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The Enclosure Rebuild
While planning for the installation of my modifications, I noticed a significant amount of unused space inside the C64C(a C64 with a redesigned case). After playing around with the two halves of the enclosure, I figured out a way to make the system even more compact. Since I'm running out of studio space, I decided that doing so would be a worthwhile effort. In addition to the functional enhancements I had planned to implement, I wanted to have the compactness of the classic C64 "breadbox" enclosure with the sleek style of the later 64C.
top portion of enclosure removed
I'll spare you the details on opening the 64 and removing the metal shield.
After eyeballing the dimensions of the main board, keyboard and the space required for the modifications, I began to hack away at the enclosure, starting with the upper vents.
removed portion split
holes drilled for additional ports
off with the lower vents while leaving space for routing keyboard wires
L-brackets were added to the front of the enclosure.
Portions of the case were cut and filed to fit snugly in place.
enclosure base
Originally, the bottom portion of the keyboard assembly rested on the base of the enclosure, while the upper portion of the keyboard was held in place by risers found near the lower portion of the main board. This design occupied too much valuable realistate.
small switch installed for later use
I also dremeled out some space for a small switch. The function of this switch will be addressed later.
Final assembly of the case reveals a more compact footprint.
side by side comparison
height comparison
completed enclosure
Not bad for eyeballing all of the measurements. Now for the functional modifications!
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