Rebuilding the ComputerLab from spare leftovers and scrap . . .

Trash80toG4

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I've mentioned the flood that ruined all the carpet in my ground floor apartment here and there. In the show your desk thread I documented some of the in process changes to what remained of the setup. Here's the low rent rebuild, sans the nice seven foot bookcases that supported what I'm reinstalling on this wall.

I'll post before pics and some earlier ones that are on my phone, but took these three between yesterday and today:

CornerMacRack-00.JPG


The wave form raised countertop sections are the only original parts, uprights are junk plywood off flooring pallets. We'll see if I can replace them later on, but some black paint will contrast nicely with all the raw pine.

CornerMacRack-01.JPG


Was inspired to utilize what was pretty much inaccessible shelf surface in the corner for something interesting. Cornerish Desk setup rolls in underneath rounded overhang. Was inspired by the Mac Racks thread so this is what it looks like in a roughed in state:

CornerMacRack-02.JPG


Display/Rack is a single unit that ties in with the facing board for the mid-window shelf that's for plants and the like. If I'd taken it to the ceiling I might have fit in one more Compact, but the 12 foot shelf running across the room above the window, sitting on the bookcases (now in the master suite) needs an unbroken line from wall to wall. Crooked, orange edged piece of 1x12 at top defines the line of the upper shelf for manuals and Cheese Ball/Pretzel plastic containers excess stock..

Anyway, thought I'd share. More to come and I'll snatch the earlier step pics off the phone and try to find adequate "before" pics.
 
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Trash80toG4

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Forgot to mention that the point of the exercise is to make the room useful for the 7-24 months I'll be here without spending much real money. I have a lot of lumber, plywood, cutoffs and scrap squirreled away in the walk in closet and other hidey holes. Wanna use as much of it up as I can so it can be junked when I move. Maybe I can even unload some of it to other renters in my apartment complex? Don't need much money, if any to pass this stuff on to others.
 
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Trash80toG4

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Thanks! I'll try to find some before pics today, maybe you'll find those useful as well. I figured documenting my wood butchering might be helpful. I also do fine woodworking, I'll post examples of furniture building, two of them were underneath the raised section, one will be heading back.
 
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Trash80toG4

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Found a mid-teardown pic of the corner with bookcase support for full length shelf on desk end of room.

CornerSetup-Mid-Tearout.JPG


Desk's re-positioned under the curvacious upper layer. Rack's still in place, desk belongs along wall in between.

Here's where I reached my decision point, Radius StudioArray test fail!

CornerMacRack-03.JPG


Articulated laptop support's positioned, the arm used to be mounted on the inner side of bookcase, opposite its new position.

CornerMacRack-04.JPG


Little-bit-o-Lisa I could afford in its LisaP hack config will determine where the Compact+ZFP peripheral shelf will be placed. so the shelf-line will be contiguous. That looks to be the top position with my Apple Logo'd Addison-Wesley collection making its home below.

Still a concept in progress, PartsMo panel works well enough, but keeping an eye out for a better display before pulling this one off the very back of the stove.

LisaP.01.jpg


Mostly complete Lisa BenchMac has 12" RGB 'zaTopper on top of a Drawer Front 6400 underneath for easy access. With the articulated 42" 1080p screen now available as in the top pic, that one hit a dead end. It was intended as a.PDF reference/music video server in the HackHutch to the right of the TelCo Rack.

Included bezel to illustrate my vision for utilization of the cubic next to the freestanding (sitting) Compact rack. Don't really need pre-vis, everything is already in my head, modeled in 3D. 🤪
 
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Trash80toG4

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Enough for one day. This is what happens when you knock something together with a screw here, a screw there and three or four under the hidden corner. Pull it apart, you've got one mess and a boo boo on your thumb when the desktop decided to head toward the floor.

CornerMacRack-05.JPG


Time to square things up and install the screws I can't get to under the overhang. Then it'll be time to pull most of the screws so I can trim the parts up flush that are currently sticking out here and there.

Gotta document the ugly parts of the project too. :p
 

Trash80toG4

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Well, that certainly wasn't the ugliest part, but details on that upcoming and in progress details of these pics later. Never got the desk reassembled, but it was a very good day in that room and out on the terrace with the power tools. So a wrapup of today's progress before I do a TLDR detailed process post seems in order.

Pre-Stressed-Shelf-Detail-0.JPG


All major surfaces but the temporary desktop are as they'll be until after the eventual carpet installation. Note the upward curve of the surface of the mid-level shelf. That's an important feature, not a boo boo.

CornerMacRack-08.JPG


Compact rack setup has been finalized. Thought I'd used every scrap of 1x12 in the place, but found one piece long enough for the shelf I've planned that'll extend the second level over to the window. Facing will tie it together with the Drexel/20SC shelf like the twelve foot poplar 1x2 below ties the mid level shelf to the Rack's Clear/30 shelf.

G4-Body-n-Fender-Shop-Endtable.JPG


And finally, the Macintosh Body and Fender Shop reappears! Gotta get one of the several G4s up and running for AI Playtime.

Below is one of the end tables I built around 1980? It's the reason for the swooping protrusion of the raised worktop. Scratched up Plexi top doesn't do it justice. This side's a bit knackered, but the other side's still cherry and this side's an easy fix after my last move. My son has its mate ans loves it. Parsons tables were so trite, so I did a bit of Mission Modern if you will?

After today, I'm well and truly knackered. Setup is rock solid! :)
 

Trash80toG4

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Progress pics, no time for commentary. Woodbutchering and design questions welcome. Just keep in mind, this is an in progress, use up as many scraps and leftover components as you go, temporary knockdown full wall/setup exercise. :p

CornerMacRack-09.JPG


CornerMacRack-10.JPG


Everything needs to be trimmed leveled up and finished off on the WorkMates again. Angle of KBD/Rodent drawer TBD when I move the main setup off the Teak desk in the Dining area. Low rent drawer can wait. Left side legs will be gone, supported by whatever I hack into the corner cubic below.

CornerMacRack-11.JPG


Ghetto desk grommets require some work, they're spaced evenly in between the cord outlets with room in between for power strips. Leftover component is intended to have a hinged shelf above it to hide the ugly. More desk detritus on free standing, removable shelves sitting thereon.

Just one reply? I HATE like buttons, they limit exchange of ideas to a terrible, unacceptable extent. Same thing for out of forums thread discussion, we should be documenting as much as possible for posterity. IMO of course. ;)


edit: the two Compacts on the shelf to the left will be separated from each other by an angled support for the planned shelf above, the critters were multiplying when caged together under the living room HackStation! :confused:
 
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Trash80toG4

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Wish I had that much space for this …..✅
Keep going!
Now that's an interesting comment for feedback. ;)

It's not really all that much space when you consider it's a tad less than 9'. across the window wall and only 5.5'. along the desk wall as is in a 10' x 12' space which was my bedroom pre-Covid when I had a roommate in the master suite . . . into which the nice furniture has apparently disappeared.

The same basic concept can easily be cut down to 8' or less if you have a smaller window closer to the corner and 53" if you cut the desktop back to the side of my KBD/Rodent drawer.

If you have an inside corner wall you'd have free rein for all kinds of cool configurations. I like the window and the design constraints it presents. Closet and door of the room are very inconveniently located, but I got it all to work before the flood.
 

Trash80toG4

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Nowhere very fast! All major projects are on hold after the carpet is installed and everything back in its new or old place. I have a shattered plastic prototype that needs my full attention. I want to get that done so I can move it on to its owner before I move to a new place in six to 24 months.

< tangent >

Weather here isn't for me, there are only two seasons! :p Sauna approaches, Monsoon has been hanging on thru its annual transition to the unbearable. The weather craziness from Sauna to Monsoon is even worse. But the correct coloration, puce of wet fallen leaves is much nicer, but there's no actual Fall in the traditional sense. What should be Spring is catch as catch can as opposed to the traditional. Much of it is the horrid Puce Plague. That incorrect definition of the greenish-yellow of pine pollen coloration that rhymes with and resembles baby food peas from end to end is appropriate.

I so miss snow. The only day I've had off in in the 13 years my cross country skis have been down here and ready to go, my right rotator cuff was acting up. :rolleyes:
 

Trash80toG4

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Here's a relevant pic. Showed the Mac101/DrexelMac in this spot in the ADB KBD thread at the MLA, but this is its dedicated purpose:

CornerMacRack-13.JPG


It's a three (or several more) surface, spread the long term project out workstation with integrated copystand for documentation and lighting of 3D FedexSaw Puzzle trays. In the meantime, gotta get a member of my G4 collection back into service for AI playtime or finally get the OS9 MDD special edition's Disks/OS up and running.
 

Trash80toG4

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@ScutBoy here's an idea if considering any kind of corner desk or storage solution for your project:

IMG_3799.JPG


But first, thanks much for that Little Green Grail! :D Sun stuff pics after the carpet installation.

Dunno whether to call it a two legged corner desk, three with one inverted leg contraption or an easily removable (halfway) built-in.

IMG_3800.JPG


Note very accessible, unobstructed storage underneath the corner unit with Compact Rack and at back of desk space. Just bolt up the two removed legs, remove the screws mounting it to the corner support, pull it out move it out as a freestanding unit.

Here's a detail shot of the left, front "inverted leg" hardware:

Front-Leg-of-TempDesk.JPG


Carriage bolt hangs from mid-level shelf. Coupling nut with standard nuts used as replacement for what would be special purpose, thinner "Jam Nuts" that keep the joint snugged up. Currently using a full thread hex bolt as it's a temporary use knockdown thing. Normally I'd use a cut to length section of threaded rod, shorter versions of which are called "studs" if anyone needs one.

This kind of setup is why the arch feature of that pre-stressed, mid-window shelf is important. It will be holding up the unsupported center section of the 3/4" Maple Plywood raised worktop under it in this manner.

It will also have a center mounted pillar of the same construction type supporting the center section of the full room length, above the window shelf. That will be 1/2" hardware for stiffness as it will be working under compression rather than tension, desk is only 5/16" which is overkill, 1/4" would be sufficient, but I very rarely use that relatively light hardware.

Ready to move the main workstation tonight!
_________________________________________________________________

Anyone who has questions about tools, materials, hardware, construction, finishes and the like, feel free to ask anything. In a previous lifetime I had a sign and display shop (with a sideline in Neolithic prototyping of all kinds of stuff) so please feel free use my experience as a resource.

If I said that back then I could build just about anything, out of just about anything, make it look just about any way needed and hang it just about anywhere in the Big Apple, I've got the Portfolio to prove it. ;)

< /tiny brag >
 
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Trash80toG4

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Had some fun with it already, thanks! But playtime is on hold for some time, what a mess, see below:

Last night I got the main system dragged off the teak desk out in the dining area and set up! This morning I trimmed back the protruding left corner of the KBD drawer. Looks and feels like it will be serviceable enough over the short term.

CornerMacRack-14.JPG


So of course tonight I get to start transferring everything organized and stored on top of the HackHutch to the top of the real desk.

HackHutch-Migration-00.JPG


So I can get top and bottom sections of that nice big piece out of the room for re-carpeting.

So it goes . . . :rolleyes:
 
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Trash80toG4

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Wondering where its going with your Lisa project….😇
Gee, thanks . . . :-/ . . . it's out from under the stack of pots and pans on the cold back burner, sitting between the four ATM. Dunno where it'll land next. Your SE-40's vertical Logic Board Drawer mount, the customized computer lab shelf, access to a water jet, RPi LCD bundle pricing, filament printing tech and other things that have changed since 2013 have little bit of Lisa notions floating all over the place in the backside of the WetWare. Hacking/tinkering opportunities/methods have opened up so dramatically!

Starting a road trip vacation tonight and a sketchpad/notebook's in the NetBook bag for lab rebuild, this-n-that. ;)
 
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