Untitled project so far

[billygoat333]

Well, today I was cleaning up in my room and I found my frankensteined Xbox laying in a box gathering dust. I have been itching to mod something for a long while, just have had school and work and a 2 yr old keeping me too busy. This week is finals, so I figure I should have time now that it is summer to actually work on a project, and hopefully finish it!

So, to start off with, this is my first model I've made with Sketchup, so don't laugh at me too hard!

The blue circle and the blue ovals on the left will be the power button and the controller ports, respectively. (wont be blue!) the eject button I am still deciding what to do with.

The wood I am using is 3/4" hickory hardwood flooring left over from when we did our house. (yes, this means I get to trim off the tongue and groove on these! yippee! :facepalm:)

The top will be plexi and will either have an aluminum frame for it to sit on either on top of or underneath (shown), or will just have the wood routed so the plexi fits flush with the wood. I like the look of the aluminum frame though, so I think that's what I will go with.

Front-Top view:http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs311.ash1/27705_388952743213_556323213_4177941_4301525_n.jpg

Top view:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs311.ash1/27705_388952748213_556323213_4177942_649357_n.jpg

Back view:
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs261.snc3/27705_388952758213_556323213_4177943_1183465_n.jpg

The back needs to house a fan, and holes for the I/O garbage. not sure exactly how this is gonna look, just gonna go with what works and looks the best!

[billygoat333]

It's Alive!! I had a broken xbox (bad disc drive) given to me, and my old xbox's HDD died :whistler: so I pieced the two together.

The Victim:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs311.ash1/27705_388941143213_556323213_4177864_762855_n.jpg

The Wood:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs261.snc3/27705_388941148213_556323213_4177865_3419058_n.jpg

I for some reason could NOT get to this screw, so I said eff it and busted out the cutting wheel on the dremel! I didnt get an action shot but here are some carnage shots.

Crappy pic warning! lol
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs311.ash1/27705_388941153213_556323213_4177866_1190964_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs261.snc3/27705_388941158213_556323213_4177867_3082622_n.jpg

45 Degree cut for the picture frame effect:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs281.snc3/27705_388941168213_556323213_4177868_5033908_n.jpg
http://hphotos-sjc1.fbcdn.net/hs281.snc3/27705_388941173213_556323213_4177869_4383997_n.jpg

And the outside frame cut and (sort of) sanded!
http://hphotos-sjc1.fbcdn.net/hs281.snc3/27705_388941183213_556323213_4177870_2777112_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs281.snc3/27705_388941188213_556323213_4177871_7220053_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs311.ash1/27705_388941193213_556323213_4177872_7332798_n.jpg

Gratuitous xbox guts!
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-sjc1/hs281.snc3/27705_388941198213_556323213_4177873_5554592_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs261.snc3/27705_388941203213_556323213_4177874_6062541_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs281.snc3/27705_388941208213_556323213_4177875_7453461_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-sjc1/hs281.snc3/27705_388954933213_556323213_4177975_6413684_n.jpg


and thats it for now. Gonna switch the layout around and move the motherboard to the top of the system and the disc drive will be on the bottom. thinking about making some sort of box for the ugly PSU and placing the HDD either on top or below it. still have some planning to do just really felt like cutting into something with power tools! :twisted:

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

nice... a 1.0 xbox.. u should do a quad TSOP on there :)
also.. my personal suggestion... nix the DVD drive even tho its a samsung.. (the best one from the old xboxs)
it rly is useless if you have a big enough HDD installed.. and doin the TSOP will allow u to remove the DVD drive...
if not... another idea is finding a samsung 616T drive... and convertin it to the xbox... which will allow u to use all media types.. cd-/+ R/RW and DVD -/+ R/RW .... in saying this.. im implying backups.. NO PIRACY!! lol looking good man.. if ya need any help with the modding portion of the xbox lemme know..

i pee black and green... if ya get my drift LOL

[billygoat333]

yes, I have some mods in mind for the actual xbox. as far as losing the dvd drive, I considered it but I have never stealthed a drive before. I am using this as kind of a learning experience for me, as I probably won't use the actual xbox that much (although XBMC will be on it, for sure)

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

XBMC is where its at man...

[Waynio]

XBMC is where its at man...

:D:up: In my all time favourite apps.
Subbed, like to see this scratch build 8).

[billygoat333]

Got a little more work done today, got the MBB tray (sort of) done out of polycarbonate. Lexan is tough! It was a pain to cut but is gonna be super tough for how thin it is. Purrrrfect. ;)

I should have an update either tomorrow or the next day with photos. gonna work out how I want to mount everything in relation to the MBB.

[Liquid_Scope_99]

Very cool start man likw where your going with it +rep

[billygoat333]

thanx for the rep. I had an update and was gonna post it up here at work tonight but I left my fudging camera at home. @#&*$^@#*$! lol sorry everyone. tomorrow I promise!

[billygoat333]

Update (with not many words, mostly pics!):
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs293.snc3/28300_395973428213_556323213_4330884_8297416_n.jpg
cutting lexan for the Mobo tray.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs323.ash1/28300_395973443213_556323213_4330885_7076151_n.jpg
cutting a straight line is impossible with a broken scrolling jigsaw.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs323.ash1/28300_395973498213_556323213_4330891_928970_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs293.snc3/28300_395973508213_556323213_4330892_1768754_n.jpg
aaand (mostly) finished product. I lightly frosted the mobo tray as the lexan I have is scratched up (My son decided he would take the protective cover off without my knowledge).

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs293.snc3/28300_395973533213_556323213_4330894_5360514_n.jpg
BEAUTIFUL mobo standoffs I got from Mcmaster Carr. not cheap, but I didn't know better. but they sure look good!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs313.snc3/28300_395973543213_556323213_4330896_6853801_n.jpg
Test mounted.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs293.snc3/28300_395973558213_556323213_4330899_8150881_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs323.ash1/28300_396442498213_556323213_4340703_638745_n.jpg
random jigsaw I found! (I decided later it was MUCH easier to cut a 45 degree angle with a miter saw)

I have more to update but my son is bugging me for attention. What are you gonna do. lol

[billygoat333]

ok, another update.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs323.ash1/28300_396442518213_556323213_4340704_4970248_n.jpg
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs313.snc3/28300_396448483213_556323213_4340970_2699895_n.jpg
this is what happens when you get greedy with a bench grinder. you screw up your soft aluminum. lol

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs293.snc3/28300_396448513213_556323213_4340972_5907334_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs293.snc3/28300_396448498213_556323213_4340971_1674973_n.jpg
angles nice and cut. did a lot of filing, and they still don't quite match up right. will fix that later.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs293.snc3/28300_396442528213_556323213_4340705_5788513_n.jpg
toys I bought at Harbor Freight and Lowe's. Got a holesaw set, a tap and die set, and some other goodies.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs323.ash1/28300_396442548213_556323213_4340707_6481092_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs293.snc3/28300_396442568213_556323213_4340709_2096376_n.jpg
testing out the layout of the bottom, looks good (will look better with the green covering off the plastic :) )

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs293.snc3/28300_396442588213_556323213_4340711_7729107_n.jpg
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs313.snc3/28300_396442593213_556323213_4340712_4479651_n.jpg

screwed up somewhere in my measuring... although BOTH sides of alum are equal... and only one side is off. :think: got some more sanding to do. :whistler:

all in all... 45 degree angles SUCK. lol don't think I would do it this way again... unless I really wanted the look.

[billygoat333]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs088.ash2/37736_415742673213_556323213_4832498_1276304_n.jpg

Tapping screw holes in plastic is fun!

[StormRider]

I have the same hole saw set. lol

[billygoat333]

Did a little more work today, made the fan hole and did a little fan hacking. (these are crappy cell phone pics, sorry)

I gotta say, cutting a 76mm hole in 3/4" solid hickory is no fun. took me about 45 min to get all the way through. lol
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs133.ash2/39989_418095648213_556323213_4896114_1475572_n.jpg

The victim fan, getting ready to get naked.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs270.snc4/39855_418098503213_556323213_4896158_7853285_n.jpg

oopsies... dremel got a little plastic happy. :(

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs117.ash2/39178_418102438213_556323213_4896280_2225351_n.jpg

halfway done:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs263.snc4/39513_418104838213_556323213_4896324_4633755_n.jpg

all cut.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs266.snc4/39623_418107713213_556323213_4896359_7028804_n.jpg

basically finished:
(its not finished because the damn hickory is too tough for the small screws I was using for the stupid fan grill, it snapped the head right off. gotta drill it out now.)
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs128.ash2/39728_418126633213_556323213_4897021_1307654_n.jpg

looks good!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs259.snc4/40266_418126863213_556323213_4897022_534515_n.jpg

[billygoat333]

Have been trying to think up names for this project and have come up with a couple, but wanted to see if anyone had any good ideas. (Thinking about getting an engraving done for the cd drive, thats why this is important lol)

[msmrx57]

Have been trying to think up names for this project and have come up with a couple, but wanted to see if anyone had any good ideas. (Thinking about getting an engraving done for the cd drive, thats why this is important lol)

HomeGrown? Just a random thought from someone who hasn't got more than 2 hour in a row of sleep for a couple of days.

[Jolly-Swagman]

Coming along nicely!

[billygoat333]

HomeGrown? Just a random thought from someone who hasn't got more than 2 hour in a row of sleep for a couple of days.

haha know how that goes. That is a good name... not sure if it is what I am looking for though. thanks! keep em coming guys!

I was thinking like Shadowbox or something like that. (since the idea I had for the case came from shadow boxes... lol)




Coming along nicely!

Thanks! will have more up here soon, worked on this a bit yesterday.

[BS Mods]

Just call it "Old Hickory". Or since it's an XBOX 360 now in a wooden box it can be Hickory 360

This is a cool build.

I work for a wood manufacturer and I can tell you it can be a pain dealing with hickory when your cutting it. Pre-drill any holes you are screwing something into.

Also, you shouldn't use your bench grinder for aluminum. It clogs up the wheel and can possibly explode.

[billygoat333]

Also, you shouldn't use your bench grinder for aluminum. It clogs up the wheel and can possibly explode.
yeah... I found that out the hard way. (it didnt explode, but the alum did bend really bad haha) :D thanks.

and Hickory 360 is an awesome name! I love it.

[Liquid_Scope_99]

If you lived in the AL HickBox would be Awesome . Looking great man .
I know this is a little late but for future reference these Rock

http://www.grizzly.com/products/4-1-2-Angle-Grinder-Stand/G8183

[billygoat333]

awww dude... thats genius! lol I shouldve known there was something out there for that. lol +rep.

[Liquid_Scope_99]

I didnt know about them till i went to my father in laws shop and saw one they work great also they make lots and lots of sparks lol

[Konrad]

oopsies... dremel got a little plastic happy. :(
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs117.ash2/39178_418102438213_556323213_4896280_2225351_n.jpg

lol, you could always do something like this (http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=nf_p14_blade_design&lng=en). (FWIW, I have some of these fans and they are indeed very quiet. Never made one myself, though it looks easy and I doubt that sophisticated computer/math modeling is really necessary to see results.)