Night of the Living Dead 40th Tribute

[The_Crippler]

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/jdbnsn/worklogbanners/nightofthedead2.png

Time to start work on my next project, since this one has a time limitation to it. Oct 1st is the 40th anniversary of one of my favorite films - Night of the Living Dead.

As it's pretty much required viewing before they allow you to live in Pittsburgh, and as a fan of the roots of horror, it has long been a favorite of mine. For my next project, I'm planning to put together a tribute case for this movie.

You may have seen the case I'm using in the background of pictures in my other worklogs:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P4280002.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P4280001.jpg


It's going to require some fairly extensive internal re-working since it is not an ATX form-factor case. Why am I using it? That's a good question. I'm using it because A.) it has a nice flat, smooth shape to work with, B.) it's got a lot of internal space for it's size and C.) I like the bottom border. It looks like exaggerated wood-grain, which will factor in to my project.

I am still pulling together supplies and doing my final planning and intend to start construction at the beginning of the month. In the meantime, I have put together a bit of concept art with Sketchup.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Case.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Case2.jpg


First off, you can see that I plan to go with a black body, "wood" trim, a window and some red LED fans. Also, because the case is not designed for a full ATX board, I will need to make a bottom addition to it to house the PSU. Finally, I plan to put an optical drive down front as well (why not? I have the space.)

This is all preliminary construction and shaping. Here is the concept of what the mod itself will be:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Notld.jpg


This should give you a better idea of where I'm going with this idea. I plan to have something along the lines of this (http://www.nightmarefactory.com/85055.jpg)for the hand coming through the side, but I may tone that back, considering the special effects level of the original movie. Basically, this part of the case is going to call back to one of the main visuals of the movie - that of the undead horde reaching through the hastily boarded windows.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Notld2.jpg


Here is a better view of the side. There will be glass in the window, but it will be worked around the hand. I'm thinking of making it double-layered, with a hole busted in one piece. This way, it will look like the window is broken, but still be able to keep the case closed to ward of dust and debris.

Also note the graveyard scene. This will be done with HO scale train props and regular scenery-type grass.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Notlddrive.jpg

Here is a close up of the front fan. The plan is to fashion/buy a miniature wrought-iron cemetery fence to use as a front grill.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Notldwriting.jpg

Finally, this side will either have "Night of the Living Dead 40th Anniversary" cut in to the case with a red CFFL to back light it, or be painted like a tombstone to read, "Night of the Living Dead, Oct 1968 - Oct 2008." I'm still up in the air on that.

I have a few more ideas I'm kicking around in my head, but I'm not sure if they'll make the case too "busy."


So, there it is. That's the general idea. Now, the next step is to see if I can create something at all close to these sketches... :lick:

[kris]

HUh nice idea, good luck with it!:up:
Can wait too see how the hand is going to look!:)

[Mach]

This will be epic! +Rep

How about an etched movie poster on that side?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/posters

[The_Crippler]

Yeah, that's cool: No pressure or anything... :)

As for the poster...I dunno. If I cut the lettering in, it's going to be in the classic red font (http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/149/2891~Night-of-the-Living-Dead-Posters.jpg). (I'm also considering how i might be able to get that picture in the case.)

But, I'm leaning more and more towards replica stone with the letters "chiseled" in.

[dfigravity]

What a great idea!! I can't wait to see this one!That hand that you have picked out looks bada$$ too...nice choice

[jdbnsn]

hahahahaha!!!! I love it, great idea!

[Mach]

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea. Tombstone included. A classic mod for a classic movie!

[The_Crippler]

WThat hand that you have picked out looks bada$$ too...nice choice

Those sick bastards over at Nightmare Factory have some great looking stuff. Just their body parts section (http://www.nightmarefactory.com/shop/)is enough to make me wonder about them. I fear what my work search logs look like from my lunch breaks...



hahahahaha!!!! I love it, great idea!

Think you could come up with a snazzy header for it? *grin*




I tore in to the case a bit tonight to see what I have to work with. Too tired to type it up just now. I'll post something in the morning. Thanks for jumping aboard, guys!

[jdbnsn]

Think you could come up with a snazzy header for it? *grin*

sure, just post a request in the header thread and I'll get to it when I get back to work on them.

[Computer-Geek]

This should be a very cool mod ! I can't wait for the game to come out =O

[Drum Thumper]

+rep and a /subscribe from me. The Living Dead series is one of my favorites!

[The_Crippler]

Okay, so I said I wouldn't get started on the construction until the beginning of the month - but that hasn't stopped me from getting started on the destruction.

I needed to take it apart to see fully what I'm dealing with here, since just the back panel shows that this case is going to take some work:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P5040001.jpg

I'm going to have to cut that up and fit a normal ATX back-plate in there.

Next problem - the way the side panel connects:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P5040002.jpg

As you can see, the side and (about 90%) of the bottom are one piece. It wouldn't normally be a big deal, but remember - I'm building a bottom extension for this case. What I will probably end up doing is cutting the bottom away, and then devising something to hold the side panel on without it.

Moving right along, here is the inside:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P5040003.jpg

Yep, all of that is going to have to go. I don't need a PSU tray, and I certainly don't need a PSU/optical drive/3.5 bay combo thingy.

Side note: I spent 15, 20 minutes trying to get the bezel off. I was pushing down on the plastic tabs and trying to pry it off. I wasn't getting anywhere. Couldn't for the life of me see what was holding it on. Then, I bumped the bottom molding and found that - unlike the side molding - it wasn't attached to the rest of that side.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P5040004.jpg

Doh. Screws. Yep, that will do it.

Here it is, stripped of all its plastic finery:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P5040005.jpg

A few passes with drill and file on the rivets, and the drive bay/PSU tray is removed:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P5040008.jpg

This will most likely be cut down and reinstalled. Why spend time building a new cage when the old one is just fine and already has the rivet holes drilled and ready to go? Once I remove the PSU part from it and support the back end, it will be fine.

Okay, so I have the case pulled apart and opened up: http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P5040009.jpg

I put the side panel back on, and laid a few things, such as mobo tray, optical drive, HDD cage and fan in to get an idea of the space I have.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P5040013.jpg

After my last project, I could almost hear echoes, there was so much room. In theory, the mobo that will be going in here is (according to the manual) almost the same size as this one. (No, I'm not using a slot-socket P2 in this project.) I find that almost hard to believe, so I guess I'll need to open up the gaming rig and check.


More to follow.

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Those sick bastards over at Nightmare Factory have some great looking stuff. Just their body parts section (http://www.nightmarefactory.com/shop/)is enough to make me wonder about them. I fear what my work search logs look like from my lunch breaks...

I loved "INTESTINES: Ok that's just gross!". Great link, at least for amusement's sake.

Regarding the case itself: very cool. I love bases on cases (cases with bases) (sorry), and this is an awesome theme.

LPX motherboards... don't love those. But this is a decent-looking case, and it'll do nicely for what you're planning. Besides - nothing some sawing and rivet-drilling can't fix, right? :D

[The_Crippler]

Besides - nothing some sawing and rivet-drilling can't fix, right? :D

That's the idea! :):up:

[nevermind1534]

Packard made removing the bezel hard to figure out on most of their post-Pentium 1 win 9x cases. I have one with a cyrix CPU stored away in the basement.

[The_Crippler]

Not much new, but enough for a mini update:

First and for most, that which I hate to do - clean my work shop.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P5060001.jpg

There we go. I really need to get a shop-vac. There was easily a quarter inch of Bondo dust on it, and an ungodly amount of spent dremel wheels. But, it had to be done.

A quick trip to the store, and I'm ready for battle:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P5060002.jpg

Rivets, fresh set of Dremel wheels and 16 feet of angle aluminum. That means that this weekend, I can get started on the frame-work and the mobo mount.

The plan is to cut some pieces to add to the frame make it easier to install the mobo plate:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P5060003.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/P5060004.jpg

That will be the first step. After that, I will cut the back panel and test fit stuff so that I know how much room I need to add for the PSU. (Not looking forward to taking apart the gaming rig.)


In other news, there was a killer deal yesterday on newegg fr 4GB of Corsair RAM that I picked up. That will be going in my server, and the 1GB of Crucial will move over to this project with the existing 2GB. (Stupid XP and it's issues with addressing more than 3GB...)

[nevermind1534]

In other news, there was a killer deal yesterday on newegg fr 4GB of Corsair RAM that I picked up. That will be going in my server, and the 1GB of Crucial will move over to this project with the existing 2GB. (Stupid XP and it's issues with addressing more than 3GB...)

This (http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemail/July-0-2008/Promo073108in/index-landing.html?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL073108&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL073108-_-email-_-E0-_-PromoWording) killer deal? I'm thinking of picking up a few things from there. I also want to get the 22" acer monitor from here (http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemail/July-0-2008/Promo072908in/index-landing.html?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL072908&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL072908-_-email-_-E0A-_-Moredeals).

[The_Crippler]

Yeah, that one...thing is, I just got the email yesterday, but it looks like the mail-in rebate was only good for purchases up until the 31st.

EDIT: Looks like they have the same sale still going on, but with a rebate form for August.

[The_Crippler]

Happy Saturday, everyone. Here's today's update:

This afternoon's work was mainly all structural. The first step was to remove the remainder of the back panel that's going to be in the way – mainly, the expansion slots.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5070002.jpg
This was a simple matter of drilling the rivets out.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5070003.jpg

...And there we go.

Next step was to cut some angle aluminum pieces to size. The plan is to use them as mounting points for the new motherboard tray
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5070004.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5070005.jpg

Seen above are the two rails in the locations where they will be mounted in the case. To make sure that I had them at the right height on both sides, I laid a side panel from another case across them and checked.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5070007.jpg

The very slight bit it's off level is actually the same amount that my workbench is off – so I'm not concerned with it.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080008.jpg

A few pop rivets, and it's attached. Next, I cut a new mobo panel from sheet metal and test-fit it.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080010.jpg

Not too shabby.

Next step is to get the back panel cut so that I can put in the mounting bracket for the expansion slots and the I/O panel.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080011.jpg

Some Dremel work, and every thing's cut away. Here it is, roughly fit:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080013.jpg

I'm going to need to do some more reinforcing, as existing openings are right where it needs to be mounted. However, this is good enough for the time being, as it gave me the spacing that I needed to mark out the holes for the mounting posts. (Below)

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080014.jpg

Here they are. They don't have a lot to bite in to, due to the thinness of the sheet metal. Once the chassis is painted, I'll put some lock-tite on them to keep them from getting loose.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080015.jpg

I removed the mobo from my gaming rig and test fit it to make sure that everything is in order. Since it was, I riveted the tray in place.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080016.jpg

Remember the optical drive cage?

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080018.jpg

Well, the time has come to cut it down to size.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080020.jpg

Like I said earlier, it made sense to use the existing one rather than make a new one since all the mounting holes for it are already there.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080022.jpg

As a last check before I get carried on further construction, here is everything test fit:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080001.jpg

I had been worried that the motherboard was going to be just slightly too big to fit in here – it was close.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080002.jpg

Well, there we are – that's where I got to today. The next step will be to build the bottom cage to house an optical drive and the PSU.

[Eclecticos]

I found some molds you may be interested in. Here (http://www.hirstarts.com/grave/grave.html)

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/1850/grave038dv3.jpg

[The_Crippler]

Total rockstar, man! See, I'd stumbled upon that page quite a while ago - recognized it as soon as I clicked it - the thing is, I'd completely, 100% forgotten about it. Nice one!

[Acey]

The base plan looks uber nice. +rep for creativity!

[The_Crippler]

The base plan looks uber nice. +rep for creativity!


Unfortunately, I'm going to need to modify it a bit. Don't worry, the spirit will still be the same. More on that later

First: http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5090003.jpg






Oops...I think I voided the warranty... 8)



Today was one of those days where I got a lot of work done, but not much of it was photogenic. A lot of cutting angle aluminum and, frankly, that would have been a boring set of pictures. My focus was making the PSU frame for the bottom of the case. Using a miter box, I cut the edges of the aluminum to 45 degree angles:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5090002.jpg


From there, I added the uprights:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5090004.jpg


The frame itself is bolted to the bottom of the case to keep it in place:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5090005.jpg


And there it is:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5090006.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5090007.jpg


Now, the frustrating part. As can often be the case, something can look fantastic in Sketchup, but in real life...not. That was the case here:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5090008.jpg


I used some cardboard to mock up the graveyard side slopes and it just doesn't look right. The slope is too steep and the base will be way too wide (almost 14”.) Well, these things happen, and we work around them, right?

I gave it some thought, and here is what I came up with: I will move the bottom optical drive out and form a case around it, giving me some area to work with. Since the front fan was already going to have a cemetery gate on the front of it, it would make sense to have the graveyard in front of it.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/Notldnew.jpg


I probably won't have the flat sides on it, rather, I will round it off and blend it in to the sides. It will be less jarring that way. Also, I may stealth the drive front with the brick wall. Honestly, this plan may work better for my ideas in the long run. I plan to recreate a few scenes from the movie, integrated in to the case – and this graveyard gives me some prime real estate for it. (more on that later – I like to have a few surpises.)


That's it for today. Thanks for checking back!

[Acey]

Cmon mate, since you're already going for it on the front, go all the way man. We'd love to see it done.

[The_Crippler]

There will be something along the sides, but not the high slopes from before. It looks really bad, trust me. Thanks for the encouragement, though.

[DonT-FeaR]

cool im awaiting more

[The_Crippler]

More is coming, I promise. Sorry, it's been a busy week. I'm currently working on the back and side panels. There should be an update before the weekend.

[Acey]

Never rush a mod xD we can wait for the good stuffs

[The_Crippler]

I had some time to work last night. As stated, I have been working on the back and side panels (though, only the back panel will feature in this update.)

The more I thought about the back panel, the more I knew I wasn’t going to be happy with it. Seen here:
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5080013-1.jpg

I was going to have a number of holes to fill (and a new one to cut for the fan) and structure to support – and frankly, that was going to be a lot of pain and bondo dust. Sometimes, you need to work harder, not smarter. In the long run, it was take less effort (and look better) to cut a new back panel from scratch.

So, it was time to give the extraneous stuff the axe:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5130005.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5130006.jpg

With that opened up, I grabbed some scrap sheet metal and marked out the important parts…

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5100001.jpg

…a quick run with the jig saw…

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5100002.jpg

…and some rivets.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5130007.jpg

As you can see here, since it was scrap, the outside edges are pretty wonky. This is what files are for. More on that later.


Side Note: Since this was affixed to the remnants of the old back panel, it actually moved the spacing of the back panel about an eighth of an inch out. This required me to move the motherboard tray so that internal parts still matched up.


Once it was affixed, it was a simple task to rivet in the back panel:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5130008.jpg


The last structural part to do was add the fan hole. I’d originally wanted to put a 120 back there (as the existing case this computer is in has one) but it just wasn’t going to fit, so I modified the plan to include a 92mm instead. This won’t be a problem, as there’s going to be a 120 on the front, and an 80 mm blow-hole.

Once again, here is an example of the work of my Harbor Freight “Hole Markers”:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5130009.jpg

And, after some Dremeling:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5130010.jpg

Hole is cut, but in need of a good filing to smooth it down – and that’s pretty much where I left it for the night. I knew that I had a good amount of filing to do, and that struck me as a pretty good Saturday project.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5130011.jpg

So this is where we’re at. Once that’s filed down to the proper fit, I’m going to start work on the front. Thankfully, that pretty much just needs a hole cut in it.

[Drew]

Subscribed.

Looks megariffic.

[The_Crippler]

That was a very fast pounce. You were lying in wait, or something.


Thanks for subscribing!

[Drew]

I is cunning like a duck.

[DonT-FeaR]

i like it keep it up

[The_Crippler]

Today we pick up where I left off the other day. Here is the back panel filed down to fit and look nice:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5150001.jpg
Notice that I also cut notches out of the top to accommodate the tabs of the top panel.

Moving on, I set to work on cutting the fan hole on the front panel:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5150002.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5150003.jpg

Lining up where this hole is going to go is critical – I screw this up, it's not like I have a spare. Thankfully, all went well.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5150007.jpg

Next step is to cut the corresponding hole in the chassis.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5150008.jpg

Here is everything put back together:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5150011.jpg

Note: I purposefully cut the hole over-sized to accommodate the “bricks” and fence that I will be putting in later as a grill.

This next picture is a mock up with an optical drive and USB bay installed, along with some scraps of wood sticky-tacked up. This gives more of an idea as to what the finished front will look like.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5150012.jpg

Thanks for stopping by again!

[DonT-FeaR]

looking good cant wait for this one

[jdbnsn]

ding dong your header's done...

[The_Crippler]

Oh, bra-vo. Very nice indeed. Just for this, I will have an update posted in the morning.


Thanks!

[DonT-FeaR]

ok thats a really nice header

[The_Crippler]

Yeah....I am totally a fan.

[The_Crippler]

Today’s entry: Fun with side panels (I had to get there eventually…)

One of the major difficulties with this case that the side panels are connected to the bottom panels, making it rather difficult to make it work with the stand I made for it:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170001.jpg
(Blurry. Ew. Sorry.)

You can see the lip at the bottom of this picture. This is the smaller one – the other panel has almost the whole bottom tray connected to it.

The other problem is that, to connect, the panels need to have tabs inserted and then the whole thing slide up. Even without the bottom lip. This was going to be awkward, as the stand is not going to make it easy to slide it. Thankfully, the bottom accent pieces come off:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170002.jpg

What this will allow me to do is to cut the bottom off, as well as shave a little over a quarter of an inch of the side. This way, I can set it in place and slide it up – then replace the accent, and it’s all covered up. The added bonus is that the accent piece doesn’t move up and down, so when it is snapped in, it locks the whole panel in place.


I hope.


Before

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170003.jpg

After

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170004.jpg

…And in place.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170005.jpg

Hey, it worked! I almost appear to know what I’m doing! Sure enough, the accent piece locks everything in place. I love it when plan comes together.

Again, the other side – which is the main access side – has almost the entire bottom of the case attached to it (Packard – what were you thinking?) But not for long.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170007.jpg

Note: I used a jig saw for most of the cut, and the snips just for the last ½”. I just happened to notice at that point that I had never taken a picture of the bottom section.

Just like the other side, it fit perfectly:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170008.jpg

Now, with these modified, the bottom of the case is open in to the stand where the power supplies and one of the optical drives are going to live.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170010.jpg

Next step – the window.

First, I opened it back up so that I could mark the top of the case where the drive cage ends. I figured that it would end up making the window too small, but I wanted to at least see if I could cut the window without exposing it. No major reason, just that drive cages aren’t the prettiest things in the world.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170011.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170012.jpg

I’m a very visual person. There are neater, cleaner ways of planning things out, but I like to just draw things out with Sharpie and get a look at it – especially when it’s something that’s going to be sanded, primed and painted black anyway.

When all was said and done, I had this:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170013.jpg

The left box would be the window. A.) It just looks too small and B.) it was going to be in the way of some internal stuff…so, back to the drawing board. Here is the inside of the side panel:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170014.jpg

This way, I get a good look at everything and what I have to work with. Since it’s obvious that the window is going to be big enough to show the drive bays, I can work from the inside out. The only hang-up is going to be those two tabs right in the center that lock the plastic part of the panel in place. It’s not a show-stopper by any means – since I can secure the plastic by other means – but it’s something to be aware of.

Here is what I will be going with:
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170015.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5170016.jpg

Okay, so obviously, my next update is going to be cutting that window out. After that, the only structural thing left is the blow-hole.

[The_Crippler]

Short update: I was about to order the prop hand for the side window, when I gasped at the shipping costs from the small webstore I was buying from. This prompted me to try to find the prop else-where – which I was able to. The thing is, the next website had a much closer picture of it.

http://www.frightcatalog.com/i/600x600/1002010.jpg

I’m sorry, but that looks down-right comical. Not as cool as it looked in a smaller pic. I’m going to source another hand instead. Between the Sketchup pics I have earlier in and the fact that the original movie did not have much of the “rotting flesh” zombie…I’m leaning back towards a more realistic hand. In particular, perhaps this one:

http://www.frightcatalog.com/i/600x600/1002033.jpg

We shall see. This is one part of the project that will not get scrapped, come hell or high water.

[Acey]

Mate whered u get that lip from? Looks tidy and cool. Hm for the hands, I'd go for the second prop, first one looks kinda uh... futuristic? Lol.

[TheGreatSatan]

I think a starry night over the cemetary would be cool

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Notldwriting.jpg

[The_Crippler]

Mate whered u get that lip from? Looks tidy and cool. Hm for the hands, I'd go for the second prop, first one looks kinda uh... futuristic? Lol.

Well, that would be the point, wouldn't it. Once I saw a better picture of them, I eliminated them from consideration. ;) Never fear...I have ordered one, and I think it will work much better.

Also - sorry, buddy, but I'm not sure what your lip comment made.


I think a starry night over the cemetary would be cool

A fantastic idea! I might steal that if my plan below doesn't work out. Wow – three updates in one day! I'm on a roll.


As we left off, I cut out the window from the inner part of the case:


http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5180001.jpg

Fun with the old Dremel and lots of discs.


http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5180002.jpg



There it is. It needs a date with the file, but it is cut.


http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5180003.jpg



Clamping it to the outer, plastic part to the metal, I used a razor to score around the opening, and then finished it off with a Dremel.


http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5180004.jpg



And that's that. The window is cut.


http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5180005.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5180006.jpg



Now, for the next thing. I've been trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with the blank side of the case. Assuming I can suss out exactly how to arrange some white CCFLs around the mobo tray, I am going to cut the other panel, and then sandwich a transparency between to pieces of plexi. What is the transparency, you ask? Why, this:


http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/notldwork1.jpg



(I had this printed this afternoon, and it looks pretty darn good.)

[DonT-FeaR]

3 updates!!! thats sweet nice window mate nicely done

[DarthBeavis]

Get the moving hand which will be battery powered so you can run it off either your 5 v or 12 v line from the PSU . . .anything you can do to animate your mod improves it!

[The_Crippler]

Get the moving hand which will be battery powered so you can run it off either your 5 v or 12 v line from the PSU . . .anything you can do to animate your mod improves it!


I'm going to pass on that one. Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I worked in a Halloween store...Besides the fact that those hands look bad, I can't tell you the failure rate on them after just a few hours of use. I've seen them in the stores since, and they're still the same cheap model. 8):down:

[DonT-FeaR]

lol thats a pitty that would of been cool

im sure whatever you do will be good

[The_Crippler]

Hey everyone – I'm back again.

Here's the update for this weekend. To pick up where we left off, I fiddled around with the transparency a bit on the existing window to see how it might look on the other side.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5210003.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5210004.jpg
Obviously, I needed to add the plexi to the window, which you can see that I've done. It is held in place with 3M 4010 double-sided tape. Easy to mount, but removable if need be.

I mounted some white CCFL lights on the inside of the case to see how it would look shining through the plexi and the transparency.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5210006.jpg

The good news is that it looks great. The bad news is that playing around all evening that night, I couldn't for the life of me figure out a way to mount the CCFLs on the other side of the case (with the mobo tray in the way) to get the light to shine through as well. However, I was able to come up with some other options:

1.)Masking off the transparency and the window just what is in front of the drive cage, I was able to make a space that I have on either side of case (meaning that it is doable.)
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5210011.jpg
This would allow me to use an image like this:
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/2891Night-of-the-Living-Dead-Poster.jpg

2.)The other option is bright LEDs. These take up much less room, and could probably fit behind the mobo tray, lighting the side not taken care of by the CCFL. I'm going order some and give that a try.

In which case, this part will be set aside for a little bit, while I get some other stuff done. Namely, the zombie hand busting through the boarded up window.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5230013.jpg

Here, I laid things out to get an idea of where things are going to go in the final project. I drilled and tapped holes through the wood, plastic and metal.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5230014.jpg

The screws are inserted from the inside to hide the screw heads. Also, I intend to affix nail heads to the outside once the boards are stained/painted to facilitate the hastily boarded up look.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5230015.jpg

Ta-dah!

The next step is to cut holes to mount the hand through.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5230016.jpg

This was a simple matter of using a hole saw to cut a few holes. One is for the wrist and one for the thumb (to allow it to “grasp”the board.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5230019.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5230020.jpg

Now that this is set up, I moved on to the front bays. Since I will only be using one of them at this point, I will need to block up the other two. As shown in earlier illustrations, I intended to board these up the same way that I did the side window.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5230021.jpg

Not very easy to see in this picture, but I have cut a piece of plexi to fit the top two bays. To this, I added a few pieces of the 3M tape (shown here with the backing still on for visibility.)

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5230002.jpg

This will hold the “boards” to the pelxi. Tape on these boards will hold it to the case.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5230003.jpg

The final step for today was to swap the white CCFLs for red and fire it up.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5230006.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/P5230007.jpg

Final note: Looking at it now, I might leave the black fan on the front. It looks good backed by the CCFLs, and an LED one might be too much.

As always, thanks for stopping by again!

[Acey]

Cool hand. As pale as the dead.

[The_Crippler]

Cool hand. As pale as the dead.


Oh man, it was better than I expected. It doesn't show up as well in the picture, but the painting on it is very detailed. The veins look real under the skin, and the fingernails look ready to fall off. Very nice stuff.

[SgtM]

I like the effect the hand gives. To me though, something about it just doesn't look right. Yeah, dead flesh is pale, but this almost looks milky white to me. Maybe dry brush some blood, or give it some bruises with make up. Put some mud under the fingernails. Something.. dirty it up somehow. Great work so far though. Keep it up. +rep

[The_Crippler]

I like the effect the hand gives. To me though, something about it just doesn't look right. Yeah, dead flesh is pale, but this almost looks milky white to me. Maybe dry brush some blood, or give it some bruises with make up. Put some mud under the fingernails. Something.. dirty it up somehow. Great work so far though. Keep it up. +rep


Yeah, I can definitely see where you're coming from. As stated above, my camera does not do it justice...color fidelity is off (you should see some of the pictures I tossed of the case I took in the dark.) The actual color of this hand is a jaundiced yellow, and there actually is some dirt-color around and under the nails.

Blood is something that is lacking and I intend to add when I get to the painting. In fact, I was looking at a couple of different hands, and my one buddy specifically said, "I'd like this one best if it had blood on it like this other one." I assured him that I'd add some on. ;)

[DonT-FeaR]

this is gunna look sweet

this is looking sweet**

[Drew]

Mega epic mod.

Looking good, expecting great things, that transparency is great!

[The_Crippler]

Here’s a small update for you:

I have continued to work on a solution to my problem with the transparency. To recap, I really don’t have the room to properly light a window on that side, due to the mobo tray. (probably why people don’t generally put windows in that side.)

Currently, I am playing around with LEDs to see if that will work. To work with them, I only taped them in roughly to place that they will go. If I go with this plan, I will mount them in a neater and more permanent fashion.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/p5260022.jpg

The white LEDs are for the title and Ben, whereas the orange ones are mainly for text. So that I could get a realistic view of the final project, I cut a piece of cardboard for this side of the case. This is easier and more reversible than cutting the panel and hoping for the best.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/p5260023.jpg

If this works, then I can simply cut the panel and hopefully have it looks something like this:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/p5260025.jpg

I’m not going to have time to work again until the weekend, so I am going to think on this bit until then and decide if I like it.

In other news, I purchased the miniature tombstones and some foam-board, so work will probably commence on the base soon.

[jdbnsn]

Gasp! That looks great! Fantastic idea dude!

I think I'm gonna tinker with your header, needs something...maybe headstones??

[The_Crippler]

Gasp! That looks great! Fantastic idea dude!

I think I'm gonna tinker with your header, needs something...maybe headstones??


Thanks, man - glad you like it.


And all things header, I leave in your capable hands.

[DonT-FeaR]

that looks heaps good igot my leds the other night

[Drew]

Looks great.

Take the hand into the garden, and dig a hole with it.

Then beat a Badger to death with it for blood and your laughing ;)

[The_Crippler]

Should I let my dog play with it, too?

[Drew]

Now you're just being silly, that's going too far.

Tut tut.

[The_Crippler]

Sorry...

[DonT-FeaR]

rofl thats good

work out the ageing a little and put a green tinge to it if ya can as bodies go green after a few days...

not in the movies tho

[The_Crippler]

This weekend was very busy, so about all I got time for was to clean up the one window and cut the other.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/p5290001.jpg

Here is the first window. I used some spot putty on it to fill in the tool marks from the dremel. That’s pretty much the last step needed for that particular window.

Here’s the plastic panel cut for the other window:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/p5290003.jpg

…And again with the metal portion cut.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/p5290005.jpg

Since the LEDs were just scotch-taped on temporarily, some of them have shifted from their intended location, but that is not wholly important:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/p5290006.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/NotLD/p5290008.jpg

I’m going to have to paint some “black out” on to the plexi. Since the transparencies are sandwiched between two pieces of glass, the thickness of the front piece allows light through. When viewed from certain angles (such as above in these pictures) is give the picture some bright borders. No problem – this is an easy fix.

Next step is to make the mount for the HDD cage and cut the blow hole, and then preliminary construction is finished on the case. After that, I can begin the cosmetic work.

[dfigravity]

Too cool!!! That looks AWESOME man!!

[mittelmeier]

Wow. That looks amazing. +rep.

[The_Crippler]

My plan had been to find a piece scenery fence to use as a front fan grill. Well, I have had zero luck finding one. Therefore, I did what any modder would do: I made one.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/P6040001.jpg

What I did was sketch up something in a graphics program, printed it out, and glued it to some scrap metal. I used regular old Elmer's so that some hot water will remove it later. This print out will be my guide while I work.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/P6040002.jpg

Here, I have drilled guide holes in the center section of the fence. The smaller lower parts, and the scroll work at the top are going to require smaller than usual Dremel discs. This is why I always save my burned down discs instead of tossing them.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/P6040006-1.jpg

From there, it was a lot of cutting, more cutting and some trimming.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/P6040007.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/P6040008.jpg
]

After everything is cut out, a quick bath to remove the paper, and here is what I've got:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/P6040011.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/P6040015.jpg
(NOTE: The above is not its final position on the case. I just held it up to see.)

I still need to do some serious work with a needle file, but this is a start.

[Liquid_Scope_99]

That Fan grill looks awesome like where this is headed + rep

[DonT-FeaR]

nice grill dude looks killer

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Awesome grille, man! A lot more patience than I'd have for something like that. +rep

[Acey]

classic grill... it has that "this a graveyard scene" look on it

[The_Crippler]

Glad you like it.

I had intended to get some work done over the long weekend, but I was stymied at every turn...I had two fantasy football drafts that took up a bunch of time, then I had some tool setbacks for another part, and finally, the two cans of primer I bought were both without propellant somehow. Serious - push the valve and nothing happens. Today I need to try to return them without a receipt (because, seriously: who tries to return spray paint?)

[mittelmeier]

Oddly enough I've had at least 3 people try to return spray paint to me at the parts store I used to work at. 2 of them had used the cans and it must not have matched and the third guy bough a can of red that matched some Ford color when he owned a Dodge. So returning spray paint isn't that uncommon. Plus I have some I need to return, I bought it at Walmart and it doesn't coat at well at all so the un-used cans can go back for some better stuff.

*edit, that fan gill is wicked looking.

[The_Crippler]

Allow me to rephrase then: Who tries to return spray paint when they didn't screw up? :D

Well, they exchanged it for me...eventually. The young lady behind the counter remembered me and was going to do a straight-up swap, but her manager "knew better" and came over and tried to prove that I was an idiot. After showing me how to properly shake a can of paint and unclog a nozzle, he pulled out some newspaper and...did nothing. Then he muttered something and walked away.

[mittelmeier]

Gotta love it when someone proves you right like that. Glad they exchanged it for you.

[Eclecticos]


http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/P6040011.jpg


I can honestly say that your custom fan grill matches
the theme better than any other I have ever seen.
Fantastic job on that. +Rep

I think the prop hand could use some decomposing discoloration.

[The_Crippler]

I can honestly say that your custom fan grill matches
the theme better than any other I have ever seen.



Hey, thanks. I'm glad you like it. It turned out better than I had been expecting.

Update time!

After a weekend of laziness, it was back to the grind yesterday. (The one time I attempted to work, I found my spay paint was defective.) Aside from getting the chassis primed, my main order of business was to get to work on the graveyard/base for the case.

I am using styro-board for this, as the layers of styrene on either side of the foam adds rigidity and protection to it. First step was to make out where the base frame needed to be fitted.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/p6080005.jpg


A good razor and straightedge makes short work of this stuff. I like to make a couple of very shallow cuts first so that the blade has a “track” to run in. Once cut, and a spare CD drive laid in place, the boundaries of the base can be seen:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/p6080007.jpg


I went two inches off of either side, and a few inches off the front. One thing is for sure: This case will never tip over.

I don’t have a lot of pictures for the next part, as it was a lot of repetitive cutting to build up the layers on either side. Essentially, they’re the same as the base, but with the center cut out for the drive.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/p6080008.jpg


I cut the top layer of styrene off so that (later) I can shave out a bit of the foam to drop the drive lower. This is because the height of the drive is just a little taller than the stacked layers of foam board.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/p6080010.jpg


Here is what it will look like when all is said and done with:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/p6080011.jpg


The top layer is not glued as of yet, so that I can still work on the drive cradle. Yes, I see that spot in the lower right that’s not the same width as the other layers. I had a piece that wasn’t quite wide enough, and since there will be a face piece, I couldn’t see the need to cut a fresh piece for that section.

Here is a side view with some fence pieces that will be painted and installed later to give you an idea:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/p6080014.jpg


I got a box of those fences (probably 60 pieces) for $3 at the hobby store. Someone had cleaned out their attic and dropped them off that day. Lucky me!

Finally, here’s a shot with the primed chassis on top:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/planning/Grill/p6080017.jpg


I’m moving in to the home stretch here. This is where things will start to move quickly (and the part I like best!)

One of the next things I will do is to clean up the edges and putty them over. This will give the base it’s strength as well as give me a clean surface to do the cosmetic work on.

[DonT-FeaR]

that base looks sweet keep it up

[Drew]

Looks great, coming on well as per the original design,.

Well done that man.

[The_Crippler]

Just to let everyone know, work continues on schedule. I haven't done an update because I am in a bondo-and-paint section of the project. This means that I'll do a bit, snap a picture, wait for it to dry and go work on something else. Therefore, there's not enough of any one thing to give a proper update. In the next few days, I should have an update showcasing the progress on the base, which I am very happy with. Thanks for checking in!

[The_Crippler]

As mentioned, I’ve been trapped in the “work a little and then do something else while that dries” stage of the project, leaving me with bits and pieces of a number of things that don’t lend themselves to a full update. Finally, I am moving through that and will hopefully have several updates this week. Today’s update will deal with some work on the front bezel, and the fitting of the PSU.

First, the PSU:

The power supply for this project is coming from my gaming rig, and is a SeaSonic 600W PSU. This thing is pretty much the whole reason that I had to make the base for this project, as it wouldn’t fit in the case with a full ATX board. Mounting in the base is fairly simple, as it rides the rails of the metal cage part. All I needed to do was to fashion a back plate for it.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/PSU/p6140014.jpg

I cut this out of some standard metal sheeting, using a stencil I made from the back of the case the PSU is currently in. Then, it was just a matter of Dremeling it out, drilling the screw holes and mounting the PSU to test fit.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/PSU/p6140017.jpg

There we go. After some finish filing, this will be good to go.


The bezel certainly required more work.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/bezel/p6190005.jpg

For one thing, I won’t be keeping the lights and reset button section, so that will need to be filled in. Also, there is the spot towards the top where the Packard logo was. Finally, there is the power button hole. When I knocked the old one out, I found that the hole was about a millimeter too big for the button I will be using. Therefore, that will need to be filled in and re-drilled.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/bezel/p6190006.jpg

The bondo here is partly that I wanted to fill in some scratches and gouges, and partly that I mixed up too much.  Oh well, that’s what sandpaper is for. :)

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/bezel/p6190008.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/bezel/p6190009.jpg

After I sanded it down and sprayed a light coat of primer on it, I was able to see that the filled-in needed some more work to blend them in. So – more Bondo.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/bezel/p6190010.jpg

This time, I intended to mix up the amount that I did.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/bezel/p6190015.jpg

This time, when sanded down, everything is looking good. Now, there are only a few pits that need to be filled in with putty and it is structurally done.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/bezel/p6190016.jpg

After some finish sanding, I will get this primed and painted. I will be back in a day or two with another update, so stay tuned.

[XcOM]

looking sweet dude

[DonT-FeaR]

nice work,.. that stuff can get annoying

good work

[The_Crippler]

Back again. First off, before I forget: I added a power button to the bezel.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/bezel/P6210004.jpg

Just thought you’d like to know.

Today, we’re going to deal with tombstones. I’m going to need a bunch of these, but I only made a few as prototypes to see if my idea was going to work. What I did was to first cut them out of the same type of foam board that I made the base from.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/tombstones/p6110006.jpg

Here they are in context:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/tombstones/p6110005.jpg

The next step was to use some of the spot putty on the edges to cover the non-ridged internal foam.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/tombstones/p6110007.jpg

Oddly enough, the spot putty reacted with the foam core and made it collapse in on itself, where-as the Bondo (which creates heat when it dries) did not when used on the base. I had chosen the spot putty because A.) it allowed me more working time, and B.) didn’t require me to mix up a batch of anything. Even with the reaction, it just took me an additional application to get where I wanted:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/tombstones/p6140015.jpg

After some detail sanding and some primer, I went back and filled holes. After this was all finished, I went over each piece with some stone-texture paint to give them the right look. It turned out great…and….I….don’t seem to have a picture of it here in my PB account. I will remedy this later and add it to the worklog


Next, I’m going to touch base on the top of the case. The only modification that needed to be made to it was the blowhole, which I cut in the chassis. Instead of cutting a hole in the corresponding plastic panel and adding a grill, I decided that I wanted to just have a drilled vent. The plan is to use a red LED fan under it, and put a bloody handprint over it.

For the vent, I actually found one that I liked on another computer chassis – but I didn’t want to cut it out to use as a template…so I balanced it just so, and then maneuvered the drill inside as best as I could and buzzed a few guide divots. No pictures of this, because the job required three hands as it was, so there were none spare for the camera.

In the end, though, this gave me some guidance to start the drilling…

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/top/p6190012.jpg

…And drilling some more…

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/top/p6190013.jpg

…and then reaching this:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/top/p6190014.jpg

To shamelessly toot my own horn, this was a step back and take a good look moment for me. For something free-hand, this looks almost machined, and I’m damn proud of it.

Which is good, because the paint-job brought me right back down:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/top/p6200018.jpg

The paint that I used ended up not hiding any sins. Every imperfection in the surface – ones that are normally completely covered by the paint – shown through, clear as day. This is what I get for saving a few bucks.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/top/P6210002.jpg

So, I sanded that bad-boy down, added some putty, and then hit it again with the fine-grain stuff. It’s looking better:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/top/P6210006.jpg

Currently, it is in my garage letting another few coats of paint dry. I’ll take a look at it again tonight and see if it’s ready to move on to the hand-print stage of the game.

That’s it for today’s update. Let me know if you have any questions.

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Dude, that vent looks awesome. Like factory-stock, but with a nicer layout and less "dead space". Very nice. +rep

The tombstones look promising, as well. So what's goin' on 'em, hmm? Hmmmm? :D

[mittelmeier]

Excellent job on the vent man. It looks like it's a factory job. +rep.

[DonT-FeaR]

i..... respect... no ...... admire your enthusiasm to mod

[The_Crippler]

Fuzzy, Mitt and Fear - thanks for your compliments. Glad that you like it as much as I do.

Now, time for an actual update on the base of this project.

As you know, I built the rough shape of it out of foam board around a metal frame. After that, I bondo’d the outside edges to give it some strength, and then set about attaching it to the frame.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/p6160005.jpg

I used pop-rivets to affix styrene sheets to the frame, and then glue to affix the styro to the styrene. The blue painter’s tape is there to hold the top edges of the styrene flush to the metal until some super glue dries. This is to hold the edges flush until I Bondo over them.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/p6160007.jpg

After it was dry, I cut the styrene at random heights along the side so that there wouldn’t be one single “fault line” under the Bondo, which would invite stress cracks later.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/p6160008.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/p6160009.jpg

The next step was to start covering the styrene, as well as fill in craters along the sides and front (notice the cavity for the second optical drive.) Here it is after the next sanding:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/p6160010.jpg

It was at this point that I came to the conclusion that I would never be happy with the front drive bay as it currently existed. The styro was just not holding a clean cut for the drive bay, and it was just never going to look right. Rather than scrap the idea, I turned to the one building supply that had never let me down: Plexi.

I didn’t have any full sheets around, and since it was going to be covered any way, I made do with scraps. Here is a close up of the main piece, custom-cut to fit the front drive cover:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/p6160017.jpg

Then, a bottom piece and a liberal coating of Bondo:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/p6160019.jpg

Sanded up, it was a thing of beauty:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/p6160001.jpg

Now, I’m good to go, and have a base “bezel” that I can be happy with. After that, it was off to my paint booth. (Also known as my garage.)

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/p6160003.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/p6160004.jpg

The first pic is just primer, and the second includes a black base that I used for under the next layer. The horizontal surfaces are to be painted with a slightly textured brown that will be the “dirt” under the graveyard grass. The vertical surfaces are to be painted with the same texture paint that I used on the stones to symbolize cemetery walls, churches, etc.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/P6220008.jpg

Having finished that and letting it dry for a few days (with the humidity I’ve had, textured paint takes a long time to dry) I got to begin on the fun stuff. First, I masked off these finished sections of paint:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/P6220009.jpg

…then grabbed some spray adhesive and some good old-fashioned railroad scenery:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/P6220010.jpg

End result, is this (notice the painted tombstones in the last picture – sorry, the flash drowned them a bit.):

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/P6220011.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/P6220012.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/BASE/P6220013.jpg

Every day is a step closer. My personal deadline is rapidly approaching, but I think that I’m running pretty much on track. More to come soon.

[DonT-FeaR]

wow that looks great. i like it

[Spidy88]

wow, this project is really turning out! can't wait to see the final project. +sub

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Now that it's coming together, this is one mean lookin' mod. I love it!

[The_Crippler]

So what's goin' on 'em, hmm? Hmmmm? :D


Mmmmm...I dunno. Little this. Little that.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/tombstones/Ben.jpg



I'm gonna make one for each member of "the family."

Also, I painted the wood slats and such and dry-fitted them:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/outside.jpg



My original plan had been to stain the wood, however, that changed as I moved along. As the project came together, it developed almost a cartoonish, satire feel. Therefor, I decided to stick with the same color as the trim and foster that feel because that really fits.

Just a little update for y'all.

[mittelmeier]

Looking good. I thing you made the right choice on the wood, staining it wouldn't have fit in with the rest of it. As a side note your build inspired me to rent Night of the Living Dead and watch it again.

[The_Crippler]

As a side note your build inspired me to rent Night of the Living Dead and watch it again.


Well, then I've succeeded in the point of a tribute. Thanks for stopping by!

Today's update brings us a steathed optical drive. I love these things. On most cases, they are a very simple mod and they add a really cool look to the case. In this instance, it involved a lot more fabrication because I didn't have a ready-made 5.25” bay. I still think that it turned out well.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/dvd%20drive/p6160015.jpg


As we see in a test fit from a few days back, I'm using a spare HP CD-RW drive. I chose this because it was the best spare one that I had laying around, and it isn't going to be the primary drive. My DVD drive is going to be going in the main part of the case where one would normally find it. This one is going to mainly be a back up drive for when I am ripping CDs or what not.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/dvd%20drive/p6200025.jpg


The first step was to remove all of the stuff that I wasn't going to need off the front of the drive. This included the face and the flip-down tray face.

To make the new face, I just used a blank drive cover that you have seen in a number of other pics in this log. It has been painted the same stone texture as the base and the tombstones. The back had some ridges that needed to be cleaned off so that it would sit right.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/dvd%20drive/p6200023.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/dvd%20drive/p6200024.jpg


Once this was done, I used some scraps of plexi to make the spacers on the front of the tray. These off-set the face enough that it doesn't rest right on the open/close button. Another scrap of 1/8” plexi makes the “touch spot” perfectly spaced.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/dvd%20drive/P6220007.jpg


Since the tray itself was the ugly “PC Beige,” I pulled it out and primed/painted it.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/dvd%20drive/Drive1.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/dvd%20drive/p6260002.jpg


Here, the drive is fitted back in to the base and recessed. (Note: Yes, the base is currently upside down.)

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/dvd%20drive/p6260003.jpg


Next was the simple matter of putting some plastic cement in the right spots and applying pressure.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/dvd%20drive/p6260004.jpg


The end result: A graveyard wall stealth drive.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/dvd%20drive/p6260015.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/dvd%20drive/p6260014.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/dvd%20drive/p6260012.jpg


Now, I'm off to the store for some more paint. I'll check back in later.

[DonT-FeaR]

coool nice work

[The_Crippler]

coool nice work

Thanks, buddy. Hang ten, and I'll have another update up. (I've been busy today.)

[The_Crippler]

Back from getting paint. I have, once again, redone the top and........success. I may be picky, but I get results.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/top/P6260002.jpg

Now, isn't that nice?

Okay, now the next step: A nice, bloody, zombie hand print. This will go over the vent holes (which will have a red LED fan beneath it) like so:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/top/P6260004.jpg

The way that I like to do stencils is to cover the painted object with tape and transfer. By doing this, I first of all save the stencil, but also guarantee that the stencil is fully adhered to the surface.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/top/P6260006.jpg

This may look messy, but it works well. I took a sharpie and went from the stencil to the tape. This keeps the stencil from shifting and gives a solid pattern. It works much better than tracing around the inside.

After it is transferred, some careful cutting gets you in business.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/top/P6260008.jpg

Now I am free to give it a shot of enamel.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/top/P6260009.jpg

Two notes on the paint: One, I could have chosen something closer to the real color of blood – but again, I'm going for the cartoonish here. Two, I used enamel so that it will have more of a wet shine on the matte black finish.

After drying, here is what I have:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/top/P6260012.jpg

[nevermind1534]

That's a sweet paint job.

[DonT-FeaR]

nice work man

[mittelmeier]

Nice touch with the hand print on the top of the case. Looks great.

[XcOM]

dude that looooooks freeking sweet!

one of the first horror films i ever watched! still one of my fav's

[The_Crippler]

still one of my fav's

Obviously, I'm a bit of a fan as well.


Current situation update: I currently am finishing up the graveyard fence (getting it glued, painted and installed.) I have a few more white LEDs and some red EL wire on order. I don't have a lot of room behind the mobo tray, and I'm still trying to get that panel lit. That's really the last major thing I have left to do. After that, it's touch-up and final assembly. Which is good, because I have just over a week left.

[DonT-FeaR]

a week before what???


good to hear i will like this on when its done

[The_Crippler]

The 40th anniversary is Oct 1, next Thursday. I know, it's a totally self-imposed deadline, but I'd like to have it done by then.

[DonT-FeaR]

ah ok got ya :)

good luck and gods speed..

well flash es speed anyway

[The_Crippler]

Back again!

I finished up the main tombstones for the graveyard. I might make a few more blank ones if I feel that I need to fill some space, but these are the important ones. Since the lettering I used doesn’t come in different fonts, I tried to print them slightly askew and with extra spots of red to give them a horror-font feel. Without further adieu, I present the family to you:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/tombstones/BnB.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/tombstones/Cooper.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/tombstones/TJ.jpg

I may add one for Johnny, but I’m not sure. He’s important to the plot, but not a very important character.


I’ve also done some more work on the side panels.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p6290006.jpg

Much like the top, I wasn’t very happy with the paint on the side panel, so I sanded it down a bit and then went over it with some window cleaner. (Sanding with 1500 grit sandpaper really gives it a soft touch, but it leaves a lot of dust behind that you can’t easily see but will screw up the paint.)

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p6290007.jpg

It doesn’t look much different in this picture, but trust me – it’s a vast improvement. Go back and look at the before and afters of the top for comparison.

On the other side, I messed around with the “picture window” a bit more. As I touched base on before, even the black areas were letting through too much light, and I was going to need to do some painting on it to cover it up.

The picture is actually two transparencies – one black and white, one in color. At first, I tried to hand-paint the B&W one, but my brush-strokes showed up ones there was light behind it. So, I went to plan B.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p6260001.jpg

Using painter’s tape and my carpet blade (My Xacto knife has been missing since college, and I got pretty good with this blade instead) I masked off all the important let-light-through parts, then it was prime and paint time:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p6260005.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p6260006.jpg

Here it is, held up to the light, afterwards:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p6260007.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p6260008.jpg

As you can see, this is much better. Yes, I realize that some of the transparent areas look pretty beat up. I will be reprinting the color layer before final install. This one was the work copy.

So now, I just have to hope that the lights I ordered will finally get the job done on this.

[DonT-FeaR]

very nice...

lovely work

[The_Crippler]

So now, I just have to hope that the lights I ordered will finally get the job done on this.


Well...they didn't. The "red" wire that the site says looks like this:

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/images/products/ELRed_t.jpg


...actually turned out to be a very dim pink. At least it was only eight bucks, or else I might be pretty damn pissed off. As is, I'm still very disappointed.

On the flip side, I think that I found a solution to my problem, and early tests confirm it. Tonight or tomorrow, I will put it together and get some pics up.

[DonT-FeaR]

sweet

pitty bout the wire but only eight bucks :)

good luck

[Cymae]

very nice. I'd suggest maybe making the lines between different paint colors (like the grey to the black) a little rougher so it looks more natural. +rep

[The_Crippler]


I'm in the home stretch now!

First part that I worked on today was some touch up work on the graveyard fence. When I glued it down, it left obvious dried glue globs, plus the base of the fence pieces was fairly visible without grass covering it:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/Fence.jpg

The solution here was just some Elmer's glue and some grass covering sprinkled on.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/Fence2.jpg


Well, that was a quick little easy project. After that, it had to move on to bigger and better things...like finishing up the side panels. Much like the top, I was displeased with the quality of the paint job, so I needed to sand it down and redo it:

The first side didn't require much more than a light pass with the 1500 grit to smooth out the spots on it:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p6290006.jpg

The other side, however, needed a lot more work to get down to a smooth, blemish-free surface:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/Panel2.jpg

A fresh coat with quality paint, and I was back in business:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/Panel10.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/Panel9.jpg

With those finished, and the paint dry, I moved on to finalizing the NotLD picture window side. While the paint was drying, I cleaned and polished the plexi pieces so that that they were ready to go when the panels were done. With the window back in, I set about laying in the freshly printed transparencies:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/Window2.jpg

With some fresh super tape laid down, I sandwiched these sheets with another piece of plexi:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/Window4.jpg

Next step: Lighting.

One of the main problems with lighting this panel is that I don't have room behind the mobo tray for CCFLs. One on the top and bottom would have been great, but I only have space for one in front by the drive bays. On the other hand, LEDs don't put out enough indirect light to be practical on their own. On the other, other hand – that EL wire was freakin' useless.

The solution:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/Window5.jpg

By laying in a thin sheet of styrene, it will act like the foil bowl in a flashlight and reflect indirect (and softer) light back at the window...

...in theory. :rolleyes:

To keep with lights where I wanted them, I first taped them down to get a layout set.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/Window6.jpg

Once laid out, I affixed them with hot-melt glue. (Between this and the Elmer's, I feel like I'm in arts and crafts.)

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/Window8.jpg


Now, you will note that the EL wire is on there, but that was only to give it a go. Once the glue around it dried, it blocked what little light that was illuminated. (NOTE: I know the glue gun is pink. It's my wife's.)

Now, the moment of truth: Did my idea of a reflector work?

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/Window10.jpg

Yes. It. Did. Sweet.

I'll be back in a little while with another update where I test fit every on the case.

[The_Crippler]

It's high time that I put this stuff all together, light it up and see how it looks - doncha think?

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p7030001.jpg

The bezel goes together rather nicely over the grill, which is screwed in with the front fan. The bottom "wood" piece just snaps on over that. Next, I flipped the whole thing over and screwed the base on. This is done with just a few machine screws up through the base-frame:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p7030003.jpg

The LEDs are all connected together, and then taped up out of the way under and behind the drive bays.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p7030004.jpg

Even so, I'm going to do some serious wire management when I fit all of the actual components in place in a few days.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p7030005.jpg

NOTE: Yes. That is a slot-type mobo hung upside down. This is my test board, and my test PSU doesn't have a long enough power cord to make it from the bottom of the case up to the connector.


Closed up and redy to go:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p7030006.jpg

Next step it to fire it up, turn out the lights and see what we have:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p7030013.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p7030014.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p7030015.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p7030016.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/p7030018.jpg


Almost done. I pretty much just need to fashion the HDD cage, install the tombstones and swap in the final components. I see no reason why I shouldn't be ready for the 40th anniversary on the 1st!




(Probably shouldn't have said that...)

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Wow, that looks mean all lit up!

The handprint's great, man - +rep for that, and the simple grass fix. :)

[mittelmeier]

That's looking amazing. It's coming together nicely. Can't wait to see all the rest on there. +rep

[Bopher]

Now that is looking awesome!! +rep

[nevermind1534]

Think you could have fit any more molex plugs in there?

[The_Crippler]

Think you could have fit any more molex plugs in there?


Yes.

[The_Crippler]

Not much additional work today...just spot-checking here and there. One bit of update – I painted and installed a hard drive cage:

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/P7040004.jpg


Tomorrow, I need to stop and pick up some superglue to affix the hand to the side panel, and then I'll probably start swapping over the final pieces of hardware.

[DonT-FeaR]

great!!! and on the deadline lol get it DEAD line :)

[The_Crippler]

He'll be here all week, folks. Tip your wait staff. Try the veal.

[DonT-FeaR]

:) one day......

lol ill stick to making mods ey??? mind you not to good at that either ... lol

[The_Crippler]

Happy 40th, Night of the Living Dead!

And, in honor of that, I have officially completed this mod. Without further delay, here is the picture bomb. Enjoy, and thank you for following this project and offering encouragement/advice.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060001.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060002-1.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060011.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060014.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060016.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060019.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060022.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060005-2.jpg http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060009-1.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060011-1.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060012-1.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060003.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/modmakerpics/NOTLD/final/p7060006.jpg

[mittelmeier]

That looks awesome. Great work man. +rep.

[XcOM]

looks freeking amazing, and i shall be watching the film this weekend!

[Mach]

The side panel looks great! Nice job! +rep

[BerticusPryme]

This turned out great. I dont think you could have captured the look any better. +rep for sure

[The_Crippler]

Hey, guys - thanks for all the kind words. This is a great place to post.

Just a quick few points after using the rig for a week or so:


The old case had blue lights on it. When i walk past the room, the red and white give me pause every time.
Since the old case only had one fan, and that was at the back, this one seems louder. Not good or bad, just is.
It moves air. Sitting next to it, there is a definite current moving through it. It's a wonderful thing.

[DonT-FeaR]

very nice man... i like it..

[Acey]

RADDDDDD.. especially the NTLD side! +rep

[SXRguyinMA]

love it!! :bowdown: +rep

[The_Crippler]

Thanks for all the kind words, folks. Front page. What an honor!

[mittelmeier]

Congrats on the front page. +rep

[ContraptionMaker]

GREAT job!!! The hand coming out of the case is awesome! Love the lighting and the base too. +rep

[Drum Thumper]

Excellent work my friend. Have some rep!

[The_Crippler]

Have some rep!

Why, thank you - it's the perfect size and color. How did you ever know?

[Waynio]

Couple of years old I know but this is cool, seeing this makes me want to do a zombie mod :D, love the Night of the living dead movie, but also love the 78 Dawn of the dead :D the effects weren't much but good for the time & it just worked so well, the 2 best zombie movies ever imo, not keen on the super atheltic ones in 28 days later but they're not zombies, just biohazard type zombies, oldschool zombies would be a laugh sort of, dead rising anyone :D, custard pie in the face, traffic cone on their head, that game is hilarious lol :D, can't wait for dead rising 2.
+rep for a cool nod to a classic horror movie & you completed it in time for the anniversary ;).

[The_Crippler]

Thank you for your kind words. Zombies are a passion of mine, so I agree totally with what you said. Also, it really hadn't clicked how long it'd been since I did this mod until I saw your post.