Cheap and Sturdy Case Material?

Early on in my watercooling project, I decided I would go for an externally mounted setup to allow me to have:
a. Better Ducting
b. Less worry or arranging things
c. Option of 2 Radiators, more fans, and a large resivour

This is all currently mounted in a hacked up tupperware container. I have to leave the side of my case off, and other things that degrade the general look of my desk to "ghetto". I have decided that to mount this I will go Prometia style, and make a smaller case underneath my main one to hold the stuff. This presents a few problems. First, I need to be able to build something, but I don't know what would be the best material to use, so I am asking you modders.

I need something that can withstand the weight of a small aluminum case full of a ton or somputer components (4 hard drives, 2 CDs, and other things. This stuff needs to be easy to work with, and as inexpensive as possible (no titanium.) It would also help if it can easily be made waterproof, and is able to be made black (to match my case) easily.

-Thanks

steel is good... but I am not sure how much it costs....

steel is cheap!

but aluminium angle and sheet is not that mutch more expensive and its easyer to work with.

use the angle to make the frame and then use the sheet to give it its rigidity. it would be plenty strong enuff to support a full case

Agreed on the aluminium, would be lighter than steel too. Pop rivets would be good for an industrial look and the easiest way to join aluminium sheet onto the frame but not to sure about the frame.

all i have to say:

www.thedonky.cjb.net/casepics.html

sheet metal, aluminum edging stuff, rivets, dreme, drill, ruler

the aluminum diamond plate was WAY too expensive the whole thing -tools i needed cost me 40 bucks maybe

just to tell u its very hard making ur own case with metals such as AL! (aluminum) if u dont even do it before and one more thing its hard to cut al cause sparks comes out u might slip cut ur hand! alot of that stuff happened to the ppl i no who cut al

steel is cheap. Alluminium is 99999999 times better tho

go to a local metal workshop andask them if they have any scrap metal. There is a good chance they will either give it to u or sell it to you very cheaply. if your lucky you'll find some aluminum too

http://www.pcmods.com/details.asp?ProdID=321
theres an 8x10.5 sheet of aluminum from lian li cases..id pick up a few sheets of it, cant really go wrong for $2.99