Project: Dark Art

[Maz]

Formerly known as power case, project Dark Art has come a long way. I have created this new worklog to continue under a new name. one that i feel fits this case better.

I have put every design consideration into this drawing and it has come a long way.and after looking at the properties
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/Screen123hrs.jpg

i was suprised to see that i had been working on this thing for 23 hours! thats just the computer time. not to mention all the work put into getting sponsors, looing up prices, and freehand sketching.

BTW: you cant see it just yet, im making custom materials so you can see it in all its glory + im not the best at lighting. You guys like the little teaser screenshot?

[d_stilgar]

What program are you using for the 3D? How do you get sponsors?

[Maz]

I am using autocad 2004 and getting sponsors is a lot of work.
the first thing you need to do is make a list of all your materials, and things like that. write up a very convincing letter, mostly of what you can do for them. like Sq in of logo for so much product/ discount/ monetary contribution.

then you contact everywhere you can and ask for a short appointment for a sponsorship promotion possibility. they somethimes say yes, then visit them. give them your letter stating what you are doing it for, why, things like that. but mosty, what is in it for them.

Note: if the company is supplying materials, make sure that you try to include, or make them think your including them in the design process.

and i quote "i think that that would look good in red."
Me, "But with red, there isn't the contrast that would make your logo pop!"
"i see what you mean"

this was one example, more or less that happenes a lot. sometimes, you have to give in a little bit. and others, if they turn out to be more expensive, you can say, "well that isnt exactly in the budget, but i think it would look the best that way."

sometimes they spring a couple extra bucks.




You have to show them that they are not just wasteing their time, you have to be along in the project before you start asking.

that is why i have this 3d solids model. its great practice+it may land me some more cash.

[Maz]

I had exams from last week until tuesday of this week, so there were no updates. i am currently working of some tools for the project. like a vacuum forming table. its small but it should do its job. today i am going to try for some more sponsors, and work on the materials a bit. i still dont know how to do that well.maybe ill post some of my renders later tonight if i get the look i want.

[Maz]

well i got sick so what can i say. tomorrow i am going to a week long leadership training conference so i will be out for yet another week. right now i am broke because i bought my mobo. plus i should be able to get some of my other stuff on like the 20th because my hours will not get processed until the 15th. thats what i get for turning them in on a peice of syrene foam... it should be a good 500 bucks so i can buy my ram and processor then.

what should i get.

AMD X2 3800+ (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819103562)

or

AMD Athlon 64 4000+ (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103529)

i know that dual core is nice and people rave about it... but i am still undecided about which one to get.

i have a 939 socket mobo and i would like to spend only around 300 bucks on a processor. so if you guys have any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated.

[crenn]

This is bizarre, but look at the Opterons 1xx series. They are quite good.

[The Great Destroyer]

go with the dual core. individually, the cores would run a little slower than the 64, but with 2 cores, its easier to multitask. (and you'll have the "ooh...ah..." factor to impress people just cuz its a dual core!)

[Scotty]

go with the X2

[XcOM]

the X2 has a lower clock speed, but it will destroy the normal 64 processor.

[Maz]

i have been on and off with this project for some time. mostly off.

had to be a leader at two different camps = 2 weeks
got stung by a bee
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01405.jpg

that realy sucked. that happened as i was leaving the last camp
i was swollen like that for a week and a half. unable to close my hand.


i enticed you with that screenshot from above. i can design like mad but when it comes to rendering i suck ass.

here are the renders anyway.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/idea13d3.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/idea13d1.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/idea13d.jpg

supposed to look like this, sort of.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/case3drender1.jpg

this was an early render. no more front window. i had redesigned the entire case after the first render. i have no idea what changed to make the others look crappy.

i have bought some materials however and began case fabrication.

4' x 3' 20Ga mild steel ~ 15$
6" x 12" 3/16" hole perf sheet 18Ga ~ 5 $
got some plexi for free
1/4" clear acrylic 3' x 4' about
3X 555 timer ics
3x qprox switches (ics)

the last two items so far are so small that i can fit them both on top of a pop tab... i will have fun soldering those puppies.

1x slim slot load dvd burner (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16827106033)
and an adapter for it.

1x kn8 mobo socket 939. i am going with the x2 but i need more cash. making cases is cheap compared to putting the stuff inside.

well i cut the acrylic i had just enough for my two halves.
i began bending the plastic with my 20 year old heat gun. there is no change in the shape of the plastic. after another half an hour i managed to bubble it!

i said screw it and whipped out the propane torch. i already ruined my peice so i might as well try an alternate method. that doesnt work so hot either. it only happens to bubble it more and will only allow a line to bend.

i needed a new heat gun anyway. will go and get more plexi this weekend girlfriend has drill so that gives me some time to work. yes, for your information, i am whipped.

you guys should check out my favorite band grey leaf (http://www.myspace.com/greyleaves)
i know the lead singer/ acoustic / harmonica player

[simon275]

Ohh nice case. I would build it out of sheet metal easier to bend then plexi. But anyway very nice the way it stands. Kinda reminds me of a towel rail. nm. Post some pictures of your work in progress we all love to see what is going on.

[Maz]

well as for progress later today i should be able to cut out the hard drive cage drill it cut out vent holes and weld it up. but for now, a story.

last week )with swollen hand) i went to the Experimental aircraft association's AIR VENTURE it was a blast tons of airplanes i saw the beach boys. it was funny, uncle jessie from full house was their stand in drummer!

anywhoo i bought a multi faceted chuck key, dome dremel bits, and two huge DC AXIAL BLOWERS!!!
they are 4-9/16" square and with some research i found they can blow around 100 cfm. which is a lot.

heres some pics

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/DSC01407.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/DSC01408.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/DSC01409.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/DSC01410.jpg

thats all i have for you guys right now will update tonight.

comments are welcome and suggestions are as golden as always.

[Maz]

I looked over my posts the last few days and realized something. I haven’t told you anything about the design of my computer. This is a modding website so I should talk about modding right? RIGHT!

I came up with this design for my Xbox originally. I couldn’t do it then because I was too green. So I want to have another go at it. (Btw: Xbox was finished, working. then I sold It. had a mod chip hdd activity light and custom layout.)

I was too green to make the large radius bends needed for my design. (6")
Now I may still be too green but I am forcing myself to try again until I succeed because I'm buying the parts whether I make the bends or not. And I will not buy a case!

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/Case1imagedark.jpg

You can pretty much see where I am going with this. It’s in the shape of a cigar, with feet off the ends. I designed the feet so it can stand in any position and not allow the body to be scratched.

Oh yes I had a delivery today

Its my dvd drive!!
I am extremely impressed at how tiny it is.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01412.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01411.jpg

[Maz]

well it took longer than expected to pump out the hdd rack but it is well worth it.

im not here to make excuses except my punch template wasnt scaling right in autocad.

so after importing it into several other applications i was able to make a working copy to print.

so here it is. the first peice in a long list.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01413.jpg

first i punched the holes with a center punch.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01414.jpg

then i drilled all the 1/8 inch holes for mounting things.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01415.jpg

then i used a step bit
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000056OOR.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

just like that ^ to drill the larger holes.

i bent the corners by building a makeshift brake. two peices of steel plate sandwiching the bend. i clamped that, then put the whole thing in my vice.

used a scrap peice of.... polycarbonate as a block to pound it square. i know the stuff is expensive, but i couldnt find a wooden block small enough.

well i hope you guys like this update.

comments are encouraging and suggestions are golden!

[Maz]

quick post: adding mounting tabs later tonight. pics then bondoing the hdd rack.

[GT40_GearHead]

why dont you polysh the rack, it looks like stainless

[Maz]

nah the thing is only mild steel. i was planning to paint it black like the rest of my case and as for polishing... i have a little too many knicks right now from the angle grinder when i was cleaning the welds. Thanks for the comment!

anybody have good tips on working with bondo or spraypaint?

[Maz]

All done for tonight.

check it out. i got the vents cut out. the holes were resized. still need 6 more funny machine screws. btw had to trim those down.
welded the back plate in and concealed the welds.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01418.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01417.jpg

thanks for looking.
comments are appreciated and suggestions are golden.

[GT40_GearHead]

i say you could/should make a vent in the back plate, for ventilation, think it would help a lot

[DaveW]

This is bizarre, but look at the Opterons 1xx series. They are quite good.

Someone who knows their processors ;)

It's the hidden gem in AMD's...crown?

-Dave

[Maz]

it will have cross wind blowing through it. through the long hole in the middle.

and the ide + power cables will be running behind the drives back there.

[Maz]

WOOT! 1500 views!

[tresk]

I was too green to make the large radius bends needed for my design. (6")
Now I may still be too green but I am forcing myself to try again until I succeed because I'm buying the parts whether I make the bends or not. And I will not buy a case!

You could always use acrylic tubing with an OD of 6" and cut it in half or quarters depending on where you would like the seam.

[Maz]

the problem with that comes from the design. i want it to be acrylic backed in black paint. so, any little seam where i would glue it would show up. but i think i have a solution for that. anybody have a good place to buy ni-chrome wire? im thinking large scale toaster oven!

no work on case today. went shooting clays and came out with an 80% mortality rate!!

[Aero]

cool, I've been planning on painting behind some plexi for sometime. Except I want to use white to recreate clouds. Anywho, I'll be watching this mod. Sounds interesting. Keep up the great work.

[Maz]

thanks much obliged to hear people are following this! i came up with a way i could bend the plexi. i could get a spool of nichrome wire and make a heating element that is the right size. kind of like a toaster.

or maybe just slap it into an oven.

[Maz]

srry for no update in a while. computer had the flu and killed all of its own drivers ToT

after a quick install of ubuntu! i am back in buisness, but i will still need to install windows drivers now.

can get pics off of camera though... not happy

well i built myself a metal break and screwed it into my bench. i bent a lip to mount stuff to on both ends then it was time for the big bend.

i was making the component tray.

i sawed a peice of 6" pvc in half and screwed the sheet metal to one edge with an aluminum angle clamping it down.

then bent the sheet metal around the raduis of the pipe until it was close. but i couldnt get it exactly the way i wanted it.

so i took another angle and screwed it down where i wanted the bend to stop

i only screwed the metal down with two screws on the outside.

i broke out my propane torch and started getting some results.

the metal turned that nice hot metal color and i was happy.

until of course the screws pulled out of the bottom of the pvc because the heat had made it melt.





about fifteen minutes after that i was done cleaning up and had to make a few phonecalls.

this is roughly how they went.

do you service individuals?

no


do you service individuals?

no


do you service individuals?

no


do you service individuals?

yes





turns out it will cost me about 40 bucks to have that thing slip rolled instead of doing it myself. how much could a machine like that put me back?
what if i make it?


either way i came out of it with a very nice DIY metal brake. is there steel pipe that has a 6" OD? god i hope there is.

[Maz]

Im learning some stuff with autocad. especially how to render more effectivly.

i took pictures of my setup for bending the metal and thought you guys would like to look.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01421.jpg

this is my 15 minute metal brake. it works wonders for 90 degree bends.


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01423.jpg


This is my fugly heat bender, but hey it works.


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01424.jpg

I have my hands on a router of exceptional quality and build. HACHA!



http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01419.jpg

this is how i was bending the metal. It was working like nobody's buisness but ...

All these screws heated up while i was bending it and pulled right out of the PVC.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01420.jpg



there is 11 screws holding that peice of angle down.

the pvc melted itself to helland i was left with a ruined peice of sheet metal.
oh well, time to suck it up and ask a shop to do it. 35$ just for the thought.

i checked what thickness the black paint looks the best painted behind. and i couldnt tell the difference between 1/4 and an 1/8.

i called my local plastics supplier and a sheet of 1/8" runs for about 80 bucks. ouch. i know the owner so maybe i can get a deal.

[Maz]

i have been working a lot of hours lately so not much progress was done in the last few days. today i moved my sister out of the house and that took all day. rendering my comp right now will probably take a few hours to do properly. but then again i have a faster computer at my disposal than i used to. also begining design of the back plate and circuitry for controlling lights dvd eject and power buttons. i am using Qprox proximity touch switches for these three.

ots of design and drafting today. i am probably going to make the dvd rom mount tomorrow so i will need to draft that up tonight.

[MAC]

looks awesome dude, if the metal plating is being such a pain to bend you should see if you can get clear plastic (i dont think you can get clear pvc, but lexan or plexiglass might have it) tubes instead, it would give a really cool look that you could see through the side of your case... and it would be easier to work with.

just my idea, if it was up to me I would make the whole thing out of lexan and plexi :)

[GT40_GearHead]

you should see if you can get clear plastic

metal good, plastic bad!

[chedabob]

gar! your design has made me think about rethinkin my design.

[Maz]

chedabob- feel free to use anything you see in your design. after all this is a modding community, and its good to share with others.

MAC- actually, the metal thatim bending is just for the component tray on the inside, the outside will be 5/16 acrylic or polycarb with a backing of black paint.

GT40- woohoo! someone who thinks like me! except im like that with wood. wont use it if i can help it.


http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/7741/ballyhoody5.th.png (http://img142.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ballyhoody5.png)
alright, i am a tid bit better at rendering, but i still suck. click the image to make it big.

eh going today to get my metal bent, possibly getting some plastic so i can bend it.

i have two sheets of cork, 3 chances to guess what it is for.

ok, go.

[Slug Toy]

i have two sheets of cork, 3 chances to guess what it is for.

ok, go.

wine bottles? cork flooring? hitting someone? something to chew on? dart board?

oops, thats five guesses.

[Maz]

actualy slug, i going to ue it to dampen vibrations. by gluing it to the outside of the metal tray it wont wear against the black paint when the hdds and fans make it jiggle.

also, slug i love your sig. its amazing.

[Maz]

well for the last week i have worked regular buisness hours, so there wasnt a chance for me to get my metal bent. im waiting on that for now. moved my gf into her new apartment for school and gave her about 100 bucks as a buffer to use if she needs it. it was most of what i had, still have like 50 or so to use for metal when i get a chance. otherwise the components and things will have to wait for a few more paychecks. at least until i can get all of them.

for now...

taking a look see at my motherboard. holy **** seven expansion slots. *quickly looks at all old cases in possesion
all my cases that i was going to hack apart for this wont work. they only have 4 or 5 expansion slots each but i need seven. looks like i have something to draft up in the next couple of days and make with my left over steel. other than that all i can really do is start designing my circuitboards for the proxy switches and the pic board for the lighting effects.

will email some led companys to see if they will sponsor me (again). same thing with the metal and plastics places.

Im testing out the new dremel metal cutting disks with the ez lock. expensive but im trying them out to tell you guys, just because im a nice guy like that (and i get to play with my dremel some more.)

[Maz]

well this pisses me off, i was suposed to have all sorts of stuff to do until my next paycheck. i got most of it done already. I drafted up some the back plate that would suit my needs. the tolerances are just* there. my id fot the plastic is 5 in and a bracket for pci is 4.75". so i pretty much need to make a recessed motherboard mounting solution. my initial design let me have a 1/2" space under the mobo for venting and cables, however i might need to rethink my cooling and that vent to fit the size constraints. instead of having a large vent (1'x1')i could go with something smaller directly underneath the fans.

currently i am making the mock up bracket for the pci slots then i can measure how deep i will need to make my mobo sit.

[Maz]

good news (for me) i designed the entire backplate off of an old back plate i had just laying around (dont ask why) and i made the template out of die plastic instead of foam board. nothing fit. that gives me more stuff to do. the back plate was actually too close to the pci slot. im so glad i got away with only making a free mistake. new dimentions today then more designing. possibly i will even make a new template.

then im going to a LAN!!! (at least for a couple of hours, i have to work at 6 am tomorrow.)

[Maz]

well i made that new template and everything seemed like it worked together great. i took 28 dimentions to get it exact and went to the nearest 100ths place (i have a sweet ruler) for accuracy. tomorrow will go get a quote for my bending stuff from my metal fab place, probably get the mobo tray bent up, and make the pci bracket template. i have to work later on around 5 ish, so im not sure if i will post progress tommorow. wednesday i start school, so it is kind of a last chance for that metal. get paid friday.

[simon275]

Hmm money is allways a problem in this life. Anyway good to see you haven't lost faith and this is still going on. Once you get all the metal together and you get bending the case will start to take shape and that will be a happy day. It will look pretty smick when its done.

[Maz]

i am a modder by heart, no way i would give up on this thing. (its why i got that job in the first place : ) apparently, the metal guys are busy as all hell and it will take about a week to get it done and i dont have to pay until they hand it to me! that is sweet because then i can go out, get plastic, pick up my metal and mod away during the weekend.

btw, how do you guys like the sig? VVV

[tybrenis]

Sounds good to me, I look forward to seeing progress on this project.

I really like your sig, btw, it's nice and simple, ang very elegant. I like a lot. Too often to people on these forums turn sigs into immature wars of "I'm a better image editor than you". I like classy one like yours.

[Maz]

VVV done in paint muahaha

[Maz]

hey you guys remember that metal shop that i was talking about.

i found a different place that will do the same work for half of everything. half the time, half the money. one phonecall saved me a week and 20$, i like that deal.

anywhoo, i would really like to print the template for the pci bracket onto larger paper instead of taping two sheets together. so ill do that in my (IS) Mechanical design. 3 projects, then i prototype for the rest of the year!!! pwnd. but right now, the autocad doesnt work so i cant print it..... off to build my solar cooker(one of the projects)

[Maz]

woot finaly got that metal back (supposed to be done yesterday).
i handed in my solar cooker and was handed back my next project. a f'ing wind turbine. ugh, that sucks. anywhoo heres some pics of my layout. (they dont do it justice. its only going to be 5-3/4 wide with all the plastic. NARROW!
here are some pics.

My creepy modding HEADS!
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/Fleshing%20out/DSC01430.jpg

The layout shows where it all fits, however, it doesnt compare to whats in my noggin yet.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/Fleshing%20out/DSC01425.jpg

Its a little bit longer, i know but i could have saved 5 inches in height if i wanted a box pfft. its a skinny as all hell case though so it makes up for it.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/Fleshing%20out/DSC01429.jpg

hoped you guys liked the update, will probably cut out some dividing panels in the next week or so.

for right now, i really need to work on my brake press. i had plans for the other one, but alas, it was made from stainless so no welding...

[GT40_GearHead]

damn that sheet metal looks great love it
btw: you did a great job with the HDD rack

[Maz]

ty, the only thing i did not like about it was the mounting tabs i welded on. so i cut them off. instead i am going to put it on a hinge and lock it into place with a pin.

the brake press is about 75 percent done. i had finished it already, however. i didnt like the flimsyness of the bending bar. so i torched it off. i was using gate hinges, but i think ill invest in a piano hinge instead and some angle iron instead of cold rolled bar stock.

i am actually drafting up the template i am going to use for the dividers right now, i have work later so that will be all for tonight. i may even be able to cut it out at school. for welding everything together, i am going to use the schools tig welder as not to burn through. pretty sweet day so far though. test in ap chem, test in ap physics, test in calc, and in capp japanese

Damedesune! atamagaetai*

[purdy]

Great work! Lot's of progress has been made since I last checked this thread. Keep up the good work, can't wait to see the thing start to really take shape!

Best regards,
purdy (a.k.a. lone_wulf)

[Maz]

well last night i finished the metal break. after tapping and countersinking 30 holes i mounted the bender. it was a project that took too long...

will cut and bend up the pci plate tonight and tap that. other than that i need some time with autocad and a ruler so i can draw up a template for the dividing plates.

will post pics of my accomplishments later tonight.

[Acey]

Wow... I like them big fans.... and those heads too. Lookin nice but what's the next phase gonna be?

[Maz]

well the next phase is the removable tray in the bottom so i can hide all the wiring. after that i will put in the dividers and weld those in place.
hmmm, should be able to snap a few pics of the brake and show you the difference between welds with flux core and welds with argon.

[GT40_GearHead]

so when can we expect to see some pics :D

[Acey]

I wish I have nice case to cut, those with removable mobo tray, hdd tray etc etc...

[Maz]

GT40- to answer your question, now.
Acey- not sure if you realise this, but im working from raw materials to make the case, no premanufactured parts besides the things nescessary to keep it running
(ie: fans/ hardware)

some people have been following this one for a while now and i thank you guys a lot. if i had gotton no feedback at all, i probably would have not gone this far.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01436.jpg

like a hand of giant, well-made cards. look at how even the edges are, all i did was deburr them. remember the metal cutting wheels i bought? you should too, they are amazing. well worth the extra cash.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01435.jpg

Closeup of the hard drive chassis in its new home. not exactly what it is going to look like, but it will be close.

You drooling yet?


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01434.jpg

overveiw of the basic layout of the case. hmmm, you couls almost call it btx, but you still cant.


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01433.jpg

Top/ Side/ whatever view overlooking the entire case


What do you guys think?





16 hrs work
12 hrs hmwk
10 hrs modding and mechanical design work

Who needs sleep...?

i also wonder about the modding potential for the stoli cooler in the pics, possibly a nano itx cluster?

[GT40_GearHead]

wooow

the walls look great, one thing you could do is to check the overall rigidity, after you mount the walls, how are you going to apply them, are you gonna weld them togeder?

[Maz]

Yep, im going to TIG weld them to the tray. however, i will need to cut holes for the wiring and the pci plate, etc.... before i even think about mounting them.

as for the rigidity, the overall shape is pretty rigid. the only way it wanted to bend before was with the large bends. so if i put in the dividing walls, i am sure i will have no problems with structural integrity.

[GT40_GearHead]

i agree,

but i was looking at the last pic, if its not my eyes the iner wall has a curve in it, you should have this in mind when you TIG it, try to buid a jig or something, to hold it straight

[Maz]

yeah planning on clamping it to a short 2x4

the smoke is the reason why we have venthlation : )

anyway... i have to do everything in segments, the only paper that is large enough to have the design on it is at school so i have to print from there, so i think of a big idea, draft it up at school, print it off and make it that night usually.

the past few days were hell, im just glad i didnt have to work. homework until 4 am, sweet right? ap physics lab + 30 prbs + test (like figuring out the period of the earth rotating around the center of the galaxy, and its eccentricity.) chem lab, made a lithium battery... pretty cool, but a b**** at the same time. etc etc etc


cutting the pci bracket template tonight and bending it up + figuring out the mounting position for the mobo and drawing the hole on the back plate.

[vidas7de7jesus7]

looking forward to this. Looking fabulous

[gaz_the_chav]

w00t finish it already I wanna see this mutha finished!!

[Acey]

Dude, is that an ABIT K8N-Ultra i see lying there? If thats the case we have the same mobo hahahah

[Maz]

Actually it is the kn8 something. i got my processor and fan fron Tiger direct today!!!! WOOT
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ for only 115 buckaroos (was 330$ in january)
the heatsink is solid aluminum so i will electroplate it to match my mobo.
also i got accepted to milwaukee school of engineering (partly due to my design work on the case)

found out my school got rid of the TIG machine, so i will have to weld it up the old fashioned way. weld and grind.


i work way too much.

[Acey]

you are giving me bad memories... i got my 64 3200+ for RM550 on Feb, and now its only worth RM300. dammit.

[Maz]

you bought right away, i waited for two price drops. i guess what would have impressed me in january, still impresses me now. it will run all the programs i want it to plus.i have about an 1/8 of an inch to play with. anyone have any idea for how thick door edge trim is?

[DaveW]

Shaping up well man. Good luck finishing it off!

-Dave

[Maz]

Holy crap has it been nasty here the last two weeks. I barely got anything accomplished. i did however make the pci bracket over again for the 3rd time. im finally happy with it. getting paid tomorrow so i will be able to buy my ram and psu(been waiting for the psu) also maybe the plastic and other materials.

thanks for reading. Anything you guys want me to do? suggetions?

[Aero]

looking good man. Sorry I've been abit behind from things on the forums. Are you planning on painting this or polishing it up? Either way should look very sweet. Keep up the work.

[Crimson Sky]

Maz, looking good man. I hope you get back on track with the project, its coming along very nicely. Keep it up!~

[Maz]

well well well. newegg is my friend again.

i just bought a 430W psu (thermaltake)
and 2 gigs of Patriot ram (YEE-OWW)

found out i had an uncashed check laying on my desk for the past 3 weeks.

that gives me enough to get a sweet video card as well, just trying to decide which 7900 i should get...

i have to finish this soon, its getting freaking cold out. but im glad i have a 22k btu heater for my garage. just iron out a few kinks in the design, and continue it.

finished that wind turbine output is about 100W
but its freaking huge
2'x4'x3'6"

or it used to get 100W before some kids dicked around with it and destroyed one of the coils.




oh the dividers i have something special in mind that i will try out on some scrap first.

[Maz]

duh vista with dx10 is coming out in 11 days, lets just see what nvidea or ati have in store... apparently nvidea's 8x series is supposed to ship at the same time as vista, but its making me sad thinking about their delay problems. ill just mod my case until then.

[Canada's Own Falcon]

nah the thing is only mild steel. i was planning to paint it black like the rest of my case and as for polishing... i have a little too many knicks right now from the angle grinder when i was cleaning the welds. Thanks for the comment!

anybody have good tips on working with bondo or spraypaint?


Ventilation, and respirator (or at least a mask with a good filter)

Spraypaint. go SLOOOOOOOOOOW... ok, not that slow, but you get the point... Best suggestion I can give, buy some cheap crappy spray cans, and practice, get the rythm down pat, then use the nice stuff on your case, it'll save you lots of sanding, and re-painting.

[Vertigo]

I'm going to have to agree with CoF, practice with some cheap paint first if you're not ready. Myself, I did an old mouse I got for $5 for my laptop as a test run and it helped immensely. As for the Bondo itself, you can read my worklog for Infernis on the last page (link is in my sig) for a cautionary tale of sorts. The short of it is, at the very least one of those cheap masks, a bandana, ANYTHING, just make sure you have something between you and the bondo. I made the mistake of swallowing some of the dust while I was sanding and it put me behind a week after making up work in class, etc. Make sure you have the mask and that it's securely fit to your face.

[Maz]

thanks for the help guys,

in the meantime i got my psu and 2 gigs of patriot ram

i didnt have the psu for ten minutes before i voided the warrenty.

thats what its for though right?

[Maz]

wow sorry for no post in a while, i have been extremely busy. lucky for you guys it has been with my mod. I bought way too much stuff. i went onto tapp plastics's web site and drained the remainder in my bank account. then it got filled again by a magical money fairy named "payroll"

also got 12 pci slot covers from ebay for a few bucks.

new drill bit set, allen wrench set, and some new hardware.

but in the meantime, i have been working on the case very hard, taking pictures.

but i cannot show you guys yet. its going to be good.

"oh yes, there will be plexi."

-jigsaw "evil modder"


ooh i just cant wait.

[Maz]

the stuff from tap should be here on fri (i ordered it last thurs, it better be)
the stuff from ebay i have no clue about.

i have off from school tomorrow, so i will be working on the case again.

aparently the ends of my cold cathodes come off. perfect for sliding 1/2" polystyrene tubing over for some a good effect.

[Maz]

errr cant find the camera, done some more design work today. maybe some more metal work tomorrow (i got home from school at 9:30 tonight) homework then sleep, yay sleep.

[Maz]

sorry i havent updated in a while, ive been way too busy. but i do have some pics.

My projects look like they have exploded all over my bench.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2001.jpg

but that is okay since i still have plenty of supplies.

My plastic:
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2002.jpg


My metal:
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2003.jpg


now back to my project. im building it in peices

and there is a lot of progress so i will show the metal first.

remember these guys?
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/DSC01436.jpg

yeah they now look like this:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2004.jpg
^fan grill and divider for center of case.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2005.jpg
^front fan grill and support

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2006.jpg
pci bracket mount^ (i cut this seperatly from a different peice of steel so i still have an end peice to go.)
i just need to decide how i want the vents and power connector in back to look.

[Maz]

but im not dne with the pci bracket thing either. http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2008.jpg
does it look more pro?

here is my plastic stuff:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2012.jpg
this is my dvd drive

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2011.jpg
this will be its home.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2013.jpg
it goes on like so.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2014.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2015.jpg
then i bolt it down.

STEP 1: complete

now for the power supply. like i said in a n earlier post, i voided its warrenty a long time ago, so now it can be mounted. take the dvd drive holder and invert it. drill and tap some holes and then take some more pictures.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2.jpg

the hard drives will fit right under there as well as long as i can make some tabs for the rack.

i also made some proofs much like the metal ones, but this time out of plastic. however, i made them too small, only 5 in dia for 5-1/4'' dia case. woops. so i made some more and started hacking away at them. i drilled and tapped some holes for the fans and mounted them. for some reason i unmounted the smaller set...
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2009.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2010.jpg
that was the large set of fans just hanging out on its plexi

and here is the other peice that still needs to have fans mounted to
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2017.jpg


but before i get too carried away with myself, i must say a prayer to my poor heat sink.
you could dissapate with the best, but i wanted too much for you. and by copperplating you i filled you with holes.
well there is a pic of the corpse (morbid)
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2019.jpg
i couldnt get a good pic of what the cuso4 did to the fins. but they are all manglified and a little coppery. pssht crappy trade off if you ask me, im just buying copper heatsinks from now on.
(one is on its way)

[Maz]

yes there is still more stuff coming.

mock up time (just ignore any illegal items you may see in the pictures)

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2020.jpg
you can see the hard drives under there but for sake of the rest of the pictures i am leaving it out for the remainder

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2021.jpgthis will be able to slide in and out as a seperate unit from the case allowing easy access.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2022.jpg

Front view, yes i do know that the hole in the metal is larger than the one in the plexi. it is supposed to be :devious:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2023.jpg

here is the back. right now it looks a little fugly, but i still need to weld the mesh in better so not much clean up is going to happen on that for a while.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2024.jpg
these are my white cold cathodes lights. put some white polystyrene around them and they look friggin sweet when lit.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2025.jpg
kinda where they are supposed to go, havnt drilled holes for them yet. ignore the huge box of firecrackers and the mini dynamite.

well that seems to be all that i have for you today and with this long weekend finally here i might be able to get some more stuff done!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE!!!

[jdbnsn]

It's coming along nicely, I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

[NocturnaL]

Nice man nice... I like your Metal work you did on the bezels, Looks decent, almost factory bought :). And your plexi work for the fans and PS looks very clean. Keep it up

[Maz]

wow the work on the bezels is very rough. very, very rough. i still need to finish welding the mesh in, then to finish completely, bondo and paint.

thanks for your comments guys, appreciate it!

[slytherock]

Great mod man, I like how your not afraid to play with fire (mean electricity) Want to see more :)

[Canada's Own Falcon]

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2014.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casegroup2015.jpg
then i bolt it down.


just a piece of advice. These guys (the laptop optical drive) are rather sensitive to pressure. I'd run a couple tests with the drive while it's bolted down (stick it in another computer and run a dvd in it) again, doing so will save you tonnes of headaches down the road.

[Maz]

cool cool, will be sure to run some tests, though i was planning to add some light foam to the dvd clamper so it may more evenly distribute the pressure (not to mention lesson the pressure needed to keep it stable)

bought a large sheet of plexi i can use to mould the shell around. but i cant do anything with that as of yet.

first i must weld all the peices together, then i can mould.

thank you all for the comments!

[Maz]

the welding thing was not working as well as i thought it should, so i scrapped it. i believe i can braze it in a few minutes with half the difficulty of actual welding. so tommorrow i will continue on that front.

tonight i will clean my work area and relax. (from thursday to yesterday i had worked 46 hrs. but, i am part time, and in school. not cool right now, but much cool when i recieve my paycheck.

anywho i got my new zalman heatsink + fan in the mail today.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/casepics2005.jpg

and holy crap is this thing big, i love it!

but thats what i get for just browsing the pictures and specifications. the only dimention i cared about was height. it clears my ram, but just barely.
:banana:

[Maz]

i cut up my last peice today for the metal dividers, not all i need to do is macgyver it all together(thin peices dont like staying upright)

the brazing isnt done, however i got my I.S. mech design teacher to let me use it as a project for his class. Yeah, thats coo...

that pretty much means i have homework of working on my project a little bit every night. but for shame, i ran out of cutting blades and sanding wheels, so i cannot finish my panels today. i work wed-sun for sure and last night. so i should be getting a pretty big check. good for christmas and modding. i need more perf steel for someting else : )

[Maz]

my teacher has the site on file, please watch your language. As for progress, i am no farther today than yesterday due to illness. however, i made up my mind of how i am going to work in my lighting.

[Vertigo]

Hmm, EL Wire? LEDs? Cathode? Grr, I want to see this mod completed :(

[Maz]

well i refuse to use el wire, so you are left with...
thats right! LEDS and Cathode lighting. waiting on the leds. i dont want regular sized ones, smd would be preferred for this case : )

you already saw the cathodes.

[Maz]

Wow, I just got paid and bought a few "presents" for myself.

msi 7900GT (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814127218)

and

a samsung 931C (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824001085) LCD screen

I love it when I have money and don't realize it.

I came upon a problem, the power connection is visible, I don't want it to be. So I will make a few pieces that look like the legs of the case, for the inside. They kind of look like axe heads. should I make it so that they are just the metal, or should I sandwich them in plexiglass. Remember that a cathode will be going through them with white cover.

[Vertigo]

Nice.

I personally love my Samsung monitors. That vid card looks pretty nice too.

As for the covers inside, I'm a fan of very subtle lighting. So, I can't really say without seeing it first. It also depends on what else you plan on doing inside, are you going with any other covers for other components? And if so what materials are you using there?

[Maz]

Yeah, I have been meaning to post a render or something but I have no time right now.

I'm working tonight, but there should be more progress Tuesday through Thursday.

-Maz

[Maz]

MORE PROGRESS!!
what did I tell ya'? :D

Well I arrived at my home today from school and found a few items waiting for me.
They were my LCD screen and my 7900gt.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/Fleshing%20out/casepics3004.jpg
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/Fleshing%20out/casepics3005.jpg
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So I became inspired once again, and kicked butt.
I cut this thing out and have yet to finish the edges.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/Fleshing%20out/casepics3002.jpg
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've also had the chance to cut down some standoffs. standoffs in which I thought i was going to weld. Standoffs that I found to be "white steel" and un-weldable. Break-out the J.B. Weld!
I put some stuff on top of the motherboard so it adds clamping pressure.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/Fleshing%20out/casepics3003.jpg
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is Diet Pepsi "Kick". It's Marketing to fuel and cash in on the energy craze.
But it tastes like diet coke, with less kick.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/Fleshing%20out/casepics3006.jpg

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you. More updates coming soon!

[Maz]

Well I have to work tonight, so I tried cutting out some more panels before I had to go. then my hand got very hot and flexible shaft blew a hole in it. I take it apart to find that the rotary drive part had twisted itself right off. Shucks.:down: looks like I get a new dremel for myself for Christmas...

[Maz]

did some preliminary testing, everything works like it should.8)

[simon275]

Cool. Good to see all is going well.

Is it safe to drink a test product?

[Vertigo]

LOL, I used to work for a market research company. I miss those samples sometimes. I mean sometimes it's all crap. But I remember getting cases of rice krispie squares to take home, and other goodies.

[Maz]

yeah those cans kept me awake through my mornig classes for a WHOLE WEEK!!! but since i work pretty much every night of the week, and i get free vault at my job. i rarely need anything else in the morning.

i was reaching to plug in my monitor and i fell on to the sharp edge of my rounded case. to tell you the truth, i nearly shat myself. there was blood everywhere and i thought i hit something important.

so i tied a bandana around my bicep, held my arm over my heart and got some ice to stop local bleeding.

once i got it under control, i washed it out found some skin glue and sealed it up.

i went to work a half an hour later :dead:

but its cool, there was a pinhole in my vein but i sealed it up, now (7 hours later) its all healed up.

definitely freaky.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/arm.jpg

[Vertigo]

LOL, ouch. I had to reread that. At first, I had didn't see the skin glue part. So I was thinking, so wait ... you super glued your wound together? LOL

So what's the next item on the agenda for the mod?

[Maz]

<pun>well I need to clean up my cuts </pun>
Then I need to weld or braze the dividers in.

I am going through dremel withdrawal...

I cant just buy a replacement flex shaft. for one its craftsman, and for two, its about 15 years old. I saw one on eBay and its selling for 59 bucks. That is a little bit more than I want to pay for a used, 15 year old piece of equipment.

I love the flex shaft and corded rotary tools so...any suggestions?

[Maz]

so i went shopping today. bought a new toy. the dremel 400 series xpr pack. its pretty nice, to say the least. i got a really good deal on it. it is regularly 80$ but i got it for 38$ also got some glue and a bunch of cutting wheels.this is what i got (http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=misc%2fsearchResults.jsp&BV_SessionID=@@@@0146705339.1166392204@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdcaddjjghldmgcgelceffdfgidgjj.0&MID=9876)

[Maz]

Haven't been here for a while it seems... everythings dusty.

I had some time to work on my case. The glue i tried didn't want to dry. so i mixed in more hardener and made it worse. also bought some wood for better support. and i hate wood. pictures sometime soon, i promise.

[GT40_GearHead]

hey
glad to see oyu again man
i was starting to wonder what is happening

[Maz]

Yeah, I'm really sorry about the delay. I felt I needed more progress before i posted again.

Progress I now have.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/computerglueing001.jpg
I had two pieces of steel, oddly they happened to be exactly .5 in apart. I wonder how that happened:lick:

so I bought a .5 in piece of plywood, traced out a pattern, and cut the sucker out. Did some finish work and glued it all together sandwich style.

I couldn't get my hands a hold of any large zip ties, so I used a succession of smaller ones.

I put an angle piece for the front. I was having a lot of difficulty getting the glue to dry, which never happened anyway. So I wiped it off; onto plan B.
I also glued in those perf steel pieces where I was going to braze/ weld them in.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/computerglueing004.jpg


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/COMPUTER/computerglueing005.jpg

[GT40_GearHead]

wooow
damn i love this build!
great idea with the wood, it will damp out the fans a bit.

as for welding/brazing.... i would go for brazing, less heat, not more distorted panel and stuff, and prob you wonnt burn the wood...
am I right?

[Maz]

actually I'm gluing instead of welding/brazing. Its dry now, and its also a success!

[Maz]

Well i glued in the separators, glued up the drive+psu tray.
then i took it to a LAN party.
came back, plugged it in, and there is no signal to the monitor anymore. the video card is fine, im thinking it was the motherboard. if it is i will buy an sli compatible one. Pics soon, i promise.

[GT40_GearHead]

that sucks

the video card may have some slack and move in the slot...
or there could be a short some where
anyway do a bit of trouble shoting before trowing it out

[Maz]

i posted that when i was erally frusterated with it. some ass at the LAN party reset my BIOS. a quick flash and away i go...ty for your concern.

i wonder if its the same guy who i installed linux on...:think:

[GT40_GearHead]

do something nasty to him :D

[Maz]

I had the tray all together for the LAN party, but I didn't like how some of the pieces turned out. I ended up gently removing :twisted: the two front dividers for finishing, re-gluing. this time instead of strapping them in with zip ties while it dries i will just screw them in tight.

but i did do one thing I am keeping.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/computeracrylic1003.jpg
by the way do not use the two containers of epoxy in front if you want to glue to metal. on the second try, after prepping by sanding w/ 80 grit, I wiped it all down with alcohol wipes so there was no dust or oil. and i could break out the dividers with a rap from my knuckles. But the Weld-On in back is awesome for acrylic.

on another note, its been extremely cold here. Today school was closed due to it being -15 degrees F which is about -26 degrees C. but with a windchill of -30 F thats -34 C! It was said that "skin would freeze in merely a few seconds" Now thats cold.

anybody have suggestions for epoxy (wood to Metal)?

[Maz]

well it seems like I have not Posted the Specs.
2 Gb Patriot RAM
1 40GB HDD
1 160GB HDD
AMD X2 3800+ ====>2.0GHZ stock-OCd to 2.46GHZ Stable @ 23 degrees C
MSI 7900GT
slim slot-loading DVD everything drive.
19" Samsung Monitor 931C Gloss "it's ooh-mazing"
can run any game Maxed out, max res at 50 FPS minimum.

with my old setup i could play COD1 min settings at 40 FPS. 2.6ghz celeron + FX5500.

I'm Working on the case right now. The glue situation screwed me over last time, so now I'm trying something that i have used before. Locktite POWERGRAB exterior. it has a lot of high claims, but i just know that it held my heat bender together damn well.

And instead of using Zip ties to cinch the metal in i decided to use screws. What a concept, using screws to hold something together; BRILLIANT!

[Maz]

yeah so i was working on my case again, and my dremel started smoking, and stopped working altogether. i had been cutting for 1/2 hour, my old craftsman worked for close to 20 years.
Dremel, you can kiss my ass!

[crdb5066]

ha nice MOD! +rep for the Dremel insult!

=D

[NocturnaL]

Wow man, that plexi work looks realllly decent, may i ask what you cut it with?

[Maz]

I cut it with a jigsaw, and a coping saw.

[NocturnaL]

Nice, looks very straight. I need to get a ban saw so my plexi work looks better :(

[Maz]

Well its been a while, but then again, i cut all the notches for my channel by hand and very inaccurately. besides the incredible successions of snow storms i still managed to escape cabin fever.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/WHa001.jpg
its about 1'~2'
anyways, i cut those notches.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/WHa003.jpg
and screwed in the channel. I also got a RotoZip to replace the dremel. the thing is a beast, but wildly inaccurate. perhaps i could get a handy flex shaft.
hmmm

[Drew]

+rep for being a bit good with the ol' plexi.

Keep it up... inspiring we n00bs.

[Maz]

Does anyone care if I stop updating this?

[chaksq]

Are you still working on the project? This looks good, I hope you finish it.

[Maz]

yeah actually i was working with BONDo last night on it. Just was wondering if anyone even read this anymore so I don't make a fruitless effort to update.

[simon275]

I'm following the mod. I love what you have done so far. Keep going and finish it! It will feel like a cop out if you quit now. Also if you post some pics people will post as modders like bees are attracted to color.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Yeah your mod it great lol. I'm subscribed to it haha.

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

ive been waiting for it to be updated with lots o pics bud lolz plz do keep it going and plz MORE PICS!!! :D rly enjoy the wonderful craftmanship here.....

[Maz]

I was always going to finish it, just not the worklog.
But since you guys are adiment about me posting pics...
I suppose I could still continue the log.
May be some pics tonight, old by a week though.

[Maz]

I decided to give ya fresh stuff instead.

Bondo'ed end piece
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/CaseBondoandCork002.jpg


Just in case you wanted a closeup.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/CaseBondoandCork003.jpg



Taken on the other side.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/CaseBondoandCork001.jpg


Remember that cork I noted a while ago...
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/CaseBondoandCork004.jpg

:D Thank's for lookin'

[simon275]

Will be cool to see all the smooth edges you have created once the bondo is done. (I think thats what you are trying to acheive?)

+rep anyway

[Maz]

F no man, i'm going to leave it just like that!

[Drew]

You apply bondo the same way I do... with a spade.

Like the cork, it's coolio.

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

i hope that was sarcasm.... :P

[Maz]

Only by definition. But in practice, when typing, some of it gets lost.

[FPMachine]

Only by definition. But in practice, when typing, some of it gets lost.

I see what you did there...

Nice mod btw. I hadn't caught this one yet but I read through it all just now. I am getting some great ideas in info out of it. Would be a shame for it to stop. BTW you can't be too far from me as I am in Appleton. Congrats on MSOE thats a hard ass school to get into.

[Maz]

Menasha here, good to get some modders from the fox.
I'm going to get some Chinese food, then sand down the artwork for a few hours.

I got bored waiting for bondo to cure so I built this:
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/num3/3.jpg


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/num3/3open.jpg


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/num3/3armedopen.jpg

the spring is there to quickly turn the valve.


i decided to shoot the last bit of snow stuff we have left.
sorry if I hit you FPMachine

[Maz]

sorry of the lack of updates. i cleaned off my workbench yesterday and am looking towards a week with fiance in milwaukee. no worries, i didnt forget about you guys. i have cut out some shrouds for hiding wires and will be working on ornamentation via copper tubing for those. copper and black i found is a very nice combo.

my mother bought the same monitor i had and not only had she recieved a $20+ rebate, she also got a G15. i am jealous, she needs it even less than i do :neutral:.

so other than that i will be enjoying myself this week and hope to get back up and running soon.

[Maz]

I have an Interview for a manager position on Thursday at my work. I'm pretty much a shoo-in for it as they asked me to apply.

The copper tubing didnt work out, but the shrouds anyway are looking really good. Finally a day with good modding weather!!

Put on another coat of bondo, and will bondo some minor pieces tomorrow. i will be placing the components into an old case and living out of that for a while.

Just got a 400GB SATA HDD

Im still very impressed with my RotoZip, works wonders, even if it cant reach everything.

PICS SOON!

[Maz]

wow it's been a while.
The deadline was june 4th for completion, and to completion it has come.
I, now that it is finished, hate the case i just spent close to a year thinking about.
Its heavy and really big. much too big for my taste.
Last monday, i have started a new case, actually in the middle of writing a similar post to this one so it never got submitted.
As of right now, i am 90% done with the other case.

Rough dimensions are 9" wide x 11" long x 15"-16" tall.

i also finally received the copper clad boards i had ordered so i can stop using the cannabalized switch i had been using.

My camera has went on vacation and will be back in my hands tomorrow.

By the way, its bullet-proof or damn close to it.

3/8" polycarbonate framework (makrolon)

I got the stuff for free. don't ask, don't tell.

In other news...

I Graduated.
I got three scholarships 500 +500 +40,000
Registered for classes at MSOE
got two new jobs
Manager 8.50 Laborer 26.75


Pictures soon if I am not too busy tomorrow.

[Maz]

Old case first
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics011.jpg

This is the acrylic side, was going to do both sides in acrylic, but it was a pain in the a** to bend.


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics012.jpg

The other side, just kind of slapped the sides on for the picture.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics013.jpg
I actually really like the front and how it turned out.




Now to why i Dont like it

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics014.jpg

I wanted the case to be as thin as possible while not cramping the contents horizontally.

It is about six inches wide, at the case level, but 7 with the legs.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics015.jpg

It is over twenty inches long, and tall, not my idea of it at all.

and this is a big thing, since i wanted to take it to lan parties, and keep it in my dorm room, it needed to be light. Its not at close to thirty pounds without any hardware inside of it. http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics017.jpg

not to mention imperfections in pretty much all aspects of it, due only to my lack of patience.

[Maz]

Now onto my 3 day case.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics001.jpg side



http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics002.jpg

SW shot

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics003.jpg
Back io and pci ports

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics005.jpg
Polycarb cover


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics006.jpg

Drive side

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics007.jpg

mobo side

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics008.jpg

Dvd drive holder


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics009.jpg


everything installed on drive side

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics010.jpg

Mobo side

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/DarwinBug/comppics018.jpg

this is the weight with everything inside + an extra hdd

[The boy 4rm oz]

I like this design better.

[jegerjon]

wow you're pro working with that plexi :O Keep it up dude, I'll be watching you ;)

[Maz]

thanks guys, that was just a slap it together job, you should see what i can do with a table saw, and a hypo applicator (lost mine or something...)