I am planning to build my own wooden case and make a plexi-glass front because it is thin and I can mount all my inputs and outputs on it. I was going to make 2 boxes. 1 box has the motherboard and all cards (VID,2xNIC,SND) and probably the PSU. Another "set-top" kind of box would house harddrives and cdrom. Or I would put the PSU in the hardrive box. I was planning on cutting the IDE cables in half, and then solder on new connectors on the cut ends so I can easily connect and disconnect the two "set-top" boxes.

Question: I was wondering if there is any problem with me cutting those IDE cables and maybe extending them about 6" or less and soldering on new end connectors? Would there be any cross talk or something?

If I am not clear on any of this please let me know.

Thanks

You would have to be pretty good at soldering to do that...A problem is highly likely to occur...

Wouldn't a wooden case trap all the heat in though?

just buy some longer IDE cables, then you dont risk data transfer problems and ruined IDE cables. you can do it tho.. but they are dirt cheap cables anyway, try some online stores.. usually only a few $ per cable.

*edit.. on reading through it again, i get what your talking about, you want to add female end connectors. i think you can already buy ide cables with a female at one end for extending cables. but they might be hard to find, as i said above.. yes its perfectly possible to do it, just hope your good at soldering.

Soldering: I would consider myself an expert at soldering at this point because of all the little mods I have done and such (however I would never attempt to do anything serious like mod an XBOX which my cousin ask me too. I just laughed and said no).

IDE: I am not worried about ruining my IDE cables because like FthrJACK said there cheap. The point of cutting them is so I can disconnect the two boxes without having to open them up and disconnect from the hardrive. I guess since there are no problems I can see now, I will try it and see hoe it works. Worst comes to worst I will leave an opening at the back of the harddrive box just to make it simple to disconnect.

Cooling: I have a 120mm fan I will be using for the main box which has the motherboard and PSU (I will make a hole for the PSU fan to blow air out). I will also probably put in a 80mm fan in it too. As for the harddrive box, I will put in 1-2 80mm fans. I will see I I can get away with 1 80mm and drill some breathing holes in the sides for the drives box.

Any other problems that I cannot see?

EDIT: lol Thanks FthrJACK guess I should have read this topic again before I replied. I will take a look around for those extensions.

EDIT: Now that I think about it. Theres no way in h*ll that I am going to solder 80 X2 wires so Ill just leave an opening on the mobo so I can easily plug in the IDE cables directly.