Circuit Center Entertainment System

TOOLS AND MATERIALS:

If you are doing this right, you will need more tools than I list.

All of this is what I used.

-Clamps

-Wood Glue

-Screws (various)

-Nails

-Nail Gun

-Butt ton of Circuit boards and motherboards

-Tape measure

-Level

-Skill Saw or Table saw

-Hand Saw

-Various computer parts

-Imagination

-Various brackets

-Wood

-Silicone

-Caulk

-Caulk Gun

-Pencil

-Hammer

-Chisel or Flat head screwdriver

-Container to hold parts (and gold)

-Wire cutter

-Needle nose pliers

-Snips

-Led lights and 12v power adapters

What this is, is years of thinking of something cool I wanted to do. Until recently I wasn't able to do it.

So I spent the last month on a budget, cause of Christmas time, building this little by little.

I did some things that were trail and error, and learned as I made.

I didn't make a sketch, at first I built around the Boards.

IMPORTANT! Don't build around the motherboards if you can. This takes proper planning to start

I went to junk yards and recycling places and bought boards by the pound. They are the most expensive part.

How ever many you think you have or need....It isn't enough. I bought 40lbs of boards. Not to mention what I already had. Clean the motherboards first, takes about 1-2 hrs to clean each board properly. Take wire cutters,needle nose pliers,hammer, chisel and or flat head screw driver.

Prep is key here. The bottom I just turned them over, but the front is much better to use for image.

I am sure you will see alot of stuff you would do different, I would too. This is my prototype and I learned a lot from it

As I mentioned before, prep is essential. I don't care how big of a nerd you are, you will need to go to the junk yard and buy some. I bought 40lbs @ $1.50 a lb. Had about another 40lbs here at home.

Use the hammer and chisel (or flathead screwdiver like me) and chisel parts off. If you are like me, its hard, you will cry doing this to a computer.

All motherboards are different sizes. So you will have to play with what you have to find out what you can do.

My measurements are really weird, your will be different. mine are 48 1/2" long 17 7/8 wide. Mainly you need to cross what you want to do, with the measurements of what you have to work with and meet in the middle. You can use a scroll saw or jigsaw to cut these, but remember I was on a budget. I used snips if I had problems.

Under the bottom of the bottom shelf I braces the in between parts of the motherboards. You can use silicone as well but if you are putting something heavy on it, brace it.

You can tell this is the first part, and I was experimenting. I didn't clean the boards and I used the bottom of motherboards for the shelf part.

Finish the frame, and add legs, I feel I didn't do very good on this part. Make sure you do better. I added a front section of ethernet cards and sound cards. TO give the front decor. I tried various ways to get them to stay in. Best way is to Silicone another piece ( like a 1x1) behind the top of all of them and wood glue it in as well. I tried nails, screw, caulk, glue and I think even chewing gum (not really) to get them to stay. So Silicone and wood brace is best.

I went 10 1/2" up from floor so I added a bottom piece and left a 1" gap put a horizontal piece of 1/2" x 1" behind it. Then turn a piece on top of that, making a "L" shape so oyu cant see the inside but the light shines though

Test it out

When you do this part, make sure it goes in the middle of the board, not the side. Try to wrap around a round piece not just on top of a piece of wood. You want the light on all sides of the bottom. I left the back open for the light to shine and climb up the back of the wall as well for looks. I can also add a piece later I want to do.

What I wanted to do is make the divider pieces out of circuit board as well, but I wanted a good solid piece to hold everything up. I wanted it to be strong and last. The back Pieces is where you need to measure and think a lot. What is it you want, what are you putting it? So I added a hole so the cords can go thru the back. Now its not in any pictures but the hols I made I had processor sockets and processors to put there. So, if it isn't being used, I put the processor in, and clamp it down, just like in a computer. When I get a pic, I will add. This is where you smaller cards come into play as well.

So depending on what you want, and what you are using the shelf for, really makes a difference on what you back piece is gonna look like.

Now dont get discouraged if you mess up or a piece of wood cracks, or if the screw just look awful. Like what you see here. You are going to add molding later to hide that.

I added Brackets to the back piece and constantly checked it with a level. I used 1 1/4" screw as to not go all the way through. Use it where the wood over laps to help with those pieces.

Also make sure to use wood glue and clamps. Don't get cheap on this part or lazy, it' the hub of a house, make it last. This already takes a long time, don't get lazy here. I used flat brackets on back, and l brackets to attach to the solid middle pieces.

YOu can tell a dramatic difference in this piece and the bottom I did in the picks. I learned a few things on it.

I got lucky and had 5 pieces the same size. It took about 5 days to make this piece alone, cause I would cut a piece glue and clamp it, then come back to it the next day. It will take patience for this project.

I have 6 clamps, so if you are wanting to do more fast, get more clamps. Otherwise patience, it will pay off

Test the piece and make sure it look like what you want

Brackets, wood glue and clamps. Don't forget your wire for the top lights has to come though. so make a little notch

Make sure to test you lights every step of the way, nothing worse then having to fix it after all said and done

This is where you will probably do something different. I stained it and used plexiglass for shelves.

I didn't glue in the plexiglass, I put some molding on top of it on sides and nail gunned it in. So if I need to clean under the shelf, or want to add something, it slides out. Theses lights work like black lights so I might slide out the plexi-glass and add some blacklight responsive paint. Down the road of course.

I didn't want to wire a switch. I bought a power strip just for lights with a switch on it, So if the occasion ever occurs that I don't want the light on, I can just turn it off.

Thank you for looking guys, I hope you enjoyed it, It took a lot of time to make it, and eventually I will add some circuit molding to it. I will be making more circuit furniture. In the comments, let me know what you would like to see made out of circuit boards. Thanks, and vote for me to win some contests! Merry Christmas