The Apple 1 I built earlier had been sitting around without a case, so I went ahead and made a reproduction wooden one. Since Apple never sold the Apple 1 with an original case, I first looked at a few known examples that still exist. I settled on reproducing the koa wood case sold through the Byte Shop because it looked the most functional and had a layout that felt close to the later Apple II style.
Getting the dimensions nailed down took a bit of work. I modeled the case in Fusion 360, then estimated the size from known parts and photos, using things like the IEC power connector, the board length, and the keyboard width as reference points. I also needed room beside the board for the power supply components. Once I had a drawing, I compared it against measurements from another builder who had done the same exercise, and the numbers matched.
For the build itself, I used plywood for the panels and hardwood for the sides. That let me route grooves into the side pieces so the top, back, and front panels could slide in cleanly and make a sturdy box. I cut the larger pieces first and worked down to the smaller ones, then used a router to make the blind slots. I also tested airflow before cutting the vent openings by making a cardboard mockup and moving the openings around until I found a layout that worked best, with one opening near the 5 volt regulator at the back and another at the front of the case.
The keyboard opening needed its own template because of the irregular shape around the keys. I made that in Fusion 360 as well, printed a 3D template, traced it onto the panel, and cut it out with a jigsaw. Before assembly I sanded the parts while they were still easy to reach, since the inside corners get awkward once everything is glued together.
Glue-up went pretty much as expected, with a dry fit first and clamps to hold the case while it set overnight. For the bottom panel, I didn’t copy the longer internal wood strips seen in some examples. Instead I made small blocks from scrap, installed brass inserts in them, and used those as mounting points so the bottom could screw into the case. I temporarily screwed the blocks to the bottom panel, glued them in place against the sides, and let that hold their position while the glue dried.
The finish was the one area that didn’t come out the way I wanted. I used a water-based stain, let it sit, and wiped it off, but it left visible streaks. I followed that with three coats of water-based polyurethane, and that also wasn’t ideal. The case still looked acceptable for a DIY-style Apple 1 enclosure, but the finish wasn’t as clean as I would have liked.
Mounting the internals took a little care because the quarter inch plywood was really closer to 3/16 inch, so many screws would have poked through. I glued in scrap wood strips for the keyboard and motherboard mounts, leaving an air gap behind the board. I also replaced the temporary power arrangement with a proper receptacle and a period-appropriate switch, then rerouted the video output to an RCA jack on the back using a thicker shielded cable so it wouldn’t run as bare wire near the power wiring. Rubber feet went on the bottom panel so the weight of the transformers rested on the heavier section rather than pulling on the case screws.
The finished case held the monitor on top without bowing, the power light sat flush in the top, and the Apple 1 powered up and tested properly. The keyboard worked, reset worked, and the machine was back in a case that looked the part.
— Aaron
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Timestamps
00:00 – Intro
00:26 – History
03:36 – Measurements
05:31 – Cutting
08:02 – Keyboard
09:49 – Assembly
10:50 – Staining and sealing
12:14 – Mounting internals
15:50 – Testing
16:46 – Wrap Up