Thread
AppleFile
Problem: On a stock Apple IIe the Profile is far too wide to sit on top of the case and doesn't match with the computer or monitor. The only real device that nicely fits under the monitor is the Duodisk drive.
Solution: The AppleFile.
What it is: It's a DuoDisk drive with the internals removed and the front filled in with Bondo and textured with a sponge while the filler is still soft. An LED is recycled and placed above the Apple logo to act as an Indicator when the drive is busy.
Internally there will be space for one half height 5.25" SCSI disk (in my case a Seagate ST-225N for authentic drive capacity and sounds
) ) and a small 5V/12V power supply.
On the rear there will be the power switch, a standard IEC computer power cable socket and a centronics 50 pin SCSI connector to allow the use of Apple's own SCSI cable.
Using the Sandwich II SCSI card it is a ProDOS bootable volume.
OPTION: Make SCSI interface on back of AppleFile passive so you can daisy chain in more SCSI devices.
Challenges:
-Get the bondo textured to match the rest of the drive
-find paint that best matches the platinum color of the drive to paint over Bondo
Time to Completion: Pending. Just moved and currently sourcing components.
Solution: The AppleFile.
What it is: It's a DuoDisk drive with the internals removed and the front filled in with Bondo and textured with a sponge while the filler is still soft. An LED is recycled and placed above the Apple logo to act as an Indicator when the drive is busy.
Internally there will be space for one half height 5.25" SCSI disk (in my case a Seagate ST-225N for authentic drive capacity and sounds
) ) and a small 5V/12V power supply.On the rear there will be the power switch, a standard IEC computer power cable socket and a centronics 50 pin SCSI connector to allow the use of Apple's own SCSI cable.
Using the Sandwich II SCSI card it is a ProDOS bootable volume.
OPTION: Make SCSI interface on back of AppleFile passive so you can daisy chain in more SCSI devices.
Challenges:
-Get the bondo textured to match the rest of the drive
-find paint that best matches the platinum color of the drive to paint over Bondo
Time to Completion: Pending. Just moved and currently sourcing components.
Looks cool!
Won't you have room inside for more than one 5.25" drive?
Won't you have room inside for more than one 5.25" drive?
Very 
I love it! :approve:
< over the top >
Looks to me like a get two and stack 'em deal for a non A2 - MacHack. [
] ]'>
Slot-loader DVD behind the left bottom 5.25" opening . . .
. . . Zip centered above it left top . . .
. . . PSU bottom right . . .
. . . MacMini top right . . .
. . . Plexi band in between with modern I.O. boards and LEDs . . .
. . . Spray to match Semi-Gloss Black USB/Wireless KBD/Mouse . . . no texturing . . .
. . . Top with Black 15" KDS/Radius LCD . . .
. . . add FEETS . . .
. . . save one FDD Bezel for center-mounting in fabrication of AppleDesign concept sketch for original Mac. }
< over the top >
I love it! :approve: < over the top >
Looks to me like a get two and stack 'em deal for a non A2 - MacHack. [
] ]'>Slot-loader DVD behind the left bottom 5.25" opening . . .
. . . Zip centered above it left top . . .
. . . PSU bottom right . . .
. . . MacMini top right . . .
. . . Plexi band in between with modern I.O. boards and LEDs . . .
. . . Spray to match Semi-Gloss Black USB/Wireless KBD/Mouse . . . no texturing . . .
. . . Top with Black 15" KDS/Radius LCD . . .
. . . add FEETS . . .
. . . save one FDD Bezel for center-mounting in fabrication of AppleDesign concept sketch for original Mac. }
< over the top >
Do it! Do it! ....and post pics.
You could also make a couple stackable to match the 5.25" drives:
Wow, that UniDisk looks like it would be perfect for a 3.5" drive to be nudged inside though adding the PSU might take a bit of work. I guess because you will be dealing with a smaller drive and this a lighter power load you can take one of those 5v/12v wallwarts, gut it and mount it inside and again have the power switch and plug on the back. I kinda did the same when I installed a hard drive inside a TRS-80 Model II.
I'd actually recommend that hack first because Unidisks grow on trees compared to DuoDisks.
I did some glance measurements and you would have to mount a half height 5.25" hard drive sideways in the DuoDisk as the case is only deep enough to fit floppy drives and not hard drives. It might still work. I'll double check on this.
I'd actually recommend that hack first because Unidisks grow on trees compared to DuoDisks.
I did some glance measurements and you would have to mount a half height 5.25" hard drive sideways in the DuoDisk as the case is only deep enough to fit floppy drives and not hard drives. It might still work. I'll double check on this.
What would be even cooler is to setup a smartport HD in there along with a 5.25 drive --- and leave one of the slots open. There's plenty of room for that, and the microcontroller/flash drive is perfect for just sitting along on the bus with floppy drives. It wouldn't be as fast as SCSI, but it also wouldn't require a SCSI card either
I'd say put the USB connector around back then. It would look totaly anachronistic to have it anywhere on the front.
The donor enclosure has arrived.
Not sure if I should wait for things to warm up before I start applying the bondo. It's pretty cold outside.
Not sure if I should wait for things to warm up before I start applying the bondo. It's pretty cold outside.
If you get a small stick of modeling clay, you could press it against the plastic to get just the right texture. Then after the bondo hardens a bit, you could gently press the clay on the bondo so the texture perfectly matches the rest of the case.
Bondo day. No turning back now. xx(
You can't really texture it until you put the paint on. The sanding of the bondo completely takes it off.
I'm considering going to a paint shop with a digital color matching system and seeing if I can get a small can mixed up. Then I can either try brushing it on or mix in thinner and use an air brush.
Looking at the back I realize I can't easily install a regular 50 pin SCSI connector without making a mess so I'll just have a regular DB25 connector on the outside that breaks to the usual SCSI ribbon cable inside.
You can't really texture it until you put the paint on. The sanding of the bondo completely takes it off.
I'm considering going to a paint shop with a digital color matching system and seeing if I can get a small can mixed up. Then I can either try brushing it on or mix in thinner and use an air brush.
Looking at the back I realize I can't easily install a regular 50 pin SCSI connector without making a mess so I'll just have a regular DB25 connector on the outside that breaks to the usual SCSI ribbon cable inside.
Alright! Now that's starting to look like something. Can't wait to see the finished results!
Yes.
Oh, gross...
I hope I can find some jewlers files to clean that mess up.
I hope I can find some jewlers files to clean that mess up.
HackWhine! 8-o HackWhine! 8-o HackWhine! 8-o HackWhine! 8-o
Rare :O !
:disapprove: :disapprove:
Rare :O !
:disapprove: :disapprove:
Those things aren't particularly rare, and the functionality they have is super easily duplicated by just using two unidisks anyway.
I guess one has to see the finished product to make a decision.
But i believe they are kind off rare over here in europe.
But i believe they are kind off rare over here in europe.
Cool. Might have to do the same with the remaining unit in my garage.
-J
-J
You forgot: "Vintage, Steve Jobs." :beige:
Lookin' great . . . try greasing up the LED, form a small bump of bondo around it, filling in the hole, remove the LED as the bondo starts to firm up . . .
. . . then sand it smooth after the bondo finishes curing. That ought to give you a custom made, press fit socket for the LED.
I would of not gone ahead with this if the drives were of notably rarity or if I was not confident the final result will look appealing. I have to do a lot to MAKE stuff fit without adding too many new holes Mounting plates have to be fabricated, bulkheads are reused. It comes at the expsnse that you may require akward cabling to get it working but if it looks and sounds era authentic without ANY exterior signs that it has been meddled with I call it a success.
It's like the hard drive in my TRS-80 or the MXI graphics card installed in my Origin 2000. Unless you look really hard you would never know.
There's a lot of other things I want to do but refuse to do so because I know the results will not be to grade.
BTW, the guts of the DuoDisk are for sale in case anyone wants them. I'm obviously not going to throw that hardware out.
It's like the hard drive in my TRS-80 or the MXI graphics card installed in my Origin 2000. Unless you look really hard you would never know.
There's a lot of other things I want to do but refuse to do so because I know the results will not be to grade.
BTW, the guts of the DuoDisk are for sale in case anyone wants them. I'm obviously not going to throw that hardware out.
It's your hardware and you can do with it what you want.
But ... it still pains me. It just does
.
But ... it still pains me. It just does
.Hear hear.
Any update? I'm anxious to see it. 
A can of mixed colormatched paint is amazingly expensive so I'm pulling family strings to see if someone can mix up a tiny batch. the person has horrible memory so I'm having to remind them daily....followed by "oops, I forgot!" a few hours later.
Discovered that the Home depot mixes custom color matched 200ml cans of paint for $4.99. Just bring in a sample and they can do it.
Ill bring the AppleFile in tomorrow and see if they can make me a small can.
....after that, I'll look into seeing if I can get a can of NeXT Black mixed up.
Ill bring the AppleFile in tomorrow and see if they can make me a small can.
....after that, I'll look into seeing if I can get a can of NeXT Black mixed up.
spray cans or pails?
Lidded cans in the 1/2 Pt. (?) sample size. I did the same thing at Lowe's, a Quart of matched paint for the high heeled, platform feets (cooling vent access on carpet) hack for the Q700 triplets.
For spray application, either store should have compressed air canister type, refillable spray bombs for the mixed paint. Experiment with foam rollers, they may add an acceptable substitute texture process for your front bezel.
For spray application, either store should have compressed air canister type, refillable spray bombs for the mixed paint. Experiment with foam rollers, they may add an acceptable substitute texture process for your front bezel.
Complete.
In the very end it turns out that while I ahd the lid with me at work so I could get the paint mixed that evening, my mom went ahead and painted the front on her own...
Well I guess I can't complain if it looks nice however now I have a can of off-tint beige paint.
All that remains now is to install the PSU and wiring but that will take a few months until my workbench is assembled and I have located all my tools. Anyways, from the outside now we have what looks like an apple product and looks quite nice.
In the very end it turns out that while I ahd the lid with me at work so I could get the paint mixed that evening, my mom went ahead and painted the front on her own...
Well I guess I can't complain if it looks nice however now I have a can of off-tint beige paint.
All that remains now is to install the PSU and wiring but that will take a few months until my workbench is assembled and I have located all my tools. Anyways, from the outside now we have what looks like an apple product and looks quite nice.
I love it!
(also Now I know I'm not the only one with that carpet!)
(also Now I know I'm not the only one with that carpet!)