DragonForce

[rajjinator]

i know what your thinking, breaded seabass? am i right? damn im good. anyways ... i was swiming in the sewers the other day and i came across this cheiftec dragon case just floating around. Normally i'd just ignore it and carry on swimming but next to it was a very nice (but slightly worn) dog. It was this very dog that inspired me to mod this case for my own personal use.

Here we have the case its self, cleaned up of course.

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1700.JPG

Here is a picture of all the components. This is also my work area, very messy i know, but not bad for someone who swims in the sewers i must say.

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1698.JPG

I wanted the case to appear scary and alien like. So... i was feeling some black was needed on the inside.

off come the feet...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1706.JPG

Obviously being in the sewers a long time this case had aquired several piles of double sided tape. To achieve the best finish with the paint i had to get it all off...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1707.JPG

next step was to rub down with scotch-brite and wet and dry...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1709.JPG

next step was to clean the entire case and mask off the exterior paint...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1712.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1713.JPG

Now its ready for a coat of primer...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1714.JPG

The first primer coat being sprayed....

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1716.JPG

Primers Dry...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1718.JPG

Its quite important to make sure you rub down the primer lightly with wet and dry paper or you'll get a dodgey finish. This is expecially true if you have a dog in your earlobe.

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1728.JPG

Time to spray the 1st coat of black. Its best to do several coats than spray it on too thick, or it'll more than likely run which will make it look like u have just literally dragged it from the sewers... possibly with a dog attached to it, or even an ill-tempered, mutated seabass.

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1732.JPG

After the 1st coat of black...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1734.JPG

Now... i need something to occupy my mind so i dont go and touch it for at least an hour or it'll look like a man with vasceline on his fingers recovered my case from the sewers. I know, i'll fit a water block to my graphics card :D

More to come soon ppl.... maybe sooner than you think :eek:

[rajjinator]

I'm Back ! Guess what, I ordered the wrong gpu block. Oh well guess i'll have to mod it to fit then. :D

here's the old hsf...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1720.JPG

luckily, using some long nose pliers and a trusty wooden spoon, i was able to remove it.

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1721.JPG

The Asetek GPU water block...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1723.JPG

arctic silver 5, always useful...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1725.JPG

If i can get it to fit, the pipes coming off at an angle might make it look a bit different as well... we will see

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1726.JPG

Next problem... the bottom of the block stops the card from pushing all the way into the agp slot. not for long....

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1738.JPG

thats better....

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1740.JPG


Righttttt............. That case should be dry by now. Time for a coat of lacquer. Heres the result after 4 coats...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1735.JPG

hmmmm while thats drying i think i'll fit some more water blocks...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1743.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1744.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1745.JPG

and the CPU block...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1746.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1747.JPG

Thats all for now. Back soon

[rajjinator]

Hi, Ive had some good idea's (well i think so, comments please?). Did i mention i drilled out the rivets holding the HD Bays in earlier? no? oops.. well yea i did...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1708.JPG

well this left me with a problem, as i didnt really want to fish out and buy a 5" HD cooler just so i could mount it into a wider bay. So... i came up with this very simple method using motherboard standoffs and a few washers...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1748.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1749.JPG

Good finish eh?...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1753.JPG

I needed somewhere to mount a reservoir, ideally higher than the pump to make filling the system easier. I finally decided to mount it at the back near the exhaust fan vents just above where the pump will be positioned. so i made a bracket to hold it there...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1757.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1758.JPG

some 4mm aluminium...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1779.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1784.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1785.JPG

HIT IT!

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1788.JPG

DRILL IT!

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1789.JPG

Drill some more....

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1792.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1793.JPG

Jobs a brownen....

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1795.JPG

Thats all for now. Next job is to cut tubing and fill and bleed the system. FUN :p

[Chapel]

Cool man i like it. You should dye the water green or something to match the sewer thing you got goin ;)

[rajjinator]

nice idea about the sewer thing and the green dye. but i'd already ordered an orange dye. Although ive just put some dye in the system and it doesnt react very well with UV although its supposed to so ive contacted the shop. Time to update my log i think. C ya'll soon. MOoooooooooooooooooo

[rajjinator]

Now for the fun part... deciding how to lay out the piping. Heres a pic of the case before i started...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1796.JPG

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm this is my brother... although prob not the best idea to admit that... I think he's just made a new invention, how to blow in your own eye... He'll make millions :?

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1797.JPG

After about 20 mins of fiddling and swapping pipe arrangements to see what looks best i came up with this layout. i think it looks quite alien like, how about you ppl? although i deffo think some green dye will be needed. I guess orange will do for now though...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1799.JPG

Filling the system, no leaks YAY lol... mooooofishbadgerspoonmoon

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1804.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1803.JPG

Future proofing my Radiatior config so i dont need to wire in more fans if i change to a dual Rad...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1805.JPG

Time to tidy up this mess of PSU leads....

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1807.JPG

Almost finished... maybe too many blue cathodes i dont know... i think i'll have to ditch 1 for a UV and put some dye in the water...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1809.JPG

Ignore the random fan on the bottom its just to silence the alarm on my fan controller cus theres no sensor wire on the 120mm rad fan....

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1810.JPG

More to come soon ppl.

[rajjinator]

here are some more pics... ive added UV Orange Dye to the water system.

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/F1.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/F2.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/F3.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/F4.JPG

any idea's for more mods anybody?

[Aero]

what you could do is buy some UV paint, like green or bright orange and spray it over a few of the tubes to make them look different, noit sure if paint will stick well to tubing though.

good job, also might want to hide the end of that UV cold cathode, the one under the PSU.

[rajjinator]

not a bad idea. i might give that a go. or at least paint some other parts with UV paint. As for hiding the cathode i noticed that just after i took the picture, it dropped slightly. all sorted now. 8)

[rajjinator]

Pump Silencing:

when your case is made from sewer material, suction cups tend to stay put for about 3 milliseconds and then come loose, letting your pump to vibrate away making a racket like a breaded seabass at a earlobe licking contest.

Ripping off the suction cups was easier said than done, i ended up giving it to my dog, who in the end ate all four of them.

with the base plate of the pump removed i set about mounting it to a piece of dense foam...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1830.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1828.JPG

pump buzzing and vibrations were reduced dramatically from a result of this mod.

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1833.JPG

[rajjinator]

Fan controller modification:

I never have liked my nexus super panel...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1861.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1862.JPG

so i went shopping....

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1864.JPG

drilling holes for standoffs....

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1865.JPG

back view with installed pcb...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1866.JPG

soldering extention wires to the potentiometer...

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1869.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1867.JPG

front view....

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1868.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1871.JPG

http://www.brucebaker.f9.co.uk/forumpics/DragonForce/DSCF1870.JPG

[Uncle Humjaba]

You didnt happen to get that case off of ebay, for $20, did you?

[rajjinator]

You didnt happen to get that case off of ebay, for $20, did you?

erm... no mate it was from overclock.co.uk why u say that?

[Uncle Humjaba]

cause i sold one just like that one on ebay a few weeks ago for $20 :D Anywho, lookin good

[slipknot_fan1]

great mod, its awesome! off the subject for a sec, what kind of keyboard is that and where did you ge it? sweet mod!

[rajjinator]

cause i sold one just like that one on ebay a few weeks ago for $20 :D Anywho, lookin good

oh rite, nope i bought it a while back from overclock.co.uk cost me about £50 I think. cheers, should have some more mods comin up pretty soon ish.

[rajjinator]

great mod, its awesome! off the subject for a sec, what kind of keyboard is that and where did you ge it? sweet mod!

hey dude. thanks for the good comments. the keyboard is made by advent, was from dixons in the uk and is quite expensive at £25. has a feel similar to that of a laptop. unfortuanatly dont know if they still sell them, worth checkin there site tho....

www.dixons.co.uk

robbed

[Azoxy]

Mod looks GREAT! I like the way you modded the Nexus Super Panel, it really adds individual touch to the project.

[rajjinator]

Mod looks GREAT! I like the way you modded the Nexus Super Panel, it really adds individual touch to the project.

thanks dude. ive been planning to mod a differnt type of fan controller as well, one with controlls for 4 fans. anyone have any suggestions?