Sup I have a PSU here I want to mod for external 5v/12v use. I have done an external PSU mod before but never grounded anything just used the Black wires running out without touching the PSUs case. Now I want to build one a little more compact and have the usb ports screwed directly in the PSU case (lots of room) Is this safe?
Yes. All your grounds should tie to the chassis no matter the voltage source. Be sure that the ground lines cannot be switched.
Thankyou for the quick reply! the female usb ports shielding that will be making contact with the PSU case is tied to ground (black USB wire) on the small pcb. is this what you mean by 'cannot be switched'?
All the grounds should be connected all the time. Only the Voltage leads get switched, you never want an isolated ground in this type of set up. Some users have +5 and maybe +12 or +24 or whatever, all the grounds want to be connected all the time.
Thanks again for the quick reply!
Gotcha, I had to make sure I was making myself clear 
Wait... those mounts look like they would be isolating the ports Ground shield from the black wire? mine is as if the the black wire (0v) is connected to the ports shield and mounting screws.
It is the same setup in this video but the USB hub is inside the PSU with all the ports touching it's case.
central power supply for Raspberry Pi Cluster made from an old ATX
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