Project: Arctic Cat

[SXRguyinMA]

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/P_AC_Logocopy.png




Alright I figured since the case showed up it was about time to start this thread!

First off, the sponsors who have donated or will be donating components for this project! A HUGE thanks goes out to each one!


NZXT (http://www.nzxt.com) supplied the white Phantom and white 24p and 8p cable extensions!
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/NZXT_White_Logo.jpg

Crucial (http://www.crucial.com/index.aspx) is supplying a 4GB set of Ballistix Tracer (http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=BL2KIT25664TG1337) (green of course) DDR3-1333 memory!
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/Cruciallogo.png

John from PCBoard.ca (http://www.pcboard.ca) supplied the lighting elements!
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/PCBoard_Logo_500wide.jpg

Thermaltake (http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/) supplied me with a TR2 RX 1000W PSU (http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1245&ID=1909)!
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/ttLogo.jpg

And our very own Rick Maines (SgtM) is teaming up with painting legend Rick Primeau of Primo Customs (http://www.primocustoms.com/site/) for the paintwork on this beauty!
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/PC_Logo.png




Now I've been wanting to build an Arctic Cat themed case for a while. I work at an Arctic Cat dealership (http://www.breezybendrv.com) and already have approval to display a machine at the store once I'm done. Things slowly started falling together for this build.

I got to thinking, "What would I do with another computer?" I've got plenty to use right now, and frankly don't have anywhere to put another rig. I decided that rather than build a sweet rig to display for a bit then get stuffed in my basement somewhere that I'd do something good with it. I plan to either auction or raffle this rig off. I still haven't settled the details as to when where or how yet, but it will happen. I plan to display this at my shop for a while, and also get the local snowmobile clubs to run a small ad about the auction or raffle. I'm working with Arctic Cat currently on the details for the raffle :D

Now on to the ideas!

These first SketchUp models were from when I first had the idea for this project. The final Photoshops I did after I found out NZXT was hooking me up with the Phantom :D

The inside will remain white, while the outside and other details will be painted Arctic Metallic Green (or a shade close to it).


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/MudPro-700.jpg

Arctic Cat MudPro 700 in Arctic Metallic Green


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/CaseConcept1.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/CaseConcept7.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/CaseConcept2.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/CaseConcept3.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/CaseConcept5.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/CaseConcept4.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/CaseConcept6.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/_MG_8589copy.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/IMG_7593copy.png


I plan to cut a window into the side panel. The clear acrylic will be etched and edge-lit with green LEDs. I've got a neat idea for a cool internal lighting accessory as well.

System specs are as follows:
MSI X48C Platinum (http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=proddesc&maincat_no=1&prod_no=1393) Motherboard (Thanks Trace!)
Intel C2Q 6600 (Thanks Trace!)
Crucial Ballistix Tracer Green DDR3-1333 (http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=BL2KIT25664TG1337)
XFX Radeon HD 5850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150477)
Cooler Master V6GT CPU Cooler (http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6668) (Thanks CJ!)
NZXT Phantom Case (http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/crafted_series/phantom)
Thermaltake TR2 RX 1000W PSU (http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1245&ID=1909)
Seagate 32MB 7200RPM 1TB Hard drive
Stay tuned for updates!

[bikepilot]

Way cool!

I wonder if there might be some way to rig up a couple little skis on the bottom in place of the little rubber pads :think:

[SXRguyinMA]

Hey Josh!

Neat idea actually. I've got a few neat ideas already in my head, I'll add that one to them. :D

All of the ideas I've got I need to see if they'll actually work as the build progresses lol

[billygoat333]

Arctic Cat FTL! ;)

looks like a sweet mod! will be watching this one of course.

[SgtM]

I put a thread at the airbrushforum linking here.

[SXRguyinMA]

Arctic Cat FTL! ;)

looks like a sweet mod! will be watching this one of course.

:D thanks!


I put a thread at the airbrushforum linking here.

sweet thanks!

[Drum Thumper]

I put a thread at the airbrushforum linking here.

Spammer! lol

[TheMainMan]

Wow, I'm excited to see how this turns out! Love the colour scheme, it's bold and different from most!

[Lothair]

I have an Arctic Cat ATV. It's a freaking beast. I even got the extra seat attachment so I can take my nieces and nephews. It's served me pretty well for the past couple years. Haven't had a single problem with it.

Looking forward to this project. The Phantom is one slick chassis.

[x88x]

Nice! Congrats on the sponsors, and way to go using modding for a good cause. :D

[SXRguyinMA]

Minor update.

Got the motherboard and processor from Trace! I'm EXTREMELY happy that the RAM placeholders DO NOT have the LEDs in them that they did in the review. :D


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0679.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0681.jpg

And just for giggles and to show the size of this beast, here it is next to Rockin Case. Keep in mind that Rockin Case is a 1:1 scale of a real acoustic guitar and it's sitting on a real guitar stand.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0675.jpg

[SXRguyinMA]

just for reference, these are the LED dummy sticks I'm glad don't actually have the LEDs :D

http://www.ixbt.com/mainboard/msi/x48c-platinum/memory-card-installed-sm.jpg

http://ixbtlabs.com/articles3/mainboard/msi-x48c-platinum-i48x.html

the spots are all there for them, but they're just bare solder pads with no actual LEDs (thankfully lol)

[SgtM]

Fail. They have two of those sticks in upside down.

[Waynio]

Great modder, great cause & yes some kind of skis needed for case feet like bikepilot said :D.

[SXRguyinMA]

Fail. They have two of those sticks in upside down.

lol they’re double sided. You out them in the DDR-2 slots if you’re using DDR-3, and vice versa :D


Great modder, great cause & yes some kind of skis needed for case feet like bikepilot said.

Thanks for the compliment :D I may work in some kind of ski or something, but I don’t want it to look too toyish. We’ll see

Update time!

I started by removing the side panel fans and mesh vents.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0684.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0685.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0686.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0687.png


Then I removed the mesh vent from the other side panel.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0688.png

Then I removed this spare HDD rack that isn’t going to be needed. 10 small screws later and it’s off.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0690.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0691.png

I also removed the rear 120mm fan and top 200mm fan and the LED power button for the top fan. The 200mm fan has 8 3mm blue LEDs in it. These will be swapped out with 8 3mm green LEDs :D I plan to wire all the LEDs in the case to that rear power button, so they can all be turned on or off as needed/wanted.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0692.png

There are 2 of these spring-loaded side panel latches. I was going to remove them, but the rear panel will stay white so I’ll leave them in.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0693.png

This is a shot of how the cables from the top panel units come routed from NZXT. Everything is very neat and tidy and held with zip ties.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0694.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0695.png

This is the de-meshed side panel back on the case. This will give an idea of the windowed cutout.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0696.png

Next I disassembled the front door for paint. There were these 4 screws holding the door panels together, 2 more holding the top black trim piece and 6 more holding the bottom trim/vent piece.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0697.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0698.png

I had this 140mm Antec fan laying around that I’m going to mount here in the front opening. It doesn’t have LEDs but it does have holes already to install 4 5mm LEDs. Green will be installed of course.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0699.png

Here we have the 2 top panel units unscrewed and the wires pulled through.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0700.png

And the case ready for paint!

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0701.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0702.png

And the large box of parts that were removed. Most of these will be reinstalled.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0703.png

Next I moved onto the cutting. I decided to cut out along the fan mount flange that was already in the side panel, rather than go more like my original Photoshop design. Going lower will only show the PSU, and going farther forward will only show the dive bays. Plus keeping this shape helps preserve the sleek lines of the case.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0704.png

And 10 minutes and 2 reinforced cutting discs later and it’s cut out.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0705.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0706.png

Now the cuts were fairly rough. So I measured from a few select points and marked lines with a pen. I will grind and file to these lines to ensure nice straight cuts.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0708.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0709.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0711.png

I got two of the four sides finalized last night. I should hopefully be able to get the last two done today.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0712.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0713.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0714.png

And a final shot with the panel reinstalled on the case. This should look real nice :D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0715.png

Hopefully today I can get the rest finished, then it will be ready to send off for paint!

[billygoat333]

nice cutting. cant wait to see this thing in arctic cat puke green. :P

[SXRguyinMA]

this isn't the puke green. this is the sexy Arctic Metallic Green. The puke green is the weird green that's on the 2011 LE Sleds lol

http://i.ebayimg.com/02/!B5zpLswEGk~$(KGrHqV,!hUEyrsppfOHBMvEndSgIQ~~_12.J PG

[billygoat333]

lol touche. I am a Polaris fanboy, if you haven't figured it out yet :p

[SXRguyinMA]

oh you mean Pull Off Lake And Repair In Spring? :D

In all honesty though, Polaris makes some decent stuff. Cat's been stepping up their game VERY well the past few years. Right now Cat's got the top 2 sleds - the Z1 Turbo SnoPro and the 500 SnoPro. Neither can be touched.

Polaris...well...they've got the Rush...I guess....yay.... lol

[billygoat333]

lol. yeah... to be honest right now I am running an 04 800 rev summit x. love it. I am still an old school polaris fan. :P can't beat the old school 700 rmks.

[SXRguyinMA]

summit's are nice too, but RMKs and Summits (and M-cats) have no purpose in this area. The Switchbacks, EXTs, Crossfires and the like are the most you'll need

[billygoat333]

lol yeah. here, you pretty much HAVE to have the deep powder stuff. :twisted:

anyway, we digress. Awesome mod so far, I love that case. :D

[SXRguyinMA]

thanks :D

It pained me a little to cut into that thing, but it'll be worth it in the end!

[blueonblack]

I hope you are well and truly proud of yourself. Seeing this case in "real world use" has prompted me to buy one for myself. :D

Well, that and the sale they had at Newegg.

Nice work so far!

[SXRguyinMA]

I hope you are well and truly proud of yourself. Seeing this case in "real world use" has prompted me to buy one for myself. :D


ooo which color did you get? this things a real nice case to work in/around :up:


Nice work so far!

thanks! :D

[artoodeeto]

nice work so far!! It's a really nice looking case too you're modding, looking forward to seeing this one finished :D

[blueonblack]

ooo which color did you get?

White, of course. :)

I've got plans with lots of white. Lights, fans, sleeves, tubing, etc. I couldn't help myself.

[SXRguyinMA]

nice work so far!! It's a really nice looking case too you're modding, looking forward to seeing this one finished :D

Thanks man :D


White, of course. :)

I've got plans with lots of white. Lights, fans, sleeves, tubing, etc. I couldn't help myself.

Nice! Like I said, you'll love working in this thing. It's HUGE. and roomy. The box itself sits well over 3 feet high. Everything comes apart easliy. Onse small tug and the front panel is off, same for the top. Top notch quality on this thing.

On a side note...if everything goes well with Danger Den the V6GT may be replaced with some sleek green tubing :devious:

[SXRguyinMA]

Update!

I got the last of the sanding and filing done on the side panel!

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0728.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0729.png

And I came home from work this afternoon to find a rather large box sitting on my steps with a Thermaltake logo on it. What could be in there? :D

A HUGE thanks goes out to Thermaltake for sending over one of their TR2 RX 1000W (http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1245&ID=1909) PSU's!



http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0730.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0731.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0732.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0733.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0734.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0735.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0736.png

Merry Christmas everyone!

[x88x]

Nice loot! Props to Tt for that.

[Waynio]

Nice loot! Props to Tt for that.

Agreed & merry christmas to all at TBCS :):up:.

[SXRguyinMA]

Update time :D

I got this candy mold from eBay for $2

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0748.png


I had some of this casting resin leftover from a different project

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0749.png


I mixed 1oz of resin and 1oz of hardener, and it was enough to fill all 8 cavities. I only needed 2, but I did all 8 in case I screwed one or two up during the removal process.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0750.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0751.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0752.png


Two days later I removed them from the mold. It's a good thing I made all 8, as they were tough to remove and I only ended up with 4 usable pieces. Yes, even that broken one will do, you'll see why in a sec. These just need another day or two to harden, then I'll do the final trimming and filing and painting.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0753.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0754.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0765.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0755.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0756.png


Next I had a pair of these green NGK spark plug boots. But they'll be of no use to me in the state that they're in. So off to the band saw!

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0757.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0759.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0761.png


Now this is why that broken one doesn't matter. These will sit at the back of the case (see the SketchUp models in the first post). I'll mill out the center of the plugs, and 3mm blue LEDs will be installed. The wiring will be run up the plug and cap and out the wire end of the caps, and over to my LED blinky kit from John at PCBoard.ca (http://www.pcboard.ca).


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0762.png


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0764.png


Now the LED blinky kit blinks much too slow for these to look like real plugs firing, so I did some swapping of capacitors and resistors until I got the blink rate just right.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/0426001826.jpg


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/0426001827.jpg


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/0426001850.jpg


Video if the standard configuration:
C0PUKs8tec4

Updated configuration:
l_sqCHOigtg

And soldered together:
lUAXdlTaO9o

It's kinda hard to tell because of the frame rate of the camera, but it looks sweet.

Next I disassembled the Cooler Master V6GT that I got from CJ. The LED effects that come with it are red, blue, purple, or off. This won't do now will it?

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0766.png


So I took out the control board and hot-glued in a 5mm green LED

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0767.png


Much better :D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0769.png


I'm also going to add 4 5mm green LEDs to the front side fan on the cooler. I'm currently waiting on a shipment of 5mm and 3mm green LEDs :D

That's all for now!

[Primocustoms]

send the plugs out to me and I can make them look real,...

[msmrx57]

Nice!!!!

[SXRguyinMA]

send the plugs out to me and I can make them look real,...

will do. I'll send them along with the case. I've got everything ready to ship out, pm me with an address to ship it to! We've gotta do a skype one night with Rick Maines as well to discuss the deets


Nice!!!!

thanks :D

[x88x]

Nice! Hmm, those spark plug candy moulds are tempting....if nothing else to confuse people at parties. :D

[SXRguyinMA]

http://cgi.ebay.com/SPARK-PLUGS-D12-Candy-Craft-Mold-MINT-/370299886802?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item563797dcd2

:D

[SgtM]

It's lookin good Will! I might have some time tonight to get on skype or even a conference call.

[SXRguyinMA]

sounds good. I've got to go look at a guy's snowmobile after work, so I'm not sure when I'll be free. I'll probably end up going over there and pulling the carbs off and bringing them back to my hosue and cleaning them. want me to give you a call when I'm home?

[artoodeeto]

sweet! That's the same epoxy stuff I used to cast a few parts on the sandcrawler. I found it hardens almost completely in about 24 hours. Did you use a mold release of some kind? They should have come out pretty cleanly if you did (although I used a latex mold rather than plastic, and was able to peel the mold off my casts). I also used a resin spray on the casts after they came out to ensure that their outer surfaces were nice and hard.

I didn't truly appreciate what a nice case this is until I happened to see one in Fry's this evening. Looks awesome, even without doing anything to it! Your mod should be some pretty awesome improvements.

[SXRguyinMA]

no I didn't bother with mold release. I should have though :facepalm: but it's ok, I've got plenty of usable parts :D

The last thing I used the resin for was to make resin ice cubes with LEDs in them and put them in a glass. I didn't use any release on the ice cube tray and they popped right out, so I figured this would do the same.

Yea I was amazed as well when it showed up and I actually got to tearing it down. it's very well built and solid :bowdown:

[SgtM]

Damn. I ended up eating dinner tonight and then watched a movie. Unfortunately, said movie was playing on the back of my eye lids. Give me a call tomorrow afternoon if you have some time.

[SXRguyinMA]

will do :D

[SXRguyinMA]

well I'd like to add another sponsor to this project! The Hines Design Labs (http://angushines.com/) are going to help me out with the engraving for the side panel window!

http://www.angushines.com/files/AIH%20LOGO%20TOP%20v5.jpg

[x88x]

Awesome! Congrats!

[AnG3L]

Wow buddy really nice job so far!!! Mod on man! :)

[SXRguyinMA]

thanks :D

[billygoat333]

sick dude. love the spark plugs! :D

[SXRguyinMA]

Update time!

After reading CJ's review on the Xigmatek fans, I decided to get my hands on some. 2 200mm green LED fans and 1 140mm straight blade green LED fan.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0773.png

Now the issue with these 200mm fans is they're actually bigger than the 200mm NZXT fan that came out. Also, the mounting holes are not the standard 200mm mounts like the NZXT ones are. So either these ones are wrong or the NZXT ones are.

Here's the difference:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0774.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0775.png

These are the mounts on the Xigmatek's. The drilled hole is on the right, and the undrilled notch that is needed to put these in the Phantom is on the left. I ended up drilling out the 4 of these so I could mount these fans, but that's minor.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0790.png

Now the second issue with these fans. They're a touch wider than the NZXT ones, and don't fit in without some gentle manipulating.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0777.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0778.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0779.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0780.png

And turned on.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0783.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0784.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0785.png

Next I mounted the 140mm straight blade fan in it's place so you can see how the lighting looks for the front of the case.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0786.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0787.png

And a shot with the fans lit and the side panel on. This thing's going to look killer :D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0789.png

Now the lighting is a bit bright from the outside, but I've got a neat idea that will dress up the vents and also let a little less light outside the case and should make it a little more aesthetically appealing.

[x88x]

Looks awesome! Those really are massive fans. :D ...just...please, for the love of god, turn the rear one 90 or 180 degrees counterclockwise...PLEASE!! It's driving me nuts! :freakedout:

EDIT:
The clock is on the ceiling...obviously...I really need to start proofreading my posts... :whistler:

[SXRguyinMA]

lol when the rear gets reinstalled it will be 180º from where it is now, pointing to the wiring from the front one :D

[x88x]

lol when the rear gets reinstalled it will be 180º from where it is now, pointing to the wiring from the front one :D

Good, good...now I can go to sleep. ;)

[SgtM]

It's lookin good Will!


Good, good...now I can go to sleep. ;)

Obsess much?

[TheMainMan]

This is drool worthy and there isn't even any components in it yet! Great job, love the green!

[SXRguyinMA]

This is drool worthy and there isn't even any components in it yet! Great job, love the green!

lol thanks :D

Got an email from Crucial today, the green Ballistix Tracer (http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=BL2KIT25664TG1337) kit is on it's way! :banana:

like this, but only with 2 DIMMs :D

http://www.xbitlabs.com/images/memory/ddr3-1600-triple-channel/crucial/3s.jpg

[msmrx57]

Kewl!!

[SXRguyinMA]

Memory came in! :banana:

4GB Crucial Ballistix Tracer Green DDR3 PC10600, 1.65V


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0791.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0793.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0794.png

[billygoat333]

awesome, Tell me if you have any issues with that ram... thinking about getting some :)

[Waynio]

Doing well with the colour scheme, even funky looking green ram with LED's :D:up: :banana:.

[SXRguyinMA]

thanks :D

I can't wait to get this off to paint and see how it comes out! :devious:

[SgtM]

Dude, I was looking for your number yesterday but couldn't find it. Give me a call tomorrow after 7:00 if you have some time.

[SXRguyinMA]

7 my time or yours? lol

[SgtM]

We're in the same time zone. I'm in Ohio.

[SXRguyinMA]

ok, will do

[SXRguyinMA]

I'll be posting an update shortly, I just wanted to add that MNPC Tech has helped out with some 3M mounting tape and u-channel edge molding for the window! Thanks Bill!


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/mnpctech.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0822copy.png

[SXRguyinMA]

OK so update time, finally :D

I started off by finishing the sanding and filing on the edged of the spark plugs, and trimming them down to size. The tops were not needed, as the plug boots will be covering them anyways.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0861.png

I then used my Dremel to cut a channel into the backside. This channel will hold a 3mm blue LED, and the wiring will run out the top and into the plug cap, as shown.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0862.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0863.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0866.png

Next I got some 1/4" black fuel line. This will be the plug wires, and the wiring for the LEDs will be run through this as well.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0867.png

It fits nicely into the cap :D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0868.png

Now I needed to make something to hide the PSU wiring mess that will reside behind the PSU where the second drive cage was removed. I made this carbon fiber piece for my Tempest SXR mod, and will do something similar, but nicer.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0869.png

Here's the PSU installed, and the bundled wiring will need to be hidden for aesthetics :D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0871.png

I've got approximately 15" in length, 7" on the horizontal leg and 4" on the vertical. I got 2 sheets of aluminum, 18" x 12". I marked 7" from one end and made a line, then bent the sheets on my metal brake.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0870.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0872.png

These will be used as an inner and outer mold. I've got some Rexco Formula Five release wax and Partall PVA mold release on the way for these. This way I'll lay up a few sheets of carbon fabric with resin, and clamp it between these two mold halves to get a nice consistent single piece, then I'll just trim and sand as needed.

That's it for now!

[StormRider]

lol, hopefully this time it doesn't go crooked when you're not looking :D
seriously nice work!

[SXRguyinMA]

yea that other one I made from 2 pieces, and I think I didn't sand one of them quite straight :facepalm:

Doing it this way will ensure a nice straight part :D

[Waynio]

Sponsor, progress & CF woooo :D:up:.

[SXRguyinMA]

Sponsor, progress & CF woooo :D:up:.

:D

I just checked the UPS tracking, my mold release stuff should be here Tuesday, so expect another update next week!

[SgtM]

Lookin good Will!

[SXRguyinMA]

Update time!

Here is the mold release and PVA I used:

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0874.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0877.png

It says to put 3 coats of wax on a new mold, so I put on 5 just for good measure :D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0875.png

I then did 2 brushed on coats of PVA onto each mold. I've got 2 layers of carbon and 2 layers of fiberglass matting for the middle. The fiberglass will add stiffness since it is not a directional weave.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0873.png

I worked up some resin and got it all laid out and clamped the mold halves together.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0892.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0893.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0894.png

About 2 hours later I popped the mold halves off the part. Thanks to the wax and PVA, it came off effortlessly. :D The PVA is still on the part in the following few pics, which is why the finish is a little dull.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0895.png

Uh oh! I must not have clamped the parts together good enough, and ended up with a big air bubble! :facepalm: The purple over the bubble is the PVA film.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0896.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0897.png

There was also an excess of resin at the corner, but that can always be sanded down.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0898.png

An air bubble on the inside, which isn't as big of a deal because it won't be noticeable.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0899.png

A shot of the air bubble with the PVA film removed

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0900.png

And a few shots of the part with all the PVA removed. The finish is a lot nicer, and once I wet sand, clear and buff it'll be nice.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0901.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0902.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0903.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0904.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0905.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0906.png

I'm going to try to mix up a little resin and fill in the hole, then sand it down and see how it comes out. If it doesn't come out nice, I've already been brainstorming a few ideas to keep the halves stiff and supported, and to be able to clamp them more evenly.

[AmEv]

Too bad about the bubble D:

Looks cool, though. :D

[msmrx57]

Agreed, to bad about the bubble. If you the fix doesn't work and you need to redo it use a couple pieces of wood across the flat areas for support.

[SXRguyinMA]

well I was thinking of making wood supports for the metal halves. One pice would be in a /\ shape and the other in a \/ shape, and that will uniformly spread the pressure, and allow me to clamp it in the center "V" area and get it nice. This is only if the bubble can't be fixed, or can be fixed but still looks horrible :D

[SXRguyinMA]

I found a few things here at the shop that I may be able to use to hide that bubble...stay tuned :D

[Waynio]

I found a few things here at the shop that I may be able to use to hide that bubble...stay tuned :D

:banana: Good news :).
Looks really tricky stuff doing real carbon fiber.

[SXRguyinMA]

It's not too tricky, there's just a lot of setup and preparation to get done and done right to make it all work out, as well as some trial and error. :D

I've got just the thing to cover up that bubble too, which is nice :D I'm going to fill it in with a little resin just to level it off, but I've got a really nice part to cover that with :D

[SXRguyinMA]

Ok it's been a while but I've got an update! I've discared that first CF part, and I'm going to make a proper mold support and make another piece. I wasn't at all happy with the first one, as the sides were all wavy and yucky, so I tossed it.

On a happier note, UPS will be taking the case out to Rick Primeau, then on to Rick Maines for the paint and airbrushing! Stay tuned, I'll see if I can get Primeau to post some pics, or email them. He'll have it on the 28th, so until then!

[SgtM]

Pictures only? I'm sure he'll be working on it while he's broadcasting on blogtv. Check out his page at blogtv.com/people/primocustoms.

[SXRguyinMA]

sweet thanks!

[SXRguyinMA]

Rick Primeau is setting up to start working on the case...check it out if you want :D

http://www.blogtv.com/People/primocustoms

[Waynio]

:) I'll watch a little before crashing out.

[SXRguyinMA]

a little screenshot from today :)


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/phantom.png

[SXRguyinMA]

paint is done and he's doing the airbrushing!

http://www.blogtv.com/people/primocustoms

[SXRguyinMA]

correction - live on Ustream!

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/primo-customs-airbrushing

[SgtM]

It's pretty cool hanging out with everyone huh?

[SXRguyinMA]

it is, it's a lot of fun chatting with everyone

[Waynio]

Would have joined in for a bit but wasn't sure how to lol :D, did I just have to add my username?.

[SXRguyinMA]

yea you type a name then it adds you in as a guest

[SgtM]

Here's a few pictures Rick sent me.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/sgtm_usmc/airbrush%20stuff/Arctic%20Cat/e2adcd81.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/sgtm_usmc/airbrush%20stuff/Arctic%20Cat/14bdb495.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/sgtm_usmc/airbrush%20stuff/Arctic%20Cat/ad4bc2bd.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/sgtm_usmc/airbrush%20stuff/Arctic%20Cat/ee8a15a5.jpg

[Twigsoffury]

This PC would make teenage highschool kids with hondas jealous as hell.

[SXRguyinMA]

yea Primo sent me those too...SICK work! Those plugs look amazing!

[Waynio]

Looking good :):up:.

[SXRguyinMA]

Just talked to Primo, he'll have it cleared and off to Rick Maines (SgtM) Monday for the final touches, then it's back to me for the build! :banana:

[SgtM]

He said he's putting 4 coats of clear on. I'm gonna have a bit of sanding to do.

[SXRguyinMA]

:D nice

[SgtM]

I got the case from Primo today. Pictures forthcoming.

[SgtM]

Here's the fan shroud I did today.
HONCV2B68hQ

[SXRguyinMA]

that came out SICK!!! I need to send you the two side shrouds for it lol

[Waynio]

Very nice :).

[SgtM]

Send em out.

[SXRguyinMA]

PM me your address, I'll pop them in the mail tomorrow

[SgtM]

Ok. I'm glad you like how it came out. That was just done with some white, and transparent blue from auto air. Layer of white, layer of blue, push and pull it back and forth until it looks cool. When I do the next one, maybe we can have a skype call to go with it.

[SXRguyinMA]

yea definitely. that came out BEYOND awesome :D

[SXRguyinMA]

been busy, will get them out tomorrow lol

[SXRguyinMA]

OK so I lied, but I DID get them out today lol. You should see them Thursday :D

[SgtM]

So I'm doing the same effect on the sides too right? I can send everything back in the same box with the case; which I still have to wet sand.

[SXRguyinMA]

yea, the fans push towards the back of the case. Yea just toss it in a box inside the case for the ride home :D You rock!

[SXRguyinMA]

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/aircat.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/paw1.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/paw2.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/paw3.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/skullcat.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/50th.jpg

[billygoat333]

Very very cool.

[blueonblack]

Beautiful work. That paw print is absolutely awesome. :up:

[Waynio]

Beautiful :D & I really like that green & the paw prints are awesome & the cat on the front looks like it's really casting a shadow, the side panel with the skeleton cat, the tearing looks awesome & highly defined but the cats bones look too soft cartoony like to me like it's lacking sharp detail & maybe some colour like some browning hints or something but the teeth look good & sharply defined other than that it looks sweet, ah scrap that about the cartoony look it looks awesome & something I'd want to run & hide from or grab a big fat sharp sword for lol :D.

Awesome stiking mod SXRguyinMA :):up: +rep.

[SgtM]

UPS came by yesterday to pick up the case and send it back to Will.

[SXRguyinMA]

I can't wait to see this thing! Too bad UPS doesn't give a delivery date with tthat kind of tracking # though. Strange :think:

[SgtM]

It is strange. It's in Mass, so I'm hoping you'll have it today.

[SXRguyinMA]

it says on vehicle for delivery :banana:

just curious - did you send it to my home or work address?

[msmrx57]

it says on vehicle for delivery :banana:

Someones getting excited! :D Can't say as I blame you one bit, I can't wait to see it either.

[SXRguyinMA]

UPS dropped off the case today! :banana: Now I need to get Maximum Security done ASAP so I can get this puppy together!

[SgtM]

So, I'm dying to know. What did you think of the case when you first saw it in person?

[SXRguyinMA]

friggin SICK :bowdown:

I've got it almost assembled. I say almost because I misplaced the I/O shield for the MB :facepalm: and I've currently got the 5850 that's for it in my main rig because I took my 6870 out to put the waterblock on it lol. I need to find a temporary replacement for mine until MS is done so I can get this Cat done! I found an I/O shield on ebay for $20 +$5 S&H :facepalm: I think I may have tossed it out mistakingly....

Also, I may need to make the window taller. As it is it completely covers the cooler master oil casp on the cooler. If I make it taller it'll be perfect. I'll tape it off and jigsaw it.

I did have to clean a ton of clearcoat out of the rear honeycomb mesh too lol. It looks SICK though, especially assembled. The black parts really help break up the green. I'll get pics tonight :D

[SXRguyinMA]

Enjoy :D


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/case1.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/case2.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/case3.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/case4.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/case5.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/case6.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/case7.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/case8.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/case9.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/case10.png

[Fuganater]

:eek:

[TheMainMan]

Dang, that's SWEET! That's a truly impressive paint job. Love the way the white PCI slots seem to glow compared to everything else!

[BS Mods]

I think it just hit my "G" spot. :lick:


Fricken LOVE this thing! Turned out totally awesome. Great color, design, layout, etc. Super clean and professional.

Super job bud.

[SXRguyinMA]

I think it just hit my "G" spot. :lick:


Fricken LOVE this thing! Turned out totally awesome. Great color, design, layout, etc. Super clean and professional.

Super job bud.

Thanks man! It's not even done yet :whistler:

[billygoat333]

Seriously cool...

[Waynio]

Wow awesomely clean, nice colours & that bony cat is looking better, is it the same or did it have a little more work on it, looks more defined :) & the cooler looks absolutely awesome too, very tasty mod indeed :).

[SXRguyinMA]

It's the same, just different camera maybe? :think:

[SXRguyinMA]

UPDATE TIME!!!!!

Yea I know, finally :whistler:

Minor update for now, got some work done on this puppy today. System is up and running with a fresh install of W7 Home on the 1TB drive.

I ditched the idea for making the carbon fiber wiring cover because I failed so many times that I ran out of carbon :facepalm: So I decided to use some leftover plexi to make one instead.

I marked out the cover on the sheet.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/psucover01.png


Then I cut it out with my jigsaw and bent it into a 90º angle. I then trimmed out the areas where the MB cables pass through. I got a little carried away working and didn't get any progress pics :facepalm: I used a small piece of aluminum angle to mount the cover to a pair of existing mounting holes in the chassis.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/psucover02.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/psucover03.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/psucover04.png


I also got the mounting done for the die-cast model.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/psucover05.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/psucover06.png


I got the cover painted white and I have a neat idea for it, but I'll have to try it out to see if it'll work the way I want it to!


I also got this nice 50th anniversary emblem that they put on the ATVs and snowmobiles this year and mounted it to the front door.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/dooremblem.png


And I mounted a nice billet aluminum cat head logo to the PSU to dress it up a bit :D


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/psuemblem.png

That's it for now, more to come soon!!

[LooseNeutral]

Glad I came here to see this log (instead of just peep'n at a snipet on the FB). This is actually the first time I've really looked at one of these cases from... ehem a virgin state. Wasn't sure about the choice of color on the cooler, though I really like the paint work, till I saw the cat up top. Please do something with the wiring, under the green plex especially, it's a pet peve of mine .. (I've done electrical work waaaay to long). Yeah I'm new 'round here... but from what I've seen so far there's lots of good folks and mod'n. I look forward to your next :)

[SXRguyinMA]

well the wiring is like that because of the cable extensions but don't fear I've painted that cover white :D

[Fuganater]

I just saw the spark plug video! Looks awesome!

[SXRguyinMA]

Thanks Shane! I'll have an update here this weekend, it should be finished then!!

[SXRguyinMA]

It's DONE!!! :banana: Pics to come tomorrow afternoon :D

[TheMainMan]

Woot! Excited to see how it all turned out!

[LooseNeutral]

I'll catch it in the a.m. here Sunday ... going to be a busy Saturday night ... I hope :D ....edit ... is now 7:58 Sunday morning ... http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz35/Looseneutral/face.jpgwhere's updates lol

[SXRguyinMA]

Had a family thing yesterday :D

Here's the final update!

I got the PSU cover painted and added a nice Team Arctic decal to break up all the white.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/psucover01-1.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/psucover02-1.png


I cut a piece and drilled it to mount to a pair of the extra E-ATX standoff holes on the motherboard tray.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/plugplate01.png


Then I used some double-sided tape to secure the LED blinky kit to the backside of the tray.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/plugplate04.png


And I got carried away with modding and didn't take too many pics :whistler: but I sanded and painted the piece of plexi, wired up the 2 3mm blue LEDs and stuck the plugs and plug boots to the plexi mount, then ran the wiring through the black fuel line and over the tray to the LED blinky kit.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/plugplate02.png


And a shot of them on.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/plugplate03.png


And a video :D Yes, I know the music in the vid is a little depressing, but it's all I had that fit in the 26 seconds that the video is lol.


6HY_DyAX6Xw


Next up I cut out another piece of plexi and bent it into shape.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/vgacover01.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/vgacover02.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/vgacover03.png


Here I set it on the 5850 for a test-fit, then painted and added another cat decal to break up all the white.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/vgacover04.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/vgacover05.png


Next I cut out the clear acrylic for the side window. I cleaned it up a lot after this picture was taken, then stuck it to the side panel with some double-sided tape.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/window01.png


Now the really crappy thing is that I had to notch the chassis to fit the window in. The edge of the window lined up with the edge of the case, so I notched the case with my jigsaw (after removing all the components of course). I then put some black trim on it to cover up the cut edge.


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/window02.png

[SXRguyinMA]

And the final pics for now, until i can get ahold of a better camera :D


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final01.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final02.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final03.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final04.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final05.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final06.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final07.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final08.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final09.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final10.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final11.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final12.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final13.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final14.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/final15.png



And once again a HUGE thanks to my sponsors!!!


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/NZXT_White_Logo.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/ttLogo.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/Cruciallogo.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/PC_Logo.png

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/PCBoard_Logo_500wide.jpg

Now the rig will be displayed at the dealership I work at and I'm currently working with Arctic Cat on raffling it off at one of their charity events! I'll be sure to post up the details when I get them!!

[TheMainMan]

Wow, that's an amazing end result! Great work!

[SXRguyinMA]

Thanks! I just noticed that in some of these pics the PSU shroud looks like it's tilted up towards the front of the case :? It's definitely not though, it's level lol. Must be the lens effect from my camera :facepalm:

[TheMainMan]

I didn't even notice till you pointed it out but there is a fair amount of spherical distortion in the shots. What kind of lense were you shooting with?

[SXRguyinMA]

it's a Sanyo Xacti 10MP point and shoot, model VPC-CG10

[LooseNeutral]

Great stuff! really nice looking.. nice surprise with the gpu cover and that spark plug on the psu. Showcase build you got there http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz35/Looseneutral/rotstar2_e0.gif

[SgtM]

That came out awesome! Bravo!

[Fuganater]

Love it!

[SXRguyinMA]

Ok so it's not done....I added a decal to the outside of the VGA cover (pics forthcoming) and I have some new hardware coming in....AAANNNNNDD I ran into an issue with Arctic Cat on the raffle deal, so I've got more time to finish this thing up now that that whole thing needs to be re-planned lol.

[Fuganater]

repainted!?!?!?!?!

[LooseNeutral]

Say What? the whole thing .. Hmmm .. A sequel :D

[SXRguyinMA]

re-planned http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Smilies/bitchslap.gif

[Cale_Hagan]

Minor update.

Got the motherboard and processor from Trace! I'm EXTREMELY happy that the RAM placeholders DO NOT have the LEDs in them that they did in the review. :D


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0679.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/Project%20Arctic%20Cat/SANY0681.jpg




i was wondering why that motherboard looked familiar.... that msi q6600 used to be my board.... ddr2 ddr3 switchable, pretty sweet setup. worked really well for me... i saw the raffle thread, went to look at arctic cat again, to drool over the paint rick did, and was like, that board looks oddly familiar... lol. soo i went back a few pages, to the first, and, vwaalaa. :whistler:

[SXRguyinMA]

lol yea I got that setup from Trace :D I gotta get new pics of it with the new board in.

[SXRguyinMA]

Here's the FINAL pics this time lol.

Final specs:
NZXT Phantom Case (http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/crafted_series/phantom)
NZXT White 24-Pin (http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/premium_cables/cb_24p), 8-Pin (http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/premium_cables/cb_8p) and 6-Pin (http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/premium_cables/cb_6v) sleeded Extensions
Thermaltake TR2 RX 1000W PSU (http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1245&ID=1909)
Crucial 4GB DDR3-1333 Ballistic Tracer Green (http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=BL25664TG1337)
Intel Core i3-2100 3.1 GHz (1155) (http://ark.intel.com/products/53422/)
MSI H61M-E33 (B3) (http://www.msi.com/product/mb/H61M-E33--B3-.html)
XFX HD-585x-ZAFC 1GB Radeon 5850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150477)
SATA DVD-RW


I'm currently working out the final details on the giveaway for this beast, I'll be sure to post them here when they're finalized!

And of course the pics:

http://www.computersandcircuits.com/images/freebies/ac_raffle/01.png

http://www.computersandcircuits.com/images/freebies/ac_raffle/02.png

http://www.computersandcircuits.com/images/freebies/ac_raffle/03.png

http://www.computersandcircuits.com/images/freebies/ac_raffle/04.png

http://www.computersandcircuits.com/images/freebies/ac_raffle/05.png

http://www.computersandcircuits.com/images/freebies/ac_raffle/06.png

http://www.computersandcircuits.com/images/freebies/ac_raffle/07.png

[BS Mods]

Now THAT"S hawt!! lol

One of my personal fav's. Great job man.

[Waynio]

Very nice :) love the paw prints on the top & front, the skelecat scratching it's way out the side, the cat on the front top looks like it's hanging out casting a shadow, nice effect, insides look super clean & nicely cooled, the metallic green & white look sweet & the spark plugs & model on top of the wire stash point is a cherry on the cake. :D

And the coolermaster cooler looks sweet.

It's all saaweeeeeet. :banana::D

Any night shots incoming?.

[SXRguyinMA]

I'll get some night shots but I need to work on camera settings for pics like that, I can never get the settings right and have it look good. :D

[SXRguyinMA]

Giveaway is NOW LIVE!!

http://www.computersandcircuits.com/images/freebies/ac_raffle/banner.png (http://computersandcircuits.com/?q=ac_giveaway)

[Waynio]

I'd have donated more if I could, $20, hope you raise a load. :crossed::banana:

[SXRguyinMA]

Thanks a ton man, much appreciated! Every little bit helps! :D :bowdown:

[AmEv]

I support you and the cause; unfortunately, I'm broke.

[SXRguyinMA]

Update! Yea I know, it's done. But NZXT stepped in and helped out AGAIN for this build! They're sending me a 120mm non-led, 2x 120mm green LED and 1x 140mm green LED FZ fans for this case!

http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/case_fans/fz-140mm_led
http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/case_fans/fz-120mm_led
http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/case_fans/fz-120mm_nonled

[SXRguyinMA]

Only a few days left to enter to win this Arctic Cat computer!! The minimum donation is only $10! Help us reach our goal! Zotac has also stepped up with a GTX 560!
http://www.computersandcircuits.com/?q=ac_giveaway

[BS Mods]

I gave.... again.

I hope to win this case. I will add it to my empire!!

[SXRguyinMA]

Thanks!! I also got word today from Zotac that the card has been shipped. It will be here Wednesday and it's a GTX 570, not a 560 (won't know which model until it gets here) :banana:

[SXRguyinMA]

We've hit our goal for the Arctic Cat computer giveaway!!! As it stands currently we're at $1020!! We're still collecting donations until midnight though (3 hours and 35 minutes from now)! Thanks to everyone who donated and/or had a hand in making this happen!

Special thanks to Airbrushing Tips, NZXT. Corp, ZOTAC, Kingston, Auto Air Colors, Crucial Memory, Primo Customs, Thermaltake Technology Inc, PCBoard.ca and TheBestCaseScenario.com!!!

[Waynio]

Just donated again $30 this time :D felt it needed a bump.
I saved about £500 off regular steam prices on great games in the steam summer sale with being busy modding so could do this no problem.

To be honest I'm not donating to win the mod, I like it, it's an awesome mod & nice spec but I only need 2 rigs, low power rig & decent rig so would prefer it to go to someone else who would really like it & use it "if" by fluke I won lol, just don't like seeing such an effort not raise a hefty amount when people can do an easy bike ride & raise loads, good modding is a fine art but a totally unacknowledged functional art, that needs to change I think. 8)

619 facebook recommendations with minimum $10 should have raised a nice load, gutted it can't be extended again so I could rally support, I miss read it I think when I read about shipping, thought it said US only & just noticed you only have to pay for shipping if not from US so was open to international. :(

Glad you hit the goal at least anyway. :)

Recently joined facebook & quit it a few days after but can see the usefulness of it for things like this, I just didn't get why most people bother with facebook, seemed everyone was just trying hard to look cool & was irritating so deleted my account lol, looks like I'll be enabling it for the 3rd time now but I'm ignoring serious topics & nonsense unless it's genuinely cool or funny nonsense. :D

Sorry about the little ramble. :redface:

[BS Mods]

Awesome you got there!

[SXRguyinMA]

Thanks guys!

Waynio - I understand your frustrations with facebook lol. It is however a great marketing tool. Without NZXT reposting this on their site a few times I never would have reached the goal!

[Waynio]

My mistake was adding old school mates from like 20 years ago who I don't really have anything in common with lol, think it's when people who are bored with nothing to occupy themselves with everything can seem pointless. :D

I will reactivate the account & use it as it was intended to be used, you are right, it is useful, not going to use it to cure boredom, got a sweet game collection in steam for that. :D:up: