Bullet Holes

[andrew.glesener]

Hey,
I am a n00b case modder and i was thinking for my first mod i could make it look like my computer got shot so i was wondering what type of paint should i use and what tools i should use.

[DaveW]

Hmm...are you just going for the shot look or are you elaborating on it to make the case look like something that would be shot (i.e. making it look like one of the square oil barrels you see on some jeeps).

I mean like this...
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f39/DivW/jerrycan.jpg

Then if you put bulletholes in that, it would look sweet :)

If you're just going for the bullethole look, you could try actually shooting your case. Although i think a guy here called unknownconcepts tried that and it didn't work out too well for him. You could just drill holes in strategic places, and then put something like a chizel in them and hit with a mallet to get the sort of conical wake that a bullet would leave in metal.

As for paint, i don't know what you mean-did you mean you just wanted to paint the bulletholes on? Because it would look better to actually put them in, and then put plastic behind them or something (to keep a good airflow in your case, etc.)

This sort of thing's always easier with a sketch as well, throw us a plan or two of what you think you want to do with it. Good luck :)

-Dave

[andrew.glesener]

Yeah i didn't mean painting them on i ment sorta a burnt look. And also where did you get that Picture?? THAT WOULD BE SWEET if i could put a computer into that. But for now i'm aiming to just give it a shot up look.(no pun intended) Like a spray of bullets from an AK-47.

-Cheers!
Andrew

[pure_rock_fury]

I am curious as to why shooting it wouldn't work. If hard ware was removed, mobo tray, and drive cages. Put the panels back on and shoot it with something that isn't going to rip it in two (put the .50 cal away guys). What happened that made it go bad?

[andrew.glesener]

I dont know... I might try it with a crappy case!

[andrew.glesener]

Ah! I figured out what happend to unknownconcepts! He shot A Fiber glass case. Im using a aluminum case (i think) Also I have another idea! when i get those bullet holes in im buying a cold cathode light and sticking it in ao when its dark the lights will shine out of the bullet holes!

[pure_rock_fury]

ahh... yeah fiberglass probably wont hold up real well. The aluminum should be ok though. Just be sure to take out the mobo tray. When the bullet passes through it is going to give the area around the hole a pretty fair warp. If the mobo try takes a hit, it could throw off your mounting points.

The cathode idea sounds cool! Take a few pics of it once you get it set up, would love to see it. Heck, take pics of shooting it too! Would be great catharsis for anyone who has ever had a similar urge.

Have fun, and take care

[Rankenphile]

I'm not so sure actually shooting it is the best idea. For one thing, if firing at your entire case, the force of impact will warp the panels and will lead to problems mounting the motherboard, as the mouting holes will be out of place, among other problems. If just shooting the front panel, the force will cause it to warp, making it a lot more difficult to get back in place after the fun is done.

I would recommend using a punch and hammer to make your punches in the case panel. Take a drill press and make your initial holes, then use a steel taper and hammer to enlarge them, maybe use a dremel or other tool to make small cuts in the holes first to force them to split. From there, it would just be a matter of painting to complete the deal, and it's a much more controlled method than blasting away at your case with a rifle.

Although, there is something to be said about a case who's entire design ethic is "I basically took it to the gravel pit and blew the hell out of it". :D

[andrew.glesener]

Ok! I am going to buy a case for shooting and a case for doing Rankenphile's idea. I'll keep you guys updated!
Also SHould i move this project to worklogs?

[PrototypeJC]

I was actually thinking of doing something similar, along with a Far Cry theme. I have a Dell XPS 400...the newer case. It's nice as is, but would look real nice modded.

[Rankenphile]

I wouldn't worry about moving it. Just create a new thread in Worklogs when you get to that point.

[Marc9118]

I'm not so sure actually shooting it is the best idea. For one thing, if firing at your entire case, the force of impact will warp the panels and will lead to problems mounting the motherboard, as the mouting holes will be out of place, among other problems. If just shooting the front panel, the force will cause it to warp, making it a lot more difficult to get back in place after the fun is done.

I would recommend using a punch and hammer to make your punches in the case panel. Take a drill press and make your initial holes, then use a steel taper and hammer to enlarge them, maybe use a dremel or other tool to make small cuts in the holes first to force them to split. From there, it would just be a matter of painting to complete the deal, and it's a much more controlled method than blasting away at your case with a rifle.
http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/images/misc/menu_open.gif (http://usterki.hobby-elektronika.eu/elemis.html)
Although, there is something to be said about a case who's entire design ethic is "I basically took it to the gravel pit and blew the hell out of it". :D

I agree. Shooting the case up could do a lot more damage than needed. Plus what happens if you shoot it and a cop rolls up? " Sorry officer, I was just shooting my computer"

Try buying some of those bullet hole stickers that you put on cars.. That may work.

[andrew.glesener]

I agree. Shooting the case up could do a lot more damage than needed. Plus what happens if you shoot it and a cop rolls up? " Sorry officer, I was just shooting my computer"

Try buying some of those bullet hole stickers that you put on cars.. That may work.
Nah bullet hole stickers would look like crap! And also I could just go to a shooting range to shoot it! (if they let me):p

[ShiftV2]

Destruction is fun. Actually I did this mod once before, if by accident. Once we were doing a little target practice in my back yard when we ran out of targets. Now I have a lot of spare computer parts just kind of collecting dust in my basement. So we grabbed whatever we could find (monitors, CDROMs, cases) and just started unloading on them. One of the cases we shot at actually turned out looking really sweet. But alas it was unusable.

Anyway, if you're going to shoot at your side panel don't just grab the first gun you see and start unloading. Firstly, look for the right ammunition. I don't know if they allow sale of "full metal jacket" rounds in your state (Or anywhere for that matter) but they'd probably be your best bet. What you want is for all of the force of the projectile to be focused on one point of the case. When a standard lead or hollow-tip round hits something what will happen is the projectile will disperse or mushroom(see below). This causes the force to spread out. Which is why if you shoot someone with a hollow-tip the entry wound will be about the size of the bullet. If it were a 9MM the exit wound would be about as big as the average persons fist.


http://www.winchester.com/images/catalog/PT_upset.jpg

If you can't find FMJ ammunition go with just regular rounds. Theoretically a high-grain low calliber round will be your best bet. This will create more force being dispersed over a smaller surface area. A .22 at 40gr should do what you want it to do. If you are going to shoot at your case I suggest going to a scrap yard and picking up some sort of sheet metal and shoot at that first just to see what the results will be. Run some tests until you find the perfect result then replicate. It's science.

Some other ideas for ya, take some electrical tape and put some of it around the case then hit it with a blow torch. Don't over do it. This should create a burned look (I've never actually done this on metal, so I'm not entirely sure if the results will be the same. Again run some tests on scrap metal before you do anything to your case.). You could also take some dark red paint and with a small paint brush kind of splatter it onto the side of the case. Anyway, be imaginative, run tests, and most of all have fun.

[Rankenphile]

I would actually recommend painting after you create your holes. A good way to get an effect to make it look like the paint flaked off around the areas is to treat the areas you don't want paint to be in the end with painter's wax (there are a bunch of methods for this... I don't remember the brand names, unfortunately, but a reputable model shop should carry it, or at least steer you in the right direction.) Basically, you put the wax down in the pattern you want ahead of time, then paint over it. After you get your paint done, you can use adhesive pads to lift the wax from the surface, taking the paint with it, exposing the layer below. This is a good way to create flecked or crumbling paint effects.

[andrew.glesener]

Ok. Its set. Im NOT going to shoot my case! Im just going to watch videos and look at pictures of bullets through metal and try to replicate it at best with the tools i have. The bullet hole size will be about the size of a magnum bullet. And i will do the blood splatter idea! And the wax idea too for the paint flaking. Any other ideas before i start (next week) say as soon as you can! Also once i start i will post a new thread in the work log section. I will be checking back constantly and ill tell you if i will include your idea or not. Thank you all!
Cheers-
Andrew Glesener

[Rankenphile]

take pictures and document the whole thing for all of us, that's the best thing we could ask for!

[DaveW]

Yeah, this thread's got a lot of traffic, i can see a lot of people are interested in this case idea. Keep us posted.

-Dave

[andrew.glesener]

Here is the link to the worklog! I'll keep it updated over the next few weeks!
Cheers-
Andrew

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?p=21606#post21606

[xmastree]

How about this.
Take a centrepunch, and a large nut. Large enough for the punch to enter and not get stuck. Place the nut on a flat, firm surface like a bench, rest the metal plate on the nut, place the punch directly above it and hit it hard enough to drive the punch right through the metal.

That way you can get nice round holes exactly where you want them.

[andrew.glesener]

Hey,
Good idea but think im just going to go with grilling the holes. But thanks.
Soeey for the delay guys i'v been waiting for some stuff to get here like the cold cathode and stuff.

[jdbnsn]

Just to throw in my 2 cents, if you wanted to experiment with shooting the case up, it is not impossible. The warping which occurs can be minimized by placing something flush against the other side of the panel to be shot, this way the force is transmitted to the item behind the panel and limits the warping. I have a friend who is armed to the teeth and he used his SKS to do something similar (not for a computer, but same idea). We found that placing a milk jug full of water up against the back reduced the warp to nil, however, it was a damn shame what happened to that milk jug.

[xmastree]

think im just going to go with grilling the holes.
Like this? (http://folk.ntnu.no/shane/stasj/pics/humor/div/669.html) ;)

[Viper-Inc]

i've got 1 of them fuel tanks in the garage. holds all my mower fuel. lol.

They're great tanks, beat the new crappy cans n barrels.

[Hasbios]

yo dont you just take everything out of it and shoot it with a 9mm all u would need to do is go to a gun club and get a lil permission. after yo shoot it grind the inside smooth so u can mount some plexiglass or acrylic on the inside. just a suggestion but i think it would be more fun then just painting it :D

[The boy 4rm oz]

Hey i recon your best bet is taking your case apart so its in single panel just the top and sides (front aswell if not plastic) and taking it to a shooting range and get the guys 2 shoot it with a .22 but not hollow tipped cos that will just tear a hole in your pannels. This will probably work best with a case thats not alluiminium.

[unknownconcepts]

yea it warps you case pretty bad.
but if you was to use a handgun it or a 22. like The boy 4rm oz said wouldent warp it as much.
i used a 30/30 hahaha.

[andrew.glesener]

Hey everyone!
Sorry I haven't started i have been very buisy with other things!
I will start in two or three weeks.

[xmastree]

Try a shotgun. You might get a hole big enough for a fan... :)

[Custom]

Um you cant get those stick on bullet holes!