[Coco] Laser Cut Cartridge Case (was Re: miniFLASH product)

[Gene Heskett]

On Wednesday 11 September 2013 20:35:10 James Hrubik did opine:

> Sort of along the lines of what I was thinking.
> 
> Just measured a Downland cartridge : outside 3 x 4-1/16 x 7/8 (76 x
> 108 x 22 mm).  Slot for board is 2-3/16 wide (55 mm).  Board is 1/16
> thick.  Depending on your mount position and independent of the
> thickness of the case, top of board is mounted 5/8 (16 mm) from
> outside top of case and bottom is 3/16 (5 mm) from outside bottom of
> case.
> 
> 1/8" Lexan would require a 1/16 spacer between the board and the
> bottom; too close, maybe.  Mounted from the top of case like the
> Downland board, would require a 1/2" (12.5 mm) standoff with 1/8"
> Lexan.  Side strips could be 5/8" wide, and with a little glue, you
> could have a totally enclosed clear plastic case for cheap.
> 
> I probably have enough old scrap storm windows to make several dozen,
> but it would cost a minor fortune to obtain the necessary round tuit.
> 
> Now there is a wild idea : has anyone repacked a CoCo in a clear
> glass case?  Gene -- have you ever welded glass?

Sorry, no. My experimentation with hot glass has not been "fruitful".  Lots 
of ferrous stuff, a small amount of aluminum, but alu really s/b done with 
a TIG, whereas my highest tech kit is MIG, and the commonly used gas for 
the MIG is a mix of argon, used for the flooding/shielding gas, mixed with 
CO2 to add a bit of carbon to the weld, enhancing its strength at the 
expense of a poorer appearance when done by wannabe MIG welders like me.  
Somehow, my work seems to hold up about as well as it did when I was using 
the oxy-acetylene to weld with though, no clue why.  The difference in 
puddle control you get with real gas has to be seen to be believed.  With 
gas, I can take a pile of cheap coat hangers and give you a weld that is 
extremely ductile, or is nearly rockwell 60.  All in how fat or lean the 
flame is and how you push the puddle around to ensure the proper amount of 
carbon is either mixed into the weld, or burned back out of the molten 
metal.

I have a next door neighbor, and in fact could probably round up 50 people 
here in Weston who could 'weld' that glass as there were and are yet, lots 
of specialty blown glass done in the former home town of Louie Glass.  When 
that was closed down due to Chinese imports taking all the business at 25% 
of the price, lots of the better blowers built their own glass "tanks" and 
are still doing custom stuff.  But these guys don't normally blow into a 
mold, its all free-hand, occasionally rolled on a flat surface to become 
more cylindrical.

One thing all you repackers tend to skip, is that the coco, running naked, 
is one ultra noisy machine, generating huge amounts of RFI at the harmonics 
of its crystal.  So any such repacking really needs to have the insides of 
the case coated with a carbon/metallic film paint, connected solidly the 
the ground rails of the PCB's.

> On Sep 11, 2013, at 1:07 AM, Andrew wrote:
> > What about this?:
> > 
> > Rather then laser-cut a metal case and bend it, what if you
> > (someone - not me, too many other projects, this is an idea for
> > someone who knows what they are doing) created a DXF or some other
> > CAD file (or even a PS/PDF) that could be sent to a laser cutter
> > (or a company that laser cuts), and have the cutter cut out flat
> > pieces of acrylic (1/8 inch would be ok).
> > 
> > Have holes cut/drilled (by the laser cutter again) to mount a PCB
> > with the edge connector, as well as holes for "standoffs" for the
> > PCB and for connecting a "top" and a "bottom" plate.
> > 
> > Sure, it'd be open with all the electronics exposed, but who really
> > cares? It'd look all the more cooler, right? Add some LEDs to light
> > it up!
> > 
> > Include a PDF or such of a double-sided PCB (edge connector, and
> > strip-board traces or something?) that can be printed and toner-
> > transferred (or UV etched); maybe eagle-cad (or better, some open
> > format - kicad or something?) for a PCB - something you could send
> > off to a company to have printed.
> > 
> > Dump it all into a ZIP file and stick it somewhere. If you need a
> > cartridge, send the files to the appropriate places (send the laser-
> > cutter files to one company, and the PCB files to another - or etch
> > your own PCB).
> > 
> > Such a case/PCB combo would be fairly cheap; only those that want
> > it would need to grab and print it, and no one would be stuck
> > trying to sell something not many people want or need.
> > 
> > The only problem here is finding someone willing to make the files
> > and test them out. If I had the time and/or skills, I'd do it
> > myself. We all probably have all the measurements, cartridges (for
> > examples), etc; hmm - can we crowd-source this in some manner?
> > 
> > Just a thought I'm tossing out there...
> > 
> > Andrew L. Ayers
> > Glendale, Arizona
> > http://www.phoenixgarage.org/
> 
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> 
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Cheers, Gene
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