The PDP-1 has a somewhat complex shape, and we did not want to resort to either 3D printing or making molds for the case. So I experimented with making a case from PCB panels, inspired by Bobricius's projects.

In the end, these became the parts for the two case variants (stand-alone console and rack-mounted):

In all, 19 pieces of PCB just for constructing the cases. But with the current low prices for PCBs, that is still much more affordable than any other approach we tried.

Constructing a 3D object from PCBs turns out to be very simple, and very strong as well. Here is a detailed shot of the case's inside:

As it turns out, a couple of solder points on each edge make for a very sturdy construction. You can drop it on a concrete floor without anything bad happening! On the outside, I think it looks pretty nice:

Side of rack-mounted version

  Side of stand-alone console version

Another challenge was the mounting of the front panel onto the case. The original has no visible bolts or clamps on its front. Here, too, the solution was to solder the pack of the front panel to the sides of the case. That also allows a very precise fitting of the parts.