Project: Reverse²

[Reverse]

http://letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/banner.jpg
Reverse²

After my first project (Delerium) I started a new project, unfortunately that one never got finished due to it being in a fire. The complete case was made of MDF-board, and burned down.
I had been planning this mod for quite a while, basically ever since I saw the "Fractal Design Define R2" case in an online review.
So, I started to look for that case in all the shops in my area. But I seemed to have ran out of luck, I simply could not find the case in online nor offline shops.

So I started modding the case with Adobe Photoshop©, I’d like to call it photomodding. A few hours later I had finished 3 initial concepts. But none of those concepts seemed to have the "X-factor". So i let it rest for a few days, and started all over again.
This time the concept looked great, so I refined it once more and made it my final concept.

The final concept:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2611/4154008200_759829efd0_o.jpg
With this final concept made, it was time for the interior design. I created a same kind of moodboard for the interior (and some parts of the exterior).

I started reading loads of work logs, some of them I liked, some i didn't. I decided the interior should be just as clean as the exterior of the case.

The interiour concept:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2662/4154008794_afb4802888_o.jpg
With both of these concepts completed I started e-mailing with Fractal Design, the company that designed and produces the Define R2 case.
It didn't take very long before I received an answer, and after some more e-mail traffic I received the answer I had hoped for.

They had decided to sponsor me a case, the Fractal Design Define R2 Black Pearl. Yes, that’s quite a big name...
But damn, when the case arrived, it looked even better than i thought judging on the pictures.

The name:
With a new concept, one of the most difficult things to do is creating a name for it.
I decided I wanted something with my nickname, i changed nicknames a while ago from Agressions to Reverse.
I also wanted something along the lines of the original name of the case, so: Fractal Design Define R2 Black Pearl.
Now the nice thing of the original name, the R2 part, which could be explained as Reverse2. Making that look nicer will result in Reverse².

This project is being sponsored by:

http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/) Fractal Design has sent me a Fractal Design Define R2 Black Pearl, the backbone for this project.
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/RASURBO.png (http://www.rasurbo.com/) Rasurbo has sent me a Power Supply GaminX & Power GAP767. A 750W power supply in orange.
http://letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png (http://xilence.net/) Xilence will be sending me cooling attributes.
http://letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/DEBOLED.png (http://deboled.nl/) DeboLED has supplied me with the internal and external lightning material.
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/THERMOLAB.pngThermolab has sent me a BARAM CPU cooler!http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/CHERRY.pngCherry has sent me 2 INFINITY keyboards!

[Reverse]

The Case
For this build, i have received a Define R2 from Fractal Design (http://www.fractal-design.com).
Fractal Design is a relative new company when it comes to cases and enclosures. They produce fans, PSU's, HTPC-RC's, Anti-noise kits and some other small stuff as well.

A new generation of style, Define R2:
The long awaited Define R2 case is reaching new heights in combining stylish, contemporary design with maximum functionality and noise absorbing features.
The minimalistic, yet stunning front panel design, fitted with noise absorbing material on the inside, creates an aura of exclusivity.
ModuVent™, 8 white painted HDD trays fitted with silicon mounts and a total of 7 fan slots are just some of the interesting features this case offers.
It's available in three different front panel colors:

Define R2 - Black Pearl
Define R2 - Titanium Grey
Define R2 - Silver Arrow

For this build I received the Black Pearl edition, meaning the front panel has the same black finish as the rest of the case.
When first viewing the case, it reminds me of the Antec P180 series, and the Lian Li PC-A10. Which (to be honest) is not a bad thing.
Let's examine this thing, ok?

The Interior:
The front:
The front features a nice, glossy and stealthy door, the door can be opened by a small, hand-sized opening in the side of it.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2623/4154860081_5aa879b695_o.jpg
The on/off button has been placed on top of the front panel.
Next to the e-SATA, soundjacks and USB ports.
The 2 optical-drives and 2 120mm fans+filters can be revealed when the door is opened.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2600/4155622190_0a863ee9ed_o.jpg
The fan-filters will be explained later, it's so clever!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2802/4154860539_822df29b2c_o.jpg
At this stage I realized it... There was only 1 fan included on the front panel, while there is room for 2.
Clever marketing from the guys at Fractal Design, they included 2 fans. There is room for a total of 7 fan slots (2x120mm in front, 2x 120/140mm in top, 1x120mm in back, 1x 120/140mm in side panel, 1x 120/140mm in bottom)!
So, if you want to use the same style of fans in the complete case, you will have to buy 5 extra fans, from Fractal Design. As I said, clever!

The top:
On top of the front panel we will find: 2x USB 2.0, 1x eSATA and Audio I/O.
The rest is pretty standard and clean. In the back we find 2 spots for 140/120mm fans. The spots are covered with a hexagonal pattern, really clean.
The top is riveted to the chassis, all the other panels are either screwed on or clipped on.

The back:
Once we got to the back of the case, we noticed the color scheme Fractal Design had in minds.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2664/4154861931_0472e0c9c8_o.jpg
You see 7 PCI-slot brackets. Painted glossy white! (classy!), and we see the second included white fan. A 120mm fan to suck out the hot air from the case.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2700/4170075988_4650641d83_o.jpg
There are also several holes for water-cooling, I haven't tried those, since my setup will not be water-cooled.
You will also notice the PSU is placed in the bottom, it's been done a lot. And is not a bad thing at all!
The PSU-part is lined with silicon/rubber sound-absorbing stuff. Something that I like a LOT!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4170075734_981941f5c7_o.jpg

The side:
The side panels are attached with 2 black thumbscrews each.
The right side panel is simple, plain and nice. The left side panel however features the only awkward/strange part of the whole case. (don't mind the fingerprints please.)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2549/4154860737_624a629789_o.jpg
Yeah, a hexagonal fan guard....... Too bad, without it the case would be perfect.

The interior:
When the side panel is removed, you will see the stealthy and classy look of the exterior has been continued on the interior.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2725/4154861549_21ce85eb58_o.jpg
The whole inside has been painted matte-black. And once again you will notice the color-scheme.
The 8(!) white painted HDD-trays have been fitted with silicone mounting. Once again you can see silence is a big deal for this case.
There is room for an atx-, matx or itx-motherboard, and there is a hole for the socket. We can also see several holes for cablemanagement, these holes have been fitted with a rubber/silicone part, so the cables will be held in place.
On the right we see two 5,25"-drivebays, of which one can be made into a 3,5"-drivebay. The 8 white HDD-trays are placed below the two 5,25"-drivebays.
They are very easy to use, they slide out really easy. Once you have the tray out, you can enter a HDD and screw in it's place. The screwholes are once again lined with silicone grommets.

The bottom:
The PSU will be placed in the bottom, and since most PSU's have a fan in the bottom or top, Fractal Design has made a hexagonalgrille placed in the bottom. With a dustfilter you can clean with ease.
Next to the PSU space, the R2 features a space for a 120mm fan, with once again a dustfilter.

Usefull information:
Key features:

Stunning front panel design
Patent pending ModuVent™ design, allowing the user to either have optimal silence or optimal airflow
Pre-fitted with dense, noise absorbing bitumen
8(!) white painted HDD-trays, with silicone mounting
A total of 7 fan slots (2x120mm in front, 2x 120/140mm in top, 1x120mm in back, 1x 120/140mm in side panel, 1x 120/140mm in bottom)
2x 120mm Fractal Design 120mm Silent Series 15dB fans included
Fan controller for 3 fans included
Easily removable front fan filters with clip-on holders for 120mm fans
Supports graphic card lengths up to circa 290mm and CPU coolers with height of maximum circa 165mm
Supports PSU's with a depth of maximum circa 170mm, when using bottom 120/140mm fan location. When not using the bottom 120/140mm fan location, the case supports also longer PSU's, typically 200-220mm.


Cooling system


Fan controller for 3 fans included
1 rear Fractal Design 120mm Silent Series 15dB fan (included)
1 front Fractal Design 120mm Silent Series 15dB fan (included)
1 front 120mm fan (optional)
1 bottom 120mm/140mm fan (optional)
1 side panel 120mm/140mm fan (optional)
top 120mm/140mm fan (optional)


Specifications


8x 3,5 inch HDD trays, compatible with SSD!
2x 5,25 inch bays, with 1x 5,25>3,5 inch converter included
On top of front panel: 2x USB 2.0, 1x eSATA and Audio I/O
No PSU included (removable filter below PSU)
M/B compatibility: Mini ITX, Micro ATX and ATX
7x expansion slots with sleek white painted brackets
Supports graphic card lengths up to circa 290mm and CPU coolers with height of maximum circa 165mm
Supports PSU's with a depth of maximum circa 170mm, when using bottom 120/140mm fan location. When not using the bottom 120/140mm fan location, the case supports also longer PSU's, typically 200-220mm.
Case size (WxHxD): 207.40x440x521.2mm
Net weight: 12.50kg


Once again, i'd like to thank my sponsors:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/RASURBO.png (http://rasurbo.com) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png (http://xilence.net/)

[Locum51]

Nice case, i might have to look into one for another mod i have in mind. :D

[jdbnsn]

Beautiful!

[aintnothang]

I love it, how much is it?

[Reverse]

Thanks guys, The case was sponsored for me, but in Europe it will cost roughly around 90 euros.
I heard it isn't available in the US though.

Disassembling the case:
The easy stuff:
Ok, so with the case viewed and reviewed it was time to disasseble it.
First thing anybody will notice: all the screws are coated black! Now that's what i call, attention to detail!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2589/4169314181_f3f379b8c0_o.jpg
I started with removing the parts i could remove easily, so the 5,25">3,5" converter was first up:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2704/4170076112_097850da57_o.jpg
Next up, the casefeet.
The 2 front feet are way bigger than the 2 in the back of the case.
It's plastic, but covered with a chrome-like finish. Looking good, but unfortunately it doesn't fit with my desired theme.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2530/4169314543_a04c0c9479_o.jpg
Then the 2fanfilters (1 fan included) in the front, it's all one piece. To remove or add a fan, you will have to unscrew the fanfilter and remove it. Then insert the fan into the bracket (no srews needed) and srew it all back in place.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2711/4170076532_e1a6db679a_o.jpg
The fan when taken out of the bracket:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2671/4170076654_84d9b45d60_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2608/4170076820_e0c9c18883_o.jpg
The fan has a nice matte finish, but unfortunately only 2 are delivered with the case, therefor i will have to look for a fan-sponsor.
I will be needing:

Two 120mm fans for the front.
Two 140mm fans for the top.
One 120mm fan for the backplate.
One 140mm fan for the bottom


Let's move on to the hard drive bays, 7 in total. All white!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/4169315621_7ea5f21673_o.jpg

And one of those hard drive tray's was filled with a special, mystery box!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2727/4170076346_32355eb4a5_o.jpg

It was filled with motherboard-spacers, Velcro, a 3-way-fancontoller and more black screws.

Next up, the side panel... It was covered with a substance called "bitumen". It is a soundproofing material.
But... I heard there was room for a 120mm fan in the side panel, right?
Yep, they covered that 120mm hole with a piece of bitumen as well. So i removed that.
And it showed the hexagonal fan grill beneath it:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2719/4170077682_d65c4c374b_o.jpg
But damn, the part I removed... HEAVY! And.. well.. LARGE!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2780/4170077848_ae97d90b38_o.jpg
The front panel:
Yeah, the front panel eh... I was pleasantly surprised when i removed all the screws.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2632/4170078122_ab29ea4437_o.jpg
And here are the screws..
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2711/4169316627_1cb8003d53_o.jpg

2 screws were hidden behind a rubber pad, so that had to be removed...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/4169316803_eec7bec253_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2667/4170078740_4e695fb7eb_o.jpg
And I liked the way the panel is attached to the rest:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2768/4170079358_26326de54f_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2494/4169317287_3800625630_o.jpg
The front panel is connected to the rest with a plastic hinge, the hinging part is made out of 2 parts.

All apart:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2623/4169317935_586447b51f_o.jpg

Once again, i'd like to thank my sponsors:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/RASURBO.png (http://rasurbo.com) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png (http://xilence.net/)

[Reverse]

Sleeving the cables:
The sleeving:
Go big or go home, so I decided to go big with the sleeving. I ordered the best sleeving i could find. MurderMod sleeving from MDPC-X (http://www.mdpc-x.com/)!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/4154009582_c0356848ab_o.jpg

This is what I ordered, the orange and black are for this build, the blue (and some black) are for another build.
Also, this is so awesome: I HAVE ORDER #666!
Now came the time I had to wait for my stuff to arrive...

The sleeving was the first to arrive, I'm sure we've all seen it before (in a work log or in real-life), but it seems to be a tradition to show the little doodle-image Nils (DualBrain) draws on each package he sends.
So here's mine:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2733/4155438048_ed28d21a9e_o.jpg

Now let's unwrap it! Actually, I unwrapped it before I photographed the doodle, I was way too curious!
The sleeving's quality is outstanding! And since I’ve seen some awesome close-up pictures of it in several work logs, I thought I should try it as well!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2534/4155438054_8ff2a88405_o.jpg

Oh, and Nils (DualBrain) from MDPC-X included a nice little gift in the package as well, a 0,5m piece of white SATA sleeving, Thanks dude!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2548/4155438058_73b2c5d8c3_o.jpg

That picture is actually straight off the camera, i only added the border. The colors are that vibrant in real life as well!

And a nice black and white shot of the black sleeving:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2565/4155438050_a862fd28ba_o.jpg

The PSU:
This project has been sponsored by Rasurbo (http://www.rasurbo.com/) with a 750W power supply.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2556/4153249497_5a240da899_o.jpg

The Power Supply GaminX & Power GAP767. The PSU passes all tests, is reliable and has one special feature; A "Green and Power safe mode". There are (of course) some downsides; The cables are not modular, and not all the cables are sleeved (just the 20pin's ATX cable is sleeved together).
These problems will have to be fixed or worked around, meaning i will have to sleeve the cables my self.
The PSU arrived shortly after the case, and I examined it.
The website sais this about the PSU:

Stylish chassis colored in black and orange
750 Watts
20/4 pin ATX-connector
ATX 12 V version 2.2
S-ATA connector
PCI-E connector
Sleeved cable, ca. 47 cm long (only GAP 767)
Green & Power safe mode
120 mm silent fan (17 dB/A)
Thermo controlled fan sensor
Power factor correction (PFC)
Protection against overvoltage (OVP)
Protection against capacity overload (OPP)
Protection against short-circuit
On-/ off switch
Attractive retail box
CE-certification
24 months guarantee
Incl. power cable


So, I took it out of the box and put it in my little photo-booth. These pictures were the result:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2591/4155446848_e0b37d8f13_o.jpg
An overview picture.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/4155438060_d74f729246_o.jpg
A picture of the back, I love the fact it has a power switch. I have missed that feature on my current PSU. Glad to have it back.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2761/4155438064_9a4c3ccca0_o.jpg
The part where the wires exit the PSU, you can see the wires are grouped with some cable-ties and the main 20pins ATX cable is sleeved.
All the wires will be sleeved, and grouped. I don't really mind it's not a modular PSU. most cables won't be visible at all anyway.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2612/4154685367_2625772e42_o.jpg
A nice dark sticker with the specs, most casemodder remove these kind of stickers. I might do it later on, but at this stage I’d like to keep them on.
It's a nice sticker, and I’m proud of my sponsors.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2707/4154685541_93616dd473_o.jpg
Ah yes... the wires...
Of course, I arranged them like this for the picture. They are not that chaotic in person, but it is a mess. As I said, this will be fixed/worked around with the MDPC-X sleeving.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2749/4155446672_7ef6facd25_o.jpg
And last but not least, a nice close-up photo of the fan+fanguard of the PSU!

Sleeving some cables:
SATA to Molex:
The first cable I decided to sleeve: The SATA-to-Molex-cable.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2549/4170079996_2f7a9150f3_o.jpg

The original cable, with an ugly white connector... blech.
Started sleeving, orange first:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2745/4169318565_65372cf52e_o.jpg

Aaaaaaaaand, DONE!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2625/4170080492_c58e0b5d43_o.jpg

And a nice close-up photo of it.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2543/4169319045_8fa845c390_o.jpg

SATA cable:
I also sleeved an SATA cable, orange looks so much better than red!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2540/4169319235_e67f6ca483_o.jpg

The camera has some problems capturing the orange in this picture…

Once again, i'd like to thank my sponsors:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/RASURBO.png (http://rasurbo.com) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png (http://xilence.net/)

[Reverse]

Creating the window:
I decided to go with a nice and clean look for the side panel, the original panel had a hexagonal fan grill, which looked good. But simply didn't fit my concept. So it had to be cut out. A window would take it's place.
Masking it up:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2491/4169319439_046c6d83fe_o.jpg

More masking:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2693/4169319591_262ff5f1a0_o.jpg

Then, using a 90-degree-angle I made sure the window would be completely square. But the thing was a bit rusty... so I taped it up, to prevent it from scratching my panel.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2576/4169320383_00bc59d653_o.jpg

Then I drew the window shape on the masking:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2662/4170081590_68999ec1a7_o.jpg

Close-up:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2619/4170081790_bd75f64a22_o.jpg


Sawing:
My tool of the trade:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/4169320591_7d5fbbbe14_o.jpg
An old school fretsaw!

I personally love this shot! It's an action-shot!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2548/4170082446_b60b208285_o.jpg

I stayed within my lines, but it turned out pretty messy... The edges are really jagged, but nothing that can't be fixed with some elbow grease. (Read: a few hours of filing and sanding)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2754/4169321135_d7348c2e77_o.jpg
Close-up:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2551/4170082604_705c69cbe4_o.jpg

I unmasked the panel to see how much time i should spend on straightening the edges:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2697/4170082972_f1fc792dee_o.jpg

The outcome:
After 2 hours of filing and sanding, this is the final outcome:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/4169321497_36e45da0ea_o.jpg

And I put it on the case (with my new-ish system already in it):
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2535/4169321713_1400870ac5_o.jpg
It's a nice window... But unfortunately I think it's a bit too small... I will have to make it bigger... I’ve got my work cut out! (yes, pun intended.)

Once again, i'd like to thank my sponsors:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/RASURBO.png (http://rasurbo.com) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png (http://xilence.net/)

[Reverse]

The front panel:
Ok, so the original front panel is good-looking. But I will not be left untouched.
In my original plans you can see I want to make one tall vertical gap in the front, Then I want to illuminate the gap with orange Plexiglas somehow. Haven’t figured it out yet though.

I decided to make one large row of holes using a 3mm drill bit on my Dremel.
But first, I created a jig out of wood, then marked the centre (using the front panel):
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4188642212_e61b73e610_o.jpg

I then drilled a 3mm hole in the centre of my jig, and just to show, this is my jig:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2682/4187880957_b53553bb8c_o.jpg

Let’s get to work:
Safety first!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2531/4188642028_97ed592e12_o.jpg

A picture of the Dremel+3mm drill bit in the jig.
I really like this shot!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/4188642604_4ff60cfa38_o.jpg

It took just a few seconds to drill through the panel, but it took significantly more time to align the jig for the next hole.
After the first few holes I took the panel out of the jig. Just to check my progress. And to see if everything is aligned.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2662/4187881443_8eacd7e646_o.jpg

Pfffff…. 15 minutes later.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2689/4187881589_0319021820_o.jpg
I was done with the holes. Good.

Now I just need to play a game of “Connect The Dots”.
I took this part slowly, a lot of pressure would be directed towards the panel, and it being plastic, I didn’t want it to break. Not after all this work.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2571/4188643298_53b10450dc_o.jpg

So, finally. All the dots were connected. And it was one big gap by now.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2745/4187881939_afff94e155_o.jpg

Let’s unmask it and check out the massacre…
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2671/4188643574_1fcdf9113d_o.jpg
Awww… That’s horrible!
But. I expected it to look like this, and was prepared.

Once again, i'd like to thank my sponsors:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/RASURBO.png (http://rasurbo.com) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png (http://xilence.net/)

[msmrx57]

I see filing in your future. Looking good so far.:up:

[Couch3ater]

Wow. That's gunna be a whole lot of filing. I wish you the best of luck in not getting frustrated and launching the panel off the top of your roof. Hahaha, looking forward to seeing the finished product... So uh... MOVE MOVE MOVE! ^_^

[Reverse]

Thanks for the comments =)

Is there any way i can edit the topictitle depending on the updates?
If not, could a mod please remove the "[december 17, The case] " part?

[Couch3ater]

I'm fairly certain that there's no way to alter the title. I'm sure a Mod will happily oblige. =DD

Either that, or you could keep it, kinda like a start date. Then post the end date at the end of the log. Lol.

[Reverse]

Ok, that's too bad.. lol
Hoping a mod will alter the title for me *fingers crossed*

Cleaning up:
I used some 60 and 80 grid sandpaper to clean up the jagged edges, this took forever to do, but it was worth it.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2717/4187882223_3b6cd980b0_o.jpg

While sanding with 80 grid sandpaper, I slipped… I felt so bad.
All this work to keep the front panel glossy and keep it’s original look. Lost..
And all because I got carried away by the music…

So, next up:
Sanding the complete panel, until the flaw would not be seen anymore.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2587/4187882397_b57c47f8dd_o.jpg

I started at 60 grid, then 80, 100, 120, 200, 320 grit (all dry).
Then I took the panel upstairs, to the bathroom to start wet sanding and polishing.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2534/4187882527_cc767bb938_o.jpg
Here I continued using 400 grit, 600 grit.
This was the base for my polishing kit.
Which used:
800, 1000, 1400, 2400, 4000, 8000, 24000 and 32000 grit sanding pads.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2758/4187882667_04c7f236d3_o.jpg

Then it was time for the polishing compound:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2738/4188644340_b75e743685_o.jpg

Which was applied using circular motion:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2600/4188644472_cd7204460e_o.jpg
Clear coating the front panel:
So, with the compound rubbed in, and the whole surface cleaned, it was time for the clear coat.
I applied it with several coats at the time, the first few coats were good, but then…..
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4248427470_3b3f8f5384_o.jpg

What happened, I have no clue..
I was hoping it would dry evenly, but no…
It has gone wrong..
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2691/4247655319_159975cfd4_o.jpg

It has gone horribly wrong!
So I let it dry over time (12 days in total), so the clear coat would be hard before I would sand it.
So, here’s a before shot:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2523/4247655557_3645b73106_o.jpg

I decided to be save rather than sorry.
So I took 600 grit sanding paper, and wet sanded it all in the same direction.
After a while I took all the water off (yes, remember to wet it constantly, else it might go wrong…) and this was the outcome.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4248428170_6f52f31e6c_o.jpg

Loads more to do right?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2625/4247656163_2f2831fac9_o.jpg

I tried to take a picture while sanding, it’s a bit blurry.. But shows the top-to-bottom movement really good.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4247656425_06095ffeb1_o.jpg

After about half an hour (could be more, could be less… I had the radio on so I forgot about the time.)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4248429046_ff0a9719c9_o.jpg

Now, finally I was done sanding!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2691/4247657007_a1ccb0669c_o.jpg

Looking good right?
So I re-coated it. About 5 thick coats after each other, it cured for at least 24 hours before I put it all back together.
My setup, or rather: an overall picture of the floor (covered with a sheet) I was working on.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2795/4247657563_c81bd65fd2_o.jpg

I tightened the screws, and took this awesome shot in the meantime (tripods ftw. Seriously!)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2543/4247657977_3f62ef76a9_o.jpg

By the way, I got myself a new a new screwdriver set:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4247658603_93d54f6ee5_o.jpg

And it’s not only good for tightening screws.. You can use it as spacers too!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4247658241_f692c6c12b_o.jpg


Once again, i'd like to thank my sponsors:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/RASURBO.png (http://rasurbo.com) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png (http://xilence.net/)

[Reverse]

The window, take 2:
Cutting the panel, again:
So, I’ll be fair to you guys.. I was not looking forward to this task..
It was time to enlarge the cut window.

But, the window I had was perfectly cut, filed and sanded! It was just a bit (read: way) too small. In fact. I decided it should be at least 10cm taller.

So, after delaying the task for a few weeks (!) it was finally time to do it.
I got myself together, grabbed all my courage, and went for it.

This was how the panel looked:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2719/4274035100_eee4ef8904_o.jpg

I covered the panel with painter’s tape to prevent it from damaging:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4273291889_47c0138bb7_o.jpg

I even taped the perfectly filed edges, just so I didn’t have to redo those:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4273291645_0b4cc2ed25_o.jpg

Then came the time to measure (once, twice, heck! I even measured three times) the area to cut.
As said before, the hole should only get taller.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4274035838_d1efd51879_o.jpg

The came the cutting…
I wanted to drill a hole in the to-cut-area, but for some reason my Dremel wasn’t working properly.
It simply couldn’t drill a hole in the panel…

So, after a while I gave up.
And took the jigsaw to make a rough cut.

Of course, I was afraid the jigsaw would damage my panel, so it got the tape treatment as well!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2774/4273292287_58ea687b29_o.jpg

So 4 layers of tape between the tool and the panel, should be enough.. right?

I said I would use the jigsaw to make a rough cut right? And when I mean rough…. I mean rough!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4273292387_d740ce6f28_o.jpg

After using the jigsaw I needed to file/sand away 5mm of the metal!
But, I’d rather file for hours than mess up my panel.

I started filing like a lunatic, and after about an hour I was getting close.
I took off the masking-tape to check my progress.
Turned out I was about 1mm off at some places.

So, a piece of masking-tape as a guideline:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4274036870_95fe0e6f6f_o.jpg

And off we go again!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4273292957_61155c3e8e_o.jpg

3 complete hours after I started (it was dark at this time) I was finally done cutting, filing and sanding my sidepanel.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4274037004_91de9366f6_o.jpg

Throughout the day a lot of snow had fallen. And together with the snow that had been there for a few days and the dark sky….
You guessed it..

I took the panel outside for a high-contrast picture:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4273292455_d232d5da54_o.jpg
The black panel and the white snow… Aaaaah
Here you can also see the clean cut.

Soundproofing:
The Fractal Design Define R2 comes with excellent soundproofing material. It’s called Bitumen, and it’s very heavy (it also smells a bit).

So, I had taken the Bitumen plate out when I started the first cuts on the sidepanel, but I felt like sticking it back on. To keep it a bit more soundproof (HDD and DVD bays are the noisy parts.)

So I took the panel back inside, when I thought:
Aah damn, all that snow… Gotta wait for it to melt and dry before I can continue…
So my snow picture may be good, It took away a lot of my time..
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2726/4273292527_623a34767a_o.jpg

Then I laid over the old Bitumen plate:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2732/4274036372_5647a54c15_o.jpg

Turned the panel over and marked the window on the Bitumen plate.
Then I took about 3cm of clearance and cut the Bitumen.

This is also when I noticed the Bitumen smells….
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2799/4274037356_03efda4dc0_o.jpg


Tadaaaaa! I’m done with that as well!
I’ll wait with sticking it back on, at least until I receive my Plexiglas for the window.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2682/4274036546_ba7a4b9190_o.jpg

Done:
I took a permanent marker (sharpie) to cover up the plain metal on the edges. Looks like it was ment to be like this now!

After that I decided to clean the panel with some Glassex (Windex for you Americans) to make my fingerprints disappear.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2757/4273293383_5fd1ba3d80_o.jpg

Then stuck it back to the case, for the final look:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4273293715_36fca51579_o.jpg

That shot was made with an angle, you can see the top and back fan guards through the window!

And of course, a shot from a 90 degree angle:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4273293603_8c024ac8df_o.jpg

A shoutout to my sponsors:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/RASURBO.png (http://rasurbo.com) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png (http://xilence.net/)

[Airbozo]

Thanks for the comments =)

Is there any way i can edit the topictitle depending on the updates?
If not, could a mod please remove the "[december 17, The case] " part?

Done.

Keep up the great work!

[elgafas]

Great work, I hate when clearcoat does that...

And for the window edge, try using paint instead of the Sharpie, cause it's like a metallic ink and shows up a lot in the pics.

[Reverse]

Done.

Keep up the great work!
Thanks man! =)


Great work, I hate when clearcoat does that...

Ye, i think that was caused by the polishing i had done on the panel before..


And for the window edge, try using paint instead of the Sharpie, cause it's like a metallic ink and shows up a lot in the pics.
The 2 pictures where you can see the result after the sharpie were both made with flash.
I'll make some without flash next weekend. You'll see that the sharpie did it's job =)

[p0Pe]

good work man! i digg the front!!

[DonT-FeaR]

looking sweet man.. keep up the good work

[Couch3ater]

YAY, PROGRESS! It's been awhile since I've been able to chime in. Love the bezel. The line down the front looks stellar. And OH BOY, SHNOW! Where abouts are you?

[Reverse]

Haha, thanks man!
I live in The Netherlands.

It's time to show the paint I bought for this beast.
I was looking for metallic-orange in a spraycan (will only be spraying a few parts, no need to bring out the big guns)
But, you guessed it... I simply couldn't find it. Not online, and not offline.

So I opted to go for the best option I had, Fluorescent orange!
As I always do, I tested it out on a white paintcap, just to see how the color would be in person (the color on the can/cap is always off).

Here's the color:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4248440400_604119f0b7_o.jpg

What do you think?

[Couch3ater]

Hmmm, doesn't look too bad. I think the metallic might be a little better, but you work with what you have. Also, I'm not sure if it's the lighting or not, but it seems a wee bit dull.

[Reverse]

Hmmm, doesn't look too bad. I think the metallic might be a little better, but you work with what you have. Also, I'm not sure if it's the lighting or not, but it seems a wee bit dull.

Dull? It's so bright it hurts your eyes when sunlight is shining directly on it!
It reacts with UV-rays and the sunlight gives the best effect.

Painting the parts:
Of course, some of the parts had the wrong color. And some of the new parts will have to be painted aswell.
The tool of the trade, a green Scotchbrite pad:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2762/4248441812_a45c3013a3_o.jpg

It gave me a great result, and worked better than sanding in this case.

The black parts
You might remember the casefeet, they were a glossy chrome-ish finish:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2530/4169314543_a04c0c9479_o.jpg

Even though the casefeet look great, it simply didn’t match my ideas, so they had to be painted… Matte black!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4248440816_320bfe6c71_o.jpg
I taped the important parts (the rubber/silicon) parts, so they wont get painted aswell.

The final outcome:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2681/4247668989_e7aec42505_o.jpg
AAAAAAAAAH! Much better!

Same story goes for the backplate-slot covers, they were white and had to be black/orange.
I decided to go for black (my original plans were orange, but this looks way more classy.)
Before:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2700/4170075988_4650641d83_o.jpg

After:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2747/4248441342_ec100e0324_o.jpg
NICE!

The orange parts
My original ideas were a color scheme with (matte)black and metallic orange.
But no matter how many stores I checked, I simply couldn’t find a good metallic orange is a spray can.
So, my original plans were scrapped, and (at the moment I saw the color) I decided to go for fluorescent orange instead.

I bought the can, and sprayed a test piece (cap of an white spraycan):
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4248440400_604119f0b7_o.jpg

So, I painted the white HDD-racks orange:
Before:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/4169315621_7ea5f21673_o.jpg

And after:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4248728332_7511f0f124_o.jpg

And, I found some orange PCI-slot covers in my “modding-bin”.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2705/4247673109_366df2e380_o.jpg

They are orange, and UV-reactive (fluorescent), but they don’t fit the other orange parts…
Sooooo, let’s grab the Scotchbrite pad again!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4247673807_a05c45f5fb_o.jpg

[billygoat333]

ooh, orangey goodness :P

[Couch3ater]

Hmmm, perhaps it's just my screen then. I do love the orange though. Looks great on the HDD bays =D

[Reverse]

Thanks guys!
The HDD-trays have been clearcoated with 3layers. This way it's glossy and reflecting =)

[Couch3ater]

Very nice. Pics plix!

[DonT-FeaR]

looking good mate

[Reverse]

Thanks dudes!

Special delivery:
About 3 weeks ago (I write this worklog with a 3 week delay, so I will always have a buffer for the no-modding-weekends) a guy stood on my doorstep.
Special delivery! *knock knock* Hello.. Sir, I have a package for you!
Aaaaaah, the products Xilence (http://xilence.net/).. Or something else this time?
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4285363784_6e2ac72cc0_o.jpg
Yep, that’s definitely a package from Xilence (http://xilence.net/)!

I quickly unpacked it all (duh!) and stalled it for a nice picture.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4284619597_575649225c_o.jpg
4x 120mm Red Wing
2x 140mm Black fans
1x Vibration dampening set
1x Xilence Blade Lite (CPU cooler+fan)

Without unpacking it, I took them to my photo booth, and snapped these pictures:
The 120mm Red Wing
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4284619897_a9d8706142_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2785/4284620115_4897504108_o.jpg
The 140mm Black fans
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4285365026_a19ed461fc_o.jpg

After these shots, I took the time to unpack them, and snapped a more shots:
Xilence Blade Lite
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2609/4285365744_7bcd7088fc_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4285366074_918b3fb4e3_o.jpg
The 92mm fan that came with the Blade Lite:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4285366296_c4e23a323b_o.jpg

The Blade Lite + its fan:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2559/4285366610_d3c51c41f2_o.jpg
The indented logo on the top of the Blade Lite:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4284621987_c9fd8ce0fc_o.jpg
Have to say, this thing is of amazing quality!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2776/4284622289_52cae53ba4_o.jpg

The bottom of the CPU cooler, protected as it’s supposed to be!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2741/4285367416_721aaf2d41_o.jpg
Detail shot:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2724/4284622993_69f3b4743c_o.jpg
Overall shot, on a black background:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4284623193_5bfd00161a_o.jpg
And I liked this phot very much, I even sent it in HR to Xilence, and they loved it aswell!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2747/4285368208_94ee45f2bc_o.jpg

The 120mm Red Wing
I received 4 of these monsters =D
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2717/4284625037_fd57bf3e38_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2737/4285371114_4af22a2c7f_o.jpg
Now, the red fan isn’t that special to photograph, but I made it look good anyway!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4285368974_5471c91819_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2793/4285369344_99eccdbbd5_o.jpg
See the dimples in the surface? Increased airflow?
Normally I would take stickers off, but this one simply looks good on it!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4284624795_ea4a327d3c_o.jpg

The 140mm Black fans
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2732/4285368436_439c3e48ae_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4284625507_c181430bde_o.jpg
The vibration dampening set:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4284626137_28c9871422_o.jpg
Containing:
4x Casefeet (teflon)
12x Optical drive screws (with rubber rings)
4x Thumb screws (with rubber rings)
6x Cable ties
8x Silicon fan-fasteners
12x HDD-Screws (with rubber rings)
24x Silicon and rubber washers.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2593/4284623915_ed764d6063_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4285370552_017e4de76e_o.jpg
These products were sponsored by http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png (http://xilence.net/)

And a shout out to my other sponsors, for making this mod happen:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/RASURBO.png (http://rasurbo.com)

[cellsite60]

Some really great stuff you got delivered there, fits this machine like a glove =)

[Reverse]

Thanks for the comments guys!

Lighting arrived:
Again, a small update regarding parts (did not get much modding done due to personal reasons). This time the parts for the internal (and slightly external) lightning came in.
I connected with the people at DeboLED (http://www.deboled.nl/).
DeboLED specializes in LED lightning, they sell LED-lamps, LED-strips, LED-modules, DMX lightning and everything you need to connect and control them.
After talking to the guys they have decided to sponsor me with the parts I need for this project:
4 x LED-Strip Warm white (SMD 120 LED/M 12V) 30cm.
1 x LED-Strip Warm white (SMD 120 LED/M 12V) 40cm.
2 x LED Modules bright-white.

These will be used like this:
1x 40cm LED-strip will be used to light the orange-slit in the frontpanel/door.
The other 30cm LED-strips will be used as internal lightning, they will be placed in a aluminium L-profile, to make sure the light will not go where I don’t want it to go.
The LED-modules will be used to light the “REVERSE” log in the optical-drivebay.
Here are the pictures, as you would’ve guessed:
All the LED-strips next to eachother.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2757/4337264035_76cbc3dda3_o.jpg
One of the strips, on a black background:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/4338007576_b6f155f80d_o.jpg
The LED-strips on their sides, they are sooooooo small!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4337263359_6a1ac70379_o.jpg
And we still got the LED-modules to show:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4337264271_5cd3a59c04_o.jpg
Funny, you can even see the resistors in the resin:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2720/4338008544_6dd099625a_o.jpg
Ok, let’s light these baby’s up (note: No baby’s were actually set on fire!)
Here’s the LED-strip on 6volts, this is half the voltage it can handle: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4338008918_e2183697c5_o.jpg
Here’s the LED-strip on 12volts, the full load:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4337264997_9895011222_o.jpg
And the LED-modules at 6volts aswell, making a photo with 12volts simply didn’t work.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4338008716_fbff2768a4_o.jpg

These products were sponsored by DEBOLED!
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/DEBOLED.png (http://deboled.nl)

And a shout out to my other sponsors, for making this mod happen:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/RASURBO.png (http://rasurbo.com) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png (http://xilence.net/)

[diluzio91]

just looking at the work so far im completely wow'ed, some of the stuff you did is way beyond me, but looking at the forum seems to be within the norm... I love the front panel door

[Reverse]

just looking at the work so far im completely wow'ed, some of the stuff you did is way beyond me, but looking at the forum seems to be within the norm... I love the front panel door

Thanks a lot!
Yeah, it's pretty quiet in this thread, pretty strange if you compare it with the activity it has on other forums...

[diluzio91]

had to ask, because im planning on sleeving my next mod like this, how many feet of sleeving did you need for the psu?

[d_stilgar]

Thanks a lot!
Yeah, it's pretty quiet in this thread, pretty strange if you compare it with the activity it has on other forums...

It's weird how some threads get pages and pages of posts for small updates and others get few for big updates. I love this. I like the mods that look like they came that way from factory. There is just something so good about that level of craftsmanship.

[billygoat333]

I love this mod. I may not make comments, because sometimes just saying "wow, awesome!" doesnt do justice to the quality of work you are doing! so, by me saying nothing, I am saying I am speechless and thoroughly enjoy this worklog! :D

[msmrx57]

:stupid: minus the stupid part. What he said. Truely love the attention to detail here. You keep up the great work, we'll keep looking at it. :up:

[TheMainMan]

I can't get enough of this case! Such a nice starting point for modding, your colour scheme is going to be awesome!

[Reverse]

just looking at the work so far im completely wow'ed, some of the stuff you did is way beyond me, but looking at the forum seems to be within the norm... I love the front panel door
Thanks, I really appreciate it!


I love this mod. I may not make comments, because sometimes just saying "wow, awesome!" doesnt do justice to the quality of work you are doing! so, by me saying nothing, I am saying I am speechless and thoroughly enjoy this worklog! :D
Thanks to you as well man!


:stupid: minus the stupid part. What he said. Truely love the attention to detail here. You keep up the great work, we'll keep looking at it. :up:
I like to keep myself busy, and love attention to detail in other worklogs. That why I spend time to it as well =D


I can't get enough of this case! Such a nice starting point for modding, your colour scheme is going to be awesome!
Thanks, bit of a shameless plug maybe, but with the Olympics started...
The Dutch team has the same colors as my mod =)
http://media.nu.nl/m/m1dzrenax67t.jpg

[Reverse]

Sleeving the remaining cables:
Ok, it’s been a while since the last modding update (yes, I had updates about parts, but that isn’t modding right?)
This was mainly due to the weather (intense snow) and personal reasons.

So, time to sleeve the remaining cables, being a 24pins and 4pins (12V) cable.

The cables:
I ordered a 24pins extension cable on the internet a little while ago, I simply could not find those at local parts or computer stores. And tracking one down for a reasonable price on the internet was tricky aswell…
Anyway, it’s an AKASA 24pins extension:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4337308855_78885bfcdc_o.jpg

Let’s take off the plastic shall we?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2746/4337309623_227dea474c_o.jpg

Now, that’s sweet. The connectors are black =)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4337309887_8bbb96b8ca_o.jpg

But it’s pre-sleeved… And we all know what that means right?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2730/4338054244_f356608c0c_o.jpg

This… Needs... To… Go!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4338056422_1bc517a263_o.jpg
With the factory-sleeving removed we can clearly see the cable has been twisted a lot.
We need to re-arrange every wire by hand.

First the length of the sleeving must be measured. I decided not to sleeve the complete cable, they won’t be exposed anyway.

I also ordered a 4pins (12V) cable at the same e-store.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2793/4338053040_bdec1b7791_o.jpg

No sleeving here, good =)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4338053240_485fa3fc96_o.jpg


The sleeving:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4338055622_75761369f4_o.jpg
Ok, so the size was determined, and we started cutting up the sleeving.
12 orange and 12 black for the 24 pins. 2 orange and 2 black (a bit longer than the others) for the 4pins.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4337311983_eabe8a5104_o.jpg


And then, sleeving every wire individually. I think everybody here has seen it before… So I won’t show that many of the process itself.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4337311259_b71c9ebbd7_o.jpg

Sleeving on, and ready to go back in the connector!
Each wire had 2 pieces of heat shrink on them, one for the connector part, and one for the backside:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4338057090_eb86085aed_o.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4338054948_648d63b15c_o.jpg
Done, all sleeved!
Took me a pretty long time, about 3 hours in total.. I think…

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2772/4338054598_3d7247c2ff_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4337313693_718dd32951_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4338056744_d7ab597c90_o.jpg

http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/)http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/RASURBO.png (http://www.rasurbo.com/)http://letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png (http://xilence.net/)http://letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/DEBOLED.png (http://deboled.nl/)

Next up, painting the fans!

[diluzio91]

Thats looking beautiful! What was the website where you got the connectors?

[TheMainMan]

After seeing how well the two-tone colours look together on the ATX plug I might just have to try it on the new psu I just received. I'm loving the attention to detail in your mod!

[silverdemon]

OMG! Sleeving madness! This looks insane

great colors too

[cellsite60]

Great update !!!
The sleeving looks amazing, good job.

[Reverse]

Thats looking beautiful! What was the website where you got the connectors?
I got them from HighFlow.nl a dutch webshop.


After seeing how well the two-tone colours look together on the ATX plug I might just have to try it on the new psu I just received. I'm loving the attention to detail in your mod!

Thanks man!


OMG! Sleeving madness! This looks insane

great colors too
Another sleeving enthousiast! =D


Great update !!!
The sleeving looks amazing, good job.
Thanks dude!

[billygoat333]

lots of effort has gone into this mod. good attention to detail :)

[Reverse]

Thanks man!
The window:
Ok, so it’s time for another update.
What to do? The window? Yeah!
This is where I left off:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2740/4363062773_d033cb423f_o.jpg
The hole in the sidepanel.

The plexiglass I ordered finally arrived, I ordered it to size. 2cm on each side of the hole.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2687/4363062539_844a9ea172_o.jpg

In my first mod I attached the Plexiglass with epoxy glue, this held good. But was a pain to have it bond properly.
Bill Owen always uses his “tape of the gods”, so I went searching for something similar.
At my local autostore I found something good.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2687/4363804144_530ae99ffd_o.jpg
Same color tape, and very strong!

So, apply the tape to all the bonding-spots.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4363061979_9bb4492aae_o.jpg
Taking the tape-masking off:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2711/4363803624_f5c903c59e_o.jpg

AAAAAAAAAAND, done!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4363803440_5bcec86819_o.jpg

[billygoat333]

geez, I tried repping you, but apparently I gotta spread the love. my bad. lol

[raistnox]

why hasn't this been featured yet???????? great mod man definatly + rep

[Reverse]

geez, I tried repping you, but apparently I gotta spread the love. my bad. lol
Thanks, I gained quite a few +rep's from this worklog =)

why hasn't this been featured yet???????? great mod man definatly + rep
You tell me?! Hehe, thanks man!

[Couch3ater]

Better question... Why you no has updated yet?! Hahaha, it's been 4 days! LOL. I'm just kidding of course. ^_^

... But no really... >_>

[Reverse]

Better question... Why you no has updated yet?! Hahaha, it's been 4 days! LOL. I'm just kidding of course. ^_^

... But no really... >_>
Haha, I have an update in the pipelines, should come tomorrow or the day after.
Painting the fans.....:whistler:

[Reverse]

Painting the fans:
Yep, the fans had to be altered aswell. I started with the Fractal Design fans, simply because I had them near me and the Xilence parts hadn’t been delivered
I took the blades out:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2712/4338048948_e0b8472074_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4338046916_5b153c06e6_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4338048466_bea05a678e_o.jpg

then I took the orange spraycan out, and gave it a shot:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4337303807_3a8769f69e_o.jpg
Looking good! Need to add some clearcoat to finish it up. But good quality!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2695/4337302991_b33845a077_o.jpg
Oh, and when painting a fan, please mask the back like so!


Then my Xilence package arrived, and I started on those.
But then…. Oops!

I did my research wrong, and ordered fans from Xilence from which the blades could not be removed..
So, I had to come up with a solution…
I decided to make a circle out of thick paper, and mask the blades like so:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4337303415_34b96cd61d_o.jpg

Ok, first coat: a white primer to make the orange pop!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4338046478_34c2ea2759_o.jpg
And with 2 layers of orange:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4338046122_0dc7ec71fc_o.jpg

Looking good.
More in the next update.

[raistnox]

looks good but if it were me i'd have put some body filler in those indents and sanded it smooth before painting

[Reverse]

looks good but if it were me i'd have put some body filler in those indents and sanded it smooth before painting

Yes, i've thought about that.
But, the Xilence fans will be used, and I will place the original + logo sticker on it again. So filling the holes would be pointless and extra weight.

[Reverse]

Doublepost update....
Painting the fans, take 2:
Another update, still about the fans, and their paint..

My method worked like a charm, but required a bit more work to get a nice finish.
It caused a lot of overspray, like you can see here:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4363074859_0ab885b361_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4363817184_2a3afe07ec_o.jpg

Sou, out came the Qtips and acetone.
A bit of elbowgrease and this was the result:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2704/4363817012_45b9646e2d_o.jpg

Yes, it’s gone! It’s all gone!

And the fan, clearcoated and in all it’s glory:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2759/4363816874_168d043ed8_o.jpg

That’s a bit boring, it’s just not working for me…
So, glad I saved the Xilence stickers:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2701/4363074679_16d8b0be5a_o.jpg

Damn, looking good!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4363075659_1ff87c73a5_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4363817336_64f326efe0_o.jpg

What’s that? What did you say? You want to see it spin?
H’Okay! Here we go!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4363075799_c038d6f6d5_o.jpg

Eyecandy to close this update.

[billygoat333]

lol I love the x in the middle. good deal good deal.

[Drum Thumper]

Amazing work my friend. Cannot wait for the next update.

[Couch3ater]

BWEEEEEEEEEEE goes the fan. O.o

[artoodeeto]

k, now you need to change your mind several times on design elements, scrap the whole build at least twice, and paint it a different color....oh wait...that's my build.... :D nice work so far! I love the contrast between the black and orange, looks awesome!

[Drum Thumper]

k, now you need to change your mind several times on design elements, scrap the whole build at least twice, and paint it a different color....oh wait...that's my build....

You sure you're not talking about my build?

Speaking of which, its' getting kinda nice here, maybe I'll actually do some modding for a change...

[Reverse]

lol I love the x in the middle. good deal good deal.
thanks man! Loving the x myself aswell.

Amazing work my friend. Cannot wait for the next update.
thank you!

BWEEEEEEEEEEE goes the fan. O.o
ghehe!

k, now you need to change your mind several times on design elements, scrap the whole build at least twice, and paint it a different color....oh wait...that's my build.... :D
Haha, i know exactly what you're talking about! Infact. I have had some mind-twists over the past weeks.
The thing i do with those (if I have time that is..) is writing them down and working them out in photoshop. One of which will be my next project...


nice work so far! I love the contrast between the black and orange, looks awesome!

You sure you're not talking about my build?

Speaking of which, its' getting kinda nice here, maybe I'll actually do some modding for a change...
Thanks guys!

[Reverse]

Thermolab BARAM:
After weeks of silence from Thermolab, I finally got an e-mail.
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/THERMOLAB.png ( http://thermolab.co.kr)
My requested package was on it’s way. The Thermolab BARAM ( http://thermolab.co.kr/?mid=baram_eng ) would arrive a week after it’s departure from Korea.

I received a blank box through the mail. In that box was another box….
This one:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2686/4415228926_3fb3331d46_o.jpg
Simple packaging, yet still looking nice.

I received the BARAM Shine, I have never seen this one before. I’ve only seen the BARAM in reviews, this one is nickel plated.

Let’s open it shall we?
The box was divided into 2 compartments. The top compartment contained the BARAM, in the bottom I found this:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2770/4415228560_d9a533765b_o.jpg
The Thermalpaste:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2785/4414460707_5b98da64b0_o.jpg
The motherboard bracket:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2770/4415231480_69c36b6ed8_o.jpg

But that’s not that interesting is it?

This is though!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4414460433_6af79a87ca_o.jpg
Let’s unwrap this beastly giant..

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4415227600_dd49357211_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4415230878_509eb7b67a_o.jpg

Everything but the base is nickel plated. Giving it that black/grey-ish shine.
The fins are arranged beautifully:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2796/4414462993_9424fcdc7d_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4414461855_b5edf2d86a_o.jpg

Let’s take a look at the BARAM, okay?

The BARAM looks like any other tower cooler. If you look through the fins you make out 3 columns of heatpipes; this should help air get to more of the heatpipes. There are five ‘U’ shaped pipes, giving ten vertical pipes for heat dissipation.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4414462727_393a89132a_o.jpg

Looking from the top of the Baram we can see the patented fin arrangement that was mentioned on the box. Down each side of the cooling fins are notches for use with spring clips for mounting fans.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4415229680_439af99a78_o.jpg

Thermolab states that the BARAM’s heatpipe arrangement will allow a better airflow and heat dissipation as the diagram from Thermolab’s website shows.
http://thermolab.co.kr/html/product/baram/04e.png

The original BARAM had the base of the made of copper with a mirror finish applied to it. This version however still uses a copper base, but the finish is far from shiny.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4415229224_2faf9b7522_o.jpg

Some technical information on the Thermolab BARAM to finish this update.
Dimensions: 67 × 132 × 160 (L x W x H)mm
Weight : 625g
Heatsink Material: Pure Copper, Aluminum
Dissipation Area: 7,580 cm²

Thanks once again to my newest sponsor Thermolab:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/THERMOLAB.png ( http://thermolab.co.kr)

[silverdemon]

Wow great cooler! Looks very nice.

I'd like to compliment you on the photo's too, man, you know how to make a nice picture!

[artoodeeto]

I'll second that, your photos are gorgeous. inspires me to try and do better on mine :) nice cooler too....

[p0Pe]

nice work with the fans, and that cooler is MASSIVE:D and it performs great ;)

[Drum Thumper]

Back by popular demand...

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/jdbnsn/Front%20Page%20files/tbcs%20times.png

Gratz!

[Oneslowz28]

Congrats!!

[Reverse]

Wow great cooler! Looks very nice.

I'd like to compliment you on the photo's too, man, you know how to make a nice picture!

I'll second that, your photos are gorgeous. inspires me to try and do better on mine :) nice cooler too....
Thanks! The photo's are a combination of patience, the right equipment and the right lightning =)

nice work with the fans, and that cooler is MASSIVE:D and it performs great ;)
Ye, it's a HUGE cooler! With the fan's on it looks stunnning. I'll update soon. I promise =)

Back by popular demand...

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/jdbnsn/Front%20Page%20files/tbcs%20times.png

Gratz!
Wow... I'm honored! Thanks TBCS!

Congrats!!
thank you aswell =)

[Cheron]

Gratz on the FrontPage. I am ashamed that I havened followed your build until now. I am sure to follow your progress from now. And a bookmark for you. +rep I really respect you patience for certain things.

[Reverse]

Thanks man, sweet comment! Nice to see another Dutchy on this board aswell =)
I should check out your mod aswell!

Fitting the BARAM:
Ok, I haven’t really done that much modding this week..
I installed a 120mm Xilence fan on the Thermolab BARAM, and installed it on my motherboard.
After that I put everything in the case, and fired it up. Fresh clean install. As it should.

The installation of the fan to the BARAM cooler was pretty simple.
4 “fan-brackets” were included in the package. 2 per fan, meaning I could put 2 fans on the cooler if I would want to.

I will only be adding one fan on the cooler thought, blowing air through the fan before it exits the case.

I didn’t take any pictures of the process, because it was that easy!
Some eyecandy pictures will do!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4414464173_d99b0da1bb_o.jpg

Turning the power on, and taking a picture before the fan was spinning at top speed…
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4415232020_b3c1309176_o.jpg

And when it was spinning at full speed, I took this picture:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2685/4415232264_01df0098e1_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/4414464945_42973f6a97_o.jpg

Okay, let’s move over to the motherboard…
It’s a slightly “outdated” board, but it will do what I want it to do. Play COD2 and COD4 at 250 fps.
It’s a Gigabyte EP35-DS3R.

First up, removing the old thermalpaste..
Before picture:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4414543011_579562f332_o.jpg

I think everyone here knows how to remove that nasty substance, so I won’t go into detail here.
After picture:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4414543625_a65b072778_o.jpg

Then I decided to take the processor out of it’s housing, and clean it again (can’t forget about those edges right?)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4415311234_36daf7a1ae_o.jpg
There it is..
The trusty Intel E8400 at 3.0 GHZ

Ok, so it’s cleaned now… Let’s add some thermalpaste? H’Okay!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2726/4415311978_f2e387c615_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4415312360_1565c22dd0_o.jpg
I always apply a fair dot of thermalpaste, and spread it out with a business card.

And with the Thermolab BARAM attached to the motherboard, it looks somewhat like this:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4414544607_f341ef35d4_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2742/4415312878_7b9f6f9de7_o.jpg


This update was sponsored by Xilence and Thermolab:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png ( http://xilence.net)
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/THERMOLAB.png ( http://thermolab.co.kr)

[Waynio]

Nice mod Reverse 8).
And outstanding photography :up:, how do you get the scene black while keeping enough light on the item? light box & photoshop or setting up some special way?.
It'd be great for you to do a photography tutorial if you have the time m8 8).

[diluzio91]

Looking Sexy! you might want to take off your northbridge heatsink and check if you have a thermal pad as long as you still had it dissasembled. I did on my GB board and was able to eek out another 200 mhz stable overclock on my AMD proc.

[Reverse]

Nice mod Reverse 8).
And outstanding photography :up:, how do you get the scene black while keeping enough light on the item? light box & photoshop or setting up some special way?.
It'd be great for you to do a photography tutorial if you have the time m8 8).
Thanks man, i might try making a tutorial someday, until then... Here's my setup:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2799/4438264828_b2e53c8791_o.jpg
I use a special mini-photobooth.
50W halogen lights on both sides, the white cloth diffuses the light, so it will all be lighted evenly.
I got 4 background colors with it. Black, white, blue and red. All made out of a light-absorbing fabric.
I use a Sony Alfa 200 DSLR camera for my pictures.


Looking Sexy! you might want to take off your northbridge heatsink and check if you have a thermal pad as long as you still had it dissasembled. I did on my GB board and was able to eek out another 200 mhz stable overclock on my AMD proc.
Too late :(
Thanks for the tip though!

[diluzio91]

haha..... hate to be a pest (and i could be wrong)... but check your ram for the dual channel... i think the 2 orange dimms should be in the yellow slots, and the random naked stick would be hidden then as well... :D... i know... im terrible... Love the pics. Some day i want a set up like that! :up:

[Reverse]

Thank man, I never would have figured it out without you!
Though it would only work with 4 sticks.

[Reverse]

Cherry Infinity:
A small sponsor update. Right before I will post an actual modding update.
This time, I got my stuff from:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/CHERRY.png (http://www.cherry.de/english/index.htm)
I had contact with their main office in Germany, and they agreed to sponsor me a Cherry Infinity keyboard (http://www.cherry.de/english/products/keyboards_INFINITY_Corded_MultiMedia_Keyboard.htm) .

Housing colour: Glossy black
Key colour: Matte black
Weight (product): 869 g
Total weight (with packaging): 1180 g
Dimensions (product) : 475 x 170 x 15.3 mm
Packaging dimensions: 502 x 218 x 35 mm
Protection class: Protected against splash water
Service life, standard key: > 10 million key operations
Inscription layout: Normal
Number of Keys: Product dependant, see table "Models"
Number of additional keys: 11

Ok, so I received 2 keyboards. German lay-out due to a screw-up on my side (contacted the german office in German, without explaining a US lay-out would be ideal).
But that doesn’t really mind. The keys look different, but with my Windows version it all works like a US keyboard. And I can type blind anyways.

Packaging:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4415244052_2ce6b07ecc_o.jpg

Then taking the packaging of, the keyboard was wrapped in plastic.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4414476753_86fab7bb05_o.jpg

Then, with the plastic off… Even more protective stickers.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4414477071_37eeb99aa5_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4415245012_752aa7cfcf_o.jpg

I received 2, 1 will be modded and 1 will stay as it is. I don’t know what I will be changing about it though.

Oh, and a great set of stickers/banners was included in the package aswell.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4415245250_ef006d44ef_o.jpg

Sweet promotion material!

Thanks once again to my newest sponsor Cherry:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/CHERRY.png (http://www.cherry.de/english/index.htm)

[Reverse]

The front panel, filling the gap:
Here we go again…!
It’s time to finish the front panel I had designed a while ago.

Where did I leave you? Oh yeah. I had just cut a hole in the front panel and clear coated it.
It looked a bit like this:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2731/4476101615_434cc969b2_o.jpg

I attached my LED strip first, it had a sticky backing so it was really easy. Great stuff to work with.
But… How does one position one of these strips?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4476101889_7a1a9a7a95_o.jpg
Cut to size.

Then I placed it with the LED’s in the slit, removed the tape-backing and used masking tape to hold it’s position. Then I flipped over the panel, so the sticky tape would touch the panel it would go on.
And applied pressure with a few Q-tips.

After a few seconds it stuck together, and I could check it out.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2775/4476879112_c2db59bb30_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4476879338_4662f03345_o.jpg

As you can see, I have attacked the surface with sandpaper to make it level. After that I used some acetone (eats away plastic like I would eat a pizza) to make it an even surface.

H’okay. Next up? The wiring.
The original wires were too thick. If I would use those wires the 2 parts of the front panel would not fit together and close. So I had to re-wire the LED strip.
Here you can see the difference.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4476102801_88ff424bd4_o.jpg

Then, with the thinner wires in place, I would have to make sure the wires stay on their place.
Superglue to the rescue!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4476879568_f78a76d4d5_o.jpg

Then, I needed to get the wires from the hinging front panel(door), to the static front panel.
I thought about using the dremel or drill. But went for a “safer” approach.

I was afraid the pressure of the drill would cause the plastic panel to crack. That would be a disaster.
So I had to come up with something else.

I heated up an Phillips screwdriver. Insanely hot. And put it to the plastic parts.
Within seconds a hole appeared. I cleaned the edges using some acetone and I was done.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4476879908_92f8ca617d_o.jpg

Now, the hole had the exact same size as the moles-sleeving from MDPC-X. So in it went.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4476103131_182f47f4ed_o.jpg
And the backside:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4476880420_dc32f937c9_o.jpg

With the door in place and the hinges secured, this was the result:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2791/4476103291_2ac24e4df5_o.jpg

Pretty sweet.

This update was sponsored by:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/) http://letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/DEBOLED.png (http://deboled.nl/)

[Couch3ater]

Screw driver eh? Brilliant. Would never have thought of that.

[artoodeeto]

heh heh, yeah I've used the ol' old-Xacto-blade-in-a-candle-flame trick to slice through ABS before. I recently used it when removing fans from my mod - I'd run LED wires through their screwholes, and I didn't want to clip the wires and resolder, so I ran the hot knife blade through the plastic instead. Worked a treat! Like cutting butter with a warm knife.
nice photo setup too! I should try and do something like that - I hate the built-in flash on my camera (Nikon D60), and my indoor lighting is very yellow.

[Reverse]

Screw driver eh? Brilliant. Would never have thought of that.
Yeah, it just happened to be the exact same size sas the sleeving.


heh heh, yeah I've used the ol' old-Xacto-blade-in-a-candle-flame trick to slice through ABS before. I recently used it when removing fans from my mod - I'd run LED wires through their screwholes, and I didn't want to clip the wires and resolder, so I ran the hot knife blade through the plastic instead. Worked a treat! Like cutting butter with a warm knife.
nice photo setup too! I should try and do something like that - I hate the built-in flash on my camera (Nikon D60), and my indoor lighting is very yellow.
Works like a charm. In some cases you would have to re-heat the iron, but fortunately i didn't have to.

As for the indoor yellow lightning. Maybe you should alter the whitebalance manually. That could work.

[The boy 4rm oz]

I would like to start by congratulating you on all your sponsors and all your awesome work so far. I would also like to congratulate you on your front page feature.

This project is turning out to be something epic. Very clean design and a striking colour scheme mixed with quality parts = WIN. I can't wait to see more and +rep for your efforts.

[Reverse]

The front panel, Orange!:
Ok, a small update. But it took me ages.
I have tried multiple things to achieve a fitting piece of acrylic for the frontpanel.
Method 1: Taking a sharp knife to make a small cut along the desired size of the slot.
This didn’t work… The bar was way too small to make a clean fracture. I tried 2 times, and both tries turned out miserable.

Method 2: Jigsaw. Jagged cuts. Not clean enough.

Method 3: Table saw. The cut was clean, but way too big. I could not have the saw make the cuts as narrow as I wanted it to.

Method 4: Handsaw. This turned out to be the best method.
I made the cuts with a handsaw. About 2 or 3 mm too big. The excess material would be shaved, sanded and burned off. Took the longest (2 attempts took over 3 hours)…
But It was worth it.

After the first unsuccessful attempts I stopped making photographs… I just wanted to get it done so I could go on…

So, without further ado, here are the pictures of my finished frontpanel-lightning!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4476880966_c2a0b86241_o.jpg
Photo with the softbox on full power..

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4476104257_bd9c038539_o.jpg
Toning it down a bit.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4476104399_571ae60ebe_o.jpg
Per- wait for it- fect fit!

Now that is sweet!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4476104131_2c3f2ecd3b_o.jpg

This update was sponsored by:
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com/) http://letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/DEBOLED.png (http://deboled.nl/)

[diluzio91]

looking sharp!

[msmrx57]

Nice! :up: Sometime you just have to go old school.

[Couch3ater]

Very nice. I was wondering what was taking so long, but as I should know, you can't rush perfection. =D

[The boy 4rm oz]

Excellent work on the front lighting, fits like a glove.

[StormRider]

sweet. I never knew you can cut acrylic with a hand saw.

[Reverse]

looking sharp!
Thanks man!

Nice! :up: Sometime you just have to go old school.
Ye, sometimes... :whistler:

Very nice. I was wondering what was taking so long, but as I should know, you can't rush perfection. =D
Indeed. Took me a while since the last update.
Can't go modding this weekend though, we are celebrating Queensday (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koninginnedag) tomorrow. CAN'T WAIT!


Excellent work on the front lighting, fits like a glove.
Took me a while, but it was so worth it!


sweet. I never knew you can cut acrylic with a hand saw.
Well, you can. But you would have to be careful not to apply too much pressure.

[artoodeeto]

Beautiful! I feel your pain on the handsaw....I cut every single piece of 1/8" MDF for my sandcrawler using a utility knife and an aluminum ruler as a straightedge....ugh.
But hey, that perfect fit you got makes it totally worth it!

[Couch3ater]

YAY QUEEN'S DAY! Hahaha, I can't do much of anything either. Rough night last night. Pretty intense concert that included quite a few punches to the jaw. =D

[Reverse]

Wow, it's been a while.
I'm not dead. And nor is this project.

I'm just posting to inform you all that I'm close to finishing this mod, and will be posting an update (very) soon.

I'm hoping for some pretty weather next weekend, so I can take my beauty outside for a photo shoot.

[Reverse]

Covering up my PSU (cables):
Alright, It’s been a while… A month.. I simply didn’t have any time to work on it.
But, on the other side. This was the last big step I had to take before completing this project.

The cables on the bottom of the case are visible through the window. It simply is too ugly to leave it this way.
So, I had to create some sort of cover.

It all started with a piece of 3mm clear plexi. I had some of it spare, and started cutting away with the hacksaw. The result was jagged and not that good. Then I had a go at it with the jigsaw. Again, the result was horrible… The plexi was too flexible which caused it too flex while the saw was working… Result? The plexi broke into little pieces….

So I used the well-known snap method.
You use a sharp knife to make a breaking line across the plexi. Then you break it off on that point. Result? Nice and straight lines.

So I took the plexi outside because the weather was nice.

The plexi snapped to size, and cable holes cut out:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4697713438_8da5153d3c_b.jpg

So, Let’s frost the plexi.
180 grit sandpaper:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4697714050_fd9a85114e_b.jpg

Final result:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4697083283_8a91a666e7_b.jpg
The reason I did this, was to make sure the paint (and primer) would stick properly.

So the next step was (ofcourse), priming the finished piece.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4697714974_15b7aca869_b.jpg

Primer dried, perfectly!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4697715420_87b63b930b_b.jpg

Next step:
Adding structure to the plexi, in the form of 2 pieces of angled aluminium (yes, aluminium not aluminum ).
I wanted the bars to look clean, and make sure they couldn’t damage the wires or case later on. So I decided to make the edges of the bars round.

The tools of the trade:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4697085007_1c0b03e49d_b.jpg

And the end result:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4697085639_1d400c9888_b.jpg

Next step, preparing the bars for the glue and the paint.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4697085983_df56bde2fc_b.jpg
The bar on the front has been sanded, the bar behind it is yet to be sanded. See the difference?

Now, let’s glue it all together… With my new best friend. Super glue!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4697086787_56d2e3bdc6_b.jpg

Adding the glue, just enough. I don’t want any drips.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4697087403_2c107ba567_b.jpg
And that’s the way they are glued together!

And, once again with Super glue, I glued the bars to the prepared plexi:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4697088039_5fa85e2c57_b.jpg
Like this.

I let the glue set for a while, added a final layer of primer (mostly to the bars), and brought out he spray-paint.
Black. Glossy Black!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4697088697_929e7a0c83_b.jpg
Funny, you can see the orange skin in this image, this picture was taken right after the first coat of paint.

Let the paint cure for a while before getting to the next step.
The lights.

I took the SMD LED strip I received from the guys at DeBoLED
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/4338007576_b6f155f80d_o.jpg

These strips are amazing, the sticky backing sticks like hell.
And I added it like this:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4697089751_9fbfe450a7_b.jpg

And, the moment I had been waiting for since the second I started with it…
TURN ON THE LIGHTS!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4697091135_306acaee18_b.jpg
(This was at about 5V, while the strips are designed for 12V)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4697090629_38a55ab405_b.jpg
From this angle, the lights simply can’t be seen. And that’s the way (ahah ahah) I like it!

And to end this update, a shot with the lights on 12V.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1280/4697723130_96dda07059_b.jpg

Looking good!

[Couch3ater]

Very nice. You have a knack for making things look purrrrrty with lights.

Off topic: I see you buy a lot of citrus. >D

[The boy 4rm oz]

The divider looks great, I really like the LED strip.

[Reverse]

Very nice. You have a knack for making things look purrrrrty with lights.

Thanks man!
I personally love the last picture in my update, you can see the lines of light off each LED... =)



Off topic: I see you buy a lot of citrus. >D
It's Oranges actually :rolleyes:

The divider looks great, I really like the LED strip.
Thanks man, I've been dribbling with the ideas and options to make a divider for a long time.
1 piece, multiple pieces, flexible parts etc.. I went with this and it's proven to work!

[Reverse]

Full shots:
Ok, so I took the case outside, for a few shots. The case is assembled, and ready fors ome glamour shots.

I didn’t get any help from mother nature though, the weekend I shot these pics it started raining the minute I got outside. So these are the only shots I could make.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4717228045_112a3487e9_b.jpg
A full shot. Again, the sky was completely clouded, so the natural light was very bad.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4717225955_dc3e163c8c_b.jpg
The sidepanel, untouched.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4717226949_434bdb4947_b.jpg
The backside, I just noticed I forgot to put the 6th PCI-slot cover back in place… oops!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4717231919_4f4da61958_b.jpg
I love the glossy sidepanel, not a scratch!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4717872186_4880a66592_b.jpg
Overview

Just to show how shiney and mirror-like the window is… I put it next to a brick wall:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4717229351_c99a304928_b.jpg
Now how nice is that?!

Next, a couple of detail shots.
How do I get my case to look like a monster? It looks HUUUUUUUUUUGE in this shot!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4717230029_b271cf668e_b.jpg

Talking about gamourshots! This is the best pic I have ever made if I’d say myself…
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4717229659_8976cc56d7_b.jpg

Once again, a shot from below:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4717230291_4355100db8_b.jpg

Then I took the case inside, to put some life in it.
Dimmed the lights, closed the curtains and powered up my baby.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4717874416_534c3971e4_b.jpg

All curtains closed:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4717231237_e3cffa7514_b.jpg


What’s that? You want to see how the interior looks? Well… h’okay, here you go!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4717230937_d4fcbdd625_b.jpg


And a good shot to finish this update.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4717875324_f8cfe7f730_b.jpg

I’m planning to build myself a proper photostudio/setup.
A softbox, a small table with a black backdrop and possibly more.
Tips and tricks are welcome, I want to make some awesome glamour shots!

[Couch3ater]

I love the lighting in this case. I'm hoping that I can pull off something similar in my next build. If I ever get around to it that is... But yea, the window almost glows, and I love it.

[msmrx57]

Very nice indeed. :up:

[The boy 4rm oz]

Very very well done, it turned out great. The only thing I would have personally done different would have been to completely remove the top fan grill and replace it with a AC Ryan rad grill or something similar but either way it looks awesome. +rep

[Reverse]

I love the lighting in this case. I'm hoping that I can pull off something similar in my next build. If I ever get around to it that is... But yea, the window almost glows, and I love it.
Thank you man! The lightning was one of the main things I wanted to do on this build, and it turned out like I wanted.


Very nice indeed. :up:
Thanks!


Very very well done, it turned out great. The only thing I would have personally done different would have been to completely remove the top fan grill and replace it with a AC Ryan rad grill or something similar but either way it looks awesome. +rep
Thanks man, the fans on th eto pare 140mm, and the mesh on it is a bit larger.
AC Ryan grills won't fit, I tried... :(

[diluzio91]

that turned out beautifully! nice job and a +rep

[Reverse]

Glamour shots:
Wow, that took me a while huh?

Actually, I spent a lot of time doing research about backdrops, studio lightning and other photography stuff.

On top of that, I have made myself a really good retractable black backdrop.
When I was done with the backdrop, it was time for me to start working… I got a job for the holliday in a printing shop. We printed the images on cans (paint cans etc.).

Every day I had to work, the weather was great. And every day I was free, it was raining…
Bad timing… At it’s worst.

So finally, one day, the weather was good./ The sun was shining, it was dry and best of all, the sky was clear.

I took my backdrop outside, put a small table in front of it and covered that with black cloth.
Put my case on the table, and started shooting.

These are the result.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4929968133_79f04e3d4e_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4929968411_664a313617_b.jpg
I love how the sidepanel is matte, and the window in it is so glossy it reflects the surroundings.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4930558346_877ca69739_b.jpg
The front ports and buttons. You can also see the orange plexi line across the front panel in this shot.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4930558526_b69fe6c477_b.jpg
Close up of the power button. In black and white.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4929969033_032f3f5fe5_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4929969381_9de7efaf2f_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/4930559210_c8257a52ab_b.jpg
A shot of the window, and the parts in the case.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4930559384_26dc92ec3c_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4929969905_c5207f3511_b.jpg


And that’s it, this project is done.

I would like to thank my sponsors once again, without you this project would not have been possible!
http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/FRACTAL.png (http://www.fractal-design.com) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/RASURBO.png (http://www.rasurbo.com/) http://letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/XILENCE.png (http://xilence.net)
http://letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/DEBOLED.png (http://deboled.nl/) http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/THERMOLAB.png http://www.letsbrowse.net/modding/R2/Sponsors/CHERRY.png (http://www.cherry.de/english/index.htm)
Thank you very much!

I would also like to thank the visitors on this and other forums for the comments, feedback and views!

[The boy 4rm oz]

The glamor shots speak for themselves mate, fantastic end result :D. +rep

[Reverse]

Thanks man, and thanks for the +rep I've gained during this build.
Thanks all for your support.

[TheGreatSatan]

+Rep