Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Building a Laptop Enclosure To Last (makezine.com)

Posted by Soulskill on from the things-HP-doesn't-like-to-do dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Build quality is a characteristic many people value in laptop design, but one that often goes unrepresented on a spec sheet. Over at Make, Kurt Mottweiler took build quality to the next level with his laptop enclosure design, which replaces the typical plastic clamshell with a wood veneer filled with e-glass cloth and cork composite. The article shows his build process in detail. Quoting: "The LCD panel and main enclosure components are assembled using vacuum bag clamping techniques. After assembling the layers of the panels at the glue station, the assembly is transferred to the molding station where it is put into a seamed bag and sealed up with a roller rod and clamps. Then a special vacuum pump is used to evacuate the bag and allow atmospheric pressure to clamp the layers together while the epoxy binder cures. ... To increase the strength, improve heat dissipation, and enhance the aesthetic properties of the Heirloom's main enclosure, I chose to use an undulating shape across the width of the bottom panel. The slight wave provides a semi-monocoque structure that stiffens the otherwise flat section of the case while providing for a measure of air flow across the bottom of the case."

7 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. Looks nice , but ... by PPH · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... who wants a laptop that will last? What happens when new processors and technology come out and you've got to scrap your investment in aesthetics?

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
    1. Re:Looks nice , but ... by oakgrove · · Score: 5, Informative

      Doesn't look like it'd be much trouble (relative to building this in the first place) to replace the innards every 3-5 years or so if you felt the need. Besides, the open-source Novena computer designed by Bunnie Huang and Sean Cross that this is built to enclose has as one of its goals a "requirement for user access to the internal components" so I'm guessing being able to upgrade iteratively is kind of the idea.

      --
      The soylentnews experiment has been a dismal failure.
    2. Re:Looks nice , but ... by oakgrove · · Score: 5, Informative

      "Replace the innards" doesn't work for most laptops

      This isn't "most laptops". This is a custom hand built enclosure for an open source computer[1] designed specifically to be user upgradable. Your entire comment makes no sense in the context of this article.

      [1] http://www.kosagi.com/w/index....

      --
      The soylentnews experiment has been a dismal failure.
  2. Or... by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How I Built an Heirloom Laptop

    Or: How I have money and time than you

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  3. Missed the boat by argee · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think the fellow has met HIS goals, but they miss the boat.
    The main cause of laptops dying is spills on the keyboard and the underlying electronics.
    The broken ones I have seen involve damage to the LCD screens. Neither of these
    scenarios are addressed by THIS wood/composite design.

    It appears the gentleman mainly designed for drop resistance, rather than spill and
    LCD strikes. He has sought for a problem to the solution he proposes.

    Lastly, most laptops end up discarded not because of damage, but because their
    innards are obsolete. His insides are not upgradeable; the bulky case has limited
    interior space and is not modular. The materials used are impact resistant but they
    have to be made and formed by hand.

  4. Not the most retarded thing I've ever seen by H0p313ss · · Score: 4, Funny

    But it might make the top ten.

    --
    XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
  5. Hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not only is this a waste of time and money, but they left the ThinkPad insignias on it after assembly. And it's supposed to be some kind of "open source project"

    I'm not too surprised though, the following article is about how a guy restored his guitar by laser-etching a "sacred geometry" pattern onto it.

    And the site's tagline is "We are all makers!"

    In other words, come here with your money to feel less guilty and possibly even convince yourself you're not a total moron!