What you need is a Maker Space. I am lucky enough to live relatively near one. This kind of project is bread and butter for these kind of folks. I don't have a clue what the UK offers but Dallas MakerSpace is one of the better ones.

And what exactly are they going to do for him ? I thought he wanted to design his own cos according to him "it don't exist"
I just think he's in way over his head without some kinda design program and "ALOT" more knowledge on what he's fixing to get into. Now I'm not trying to tell him not proceed with his project "Lord knows I would never try to stop anyone from following a dream" But it's called R&D for a reason.

knowledge means
facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.

Edit: Now I own a desktop that is an Alienware with 16 cores, 8 GB of memory and 8 GB of Video! So to say it don't exist is not right. Buy an Alienware. It's for gaming.

 

MakerSpaces provide tools like cutting lasers (good for plastics) and courses on how to use them.. I used to regularly use mines 3D printers before my stroke, and will again fairly soon as well as their electronics lab. I saw on member biuild a supercomputer mockup by putting 30 rasberry pis into a chassis and develop the software to get them to run as a massive parallel computing array.

@Berzerker ,
Lighten up guy, this is not a simple project as I'm sure we will all agree, but heckling the TS is out of bounds.. You already have the attention of one moderator. If you can not help then stay quiet.

 

On this one I was not heckling no-one. I'm simply saying it might be a little harder than you all are saying. I already know I cross you once and you didn't like it but to say I'm not providing information is not true. You make it sound like it's a walk in the park or he has loads of money to invest in it. This may not be the case! I don't know and neither do you. If you all think I'm getting outta hand ban me. I have laid off all political views of all I'm posting. Just cause you don't like the answers that are posted "don't mean I'm wrong".
Every post I've posted in this thread is to say that it might be the wrong way to approach it. I've called him no names. I haven't belittled him and I haven't done anything wrong.

just think he's in way over his head without some kinda design program and "ALOT" more knowledge on what he's fixing to get into. Now I'm not trying to tell him not proceed with his project "Lord knows I would never try to stop anyone from following a dream" But it's called R&D for a reason.

You did read that part right ?

 

@Wendy

To suggest that this is a "blessing" is... I will just say "wishful thinking"

"Yeah, shoot yourself in the head.
I can't imagine this can in anyway affect your life.
I don't believe the millions of EDUCATED people, who devoted their lives to study headshots.
I actually believe this would be a good thing for you.
Hey, your head was once a mushy pulp (in your mother's womb) and you turned out just fine!"

I have "NEVER" said anything this extreme but yet there's talk of banning me!
Be careful who your defending!

 

Officially unwatching this thread!

 

Officially unwatching this thread!

I’m with you..

Just to mention to those that remain. The Ignore list is a useful tool. B has been on mine for some time.

 

Sorry you feel that way Tony and djs but when someone has done nothing wrong and to say they have is also wrong in my book. Ive had fingers pointed at me ever since I've let it be known of my political views.
All I stated is he might want to re-think his approach. If your only judgement of me is my political views then I'm not the bad guy you are.
I'm judging no-one.
But if you all think I'm wrong after reading the above quote! feel free to pile on.
So it's Ok to pretty much fall short of cussing someone out but you can't reply and have a different opinion.

 

Thing is, we all get in over our heads occasionally, it can be a useful learning experience. Maker Spaces also offers a useful touch stone of other more experienced people to critique and offer helpful advice. People in mine have built home brewed lappies using Linux with raspberry pi's and more advanced derivatives such as banana pi's.One guy recreated a C64 keyboard using a cheap standard USB keyboard and 3D printed new keys for it, The computer was modern but running a C64 emulator. You meet a lot of crazy and eccentric people in these places. It is an eclectic mix of artists and technical types. No one there would think twice about such a project as this except to help where they could. Being a member of such an environment definitely colors my thinking. So I would recommend such an environment to someone who has a kindred spirit.Even when I was healthy I would no try it but I applaud the effort, Even if it doesn't succeed, which I have no opinion about at this time.

Making sure people here stay civil is a part of my job on AAC, I take it very seriously.

 

Since this is a prototype for a laptop computer, you are free to choose whatever material you desire, cardboard, wood, plywood, MDF, plastic, metal, etc.

Good luck on your project.

 

I understand Wendy about the keeping it civil and I was trying to do just that. I meant no disrespect to you, him or even djs and Tony. I've dabbled in a few homemade things of my own. I built my own arcade machine from scratch, even the cabinet itself "And trust me I'm no carpenter". Turned out great. But I also had a little background in AutoCad and designed and fitted everything in, in a drawing before I even put a pencil or screw on any of it.

What I am interested right now is the custom laptop case material. I don't know much. So, I've settled on perspex (that clear plastic sheet).
It has some rigidigy, it's not as heavy as other options, has a bonus for being clear or colored and I am pretty sure it can be manipulated by an amateur like me.

We never got how thick the sheet would be nor the make and model of the motherboard. I also use to fix computers on the side so I know a little about the insides of them. By admission he said he was an amateur and didn't know much about it thus my R&D statement. From the other post I gathered he was going to be cutting and gluing them together. Making a square box is easy! But if your going to have compound bends, curves and corners this changes everything. As I posted yesterday I was looking at the laptop I'm posting from and thinking to myself that's going to be alot harder than it looks. Don't think you could get by with just a heat gun without a mold to form it to. More time and money. Yes a 3D printer would be great but I don't think that's how he meant he was going to do it. Now if you can talk him into that "By all means please do". The reason I came to the site was to learn and the people here have been AMAZING. I even thought about giving a go at making my own homemade PCB when I first started. But after that R&D kicked me in the head I soon realized I was in over my head and opted to let the professionals do it. The people you mentioned in your post with the 3D printer all used some sort of software I'm sure to design and load the specs to the printer.

 

Berserker, normally this will be reserved to PM but I do want it to be widely known that I have not taken offence. Not in this thread, or the other.
My anti-climate-change-denial rant was surrounded with quotes to mean that I am quoting what it looks like to me, not what I order you to do!
This is for everyone to see (except the kind folk who are blocking/ignoring this, for their very understandable reasons) because I would like to clarify that we are all good people, sometimes a little hot, but always wishing the best to each other, right? If there are further issues regarding that incident, please let us take it in PM and come back all reconciled

As for how feasible my project is: One of my issues is that while I cannot afford a new laptop, I also cannot live with any dirt on/in it.
I've probably taken apart 20 (more than 15, surely) laptops for crazy-level methodical cleaning.
- I've seen some really clever structures
- I've seen some really silly designs (I could have done better, easy)
- and I've seen "cases" where they have performed a manufacturing miracle just for some useless gimmick. Like, using screws that have 3.5 revolutions just to shave a milimiter off the width.
For example, I'd much rather a 1mm thicker laptop that doesn't pop bolts out when I type (and that was a premium model).

I am confident that real-estate-wise, I will manage to fit everything I need nice and snug. I seem to have be well above average in architecting physical things.
It's a different question that on top of my mental issues I am currently inundated with a breakup, a house-move and seeking a job. So, I might have to take a few months to prove you wrong