Tough going about your fried board. The hard drive might have had a short in the power components inside, but what is funny to me is that your 'friend' wouldn't throw away that hard drive, but give it to you. That is another matter.
Where ever you work for a living, are you hiring?
Jus kidding. (no really, are you hiring).
Keep up the hard expensive work, it is appreciated by every one here. It's kool to see new innivative work being done.
Modding a case, kool. Making a work of art from a few desks, speechless.