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From: RIMJB@ttacs3.ttu.edu (Bartell, Mike)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Mini-Tower
Date: 1 Feb 1995 01:42:57 GMT
Organization: TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
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Well, someone should be interested in this:

Mounting an Apple IIGS in a mini-tower case.
	The reason for this conversion is pretty apparent to anyone who has a
II GS and limited space.  My real problem was with heat inside the case, and
two external hard drives.  Each of these boxes took up room, and each had it's
own power source.  
	The reason I used a mini-tower is because it is cheap, and mainly
because a friend of mine gave it to me.  
Getting started.
	Well, for my conversion you will need a Dremel Tool, or some sort of
high speed cutting tool.  The case needs a mounting board that will support the 
9" by 12" GS mother board.  Also, make sure you have a good power supply (I'm
sure that you will be using the computer a lot, and don't want it to go out on
you).  

1.     The first thing is, decide which holes to put the screws in.  Make sure
that they don't come in contact with any of the printed circuts.  There are
holes on each corner, and, usualy, one on each end of all the slots.  Do not
drill yet.  Mark possible locations on the mounting board.

2.    Test fit the board, with cards installed on the mother board.  As you
probably noticed, the cards are on the left side, as you look at the front.  In
my case, I had to put the mother board on the opposite side as where the PC
board should have been.  The cards are on the bottom of the case, horizontaly.
 This means that, as you are looking at the PC case, the mother board holder is
on the left side.  

3.    When you are sure of how to mount the board drill the necacary holes. 
Use the standard PC board standoffs to mount the motherboard.
  Note: Make sure that the mother board is positioned so the connectors on the
        back  are as close to the back of the metal on the back of the case as
        possible, more like in position to poke through the case.
The nasty part

4.    The mother board is probably snugly against the hard drive holders.  
The solution:  MOVE IT, MUHAHAHA 
With acouple pairs of pliers, carefully (or not) bend the holder over untill
there is enough room to properly clear the mother board.(if done properly, you
can still use them)

5.    With the motherboard on the left side of the computer, there is a blank area
where the connecters can be accessed.  The key to this procedure is to measure
carefully.  Using the dremel tool, cut out the areas needed fot the connectors. 
The easiest way is to cut long rectangles big enough to get the connector
through.  If you position the mother board properly, the connectors should poke
through.  If not hopefully, the connector's end will fit through the hole.
Power 

6.    The IIGS power goes like this (left to right)  1 ground  2 ground  3 a
bit of a space  4 +5v  5 +12v  6 -12v  7 -5v.  If you are still not sure, use a
multi-meeter on the powersupply.  You can either re-use the old connecter or
make a new one.

7.     Mount the hard drive(s) in their appropriate locations.

8.     Connect evrything.  In mine, I used a long internal SCSI cable with
Centronics 50 pin connectors on both ends, and attached the terminator to one
end, and the old external cable to the other end (ugly, but the best solution I
could come up with).  

Problems

1.   The hard part, for me is trying to find some of those panels that will
allow the connectors clean passage through the slot holes in the case.
2.  The other problm is trying to find parts to put the old cases back in
sellabile condition.
3.  CTRL apple reset has to be hit after the hard drives spin up to speed.
4.  I'm in Lubbock Texas where the most common responses to my requests are: 
      1."I don't know what a Macintosh II GS is."
      2."No we don't have anything that you can use"
      3."You want to do what with that?"
      4."This is Lubbock"
(#4 is self explanitory after beeing here for more than a month)

I hope this helps, and I probably will look back after a while to check that
evrything is correct (when I get a chance to take the cover off).

Thank you 

Mike Bartell

The II GS is a computer vampire.
(hey if you want to send money E-mail me for my address)
(like that will happen)

condition.  (SCSI ID switches and centronics 50 pin connectors)