Cosmos Cruizer

[Boddaker]

Ok folks, time to get back in the modding saddle! Having completed all my commissioned obligations for the time being, I thought it would be a good time to start my next personal project. This time I'll be taking on the gargantuan "Ultra Tower", the Cosmos II. I've always wanted to do a hotrod-themed build, and I think the Cosmos II lends itself well to this theme with its sleek, aerodynamic lines, and beefy roll-bar type handles. I'll be playing off these features, moving some things around, and generally wreaking havoc on this poor case, but in the end you'll still be able to distinguish it as a Cosmos II. :)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer_Header.jpg

The first thing you'll notice is the open-air design. I actually hated to get rid of those cool doors, but I wanted that open engine compartment feel. And with pretty much everything watercooled, there would be no reason to worry about airflow. Next is the watercooling manifold. I spent the most of my design time on this part, as it has to be functional, as well as look like an actual automotive component for fuel delivery. It will accommodate two separate loops: One for the video cards, and one for CPU, memory, and motherboard.

As far as hardware, there are still some items up in the air, but here's a short list of what I have already:

EVGA X79 FTW motherboard (http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=151-SE-E777-K2&family=Motherboard%20Family&series=Intel%20X79%20Series%20Family&sw=5)
EVGA GTX680 HC x2 (http://www.evga.com/products/moreInfo.asp?pn=02G-P4-2689-KR&family=GeForce%20600%20Series%20Family&sw=)
Intel i7 3960X CPU
Cooler Master SPH 1050w PSU (http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=3056&product_name=Silent%20Pro%20Hybrid%201050W)
Crucial 4x4Gb Ballistix Tactical Memory (http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=BLT2KIT4G3D1869DT1TX0)
Crucial 2x256Gb M4 SSD drives (http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=CT256M4SSD2)
Koolance Quick Disconnect fittings & pipe adapters (http://koolance.com/products?path=62_60)
Razer Deathstalker Ultimate Keyboard
Razer Ouroboros Mouse
EK Waterblocks: Supremacy CPU block, Dominator Ram blocks x2, X79 blocks
EK Radiators: 280 dual, 420 triple rad
EK 250mm Reservoir
EK Dual Pump Top

I'll be updating this as I get stuff in.

Ok, I guess that is enough of an intro, I'll be posting my first progress update shortly. Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll be joining me on what promises to be another wild modding ride!

[OvRiDe]

Looking forward!

[d_stilgar]

Great concept. Can't wait to see it finished, or started for that matter. Haha.

[Boddaker]

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer_Blueprint1.jpg

Let's take care of the bottom bars first shall we? In order to make the headers, I need four ends per side which means I need another set of bars. And Cooler Master were kind enough to send me an extra set. :)
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers1_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers1.jpg)

Here's a shot of all four ends lined up.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers2_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers2.jpg)

After marking where I needed to cut, I hacked off the ends. These bars are solid cast aluminum. CM does not cut corners when it comes to supporting their Ultra Tower!
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers3_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers3.jpg)

Positioning the piece and rechecking my cut angle. The rest will need to be filed away.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers4_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers4.jpg)

One set of header pieces cut! Now for the other side.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers5_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers5.jpg)

Both sides cut. I want the headers to come even with the back of the case, which is why I made the fourth piece longer. It will make for a trickier weld to the first piece tho.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers6_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers6.jpg)

Filing one of the middle header pieces.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers7_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers7.jpg)

I clamped all the pieces upside down to a flat board to aid in the positioning. Once everything is filed down and fitted perfectly, this will be how it will get welded back together.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers8_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers8.jpg)

And finally a close up shot of how its fitting to the main bar. It's getting there!
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers9_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers9.jpg)

I'll be doing a lot of filing over the weekend, but the aluminum is fairly soft so it should go quickly. I can bring out my die grinder to get the bulk of it if need be. I just don't want to remove too much material.

For attaching the pieces, I was eyeballing those Alumiweld brazing sticks at Harbor Freight. Anyone have any experience with them? I have seen the demo vids on Youtube, and it seems easy, but there's gotta be some kind of learning curve. I'll probably grab some and just experiment first and see how it goes. :)

[SXRguyinMA]

+sub :)

[Boddaker]

Made some good progress on the bars over the weekend. Lots of filing and sanding! It actually didn't take as long as I thought. Or it didn't seem like it anyways. :)

For the two center pieces, I used a combination of round and half-round files to get them to fit on the main bar. But for the end of the main piece, I had to use my die grinder with metal cutting wheel to get it to fit around the curved end piece. The wheel's diameter was pretty much spot on.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers10_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers10.jpg)

The end result. I don't really have to be too exact with the fit, since any gaps will be filled during the welding, then filed smooth.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers11_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers11.jpg)

One side done. I clamped it to a flat surface again to check alignment.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers12_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers12.jpg)

Once I got both sides filed down, I went ahead and sanded everything down to bare alu. Decided to do a quick mockup, and clamped both sides to a steel plate I had lying around. I put the rubber feet back on to confirm that it would still sit perfectly flat. This is mainly because the orientation of the feet is largely unchanged from stock.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers14_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers14.jpg)

So these things are pretty much ready to be welded. I just have to bolt them down to make sure they don't move at all while they're being joined.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers13_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers13.jpg)

[AmEv]

It's a Bod mod.


Even if he deliberately built a crappy computer, it would still look awesome.

That being said, I can't wait for more.

[Boddaker]

Hehe, thanks AmEv!

So I went ahead and grabbed me a pack of Alumiweld rods, and gave it a go today. I think it went fairly well! There was certainly a learning curve, but it wasn't too difficult to figure out, and I got the hang of it pretty quickly.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Alumaweld_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Alumaweld.jpg)

I was going to practice on some spare parts, but didn't really have anything comparable to the 3/4" thick bars, so I just dove right in and started on the first joint: Welding the two longest pieces together.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers15_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers15.jpg)

I had my hands full with one hand holding the torch and the other feeding the rods, so I couldn't get any in progress pics. But here's how it went down...
1. Cleaned parts thoroughly with soap and water, using a wire brush around the areas to be joined.
2. After drying completely, it got wiped down with acetone.
3. Bolted down parts to steel plate. Made sure the two parts could not move at all.
4. Began heating parts with torch. This took about 4 minutes to get the aluminum to the correct temperature (in this case, 750ºF)
5. Started drawing the Alumiweld rod across the joint until it melted into a pool. This was key to knowing when the alu was hot enough. Before, the rod would just break off and away, and wouldn't stick. Once it pooled up, I could work it into the gap with the rod. This took some finesse to get the pool where I wanted it. I ended up dabbing the rod as it melted along the gap.
6. Once the gap was filled, I slowly worked my way around the piece, bringing the heat with me as I went.
7. After going around the entire thing, I quickly moved on to the next part to be joined. After all three areas were welded, I let the whole thing cool for about an hour.
Here's the result of the first weld:
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers16_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers16.jpg)

http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers17_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers17.jpg)

The welds are pretty messy, but I wasn't concerned about getting a perfect bead on my first try! I just wanted to make sure I had enough weld built up to close the gaps and be able to grind it down smooth with no pits or sink-holes.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers18_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers18.jpg)

Once it cooled down, i could unbolt it from the steel plate and check it out.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers19_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers19.jpg)

Next step was to stick it in the vice and start smoothing out the welds. I initially used my bench grinder to get the big chunks, then I moved to the dremel and files.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers20_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers20.jpg)

After the files, I used my orbital sander with 80grit to get all the file marks out. Next I'll move to 220.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers21_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers21.jpg)

Other side:
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers22_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers22.jpg)

A couple close up shots of the welds:
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers23_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers23.jpg)

http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers24_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers24.jpg)

Over all, I think it came out pretty good considering it was my first try. It really pays to do your research! I heeded all the warnings about contamination, and made sure everything was as clean as possible. And it helped to watch all the vids available too. :)
Tomorrow I'll do the other side, and I'll set up my video camera and see if I can capture some in progress shots for ya.

[Technochicken]

Looks good! I've used Alumiweld also (technically, the process is called Aluminum-Zinc brazing, so it's not at all a weld), and it works great for low stress applications.

[Boddaker]

Looks good! I've used Alumiweld also (technically, the process is called Aluminum-Zinc brazing, so it's not at all a weld), and it works great for low stress applications.

Thanks! Yeah, it behaves more like a solder really. I was just using the term "weld" in the general sense. :) I could definitely tell the difference in hardness between it and the surrounding aluminum when I was grinding/filing it down. I'm hoping there won't be any issues when these bars go through the chroming process.

[Fuganater]

Great mod!

[SXRguyinMA]

Nice work! I've never heard of that stuff!

[TLHarrell]

The chroming process shouldn't have any issue. The major part of that is making sure the whole thing is absolutely smooth because it will magnify every flaw. They'll usually electroplate with copper, then nickel, then chrome. The difference in metals will disappear during the process.

Really nice looking "welds". Extremely decent for your first time.

[TheGreatSatan]

What kind of camera do you use?

[Boddaker]

What kind of camera do you use?

I have a Canon Rebel XTi with just the standard lens. Nothing special.

[Boddaker]

Didn't get as much work done this weekend as I had originally planned. On Saturday, I was at my kids' school helping clean up and get ready for the new school year. Then on Sunday it was just too danged hot, and I tend to get quite lethargic when temps get into triple digits lol.

Anyway, getting to what little progress I did make... I didn't feel like filing or sanding in this heat, so I decided to just mount the headers to the case.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers25_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers25.jpg)

The first lug mounts in its factory location, then all the others had to be drilled.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers26_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers26.jpg)

A view from the back. I had a little bit of play to work with, and was able to get them looking symmetrical.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers27_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers27.jpg)

I then proceeded to mark and cut the bottom of the side trim away. I thought about cutting separate holes for each lug, but that would have made it very difficult to feed the header lugs through since they are all different orientations. So I just cut the entire area out.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers28_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers28.jpg)

http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers29_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers29.jpg)

From the side you can't tell where the cut is.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers30_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers30.jpg)

Even when you get down to the header level, it's hard to see the cut line.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers31_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers31.jpg)

And finally a view from the back.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers32_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Headers32.jpg)

Now that I have one side cut, I can transfer the cut area over to the other side. Any adjustments I need to make should be minor if any. :)

[SXRguyinMA]

looking good!

[Boddaker]

http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer_Blueprint2.jpg

The left side panel is one of the more challenging parts of this build, if not the most challenging. It completely does away with the factory door panel, and after the modifications it becomes a major part of the support structure. Almost all hardware will be mounted to it, both front and back, and it will be seen from both sides. So not only does it have to be strong, but it also has to look good as well. And to top it all off, this will be the first time I'll be using fiberglass. So yeah, pretty tall order for this piece!

After spending hours in Sketchup designing it out, checking and double checking my measurements, I finally got to a point where I could start the fabrication process. The first step is creating the form, so a block of foam was glued up. This shape represents the reverse of the concaved area of the side panel where the components will go.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam1_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam1.jpg)

After marking it up with centerlines and borders, the carving began.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam2_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam2.jpg)

Work continued, carving and smoothing the foam to the desired shape (tools used: retractable knife, hacksaw blade, drywall sanding block). Then I added cutouts for the "shock towers" that will later become part of the IO panel on the bottom, and cable access on the top. I also added a piece of plywood on top for strength, and used zip ties running through all layers of foam to make sure it all holds together.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam4_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam4.jpg)

Here's a closer shot of the IO area.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam5_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam5.jpg)

To smooth out the imperfections and fill the voids, I slopped on the bondo.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam6_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam6.jpg)

While that was setting up, I moved on to the custom side scoop that will cover the lower radiator fan intake holes. Again, I stacked up three pieces of foam and glued them together with spray adhesive.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop1_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop1.jpg)

I already carved the door's contour into the bottom piece so it sits flush.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop2_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop2.jpg)

After taking a step back, I decided that 3" was too high. I removed one piece of foam, and started marking out the scoop shape. I added another small piece to the end so it tapers all the way to the edge.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop3_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop3.jpg)

Showing the preliminary front shape.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop4_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop4.jpg)

This piece was small enough to use my retractable knife. These knives are perfect for cutting foam because you can extend the blade out as long as you need it to be.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop5_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop5.jpg)

Once I got one side roughed out and matching the body lines, I needed to do the other side the same way. I'll be making two of these scoops, one for each side of the case, so it has to be symmetrical.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop6_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop6.jpg)

Profile shot. I like it!
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop7_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop7.jpg)

Smoothed out and ready for filler.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop8_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop8.jpg)

Body filler added. More sanding required!
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop9_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop9.jpg)

Work continues... :)

[SXRguyinMA]

lookin good :)

[Boddaker]

Hey guys, I'm back on this project! Got my other obligations out of the way for now, so I can continue on with the Cruizer. :)

Unfortunately, I don't really have much new progress to show. I'm still working on the form for the side panel and scoops, adding bondo and sanding. So nothing new there. I did get some patching done tho, so I can at least show that...

Due to the bottom rails being transformed into hot-rod style exhaust headers, I only need one of the holes in the trim piece at the bottom. And since I'm relocating the top rails to the center, I won't need either hole up there. So I need to plug them up.

I cut out six oval shaped discs and beveled the edges so they fit into the holes.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes1_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes1.jpg)

Here's one of the holes...
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes2_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes2.jpg)

And here it is with the disc.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes3_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes3.jpg)

I marked each one so I knew which hole they went into, since they are all different.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes4_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes4.jpg)

After using plastic epoxy to glue them in, I got out the body filler.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes5_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes5.jpg)

http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes6_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes6.jpg)

Sanded it down smooth. I started with 80 grit on my orbital sander, then went to 220 grit. I used some glazing putty to fill in any small imperfections.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes7_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes7.jpg)

After a final light sanding, I shot it with primer.
http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes8_sm.jpg (http://bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Holes8.jpg)

I'll sand this down with 400 grit, then scuff the entire trim piece and shoot one more coat of primer once I get all the other modifications done on it.

Feels good to be back on this, and I'll be posting more regularly now as work continues. :)

[Fuganater]

Can't wait to see more!

[Boddaker]

Got my fiberglass supplies in! :) Hoping I can lay up the side panel this weekend if the weather holds up.

Pics to follow of course!

[OvRiDe]

Awesome.. I have been waiting for some motion on this! Well I should specify .. the side panel.

[Boddaker]

Ok, so I didn't get as much work done over the weekend as I thought. In fact, I never even got a coat of primer on the plug. Still sanding and perfecting the surface because it has to be absolutely flawless. Any blemish on the plug will be transferred directly to the finished fiberglass piece. So better to try and eliminate all the issues now, than have to fix it later. :)

That, and this was the last great weekend weather-wise before the rains come this week, and I spent it with the kids doing Halloween stuff. :mrgreen:

But I did promise pics, so here's my progress thus far...

When all is said and done, the side panel trim piece will be integrated with the new fiberglass panel, so it will all be one unit. So more preparation was done to the trim piece. Holes were drilled all along the inside edge to help facilitate the adhesion of the fiberglass to the plastic. Typically, the two materials don't stick to one another, so the holes will allow the resin to flow through the plastic. I'll add the fiberglass cloth to the back side as well to sandwich it together.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel1.jpg)

I bent a sheet of aluminum to match the curve of the side panel. The bend was very slight, all I had to do was set it over a 4" acrylic tube and apply a small amount of downward force to replicate the curve.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel2.jpg)

I set the trim piece face down onto the alu sheet. Here's a closeup of the curve.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel3.jpg)

Using the trim piece as a guide, I placed the plug on the sheet and marked it.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel5.jpg)

Here's a closeup again showing the curve of the alu sheet. It will serve as a backing for the fiberglass, and support for the plug.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel4.jpg)

I set the trim piece aside, then removed the plug from the sheet and applied contact cement to both parts, and put them back together. This was to ensure the plug didn't move while I added epoxy putty all around it, shown here.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel6.jpg)

Here's the plug in its current state. The putty is all smoothed out, and creates a nice curved transition between the alu sheet and plug. It's getting real close to being done! It will start looking a whole lot better once I get some primer on it and it's all one color.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel7.jpg)

Once I get a few coats of primer on it and sanded smooth, I'll have to polish it and apply a couple coats of mold release wax, so the fiberglass won't stick to it. Only then will I be able to start the layup process!

[Liquid_Scope_99]

very cool man very cool DAMN I have have really missed this place and you guys

[Boddaker]

Just a quick update on the plugs. I got a couple coats of epoxy primer on them a few weeks ago, and have been sanding them down, working my way up to 1000 grit. Not really sure when I will get to lay some fiberglass, as it's now getting colder out, and I will most likely have to step away from this project yet again for another build.

Anyway, here's a few shots...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SidePanel8.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop10.jpg)

Back when I can! :)

[Boddaker]

Ok, I think it's about time I got back on this project! :D After I wrapped up the Level 10GTS-M case, I was able to spend some time installing some newly acquired parts from EK. :twisted:

http://www.bods-mods.com/Sponsors/EK_Water_Blocks_logo.jpg
Yes, they were gracious enough to offer up some very cool products for this build, and I can't thank them enough. Here's a shot of what they sent me:
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/EK1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/EK1.jpg)

We got a CPU waterblock, motherboard blocks for the X79, Dominator memory blocks x2, ram module adapters (to fit the dominator blocks on my Crucial memory), a 250mm tube res, a 280 and a 420 radiator, and a dual pump top.

I had been searching for a WC solution for my Crucial Ballistix memory, and there are a few universal blocks out there, but I was very pleased to find out EK offers these adapters to fit the ever popular Corsair Dominator blocks. :) So the first thing I did was install them onto the Crucial memory.

They come very securely packaged in bubble wrap.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM1.jpg)

Opening it up we have two sets of adapters, with all the necessary thermal padding and hardware.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM2.jpg)

Here are the memory sticks with their heat spreaders which will need to be removed.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM3.jpg)

I had to be extremely careful not to damage the memory in the removal process. I found that pulling both sides off at the same time alleviated any bending of the memory stick.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM4.jpg)

Crucial uses some really tough adhesive on their thermal pads. It took awhile to get it all off the chips.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM5.jpg)

All four sticks cleaned off and ready for the adapters.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM6.jpg)

Applying the new thermal padding. The strips were too short to just lay over all the chips, so I had to cut them up into individual squares, one for each chip. Now for the other side.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM7.jpg)

Once the thermal pads were all on, it was just a matter of sandwiching the memory stick in between the two adapter plates and screwing them together. Two down, two to go!
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM8.jpg)

All done! I had to install the ram onto the motherboard and add the actual Dominator blocks to see how it looked. Looks very nice along with the Supremacy CPU and motherboard blocks.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RAM9.jpg)

I'm super excited to be back on this. I'll be updating more consistently from now on, as this case is top priority! :)

[Boddaker]

Planning out the plumbing on the backside of the Cruizer. I'm going with stainless steel tubing, to simulate automotive fuel/brake lines. Should look pretty sweet! But before running the lines, I had to figure out the best placement for the wc components. It's amazing that even on a cavernous case such as the Cosmos II, I still had to deal with clearance issues lol.

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/CruizerPlumbing1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/CruizerPlumbing1.jpg)

I'll be running two separate loops: CPU/motherboard/ram, and graphics cards. I got the 420mm EK radiator up top cooling the CPU loop, and the 280mm EK rad in the GFX loop. I figure the 680s won't be putting out as much heat as the processor, especially since I want to do some OCing this time. Both loops go into the EK 250mm X3 res, with one line connecting the res to the dual pumps. Then the two loops split off again from there. I'm a little concerned about the bottleneck there, but I'm trying to eliminate any unnecessary tubing where possible. And with the dual D5 pumps, I'm hoping it will be a non-issue. Lemme know what you guys think.

[Boddaker]

After designing out the plumbing in Sketchup, I've been placing the real parts in the case, to verify my plan will work as it is layed out. So far things have been lining up with minimal adjustments. :)

Here are the 280 and 420 radiators from EK. These things are massive, at 2" thick, but they fill the Cosmos II nicely. :)
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad1.jpg)

Got my stack of 140mm fans plus a 200mm intake fan for the case.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fans1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fans1.jpg)

Trying the fans out on the 280 rad, and placing it in the case.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fans2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fans2.jpg)

The top 420 rad will go up top, but just barely.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fans3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fans3.jpg)

As you can see from the side, the radiator will need to be mounted lower into the case so it fits below the bezel. The Cosmos II only has provisions for a 360mm radiator, so I'd have to cut the top panel anyway.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fans4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fans4.jpg)

Lastly, here is a shot of the Koolance (http://www.koolance.com) quick disconnect fittings I'll be using to connect the custom manifold, along with the Koolance 1/2" pipe adapters and EK 90º elbow fittings.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fittings1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fittings1.jpg)

And I've got more fittings on the way! I found some really awesome push fittings from E22 (http://www.e22.biz/PF12.aspx) that will be a perfect fit for this project...

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PF12.jpg

They also carry the 12mm rigid tubing I'll be using along with these fittings. So as soon as I get those in, I'll be able to get the custom manifold together and mounted on the hardware. Can't wait! :)

[Boddaker]

Got a little bit more work done last night on the rads. :)

I cut out the top panel to fit the 420mm EK radiator. You can see the size difference between it and the stock provisions for a 360mm rad.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad2.jpg)

Here is the radiator set in place with a couple fans to check height clearance.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad3.jpg)

I also checked the lower radiator clearance. To do this, I set the fiberglass form into the case to give me an idea where the actual fiberglass piece will be. Right now the rad is resting on the form, so it will need to raise up just a bit to clear. I still have about 1/4" room above the fans on top, so I think I'm good.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad4.jpg)

This weekend, I'll file the edges down and get the mounting brackets made up for this rad as well as the lower 280mm rad.

[Boddaker]

Ok, I got a crap-ton of work done on this case over the weekend. :P

Firstly, I got the top radiator mounts made. After measuring how far the rad could go, I cut and bent these four mounts.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad5.jpg)

These will mount to the center fan holes on each side of the rad.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad6.jpg)

And it fits into the case thusly. I still have to add holes to the brackets where they will be fastened to the case.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad7.jpg)

Using my flexible curve to simulate where the top piece will be, you can see how much clearance I will have over the fans once it's all said and done.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad8.jpg)

Here's a front shot of the rad & fans.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rad9.jpg)

Now comes the major part of the update. I took the plunge and got the side panel laid up with fiberglass today. It was pretty warm the whole weekend, so I figured I'd give it a go. Here's a shot of all the materials I had to acquire: Resin, catalyst, gel coat, curing agent, cabosil (a thickener), assorted brushes, mixing cups, roller, dispersing pump, measuring squeeze bottle, mixer, gloves, and not shown are the paste wax and PVA mold release.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass1.jpg)

And of course, the fiberglass cloth. I got some heavy duty strand mat and 4oz cloth.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass2.jpg)

Before I could start any of this, I had to prep the form. After sanding up to 1000 grit, I used some meguire's car polish on it. Then I waxed the whole thing four times. After that, I sprayed it with 2 coats of PVA mold release. That was Saturday.

Sunday morning I got the fiberglass cloth pre-cut and clamped the side bezel down around the form.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass4.jpg)

After everything was set up and ready, I started brushing on the gel-coat. This was the point of no return, since the cloth had to go on as soon as the gel-coat was tack-free. Then each subsequent layer of cloth had to follow non-stop until it was finished.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass3.jpg)

After the gel-coat set up, I mixed up some resin with the cabosil thickener to make a paste, then worked it into the tight corners and overhangs where air bubbles were sure to form.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass10.jpg)

After the paste, it was time for the first layer of fiberglass. Starting with the heavy duty strand mat, I layed it over the form and added the resin.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass11.jpg)

This took a good two cups of resin to saturate the mat.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass12.jpg)

Next layer was the 4oz cloth. Procedure was the same, adding resin where needed, saturating the cloth.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass13.jpg)

After three layers of cloth, I added a few scrap pieces to reinforce the corners and overlap the joints. Then I mixed up one last small batch of resin, this time with the curing agent, which helps the final surface cure without being tacky.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass14.jpg)

After a few hours under the heat lamps, it was rock hard and smooth. Time to demold! I turned the form upside down and removed the aluminum sheet, exposing the layered foam.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass5.jpg)

After working the edges, it became apparent I was not going to be able to save the form, so I proceeded to remove it one foam layer at a time.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass6.jpg)

After two layers of foam, I was able to pop the remaining piece of the form out of the fiberglass.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass7.jpg)

And there ya go. Thanks to the 4 coats of wax and 2 coats of PVA, I had no trouble with sticking.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass8.jpg)

behold! A one-piece fiberglass side panel!
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglass9.jpg)

Now this thing is not totally without its flaws. Upon closer inspection, there are countless air bubbles and a few spots where the gel-coat was too thin. But I can mix up some more of the resin paste and fill those areas back in. And I will undoubtedly have a bunch of bodywork to do before this thing is ready for paint.

But I think for the most part, it came out really well considering this was my first fiberglassing adventure. :)

[SXRguyinMA]

Coming along nicely :)

[Boddaker]

Spent a good portion of the weekend cleaning up the side panel. I had to remove quite a bit of fiberglass and resin around the edges where the panel mates up with the case. Small oversight on my part, as I should have taped those areas off so I wouldn't glass over them. Ah well, a few extra hours of work and it now fits back on the case. I also exposed all the bubbles just under the surface so I could fill them in with more resin paste. I should be able to do some filling at some point this week, as it is supposed to be warmer.

along with the cleanup, I managed to make a mold of side scoop I made a few months ago. If you recall, I carved the shape out of foam, then covered it with bondo.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop10.jpg)

I prepped the scoop in the same way as the side panel form, sanding to 1000 grit, polishing compound, 4 coats of wax, 2 coats of PVA. I glued it down to the back side of the same aluminum sheet I had the side panel form on. Using the epoxy dough, I covered the scoop and let it set up overnight.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop12.jpg)

The next morning, I popped it out of the mold. After a bit of cleanup and prep on the inner surface, it will be ready for fiberglass. I'll be able to make both scoops from this mold.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop11.jpg)

Work continues...

[Boddaker]

Got the first side scoop done yesterday, as well as quite a bit of bodywork done on the side panel. :)

I prepped the mold friday night, so I was ready to go first thing on Saturday. Here's a shot after laying down the fiberglass. First layer was the strand mat, followed by two layers of woven roving.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop13.jpg)

Popped it out of the mold. Had one area where it stuck a bit, so I'll have to repair that before laying up the second scoop.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop14.jpg)

Side by side comparison between the original foam scoop and the fiberglass piece.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop15_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop15.jpg)

After trimming the scoop, I set it onto the side panel for a test fit. You can also see the bondo work, where I've been filling in the problem areas. I broke through all the bubbles near the surface and filled them back in with resin paste. After grinding them smooth, I went over the areas with bondo. I also went around the whole thing where the fiberglass meets up with the plastic panel and covered up the seam.
That large patch of bondo is where I noticed a minor low spot in the fiberglass. I thought I had that part of the form pretty flat, but I guess not!
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop16_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop16.jpg)

I still have to trim the end of the scoop, and I'm thinking it's a bit too long so I'll take about an inch off.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop17_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop17.jpg)

Once I get it trimmed down to where I want it, I'll cut the fan holes in the side panel and glue the scoop down using some resin paste. Then I'll finish it up with some more bondo.

Looking forward to getting some primer on the whole thing so it's one solid color. Hopefully by next week! Thanks for reading. :)

[SXRguyinMA]

looking good!

[Boddaker]

Last weekend was more family time than modding time, but I did get some additional work done on the side panel, filling, sanding, and trimming. Was having difficulties fitting it back on the case. The fiberglass must have distorted or shrunk the bezel, so I had to trim most of the stock mounting tabs off and add new ones.

But now it fits on the frame again, so I can start marking areas that need to be cut away, like the side scoop hole.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidepanel9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidepanel9.jpg)

Then I also brought the motherboard in and did a test fit so I could mark all the cable holes.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidepanel11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidepanel11.jpg)

Roughed out the IO plate and video card holes.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidepanel10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidepanel10.jpg)

I also started on the motherboard mounting, marking those holes. I'll be using some T-nut inserts from the back that will accept the stand-offs, which I will epoxy in place. I should have another update tonight on that. 'Til then!

[Boddaker]

Motherboard mounting progress...

After marking the holes with a template, I drilled them out, then routed out a wider area for the T-nuts so they would sit flush.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidepanel12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidepanel12.jpg)

The T-nuts had barbs sticking up that needed to be flattened since they wouldn't be able to penetrate the fiberglass. I also drilled some holes around the outer base to have something for the resin to grab onto when I permanently set the T-nuts in place.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidepanel13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidepanel13.jpg)

A shot of the motherboard side with a standoff...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidepanel14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidepanel14.jpg)

I also got a bit more work done on the access hole cutouts, trimming and filing the edges down, and got another layer of bondo on the low spots of the panel. Which means more sanding grunt work in the very near future. yay!

In other news, I picked up more of the pink stuff from Home Depot (had to drive 20 miles to the next town for it since the local HD doesn't carry it :x ).
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam3.jpg)

No, I won't be insulating my house with it. ;-) Got more pieces to fabricate, namely the top, front, and back panels. I might even start shaping the top panel this week, as I'm in need of a change of pace after all the work I've been doing on the side panel.

[Boddaker]

So I'm taking a breather from all the sanding and filling on the side panel, to do a little foam shaping for the top panel. I think I love this part the most, creating a shape totally from scratch. :)

I cut four strips off the main sheet of foam and glued them together, making a solid block that fits in between the two side panels.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam7.jpg)

Then I started shaving material off to get down to the basic shape I'm looking for. I want it to follow the contours of the side panels and raise up a bit more in the center to make room for the 420mm EK radiator and fans underneath.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam8.jpg)

Starting to take shape now.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam9.jpg)

The front of the top panel will have a dashboard hood feel over the lcd screen, which will display EVGA's Precision overclocking utility.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam10.jpg)

A shot of the other side.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam11.jpg)

Next I'll be relocating the top bars over the radiator, mounted parallel to each other. The new top panel design will need to accommodate the bars on both ends, so I'll have to work that into the foam as well.

[Stonerboy779]

This is a crazy amount of work and its amazing seeing so imprecise coming together so perfectly :)

[SXRguyinMA]

Congrats on being our Featured Mod (http://www.computersandcircuits.com/content/featured-mod-cosmos-cruizer-boddaker) for March 2013!


http://www.computersandcircuits.com/images/ratings/rating_featmod.jpg (http://www.computersandcircuits.com/content/featured-mod-cosmos-cruizer-boddaker)

[Boddaker]

Congrats on being our Featured Mod (http://www.computersandcircuits.com/content/featured-mod-cosmos-cruizer-boddaker) for March 2013!


http://www.computersandcircuits.com/images/ratings/rating_featmod.jpg (http://www.computersandcircuits.com/content/featured-mod-cosmos-cruizer-boddaker)

Awesome, thanks for the feature! :)

And this thing is pretty sweet! It will be a welcome addition to the Bod Mod Garage. :banana: Thank you so much!

http://computersandcircuits.com/images/articles/articles/featmod/2013/march/f-mod-template.jpg

[Boddaker]

Got the top bars modded and relocated last night. :)

Since the bars would be mounted straight up, I had to get rid of the angled flat ends.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars1.jpg)

After filing the ends, I drilled and tapped them to accept an 8-32 socket screw.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars2.jpg)

I placed the bars onto the case and adjusted their height with wood blocks until I got them where I wanted them. Then I whipped up a couple mounting brackets from 1/4" flat bar stock. This case will be quite heavy and these bars will need to support the weight, so merely attaching them straight down into the case's top panel wouldn't be prudent, especially now with the 420 rad cutout. These mounting brackets will distribute the lifting forces across to both sides where the case frame is stronger.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars4.jpg)

Here are the top bars mounted to the brackets.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars3.jpg)

A close up shot of the front bracket. I still need to secure them to the case frame.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars5.jpg)

Once I got the positioning of the bars, I used cardboard templates to mark the ends, then transferred those markings over to the foam piece and cut the holes.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars6.jpg)

A look-see from the front.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars7.jpg)

The bars are not completely parallel to each other. I widened the spacing more at the front to go along with the overall look of the case.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Topbars8.jpg)

Here's a quick wide shot of the whole case from the side.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidewide1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Sidewide1.jpg)

Now that the bars are in place, I can continue shaping the foam, adding some contours down the center and working around the bar ends. If all goes well this weekend, I might actually get the foam fiberglass-ready. :)

[Boddaker]

Just a quick update... Got the surface smoothed out, and added a depression in the center which will be under the bars, and that will continue on down to the back panel.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam12.jpg)

Just for fun I set the bars back in place and tossed on the oval decorative pieces for a look-see. I happened across those at the local auto parts store in the dressup section. :thumb:
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam13.jpg)

Ok back to it...

[SXRguyinMA]

Funny to see those oval pieces - I usually only see them on beat up old civics lol

[Boddaker]

Funny to see those oval pieces - I usually only see them on beat up old civics lol

lol I know. I'll have to wait til I get the case painted and see how they look then. If it looks too cheesy, I won't put them on.

[Boddaker]

More progress on the top panel, getting some primer on it after much sanding and bondo...

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Foam14.jpg)

I know it's only one picture, but it pretty much sums up the work done thus far.

[msmrx57]

I know it's only one picture, but it pretty much sums up the work done thus far.

Doesn't it seem strange, all that effort and not much visible progress? :no: Getting things shaped and smooth is sooooo labor intensive but has such a HUGE effect on the finished product. Looking good so far and anxiously looking forward to more progress(this theme is right up my alley). :banana:

[Boddaker]

Still working on the top panel, but it's been in a holding pattern until I can get a good dry weekend to do some fiberglassing. (which might actually be this weekend <crosses fingers> ). In the mean time, I've been skipping ahead to the front grill. So here is some of that progress:

Using 1 1/2" x 1/8" aluminum flat bar, I cut 18 pieces down to size. This is the first half.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill1.jpg)

Next I started rounding the bottoms to match the curve of the side panels.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill2.jpg)

The cutting is followed by the filing.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill3.jpg)

All 18 pieces rounded. A bit more work is needed to get them all the same.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill4.jpg)

Next step is to drill mounting holes through all pieces. I wanted the grill to come out more in the center, so I staggered each piece by 3/16" before drilling. I double and triple-checked the spacing, and made sure the pieces were square at the bottom before clamping them together.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill5.jpg)

the 3/16" offset was about the max I could go, leaving me with a 1/4" between the hole and the edges of each end piece.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill6.jpg)

Half of the grill done, with temporary acrylic spacers added just to see how it looks.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill7.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill8.jpg)

Looks pretty good, now to do the other side. You can also see my badass cardboard mockup of the front bezel where the lcd screen, fan controller, and key switch will go.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill9.jpg)

Repeated the same process for the other side, and assembled all together. I love the stepping!
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill10.jpg)

And finally, a shot of the whole thing in place.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill11.jpg)

Can't wait to get the top edges done, and the whole thing polished up. It's gonna look shaweet! :)

[TLHarrell]

That's a great looking grille on there. Very classy.

[msmrx57]

SWEEEEEEET!!!! Love it!!! :up:

[d_stilgar]

Very awesome grill. Makes me want to do some modding! I can't wait. Another year and I'll be done with school and hopefully I'll be able to move somewhere with a little shop space so I can make a mess and leave it without my wife getting mad.

[Boddaker]

Thanks d-stilgar. Yes, having your own workspace is imperative! :)

More Grill progress...

Made my own metal spacers from 5/16" stainless steel tubing. I took this shot before I deburred the ends.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill13.jpg)

And I got the top ends of the bars rounded. This was kinda tricky since they are offset, and I needed to have the all curves end in a straight line so it will mate up with the top faceplate.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill12.jpg)

Here's a couple shots of the grill on the case..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill14.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill15_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill15.jpg)

And an over-all wide shot.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill16_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill16.jpg)

Hoping to have a productive weekend, as the weather should be very nice.

Cheers!

[msmrx57]

Well that just makes it even more AWESOME!!! :bowdown:

[Boddaker]

Thanks msmrx57!

Well the weather did hold last weekend, but of course I got called into work on Saturday, robbing me of most of my modding time. But I did manage to get some work done on the front bezel. I started with a piece of 1/4" acrylic, mapping out the item placement.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel1.jpg)

Here is what I'll be mounting in the bezel: 7" lcd touch screen, Lamptron Touch fan controller, a hot-swap 2.5" drive bay, a pair of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, and finally an ignition keyswitch in the lower center (not shown).
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel2.jpg)

Once I got things where I wanted, I began cutting out the holes, then filing down to a nice snug fit.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel3.jpg)

I found one of these all-in-one units lying around (big mistake on its part!) and thought I could utilize it in some fashion.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel4.jpg)

But I only wanted the 2.5" hdd bay.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel5.jpg)

So it got extracted from the rest. It will get mounted just underneath the Lamptron fan controller.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel6.jpg)

Here is a shot of the bezel after fitting the USB ports.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/FrontBezel7.jpg)

I haven't purchased it yet, but I'm thinking something along the lines of this for the Ignition switch. It has four detents: Off, Acc, On, and Start (momentary). I can use the Acc to turn on fans, or the pumps prior to firing up the computer.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IgnitionSwitch.jpg

Hoping to get mounting brackets made tonight, and possibly some finish work.

[Boddaker]

Guess I'd better update this log, now that TBCS is back up and running. :) Got a few entries to post...

July 18

What's this?? A Cosmos Cruizer update?? :shock:

Yep, believe it or not, some progress has been made! Now that the Maker Faire PC is all but completed and ready to be delivered to NVIDIA, I can continue work on this. I'm really going to push to get this thing done, without any more breaks. So there will be a steady stream of updates from here on out! :)

I've been slowly working on several components of the build simultaneously, one being the side scoops. I've got the form re-prepped to 'glass the second one, and I finally got the first scoop attached to the panel. I mixed up some resin paste and, after cleaning the surfaces, gooped it on the edges of the scoop and set it in place. Then I applied more paste all around it, inside and out. I used a 2" acrylic disc I had lying around to scrape off the excess paste, leaving a nice rounded fillet between the scoop and the panel.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop18_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop18.jpg)

I used a wooden dowel to get the inside edges. And I always employ the highest tech, state-of-the-art clamping/holding devices available to keep the parts stationary while gluing. ;-)
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop19_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop19.jpg)

After a few hours, the paste had set up so I could remove the hi-tech holding device and put the panel on the case for a look-see.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop20_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop20.jpg)

This weekend, I'll do a little sanding and hit it with a coat of primer to see how it looks.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop21_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop21.jpg)

Feels good to be back at it. woot!

[Boddaker]

July 22

So over the weekend I managed to cross a HUGE item off my to-do list... The Suicide Door! :D

Anyone familiar with the Cosmos II doors will know they are a royal PITA to do anything with because they are so complex. Just adding a basic window is a massive undertaking due to the door's varying thickness and compound curves. Well, not only am I adding a window, but I'm also relocating the hinge point of the door from the front of the case to the back, mimicking the old "suicide door" style seen on many custom rods.

This modification affects not only the door itself, but the side bezel and case chassis need to be altered as well. But first up is the door panel. I took the left door, removed the aluminum door skin, and flipped it so the solid part was at the bottom. But in order for the hinges to work properly, I had to harvest it from the other door.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide1.jpg)

So I took the dremel and separated the hinge from the donor door.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide2.jpg)

Marked its new position on the back side of the new door.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide3.jpg)

After removing that portion, I did some test fittings until the new hinge fit perfectly.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide4.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide5.jpg)

Then I glued it into place. I screwed the metal hinge in temporarily to give it more rigidity while gluing and to check for level.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide6.jpg)

After the initial tacking set up, I used some ABS cement to fill in all the gaps and add reinforcements where needed.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide7.jpg)

Once the new hinge was in place, I turned the door over and started marking out the window. I added the side scoop on for a quick visual.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide8.jpg)

After I was satisfied with the window arrangement, I proceeded to cut it out.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide9.jpg)

Next I prepped the core for foam by taping off the window edges and roughing up all surfaces. Adding foam in the center will allow me to re-skin the door in fiberglass, and also aid in sound deadening.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide10.jpg)

Let me just state for the record that I despise spray foam in a can! You can never use this crap more than once or twice, otherwise the tip gets clogged, rendering the nozzle useless. So you use a screwdriver to try and clear the passageway, and you end up breaking it off, sending spray foam all over the garage! (TIP: If you get spray foam on your clothes or in your hair, wait until it cures before attempting to remove it. Much easier! lol )
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide11.jpg)

After the foam cured, I took a hacksaw blade to carve away the excess.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide12.jpg)

I was able to use all the ribbing as a guide to get the foam flush.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide13.jpg)

And a quick final shot of the door on the case...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide14.jpg)

Next up I'll get to the door frame and chassis modifications.

[Boddaker]

July 23

Now that the door hinge is moved, I need to modify the door frame to accept the new hinge location. This was relatively easy, since I just had to transfer the measurements for the two notches from one side of the frame to the other.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide16_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide16.jpg)

An overall shot of the frame.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide17_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide17.jpg)

With that done I could mark the hinge locations onto the chassis.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide18_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide18.jpg)

I went to town on the chassis, cutting out the marked areas and fabricating some brackets to fit in behind. This proved quite the challenge, since the bracket's positioning was crucial to having the door line up correctly.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide19_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide19.jpg)

A couple close up shots of the bracket, from the outside...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide20_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide20.jpg)

...and from the inside.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide21_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide21.jpg)

Mounting the hinge...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide22_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide22.jpg)

Test fitting with the door frame...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide23_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide23.jpg)

... and with the door.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide24_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide24.jpg)

After a few adjustments, I could then permanently secure the brackets to the chassis with black pop rivets.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide25_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide25.jpg)

Next step is adding a fiberglass door skin over the foam, unfortunately I ran out of resin and need to order more.

[Boddaker]

July 24

I also managed to get some more fiberglassing done last weekend as well. It was a fine display of mindful modding multitasking. :) I'd lay down some gel-coat, then work on the suicide door while that was setting up. Then I'd go over and apply the layers of fiberglass, and continue on the door.

Here are a couple shots of the second side scoop I made.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop22_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop22.jpg)

After it cured, I started trimming it down, matching the original. Here is a side-by-side comparison in mid-trim.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop23_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Scoop23.jpg)

I also made significant progress on the top panel. I was not happy with how the epoxy dough mold came out last time, so I ditched that in favor of a new Plasti-Paste mold. The epoxy dough, as I found out, would not stick to itself which was crucial since I had to make the mold in two parts. So here is the first part of the plasti-paste mold, the top.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel1.jpg)

With the top piece fully cured, I could demold it, then proceed to add the sides. I had to do this in two parts because it would be almost impossible to demold it all at once without ruining the original form.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel2.jpg)

I set the top back on the form and added the sides and front. Once that cured I could demold the entire things as a whole.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel3.jpg)

Had a bit of trouble with the fiberglass lay-up this time. I had mixed too much hardener in the resin and it started curing too fast, so I only managed to get two layers of cloth down. And I had just used the last bit of resin so I couldn't mix up any more. It's probably ok, but I think I will want to add some form of reinforcement underneath for strength. I will have to add some mounting posts or something to secure it to the case anyways.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel4.jpg)

Here's a shot of the top panel on the case. It's not pretty, as it still needs to be trimmed, but I can work with it.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel5.jpg)

Work continues!

[Boddaker]

August 8

More progress on the top panel! I got more resin in, so I was able to mix up more paste and fill in bubbles and other problem areas. I also added some temporary dowels underneath in preparation for cutting away the center section. This will reinforce the piece and help retain its shape.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel6.jpg)

Center section cut out.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel7.jpg)

Now I can work the edges and smooth out the lip where the mesh will sit.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel8.jpg)

I cut out a piece of mesh roughly to the size of the center area and marked the edges.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel9.jpg)

Here's the mesh after cutting and bending the back end down and around the bottom.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel10.jpg)

After some additional cutting and filing, I got the mesh to sit flush with the top surface.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel11.jpg)

I placed the top panel with mesh onto the case for a look-see.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel12.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel13.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel14.jpg)

It's getting there! Still have some bodywork to do to smooth it out a bit more, and I have to add holes in the mesh for the top bars. If all goes well, I might be able to get a shot of the whole case this weekend, with everything assembled thus far. Maybe even a coat of primer on it all so its all one consistent color! :shock:

[Boddaker]

August 9

Thanks guys, I can't wait either!

Ordered the 4-position key switch from Watson's Streetworks (http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/index.php?route=common/home). Super fast shipping, only took 2 days from New Hampshire to CA.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Keyswitch1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Keyswitch1.jpg)

Drilled a 3/4" mounting hole in the front faceplate
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Keyswitch2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Keyswitch2.jpg)

And did a quick pre-fit to see how it looks.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Keyswitch3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Keyswitch3.jpg)

Looks pretty good, however, if I can find a better looking finish nut without the knurled sides, I'll swap this one out. But it will suffice for now.

I'm hoping to get the whole front bezel assembled and mounted on the case this weekend, and get the top panel to fit over it. This has been one of the most difficult parts of the build because the top front of the case is where everything meets, and is the most visible, so it has to line up perfectly. Not to mention I'm creating both the top panel and front bezel completely from scratch, which compounds the situation. I predict more trial fits in my near future! :)

[Boddaker]

August 11

Making more headway on the top panel and its mesh. I wanted to continue the lines from the front grill across the top, so I added some 1/8" aluminum bar to the top of the mesh piece.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel15_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel15.jpg)

After cutting the bars to length, I proceeded to bend them to match the back curve of the mesh. Looking around the garage, I found a suitable pipe to bend the bar around.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel16_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel16.jpg)

The bend in the mesh is not a perfect circular curve, so I just tweaked the bends until they matched up perfectly. Here's the first bar.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel17_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel17.jpg)

And here are the rest of the pieces for the back, propped up on the mesh for a quick pic.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel18_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel18.jpg)

Just had three more easy straight pieces to make for the center.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel19_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel19.jpg)

Once all the pieces were made and the ends rounded, it was time to mount them to the mesh. These bars being only 1/8" thick, I had to use very small 2/56 size screws to fasten them down. So out came the 2/56 tap! A small piece of tape on the tap served as my depth gauge so I wouldn't go too far and bottom out. These taps are quite brittle and can break easily.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel20_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel20.jpg)

And the resulting tapped hole...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel21_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel21.jpg)

I'm using these tiny screws that have a large head and 1/8" shank, which allow me to use a piece of black acrylic behind the mesh as a backing.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel23_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel23.jpg)

Got all the bars tapped and fastened to the mesh.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel22_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel22.jpg)

Looks like the back pieces need a little adjustment.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel24_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel24.jpg)

Threw the top main bars on to see how it looks.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel25_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel25.jpg)

And a shot from the front. I'll need to secure the front part of the mesh down onto the panel so it doesn't stick up like this. The back part will be secured by the main bars themselves since the ends go through the mesh.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel26_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/TopPanel26.jpg)

Keep in mind this will look quite different when it's done. The 1/8" aluminum bars will be chromed and the mesh itself will be black, to mimic the look of the front. I'm debating whether to chrome the larger main bars as well, or paint them the same color as the rest of the case. Might make the smaller bars stand out more that way.

[Boddaker]

Well, I didn't get to the primer stage, but I did get the top panel and front bezel to play nice together. So I was able to assemble the entire case and get a shot to see how it looks so far.

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer-sofar_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer-sofar.jpg)

A closer up shot of the front bezel featuring the 7" touch screen LCD, Lamptron Touch fan controller, and ignition key switch. :)
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer_sofar2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer_sofar2.jpg)

So I guess this week will consist of mainly bodywork and smoothing out the top panel. I may get some time in on the right side door as well.

[Boddaker]

August 26

It's time for Bods-Mods Monday Morning Update... The only proven cure to the case of the Mondays!

I was able to get the windowed side panel skinned with fiberglass over the weekend, and the other side scoop attached as well. Before laying down the fiberglass though, I needed to get the window opening dialed in. But before doing that, I had to add pieces to fill in all the open areas on the back side.

I want the inside to be totally smooth, so I began adding thin pieces of ABS scavenged from the other door's webbing. These pieces were the perfect thickness to fill in the depression where the door hinge used to be.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide27_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide27.jpg)

I also cut out a couple pieces to fill in the door handle cavities. Since they are on the bottom now, there is no reason to keep them.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide28_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide28.jpg)

I cut the pieces from the other door, just above the holes, so they had the same bends. I beveled the edges so they sat right in.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide29_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide29.jpg)

...and glued them down.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide32_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide32.jpg)

Another section around the window had to be filled in as well.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide30_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide30.jpg)

Once these pieces were glued in place, I could fill in the in-between areas with more foam.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide31_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide31.jpg)

Once I started thinking about the side scoop positioning and where the hole would be, I realized I didn't really need to cover up one of the handle cavities, as it would be cut away. Oh well.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide33_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide33.jpg)

Cut out the hole with my trusty jig saw.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide34_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide34.jpg)

The front side, after filling in all the remaining voids with more foam. I also rounded the window edges with my router, using a 3/8" round-over bit.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide35_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide35.jpg)

I then cut out a piece of fiberglass cloth to fit.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide36_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide36.jpg)

Couldn't pause to get any pics during the lay-up process, so here is the result. I mixed up a batch of resin and used a thickener so it wouldn't run down into the foam too much (spray foam isn't very dense and leaves some bubbles). I taped a piece of cardboard in the window area to give myself an edge to later place the clear window up against.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide37_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide37.jpg)

After laying down the cloth, I used the remaining thickened resin to saturate all areas, then Mixed up a smaller batch of resin with a curing agent as a top coat. Once that was on, I set the scoop in place, added more thickener to the remaining resin and used it to reinforce the joint.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide38_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide38.jpg)

After about an hour, I came back to the door and shaved off all the excess around the edges with a utility knife. The resin hadn't cured fully, so it was relatively easy to trim at this point.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide39_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide39.jpg)

I hung the door on the case to see how it looked. It's hard to tell in pics since the resin is transparent, but it's pretty flat, There are a couple ripples here and there, but that will be taken care of with sanding and adding a bit of filler to flatten it all out.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide40_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide40.jpg)

And with that, I think that is the last bit of fiberglassing I will have to do on this case. I still have one more panel to fabricate, but I will be using aluminum sheet for that (the back panel). Getting closer to starting work on the internals. Can't wait!

[Boddaker]

And this brings the log up to date...

Smallish update, just doing a lil bodywork on the suicide door panel...

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide41_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide41.jpg)

Smoothing it all out on the inside as well..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide42_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Suicide42.jpg)

[SXRguyinMA]

this is coming out beyond awesome!

[Boddaker]

Dang, another two months have just flown by again. Can't seem to stay consistent on this project, as other things keep taking precedence. Just gotta continue pluggin away at it as time allows, and it will get done eventually. :)

Anyway, I finally accumulated enough pics to warrant an update. I've been working on this wc manifold since like February, and it's gone through numerous re-designs to get to it's current state. What started out as a simple laminated piece is now a multi-section, multi-directional part incorporating rigid acrylic tubing and stainless steel braided lines!

But let's start with the rigid tubing. Primochill recently came out with a whole line of rigid acrylic tubing, and I just had to work it into this build somehow. So I got some of the amber tubes with the special 1/2" rigid fittings.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rigid1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rigid1.jpg)

They also included a piece of the silicone rubber hose that fits into the tube to aid in the heat bending process. I made a quick and dirty bending jig that enabled me to get any 90° radius I need, using whatever pipe or cylinder I may have on hand.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rigid2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rigid2.jpg)

For the tighter bends, I made a helper mold to keep the tube from flattening out.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rigid3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rigid3.jpg)

About a week after getting the regular fittings, Primochill announced their new badass Revolver style fittings, so I had to grab them..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rigid4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rigid4.jpg)

Getting the hang of heat-bending.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rigid5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rigid5.jpg)

After a few bends, it became apparent that I would have to finish gluing the manifold together so I could get more accurate measurements between it and the motherboard blocks. So I turned my attention onto that.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rigid6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Rigid6.jpg)

The manifold accommodates two separate loops.. One for the motherboard blocks, and one for the video cards. The manifold will replace the SLI adapters from EVGA's Hydro Copper blocks, so I took measurements from them and transferred the holes.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Manifold4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Manifold4.jpg)

Here are the two pieces, after much alterations and revisions. The smaller section on top will mount directly to the hydro copper blocks and will fit into a notch in the larger part, which will be mounted vertically next to the first video card.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Manifold5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Manifold5.jpg)

They fit together like so...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Manifold6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Manifold6.jpg)

The steel braided lines are the main feeds to and from the pump, rads, etc... via quick disconnects that will pass through the fiberglass panel.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Manifold7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Manifold7.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Manifold9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Manifold9.jpg)

As a final shot, I fitted the rigid tubing into the manifold.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Manifold8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Manifold8.jpg)

Once I finalize the rigid tubing and everything fits perfectly, I will mount the quick disconnects into the fiberglass panel. Then I can cut the steel braid to length and finish them off with the same chrome hose ends. Hoping to tackle that this week, and then I can start plumbing out the back side.

[Twigsoffury]

looking sick man!

i remember bods-mods =)

[d_stilgar]

Wow. This looks awesome.

[Stonerboy779]

So many purity tubes

[TheMainMan]

So many purity tubes

I'm guessing this was a typo on "purty"? Otherwise you might need to enlighten me as to your meaning: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/purity.

[Stonerboy779]

I'm guessing this was a typo on "purty"? Otherwise you might need to enlighten me as to your meaning: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/purity.

Haha its a typo

[Luke122]

Oh man that's sexy. (Response to the bent tubes... *drool*)

Err...not that tubes "do it" for me.. umm..

[Boddaker]

Crap, another month gone by! I've been making progress here and there, but mainly on the back side and mounting things like the lower radiator and pumps. So let's get to it!

First thing I needed to do was make a sub-floor. This cleans up the area and allows for some stealthy cable management.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Floor1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Floor1.jpg)

I cut the floor to fit, then added various holes for mounting and cable access.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Floor2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Floor2.jpg)

I also installed a pass-through fitting from Koolance, to serve as a drain for the WC system.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Drain1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Drain1.jpg)

Here's a shot from below. I added a 45º elbow to clear the side bezel.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Drain2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Drain2.jpg)

A close-up shot of the floor with drain hole.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Drain3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Drain3.jpg)

Now that the floor was done, I could move onto the mounting system for the lower radiator. I wanted something simple, yet stealthy. So I fabricated some aluminum posts that make use of the fan's mounting screws.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/280Rad1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/280Rad1.jpg)

A closer up view shows the 3/16" tube that runs through the aluminum post. It's a pretty tight fit, so it doesn't float.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/280Rad2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/280Rad2.jpg)

With the radiator in place, you can't really see the posts at first glance.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/280Rad3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/280Rad3.jpg)

The posts go through the floor and fasten to the bottom panel with standard 6-32 case screws.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/280Rad4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/280Rad4.jpg)

I made sure to include some cable access holes in between the fans on each side of the rad.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/280Rad5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/280Rad5.jpg)

They travel under the floor to the front corner, where the cables will come up to the Lamptron Touch fan controller. I'll need to get (or make) a 3pin 4-way splitter to complete the connection.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/280Rad6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/280Rad6.jpg)

Next up will be the pump mounting, and some pipe bending. Stay tuned!

[Boddaker]

Ok, time to mount the EK pump top and D5 pumps, however, I did not want to use conventional bracketry. Keeping with the automotive theme, I looked at various oil system setups and noticed how there was a striking resemblance to a dual oil filter system (http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/vv294/sidewayz71/filters.jpg). So I devised a mounting method that replicates that look.

Of course I had to incorporate the requisite amount of chrome, so I found the perfect donor item for the pump covers: a 2 1/2" chrome exhaust tip! :D I wasted no time cutting it up into two equal lengths.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump6.jpg)

For the actual mounting, I used a piece of left-over 3/8" acrylic, cut it in half and drilled/tapped some holes.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump7.jpg)

They fit snuggly inside the covers. Some tiny flush-mount screws hold them in place.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump1.jpg)

The covers fit loosely over the pumps, so I had to add some o-rings to take up the extra space.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump2.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump3.jpg)

I cut slots into the sub-floor so the acrylic mounts would slide right in. They're secured to the bottom panel with a couple case screws.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump4.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pump5.jpg)

So with the lower rad and pumps mounted, I could finally start running some stainless steel tubing! Using the bender is a bit tricky, but after a few practice bends, I got the hang of it.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe1.jpg)

A pipe cutter is way better than a hack saw or dremel for cutting tubing. Well worth the money!
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe2.jpg)

This is the lower drain pipe going from rad to drain.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe3.jpg)

Pipe in place. I'm not tightening anything down just yet, since I still have much to do before final assembly.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe4.jpg)

Next piece was the reservoir-pump feed line, which is just a simple 90º bend.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe5.jpg)

Another angle showing both pieces. I'm liking the look so far!
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe6.jpg)

The next pieces will be a bit more challenging, with compound bends on the longer runs. Should be fun!

[TLHarrell]

Looking very nice. Super clean at every stage.

[msmrx57]

Absolutely LOVING this every step of the way!!!!

[Boddaker]

Thanks TLHarrell & msmrx57!

Ok, time for another update! Today I'll show you what I did to this poor power supply lol. As I mentioned on Facebook, I was not phased by the little sticker covering up one of the screw holes, put there by some dude named Warren T Void. :P

Upon removing the cover, I proceeded to cut pretty much the whole top and end away. Since the case has rounded corners, I needed to do the same to the PSU cover in order for it to fit as close as possible. I'm also replacing the stock 130mm fan with a 140mm NZXT orange led fan, which will be mounted directly to the back panel.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU5.jpg)

The power switch and plug will be relocated to a custom IO panel, so I cut the main wires and extended them.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU6.jpg)

Here's the power switch/plug cluster that I de-soldered from the main wires.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU7.jpg)

It will be re-soldered to the extensions once I know how long they need to be. I won't know that until I get the switch and plug mounted to the new IO panel.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU8.jpg)

I routed the extension wires through the top of the PSU, insulating the hole with a rubber grommet.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU9.jpg)

Now that the cover has been thoroughly transmorgrified, I placed it back onto the psu. (Warren is going to be soooo pissed!)
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU10.jpg)

To secure the PSU vertically in place, I whipped up a couple aluminum brackets. The PSU will rest on this one across the bottom.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU11.jpg)

A shot of the bottom bracket from underneath...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU14.jpg)

... and with the PSU mounted..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU13.jpg)

Here's the top bracket, mounted for a test fit. You can also see how the PSU matches the rounded corners.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU1.jpg)

In order for the 140mm fan to fit, I had to notch the top bracket just a little.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSU12.jpg)

I've also been working constantly on the back panel for the last couple months. It's taken a while, but it's finally starting to come together. If all goes well, I will be able to show that progress right after the new year. :)

[Boddaker]

Hey guys, I'm back again with some progress on the back panel. Originally I wasn't going to do much to it, but it quickly became clear it would be easier to just create a whole new panel, rather than trying to modify the stock one.

Here's a pic I took a while ago, cutting the stock rear panel away. I think I did this just prior to working on the suicide door and hinges.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel1.jpg)

Using 1/8" acrylic sheet, I made the center piece along with two vertical pieces, a top mounting piece, and a curved piece on the bottom. Here I'm gluing the two vertical pieces at an angle to match up with the side panels.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel2.jpg)

I made a couple fan mounts out of 1/4" acrylic that also serve as cross braces to give the panel some rigidity.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel3.jpg)

Trying the panel on the case, checking for fit and marking positions for fans, fillport, and the new IO panel.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel4.jpg)

Back panel trimmed, glued, reinforced, and fans mounted.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel5.jpg)

For the fillport, I was going to do something like those flip-up fuel doors on Dodge Daytonas, but I thought a hide-away system would be more appropriate for a custom rod theme. So I drew up a quick model in Sketchup...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport4.jpg)

The lid will continue the design of the top panel, with the aluminum bars ending in a half circle. Custom hinges will allow the lid to raise up over the bars on the top panel, revealing the fillport underneath.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport3.jpg)

I grabbed some pieces of acrylic from my scrap bin and started making the pieces for the base.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport1.jpg)

When assembled, they will stack up like this:
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport2.jpg)

And top view:
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport6.jpg)

Using acrylic cement, I started gluing the pieces up.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport7.jpg)

While that was setting up, I proceeded to make the lid, cutting the mesh, trim ring, and bending the aluminum bars.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport8.jpg)

I'm thinking I will use my alumiweld brazing rods to solder the bars to the mesh, rather than tapping/screwing them from underneath. Either way, they will look like this when done:
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport9.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport10.jpg)

Preparing the back panel for the fillport...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport11.jpg)

Fillport set in place for a test fit..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport12.jpg)

..and with lid.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport13.jpg)

Now I have to tackle the hinges next. Looks like I'll have to modify the design a bit to accommodate the mesh, but that shouldn't take too long.

Thanks for reading, 'til next time!

[TLHarrell]

Awesome.

[msmrx57]

Awesome.

What he said. Just speechless....... :bowdown:

[Boddaker]

Awesome.


What he said. Just speechless....... :bowdown:

Thank you guys! :)

Got more progress done on the fillport area of the back panel..

I made the hinge for the fillport cover, first designing it in Sketchup, then printing it out 1:1, taping it onto the aluminum piece, scoring the cut lines, and cutting it out.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport14.jpg)

Then I proceeded to bend the ends and the center 90º.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport15_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport15.jpg)

The result:
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport16_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport16.jpg)

I then tack-welded it to the mesh cover.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport17_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport17.jpg)

The outer trim piece got some flush-mount alan screws.

Holes drilled and chamfered..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport18_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport18.jpg)

Subsequent holes drilled and tapped into the acrylic..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport19_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport19.jpg)

Screws in...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport20_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fillport20.jpg)


Then I decided to do the same circular bar treatment to the PSU fan grill. So after drawing it out and taking measurements between bars, I found/made up some circles with the specified diameters.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel6.jpg)

Bending the alu bar around the wood blocks..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel7.jpg)

All bars bent..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel8.jpg)

Next will be bending the bottoms of the bars to follow the curve of the back panel, so they travel down and under the case.

[TheMainMan]

Exquisite attention to detail, Bod! Do you have a shot of how the hinge will go together? I think I understand but I'm not exactly sure how it will fasten together...

[Boddaker]

Exquisite attention to detail, Bod! Do you have a shot of how the hinge will go together? I think I understand but I'm not exactly sure how it will fasten together...

Thanks TheMainMan, but all I have to show how the hinge goes together is the sketchup pics in my last update. I still have to rework the back of the top panel a bit so I can mount the hinges behind it.

[thorkon]

Boddaker, Top notch stuff as always I see :D

[Boddaker]

Boddaker, Top notch stuff as always I see :D

Thank you thorkon!

[Boddaker]

More stainless hard line goodness...

This time I decided to try filling the pipe with sand before bending, to see if that would help keep the tube more rounded in the curves. It wasn't bad before, but it was noticeable.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe8.jpg)

Taped the ends off and laid it onto the heater for a couple minutes to warm it up.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe9.jpg)

Bending..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe10.jpg)

45º bend came out nice, just like my test wire.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe11.jpg)

My test wire is actually just solder lol. But it's perfect for finding the correct bends and transferring them to the pipe, because it's very soft and malleable, and holds its shape.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe12.jpg)

Here's all the pipe runs bent..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe16_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe16.jpg)

And here are some shots with the pipes in place..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe17_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe17.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe18_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe18.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe19_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe19.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe20_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe20.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe21_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe21.jpg)

Looking forward to seeing all these pipes in their finished, chrome state!

Ok, back to the seemingly never-ending work on the back panel...

[Stonerboy779]

How is it working with stainless compared to copper?

[Boddaker]

How is it working with stainless compared to copper?

Stainless is a bit stiffer than copper, so you just have to work at it a little more to get it to do what you want. It definitely looks better, and polishes up quite nicely (although I will be getting all these pipes chromed).

[Boddaker]

Slow progress is slow...

After looking at my pipe-bending handiwork, something didn't quite look right to me. Took me a while to pin-point it, but I think I found the culprit. It was the longest piece of stainless in the back. So I decided to re-do it, to give the QDC's a bit more breathing room so-to-speak. I didn't really like the vertical pipe's close proximity to the fittings, so I added a few slight bends to give them a bit wider berth. This just looks better to me now.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe22_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Pipe22.jpg)

Ok now that I can sleep nights once again, I have more back panel progress to show...

A new IO plate has been forged! It all started in Sketchup, laying out all the ports plus power plug and PSU on/off switch. Printed it out 1:1, and taped it to a piece of aluminum scrap.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate1.jpg)

Took the exacto knife to it and traced all the ports.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate2.jpg)

With the aluminum plate scored, I could start drilling holes and scrolling the ports. First DVI port cut out.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate3.jpg)

All ports scrolled and filed. Still have to round the edges & sand.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate4.jpg)

With all the ports cut out, I could transfer those areas to the back panel to be cut out as well.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate5.jpg)

IO plate in position, with ends bent to match the back panel.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate6.jpg)

Behind the scenes shot of fitting the extensions, adapters, & PSU parts.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate7.jpg)

I have to work up some sort of retaining piece to hold all the cables in place, so that they stay perfectly aligned with the IO plate cutouts. Then I'll permanently affix them to the back panel. Maybe a solid block of epoxy putty?

[Boddaker]

Jumping back onto the lower back panel to finish off the PSU fan grill area.

I last left off with bending the 1/8" aluminum bars to match the hinged fillport door up top. Here I cut out the portion of the panel that will be replaced with mesh.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel9.jpg)

Speaking of mesh, here it is, with curve to fit the rounded corner at the bottom of the panel.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel10.jpg)

Mesh fit into cutout area of panel.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel11.jpg)

And here are the alu bars with the ends bent to follow the lower curve. I also made end caps to join the ends and complete the design.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel12.jpg)

I clamped them all together with the correct spacing and marked the underside for screw holes.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel13.jpg)

In between bouts of drilling/tapping 2-56 holes in the 1/8" alu bars, I made the bottom acrylic piece that will pick up the two PSU mounting screws.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel14.jpg)

Finally, with all the mounting screw holes done, I could fasten the bars down.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel15_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel15.jpg)

And with the lower end caps in place. Still needs some adjustment here and there, and I will take care of that later.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel16_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel16.jpg)

Lastly, an overall shot of the back panel in its present state. Inching dangerously close to being done methinks!
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel17_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Backpanel17.jpg)

[blueonblack]

Your metalwork continues to impress. I love the Art Deco look of the curves and the thick mesh!

[985323]

This is looking Amazing so far! love the straight tube look.

[Boddaker]

Was a beautiful weekend, so I took this opportunity to take care of an issue I had with the fiberglass panel that's been bugging me ever since I switched motherboards. I originally designed the panel to accommodate the EVGA X79 FTW, but when I exchanged that for the X79 Dark, the graphics cards did not line up with the cutout anymore. Slot #1 is positioned differently, so now the first card interferes with the edge of the cutout. And widening the cutout didn't solve the visual problem.

As you can see here, the card goes past the "shock tower" of the panel and just looks like a mistake. It's been driving me nuts, so I gotta fix it!
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix1.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix2.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix3.jpg)

This close-up shot shows that the HDMI ports are inaccessible.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix4.jpg)

Thanks to the forgiving nature of fiberglass, this is a relatively easy fix. I cut out the corner of the shock tower on both sides...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix5.jpg)

Then cut 5/8" off the right side and put it over on the left to fill the gap, effectively moving the corner over and widening the towers. I temporarily tape it all together from the back.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix6.jpg)

Then I tape it from the front and block it so the pieces stay flat.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix7.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix8.jpg)

Then I removed the back tape and proceeded to fill in the gaps with thickened resin. After a few hours of curing, I removed the blocks and tape.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix9.jpg)

Everything is filled in for the most part, and level with the rest of the surface. All I need to do now is apply a bit of bondo filler and sand smooth.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Fiberglassfix10.jpg)

A slight set-back, but well worth the effort. My OCD is once again back down to nominal levels.

[Stonerboy779]

You said in the first post that in the end we would still be able to distinguish this case as a Cosmos II but I am wondering how much of that case is even left under all the scratch built components haha looking good

[Boddaker]

You said in the first post that in the end we would still be able to distinguish this case as a Cosmos II but I am wondering how much of that case is even left under all the scratch built components haha looking good

lol I guess I did say that didn't I. Hey, at least the frame is still intact.. for the most part. :whistler:

[msmrx57]

Thanks to the forgiving nature of fiberglass, this is a relatively easy fix.

Easy for you to say..... :whistler:

[Boddaker]

Hey guys, got some updates for you. Yes, plural, as in more than one! :) I just got back from my vacation in Hawaii, and I'm refreshed and ready to make the final push to finish this project by PDXLAN 24 in July. I returned home to a bunch of acrylic pieces waiting and ready to assemble, thanks to Brian at Primochill/ModSmart. This update will cover one of the parts I got... actually two: Fan shrouds for both sides of the 240mm radiator.

I designed a shroud that would cover both fans, and incorporate a cool flame grill for them as well. Here are the pieces for both shrouds, straight from the laser.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover1.jpg)

I took the pieces for one of the shrouds and taped them all together. As you can see, it's just a simple box.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover2.jpg)

After some aligning, I clamped them down and glued them together.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover3.jpg)

A few minutes later and I could take the tape off.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover4.jpg)

It fits snugly around both fans. Only thing I had to do was cut some notches in the bottom to clear the alu mounting posts underneath.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover5.jpg)

Now here's the coolness factor... Flame grills! Cut out of UV orange, these will be glued into the circle cutouts of the shroud. I elongated the flames so the tips extend over the edge. That way I can glue them down and they won't be prone to breaking off.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover6.jpg)

I should be able to finish these tomorrow, as well as a few more part assemblies. So I'll have another update for you then.

[Boddaker]

Fan shrouds part 2: Flame grill bending

I wanted to push the flame grill concept a bit further and see if I couldn't get a more realistic 3D look by adding some heat. I grabbed a bunch of dowels, some craft sticks, and my heat gun and went to work.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover9.jpg)

A lower angle shows the curves better.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover10.jpg)

It doesn't take much to get the thin licks soft. I used the craft sticks to shield the other parts I just bent from getting soft again.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover11.jpg)

After finishing all the bends, I stuck it on the shroud to see how it looked. I made sure there was enough clearance between the fan and the flames.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover12.jpg)

Looks great but I'm not done yet! Time to add a second layer...

I had a bunch more extra flames cut so I could intertwine them with the first layer. I took individual licks and bent them according to where I wanted them placed.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover13.jpg)

Here's two pieces temporarily clamped together.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover14.jpg)

This took some time, as there was a lot of trial fits and re-bending. I ended up using three separate licks (a double, and two singles) to fill in the gaps, giving it a nice random feel.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover15_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover15.jpg)

A top view shows the depth well.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover16_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover16.jpg)

I'm loving this look!
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover17_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover17.jpg)

And now I get to repeat it for the other three fans on this rad, plus the 140mm fan on the rear panel. :)

[TheMainMan]

:bowdown: is really all that needs saying here...

[TLHarrell]

Cool stuff.

[msmrx57]

:shoed: :bowdown: HOLY CARP!!!!! This just keeps getting more awesome.

[Boddaker]

Thanks msmrx57! :)

So while I continue on the flame grill bending spree, here are a few other pieces I made up.

The EK reservoir comes with an acrylic insert with their logo, but it seemed kind of piddly inside this long tube res.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RESinsert2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RESinsert2.jpg)

So I designed a custom insert more appropriate to this case and size of the res...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RESinsert1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RESinsert1.jpg)

Installed...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RESinsert3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RESinsert3.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RESinsert4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RESinsert4.jpg)

Also made a cover for the PSU. Another simple 4-piece box with some holes in the top for cabling.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSUcover1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSUcover1.jpg)

Glued, sanded, and in place...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSUcover2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSUcover2.jpg)

No fasteners required! Some double-stick tape should be enough to hold it in place, along with the cables going through the holes up top.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSUcover3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/PSUcover3.jpg)

The large holes are for the 24pin and 6pin PCI cables, while the smaller holes are positioned over the 12v power and molex cables. I'll explain my cabling scheme in more detail a bit later when I have more to show.
:wink:

[Boddaker]

Small update: Yet another mounting piece I designed and had laser-cut...

This part will be for mounting the Crucial SSD's on the back of the fiberglass panel, next to the EK res.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount1.jpg)


All pieces glued together, with the drives set in place. "Cosmos Cruizer" logo cutout in the center will have UV orange behind it.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount2.jpg)

Soon I will show how this piece will be mounted to the fiberglass panel...

[Boddaker]

Finished heat-bending all the flame grills over the weekend.

Here's one of the shrouds with the grills in place. Haven't glued them in yet.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover18_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover18.jpg)

Placed both shrouds on the 240mm rad for a look-see...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover19_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover19.jpg)

Other side...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover20_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover20.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover21_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover21.jpg)

I also made a flame grill for the back panel..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover22_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/RADcover22.jpg)

The idea is to have these grills integrated into the shrouds/panel so there will be no seams. Should look pretty cool after everything's painted.

[Stonerboy779]

Those flames are crazy

[Boddaker]

Been doing a lot of little piddly things over the last week, including some wiring, more sanding, radiator tab mounting, and remaking the rear IO panel trim piece. Yep, once again I have to re-do something I already did. This time, due to spacial concerns, I had to revise the port positioning, which meant cutting a whole new trim piece. :x

But enough of that, let's show something I did get accomplished...

I posted earlier about the SSD mounting system I came up with...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount1.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount2.jpg)

Here is the bracketry that will hold the mount to the fiberglass panel. I'm using flush-mount alan socket screws from the other side that screw into the threaded brackets.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount5.jpg)

I sanded down the mounting piece, as it will be painted to match the case.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount6.jpg)

The SSD drives are fastened on utilizing their top-face mounting holes.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount7.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount8.jpg)

A look from underneath shows the mounting screws for the SSD's.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount9.jpg)

The whole mounting assembly is screwed to the brackets via two flush mount screws on each side.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount10.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount11.jpg)

The cutout lettering in the center will have a UV orange backing, and it will be lit from inside.

Now back to the cabling debacle...

[TheMainMan]

Wait, Crucial put the logo sticker on the bottom of the drive and the specs on the top? That seems really strange to me. Bummer IMHO as the shape of the sticker and the graphics are similar to the hot rod curves you have in your design.

The mount looks great by the way ;)

[Boddaker]

Wait, Crucial put the logo sticker on the bottom of the drive and the specs on the top? That seems really strange to me. Bummer IMHO as the shape of the sticker and the graphics are similar to the hot rod curves you have in your design.

The mount looks great by the way ;)

I thought maybe they just put the decals on the wrong sides, but doing a Google image search shows that pretty much all the M4's are like this. No matter, because I'm making some SSD covers to go over the drives. :)

[Boddaker]

Getting all the cable routing sorted. I ran into an issue involving the cables from the power supply and the IO port cables. It seems they both want to occupy the same space. Of course I brought this on myself back when I relocated the power supply and mounted it vertically, then positioned the IO port where I thought it looked the best on the back panel, which just happened to be directly above the PSU. So now I get to figure out a way to make it work, while still looking decent.

Well, first thing I did was simplify the IO port. There were just too many things to deal with. Of course, removing things that had corresponding holes in the IO plate meant that I had to make another one with less holes. I'll show a before/after shot of the face plates later.

One of the things I omitted from the IO plate was the psu's power plug. It has a lot of wiring and electrical do-dads stuck to it that I just don't have room for. So I re-relocated it...

The power plug should be as low as possible on the back of the case anyway, so I found a suitable spot to flush-mount it into the back of the side panel.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug1.jpg)

After tracing the plug onto the panel, I cut it out and worked the edges until the plug fit nice and snug.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug2.jpg)

Then I cut a corresponding hole in the frame so all the attachments clear.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug3.jpg)

Now there's room for everything. And I can easily mount the grounding wire to the frame.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug4.jpg)

Fast forward past all the gluing, drying, bondoing, sanding, and priming...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug5.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug6.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Powerplug7.jpg)

Next up I'll show the rest of the IO cabling and the simplified plate.

[SXRguyinMA]

looking good!

[TLHarrell]

Awesome! New updates! I look forward to these.

FYI: for lighting the UV orange acrylic, you might try out some blue LEDs or LED strip. It's crazy, but it reacts much more with blue than UV. I'm doing an entire mod lit by UV orange acrylic and some blue light bleeding around.

[Boddaker]

Thanks TLHarrell, interesting idea witth the blue leds. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that blue and orange are opposite each other on the color wheel.

[Boddaker]

Not much progress over the Easter weekend since I was out of town, but here are a few pics of the cabling and new IO plate...

I got these short USB 3.0 extension cables to run from the motherboard to the back panel. But one end must be modified into an angled plug.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/USB1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/USB1.jpg)

So the rubber casing was stripped away, exposing the wax underneath...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/USB2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/USB2.jpg)

using my heat gun, the wax is easily melted, and becomes clear.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/USB3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/USB3.jpg)

Then I just scraped most of it off the wiring so I could bend the USB port over creating my angle plug.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/USB4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/USB4.jpg)

I proceeded to apply the same treatment to the other 3 USB cables, as well as two HDMI cables, and hot-glued them into place behind the back panel. Here you can also see the two DVI cables which were stripped of their gigantic white casings, and the back of the PSU power switch (top left) with extended wiring. Also hidden behind the usb cables is the ethernet adapter. I know this doesn't look pretty, but it will be all covered up in the end. :)
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/USB5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/USB5.jpg)

And here is what hopefully will be the final IO plate.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/IOplate8.jpg)

What the heck is going on here?? SSD watercooling?
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/SSDmount12.jpg)

[TLHarrell]

Nope. Does it with other UV colors as well. Looks pretty amazing in real life seeing one color become another.

https://scontent-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/1962679_588882634522780_1045225117_n.jpg

[Boddaker]

Made some good headway on the PSU wiring yesterday. This being an automotive/hotrod theme, I couldn't just do normal sleeving and be ok with it. I had to go with the theme and run simulated brake lines from the PSU for all 12v accessories and motherboard power.

Using the same technique as I did with the 1/2" stainless tubing, I made templates out of soldering wire and bent the 1/4" aluminum tubing to match. These runs will carry the SATA power cables to the SSD's.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring2.jpg)

I employed 90° compression fittings to transition from the tubing into the SSD mount.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring1.jpg)

On the other end, the tubes simply fit into the PSU cover where the cables plug in. The next set of tubes will provide power for the fan controller and LCD screen on the front bezel. The tubes drop down to the floor where the wires will continue hidden underneath to the front.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring3.jpg)

This pair runs power to the led strips that will run around the inside of the frame.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring4.jpg)

These tubes are for the dual 8pin CPU power cables. Each tube will carry 4 wires, hence the need for the slightly larger 5/16" tubing. Again, 90° compression fittings are used to bring the cables through the fiberglass panel to the motherboard.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring5.jpg)

Here's an overall shot of the PSU cover with all brake line tubing installed. The open holes on the right are extras. I was going to do one more set for the pumps, but they are so close to the PSU, I will just run the wires under the floor.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring6.jpg)

Next up is the main ATX 24pin and PCI-E cables. But these won't be run in aluminum tubing, nor will they be sleeved. To give you a clue, hotrods typically have 8 cylinder engines in them, and you can see there are 8 large holes in the PSU cover... :wink:

[OvRiDe]

I don't comment on this log nearly enough, because how many times can you say AMAZING, and Great Job...

BUT

That brake line idea and execution is truly AMAZING work!

[Boddaker]

I don't comment on this log nearly enough, because how many times can you say AMAZING, and Great Job...

BUT

That brake line idea and execution is truly AMAZING work!

Thanks man. It's getting real close now! Almost done with all the piddly stuff, then the major milestones will follow: Paint, Chrome, Upholstery, Final Assembly. woot!!

[Stonerboy779]

Ohhh can't wait to see more.

[msmrx57]

I don't comment on this log nearly enough, because how many times can you say AMAZING, and Great Job...

BUT

That brake line idea and execution is truly AMAZING work!

Agree completely!!!! :bowdown:


Thanks man. It's getting real close now! Almost done with all the piddly stuff, then the major milestones will follow: Paint, Chrome, Upholstery, Final Assembly. woot!!

SWEET!! Looking forward to seeing this in all it's glory. Wait, Upholstery?!?!? :eek:

[Boddaker]

SWEET!! Looking forward to seeing this in all it's glory. Wait, Upholstery?!?!? :eek:

Oh, did I type that out loud? :redface::lick:

Well, what kind of hotrod theme would this be without a white leather interior? :D

[Boddaker]

More odds and ends accomplished over the weekend. Some progress on the wiring, getting the spark plug wire look for the 24pin ATX and the PCI-e cables...

I threaded six wires through each 10mm UV orange hose and added spark plug boots to the ends. Straight boots for the PSU end...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring7.jpg)

...and angle boots for the other end.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring8.jpg)

Here's a shot of the wires pulled through the panel. Connectors will be added during final assembly. And I'll have some chrome eyelets installed to finish off the holes.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring9.jpg)

Will add the other four spark plug wires tonight.

[Boddaker]

Got all eight done...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring10.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring11.jpg)

I originally had the PCIe bank routed in front of the res, but I didn't like it, so I'm toying with going in behind it. I think it looks more tidy, and it helps to hold them in place. But now they are a little too long, so I'll have to shorten them.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Wiring12.jpg)

[msmrx57]

That is simply an AWESOME idea!! Goes with the theme perfectly as well as cleaning up the wires.

[Stonerboy779]

Really wish I could fast forward time haha

[Boddaker]

Thanks guys.

Another clean-up item checked off my list: Boxing in the top and front side bezels to hide all the ugly webbing and fiberglass remnants.

I got a sheet of 1/16" ABS and cut out the main pieces after making rough templates.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing1.jpg)

Then I cut a bunch of pieces for ribbing and support.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing2.jpg)

After fitting a base piece, I started gluing in the ribs and support pieces with ABS cement.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing3.jpg)

Now the main piece has something to glue to.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing4.jpg)

A shot of the left side bezel front. You can see why it has to be covered!
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing5.jpg)

With the front cover in place. The first of many test fits.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing6.jpg)

Mating the front piece with the top piece.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing7.jpg)

The right side bezel is in much better shape than the other one, but still needs to be boxed.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing8.jpg)

I simply mirrored the original pieces to make these.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing9.jpg)

After many refits, especially on the front due to the proximity of the front grill and faceplate, I finally got everything glued up. Here's the whole top with both side panels on the case. I scuffed the boxed pieces up in preparation for paint.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Boxing10.jpg)

My OCD is thanking me!

[Boddaker]

Well, I spent the weekend cleaning up panels and doing last minute details so I can send everything out for paint. I'm finding it difficult to stop messing with things and just call it good lol. I could easily spend another month just doing trivial things, so I have to force myself to stop and just put the panel in the box, and let BS Mods do their magic. Looking forward to getting some color on it! :D

[TLHarrell]

Meanwhile you can move on to other cool parts. Can't wait to see more.

[Boddaker]

Been finishing up a lot of minor details over the last couple weeks, trying to get all the panels' imperfections filled and smooth. Also had to make final adjustments to other parts that I wouldn't be able to do without the panels. Finally got everything boxed up and shipped to BSMODS for paint yesterday. :D
I hope it survives the trip, it's not like Bob and Rod don't have enough work to do already without having to perform reconstructive surgery as well.

So with all the panels out for paint, I must now concentrate on getting all the metal pieces ready to be sent out to the platers. Here are all the parts to be chromed..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Chromeparts_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Chromeparts.jpg)

[TLHarrell]

All of your photos have disappeared. :facepalm:

[Boddaker]

All of your photos have disappeared. :facepalm:

Yeah, my site went down last week. I should have it restored, temporarily at least, today or tomorrow.

[Boddaker]

Sorry about the lack of posts, but due to the ridiculous amount of work still left to do on this case (and my site going down), I've been kinda preoccupied. So tossing a few pics up here and there is about all I can manage right now.

Anyway, while I got parts out for paint and polish, I've been taking care of lots of little things, like this distributor cap mod. This is a piece that will serve as a cover for the 24pin ATX connector. The four "spark plug wires" will plug into this piece, with the actual connector on the other side.

So I started with the terminals from an actual distributor cap, which I recently removed off my V-6 Xterra.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap1.jpg)

I harvested four of the terminals from the donor cap.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap2.jpg)

Lining them up how I'll be gluing them together...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap3.jpg)

Drilling them out so the wires will pass through
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap4.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap5.jpg)

Fast forward past all the gluing, bondo, sanding, and smoothing, and we have this..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap6.jpg)

And as a final parting shot, all the bracketry and support pieces that have been sanded and primed.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Brackets1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Brackets1.jpg)

That's all I got for now, but I will be getting some polished parts back tonight, so I'll be sure to post a shot of them. And then hopefully Bob will give me a painting update soon.

[Boddaker]

Got parts back from the polisher yesterday. Here are a couple teaser shots...

Stainless pipe, before and after polishing..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Polish1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Polish1.jpg)

I assembled the grill first thing.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Polish2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Polish2.jpg)

I had the guy only polish the stainless pipes, grill pieces, top handle bars, and headers. I'll be taking care of the small stuff next week.

[TLHarrell]

Not sure where you're going with the plug thing. Those polished parts are super nice though. Can't wait to see this thing in paint finally!

[Boddaker]

Not sure where you're going with the plug thing.

Here, this might help...

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Distcap7.jpg)

It's basically a 90º cover that sits on top of the actual ATX 24pin plug.

[TLHarrell]

Looks awesome to me.

[Boddaker]

OMG

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint1.jpg)

[TheMainMan]

Don't know what it is but I like it!

[Boddaker]

Don't know what it is but I like it!

That is the base of my EK reservoir. :)

[OvRiDe]

Very nice! Thats an awsome color.

[TLHarrell]

This is going to be amazing. Love the color.

[msmrx57]

Droooooool!!! Looks amazing!

[Boddaker]

More teaser shots from BS Mods...

PPG Orange Vibrance base coat...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint4.jpg)

Mid coat...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint5.jpg)

Keyboard frame...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint2.jpg)

A test piece showing the paint with clear coat...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint3.jpg)

With just a couple weeks left until the lan, methinks I'm going to have a few sleepless nights ahead of me...

[d_stilgar]

Oh that pearl. Orange is my favorite color, and I especially like a nice burnt orange with a good pearl coat.

[Stonerboy779]

The paint is amazing

[Boddaker]

Another mini update and final paint teaser..

Slight modification on the EK tube reservoir brackets. I didn't like how they looked, so I filled in all the cavities with epoxy putty to make them look more solid.

Before..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/ResBracket1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/ResBracket1.jpg)

Filled..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/ResBracket2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/ResBracket2.jpg)

Sanded and primed..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/ResBracket3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/ResBracket3.jpg)

On the polishing front, I pretty much got all the small parts done over the weekend. All the tubes were really easy, but the 1/4" aluminum bars were pretty rough especially around the bends. I had to start with 80 grit on the orbital sander to get the sides flat again. Then I moved up to 120, then 220. After that, I switched to hand sanding with 400grit, then to a fine 3M Scotch-brite pad, and finally on to the polishing wheel using coarse and fine compounds. Here's a before and after shot..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Polish3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Polish3.jpg)


And finally I leave you with the paint teaser...
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint6.jpg)

This might be the last transmission until the LAN, because as soon as Bob delivers the case, I'll have zero time to be posting anything other than a quick FB pic.

[Airbozo]

I love that orange.

I may have to see about painting my sportster frame that color.

Fabulous work as always!

[msmrx57]

Nice work on the polishing. I imagine you didn't get a lot else done this weekend.

[Boddaker]

Ok, another quick paint update...

Bob has been taunting me for the past week with painting shenanigans, so I figured I might as well share..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint8.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint9.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint12.jpg)

I was going to save these shots until after the case was done, but I just can't keep the fricken awesomeness under wraps! Bob really outdid himself on my flame grills..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill17_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill17.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill18_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Grill18.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Paint10.jpg)

I literally cannot sit still I'm so excited to see all this in person. Should be arriving tonight!

[msmrx57]

WOW!!!!! Those grills were awesome to start with but that paint work pushes them way over the top!!

[Boddaker]

Ok, so while I'm at work and not finishing my case, I figured I'd post some assembly pics..

Bob came down and stayed all day Thursday to help me out, and got a crap-ton of stuff done while I was stuck at work. I can't thank him enough! :D

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly1.jpg)

Got the upholstery done on the interior panels while Bob slaved over the main panel covering..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly2.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly3.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly4.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly5.jpg)

The wiring on this thing is taking forever. Feeding the wires through the alu pipes is a royal PITA! But the end result will be worth it..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly6.jpg)

The back side of the SSD module, wiring up the drives and lighting..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly7.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly8.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly9.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly10.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly11.jpg)

ATX cable pinned with connector..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly13.jpg)

Motherboard 12v power cables pinned and numbered. Will run continuity checks on all wires to match them up on the other end.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly14.jpg)

Other side of the panel, waiting for PSU.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly12.jpg)

Covering the PSU cover..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly15_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly15.jpg)

Got all the blocks on the board, after detailing them in white/orange.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly16_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly16.jpg)

Manifold in place..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly17_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly17.jpg)

Rigid tubing in place..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly18_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly18.jpg)

Polished mesh scoop insert..
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly19_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly19.jpg)

Tonight will consist of more wiring. Hope to finish up the PSU so I can move on to installing the rest of the stainless tubing and fill.

[TheMainMan]

:bowdown: (All that really needs to be said about this mod!)

[Boddaker]

After struggling for 3 hours, I finally got the main side panel mounted to the frame. Had to modify a few things, and remove some paint layers in order for it to fit again. But with the help of my wife and a few clamps, I got it on..... and then I put the panel on the frame. :P

Now I can continue installing components and routing wires.
http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly20_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly20.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly21_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly21.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly22_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Assembly22.jpg)

[msmrx57]

:bowdown: (All that really needs to be said about this mod!)

What he said. :bowdown:

[d_stilgar]

Wow. I'm drooling. Those tubes look awesome. It all looks awesome.

[Boddaker]

Well, I wasn't able to get the Cruizer case running in time due to leaky fittings. But I still wanted to show it, so I temporarily rigged it up with lights and fans..

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/LANcruizer1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/LANcruizer1.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/LANcruizer2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/LANcruizer2.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/LANcruizer3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/LANcruizer3.jpg)

Now that I have some time, I will address the issues that arose as I was assembling it...
Electrical
- re-route wiring under floor so rear fans don't arbitrarily change modes
- Fix grounding issue with front LCD screen
- Add lighting to motherboard area
Cooling
- Fix leaks & refill
- Mix up correct color fluid
Cabling
- Clean up rear IO panel
- Reroute USB/DVI cables and cover
General
- Address panel alignment and fitment
- Finish and assemble hinged fuel door
- Finish and assemble Razer keyboard
- Add door popper feature with touch sensitive button

Should only be a couple more weeks and I'll have all the gremlins worked out and I can call it done. :)

[TLHarrell]

Stunning.

[Boddaker]

Sorry I haven't had any time to wrap this thing up. Shortly after returning from PDXLAN, my mother had to be hospitalized briefly. She is back home now, but I'm spending all my free time with her until she gets better.

[sprower]

Been lurking around here for some time. I finally had to register up just to say... Amazing Boddaker, truly a piece of art you have here.

Also, best wishes for your mother. Hope everything works out for yall.

[d_stilgar]

Sorry to hear about your mom. I'm glad you were back before it happened though. Hopefully she returns to full health soon.

[Boddaker]

Guess it's safe to update this project log, now that I actually managed to finish it!

Since my last post I've had a lot to deal with (two deaths in the family just 37 days apart), but I'm finally managing to get my head back in the neighborhood of sanity. Thanks to the much needed encouragement of my good friends, I was able to focus enough on this project to get it completed in time for PDXLAN last weekend. Here are a few pics from that LAN..

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer-LAN1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer-LAN1.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer-LAN2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer-LAN2.jpg)

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer-LAN6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Cruizer-LAN6.jpg)

It was great having the chance to step away from everything that has been going on recently. I really needed the therapy! I can't thank Richard Surroz and Brian Farrell enough for that.

And special thanks to CPU Magazine for choosing my case (over all the other insanely killer builds entered) for the April cover! That was a truly awesome cap to a perfect getaway weekend. :D And to have three of my primary long-time sponsors present (Primochill, EVGA, and Crucial) to see the finished product in person was just icing on the modding cake!

It was a long time in the making, but well worth it. I will be doing a proper photo shoot with the case next week. Until then!

[TheMainMan]

All that's left is the hot rod to drive it around in... :whistler:8)

Seriously, it looks great! Can't wait to see the detail shots.

[Konrad]

Did you use a heatgun to remove factory heatspreaders from your RAM? Any advice for doing this successfully when a strong adhesive sits on very fragile, easily damaged (high-density FBGA) chips?

[Boddaker]

Did you use a heatgun to remove factory heatspreaders from your RAM? Any advice for doing this successfully when a strong adhesive sits on very fragile, easily damaged (high-density FBGA) chips?

Didn't use a heat gun. Check my earlier post here (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?29748-Cosmos-Cruizer&p=375114&viewfull=1#post375114).

[Konrad]

Ah, thanx, sir. Still looks a little scary, lol, my RAM wasn't cheap. But no guts no glory (no warranty), right?

I think I'll combine your pull-both-sides-at-once approach with my heatgun-clamped-to-something approach and the usual patiently-gentle-but-unwaveringly-firm and just hope for the best. Just can't find any sort of performance DDR4 these days without some awful gamer-styled garish heatspreader - I guess as long as people keep buying them manufacturers will keep gluing them on.

I really like the classy elegant look (and low profile) of your EK Monarchs, btw, regardless of their watercooling functionality. I might get some just for looks (no watercooling in my rig) since I already have to remove big heatspreaders from 3 DIMMs to get my beastly TISIS air cooler onto the processor.

I wonder what it is about the Cosmos case which inspires so many sport muscle-car automotive themes?

[Boddaker]

Sorry for the long wait, but here are the final pics. Enjoy! :)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer1_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer1.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer2_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer2.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer3_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer3.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer4_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer4.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer5_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer5.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer6_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer6.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer7_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer7.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer8_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer8.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer9_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer9.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer10_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer10.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer11_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer11.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer12_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer12.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer13_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer13.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer14_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer14.jpg)


http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer15_sm.jpg (http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer15.jpg)

Of course I would never have been able to build such an amazing case without the help of these amazing people..

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/Cruizer_Sponsors.jpg

http://www.bods-mods.com/CosmosII/Final/BSMods-Logo-sm.jpg

Thanks everyone!

[OvRiDe]

That's Fantastic!

Beautiful work as usual. I really like this one.

[TLHarrell]

Stunning! I really love the fluid distribution block. Awesome way to clean up the lines.

[TheMainMan]

Wow, just wow!