Project R.I.P.

[arcanum]

This is my first try at case modding. Its not quite finished i need some more detail work, so any suggestions are welcome. Original case was a nemesis i got from Xoxide.com after a year i decided i hated it. http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h198/crapnapkin/S3010186.jpg
inside
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h198/crapnapkin/S3010184.jpg
front
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h198/crapnapkin/S3010180.jpg

[The Modfather]

Since it's going for a tombstone look, here's some ideas.

Put a cross on the top of it, a celtic cross would look cool, you can probably find one made out of resin on ebay easily.

Etch your name and some epitath into the side of the rig. :)

Put the case on a piece of astroturf so it looks like a real tombstone on grass.

[arcanum]

Great idea's for etching (too bad i dunno how to do it without butchering the plexi) Maybe i can try and find some calligraphy stick on letters? I'm trying to go for a gothic crypt theme. A reaper coming out of the case somewhere would be cool i think.I used to have a fountian with death on his throne made of bones...wish i still had it for parts. I definatly need to find something to use to give it a black iron fence like you'd see around a graveyard

[Ironsides]

Nice job man, looks good:)

[The Modfather]

Reaper, hmm... Well, what about if you bought a Sickel or Scythe off eBay and had that coming out of the top of the case? (dangerous, sure, but cool looking), maybe cut a jagged gash in the top for the blade to be cutting through it.

[bartvandenberg]

its nice. looks good. the only thing is you should paint the inside of the case or something, and clean up those wires a bit maybe.

very cool that you painted the monitor to match. i did the same thing with my 21" crt. only have to carbon fibre graphics on it yet.

but.. all in all.. nice job.

[arcanum]

i do have a small scythe (about 6-7in) but the handle was cracked and broke but the blade is still good. Yeah inside needs some paint, maybe silver to help the lights. http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h198/crapnapkin/S3010190.jpg

[The Modfather]

I doubt you could fit the handle of that thing into your case anyway, but, if you had it ripping through the top of it, with the blade coming out from the inside, you wouldn't really need the handle, just the blade, the effect would still be there.

[arcanum]

Thanks guys :D Yea the handle is broke so its getting cut off anyhow, Any ideas on something to use for the fence? i was thinking of something with black iron poles with /\ at each end, going around the botton..or perhaps the top. Front seems a little bare though...can't place my finger on what to put there...the cross painted on just doesn't seem like its enough. goning to try etching on a piece of old plexi, going to etch "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here" on the side.

[Cevinzol]

Any ideas on something to use for the fence?
Its a common Halloween decoration.
Three are a lot of cool ideas on http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/ look under "cemetary fence"
you'll have to scale it down a bit.

[The Modfather]

If you'd like to have it look more realistic than that, you might find some iron fencing at a place that sells model trains (or online). If you can think of it, they make it for model railroad layouts in miniature. I'm sure they must have wrought iron fencing. I know I have several different kinds of miniature fences, from white picket to chain link. You'll get better detail that way probably.

[arcanum]

Oh yea...model trains....cool. Is there something you guys use when you etch the window to make it more visable?

[Cevinzol]

When etching on plexi its good to stick your design on it temporarily. you could try contact paper or rubber cement the printout. Then use a sharp knife to score all the lines followed by a dremel with a bit/bur to depen the lines. The knife cuts help keep the edges sharp.

Afterwards you can mount LEDs in the case to edge light it.

For model train stuff you might want to look for LGB scale stuff (G= 1:22.5). Its a large scale.

[The Modfather]

Yeah, G guage is larger, but rarer, however if yer checking online you shouldn't have a problem.

I never bothered to do that knife scoring when etching, I just use my trusty Optima to do the etching but for the kind of effect that can catch the light the best, laser etching is the way to go. Try http://www.hyperkore.com and check out some of their work. They can make a fantastic laser etch from your design or you can pick one from their premades. Or if you have an idea but aren't artistically inclined, tell me and I'll try to whip up a graphic for you that they can work from. Prices are on average about $45 for a laser etched window kit.

[ColModish]

looks great, but i think i wuld be better if the paint had that stony look, you know so it looks gothic RIP. any ways looks awsome

[arcanum]

Did some new thing etched the side window, not very pleased about how it turned out. I did learn alot, just need more practice. Added a power on led removed the old switches, bondo'ed them, repainted. I got some black dome kinda switches from my friend at burger king :p thx matt. added some reindeer moss, and got some florist wire from dead vines, but haven't figured out how/where to use them.more to come soom i hope.http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h198/crapnapkin/0ad9ba3c.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h198/crapnapkin/8c6fab52.jpg

[The Modfather]

Ahh, you tried to do that freehand without a template didn't ya?

Bit of advice, print out what you want to etch into your plexi first exactly how you want it to look (size and all, except in reverse) then tape it to the front of the plexi and use it as a guide to trace it on the other side. It helps a lot. Just need to consider that if the plexi is thick there'll be some refraction. I also recommend using only lighting from directly overhead, it helps cut down on that.

[arcanum]

Redone most of the front, got lotsa inspiration from World of Warcraft's Ruins of lordaeron area. http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h198/crapnapkin/S3010006.jpg
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h198/crapnapkin/S3010212.jpg