Hardware Hacking Projects for Geeks

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Chapter 2, How to Build an Aquarium Inside a Macintosh

Almost everything that sticks up, out, or down must be cut off and ground

smooth. You can see what a finished cutting job looks like in Figure 2-18.

The curve of the inside of the bezel opening shown in Figure 2-19 will have

to be reduced to allow the tank to fit closely to it, but we’ll deal with that

later.

Also leave the socket for the brightness knob, circled in Figure 2-20. You

will put the knob back in later.

Cut the plastic structures in two passes. During the first pass, use the cut-

off wheel to remove as much material as possible without cutting into the

bezel frame; you can see what this looks like in Figure 2-21. Next, use one

of the small stone-grinding wheels to bring the structures all the way down,

as shown in Figure 2-22.

Cut out the lid

This is the most cosmetically important cut of the whole process because it

will be the most visible on the finished fish tank. Be extra careful and make

the cuts as cleanly as possible. A small, round metal cutting bit should be

used to cut through these structures.

Figure 2-18: Cleaned front case

Figure 2-19: Front case close-up

Figure 2-22: Front case plastic removal

Figure 2-20: Brightness knob location

Figure 2-21: Front case cleanup

Hardware Assembly Instructions

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Part I: Basic Hacks, Tools, and Techniques

The first cut will be o ...