10mm Mod Cubes?

[DeMoB]

Hi All,

I'm toying around with designing a SFF case out of laser cut perspex, and was thinking of using Parvum's Modding Cubes to secure the sides together.

However, in true SFF spirit I'm trying to cut every last mm out of my design and really want something just a tiny bit smaller.

Parvum's cubes are 12mm diameter, and I really could use something identical in function but in a 10mm diameter. The only ones I've managed to find online have been 10mm with only 2 sides tapped or the original 12mm size.

Does anyone have any secret suppliers, or am I doomed to try and fabricate these myself with some 10mm square aluminium bar?

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

Welcome to the forum, DeMoB

I only know of the 12mm ones; I don't expect that you'll find anything much smaller than that, especially with all sides tapped.

Mind sharing your design, or at least a basic idea of it? You might be able to secure the sides some other way, or relocate the cubes in a manner where you can still tighten the panels some.

 

[Kmpkt]

Try these?

http://www.microrax.com/Joints/Tri-corner-p22.html

Threaded on all sides and causes a loss of very minimal space in the corners.

 

[DeMoB]

@PlayfulPhoenix Thanks!

I'm not sure there's going to be enough room for an alternative mount 'style'. I've posted a complete overview of my design in this post
but here's a couple of close ups that show my intended use.

And as you can see inside it's clipping a 120mm fan on both sides by 2mm.

@ilovelampshade: Good shout, but I'm afraid it's unworkable for my current case design at my GPU section (which is one that I need to swap the 12mm cubes to 10mm on:

The longer I think about it, I might have to just make the mental sacrifice from 7.XL up to 8.XL and use the 12mm spacers after all. :-/

 

[|||]

This is just going to be a one-off, correct? If so, you can take the 12mm cubes and grind down specific areas of interference with the cubes to keep the overall dimensions down.

 

[DeMoB]

This is just going to be a one-off, correct? If so, you can take the 12mm cubes and grind down specific areas of interference with the cubes to keep the overall dimensions down.

Using a slim 120mm fan and a slight re-jig of the GPU side, I could make this work!

 

[jfreder]

I don't know if this will help but there is a thread in the Custom Cases forum that claims they are using 10mm^3 Parvum cubes

[Scratch Build] The making of my first custom case for my first watercooled pc

 

[DeMoB]

I don't know if this will help but there is a thread in the Custom Cases forum that claims they are using 10mm^3 Parvum cubes

[Scratch Build] The making of my first custom case for my first watercooled pc

They're listed as 12mm on Parvum's site, so it's looking like @Simwalh might be mistaken in their size, but I'll pop over and ask!

 

[Hermit2001]

Bit late to this thread but I came across these recently:
http://uk.farnell.com/ettinger/05-60-533/cube-standoff-threaded-m3-10ni/dp/1466868

Other sizes are available but they don't all have the holes centred on each face (e.g. they do an M2.5 x 8mm http://uk.farnell.com/ettinger/05-60-125/cube-standoff-threaded-2xm2-5/dp/1466864).

 

[DeMoB]

Bit late to this thread but I came across these recently:
http://uk.farnell.com/ettinger/05-60-533/cube-standoff-threaded-m3-10ni/dp/1466868

Other sizes are available but they don't all have the holes centred on each face (e.g. they do an M2.5 x 8mm http://uk.farnell.com/ettinger/05-60-125/cube-standoff-threaded-2xm2-5/dp/1466864).

Thanks for thinking of this! However, both of those are only threaded on two axis, and I need them on 3. I've been all over the farnell site and I can't find any either.

I've given up hope these exist and have tried to remake my plans with 12mm cubes now.

 

[Shubi]

Hey,

just stumbled upon your thread and actually i found some 10mm cubes.

https://www.buerklin.com/de/montagewurfel/p/17h910

 

[Ceros_X]

Shipping to the US is 22 euros and the cubes are glass reinforced plastic meant to be used with self tapping sheet metal screws. I don't think it would hold up well to removing a panel multiple times.

 

[Shubi]

Yeah, didn't check the shipping costs of the shop, but maybe its interesting for someone in the EU.

 

[EdZ]

Shipping to the US is 22 euros and the cubes are glass reinforced plastic meant to be used with self tapping sheet metal screws. I don't think it would hold up well to removing a panel multiple times.

Depending on how much effort you want to put in, a self-tapping threaded insert could help with regular removal.

 

[Stevo_]

I've seen these on 10mm jobs on MakerBeam before, shipping should be reasonable;

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OWGOMG6/?tag=theminutiae-20

 

[TunnelVision]

MakerBeam corner cubes aren't threaded (probably an obvious point). The Maker Beam system as a whole has potential for testing case ideas although the beams can get in the way if you're trying to minimise dimensions.

 

[Hermit2001]

Thanks for thinking of this! However, both of those are only threaded on two axis, and I need them on 3. I've been all over the farnell site and I can't find any either.

I've given up hope these exist and have tried to remake my plans with 12mm cubes now.

Yup they are, realised that after they arrived. Seems rather pointless to do it that way which I think is why I missed it. May have to drill and tap the 3rd axis.

 

[Shattucknick]

If I am not to late to this conversation might I offer the obvious solution? Just file out some plastic on the fan and it shouldn't even get in the way of the mounting screw. Removing plastic would be easier than the suggestion to grind the cubes. If I am to late could I get a link to your build I would like to see it.

 

[DeMoB]

If I am not to late to this conversation might I offer the obvious solution? Just file out some plastic on the fan and it shouldn't even get in the way of the mounting screw. Removing plastic would be easier than the suggestion to grind the cubes. If I am to late could I get a link to your build I would like to see it.

I redesigned the case in sketchup to be the 2-4mm wider, so it theoretically should now work without modding anything.

However life has happened and that's about as far as I got!

The original non-widened sketchup shots are in this thread here.