picts from the back side of the Mac Pro inner case.

[nano2nd]

Looking good dude! Theres clearly a lot of hard work gone into this mod. Keep it up and ignore the negative geeks!

[HacOSXuser]

looking at it with the door on. it looks pretty good. i just couldnt picture it when you first started this thread. what are your plans for the back though?

[Baudouin]

Thank you a lot nano2nd, for your encouragement; I need some cause it is far away to be fininshed. You're right just keep it positive!!

HacOSXuser, haha! now you start to see it.   
About the back panel, just bought a damaged G5 case ; will transfer the back panel onto my case and use the TorqueX86 method to keep the panel unchanged from the outside.

[HacOSXuser]

that would look reallly good.

[Baudouin]

External panel in two pieces is attached onto the frame, apple logo draw on paper painted in grey to visualize the mesh panel. Will add comments and pictures on aqua-mac.com and paste here later...

[teknojunkie]

Baudouin, on May 4 2008, 04:50 PM, said:

I was happylly surprised to get the original cables with the second G5 HDD Cage. I modded four double plugs to power the four HDD with the cables. One is the non used double 12V from my Power Supply which fire up the Proc at start-up, because I am using the one with eight pins. The three others come from old PSU's for PC soldered with the wires from molex plugs. The two black molex plugs of the HDD cables will be used to power the internal fans, upper fans and back fans.






The back Audio is working but not the Front panel. I checked the forum :  [How To] Solutions for Audio Problems, A Compilation (http://forum.insanel...showtopic=34075), and installed the drivers without succes .

I would love to make a diagram for this if you can give me the pinout for the 8 pin wire( the hdd and drive cable)

[Baudouin]

amantheboy, on Aug 22 2008, 01:48 AM, said:

I would love to make a diagram for this if you can give me the pinout for the 8 pin wire( the hdd and drive cable)

No prob. you're doing always a good job. Give me some days, very busy now with job and mod of the two cases.

[Baudouin]

In the meantime amantheboy, I found this answer from Neo to TorqueX86 with a draw @ post 4
http://forum.insanel...mp;#entry246641

[teknojunkie]

oh wow its just 2 molex cable, thanks gonna make a new diagram

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check it out to see if its fine or any errors mistakes and such

[Baudouin]

amantheboy, on Aug 22 2008, 07:58 AM, said:

oh wow its just 2 molex cable, thanks gonna make a new diagram

G5_P3_Connector.jpg

check it out to see if its fine or any errors mistakes and such

Perfect !!
Some details:

1. Just show above the plastic piece which block the plug onto the mobo to indicate up and down.
2. If two four wires square plugs are used they will fit and will block as I did :
    http://forum.insanel...09252_thumb.jpg

[teknojunkie]

k all change that up

[teknojunkie]

added a couple tweaks and your suggestions

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[Baudouin]

amantheboy, on Aug 22 2008, 10:01 PM, said:

added a couple tweaks and your suggestions

G5_P3_Connector.jpg

No no amantheboy, you will shortcircuit the HDD's and the DVD.
One ATX plug can be used as is but the other one must be changed into black and red (5V).
Some mod will be needed too, I forgot to mention, because the plug has rond and square holes which won't match the 8 wires plug holes.
Just add another draw on the diagr with black and red and it will perfect. And set the 8 wires draw as before, twice yellow, black, black, red.


Sorry for the confusion. And people, always test before use with a simple fan with black and volt wires connected to the P3 molex connector to control if the 12V and the 5V are connected at the right place before connecting anything, HDD or DVD.

Edit 25/08/08 :

Interessing comments from TorqueX86 : post 50

I tried his method  with and old PSU plug; the PSU wires have to be replaced of course :

[teknojunkie]

oh ok i got it

like this ?

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or this?

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[Baudouin]

amantheboy, on Aug 23 2008, 12:48 AM, said:

oh ok i got it

like this ?

G5_P3_Connector1.jpg

Yeeesss ; That's nearly perfect!!
I've just noticed that the ATX plugs are not well oriented. They must match the 8 wires plug. So the piece of plastic which maintain the plugs together must be oriented above, what means the colors must match too.
I will take the time tomorrow to photograh better my plugs and upload them.

[Baudouin]

Baudouin, on Aug 22 2008, 12:37 AM, said:

External panel in two pieces is attached onto the frame, apple logo draw on paper painted in grey to visualize the mesh panel. Will add comments and pictures on aqua-mac.com and paste here later...

Update done reply 41 @ http://aquamac.probo...?...=469&page=3

comments and pics follow on this forum

Edit 23/08/08 10.20 PM (Brussels time), Some pics :

view of he case with the door panel attached and closed (divided in two parts, the tiny linear mark at the bottom is the separation line) :




pics of opening of the acryl door panel (notice that the bottom part of the acrylic panel visible on the previous pix has been removed to free the space needed for the movement of the opening door)








the door is completely open:



view with case lying on the side panel and open door from the inside :



view with case lying on the side panel and open door from the outside :



I cut the apple logo (four different sheets) on paper and pin on the wall to visualize the opening I will make on the mesh panel to cover the edges of the external acryl panel.





This is the one I will use, maybe a little wider on the right side?

[Baudouin]

Here are the pics :
The plug is positionned like this, plastic piece above


the two ATX modded plugs : yellow, black, black, red. I left the original wires and just soldered wires with the right colors to the molex from the PSU :



Of course on this view, the plugs are reversed : red, black, black, yellow

[teknojunkie]

thanks all look into this

[Baudouin]

Have just added some lights inside the apple logo in 3D. Not bad specially with the door covered up. Still have to organize the 5 blue lights correctly. Pics follow...

The pictures are here :

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Edit : there are seven leds now.