This adventure started with my neighbor Bruce finding an enclosed server cabinet.

He also got a pair of seven foot tall four poster open frame server racks but I snagged this much smaller Strong FS Series 15U enclosed cabinet.

I've got my dual-boot Windows 11/Zorin OS (Linux) in a Cooler Master HAF XB case, an Epson All-In-One Printer on a slide out drawer, and an Ion Profile LP Turntable mounted inside the cabinet but needed to also fit a monitor.\

  Doesn't look like one will fit. 

This is the top of the cabinet. I'll be installing two 12 Volt DC 120mm Cooler Master computer case fans in place of the two 120 Volt AC fans that were in the cabinet.

They were just too loud for both SWMBO and me. 

 

 Since the 22" Viewsonic monitor won't fit inside the cabinet we'll just add to the cabinet. Yeah Right! 

 

 Houston "We have a few problems". 

 

First off if I mount the monitor on top of the cabinet it's too high for comfortable "Couch Surfing" so I rummaged through those boxes of tangled cables etc. over in Bruces shed.

Managed to find a few goodies including this TV/Monitor wall mount. This will allow the monitor to hang off the front of the cabinet putting it into a much more comfortable position for viewing.  Only problem with that is the wall mount would have to mount in the fan openings. 

So after a bit of  &  

I decided I needed to build a raised bottom that would allow me to mount the wall mount without interfering with the fans. 

But after looking around I repurposed the base from that last computer case build that SWMBO decided she wanted for its original purpose as a sewing desk.

All I had to do was cut ~1/2" off of both sides then add it back with a lip to fit over the server cabinet so it wouldn't slide around. The front to back was the perfect size so I only needed to add the lips to the front and back with a space in the back edge for fan airflow.

After the base was set in place I mounted the monitor.

I also built a keyboard, and Bluetooth Speaker bar trays/shelves, but I'll have to go into detail on those later.

SWMBO's asking if I'm about done. 

But before I go, here's a view of the new setup on the Wonderful WWW. Anybody recognize the website? 

 

Now that’s an awesome setup!!!!

Very cool, creative and resourceful Larry.

10 hours ago, lew said:

Now that’s an awesome setup!!!!

Thanks Lew.

6 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Very cool, creative and resourceful Larry.

Thanks Gramps.

 

One never knows what Bruce will come up with. 

These server cabinets were once home security CCTV systems; they still had some equipment installed in them.

Bruce found them "Curb Shopping" in front of a couple of multi-million-dollar homes.

 

When I first got the cabinet, it must have been dropped or something. The front glass door wouldn't fit without having to lift the latch side almost 1/2" so I had to bang the cabinet around a bit to square things back up. It's not perfect but I don't want to mess with it anymore because the door fits and works now. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that the base from the old project would work for this project with little work. Saved me some time and made good use of that previous work and materials. 

 

Now have to go through my stash of Oak to find enough to make the tilt top cover for the now you see it now you don't "Peak-A-Boo" monitor. 

 

Also need to make a few stop blocks for the keyboard tray that hangs beneath the monitor on angle cut cleats.

Came up with that idea when I had to "Reboot" the "One Celled Sketch-Up" twice the other day. 

Edited July 1, 20251 yr by Larry Buskirk

 Looks a bit different than @steven newman wood stash. 

Since the drawer sides weren't long enough to run the grain horizontally,...

I decided to run the two side panels vertically.

The long drawer front will become the front of the cabinet tilt top. 

 I have to quit looking around Bruces store.

Found this while just looking around. 

It's the perfect width and height if I use a 3/4" filler below the door for a ledge to set it on which I've already cut out.

Due to the door being hinged for the wrong side, and also being that I'll be using it for an overlay of the server cabinets door I removed the hinges, and knob.

I needed to build out the back edge of the door to clear the mounting clips for the leaded glass insert and plug the knob hole.

I'll be securing this door overlay to the glass of the server cabinet door using Velcro strips to facilitate cleaning when necessary.

Adding this tones down the industrial look of the server cabinet but will require a slight re-working of the monitor/keyboard tray assembly.

 

 Not quite liking the vertical grain glued up panels. 

 

May switch to using a stack of thin Oak veneer plywood drawer bottom panels and Mouldings to lighten up what's turning out to be a bit heavier than I anticipated.

 

 As I reported in the Friday Weekend Agenda Topic, I scored enough 1/4" thick Oak boards to build the front, and sides for the top of the server cabinet. 

Here's a view of the insides of the front, and back. The front is the top piece. The ends are cutoffs from some scrap Oak T&G boards.

Here's a view of the outsides of both. The front, and sides are made from the 1/4" stock.

The back is made from the back of a salvaged Oak drawer sides/back and is 7/16" thick.

Here's a view of the sides, both inner, and outer sides of them. The top one is the outside.

The ends fit into the T&G groove of the front and back. They're both identical.

 

I do believe that I'm done for today, the "Outdoor Shop" is 83° RH 77% DP 74° with a feels like temperature of 94°. 

The Mosquitos are an instant swarm also. 

With all that enclosure, will you have enough air flow to keep things cool?

13 hours ago, lew said:

With all that enclosure, will you have enough air flow to keep things cool?

 

The Cooler Master HAF XB case has six fans of various sizes a 120x240mm AIO CPU cooler, and I'll also be running two 120mm exhaust fans at the top of the server cabinet. I've been running it without the two 120mm fans at the top of the server cabinet for now without any overheating problems so far. 

Edited July 12, 20251 yr by Larry Buskirk

@lew

The top will be similar to the lids of the old crank Victrola phonographs. It will conceal/store the monitor, soundbar, keyboard, trackball, etc. when not in use.

 

 Now where did I stash that Victrola badge?