"The Log Cabin PC"
By Greg Sowell - Posted on March 3, 2003

I also used a large log and a cut small log as a beam going across the roof. I needed a center beam to attach the roofing to. All of the small blocks that you see sticking out of the cabin are actually small blocks cut in half. I really have to stop here and thank my cousin Luke for all his help and insight. He single handedly cut all one million small logs in half and hammered the bracket, there by saving the world... Or at least saving me from carpal tunnel syndrome :=) I wanted to cut them in half for two reasons: 1. I needed the inside walls smooth and 2. I didn't have enough of them. My fiancé, Kristi, to whom I will be married to in less than two weeks, always seems to be there helping out huh? She glued in all the little half pieces for me. How many other guys can say their women help them with their hobbies? Only the lucky ones... Now that I'm done with sucking up, I also glued the two chimney pieces together that came with the set. I tried to boar a hole in the center, but ended up tearing it to pieces. I cheated a little and built a new one out of some 2"x4". I wired a red super-bright LED inside the chimney. This chimney is hooked to my HD activity light, in the hopes that it will flicker like a fire. The exhaust from the PSU is ducted out the chimney via a modified funnel attached under said chimney. I also attached some dark-green tulle to the chimney. This tulle waves in the PSU exhaust and really catches the HD light flicker. The roof is solidly attached to one layer of the wall logs. The rest of the logs are all attached to each other, and in turn attached to a quarter inch plywood base. I stained the base and chimney to match. Access to the innards is easily accomplished by lifting the roof from the body of the cabin.

The cut small pieces

Chimney w/tulle

Best wood sculptor anywhere!

I also had some steel brackets I got from DJ WyattJAM, a buddy of mine. The bracket was hammered and bent into a "C" shape. The ends have small flanges with witch to attach it to the base. It may not look pretty, but it sure does the job! The slot-loading DVD drive sits on the bracket. I chose slot loading on the suggestion of Mr. Perry, yet another friend of mine. A slot loading drive works much like a car CD player; it sucks them in and spits them out. The DVDs feed in between logs. The button lined up perfectly with one of the small logs that go into cabin, so I used a shaved down small log as a button extension. I used some felt like material I had left over from Aunt Hagar's Mini to line the opening in front of the DVD drive... We don't want any scratches on those movies now do we? Like in my last mini, I used a bungee cord to hold the drive snugly against the wall. Then, the PSU sits on top of the drive.

Anger management tool

Managed

Let that anger go!

Shot of the bracket in action

How it all fits

The hard drive lies on its side towards the front of the cabin. I glued an extra roof piece that I had left over next to the HD to hold it into place. I then glued one of the half-small pieces in front of the drive to keep it from sliding.

What a tight...err... cozy fit