Project: Turbine

[M4v3rick]

Hi Everybody

This is a project I have been planning and collecting ideas for a long time.
I had this idea about a turbine in my head for a long time waiting for a chance to include it in a project. As my new PC needed a new case this was the opportunity.

As a basis I got a Antec SLK 3700 from ebay because my first case was from antec and it prooved to be a quite solid case on many LAN Parties.
I didn't need the front of the 3700 (was ugly anyway), all I was looking for was enough space to mount one 120mm fan in the front and the back.

I liked the lockings on the sidepanel (the locks were crappy but the idea was nice) so I wanted to replace them with bonnet pins i got from england.
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/bonnetpins.jpg

on top you see the old lockings
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/bonnetpins3.jpg

Since I'm a fan of such racing stuff the way was not far from bonnet pins to carbon which was a new material for me thought I had worked with fiber glass before on my previous case.

To achieve a custom shape of the front I chose MDF and after some work in ScetchUp I took some 19mm lefovers from CarHifi constructions and started.
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/front_entwurf.jpg
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/front_entwurf2.jpg
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/front_entwurf3.jpg

I added another sheet to create some depth. The screws are just to align the pieces while sculpting.
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/front.jpg

Now its time for the turbine. Though I'm going to use a standard fan I wanted to get rid of the normal mounting of the motor and replace it with something giving a cleaner look.
At first I cut two rings out of the frontpanels to use them for my own mounting.

Here you can see the ring where the motor will be mounted on
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/front2.jpg

This is the second ring used to hold 12 LEDs to illuminate the blades of the fan. It is located between the bigger ring I showed above an the sculped part on the outside.
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/front3.jpg

This is the first try-on with the real case. The aluminium tubes are part of the motor mounting and also transport the cables.
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/front4.jpg

[nevermind1534]

Looks good, keep it up.

[FrooP]

CASEUMBAU \o/

[M4v3rick]

CASEUMBAU \o/
Stimmt, bin ich aber offensichtlich nicht der Einzige :D

Next I freed a fan from its frame and mounted it, illuminated by three leds not in their planned position.
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/luefter.jpghttp://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/luefter2.jpghttp://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/luefter3.jpghttp://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/luefter4.jpg

I could not wait to see the effect of all 12 LEDs so I wired them on the fly to get a first impression. I have to say that all LEDs are orange, which my camera likes to interpret as red :D
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/luefter_fertigbeleuchtet.jpg

The next step was to make some feet consisting of two acryl discs and an aluminium disc at the bottom. Instead of installing the three LEDs vertically, I milled little chambers tangential to the screwhole in the middle into the discs so the LEDs stayed in place just pressed between the acrl.
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/fuesse.jpghttp://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/fuesse2.jpg

Waitingfor the first appliance of bondo to dry
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/front_spachtel.jpg

I decided to solder the LEDs for the ring
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/luefterbeleuchtung.jpg

These are the parts of the new motor mounting so far. The piece of aluminium in the middle will be glued to backplate of the motor, the cuts fit to the tubes and one opening to lead the cables into one tube. The two MDF rings were glued together.
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/luefteraufhaengung.jpg

I'm going to skip the troubles I had with the carbon at the beginning because it was only a matter of which resin to choose.
The overall plan was to cover the sidepanels with carbon fiber to create a contrast to the paint of the rest of the case.

[The_Crippler]

Looking good. How much weight is the MDF adding? Seems heavy to me.

[M4v3rick]

I haven't weighed it but I guess its about 1-2Kg.
I prefer a mod to be quite stable instead of shaky constructions getting dents by the slightest usage.

[The_Crippler]

I haven't weighed it but I guess its about 1-2Kg.
I prefer a mod to be quite stable instead of shaky constructions getting dents by the slightest usage.

Fair enough. Good a reason as any.

[Dane Bramage]

that fan is awesome. i dig the feet too. can't wait to see it come together.

+rep/sub

[DonT-FeaR]

looks killer keep it up!!

[Cobra]

looks great so far bud, nice effect with the led's.

[M4v3rick]

Looking good. How much weight is the MDF adding? Seems heavy to me.
The weight of the almost finished front including fan and LEDs is 1.5 Kg.
Compared to the weight of the complete case with hardware I think ist not too heavy.

[M4v3rick]

I painted the case in orange, exactly in RAL 2008.
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/lack_innen.jpghttp://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/lack_innen_h.jpg

In this Pic I had already covered a sidepanel with carbon (it took me 3 times because the resin I used before created a completely ugly surface)
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/lack_aussen_sw.jpg

At the same time the front was completely primed and sanded.
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/lack_sw_f.jpg

The next stage was to cover the front with carbon fiber, which was really tricky at some spots, espacially at the top and bottom edges.
http://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/front_carbon1.jpghttp://maverick.dbclan.de/modding/front_carbon2.jpg

Some days later my brand new hardware arrived and I could not resist to do a little test fitting. At this point I realized that I had underestimated the dimensions of my graphics card with its heat sink which was so long that it was not possible to mount more than 2 HDDs in the original cage. Secondary that damn heat sink covered two of my SATA ports of my mainboard so I had to find two SATA cables with plugs that were 90° angulated each in a different direction. Until then I thought those plugs were always angulated in the same direction.

[DonT-FeaR]

rofl so thats what they are for lol i just thought they were to look clean(right angle sata)

[Dane Bramage]

Carbon fiber looks great, and I love the orange.


I had to find two SATA cables with plugs that were 90° angulated each in a different direction.

Where did you find them? I think i could use some of these as well.

[Cobra]

carbons a nice touch.. now yer forcong me to learn wiring for led's on my rig lol.
keep up the great work

[M4v3rick]

For my SATA cables I tried ebay at first but anybody describes the direction of the right angle. I was very lucky and found a cable at my local computer shop.

I'm glad you like the colors but the pics don't come near the real thing, I'll try to take some more of the new progress this weekend.