# CaseLabs Mercury S8 Assembly Restoration

## Manual Status

- Manual ID: `FI-TECH-REF-001`
- Shelf: `Hang On To Each Other`
- Object: CaseLabs Mercury S8
- Project link: `FI-PROJ-001`
- Status: first-pass reconstruction
- Source basis: ExtremeRigs Mercury S8 review, embedded assembly timelapse, and local Forgotten Industries S8 restoration evidence
- Reference asset: `assets/reference/hang-on-to-each-other/caselabs-mercury-s8/caselabs-mercury-s8-assembly-timelapse-cpachris-ocn.gif`

## Purpose

This is the first Forgotten Industries technical manual: a recovered assembly path for the CaseLabs Mercury S8, built from third-party reference media because the original assembly instructions are not currently present in the local archive.

This is not yet a factory manual. It is a restoration manual: a careful record of what can be observed, inferred, and verified before the physical chassis is reassembled.

## Provenance

The primary source is the ExtremeRigs `CaseLabs Mercury S8` review, published 2014-04-04 by Stren:

`https://www.xtremerigs.net/2014/04/04/caselabs-mercury-s8/`

The review embeds an assembly timelapse credited to `cpachris` from OCN. The local copy is preserved in the third-party reference shelf as:

`assets/reference/hang-on-to-each-other/caselabs-mercury-s8/caselabs-mercury-s8-assembly-timelapse-cpachris-ocn.gif`

## What The Source Establishes

- The Mercury S8 belongs to the CaseLabs Mercury line.
- The S8 uses a strong internal frame with removable exterior panels.
- The case could ship partially disassembled.
- First-time assembly was described as a relatively short process, not a full fabrication job.
- The frame is the structural reference point; dress panels come after the frame is built.
- Flexbay and radiator support options affect the front/bay configuration.
- Bottom cutouts, cover plates, PSU ventilation, fan positions, and radiator positions must be treated as configurable rather than universal.

## Observed Assembly Sequence

The preserved animation shows a panel/frame build-up sequence. First-pass reconstruction:

1. Lay the base panel flat with feet, lower mounting points, and bottom ventilation/cutout geometry oriented correctly.
2. Attach the first side/frame rail structure to the base.
3. Add the opposite rail/side structure, keeping the rectangular frame square before tightening.
4. Add rear frame pieces and cross members.
5. Add front frame/bay structure.
6. Install internal trays, dividers, or support plates after the main frame can hold alignment.
7. Add top structural panel or top rail assembly.
8. Add cover plates, removable inserts, and option-specific panels only after the core frame is stable.
9. Leave exterior dress panels for the final stage.

## Restoration Rules

- Photograph each local part before fitting it.
- Dry-fit before tightening.
- Do not force powder-coated aluminum parts into alignment.
- Confirm orientation by hole pattern, not memory.
- Separate frame structure from dress panels in the work area.
- Bag fasteners by observed location until thread type and count are confirmed.
- Treat blanking plates, fan covers, filters, and radiator mounts as configuration evidence.
- Record any mismatch between the reference animation and the local white Mercury S8.

## Local Verification Targets

Use the reference asset to verify these local parts during the next bench session:

- base panel orientation
- left/right side rail identity
- front flexbay-side frame position
- rear motherboard/PCI frame position
- top frame or top panel attachment order
- midplate/tray relationship
- bottom fan/PSU cover plate placement
- exterior dress panel order
- fastener count by assembly stage

## Open Questions

- Does the local white S8 use the same frame option shown in the third-party animation?
- Which local plates belong to the S8 chassis and which belong to the pedestal?
- Are any local rails, brackets, or panels STH-10 accessories mixed into the S8 group?
- Which fasteners are original CaseLabs screws and which are later build hardware?
- Can a direct OCN source page for the `cpachris` timelapse be recovered?

## Next Pass

Extract still frames from the animation into numbered plates, then build a proper illustrated instruction sequence:

1. base and first rail
2. second rail and squaring
3. rear frame
4. front frame / flexbay side
5. internal tray and support plates
6. top structure
7. cover plates and option panels
8. dress panels
9. final inspection checklist

## Archive Note

This manual belongs to the archive because it turns a disappearing external reference into a usable restoration path. The goal is not to copy a vanished factory document. The goal is to preserve enough verified sequence information that the machine can come back together without guesswork.