When I reorganized my little workshop, I moved my PC tower up onto a shelf to free up more desk space. It worked perfectly—except for one detail. The power button was now just out of comfortable reach.
It’s a small problem, but a frustrating one. So, I set out to build a custom external power button that could sit neatly under my desk within arm’s reach. Along the way, I decided to give it some personality with an industrial design vibe. Here’s how I made it.
Step 1: Accessing the Motherboard
To get started, I needed to connect directly to my PC’s motherboard. Most boards have a set of header pins called JFP1 that handle things like the power button, reset button, and LED indicators.
With the help of my manual, I found the right pins and confirmed that I could connect an external switch here. I also noticed I could take advantage of the power LED header to integrate a bit of lighting into my design.
Step 2: Choosing the Switch
I ordered a few momentary switches online. They’re clean, minimal, and just the right size for this project. I briefly considered using toggle switches, but they felt too small for the look I was after.
After attaching jumper cables to one of the switches, I did a quick test directly on the motherboard. To my relief, it worked flawlessly—proof that the idea was sound.
Step 3: Designing the Housing
For the design, I jumped into Fusion 360 and took inspiration from old industrial warehouse switches. I designed a main faceplate for the switch and a small box for the wiring. To hide the cables, I added pipe-like links, also styled to match the industrial aesthetic.
Once finalized, I sent the parts to my 3D printer.
Step 4: Painting and Finishing
The 3D prints came out great, but I wanted a more authentic finish. I sanded down the parts to remove layer lines and then used an airbrush to give them a matte silver look. The result was exactly the kind of rugged industrial finish I had in mind.
Step 5: Assembly
With everything prepped, I started assembly:
- Housing: Glued the pieces of the box together and attached the pipe-like links.
- Mounting points: Installed heat-set inserts so I could screw the faceplate securely to the box.
- Wiring: Soldered long wires with jumper ends for easy connection to the motherboard.
- Lighting: Cut and wired small sections of LED strip, then fixed them inside the box with double-sided tape.
Since I didn’t want to drill into the wall, I used strong double-sided adhesive to mount the whole unit under the shelf.
Step 6: Connecting to the PC
The last step was wiring it up. Using the motherboard manual as a guide, I plugged the jumper wires from my custom switch and LEDs into the correct JFP1 pins.
The Finished Result
The final build has exactly the look I was going for: an industrial-style remote power button with subtle lighting. Most importantly, it solved my problem—I can now turn my PC on and off without having to stretch up to the shelf.
It’s a small quality-of-life upgrade, but one that makes my daily workflow a little smoother.