Project: Dark Carbon

[rendermandan]

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


http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/DarkCarbonsig-1.jpg

This project is called Dark Carbon. Mainly because the custom built case is built almost entirely out of Carbon Fiber sheets. I am using a 2X2 Twill pattern so it will have that cool look similar to the carbon fiber that is used in Ferrari's and other expensive sports cars. :)

Here is a synopsis of the design before I get to the rendered images.

1. Carbon Fiber is very Rigid and Durable. It is lightweight, and overall just looks cool. It is very expensive and sometimes difficult to work with. I laid out the parts in Autocad so this should go together without much trouble.
There will also be Carbon fiber tubes for case feet.

2. For the shape of the case, at first I though about building a typical tower case, but then I thought that it would be too similar to other cases. I wanted to think outside the box. So I chose to go flat. And instead of a rectangulare case, I chose an Octagon. this way I will have 8 sides plus a top to show off the goodies (more on that later). It will have a clear or smoked plexiglass window in the top as well.

3. Lighting. Anyone that knows me, knows I love the color blue. But this time, as I was thinking outside the box, I figured why not try Red? So this case will have red backlighting behind Black plexi that will hopefully glow like in the pictures.

4. Equipment. -This case is going to have (2) raptor windows with the hard drive disks exposed. a DVD drive, Red LCD panel. A "Hidden" power supply. Water cooled of course, a removable hot swappable hard drive, and some temperature monitors. -Oh and possible some motorization. I don't think I can bring my self to not put some type of moving part in it. :)

5. Cooling: The CPU and possible the Video card, and NB will be water cooled from one 120mm radiator. There are (2) 120 mm fans in 2 oposing sides. and an exhaust fan on the top of the case. The power supply fan will draw cool air from underneith the case. Lastly a single 80mm fan will exhaust hot air out the back. The bottom chamber of the case will be vented as well through modders mesh.

This case should prove to be a challenge for me. I've never worked with carbon fiber before. Nor have I ever built a scratch built case. It will take some time to complete. I want to build this case to exacting standards and amazing attention to detail. All wires will be sleeved, shortened if needed, and hidden! All edges sanded and polished. Etc.

Here are some rendered screen shots for you. The final case may evolve slightly from these images. But for the most part, you can see what it will look like.

Enjoy!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/DarkCarbon-Gloweffect.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/DarkCarbonGlow2.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/DarkCarbonGlow3.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/DarkCarbonGlow4.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/DarkCarbonGlow5.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/DarkCarbonGlow6.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/DarkCarbonGlow8.jpg

So what does everyone think? I would really appreciate anyones input or quesitons.

this should be a fun build, I hope you like it as much as I do!

Dan

[Langer]

I'm a sucker for carbon fiber, so I'll be watching this build closely.

I'm interested in how you plan to build the case. Will each side be a separate piece of carbon or will you somehow form the octagon from 1 peice?

[Luke122]

Killer idea! One suggestion though, use a slot load drive.. it'll look much cleaner. :D

[985323]

I'm a sucker for carbon fiber, so I'll be watching this build closely.

You stole the words right out of my mouth, ill be watching this closely

[rendermandan]

thanks you guys. I've been looking at slot loading dvd's. We'll see. I may conceal and stealth the drive.

[OvRiDe]

So what does everyone think? I would really appreciate anyones input or quesitons.

SPEECHLESS!

Knowing your quality of work... its going to be fantabulous!

Definitely going to be watching this one closely!

[The boy 4rm oz]

Dude do you just go to sleep and wake up and go "today I am going to make another KICK ASS MOD!!!" I am really looking forward to this. May I suggest that instead of using actual CF that you paint it? Bill at MNPC tech posted a video tutorial on YouTube and I must say it looks so so real. I will find you the link.

*EDIT*
Here you go:
Kv1MZ8WYklk
Direct Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv1MZ8WYklk

[DonT-FeaR]

sweet...

[rendermandan]

Thats a pretty cool technique for painting carbon fiber. That gives you the effect of a "plain weave" pattern. I am going to be using 2x2 twill. this pattern gives you the effect of a herringbone pattern. -Plus painting does not give you the depth I'm looking for. Real carbon fiber will "shift" under the light as you move around it, and you can actually see the fibers weaved together. Besides, I've already ordered the panels. :) They should be here in a few weeks. The anticipation is killing me.

-Oh and yes, it will be 8 individual sides rather than one continuous piece to form the octagon.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Dude I can't wait to see how this turns out. If it is anything like Motorized Madness with will be bloody fantastic.

*EDIT*
I just took a look at your sponsors site. Now I can tell why you have been picky about what type of CF you use lol. Can't beat the real thing and there is a lot of variation haha.

[Langer]

@The boy 4rm oz - IMO that doesn't look like CF at all.

THIS IS CARBON FIBER AT ITS FINEST:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Langer/PrometheusCu/prometheus-carbontest02.jpg

Note the reflection, depth, and sheen.

[rendermandan]

This is going to be slow going at first as my parts come in. Today I got my first pieces of carbon fiber. I bought 8 20mm high carbon fiber spacers that are used for bicycle handle bar spacers. I am going to use these as the feet of the case. (might as well start at the bottom). :)

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_5595.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_5598.jpg

-these are in a plain weave pattern. -and they look amazing. Pictures really don't do them justice.

[DonT-FeaR]

nice i like them,, this will probably be a good job :)

[The boy 4rm oz]

Spacers look great, they will make great feet.

[AMD Killa]

Wow, I really like your ideas in the render. I hope it turns out how you want it to. *Bookmarked*

[SXRguyinMA]

I'll also be watching this closely :)

[mittelmeier]

That is one sick looking design you have. I looked at some of your previous builds and this build is one to watch. Subscribed!

[rendermandan]

Well, I'm at it again, SPENDING MORE MONEY!
I just ordered an OCZ EliteXStream 1000W PSU.
That should give me enough power to for a long time with this computer.
I plan on putting (2) GTX 280's in this rig in the future. So I figured why not spend a few extra bucks now and be ready for it later on.
I also ordered a LG 22x DVD burner with Lightscribe. Not sure if will ever use the lightscribe as I've only used the one I have now once. But you never know. :)

Well, back to work. I have to pay for all this stuff somehow...

[The boy 4rm oz]

Nice new gear.

[SXRguyinMA]

yes indeed

[jdbnsn]

I finally got a header made for you, I inserted it in the first post. Let me know if it needs changes.

[rendermandan]

Thanks Jon! +rep

[DonT-FeaR]

jdbnsn is back with the skillz once again

nice work both of you...

sounds like a solid psu..

one question what is lightscribe??

[The boy 4rm oz]

Lightscribe is a capability found on most modern DVD burners. It requires a lightscribe capable disk to operate though. Basically you burn your content to the disk then flip the disk over and burn a title etc. to the top of the disk. Much neater than permanent marker.

[DonT-FeaR]

cool...

i want one now... lol

[Ap1thy]

I admit I was of little faith on how an octogon would look good, but scrolling down to the design sketches made me remember just who was designing this.

Looking forward to another brilliant build

[rendermandan]

Small update, or rather need your input on something. I ordered some fluorescent plexiglass samples. Hoping that the Red would actually be red instead of pinkish that is shown on the website. Well, no luck It is pink, VERY PINK! And that just won't do. So I decided to render out some of the other options I had. I rendered a Fluorescent green Which actually does look pretty sweet, and would look pretty good against the carbon fiber. I also did an orange. however I could not get the render to look as bright orange as the actual sample so it came out kinda orange/brownish. My only other option is to use Clear plexi with Red led's behind it and sand instead of polish the edges so they glow red.

Here are the three options again.

Green http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/Green1.jpg

Orange:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/orange.jpg

Red: -again this would be clear plexi with red led's.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/DarkCarbon-Gloweffect.jpg

So what do you guys think? which one do you like the best.

I'd like to order my plexi so it will get here by the time I get back from vacation in three weeks so I can get started on this build. The Carbon Fiber should be done by then as well.

[985323]

I love the red so my vote goes to it

[Zephik]

What about doing them all? Isn't there a type of LED or something that can change color to whatever you'd like? Thought I saw that somewhere.

Anyways, if it had to choose... green? I like them all to be honest. lol

[rendermandan]

What about doing them all? Isn't there a type of LED or something that can change color to whatever you'd like? Thought I saw that somewhere.

Anyways, if it had to choose... green? I like them all to be honest. lol

Um, do you mean the led controller I built, XPS Ground effects?

-Yeah i thought about doing that, If I choose the clear plexi I can do that option, I never really intended this to change colors. some things like the fans and switches would not change color. and its going to take alot of led's to light up all the little pieces. those rgb led's are not cheap!

Thanks though.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Have you tried looking elsewhere for the red? I know the red scraps we get throught school is a rich red colour, looks like your CADs.

I do think the clear with those colour changing LEDs you used in your laptop mod would look good but not as good as solid red plexi.

IMO red is still the better colour to choose.

[mittelmeier]

All 3 are really great choices. I think I'd go with the orange just because you don't see that color very often. Not that the whole eight sided case isn't original. +rep

[DonT-FeaR]

red... just too cooll...

[Zeus]

Um, do you mean the led controller I built, XPS Ground effects?

-Yeah i thought about doing that, If I choose the clear plexi I can do that option, I never really intended this to change colors. some things like the fans and switches would not change color. and its going to take alot of led's to light up all the little pieces. those rgb led's are not cheap!

Thanks though.

Oh man, can you imagine how much it would kick ass to use the color changing ones and have them change color according to system temperature? Start off green when you cold boot, then turn towards red as it gets hot.:banana:

[p0Pe]

this looks awsome dan:D cant wait to see more progress. the fact that your gonna use real cf is just sweet xD

[rendermandan]

Thanks. Its going to be a few weeks before this project really gets underway. I'm still waiting on the CF. and next week I'm in Alabama for work and the week after I'm in Phoenix on vacation :banana: So it is probably going to be another 3 weeks before you see any real progress.

[DonT-FeaR]

good i will nearly have my mother board back.... if i send it on friday...

[SXRguyinMA]

I vote for the red too

[The boy 4rm oz]

Have fun on your trip mate.

[Mach]

Go with the fluorescent acrylic. Between green and orange, orange.

[rendermandan]

Small update. I've decided to go with the Red color. but its going to be a little different. I used some red leds and white led's to light up the samples that I got and I found that the Red fluorescent with a red led actually give a pretty good red glow. And when the light is off, it looks orangish. so I've decided to go with that.

I placed an order for the plexi yesterday. I got some 1/4" black plexi for the bottom of the case. and some 1/8" black plexi for the trim as well as the red fluorscent. I also got a sheet of 3/16" smoked plexi for the top window :banana:

I also picked up some 1/2"x1/2" aluminum angle and red anodizing paint. this will be used for the support braces to hold it all together.

Lastly I ordered some red led's for the lighting.

Now I just have to wait for all this stuff to come in and I'll be ready to start when I get back from my trip.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Experimenting is always a good thing mate. I can't wait to see the results.

[SXRguyinMA]

me either, its sure to be amazing :D

[rendermandan]

Well guys, tomorrow my Plexi should arrive. Today I placed an fairly large order for some parts. Fans, switches, sleeving, LCD, etc.

Unfortunately, I'm heading out of town tomorrow for some work training and then a long overdue vacation so I won't be back for another 2 weeks. Hopefully when I get back, all my parts and materials will have arrived and be ready to go.

So expect the work log to really startup in a few weeks.

Until then,

Peace out!

[rendermandan]

Got back from the work trip and have just enough time to do my laundry, and repack for my Vacation. :banana:

While I was gone, my plexi arrived. I haven't had a chance to take any pics of anything yet. but I will when I get back.

I also placed an order for a bunch of parts. Fans, switches, lcd etc.
they should get here next week too.



Later.

[Liquid_Scope_99]

Go with the fluorescent acrylic. Between green and orange, orange.

that sounds cool

[rendermandan]

Edit: Post removed.

[DonT-FeaR]

oh snap.... that sucks.... hope you get ur stuff.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Dude that is really bad luck. I hope you get your order, if not I hope you get ur cash back.

[mittelmeier]

That's terrible that they haven't upheld their end of the agreement. I hope they come through for you. I find it hard to believe they are willing to risk bad publicity and losing out on a ton of free advertising. I wish you the best of luck with them.

[rendermandan]

Edit: Post Removed

[The boy 4rm oz]

Thanks guys, I hope they come to their senses!

Bloody oath. Bunch of idiots lol. They have no idea what they are missing out on lol.

[crazybillybob]

Man,
If they back out of the Deal, please let us know who it is... As a fellow modder I like to hear about suppliers good and BAD! Not that Carbon fiber is next on my mod list (it's pretty high up on that's cool as crap! I need to work with it List), But I'd like to steer clear of this group if they don't deliver.!

Love the Idea, just wish there was more pics :) (I'm sure once the CF issue is over we'll get pics :) till then!)


CrazyBillyBob

[rendermandan]

please let us know who it is...

Um, see the first post. LOL

[jdbnsn]

Agreed, it's always wise to get any sponsorship agreements in writing before counting on them. But just the same, if they don't honor their words I would support a modder's boycott of the company.

[crazybillybob]

Um, see the first post. LOL


Crap,
How did I miss that? It's even got a big Logo.... Time to get my Eye checked! :eek::banghead:

[rendermandan]

Edit: Post Removed.

[DonT-FeaR]

Crap,
How did I miss that? It's even got a big Logo.... Time to get my Eye checked! :eek::banghead:

only one eye???

[rendermandan]

Well I have have some good news. Tonight I got an email from Fedex that they shipped my carbon fiber. It won't arrive until the 30th.

It looks like there might be light at the end of the tunnel after all, and if everything turns out OK, I should be able to get started on it this weekend!!! :banana:

I'll keep you posted once I get the package and let you know how it all turned out.

[The boy 4rm oz]

That is very good news. I can't wait to see it.

[DonT-FeaR]

the light is probably a train... with your luck...

hope ur luck turns around man... good luck

[mittelmeier]

That's great news. Glad they finally shipped your Carbon Fiber.

[rendermandan]

Yeah, I'm really glad too.

[SXRguyinMA]

if they fall through again check out www.dragonplate.com :up:

[rendermandan]

Ladies and Gentleman, THE CARBON FIBER WAS DELIVERED. -Most of it. :)

Yes its true, today I finally received most of my carbon fiber order. I say most of it because I got almost all of the pieces and scraps that I requested except for 3 of the sides and some detail pieces for the interior. For some reason they are missing. And to be honest, I doubt I will be getting them. However they did send an extra piece of carbon fiber that I hopefully will be able to cut them out of. Most of the pieces I ordered were made from 3mm to 4mm sheets. However the extra sheet they sent me is 5mm thick! Its strong as hell but might be a little too thick and cause some alignment issues. -We'll see.

Here are some shots showing the pieces. They came nicely individually packaged in plastic to protect them. -keep in mind this is real 2x2 Twill carbon fiber that I had them make Double sided. Most carbon fiber sheets are shiny on one side and dull/textured on the other. This stuff is a mirror finish on both sides. These pieces were also cut out with a water jet.

Here are Most of the smaller pieces. I'm keeping them in the plastic untill needed to protect them.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6027.jpg

Here are 2 of the sides and the extra 5mm sheet they sent.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6028.jpg

and the mother board tray. I included a standard size tape measure so you can get a feel for the size.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6030.jpg

Here is the top panel.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6042.jpg

You can really see the refection in this shot.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6046.jpg


Now for the bad things I noticed about the panels. Some of them had "air pockets" that formed in the middle of the panels. Some were small and not really that big of a deal. but other sheets had some huge ones.
Here is a shot showing the edge of one of the pieces that had a huge air pocket. I'm spreading the sheet apart with my finger. Hopefully I can inject some epoxy into the holes and clamp them down to seal them up.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6049.jpg

I also noticed that the panels were not a consistant thickness. Here is a shot showing the typical 4mm thickness at one corner of the panel.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6060.jpg

But at others it dropped down quite a bit.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6062.jpg

There were some minor imperfections in the surface of some of the panels too. but due to their design, I can just flip them over and use the better of the two sides on the outside of the case. The inside won't be seen as much.

Overall I'm Impressed with the panels I got. The air pockets is discouraging and missing several pieces is really a bummer, but I may have a way to work around it since they sent the extra piece. The look of carbon fiber is just amazing and I doubt any camera can capture the effect it gives. So keep that in mind when you view the shots.




And now my first official progress update....


I started by pulling a motherboard tray out of an old case of mine.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6051.jpg

I proceeded to drill the rivets out so I can use the back panel.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6053.jpg

Here you can see the back panel on top of the CF panel.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6054.jpg

I taped the panel off to protect it.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6063.jpg

Then I measured and taped off an area and sanded it to give it some Tooth for the epoxy glue to bite into.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6065.jpg

I cut a piece of 1/2" aluminum angle to form a support. This will become the mounting method for the motherboard tray.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6055.jpg

Using some Red anodizing paint. (Which is kick ass stuff by they way) I painted it red.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6056.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6057.jpg

I mixed up some epoxy in little measured cups. My first batch was about 20 times too much! Lesson learned. :)
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6067.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6069.jpg

Then I placed the angle on the CF panel and clamped her down to dry.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6070.jpg


That all I was able to get done tonight.
I'm so happy to finally be working on this, I want to go down and do some more right now. But I need to sleep too. I hope you guys like how this mod is going. As always I'm open to any comments, or suggestions you may have.

-Sorry for the long post. But I had a lot to cover. :banana:

[mittelmeier]

The carbon fiber looks great. Glad they got it together and sent it to you. It's discouraging that it isn't perfect but it'll still turn out great. I like the color red you are using. Can't wait to see more.

[DonT-FeaR]

:O rep

[Acey]

Cool.. cf.. tho the panels aren't the same thickness, as long as the come together its all good, dan.

[Zephik]

Those carbon fiber panels look pretty sexy! This build is going to be sweet! :up:

[The boy 4rm oz]

WOW that stuff is hot. +rep

[p0Pe]

thats looking hawt!
+rep!

[DocNitrous]

Just one word...

WOW

[rendermandan]

Small update tonight.

I had to do some repair work on some of the panels before I could go any farther. So I mixed up some epoxy resin and filled the air pockets in the sides of the panels I was working on.

You can see the entire back edge of the motherboard tray needed to be filled. I used 10 clamps to hold the pieces together while the resin cured.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6071.jpg

Here is the back panel that had some gaps around one egde.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6072.jpg

I also spent some time gathering and organizing tools, and setting up my workstation.

Work Table.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6075.jpg

Tool Table.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6074.jpg

Misc. tools and parts to come....
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6076.jpg

Here is the router table I made a few months ago in anticipation of this build.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6077.jpg

Thats about all I got done today. Waiting on the resin to cure before I continue.

[DonT-FeaR]

nice man gw

[The boy 4rm oz]

I honestly can't wait for more. This is looking awesome.

[Langer]

Very nice mate... as it's already known I love a good carbon fiber mod.

4, and 5 mm panels?!? That's some serious overkill... love it.

Do you have any details on the fiber used in the panels? (ie modulus, fiber count, and break strength)

The measurement variations you spoke of are probably because the bits they gave you are off-cuts or faulty panels.
This is usually caused by press problems, panels are typically pressed in heat, then pressed again in cold - any number of factors can cause this process to produce a slight thickness variance.
Also Carbon likes an even heat, best produced with a heated press - however most smaller carbon producers use IR heat lamps, which are very very tricky to get even heat coverage with. This uneven heating will cause a slight variance in thickness as well - as it will result in differing viscosity of the resin.

Keep is coming mate, I'm sure it'll turn out great.


ps: watch out for slivers, carbon slivers attack in numbers and are near impossible to get out - a real itchy pain in the ass.

[rendermandan]

As usually here is my nightly update.

I was able to finally drill the mounting holes for the back panel in the motherboard tray. Here you can see how it will be mounted. I only used 2 bolts to temporarily hold it as I will need to install and remove it a number of times.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6079.jpg

This is the underside.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6080.jpg

I laid out and marked where the 7 slots will be cut for the bottom of the add-on cards and slot covers.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6082.jpg

Taped them off so I can see the lines more easily. When you cut this stuff you get a lot of white powder dust, so its hard to see where your cut line is.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6083.jpg

First I drilled some small holes at each end of each slot. then I used a dremel with a small cutting wheel to cut the slot. this was much faster than using a scroll saw!
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6085.jpg

And here they are cut and filed smooth. :)
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6086.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6122.jpg

Lastly I laid out the location of the motherboard mounts. Drilled and tapped the holes and installed the brass standoff mounts.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6088.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6090.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6092.jpg

The aluminum parts on the back of the case will be painted with the same red anodizing paint. I don't think I will do this until final assembly. As I noticed the red anodizing scratches and chips really easy so I don't want to ruin the finish while I'm building.

Oh and by the way, I ordered my motherboard from NewEgg, It should be here later this week.
And its a killer MB! Hint: I'm going on a Rampage!

[The boy 4rm oz]

Looking schmick.

[DonT-FeaR]

looks awsome man... so shinny....

[KiLLERMAN21]

Thats looks very nice, its coming along great, do you have an idea on how much its going to way? And trasnportation, thats gonna be another problem. Nice work :) +rep

[The boy 4rm oz]

CF is light, shouldn't be too heavy.

[KiLLERMAN21]

Yeah, it shouldnt be, but I was just curious :)

[mittelmeier]

Looking nice. I still really like that red and it will look great on the motherboard tray.

[rendermandan]

Glad you like the red. I like it too. There will be a lot more of it!

-I had to pickup a 10" disk sander so I could continue working tonight.

Here it is. This will be used for beveling the edges of the CF sheets. and fine sanding of some of the parts.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6126.jpg

I also picked up a resperator because that CF dust is some nasty ****!
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6127.jpg

Here you can see me sanding the back panel at a 45 deg. bevel to match the angle of the case.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6128.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6129.jpg

And for fun, here is a shot of me. I'm smiling, can you tell?

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6131.jpg

After I got the back panel beveled, I started to test fit one of the sides that goes next to the back panel. Because I'm missing parts, I figured I'd use a different one for now. I discovered an issue that I had not thought of before.
Can you tell what it is?
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6134.jpg

My plan is to install a hot swappable drive bay in this location. and the back panel extends past into where the drive will go. UGHHHH I'll have to cut out the back panel and part of the aluminum angle bracket. FUN! Oh well, live and learn.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6135.jpg

Here is a shot of the drive bay itself. I've got 2 of these, but I can only use one. :(
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6137.jpg

I think I'm going to be forced into ordering some more CF too. The 5mm sheet is just way to thick, and honestly too short. Its exactly 24" long and I need 3 8" pieces. -That leaves no room for the kerf of the blade. So each piece would be slightly too small. Plus the thickness would cause some issues with how the outside corners join. So I think I'm going to order some CF from a different company.

So, does anyone want to buy a sheet of 5mm thick Double sided CF? 12"x24" Double sided meaning both sides are finished smooth. -Not sure how much though. I'd entertain a reasonable offer. -Come on Langer!!! You know you want it for your build!

In the mean time, I can start on the front of the case and work my way around with the 4 sides I do have. I just hope the new CF looks the same as my current 2x2 Twill does.

Later.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Very cool, I need to get myself one of those sanders, much better than a standard block lol ;).

[DonT-FeaR]

hmmm i would love ta buy that sheet it is the perfect size... but probably be broken in shipping and i dont want cf llol just like steel or alumi..... nice tho...

[rendermandan]

hmmm i would love ta buy that sheet it is the perfect size... but probably be broken in shipping and i dont want cf llol just like steel or alumi..... nice tho...

Um, I don't think this sheet would get damaged in any way during shipping. Its 5mm thick!!! Its stronger than the truck that would deliver it! LOL

[Langer]

Hahaha, thanks for the offer man but my Dad runs a carbon fiber manufacturing company with locations across the globe - don't get me wrong I'd love a G2S (good two sides) 5mm panel, but it just doesn't make economical sense for me. On that note however... give me a price - haha.

@Dont-Fear - Carbon Fiber is the 2nd strongest material known to man... depending on the resins and fibers used a 5mm panel wouldn't bat an eyelash at stopping a bullet. It's considerable stronger than steel, and even titanium in the right fabrication conditions... and it's a fraction of the weight. To put it into perspective this 8.5mm (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Langer/PrometheusCu/prometheus-carbontest202.jpg) panel that I have is used as armor plating on the SeaWolf Nuclear Submarine (one of the most advanced subs on the planet) to help absorb torpedo and depth charge impacts; mind you it is made out of some crazy strong fibers including PEEK (http://www.zeusinc.com/peek_resin.asp)... I'm using it here (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Langer/misc/overkill-01.jpg). Dan is right, if the delivery truck were to explode on route, your package would be the only thing to survive - haha.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Yeah CF is unbelievably strong. and light. That's why they build race cars from it lol. If you look at a busted up race car you notice that a lot of the damage is from the CF un-joining itself, not breaking.

[nevermind1534]

They make masts for some sailboats out of carbon fiber.

[crazybillybob]

Renderman,
I've used the anodizing spray before love the look it gives, but it's so thin that it chips easy. I learned that if you give it a few coats of clear it chips way less.

To bad about the CF , but there are other place to get it from..let us know if they are more reliable :)

Love the look so far!!


CrazyBillyBob

[rendermandan]

Well guys, not much of an update tonight. -Spend a little time researching some CF suppliers online and on Ebay. I think I found some that might work but I might have to laminate 2 pieces of it together to get the double sided finish.
It might also be a week or two before I get it. So progress may slow down for a little bit.

I am going to start mounting the front panel and the two side front panels where the hard drive goes, so that will keep me busy for a few days. :)

[DonT-FeaR]

wow... so much money going into this project.... im guessing

i didnt know cf was THAT strong... knew it was strong but gees

[rendermandan]

Yes, CF is very strong. However there are different grades. The stuff I"m using is cosmetic. so it looks good. and there are less layers used to build up the thickness. As where the structural stuff uses lots of layers and they alternate the direction of the fibers to give it strenght and so forth.

But yes, CF is expensive and yes there is alot of money going into this case.

[SXRguyinMA]

did you check out Dragon Plate (http://www.dragonplate.com)?

[rendermandan]

Yes I have looked into them. They look like a pretty good company. however, I've found some on ebay that I've got a bid in on now, and it should work for what I need. But if that falls through, I may give them a call.

Thanks!

[DonT-FeaR]

good to hear ya might have another lot... pitty bout the sponser dropping out

[rendermandan]

Update time.

I started to mount the front panel to the motherboard tray. I cut some more aluminum angle, filed the edges and painted them with the Anodizing paint.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6141.jpg

Then I glued them onto the back side of the panel similar to the back panel.
Then I simply drilled a few holes and added some nuts and bolts.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6142.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6143.jpg

I taped off the rest of the side pieces that was sent to me.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6144.jpg

Here's a mockup of what they should look like.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6145.jpg

Then just like the other panels, I made some aluminum brackets.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6146.jpg

Glued them on.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6153.jpg

and mounted them.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6158.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6156.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6161.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6160.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6159.jpg

I took the last side and marked it for a large 120mm fan hole.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6154.jpg

2 scroll saw blades later. -YES it took 2 to cut it out.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6155.jpg

And here it is mocked up in position.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6162.jpg

I also got another goody delivered to me. the Motherboard.
Its an Asus Rampage Extreme water cooled Beast!!!
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6147.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6150.jpg

Damn this thing is going to look sexy with the matching red water block and red accents :banana:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6151.jpg

Thats all I've got right now. -I won the auction for some scraps of CF to replace the missing side pieces that I should have gotten. Hopefully those will come soon so I can continue. I can work on some small stuff but I really need those sides to do much more.

I also made some calls to a local plating company to have some real anodizing done on the back panel and slot covers. I think the paint looks good for the most part, but its really not that durable and scratches very easily. I think having the back panel anodized in red will hold up much better.

Later.

[The boy 4rm oz]

I never realized how big this actually was. It is looking fantastic mate, coming together really fast. The motherboard suits the mod perfectly. +rep

I found a few bits you could have used to go with the red theme.
Foxconn Quantum-Force Blood Rage mobo (i7):
http://www.techpowerup.com/74738/Foxconn_Quantum-Force_Blood_Rage_Release_Grade_Motherboard_Picture d.html
With matching G.Skill RAM of course:
http://www.techpowerup.com/74992/G.Skill_Announces_Triple_Channel_Memroy_Kits_for_I ntel_Core_i7_Processors.html
This is my favorite though. The new Enermax REVOLUTION PSU:
http://www.techpowerup.com/75588/Enermax_REVOLUTION_85+_Power_Supply_Units_Now_Wide ly_Available.html
Now that looks hot IMO lol.

[rendermandan]

wow, that motherboard does look hot! As for the PSU, that is a nice psu, but you won't be able to see it in my case. Its going to be hidden in the front. and from the looks of it, it huge! so It probably wouldn't fit. But thanks anyway!
and thanks for the rep.

[The boy 4rm oz]

No worries mate, you deserve it.

[SXRguyinMA]

this things gets better every day! +rep

[mittelmeier]

Looking great! That is a good looking mb. +rep

[KiLLERMAN21]

Man, that thing is big :eek: great job.

[overmark]

Awesome project. Good luck with it. I am going to follow this until the end, can't wait!

[DonT-FeaR]

very nice.....im loving this

[rendermandan]

Alright, here's another weekend update for ya.

I got the side panel with the 120mm fan hole mounted. -no pic. but I think you got the idea.

I did take some pics with the top on just for fun. I couldn't resist.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6174.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6175.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6176.jpg

I did some work on the small 80mm exhaust fan in the rear. Here are the CF pieces that make up the cover.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6163.jpg

I used an adustable clamp to hold the pieces while the epoxy cured.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6164.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6165.jpg

Here it is almost done. I still have one more side to glue on.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6179.jpg

I also picked up some 1/2"x3/4" aluminum angle for some more brackets. These are going inside the case to hold the panels that go around that large square hole toward the front. It will contain the PSU, DVD and other goodies..

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6181.jpg

Here is a shot with them clamped on for drilling the mounting holes.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6180.jpg

I anodized them as well, but didn't take a pic.

Here is the DVD burner I bought just so you know.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6173.jpg

and here is the 1 Killowatt PSU I orderd too.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6172.jpg

Just in case your wondering, here are the specs.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6171.jpg

My original idea was to have it fit here. The wires would come out the back and the power cord would be routed around the inside of the case bottom and out the back. But I found that there was not enough room for the power cord to bend. And I couldn't find a 90 deg angled one.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6166.jpg

So I decided to turn it 90 deg's and have the wires come out the sides. This setup works much better than before as I have more room for wires that come out of the motherboard. -hard to explain.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6182.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6192.jpg

You can see that I did my homework (a long time ago!) the wires come out directly under motherboard tray.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6191.jpg

However before I had the psu rotated and was not concerned about the power cord. Well, now I am and it sat up too high. So I had to do a little "Trimming".

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6187.jpg

It fits now.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6190.jpg

I will still route the power cord under the motherboard tray and to a psu style power plug in the back.
The fan on the psu will face down and be vented through a hole in the bottom of the case. -This is the reason for the 20mm tall case feet!
Remember these?
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_5598.jpg

Thats it for now.

Later.

[DonT-FeaR]

:O
im like in a maccas add atm for nearly all mods

"im lovin it" :)

[KiLLERMAN21]

Very nice, this is coming along really well. Im watching..

[mittelmeier]

Awesome! +rep

[SXRguyinMA]

lookin good! :up:

[rendermandan]

Good news. The replacement CF sheets I ordered on ebay came today! :banana:

Tonight I'm going to head over to my dads shop to do a little rough cutting to get them to size. I'll try and take some pics before I cover them in tape to protect them.

Peace!

[SXRguyinMA]

pics man pics!! lol glad your replacement stuff showed up in good shape :up:

[Acey]

Looks awesome and shiny too. Gonna chuck any fancy electronics into it?

[rendermandan]

Pics. Ask any you shall receive!

Last time I made some brackets to hold the interior walls. well, Here they are all painted and bolted together.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6200.jpg

Here is one of the panels it holds.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6193.jpg

I also finished the fan box.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6201.jpg

I cut some modders mesh left over from MM. to fit

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6214.jpg

But I had to thin down the fan to make room.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6213.jpg

I also started working on the aluminum brackets for the top of the case. These will go into the corners to hold everything together, and also give me a place to mount the top panel.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6215.jpg

Here is how they will go together.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6216.jpg

And here are all 16 of them for the top. I filed all the edges to get them ready for paint.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6218.jpg

OK, here are the repacement CF sheets I bought.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6219.jpg

Half a roll of blue painters tape later. they are protected. Both sides!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6220.jpg

So I headed over to my dads shop to use his table saw.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6223.jpg

He's got this nifty jig that makes cutting this stuff really easy.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6221.jpg

And here's a shot of me in action. Notice I'm wearing the resperator!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6222.jpg

And now we have all the pieces I was missing. 10 Pieces in all. and I still have a large section of 5mm left over.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6227.jpg

Thats all I got done last night. :banana:

Later.

[SXRguyinMA]

sweetness :bowdown:

if you want to let go of that extra piece of 5mm let me know :devious:

[Langer]

I spoke with my old man, and I cant help you out with a carbon supply, they aren't making any 2x2 weave right now. Sorry man.

But I see now that you found a source on eBay - I hope that works out for you.

Looking really great man. Keep it coming.

[mittelmeier]

That's great that what you got on e-bay worked out. This is a great build.

[rendermandan]

I spoke with my old man, and I cant help you out with a carbon supply, they aren't making any 2x2 weave right now. Sorry man.

But I see now that you found a source on eBay - I hope that works out for you.

Looking really great man. Keep it coming.

Thanks for checking! and thanks for the support.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Great progress mate. You have done a lot in the week I have been away, nice work.

[rendermandan]

well, just spent some more cash. Here is what I ordered.

Radiator: Black Ice® GTX Gen Two Xtreme 120

CPU Water Block: Swiftech APOGEE GTZ Ultra

Resevoir: EK-Multioption RES 150 Rev 2

Tubing: Feser Tube Active UV Hose - 3/8" ID -Red


Fluid: Fluid XP+ Ultra LT w/ z7 - Non-Conductive 32 oz. Superior Cooling Fluid - Blood Red

Polishing Kit: Novus Polish Kit

I also ordered about 20 clamps and some 90 deg. angle fittings.

As for the pump, I'm going to pull the pump out of Motorized Madness.
Its a Swiftech MCP355


I also did some work last night on the interior panels, but I forgot my memory card at home, so I can't upload them. Maybe tonight.

[SXRguyinMA]

mmm tasty bits

[The boy 4rm oz]

Nice new goodies mate, can't wait for the pics.

[rendermandan]

Thanks guys.


Small update tonight.

Here is a shot of the exhaust fan with the painted mesh on it. I think I'll paint the fan housing black before I mount it for good.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6228.jpg

I added a few side brackets to the interior of the case as well.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6229.jpg

I cut some more aluminum and painted it. I mounted it to tie the sides together.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6231.jpg

Inside. that really won't be seen.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6234.jpg

Here is a shot from the bottom.
With Flash.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6243.jpg

Without Flash.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6244.jpg

I also got all the angle brackets painted.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6240.jpg

Here they are bolted together.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6242.jpg

Now I just have to epoxy them to the back of the side panels. Once I get them done that is. :)

Later.

[The boy 4rm oz]

This is really coming together well Dan, keep up the fantastic work. I can't wait to see this all together. +rep

[mittelmeier]

Looks nice. This is a great looking case. +rep

[SXRguyinMA]

looking great :up: love that color red, looks crazy with the carbon :bowdown:

[DonT-FeaR]

:O wow

[Vitz¥^]

looking great :up: love that color red, looks crazy with the carbon :bowdown:

was pretty much gonna say the same thing.

Looking awesome :bowdown:

[crazybillybob]

Have you thought about painting that fan "RED" like the angles and mesh? It might look pretty hot!?!:think:


Oh, Nice work! :eek::rolleyes: (didn't think you heard that enough yet !!!!)





CrazyBillyBob




(please note some of the above comments are dripping with sarcasm! and may not reflect my true feelings about this case :blivnk: ) It really is a sexy looking rig!;)

[rendermandan]

Bob, no worries. The fans are red led fans and the paint I'm using requires the surface that your painting to be shiny like aluminum or chrome. Its semi-transparent. But, tonight I painted part of the fan as you will see later in this update.

So some more bracket work. Here is a corner bracket to tie the front panel into the interior panels.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6266.jpg

After these cured, I added a few bolts, and man that really stiffened things up!

I also started to epoxy on the corner brackets I made a few days ago. these will also give me a way to attach the top panel.

This shot shows how I had to trim the interior panel to make room for the bracket. You can also see how I scuffed up the surface of the CF Panel to give the epoxy something to bite.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6280.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6267.jpg

next I worked on building the 120mm intake fan cover. Its similar to the exhaust fan cover, only bigger.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6277.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6279.jpg

I also cut some modders mesh and painted it to dress up the interior. There will be the same on the exterior, but that will come much later.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6303.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6297.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6316.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6315.jpg

I also had to thin down the rear exhaust fan some more to make room for 2 layers of modders mesh. One on each side of the fan.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6290.jpg

I then painted the ugly sticker on the fan since it will be exposed to the back.
so I painted it black.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6319.jpg

While I was at it, I painted the 120mm fan as well.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6323.jpg

Then I simply glued it and clamped it in place.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6291.jpg

I spend a little time cutting out the vents on the 3 panel sides. One of them has a rectangle to make room for a hot swappable hard drive bay. I went through 7 scroll saw blades to cut these 3 holes. Man CF is tough!!!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6294.jpg

Here it is mocked up.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6295.jpg

I also did a small amount of work on the electronics.
Here is the usb panel for the front. Notice it has 90deg. pins. well those will get in the way of the PSU, so I have to remove them and resolder straight pins on.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6268.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6269.jpg

I also removed an power plug from an old PSU so I can mount it in the back panel.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6275.jpg

Lastly I cut some more brackets for the 3 sides and glued them in place. Clamped them together and set them aside to cure. -But I forgot to take a pic.

Thats about all I got done this weekend.


I know this is all pretty repetitive right now. But when your building a case from scratch, and there are 8 sides to it, it tends to get repetitive...
Tomorrow I should be able to get the 3 remaining sides mounted to the case.

Later!

[mittelmeier]

Looking good man! Keep it up.

[Thorn]

Congratulation frontpage ! +resp very big hard work

[DonT-FeaR]

:o

[mittelmeier]

Congratz on the front page. +rep

[KiLLERMAN21]

Nice work there, and gratz on the front page. Lovin the red modders mesh ;)

[Acey]

Man I want those mesh so badly... too bad ACR didn't gimme one :(

[Vitz¥^]

looking good! and its good (imo at least) to see all the stages of a scratch build anyway :D

[SXRguyinMA]

congrats on the frontpage!!!

[DonT-FeaR]

congrats... i believe this is the only scratch build i have whitnesses from the start

im lovinn it man

[rendermandan]

Thanks to everyone for their support on this!!!


Small update. I got the side panels mounted.

Here you can see all the clamps I used to hold everything together.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6347.jpg

And here is a shot of the bottom brackets.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6336.jpg

I decided to check the fit of the top panel with the shape of the octagon.
It came out pretty good. with the exception of a few sides that I had to make frome that sligtly thicker CF that I ordered.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6345.jpg

The thicker sides also caused a few joints to not align perfectly.
YOu can see how the thickness makes the one panel stick out form the other on in these shots.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6349.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6350.jpg

I'll have to figure some way to clean these up.

Now that the sides are done, I can proced to mount the top panel. cut and mount the bottom panel. I still have a lot of work to do on the side panels cutting holes for the radiator exhaust, holes for the Raptor Hard drives. etc.

FUN, FUN!!!

[Mach]

Impressive progress Dan! Your speed and craftsmanship are amazing! +rep

[mittelmeier]

Looks amazing!

[rendermandan]

WOOT!!!

All the stuff I ordered came in the mail today!

I got the cpu waterblock, radiator, resevoir, fluid, tubing, clamps, and some fittings and the polishing kit.

I'll take some pics when I get home tonight.

[SXRguyinMA]

:pics: lol

[rendermandan]

:pics: lol

Wow, give me a chance... LOL

Here you go.

Here is what came via Mr. Brown today!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6356.jpg

I did some test fitting of the parts today. Looks like my radiator is a lot thicker than orginally planned. here is a shot showing one fan installed and where it will go. The case is standing on the side for easy of fitting.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6357.jpg

And this shot shows how the inlet and outlet extend down into the bottom chamber of the case. So you won't see these tubes.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6359.jpg

Those pictures only had one fan installed to see if it would fit. But I plan on using 2 fans.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6375.jpg

You can kind of see where the hole is for the radiator that I planned for. It need be be a lot deeper.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6372.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6371.jpg

I also mounted the rear fan.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6368.jpg

Back of the case.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6370.jpg


I made a few very small brackets to mount the side intake fan too.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6366.jpg

You can barely see the brackets at the top inside of the fan case. They are mostly covered with the clamp.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6367.jpg

I also needed to cut a small corner out of the back panel to allow for the hard drive swap bay. I decided to try a different method than using the scroll saw. the CF dulls the blades way too fast. so I decided to try some Diamond coated cutoff wheels! -Cut like a hot knife through butter!!!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6360.jpg

Here is the small corner I cut out.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6362.jpg

And here you can see the drive bay and why I had to cut the small corner out.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6363.jpg

Bottom of the case.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6364.jpg

I also took a shot with the drive removed. So you can see the drive cage.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6365.jpg

Well, thats it for tonight.

[mittelmeier]

Looks good. Glad the diamond coated bit works good for cutting the cf.

[DonT-FeaR]

:O wow man very nice..

i might get one of those dimond discs for my dremel but i heard the snap well shatter.... if you apply the wrong angle...

[SXRguyinMA]

looks great!

[rendermandan]

:O wow man very nice..

i might get one of those dimond discs for my dremel but i heard the snap well shatter.... if you apply the wrong angle...

Well, I've only used it for a few cut so far with no trouble. I know the fiber disks willl shatter if you bend them but these have a metal disk for the base material so I don't know what will happen if they break. The packet came with 5 disk and the shaft for $3.00 from Harbor Freight. So they were really cheap. Here is the link http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=31501

[Langer]

Very cool man... even though I've been playing with the stuff as long since I was a kid (I **** you not, I had a roving of kevlar fiber next to my Lego bin) I'm still amazed with what people create with it.

I'm loving this mod man, an absolutely fantastic design - shame about the HDD corner though.

I'm planning my own CF mod (100% carbon, no fittings or screws, or adhesives... a puzzle of pieces each holding the other - coming early next year) and I'm using your work to set the standard; brilliant mate, just brilliant.

[rendermandan]

I'm planning my own CF mod (100% carbon, no fittings or screws, or adhesives... a puzzle of pieces each holding the other - coming early next year) and I'm using your work to set the standard; brilliant mate, just brilliant.

Wow, sounds ineresting. you mind sharing some ideas????
lol, No, I'm just joking. I would't steel any of your ideas.

Thanks for your suppport though.

As for the hard drive sticking out. I'll just make a small cover to conceal it. :)

[DonT-FeaR]

thanks for the link mate.

[SgtM]

Awesome work Dan! I've purposely stayed out of this thread for a while because watching your mods is like crack. I prefer to get everything in a larger dose. +rep

[DonT-FeaR]

/\ agreed.... i spent about an hour today and 1 hour yesterday discusing this with killerman.... at least its cheaper than crack... lol

for us... hmm.... cf is cheaper than crack??? but just as adictive

[THRASHER2]

Awesome work Dan! I've purposely stayed out of this thread for a while because watching your mods is like crack. I prefer to get everything in a larger dose. +rep
Pictures are like Crack ;) we must have more pic's of this Project :banana:

[markkleb]

I just went through this log and wanted to say how cool it is to watch how others think/mod. I have done quite a few Cf cases and its quite a pain in the butt to do well and this case is done VERY well.
Congrats and cant wait to see it finished up.

[rendermandan]

Hey guys, Thanks again to everyone for their comments.


Here's my weekend update.

Last time I left you, I got the hot swappable hard drive in place, but not mounted. Well, I bent a few angles for some mounts. And this is the result.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6423.jpg

I was able to get only one on this side. it will have to do.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6424.jpg


I also made the opening for the radiator a little deeper. So now it fits!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6419.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6420.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6422.jpg


I also started to work on the CF panel that will support the dvd and PSU.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6429.jpg

This is how it will sit in the case.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6430.jpg

I cut out the hole for the PSU to vent properly.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6431.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6433.jpg

Then like the others, I made some aluminum mounts.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6436.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6441.jpg

Here you can see the PSU in place.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6437.jpg

Which brings me to this question. Do you think OCZ was planning on people mounting this PSU in a different room than the computer. Look at how long the wires are. HOLY COW!!! This is to say nothing about the number of wires. They are just way too long!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6438.jpg


Lastly I started on the bottom of the case. I used a piece of 1/4" black plexi. and before anyone says anything, I know its not CF. I could not justify spending that kind of money on a piece that will never be seen. Its the bottom of the case!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6427.jpg

A few chops later.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6428.jpg

Then I simply marked and cut a hole for the PSU intake fan.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6445.jpg

The last thing I did was make some brackets at each corner for the bottom to mount to.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6446.jpg

thats it for now. :banana:

[DonT-FeaR]

noes... pics are gone!!! last 3.... wow man... excellence you have

[KiLLERMAN21]

Nice pics! Damn, thats looking so good man. Nice, +rep

[mittelmeier]

That looks amazing!

[Spidermeld]

Very nice... have some rep

[The boy 4rm oz]

Man fantastic work, coming together really well. BTW, you have an octopus in your PC ROFL.

[rendermandan]

Man fantastic work, coming together really well. BTW, you have an octopus in your PC ROFL.

Tell me about it! I really don't want to void the warranty on my new psu as OCZ has an excellent warranty program. but I don't think there is any way I can get around it. There are just too many wires that will go unused and that much extra wire is going to get in the way of things when it comes to all the stuff I've got going on in the void space below the motherboard.

[DonT-FeaR]

hmm... bit late but did ya think about a modulizable psu?

[The boy 4rm oz]

The only thing you can do is bundle them together. Or make a storage rack from some offcut CF, that would look cool, shame you wont see it :D lol.

[markkleb]

Tell me about it! I really don't want to void the warranty on my new psu as OCZ has an excellent warranty program. but I don't think there is any way I can get around it. There are just too many wires that will go unused and that much extra wire is going to get in the way of things when it comes to all the stuff I've got going on in the void space below the motherboard.
The only PS I had fail was a Sunbeam Tech one (my first PS) Since then I have only used top o the line ones and honestly I mod just about every part so I rule out any RMAs.
I have been on a consolidating kick the last year or so by eliminating the un needed wiring (about 60% of them)
Il get a thread going this week showing things I have done to clean up the wiring mess

[rendermandan]

The only PS I had fail was a Sunbeam Tech one (my first PS) Since then I have only used top o the line ones and honestly I mod just about every part so I rule out any RMAs.
I have been on a consolidating kick the last year or so by eliminating the un needed wiring (about 60% of them)
Il get a thread going this week showing things I have done to clean up the wiring mess

That would be great! Thanks.

[rendermandan]

Sorry guys, I took a few days off to spend some time with the family for the holiday. Hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving. (Those of you that celebrate it, that is.)

Here is a small update for you.

I got the bottom of the case mounted after drilling some holes and tapping them for some more cap head screws. -Man I'm using a lot of them.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6447.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6448.jpg


I also took the side off the case that the radiator will vent though and cut the hole for the fan.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6457.jpg

I also cut a piece of CF for the dvd mount on the other side. I still have to mount it though.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6462.jpg


I then took a break from the case and decided to work on the feet for a little while. I started buy using a 2" dia. hole saw.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6463.jpg

I cut out 8 blanks out of 1/4"t. black and 1/8"t. Flor. red plexi.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6467.jpg

Here is a shot to compare the size between the bottom feet and the CF tubes I bought a long time ago.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6450.jpg

I made a makeshift lathe out of a drill and some clamps and a block of wood for the tool rest. Not bad!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6468.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6469.jpg

I rounded over the top corner.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6470.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6471.jpg

Then while the piece was still in the chuck, I did some polishing.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6472.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6473.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6474.jpg

here is the red plexi. I Beveled its edge.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6475.jpg

Then I drilled the center hole out larger to make room for the bolt head.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6476.jpg

All 8 of them. glued up.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6477.jpg

This is what they look liked stacked together.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6452.jpg

Then I hot glued some red led's onto the red plexi.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6480.jpg

Added the CF tube.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6482.jpg

And a resistor and soldered it up.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6484.jpg

And here is the result. Not bad but not perfect. I wanted the red ring to glow evenly. Instead you can see through it too much. It looks kinda spotty. Keep in mind the red is not polished. It is sanded to give it a "Frosted" look. So I'm not sure what else I can do. :(

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6486.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6485.jpg

There will be 8 of these total for the feet of the case. I still have to build the others, but I want to make sure I get the glow right before I do the others.

Thats it for now.

[nevermind1534]

It's coming together nicely. I like how you're using CF almost exclusively.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Man those feet look awesome, great work. +rep

[mittelmeier]

Those feet are amazing looking. I think the red light looks great how it is. +rep

[Zephik]

Those turned out great looking! :up:

I'm starting to see a pattern in your mods though. You do such a good job that I don't want the updates to stop! Yet they always do. I can't get enough! :)

[SXRguyinMA]

the feet look great! maybe for a more even lighting try some EL wire? :think: looks great though! +rep

[KiLLERMAN21]

Yeah, I think its decided that you dont need to change the feet at all, they look great. +rep

[The boy 4rm oz]

Just sand the top of the LEDs down a bit Dan to diffuse the glow, that would give you a more even glow. EEL wire is great but it tends to burn out fairly quickly.

[rendermandan]

Well, I thought about the el wire idea. I used it in Motorized Madness and after a while the High pitch whine that came from the 3 transformers was driving me batty, so I switched them off. Plus the el wire isn't as bright as I wanted. trust me, I have something cooked up for the lighting in this case.

And I'm glad that everyone liked the feet. However I did make a small change.
I remade the bottom of the case feet. -Yes Another 8 round blanks out of black and red plexi. But this time I didn't glue them together. I noticed on the one that I had glued that as soon as the two pieces were fused together, the red stopped "Glowing" having no air between the two pieces caused all the light to be absorbed by the black and having small bubbles in the glue is what was causing the "Spotty" look.

So after remaking the pieces and only gluing the very inside edge. (still strong enough!) I gave another one a test. And this is the result.

Before:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6486.jpg

After:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6493.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6494.jpg


I think everyone will agree. this is a much more uniform glow. It does have some hot spots, but its better than the first round.

Here is a bunch of them all wired up.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6492.jpg

Here is what they look like on the bottom panel.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6496.jpg

I also spend a little time today building the cover to go over the radiator and fans.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6500.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6501.jpg

I would have gotten more done but I had to wait for some epoxy to dry.

Later.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Your right, they do glow better, much more uniform glow. The rad box is looking really good, nice work.

[mittelmeier]

The uniform glow looks a lot nicer.

[KiLLERMAN21]

Yeah, definately does look better.

[nevermind1534]

Those feet look great.

[DonT-FeaR]

look awsome... nice work... what voltage does each one run at??? i must of missed it

[Vitz¥^]

love those feet, look much better second time round :D

Just wondering tho, is it essential to glue them at all? could you not just drill the hole to the right size for the bolt and alow that to hold them in place like you want? just an idea, feel free to shoot it down in flames if you like :D :lol:

[rendermandan]

look awsome... nice work... what voltage does each one run at??? i must of missed it

They all run at 12v. I used a 220 ohm resistor for 3 led's in each foot.


love those feet, look much better second time round :D

Just wondering tho, is it essential to glue them at all? could you not just drill the hole to the right size for the bolt and alow that to hold them in place like you want? just an idea, feel free to shoot it down in flames if you like :D :lol:

How dare you suggest that. LOL> Just kidding.

Actually I used only a slight amount of glue on the inside where the bolt hole is at that way it didn't wick out to the outside edge. I had to use some type of glue because the bolt head pulls against the red plexi, not the black. The hole in the black is large enough to fit around the bolt head. If the bolt head were to pull against the black, then it would stick out of the bottom of the foot. This way it is recessed inside the foot.

-I'm going to add some felt pads to the bottom to cover the bolt heads and so the feet don't scratch the table. Plus they make good vibration isolation.

Thanks though.

[rendermandan]

Ok, another update to keep you guys satisfied... LOL

In my last post, I was showing the radiator/fan assembly cover. Well, here it is finished and mounted. I added some modders mesh to match the intake fan on the other side. and the exhaust fan. I'll be using alot of that later on, on the bottom.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6514.jpg

I also got all the case feet mounted and wired up.

here is a shot with the bottom mounted to the case.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6505.jpg

This is the underside of the bottom. -Does that make sense?

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6503.jpg

Here is a shot with the flash on. The red glow is so bright you can still see it over the flash on the rear feet!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6521.jpg

And here they are all lit up. -again, the board is upside down. I had to pull some power from Motorized Madness to test the lights. I destroyed my test psu for parts. :) Also, the color looks a little orange in the pictures, but trust me, they are a deep red color, just like I wanted!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6522.jpg


Lastly I worked on the DVD mount. here are the two panels. You can see I cut slots in the panels so I can adjust the depth as needed if I ever change out equipment.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6517.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6516.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6518.jpg

I set the lcd panel inplace just for fun.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6519.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6520.jpg

Thats it for tonight.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Coming together very well Dan. I very much like the feet and the rad box.

[BerticusPryme]

once again you never cease to amaze. You did this with motorrized madness and R2 and now have to step it up again to top yourself. Well sir you have succeded. +rep for all teh hardwork and extreme focus on detail

[DonT-FeaR]

i believe this is one sweet ass machine.... so nice... love to see it in person

[Vitz¥^]

I had to use some type of glue because the bolt head pulls against the red plexi, not the black.Ahhhh, fair nuff then :)

Looking amazing anyway tbh :D

[rendermandan]

Thanks you guys!

[SXRguyinMA]

she's coming along nicely :up:

[crazybillybob]

It looks great!
Got one comment, You need to make a Carbon fiber surround for your LCD!

And Please tell us it has a Red backlight :)

[rendermandan]

Don't worry, It is red. -at least its supposed to be, I haven't plugged it in yet, so I don't even know if it works. I'll do that tonight.

And yes, I have some plans for a surround around the lcd. Its silver bezel will be painted with the same red anodizing paint that I've been using, but you won't see much of it. :)

[mittelmeier]

Looking great man. This is one amazing build. +rep

[rendermandan]

Thanks again guys! It really is encouraging to see that so many people like the build.

I checked out the lcd display, and yes it is red. I need to come up with some custom logo or text though.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6529.jpg

[The boy 4rm oz]

Do you have a link to where you got that LCD from. I am interested in picking on up for a future mod. Looks great BTW.

[DonT-FeaR]

/\ yeah same.. been looking around lately... nice find with that lcd

[rendermandan]

I ordered it from Performance-pcs.com They have a huge selection of lcds in many different types.

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=70&zenid=7c60e27cf99e03fc3c1a35712770dcda

[The boy 4rm oz]

Thanks for the link Dan, I must bookmark that.

[crazybillybob]

if you want to save a few bucks you can order them direct from Matrix Orbital (http://www.matrixorbital.com/lcd-usb-character-pc-bay-inserts-c-1_18.html)

If you don't need the bay plate you can save more (look for the part numbers that end in USB for USB LCD all others are serial Rs232) (http://www.matrixorbital.com/lcd-character-lcds-c-1_2.html)

Sorry about the thread jack... Just wan't everyone to know they had some options :)


Great work :eek::D

[rendermandan]

No problem, You didn't Jack my thread, your just sharing information, which is what this is all about. :)

[Boddaker]

Wow, I haven't been here in a while. You have made some awesome progress! Great job Dan. I definitely need to check in more often! 8)

[rendermandan]

Thanks Boddaker!

[rendermandan]

Hey guys small update tonight.

I did some work on the back of the case to cover up the hard drive swap case and bolts for the feet.

Here are the pieces that I cut to make the covers. I cut two triangular pieces for the top and a couple rectangles for the sides. I then beveled the front edge of them so they fit tight against the case.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6538.jpg

here you can see the bolts for the feet and the wires for the lights.
You can also the the covers I made. this is before I painted them.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6544.jpg

And here they are installed. :)

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6539.jpg

I also cut a piece of CF to cover the bottom black plexi. the Black plexi looks good by itself, but I had an extra piece that just about fit it perfectly so I went ahead and did it.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6545.jpg

Then I just epoxied it to the bottom panel. -All done with that.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6550.jpg

I also spent a little time with the lcd temperature monitor. This is the same one I used in Motorized Madness. many of you will remember what it looked like before.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Motorized%20Madness%20Case/100_2858.jpg

Here is the temperature sensor that I will screw into my resevoir.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6534.jpg

Well, the blue just wont do at all. So I popped it open and modified it a bit.
Here is the result.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6556.jpg

What do you think? The red looks so much better!

[The boy 4rm oz]

Nice solution for the gap in the back cover. You're right, the red LCD looks much better. That's a Thermaltake temp sensor right???

[rendermandan]

Thanks, yes, it is a Thermaltake.

[DonT-FeaR]

looks sweet nice solution

[SXRguyinMA]

lookin awesome :bowdown: I have their temp sensor as well, my screens a tad different, has a low water indicator and such as well. love the red though, looks great :D

[mittelmeier]

Looks sweet man. :bowdown: The red looks a lot better on the lcd screen. Can't wait to see more.

[rendermandan]

Hey guys, Sorry its been so long since I've made an update. Been really busy with work and Christmas parties. So without further adue....

I worked on mounting the Reservoir I purchased.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6561.jpg

Its about 2" in diameter so I used a hole saw and cut a large hole in the motherboard tray.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6560.jpg

The hole was slightly larger than it needed to be, plus I wanted to clean up the edges a bit so I took some rubber edge molding and cut one side of it off.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6564.jpg

Then I glued it around the inside edge of the hole. Essentially I made my own 2" diameter rubber grommet. :)

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6565.jpg

Then I slid the reservoir in through the top and here is a shot of how the holes extend out into the bottom chamber of the case.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6624.jpg

this show shows how much clearance there is with the bottom on. -about 1/4".

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6622.jpg

Side note, not sure if I ever showed this shot, but here is the bottom of the radiator that sticks down into the lower chamber.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6625.jpg

Now the reservoir fits fairly snug in the grommet, but it still wiggles around so I wanted to make an aluminum mount for it. So I started with a 1" wide piece of aluminum and drew out a template.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6626.jpg

A few cuts with the scroll saw later, and I have this.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6627.jpg

Then I bent the tabs as needed.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6628.jpg

Then I used that same 2" dia. hole saw to bend it into a round shape to fit around the reservoir.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6629.jpg

And here it is.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6630.jpg

Some test fitting.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6632.jpg

After drilling the mounting holes, I shot it with some Anodizing paint.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6638.jpg

And here it is all mounted.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6640.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6641.jpg

And here is how it extend up into the case from the top.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6642.jpg



Next task was to work on the the motorized temperature display. Yes I said motorized. You didn't actually think I would build a case without putting some type of motion into it did you? LOL

I started with some rectangular scraps of CF.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6633.jpg

Cut some brackets and made a frame.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6636.jpg

Then I laid out some cut lines for the temp monitor and a few holes for some leds.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6643.jpg

Here is the monitor and one led in the panel. I've ordered the other one but it won't be here untill next week. These two lights will be for hard drive activity and something else. Not sure what.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6645.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6646.jpg

Then I set it in place in the case and tilted it up to give you an idea of what it will look like.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6648.jpg

In the top of the frame I'm going to mount another 120mm led fan. This fan will exhaust the hot air that comes out of the PSU below. it will also help to cool the dvd drive and lcd panel.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6649.jpg

I have to cut the top panel out of the case top yet before I can mount the fan. And I have to mount the frame to the case to make it tilt up. Still lots to do, but that's it for now.

Later,

[The boy 4rm oz]

I like that, having the rad and res tube running under the mobo. Maximizes the space you can work in. Love the temp sensor mount, looks really good in the CF.

[KiLLERMAN21]

Oh nice! That res mount looks really good, nice idea. Every update you give theres always something special in there. +rep.

[crazybillybob]

Nice work so far!
Only one thing I see. That Red LED kind of looks like a zit on a supermodels face :eek: It pulls the focus away from the beauty of the rest of the panel.

I'm not sure how to take the focus off of it... Maybe sand it flush with the mount or use a Water clear red LED? Both?
It's the only "off" in the whole build!!! (that's some good work!)
I want to compliment you on your tight tolerance with the res.... You did some fine research and planning to get things that tight, and still be usable :)


Keep up the great work!

[rendermandan]

Thanks for the constructive criticism. -I'm not being sarcastic. I appreciate comments like those to help this be a better build. I do agree with you that it does look somewhat out of place for the time being. However there are a few issues that you may or may not be aware of. First off, that panel will be hidden when the computer is off. It will only be turned on when the computer is powered on. the panel will tilt up out to the case. Secondly, that is not the only red that will be on the outside of the case. The trim around the lcd is going to be anodized red. I also have not even begun to make all the red backlit trim pieces that will have a black plexi cover over them. So there will be plenty of red "trim" showing on the exterior. After I get all the trim done, I'll step back and take a look and then if needed, I can swap out the led for a clear one.

Thanks again though! I really do appreciate your comments.

[rendermandan]

ok, got another update for you.

today I finished mounting the top flip-up panel. But before i could go any farther, I had to modify the mounting sides to the lcd panel. they extended too deep into the case and the mounts interfered with the bolts on the side of the flip-up panel.

Here you can see one side stock and the other side after a quick snip with tin snips.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6651.jpg

I also reshaped the bottom of the sides to allow them to a little more room to tilt up.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6652.jpg

Here is a shot of the hinges I made out of some long hex head screws and nuts.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6655.jpg

You can see how much room I have behind the lcd for wires.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6658.jpg

And like before, here it is mounted.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6659.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6660.jpg

I still have to figure out the servo mechanism, but I don't think that will be a problem.


I also mounted the power plug in the back panel of the case.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6666.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6667.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6668.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6669.jpg

Next came mounting the top panel. I took another shot looking down into the case. Man that's a lot of CF!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6677.jpg

So here are my thoughts on the top of the case. I've done everything in my power to keep bolt heads from showing on the outside of the case, (except for the back panel). I really didnt' want to just bolt the top of the case on and have 8 bolt heads sticking up out of the top. So I did some thinking and came up with this.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6678.jpg

Door magnets. I can mount these on the sides of the case up under the edge where you can't see them and the top would be held on by magnets. Then if you needed to open the case, simply pull it off. :)

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6679.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6680.jpg

Here is a shot showing the metal plate that I attached to the top panel. I used some of that clear double sided super sticky tape as a temporary mounting to test it out first before I did anything permanant. It worked pretty good!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6682.jpg

I installed one in the center on the back panel. and two up front that will be concealed inside the "Box".

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6683.jpg

I have to pickup a few more for the other sides of the case. But the 3 I have already installed are doing a great job and holding the top on. And obviously I will be painting them black. All they had in stock was brown. :(

That's all for now.

[The boy 4rm oz]

I just love how this is coming together. Excellent utilization of space.

[mittelmeier]

Coming together nicely! Using door magnets to mount the top panel is an amazing idea! +rep

[Kumo]

Impressive. No words. But, yeah, Good Work!

[rendermandan]

Got a pretty small update tonight for ya.

My water pump finally arrived. Its not the best or most powerful pump, but its shallow and will fit under the motherboard nicely.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6685.jpg

My thoughts were to mount it in this position on the bottom of the case. It has to be mounted in such a way so when the case is sitting upright, it is in the correct orientation.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6686.jpg

So I made a bracket out of some 1" wide aluminum that would attach to the bottom of the motherboard tray and the back of the case.

Basically like this.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6691.jpg

However, after bending and cutting the aluminum I realized that there was no way for me to attach the aluminum to the back of the case and still mount the pump. In other words, the pump was in the way of mounting it to the back and if I removed the pump to mount it, there was no way to tighten the pump mounts. So I had to come up with a better solution.

So I made a trip to my local hardware store and brought home some aluminum stand offs and some machine screws.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6692.jpg

I had to use (2) 1" tall standoffs and cut one down to 1/2" as that is all they had. But basically I made two standoffs that extend from the bottom of the motherboard tray and support the pump. Keep in mind these pictures are of the bottom of the case and its currently upside down. once I flip the case over, the pump will be in the correct position.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6696.jpg

I then painted the standoffs to match the rest of the aluminum but I have to wait until they dry to take a picture.

Sorry but that's it for tonight.

Later,

[SXRguyinMA]

nice mounting idea!

[KiLLERMAN21]

Once again, a great idea, working with what space you have. Great work.

[rendermandan]

Thanks you guys!

[The boy 4rm oz]

A great pump for a great mod.

[rendermandan]

I got some more work done in the past few days. here's an update.

I've come to the point at which I needed to cut a large rectangular hole in the top panel.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6697.jpg

I taped it off and laid you where I needed to cut.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6699.jpg

The only problem is, How do I make the cuts so as to only have the kerf of the blade and perfectly straight edges? I cannot drill a hole large enough for a scroll saw blade. Plus If I slipped ever so slightly I would ruin a very expensive piece of carbon fiber.

So I came up with this idea. I would use my dremel with some diamond cut off wheels.

I had to make the cuts straight down through the material so I used a flexible shaft attachment on the dremel. the end is like a pencil so its diameter let me lay it flat against the top to make the cut.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6700.jpg

No, how do I make them perfectly straight? -Well A fence was needed, so I cut a short section of aluminum angle and clamped it in place. Then I just used it as a guide for the bit to make a straight cut. -Perfect!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6701.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6702.jpg

Not too bad...

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6706.jpg

4 cuts later and some corner cleanups. Its done.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6707.jpg

I attached the top back onto the case to check the fit.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6708.jpg

Here is how the fan will sit in it.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6710.jpg

and here is the top back in place.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6711.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6712.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6716.jpg

I used some epoxy to glue the top panel onto the tilt up frame.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6728.jpg

While the epoxy was curing, I cut some openings in the sides of the dvd supports. This way the fan will draw air through these holes to the sides of the equipment below and mainly the psu that sits at the bottom.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6731.jpg


Now that the epoxy has cured, I installed the fan.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6732.jpg

You can see the aluminum angles I glued onto the sides of the frame to hold the fan in place.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6733.jpg

Forgot to mention, I also cut and painted some modders mesh for the top.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6734.jpg

and here are the final shots.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6737.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6739.jpg

Now I just have to mount the servo. -My friend, Gediminas, built me a small servo controller, but that will come later.


I also cut the smoked plexi window for the top.

Here are the cut marks laid out.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6743.jpg

And here is how it will fit the top. (underside)

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6744.jpg

Here is the top on the case. with the widow. -Obviously, I still have the paper film on it. I need to pickup some more clear double sided 3M tape to mount it. -But basically the top is done. :)

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6745.jpg

Later,

[The boy 4rm oz]

WOW, a damn near perfect cut square, I will be using that "fence" idea in the future.The top looks fantastic, very neat and very cool. I love the flip up temp display.

[KiLLERMAN21]

SWEET! That looks really, really, REALLY good. +rep for everything!

[Vitz¥^]

Awesome work, loving this mod fs :D

[Kumo]

...I will be using that "fence" idea in the future...

Indeed. Me too :D:D

[Tavarin]

This case is amazing, can't wait to see it finished.

[THRASHER2]

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/3051/sweeetprojectgx7.jpg

[SXRguyinMA]

:stupid:

[rendermandan]

well guys, Apparently, what I asked for from Christmas was too expensive for Santa, so today I ordered the rest of my components. Here's what I got.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz

OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Dual Channel Memory

EVGA 01G-P3-1284-AR GeForce GTX 280 SSC Edition 1GB

-The only other piece of equipment I need is hard drives. But I plan on pulling my raptor drives with the windows out of "Motorized Madness" -they will be seen through windows in the front panels.

I also need a backup storage drive for the hot swappable drive cage. But that will come later.

Other than some lighting, that's about all I need to buy for DK.
I should have some pics of the stuff I've been working on this weekend tomorrow night for you. -Although, I'm starting to feel sick. So, I'm going to head to bed now.

Later!

[The boy 4rm oz]

Hope you had a great Christmas Dan, shame Santa didn't get you what you wanted ;).

For the backup drive you should get a Samsung Spinpoint F1 1TB drive, they are faster than 150GB raptors plus they hold a lot more and are slightly cheaper (here in oz anyway). They also come in a 500GB or a 750GB flavor.

[rendermandan]

Ok everyone, Sorry I didn't get the pics up yesterday. I spend some time pulling the hard drives out of Motorized Madness so I could get those mounted.

Here is where I'm at so far.

Last time I left you, I had cut the tinted plexi panel or the top window. Well I chose to try the Clear 3m double sided tape to hold it in place. We'll see if it really works or not.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6746.jpg

I also made an aluminum mount for the servo.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6748.jpg

I mounted it below the mother board panel. just next to the PSU.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6753.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6751.jpg

I had to make a mount for the ball joint on the tilt up panel.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6833.jpg

I then added some ball ends and some 4/40 threaded rod.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6834.jpg

That should do it for the motor. I just have to configure the servo controller.
Basically, as soon as the power is turned on, the panel will lift up. and when the computer shut down, it will close. -No fancy programming, just simple, yet effective.


I moved on to drilling some holes for the water tubing.

Here you can see the water block I'm using. If you look closely, you can see where the rubber grommets will go up by the right side panel.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6839.jpg

Here are the rubber gromments I'm using. 1/2" dia. inside hole.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6836.jpg

I got out my stepped drill bit.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6840.jpg

And drilled a couple 5/8" dia. holes.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6841.jpg

Then I pushed some red tubing through the holes to see how it would look. Not bad!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6844.jpg


Next up was the hard drives.
Here are the two I pulled out of my previous case.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6859.jpg

I want to use these hard drive cooling fans. I'm going to have the aluminum anodized next week along with the back pci panel.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6845.jpg

So I needed to cut some slots in the hard drive panels to make them fit.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6847.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6848.jpg

Using the same method as I did on the top panel, I cut out a "U" shape.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6854.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6858.jpg

After doing some gluing, Here are the housings with the hard drives installed. and the aluminum shrouds in place. The fans have been removed temporarily.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6871.jpg

This is what they will look like when installed. (although red anodized of course). I'm also going to make a CF piece to fill in the top gap.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6881.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6880.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6879.jpg

The last thing I had to do was to cut a hole so you can see the hard drives from the front of the case. So I removed the two side panels.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6894.jpg

Then, usin a 3 1/2" hole saw, I made some CF dust.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6904.jpg

And this is how it looks from the outside.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6905.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6906.jpg

Well, thats about it for now. All I need to do is mount the hard drive boxes and the inside is basically done, except for routing wires and holes with grommets for the wires. :)

After that, then comes all the detail work on the outside.

Later,

[jdbnsn]

Wow Dan, you are kicking some ass on this rig! I definitely like the idea of the HDD's showing through the side of the case, very nice touch! What are you using to paint those aluminum angles? I was thinking about painting mine but I don't know what type to use.

[Vision]

DECENT

keep up the good work
Vision

[The boy 4rm oz]

HDD coolers look great with the CF bezels mate. Have you thought about putting some red mesh in front of the HDD windows? I think that it may look quite good.

How do you find those step drills? Are they easier to use than a standard hole saw, do they make neater holes?

[rendermandan]

What are you using to paint those aluminum angles?
Thanks man!
I"m using Krylon X metal paint. http://www.krylon.com/products/xmetals/
Got it from my local Ace Hardware. about $8 a can. I will warn you, it takes a couple coats to get them to look really good. the more coats you do, the deaper the color. However, it does scratch off easily. I've had suggestions to clear coat mine, but I just don't want to take the time to wait for them to dry. All the aluminum brackets I've painted so far, will not even be seen, unless you remove the bottom. The aluminum that will be seen, like the pci back panel and hdd fan frames will be a true anodized. I called a local shop yesterday, and I"m going to drop the pieces off next monday.



How do you find those step drills? Are they easier to use than a standard hole saw, do they make neater holes?

I got a 3 pack from Harborfreight. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91616

and yes, they do make a clean hole. They work really good in metal.

[SXRguyinMA]

keep up the good work :up:

[Kumo]

Insane.

I like the HDD coolers final look.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Just revisiting your last update. I think the HDD coolers look very nice in the silver, I don't think you should paint them red.

[rendermandan]

Just revisiting your last update. I think the HDD coolers look very nice in the silver, I don't think you should paint them red.

Thanks, I had thought about leaving them silver. they kind of go with all the silver washers I have everwhere. However I plan on anodizing some more things. In addition to the back pci panel, I plan to anodize the silver metal bracket that holds down the cpu waterblock. Its steel, so I will have to paint it. I also plan on doing the heat spreaders on my OCZ ram. I haven't gotten them yet, but they are ordered. So, I'm not sure what I'm going to do just yet. :)

[The boy 4rm oz]

Ah ok, hope all your painting turns out.

[jhanlon303]

I have a small project log over on Bit-Tech where I am building a case for my H2O cooled Jetway C7. I have been following this log since forever and have a couple questions that might make my project better.
1.) Has the epoxy you used really held the alum. angles to the CF well? Langer is sponsoring the CF panels for my log and I'm working on a couple new ideas after reading your log.

2.) With the Krylon paint did you use the 'reflective base' paint on the alum. or just the top coat? I see you used several coats and mentioned it tends to flake and scratch. Was the alum. that went against the CF painted or left bare metal?

john hanlon jhanlon303 on several forums
my log on BT:

http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=159236

Yes we made MOTM on Bit-Tech.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Glad to see you finally surfaced John.

[rendermandan]

I have a small project log over on Bit-Tech where I am building a case for my H2O cooled Jetway C7. I have been following this log since forever and have a couple questions that might make my project better.
1.) Has the epoxy you used really held the alum. angles to the CF well? Langer is sponsoring the CF panels for my log and I'm working on a couple new ideas after reading your log.

2.) With the Krylon paint did you use the 'reflective base' paint on the alum. or just the top coat? I see you used several coats and mentioned it tends to flake and scratch. Was the alum. that went against the CF painted or left bare metal?

john hanlon jhanlon303 on several forums
my log on BT:

http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=159236

Yes we made MOTM on Bit-Tech.

Glad to see you are following my worklog, And welcome to TBCS, by the way.

To answer your questions,

1. In regards to the epoxy holding to the CF and Aluminum. I am using 2 hour ultra strong epoxy. Not the 5 minute stuff. the shorter the curing time, the less strong the bond is. So the longest I could find was 2 hour. -As for adheasion, If you scuff the surface of both the aluminum and CF. it holds pretty good. I've been using 60 grit sand paper to scuff the surface, as well as a dremel grinding bit on the aluminum. It gives the expoy somethign to bite too. I've only had a couple brackets break off. but that was because of a dumb move I made. I set the case its side and basically pryed the piece off.

2. In regards to the krylon paint. I did not use the "Silver" base coat since the aluminum was already shiny silver. -The can's instructions state to use the base coat for non shiny or non metal surfaces. So I figured I didn't need it. And yes, it does scratch off easily. Someone recommened using a clear coat over it. -And yes the side that goes against the aluminum is bare aluminum. If any overspray got on that side, the sandpaper and grinder took care of that. I don't think it would hold very well if it were painted, since the paint leaves the surface very smooth.

Hope that helps you out. -You should consider posting your worklog over here as well as Bit-Tech. We are always interested in anyones work.

Later,

[TheGreatSatan]

+Rep and PM coming your way!

[KiLLERMAN21]

Looking great man, really liking how the HDD's look is the sides, very nice.

[rendermandan]

Thanks again you guys.

TGS, -PM sent back. :)

Here's a small update for you.

I had to make a few support brackets to hold the hard drives against the back side of the panel. So I cut a few aluminum angles and painted them.
I'm going to use some felt pads to press against the hard drive. I don't want to have any vibrations transfered into the case.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6920.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6922.jpg

Then using some clear 3M Double sided tape. (which does work good by the way). I attached them to the motherboard tray.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6923.jpg

I also got my shipment from Newegg. Take a look at the goodies!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6912.jpg

Now, if this isn't a kick in the ass. It fits. -Barely.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6913.jpg

You can see there is no clearance.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6916.jpg

-the problem is, I had to remove some bolts to get it to fit. -When I designed this case, I made the length for the video card long enough for the card, however, I did not figure in for bolt heads that stick out 1/8". So What am I to do????


Well, I did some major surgury and moved the back wall of the interior box forward about 1/4". This gave the video card some more breathing room as I see there are vents on the end of it. It took me about 5 hours to complete. but its done. I didn't take any pics because the result is exactly the same as where it started, its just 1/4" shorter.

I did do some modifications to the CPU water block and Memory though.
I'm using a Swiftech GTZ block.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6927.jpg

I pulled the steel chromed bracket off so I could paint it.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6928.jpg

And here it is all put back together. The red will match the rest of the case.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6932.jpg


I also worked on the Memory. 4gb of OCZ DD3 2000 chips.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6924.jpg

I taped them off.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6926.jpg

and here is how they turned out.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h205/rendermandan/Dark%20Carbon/100_6935.jpg

Not too bad...

Tomorrow, I'm going to be dropping my PCI backplate and hard drive cooler frames off at a Plating company. They are going to do some True anodizing on them in red.

[jdbnsn]

I am truly impressed with your engineering abilities, especially since I have been struggling to put together a simple square box I can't imagine trying to get all of those angles to mesh! Awesome work as always Dan!