The only recommendation I can give you is browse ebay and local classifieds regularly, be patient and be quick when one shows up.
They still do from time to time but I don't know of any places where one can regularly buy them. Sorry.

They regularly appear on amibay.com, some times even from vogons members. Not very much a Canada-oriented site though.

Separate AT cases are often sold for insane prices. It might make more sense looking for a complete 486 system even if you already have most parts.

After losing everything in a fire, I found a complete AT system in a dumpster not long after I moved to where I am now. I also wanted a smaller AT case, and kept an eye out for AT cases and systems on my local Craigslist (which can also cover the greater San Francisco Bay Area). I've been doing that since 2019, and I've only seen four or five listed during that time. My patience finally paid off last year, and I scored an AT system with exactly the sort of case I wanted for $20.00. I'd say your choices are to be patient and keep looking, or be willing to pay a premium.

In 2018, frustrated by the lack of any older computer stuff showing up in the Craigslist of the area I was then living in, I put up an ad asking for specifically for AT cases/systems - the only replies I received were along the lines of "I have an old Dell with Windows XP you might be interested in" from people who didn't even know WTF an AT computer case was. Heavy sigh.

Will wrote on 2023-03-06, 15:36:

Looking for something with a switch on the front and a 2 or 3 digit LCD display on the front.

These particularly types of cases are highly sought after and hard to find. Your best bet is to set up a saved search on Ebay for things like "486 computer" and then pounce on anything that happens to show up.

At cases are all recycled or in collectors hands these days. Even 10+ years ago when I was hitting a recycler every week, they were rare to find, and this is in a poor area where people hold onto that stuff longer.

Somebody might have to clear out their deceased parent's attic that might contain an old 386 or 486 that ends up in an estate sale, garage sale, or the curb but those are hard to find. Same thing when a collector or hoarder dies but in larger volume.

I think your best bet unless you have plenty of cash to spend, is to barter something else of equal value (vintage or more modern) for one. Ages ago somebody I knew wanted a C64 setup (and I had several thanks to freecycle) and traded me something more modern I wanted (an original XBOX) for it.

You should look at first generation ATX cases as they were built with AT style mounting and some even came with AT backplate bezels you had to pop out to use ATX ones.

There is a PC recycling spot near my Gym. I drive by it 4-5 times a week. It’s mostly trashed laptops and damaged P4 systems these days but I have found 3 AT cases in the past 3 years. I’ll count the leading edge because it had the right mono mounts even if it had a irregular power supply. So the odds are somewhat scarcer than 1 in 200 in my experience.

Good finds when I found stuff. One was a fully outfitted XT clone running dos 3.3. One was a K6-166 with a case in great shape. And the leading edge was souped up with an evergreen 5x86 and an ISA cirrus 5234.

Yeah, good luck finding AT cases. (Not getting rid of the ones I do have)
You can use AT boards in ATX cases though.

The AT I/O plate covers are available or you can get blank plates and cut the KB hole yourself.

The motherboard mount holes might be there or not.
Shouldn't be too difficult to mark, drill, and thread the holes for the standoffs.

cyclone3d wrote on 2023-03-06, 20:32:

The AT I/O plate covers are available or you can get blank plates and cut the KB hole yourself.

I won't deny that I cut a rectangle out of a cereal box, cut an AT-keyboard hole in it, wrapped the whole thing very tightly in a smooth layer of aluminum foil tape and then attached it inside an ATX case with foil tape. If a screw hole is available nearby you can even use a screw and a nut to attach it more securely.

I haven't looked lately, but I recall seeing rather stupid prices for AT-style ATX I/O covers. If I was doing a really nice system it might be justified, but if it's just going to sit somewhere with it's back to the wall, I'll just make something that looks good enough and keeps things from falling in the back of the PC.

I think what disappoints me about the AT-style covers is that they have dead space above the keyboard and they don't bother using it for serial or parallel connectors. You end up paying $30 for one hole in a piece of sheet metal. I feel like for the price they sell them for they should be heavier duty (to stand up to cables being attach\detached) and utilize the space for other ports.

EDIT: Having trouble even finding any for sale on ebay now, so unless there is another source for them you pretty much need to make your own.

Ozzuneoj wrote on 2023-03-06, 20:40:

EDIT: Having trouble even finding any for sale on ebay now, so unless there is another source for them you pretty much need to make your own.

Blank covers are available from some sellers. Probably better to just buy a blank and cut a keyboard hole in it.

Seeing blank plates for $10 on eBay. Pretty sure I saw them on a different website for like $3 a piece.

Sorry, I meant the ones with the AT keyboard hole already in place. I do see listings for 2x ATX blanks shipping from China for less than $3. So, that's a good deal, but cutting them cleanly isn't for everyone.

Has some business filled this niche yet? Buying thousands of blanks and then CNC cutting them to exact specifications for people, or for specific common boards? ... very very niche, I know. 🤣

I wonder if a hole saw would be enough for a clean cut. They're pretty thin metal, so I imagine it would go through it like paper.

A typical hole saw has too large of teeth and will probably wreck the shield unless you use a press. I would recommend a punch or cutting it with snips after you get a small starter hole.

Will wrote on 2023-03-06, 15:36:

I'm trying to build a 486 machine but I'm having a hard time finding AT cases. Looking for something with a switch on the front and a 2 or 3 digit LCD display on the front. Can't find anything on Ebay and searching for vintage or retro cases always seems to come up with ATX cases from the early 2000's. Anyone know a good source to find something like this? Preferably in Canada.

In Ontario, the highest concentration on any online sales seems to be on Facebook Marketplace in the area between Toronto and Ottawa, guess they just hang onto their tech longer out there. Usually too far to drive for me though. Maybe on Kijiji in those areas too. Minor concentrations around Brantford, Kitchener, London Windsor (Maybe it's something about the 401 IDK). Craigslist seems useless for anything unless you're in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton. Older people with older stuff, still do things like advertise it on cards at the grocery store notice board or in the window of variety stores etc. Also for some reason, church and Lions/Rotary type rummage sales and bazaars in a hall tend to have a higher than normal likelihood of having pre 2000 hardware, about 1 in 3, but compared to hit rate in picked out thrift stores on a per visit basis that seems high to me. Flea markets are very much hit and miss, and miss and miss, some aren't really flea markets any more, some seem to attract ppl who are too cheap to rent a storage unit. Don't give up on them all if one is bad though, keep trying they're all very different, also keep tabs on the ones near you even if they were useless, new management shakeup or some change in policy can change them a lot.

There's also a site called VarageSale, but I think it's been waning in popularity and got a lot of stale stuff on now, also it's annoying as hell to navigate. You can try your local freecycle, but a lot of them got ruined by choosy beggars "how dare you offer this $3000 couch with a slight smudge when I was expecting something absolutely perfect for free" etc etc. Letgo was great but Canadian service got killed.

Sometimes you can find a computer store in a small town that has been in business a longass time and has used spares of everything for every gen.

Shponglefan wrote on 2023-03-06, 21:00:

I wonder if a hole saw would be enough for a clean cut. They're pretty thin metal, so I imagine it would go through it like paper.

ptr1ck wrote on 2023-03-06, 21:12:

A typical hole saw has too large of teeth and will probably wreck the shield unless you use a press. I would recommend a punch or cutting it with snips after you get a small starter hole.

Yeah the best type on metal are the adjustable ones with a two "teeth" or cutters or whatever you want to cal them, but there's maybe not room. Actually from a Princess Auto you might find a stepped hole enlarging bit that will go from 3/8 to keyboard size. Forgot what they're called.

I was looking a while ago and found that you can get die punches in the correct size to make the holes but the are super expensive.

So if you search for this on eBay:
I/O shield no any opening

You should come up with multiple options for quantities to buy.

I just ordered 12 for about $15 shipped from China.

Oh general surplus stores with used parts and electronics are worth a shot in person. They don't list low dollar one offs on their websites usually. Brantford Surplus in Brantford isn't very likely (But do have some nearer present retro-useful bits from time to time) . However, A-1 Surplus in TO, I have been in there a couple of times and they've had a few cases and other bits and pieces. Edmonton seems to have a concentration of IT liquidators it might be worth keeping an eye on if you are local to there.