The Word Clock - Arduino version

Step 8 Making a simple enclosure

I had some spare time before I had to be somewhere else, so I decided that while the saw was out for cutting baffles, I would make a simple enclosure.

Before you do anything, remember the basic workshop safety rules - wear safety goggles, keep fingers clear of rotating saw blades, and generally don't be stupid.  

I used chipboard, because (you guessed it) there was some in the garrage.

I trimmed the board to a uniform width for the top, bottom and sides.  Next I cut the bottom and top to length.  Once I was happy with the size of the bottom, I cut a couple of grooves for the display and stencil PCBs to sit in.  Then I measured and cut the sides.  I glues the bottom and sides together and used chipboard screws to hold them together.  Note that I didn't glue the top - you need to be able to remove the top if you want to extract the display or stencil PCBs.

Next, I cut a piece of thin ply as the back.  Then I mounted some back supports into the box soI had something to screw the back into.  Next, I mounted the Controller PCB, being careful to use washers between the back of the board and the wood, so I didn't put stress on the solder connections.

Finally, I routed the cables through holes I had previously cut in the back, mounted the button board on the back of the case, and closed it up.

WHOOT - It works, and looks great.