68kMLA Classic Interface

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Classic II ITX Project
Posted by: luxor on 2012-03-20 10:23:42 For years I'd wanted to see if I could upgrade one of my Color Classics to a new mobo, but still use the existing color Trinitron monitor. I got pretty far in hooking things up (thanks to nextse7en!) but I messed up something on the logic board and it wouldn't boot any more. I felt bad about messing up a perfectly good CC, so I moved on to the next best thing. I pulled out one of my dead Classic IIs, gutted it, and put in an LCD and an Atom mini-itx mobo. My goal was to update the machine, but not change the outside in any way, and still use it as a classic Mac. I was able to continue to use the actual Mac keyboard and mouse with a a Griffin ADB/USB adapter. I even put on a shaped plexi screen to preserve the CRT aesthetic. Finally, loaded up Crunchbang Linux, installed System 7 on it with Sheepshaver. Coming together: Notice the "CRT" look: The final product: Here's the greatest word processor ever (Word for Mac 5.1a) back in action: more pics here: http://imgur.com/a/wjtGU#0
Posted by: tt on 2012-03-20 10:34:25 Nice touch with the plexi screen cover. What is it from?
Posted by: PowerPup on 2012-03-20 11:10:38 Now THAT'S a Classic II I would like to have! Awesome work! Loving the color screen. 😎
Posted by: luxor on 2012-03-20 11:50:58 For the screen I first tried to cut out the actual CRT screen. Was able to do it with a Dremel with diamond bit, but it was too dark to see through. So I got a piece of plexi from Home Depot, cut it down, put it in the oven for 5 minutes, then dropped it over the bezel so that it could harden into the right shape.
Posted by: techknight on 2012-03-20 18:29:36 ya, the face is a really dark glass. What could have been done though is take the original cRT face cut down, and some type of semi-transparent coating sprayed on it and use a pico-projector. But, an LCD with a much higher brightness would have worked as well.
Posted by: samalex on 2012-03-21 12:01:51 That's an AMAZING idea... I have an SE Superdrive which I'd really like to get going, but if it's hosed I might do the same.
Posted by: tt on 2012-03-21 12:39:58 What could have been done though is take the original cRT face cut down, and some type of semi-transparent coating sprayed on it and use a pico-projector. I had been thinking about that idea for a while, a sort of hacked rear projection with the stock glass. I am wondering if the optics would work out to the correct size within the limits of the case. It could be a way to get color/higher res on an SE or SE/30 with a ordinary PDS video card. Would a missing primary monitor be a problem though?
Posted by: techknight on 2012-03-21 17:43:09 Well the only issue would be the lensing system with the pico projector might need to be modified Or... if you have the room to keep the upper case hollow, you could take the old fashoned approach and use a mirror at the rear of the case and get a bigger throw distance that way.
Posted by: sirwiggum on 2012-03-22 10:17:53 That looks great, and is more productive than a macquarium. Did you dremel the floppy drive to use as a slot loading optical drive? (Or even a PC floppy drive?) Where did you get the LCD screen from? An old laptop? What sort of resolution does it give? Looks fantastic. Mini vMac on that would give you the old black and white compact feel 🙂 (Those ADB -> USB adaptors are handy for projects like this! Means I can use the classic keyboard / mouse on the Mini)
Posted by: GnatGoSplat on 2012-03-30 05:58:31 Wow, that's exactly what I wanted to do to my Classic (and the whole reason I bought it in the first place), only I managed to get it working and I didn't have the heart to butcher a working compact Mac so I sold it intact. I wanted to do the CRT-shaped plexi as well, and after seeing yours, I'm even more confident it's the way to go. Very nice work! Probably only thing I would have done different is to use a more powerful motherboard (probably socket 1155) and I was thinking to keep the vertical metal frame from the analog board and making brackets to mount everything to that metal frame so the back cover could be completely pulled off and machine still working like the original setup.
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2012-03-30 08:50:57 Cool! ! I missed this entire thread, probably because it should have been in Hacks & Development. Very neatly done, I love it. Did you just droop the plexi over the backside of the bezel? Was it cut for a rough fit? Was there enough of a flange left to drill mounting holes to attach it to the chassis? What thickness plexi? What temperature? Working up a table for thickness/time/temp baking results would be great content! Still got your CRT face available for trade/sale? I could use a nice, thick, neutral density filter to sandblast/frost! :approve: MacintoshClassicIIIColorTVp™ Hack
Posted by: GnatGoSplat on 2012-04-03 07:09:32 Got any pics of the back cover?
Posted by: Bunsen on 2012-04-09 04:54:58 it should have been in Hacks & Development. Fixed 🙂 Please upload your pictures (in future) to 68kmla using the "Upload attachment" tab below the message entry box. Offsite images have a habit of disappearing. /ETA/ case in point, your first one, 7iZl4h.jpg, isn't loading at all. If you want to PM it to me, I will add it to the top post as a local file. I have uploaded the others. Color Classics / use the existing color Trinitron monitor. / but I messed up something on the logic board and it wouldn't boot any more. On the new logic board you were adding? Or on the CC analog board? I noticed a little bit of glare from the plexi in one of your photos. Does having the curved plexi in front of the flat LCD give you any issues as far as visual clarity goes?
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