well done
i like the design
Printable View
well done
i like the design
I would say either frost the clear acrylic or stick some leds by it so the design glows... that would look badass
Is it just me, or that thing is something on the 595 series Sun external peripheral series?Quote:
Originally Posted by NFC
My first guess would be something like this, or an external HDD with CD-ROM caddy (it's the one most similar to the picture you posted).
However, since you said that is actually your server, maybe you modded that one to a single-piece server, with x86-compatible hardware inside? It seems like a great mod, tbh...
Now, on topic again, great project, I subscribed already. Can't wait to see what comes out of this one.
Cheers.
Miguel
You, sir, are correct, and on top of being awarded ONE. MILLION. POINTS. win this:Quote:
Is it just me, or that thing is something on the 595 series Sun external peripheral series?
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/1386/p1010635q.jpg
...and some used 100CFM 120mm LED fans, and a very used Koolance TNK-120-V2 reservoir + hardware. Shipping is free, but quality is not included.
pm/email me to claim your prize. The next object will be more challenging, and the prize much nicer, if you consider this nicer:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2805/p1010636x.jpg
...if you don't find that appealing, then I guess I could take some nekkid pics of myself but you'll have to check with the Mods :rofl:
Ok, to work! I got some more sleeving done, and yes, I know your sick-to-death of people posting their sleeving jobs. I am just trying to be thorough here (mind-numbingly thorough) and sleeving does take up a good chunk of my available modding time:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8392/p1010626a.jpg
old vs new comparison:
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2764/p1010625.jpg
So far (the zipties are temp):
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/6324/p1010628.jpg
I was on a roll voiding my various warrantees left and right, so I decided to crack open my Corsair PSU in the name of SCIENCE:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9897/p1010630x.jpg
Nifty anodized heatsinks...
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2693/p1010631z.jpg
...aaaaaanndd AHA! Sleeved tails! That is where your money is going my friends:
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/3882/p1010634m.jpg
As promised, I worked all day (it was my day off to waste) cutting various panels. I am particularly proud of the I.O./top panel, though God definitely had a hand in it too:
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/1277/p1010638p.jpg
The I.O. plate sits flush, after a ton of filing:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6391/p1010639l.jpg
The two front panels, I say two because there is no backside to my PC, I want it to be showy from all sides: http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/3726/p1010640y.jpg
These are the pieces I cheated on and had laser-cut. I would still be in my garage if I used my dremel and file on these:
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/2731/p1010643z.jpg
Back to good-old-fashioned rotozip+dremel+file+blowtorch work:
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/9438/p1010645j.jpg
After I got done with all that crap I wanted to revisit my GPU top bracket, so I printed off the same template I used before and taped it down to a piece of 1/16" black acrylic:
http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/2802/p1010647.jpg
Then I traced out the edges with an precise-O-knife:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/2493/p1010648xws.jpg
This is what it looked like when I was done:
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/372/p1010649n.jpg
Mr. Dremel makes an entrance:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4879/p1010651sok.jpg
Then my good-'ol-file finishes up the job. Mmmmm...tedious:
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/8291/p1010652g.jpg
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/9016/p1010653qek.jpg
And here it is mounted. Yes, there will be LEDs that I will wire to a harness that will use the card's fan power port:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6394/p1010658icm.jpg
'Nother pic:
http://img199.imageshack.us/i/p1010654w.jpg/
I was still early (apparently I was wasting time efficiently) so I got to work on the reservoir. I started to use TAP Plastic's acrylic cement, but then moved onto micro-Gorilla glue, then Loctite gel superglue which I found worked best:
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/2594/p1010661d.jpg
Here it is assembled, glue still drying:
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/5996/p1010663h.jpg
'Nother angle:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7088/p1010664k.jpg
Ok, so what I learned from this is that acrylic cement, while excellent for creating a leak-proof bond that catalyzes almost instantly, is not easy to use in the angles created by stacking those pieces. The gorilla glue looks like it created the most water-tight bond, but it takes a freakin' hour to dry and the pieces move around too much. On top of that, like normal Gorilla glue it expands to an insane size, and it was hard to judge. The loctite gel was 5.49 at Wal-Mart, and is the most expensive of the three, but worked the best. It went on easy (the bottle design is brilliant) and while the pieces were still maleable after they were glued, they weren't so slippy to hinder my work on other parts. All three solutions are waterproof, but it just is a matter of being sure there is a good sea, which *might* not have happened.
I needed a break after that so I began welding the cubes onto the PSU baseplate:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4402/p1010667w.jpg
Flipped:
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/83/p1010668m.jpg
I would like to note that the darn cubes are NOT perfect geometrical shapes. They are more like marshmallows and because of that they would not weld properly, so I had to use some of that Loctite gel.
Back to more frustrating work, the bezel border for the Sony drive was microns too small in the interior, and needed filing. I swear, I would file for what seemed like ages on my least-aggressive file, and then try to slide it on, and it would still seem juuuuuuuuuuuuuust a tiny bit too tight:
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/6158/p1010670t.jpg
FINALLY:
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/1095/p1010671y.jpg
Here is the drive, in position with the ring and all--literally a perfect fit:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/5801/p1010672.jpg
I drilled out some holes for the power and HDD leds, but my bit was too small so I need to go back. The key-switch fit perfect though:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8541/p1010675l.jpg
That's a wrap for tonight. I'll finish the side panels tomorrow and hopefully get 80% of the case welded up. Check back tomorrow for the next round of the "identify some random old crap" contest.
Cheers! :)
awesome job so far!
I have to say that I find it very refreshing to read your logs as they have a nice blend of humor mixed with the technical.
No words to describe this, wish I had the same skills as you... Looking forward to the finishing results:up:
I hate to post without adding anymore progress, but I wanted to thank you guys for your kind and encouraging words. It's posts like y'alls that help me work through all the frustrating details and then rant about them.
If you have anything negative to say that I can benefit from, please do not hesitate to lay it on--I want to build the best computers possible and I can only learn from mistakes and criticism!
Anyways, I sincerely thank you peeps for reading my thread. I'm headed back to work on the side panels now, and will give you more updates tonight!
*wphew*
It's been one heckuva night, and many trials came and went, and I am left with a few more, but I have been blessed overall and many of the mishaps sprouted wings and flew away...
...but not all of them.
So we begin with part two of the contest. Identify this piece of old junk, circa 19XXish:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/9248/p1010745y.jpg
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/1985/p1010746.jpg
Winner claims the Dominator memory fan unit...
So with the panels done I basically never want to see another drill press for as long as I live. I was halfway to the lake with the unit about to send it off to the murky depths below in celebration, when common sense kicked in and I realized it would have more purpose as a door stop or a teacher's aid. Here is what they looked like after being cut:
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/2995/p1010677.jpg
I peeled off the protective backing of the inside back panel (say that six times fast) and got ready for work:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/4076/p1010682p.jpg
Oh, wait, we can't start with Mr. Mobo tray, he is the life of the party the Jackson 5 used to sing about:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/870/p1010683k.jpg
The first piece I welded on was what I call the right panel. This would be considered the front of a more traditional case:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/1235/p1010685t.jpg
I left a 1/64th inch overlap of the back panel (front panel will follow suit) purposefully. This allowed me to use the syringe to apply the liquid acrylic with ease, and it will provide starker contrast to the overall theme. This sort of thing is subtle, but I am convinced it makes a difference:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/1162/p1010687p.jpg
Then I glued the base on, if you will notice I added a black panel to it from last time. This part was fairly tricky as the offset I used for the cubes (and top part of the base) didn't sit even with the overall frame, and I had to use layers of paper-towels to get it even so the liquid acrylic would set:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/795/p1010691z.jpg
This L brace goes to the front two inside corners and reinforces the bond between the base and the rest of the chassis. For styling purposes the chassis does not rest on the base, rather it is held up by only a thin amount of material. After I add the pumps, drive, LCD, and wiring I will revisit this area and further reinforce it (the HDD cage is not part of the build and was just used as a weight):
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8666/p1010693eog.jpg
Now it was time to add the left panel (back in a more traditional case). It went in fairly nicely:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/4386/p1010697e.jpg
This was the first in a long line of mistakes, just like what my parents said about me. This brace is just 1/4" too long and interferes with the PSU placement. After everything finishes bonding tomorrow I will have to hack out/sand this to the appropriate length. Yes, it looks naaasssstyyy with all that glue bubbling, but you wouldn't be able to see this even if you wanted to after the case is finished, and I wanted as much reinforcement as possible here:
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/9135/p1010699.jpg
Ok so this is where the Kayak capsizes and drowns its passenger with wet, wet water. When I exported my CAD drawing and printed it out (this is how I did all the complicated panels BTW, with a printed overlay) the radiator models I had created interfered with this panel and the holes I had made for them did not get printed out. You would think that I would have REMEMBERED this while cutting, but I placed all my trust in my drawings. BAD MOVE. But wait, it gets stupider, or I do...either one. ;) I decided to be lazy and just move the panel up two inches. See? It fits just fine there and one could argue that it even looks better than the intended design. Wow, Josh, you are soooo much smarter when your not using that PRECISE 3d model you spent so many hours on!!!!
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/7376/p1010701.jpg
Yeah, look at that, The radiator fits in just perfect, it's like God is telling me not to worry about my last mistake and everything is going to be O.K:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/860/p1010703c.jpg
Annndddd for a while it was. I took some pictures of where I had intended the Mobo to be, and where I was going to adjust to. At first I thought this was a problem, because it left so much more empty space that would make the case look boring. After measuring the ATX cable and adjusting how the SSDs fit I decided it actually looked better in the new way. Score!
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/8850/p1010707p.jpg
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/1883/p1010706a.jpg
Then came my first serious problem that was out of my control. I don't know what happened to the picture, but the left panel and the top panel did not line up. The top panel stuck up a whole quarter inch from the left panel, which was BAD NEWS BEARS. I sat bewildered for a couple minutes looking the case over to see what mistake I had made--it was perplexing because the opposite side aligned perfectly. I was scared to death that I had cut the panel wrong, so I took it out (I had not welded it in) and remeasured like four times. I decided to call up my Dad to cry, but instead of being useful as a shoulder, he mentioned that the boards could be warped. Boards could be warped...haha, thats a retar......and then it was obvious.
The backpanel (right side panel in more traditional cases) could be slightly warped and that would definitely account for my problem, and I knew what I needed to do, bust out my heatgun...
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/1589/p1010709.jpg
No, not that sissy heatgun, I am talking about Big Bertha, the biggest, baddest, meanest heatgun in the West. Big Bertha once melted a group of small popsicles as they were crossing the street AND LAUGHED AT THEIR STICKY, BURNING, POPSICLE BONES. She was the perfect tool for the job:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/1690/p1010710t.jpg
Big Bertha is so badass, that not only did she survive being run over in my Jeep, but actually came out modded for the AWESOME:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/263/p1010712b.jpg
See, the Jeep took out that sissy heat shield plate AND bent the nozzle to focus the terrifying beam of toasty death...
This is Big Bertha's holster, a radiator, and boy does she need it to cool off. Yes, that is a full propane tank next to her. Yeah, so, I do keep my extremely flammable :shrug: pressurized gasses next to my sizzling 1500 watt heat gun. Is that bad?
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/319/p1010714v.jpg
Well the procedure did not work as well as my introduction would lead you to believe. It DID have a noticeable effect, as it lowered the edge by about 1/8th an inch. I am going to have to wait till tomorrow and trim it down, and man is that going to be a PIA. I also had to use the heat gun to align the top planel with both the left and right panels, as all the other glue joints caused a very tiny gap that would not allow the liquid acrylic to flow.
Every modder needs to spend 100 bux on a Lian-Li to get this tool. No, I don't care what you do with the case, it can be friends with my teacher's aid drill-press for all I care--they just need this tool. No, it doesn't count if you buy it separate. What are you, a Communist? :shakes:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/2650/p1010715g.jpg
I used said tool to remove with ease the screws to the GPU plate so I could see if the motherboard and video card lined up. They did, thank God.
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/5484/p1010716.jpg
I deserve to be ridiculed for this. It was my intent from the start to modify the GPU back plate so I could secure it to the top of the case. When it came time to do it, I felt akin to a PETA activist trying to shoot 5 different kinds of baby animals crammed into a bucket with a nail gun. Yeah, I had no problem destroying all my other hardware and ruining their warranties, but bending a $10 replaceable part? **** that, Batman.
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/628/p1010719grm.jpg
Grrraaa errr...can I look?
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/7356/p1010722.jpg
THE PAIN, THAT POOR, SUFFERI...
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/5521/p1010723o.jpg
NOOOO YOU MONSTER! HOW COULD YOU?????
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/510/p1010724k.jpg
Oh, well, I guess that wasn't so bad. The picture's angle is deceiving, but the plate is actually flat and flush, just like my Guinness and YOUR GIRLFRIEND!
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/5422/p1010726.jpg
I know, very uncool of me. :down: Luckily it's not like I have a reputation...:rolleyes:
Here is the top plate, all welded in. If you look carefully in the back you can see the 1/8th inch lip I will have to level:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/8479/p1010728n.jpg
Ok, seriously WTF. This is divine retribution for all those "your mom" jokes and that awesome...I mean lame one I made about your girlfriend. This was NOT here last night! No, officer, I swear, that white powder isn't mine!
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/5864/p1010729o.jpg
It is some residual powder from the Micro Gorilla Glue, and I seriously do not UNDERSTAND how it got all over the back plate to my reservoir...AND WHAT? MY RESERVOIR??????
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/3637/p1010730t.jpg
In the words of Darth Vader: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo!
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/6267/p1010731.jpg
Ugh, I predict hours of tedious sanding and polishing in my future. I threw out that glue right away and I am still perplexed by how it apparently EXPLODED throwing deadly spores in all directions to populate and ruin my work. This would be epic failure and tie into that other epic failure I was leading up too earlier, as it would distract me from the reason I reached for the reservoir in the first place, to test fit into the case...
Here is a shot of the top panel so far:
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/5536/p1010733.jpg
Yeah so, being distracted from the reservoir, I looked at my work, now proud, drunk, and tired, and decided I should press on and weld in the plate that separates the pump bay from the reservoir and fittings bay:
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/6120/p1010734.jpg
Yup, yup, looks pretty decent:
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/7630/p1010736.jpg
And in here O.K. too with the extra braces TO ADD SUPPORT CAUSE THERE IS NO WAI I COULD HAVE MADE A MISTAKE RITE????
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8233/p1010738r.jpg
Annnd, waaaiiit for it....
http://15.media.tumblr.com/IA7WP67Ye...LTYQo1_400.jpg
EPIC FAILURE. Thank you and goodnight.
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/8013/p1010744.jpg
"So Josh, what did you do today?"
"Oh, you know, the usual, EPIC FAILURE and stuff. :down:"
Yeah, so THIS is why it is important to pay attention to your measurements, models, prototypes, and notes--you know, the whole reason you do all that stuff so you don't go off in a creative tangent without your brain and before you know it your ******* off a ******* *******. Stars for effect.
Yeah, so my failure lies within the fact that now there is no way my reservoir can neatly plug in without drastic cutting to that panel I just welded in. Had I not ignored my original design and CUT OUT those boxes for the radiators, and not shifted everything up, then I would not have shifted this plate up too (after all it matched the back, I thought I was good). If I had not been distracted by the beer and the Gorilla dandruff or whatever the crap that stuff was then I would have placed the front panel (side) and avoided this err in judgment. Oh well, I guess its not an interesting mod anyways if horrible tragedy does not challenge you to work around it. I'm just going to hope and pray this is the worst setback and I don't drop my case on the way to the competition, like last time. Oh unhappy thoughts...
I started drilling out the motherboard tray, but I was too tired and frustrated so I called it for tonight. Tomorrow I will begin hacking away at that plate and trying to figure out a way to integrate it into the design so it doesn't actually LOOK like a mistake. I wonder if a Styrofoam cutter would work on 1/4" Plexiglas....I seriously doubt it but zomg would that be a wunderbar solution...apologies to the actual Deutsch-speaking people on this forum.
Last two pics of the night:
http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/4003/p1010740.jpg
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/2593/p1010741e.jpg
Cheers.
I would also like to point out that WoW gamecard is used for very little but my Arctic Silver applicator. =P
simply great
Wait... So I actually got it right? I guess 1h+ combing Google, Wikipedia, Sun and eBay actually paid off... lolQuote:
Originally Posted by NFC
About the prize, check your PM :p: Do keep in mind, though, that I'm from Portugal, P&P can be a pain.
:rofl::rofl::rofl: and probably not the smartest idea. Mods will probably either shot that prize even before the pictures are taken, or demand a copy for themselves...:rolleyes: Kidding, of course... lolQuote:
Originally Posted by NFC
Shouldn't that read "Silence", instead? :p:Quote:
Originally Posted by NFC
Are you considering a hand-made drive bezel, just to keep the lines fluid?Quote:
Originally Posted by NFC
The project seems to be taking shape rather quickly, and it does seem at least as good as the mock-ups. Kudos, and keep it up!
Cheers.
Miguel
very nice :D
wow, i felt something move in my pants....
Good evening =)
I am pretty worn out so I will keep the commentary to a minimum.
I started with the mistake I made last time--that panel I placed too high. Here is what it looked like as a reminder:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3933/p1010748tsg.jpg
Then I chopped that sucka out:
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/4200/p1010749r.jpg
Then I sanded it down and worked on the edges:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/8964/p1010751q.jpg
Then I used a 1000 grit piece of sand paper after I filed out the corners--then I wrapped said peice of paper around my file, so I was able to get the corner smooth. Then I flame polished it with my propane torch. I felt quite blessed that I was able to repair that blunder as good as new:
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/4332/p1010753g.jpg
My reservoir would not fit in the front panel window created for it. It was just a ity bity bit too short, like immeasureably short:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7940/p1010757u.jpg
This sucked because I didn't want to remove too much and have there be a gap and the corners are hard as heck to sand. Plus I was out of sand paper that could have shortned it. So I was forced to use the dremel--I set the speed to 4k and ground it up:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9571/p1010755z.jpg
With some work, the reservoir finally went in flush:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/3716/p1010759cen.jpg
Here is another shot:
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/3281/p1010762c.jpg
I don't have a picture yet, but my goal was to create such a tight fit that the acrylic would seem to change color--rather than making a 1/16" border to hide gaps like I did for the LCD and the burner. (by the way, Miguel, I do plan on making my own faceplate for the burner. I actually intend on replacing the faceplate, with the LED, button, and all, and it will require some extra work. I will save that for later, as the competition is coming up fast and I am running out of time...) I would like all the opinions you guys have wether I should keep my current design or make a border...
The motherboard standoffs gave me more trouble than usual. Firstly, I was out of the agressively threaded standoffs in the right size. I had ones that were long, and way to freaking long, and they just weren't going to work. I had, like, a billion Lian Li ones but they are threaded machine style and I ended up having to glue them in. I have no idea how this will work and it could end up being bad--so I will test it before that happens. Then, the one screw that wasn't a Lian Li BROKE OFF inside one of my holes. I didn't want to drill it out because I didn't want a hole in the backside of my case, so I am going to create a spacer out of acrylic. I can't ignore this because it stops the video card from flexing the board:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/811/p1010763a.jpg
I bothered posting this pic because if anyone knows how to get that out so I can reuse the hole and not have to fab a acrylic spacer then please let me know! :confused:
Difference between the two:
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/3807/p1010764.jpg
Here is what it looked like when I finished. The black strip serves as extra support for the motherboard and provides some security should the standoffs fail. It might look out of place now but it blends in quite nicely with the board:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9464/p1010766c.jpg
You will also notice that not all the standoffs are on the removeable mobo tray. Because I moved the mobo up an inch and a half this had to be done. The motherboard should be able to be removed as plan from the back, it is just going to have to swing out from the bottom before being removed.
I used temporary hot glue to attatch the mobo tray brace so I could position it accurately before welding to the tray:
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/2513/p1010767l.jpg
This should give you an idea of the width of the case, with the mobo brace. I hope you can tell with my commentary that it is an exceptionally skinny case, barely wider than the 120mm fans:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/8022/p1010771.jpg
This, like all of the horrible pictures tonight, is a crappy shot of an excellent product. High Strength Bolt in Lakewood found these beautys for me, and I fell in love with them. In person they have a perfect gunmetal finish, and are supposed to be able to be polished to a mirror-finish. I might polish them later to match the key start and the HDD/PWR leds, but I love the gunmetal and I am going to keep them as is for now:
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/6453/p1010774m.jpg
My plan was to remove the stickers from these fans, but they actually serve a functional purpose and hold this tiny tiny magnet in when the blade is removed, and thre are some ugly, off center holes too. I was dissapointed that my plan fell through but the stickers aren't really horrible and will be fine for now (as they will be turning too fast to see at PAX anyways...):
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/2637/p1010775y.jpg
The holes I had drilled for the fans were too small and off by, as usual, an immeasureable amount. This was easy to fix--I just used a bigger bit:
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/1221/p1010777i.jpg
A pic showing how off I was on some of them. Damn you, ruler! Damn you!
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7645/p1010778nsp.jpg
Here is what it looked like when I finished and installed the radiator. This is the left (backside) of the case:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/4369/p1010779u.jpg
This picture was meant to show you guys how awesome these screws are, but the camera I am using tonight sucks:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/812/p1010780hyo.jpg
Here is another angle of the left radiator:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/6959/p1010784o.jpg
Here is the right side of the case with everything installed:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/7127/p1010785f.jpg
Both radiators:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/2743/p1010786j.jpg
Better angle?
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/975/p1010790h.jpg
This is what you can see through the vents:
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6784/p1010793g.jpg
When I was done with that I revisited my earlier mistake and began to drill out 1/4 an inch off the brace:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7466/p1010794q.jpg
The PSU went in quite nicely after that:
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/3978/p1010796k.jpg
This is what it looks like from the back:
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/8973/p1010798g.jpg
The PSU had the sticker upside down when I opened the box, I meant to fix it earlier but never got around to it. I'm going to leave it that way for now because A. I am lazy and B. with this orientation you can see the 850 and the branding. I don't think its going to matter at all cause I am planning on putting a black piece of acrylic there and sticking all my sticker-badges on it:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5200/p1010799q.jpg
I took this picture so you guys could see the cables that I plan on using for the interior of the case. The 8 pin still needs to be sleeved so that is not pictured--the good news is that it is the PERFECT length ( I think ) and I will not have to extend it as I previously had thought, even after moving the motherboard up 1/5 inches:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/5870/p1010800d.jpg
This picture should give you an idea on how much clearance I have left to work with for lighting and such:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/7723/p1010801.jpg
I did a bunch more work that I didn't take pictures of because it was boring. I worked on the middle plate the SSDs will be embedded in, and I created a new back-plate for the reservoir because the old one was ruined by Gorilla dandruff or something...I'm actually kind of glad that happened now, because I like my new idea better.
Here is how I ended the night, and yes, I know they are crappy pictures, sorry:
Flash:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7909/p1010803b.jpg
No flash:
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/8360/p1010805o.jpg
It might look like I'm getting close, but I think I am only half way done with the hole project so far. I have several small pieces to fabricate, all the wiring to do (which will be Xtreme because there is NO extra space in the case--everything will have to be cut-to-order), then the loops which will suck given the confined space and the way the reservoir works. I have a TON of fine detail stuff to do too--I don't know how much I will be able to get done before PAX, but I plan on adding all sorts of artwork in the form of 1/16 inch acrylic with some intricate laser cuts, as well as vinyl. The road seems to be getting longer...but hey, that's what Guiness is for!
Night all.
Looks like this is coming along great. I really like how you include all the mistakes you make and what you do to fix them - it gives people a much better idea of what goes into a mod of this quality. Keep up the great work!
This work log is a joy to read and after coming home from work all i do is click this page from my bookmarks to find out what things have been done. Excellent read and very down to earth.
Wow, thanks to the one pointing me to this worklog. Looks very promising. No-compromise - go for it :)
Cool looking case ;) Submited and waiting for more updates :]
I think that if the bottom looked exactly like the top and the case was a bit shorter it would look just as good:-)
With that shape on the bottom there is enough room for some fans to take in some air without vacuuming the floor and without having to put the case on top of something while it's on the floor. So your airflow could be from bottom to top and be in line with your mobo arrangement... that is if you were cooling with air. Maybe something to consider if you decide to make a similar case in the future.
I read your post a few times, but I am having a hard time understanding it--admittedly I am a bit dense... I am always open to suggestions.:yepp:Quote:
Originally Posted by boredtodeath
Its been a while since my last post, and I am happy to see there is interest in the case. I am about 90% finished with it--I presented it at PAX and it has been very busy since I got back. Check back soon, I'll have a nice big post with lots of pictures. :D
Awesome, can't wait for the update. I really want to see this build in its finished state
I received a PM with a question about the GPU backplate, and thought if one person had questions then maybe others did too. I'm not sure if this was meant to be private, so I will keep it anonymous:
First up, thanks for the compliment. The backplate required some creativity. It consists of five layers--plastic washers double-stacked to clear board bits, 1/16" acrylic, some tiny pieces of double-sided foam tape, and another piece of 1/16" acrylic.Quote:
I love how you created that back plate.
The only question I have, is what did you use as a washer when it was mounted? did you just use double sided tape or is it attached to the back using the block screws?
With the washers the screws Koolance provided were just too short to work (as were the stock 285 screws) so I had to head to Tacoma Screw to find matches. I was unlucky there as well, so, out of desperation, I dug through all my old video card heatsinks until I found some that fit--from a 260 first revision. These were long enough to clear two washers and 1/16" acrylic. So if you want to do this mod you are going to have to buy a first revision 260 and throw it away. :p:
Yes, the black piece is attached with three very tiny pieces of 3M foam double-sided tape to give the angel outline some depth and bounce some extra light around. Some people might think this is ghetto, but w/e. It works and looks the same as if I had used block screws.
Hope this helps. :)
What I meant earlier is basically, well look at the top of the case and then picture the bottom of the case looking exactly the same... now picture the front and back each looking the same too. Basically just like that black trim shape you have on the side of the case. So instead of being flat on the bottom front and back it looks like there are four handles instead of just two on the top?
The airflow could be from bottom to top and you could have one rad at the very bottom and another rad just above it and each rad has a set of fans to try and force the airflow over the rads faster and up out the top of the case faster too.
I like how I read through here and see you giving away stuff you took from me :P
Anyway... post finished picture!
Nice worklog and excellent job on the project. Acrylic looks very complicated to work with, but you are doing awesome.