Custom case from Par-Metal or FPE ?

Hello,

I've been lurking around for a while and soaking in all the useful information around here. I have to say that this is a great community that I hope I will one day be able t contribute to. On to my question now

I have been looking at the custom case option offered by FPE and it looks wonderful. Absolutely fantastic creative options! However, after spending a good chunk of time with Front panel designer and designing the perfect case for my api clone (using housing profile 1 and 2), the order price is way out of my budget! It came up to roughly $400 for that whole case, screws, brackets, etc...

I would love to go with a cheaper option like the par-metal cases but,

1 - I hate having screw heads sticking out of the top and bottom of the case even if they are within the rack space. This is a pain to rack without messing up your other expensive gear!

2 - Because of the clearance needed for the screw heads on the top and bottom, the effective enclosure space is severely reduced.

3 - What's up with that lip on the top and bottom panels? Why would they do that!!!??!!

4 - I would have to do a lot of the metal work myself which I absolutely despise!

Does anyone have a solution to any of the above? How do you deal with it?

thanks,

mike

Purusha's cases are hard to beat.

---Joe

Thanks for the reply

I would like to still have my front panels made by FPE.
I believe a Purusha case front panel will have a nice silk
screen which I don't need but would be paying for.

anyone else?

http://www.modushop.biz/ecommerce/cat066_l2.php?n=1

If you can find someone local with a CNC router, they could do any shape holes plus engrave the front for you with damn good precision. They may even be able to work off a Corel file. 

you could get a case you like and send the front and back panels to FPE to be milled to your spec. I do this all the time with FPE, just select "use customers material" in the panel properties. saves the cost of new panels when you already have panels to use.

the modushop cases are slick and dont have the quarks of the parmetal cases (lips on the lids and screws not being countersunk)