I dislike ugly cables as much as I love sleeved cables. The “mess” that the front IO brings to a mod like this is a challenge. Not a challenge I want unanswered. The choice is simple, either sleeve them and deal with the routing problem of that many cables. Short cables to increase the problem or solve it by hiding them all together.
I decided to kill two birds with one stone and hide them together with some of the last unworked parts of the backside.
Masked and measured on a 3mm acrylic to make an L-shaped base.
More than one part included in my master plan to hide all the cables. Masked and cut them with my Dremel Moto Saw that I’m beginning to love more and more.
Acrylic cement is the right way to go to join acrylic. Just need to be careful not to spill on the surfaces of the pieces as that will ruin them.
My mini-clamps are awesome for this kind of work. Put the L-shape under pressure while waiting for the Acrylic cement to set.
All 4 base pieces done. Two L-shapes, one top cover and one small surprise for the backside of the case.
Really happy with both my plan and the result. Snug, tight and straight. Just as we like it. It will work as a cable canal and hide the IO front cables. Next step is to make the pieces sexy…
I love that carbon fiber look. I also decided, before wrapping to create the two L-pieces with a twist. To make it a little harder. I will show you what I had in mind in next few steps.
Top cover with a small cut out for a rivet I don’t want to move and my small surprise piece for the backside.
Drilled some holes for mounting and created two fastening clips to use inside the HDD-ladder.
I managed to align the 2 different pieces exactly in pattern with the previously created carbon fiber backplate. This creates one fluid pattern for the entire backside. Took some measuring, but extremely happy that I took that extra time. Looks amazing and is one of those details I will know I did. It also creates a solution for hidden cable management that I’m very happy with.
Voila! The backside cable management with a hidden cable canal as well as one fluid carbon fiber backside.
And the surprise? There is a small indentation in the backside of the case. Decided to give it a white carbon fiber accent.
What you think, how did I manage with this mod?
