Project - BSG Cylon Raider - {Modified}

[phalen]

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/9896/bsg5la.jpg

hello all - well - i finally got to buy some of the parts to start building my custom pc.

took a while to get where i am now - a lot of thinking and a lot of drawings - most of which ended up in the can :p

my original plans were to use an old server case - but as i got more into the design of the case i decided that i wanted to build my own frame.

so - stage 1 - building the frame:

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/999/toolsparts4xm.jpg

thank goodness dad has some tools - helped a lot :p
i bought 4 rods of L-shaped aluminium, 2 packs of pop-rivets (3.2mm), 2 drill bits (3.2mm), and a steel saw blade.

first measured the first rod - 4 sides measured into one bit. then we took cut at a 45 degree angle on both sides of the measured point - so that when we bent the rod it would make a nice 90 degree corner.

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/1451/framecorner7it.jpg

did this for all bending points, ended up with 2 side frames that fitted perfectly first time round :) then we cut the cross-bars - which was easiest of all:)

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/7056/frameparts6bl.jpg

time to put the frame together - first time i worked with a pop-gun - nice lil tool :)

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/9804/cornerpop0qs.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8562/cornerpop24ic.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7904/frameall2ll.jpg

k - stage 1 of frame almost done.

now i have to put in the rest of the rods, and then placement of brackets - this will happen the weekend again.


stage 2 will be the base. once i'm done with the frame i can do the base. which will be done in perspeks. i read about how to bend it using heat - will read some more on that & practise a bit before i do the final bend :)

stage 3 will be building the model. i figured that i wont be able to start this until i have an exact measurement of the frame & base.

stage 4 will be fiberglass - turning the modle into nice panels.

stage 5 will be airbrushing/painting - still have to find someone who can do that for me as i dont hav a chance in hell of doing a decent job :rolleyes:

stage 6 will be electronics - while i'll be doing most of this during the other phases - i will be doing the final touches and placements after all has been done.


as a further note - i have a monthly budget of roughly R250 - which means that this project will take a very long time to do as i dont have all the funds to buy everything at once or sooner than i'd like.

anyhoo. i had fun so far this weekend - hope to have even more fun with the rest of it.

[FyR]

looking good so far mate, ill keep an eye on this one :)

[Short Modder]

It'll be a great mod to watch!

[TheGreatSatan]

I love Battlestar Gallactica and was thinking of doing a BayStar Mod in the future, but I will happily watch yours instead. Where's the popcorn?

[Rankenphile]

I got some right here, TGS.

*crunch crunch crunch*

[phalen]

thanks :) Just a lil side-note - i'm a girl :)

[OvRiDe]

thanks :) Just a lil side-note - i'm a girl :)

Holy lipgloss Batman!! Its ANOTHER one!!! :rolleyes:

Nah.. Just kidding. :p Great work so far.. I would love to see some pictures of or a blurb on how you did the bending on the corners. They came out perfect!!

[phalen]

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/3191/rod1zp.jpg

@ OvRiDe: ok - u get your 90 degree mark first - will be a guide.

then measure out 45 degree angles on opposite sides. you cut out along these two angles - so you end up with a skew 90 degree gap.

then you place the rod/metal/whatever in a clamp/vicegrip/whatever - up to the point where the 90 degree mark was (original mark).

now - here's where i differed from my dad - he bent the aluminium cold. it fractured a bit where it was bent.

i used heat & a hammer. took my mom's hair-dryer - heated the exposed area, then i bent the rod gently - once the rod was fairly bent all the way - i used a hammer to flatten it more - like a blacksmith would do with metal on an anvil.

came out pretty decent i would say :)

[OvRiDe]

place the rod/metal/whatever in a clamp/vicegrip/whatever - up to the point where the 90 degree mark was (original mark).
i used heat & a hammer. took my mom's hair-dryer - heated the exposed area, then i bent the rod gently - once the rod was fairly bent all the way - i used a hammer to flatten it more - like a blacksmith would do with metal on an anvil.

came out pretty decent i would say :)

Thats what I was looking for.. how you were able to get the corners so square. They did come out really nice. I will have to give that a shot on a little project I am working on. Thanks!

[gamerguy99]

sweet idea, cant wait to see it finished!:D

[phalen]

k - here's what i hope to have once this project is completed, and i really hope it will work for me :) the actual sizing might be different - depending on how the model building goes.... which will start sometime next month....

(thumbnail)
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/3295/bsgcase5mv.th.jpg (http://img80.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bsgcase5mv.jpg)

[phalen]

guess no-one likes my drawing :redface:

[Rankenphile]

...or everyone was asleep and didn't get a chance to see it. be patient. in my time zone, your picture was posted at 10:30 pm, and your second post was at 5:20 am.

I think it's a very cool idea. I'm interested in seeing how you pull it off. Be sure to post pics.

[Drac998]

It looks like the finsished product will look awesome. Especially if you put in a scrolling led light into the raiders eye, and a nice brushed metal look to the face with some battle wear.

[crenn]

Hehehe... when I took a look at it... I had an idea where the CD drive could go!

[phalen]

@crenn - the cd/dvd drive will definitely not be where the 'eye' is :P

i have a different location in mind

[Shikimaru]

interesting, similar to something i was thinking about

Will look foreward to how this pans out

[crenn]

@crenn - the cd/dvd drive will definitely not be where the 'eye' is :P

i have a different location in mind

:eek:

STOP READING MY MIND!!

:D

[slaveofconvention]

*spark of intuition*

I know you said you weren't going to put the Optical where the eye is - but you could.... then put a reflective piece at a 45 degree angle on the drive tray (assuming you arent using a slot-load) with the scrolling led's shining down from a hidden place just above it - that way you could use the eye space to serve both purposes and the optical drive would be perfectly stealthed

[phalen]

k - a lil update - i made the bracket for the hard drives - took me 4hrs 30 mins to do - after all that and a aching back - i realized i made it too big by 6 mm - i didnt account for the thickness of the aluminium bars.... :(

now i'll hav to cut out a piece of the equal angles - then it will fit 'perfectly'

oh well - live and learn - here's a few pics...

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/197/hddframe0nr.jpg
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/3186/hddframe21qr.jpg
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/6810/hddcorner7ad.jpg

[phalen]

no update for today - had a good long weekend as friday was a public holiday - so i had planned to do the backing for the mobo & the base. went to my local hardware store to get me flat sheet aluminium... they only had galvinized sheets.... not what i was looking for.

to make things worse - the factories that stock aluminium sheets were closed on the public holiday - and they wont open till monday again (today). :(

all my plans for the weekend went down the drain... will hav to buy the sheet this week - thought i might as well hav them cut and bend it since they have the tools... will see what happens though...

:( :( :(

[phalen]

i found my 'eye' - didnt know what i was going to do for the eye part of my cylon case - but i found this lil thing that will work just fine :) and its a memory cooler :D :D :D :D

click on the demo link to see it in action

http://www.thermaltake.com/product/cooler/vganchipnmem/cl-c0001/cl-c0001.asp

[phalen]

ok - its been a while since my last update - had to save up cash to get this phase done - it sucks when u'r short on cash.. :(

anyhoo....

i went to Metal World in Cape Town, they specialize in aluminium & bending/shaping it.

had my pieces bent there - quite pleasing to see those big machines do the work in one-tenth of the time it would hav taken me to do it

here's a few pics....

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/3658/one1pa.jpg
http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/5417/two3tn.jpg
http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/4792/three9pp.jpg
http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/87/four7tm.jpg
http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/4217/five7el.jpg
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/4453/six0xw.jpg

[simon275]

Oh this projects back on cool.

So you are just gonna bolt these pretty metal sheets of your's to the case and cut some holes for dives, fan holes and what not.

Are you still going with the orginal design.

[phalen]

yes - still going with original design - hav to do bolting this weekend...

sorry its taking so long to update this - like i said previously - i dont have a lot of cash to buy what i need as often as i like.

i had to save up to get the aluminium sheets (and bending), my work time is also limited as i leave for work at 6am in the morning, and get home at 7pm at nite.

so my work time on this project is for weekends only - and that usually means sundays only - my saturdays tend to be hectic :(

anyhoo - once the frame is done i can start with the model.

i'm going to use green oasis, and cover it with body-filler.

i managed to secure fiberglass for free - my sisters ex-boyfriends brother builds boats - so he will be sponsoring me fiberglass.

a little bit of luck there for me :)

[phalen]

here's the mobo-backing - ready to be drilled for copper screws
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/4139/mbback33lt.jpg

a lil closeup after drilling and copper screws inserted
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/3442/mbback26pk.jpg

the mobo-backing fitted into the frame - secure fit - mom says its all nice and shiny :p
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/8215/mbback15xj.jpg

here's a view of the front of the frame - i added a mesh - will add fans at later stage
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/8365/grill47sf.jpg

close-up of the mesh
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/5110/grill37nl.jpg

next two shots - i used 3.2mmx 8mm pop-rivets with aluminium washers (for pops)
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/6403/grill27na.jpg
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/4299/grill15za.jpg

next step was to pop the base to frame - problem was it was too big - guys who fitted and bent it did a crappy job - i tried (for first time) to use a jigsaw - to cut off the bent corners and get it to fit - well - lets just say the jigsaw ran away with me :( and i made a bigger mess than the pros....

will hav to get that re-done sometime this week or saturday...

[NadeChaser]

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/3191/rod1zp.jpg

@ OvRiDe: ok - u get your 90 degree mark first - will be a guide.

then measure out 45 degree angles on opposite sides. you cut out along these two angles - so you end up with a skew 90 degree gap.

then you place the rod/metal/whatever in a clamp/vicegrip/whatever - up to the point where the 90 degree mark was (original mark).

now - here's where i differed from my dad - he bent the aluminium cold. it fractured a bit where it was bent.

i used heat & a hammer. took my mom's hair-dryer - heated the exposed area, then i bent the rod gently - once the rod was fairly bent all the way - i used a hammer to flatten it more - like a blacksmith would do with metal on an anvil.

came out pretty decent i would say :)

Sweet that is a great idea... thank you so much... its gonna make my case look so much better =P

[phalen]

sunday i worked on my hard drive bracket - the parts were bent by big bending machines :p - the rest was for me to do :)

first - to measure out the bracket - had to figure out how many drives i want in there at a time. decided on 6. firt i measured the length (inside dimensions) - 29cm. the hdd is - on average - 2.5cm. decided to make the space between the drives 2cm each. more than enough room for heat dissapation i think. - after all marks were made - time to place the dots for the holes. got that all done - took me a while to measure it out perfectly :) didnt want to make a mistake.
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/5826/photo1cs7.jpg

here's a closeup of the marks i made - the lil cross in the center is where i drilled the holes into.
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/858/photo2ia2.jpg

time to drill those holes - i lined up all the staves - 4 of them, the the main one (with markers) at the top - a vice-grip to help keep em all together - and drill-away. took forever with the baterry powered drill.. drained it too - by the last hole it took almost 5 mins just to get thru - the poor thing was harldy spinning. also had to stop often as the alluminium kept melting and prevented the drill point from working properly. major bummer that...
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/5654/photo3zi7.jpg

here's a close-up of the first 2 holes i drilled - 4 left to go and my hands were killing me :P
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/2615/photo4wx2.jpg

time to put it all together. i used my dud hard drive to maintain propper measurements. helped a lot too. this time i had to use the electric powered drill - the battry one was flat. should hav used this one from the start - way better :D
http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/3549/photo5bh4.jpg

nothing nicer than getting that pop into place and ready to secure it all :)
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/6468/photo6ty2.jpg

all done - not too shabby if you ask me :) considering its my frist attempt. behind the drives there will be a couple of fans to blow the heat away from the drives - mainly inward - but more on that later :)
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/2552/photo7cq7.jpg

wanted to fit the cd-rom bay - but i ran out of washers - couldnt get any either - way to late on a sunday afternoon. sigh... will hav to wait till next weekend. :) you might notice that the bay is facing towards the side of the case - and not the front. its where i intend to hav it. dont want anything coming out the front. will b all side.
i hardly ever use the drive - so wont be a hassel for me to use it on the side... was thinking on making the side area where the power button & cd-rom is look like a control panel of some sort... will hav to see how things pan out.
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/220/photo8bf3.jpg

anyhoo - thats all for today - sorry for late updates... dont get a lot of time to work - and when i can i dont hav the cash to provide the materials for it.... bummer :P

[DaveW]

Looking good, buddy! Nice and clean too!

-Dave

[elbarto241]

keep up the good work! :)

[phalen]

hmm.... seems i missed one of the photos i took.... well, here it is now...

a shot of the hard drive bracket all done :)

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/3740/photo7tj2.jpg

i though i might play around in google sketchup - modeled my frame...

anyway - not too bad for a girl :rolleyes:

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4319/bsg1di4.jpg

http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/6595/bsg2cy1.jpg

[simon275]

Good job its sketchup is such a great visualisation tool. What I'm really waiting for is to see how the outside of the case will look.

[isunktheship]

i like that rendering, excellent custom work.

[phalen]

thanks guys - appreciate the comments...

[phalen]

k - played a bit with my model - had a thought about how to get the heat away from my hdd's... extraction.

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/4757/bsgatr8.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/1456/bsgbak6.jpg

the green box i'll position in front of the hdd's, 2 holes in this box with air ducts attached to it (orange) - which will extract the hot air away from my hdd's and outa my box....

dont know if its a good idea... what do you guys think?

[Maz]

look how far you are trying to take the air and push it down. wouldnt it be better for noise and cooling if the exhaust were on top or mounted like your other fans but dedicated for the hard drives. if you font like making a T shape in fromt you could do a line of three fans. maybe vent them through the sides?

just my .02$

looks good

[phalen]

hiya Maz

problem with the t-line is this.

where the hdd's are positioned - thats where my cylon 'eye' is going to be - so there wont be any vents/holes for those fans to extract the air from

so i cant do the T thing... if i do i hav to get rid of the 'eye' and that would defeat the project..

anything else that might help?

[phalen]

k - sorry for the long pause in this project - i'v been busy and unable to continue my project. from bonsai conventions to major lan's to studying new design software (illustrator & indesign) and running out of funds i had quite a lot and sometimes nothing to keep me from continuing this project.

one of my biggest setbacks was my model material. i initially settled for florist oasis foam (the green stuff) - i was ready to start my model building - turned out 2 boxes (40 blocks) were not enough - i needed a further 40 blocks. :eek:

tried to get more -but couldnt get them to deliver for me and couldnt drive to them either - and buying single bricks at local garden shops just wouldnt work out cost effective.

but there was light at the end of the tunnel.

i got a sponsor for my fiberglass, and they had a big block of foam made for me in return for making a sign for them. a very good deal i would think. thats why i had to study - didnt know the program to make the sign in properly - i work in photoshop mainly - and cant do print design in that.

anyways - long story short - i got my block of foam - i can now - finally - start sculpting my model. then after that i can get the mold done - which will set/cure for minimum of 3 weeks - then i will make the 'article' - the final parts that will cover my frame.

dimensions: 90cm (l) x 50cm (w) x 50cm (h) - thats 35.4" (l) x 19.6" (w) x 19.6" (h)

nice and big huh?

here's a shot of the block still in its wrappings - will take off the wrappings 2morrow.

http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/4524/foamblockjq8.jpg

and here's a standard case next to te block to compare size.

gonna need a table just for this case :D
http://img322.imageshack.us/img322/4386/foamblockcasedp5.jpg

[jordy_wd]

That's one hell of a block of foam! Now you could make as many mistakes as you want to! (touch wood, i hope you dont)

[DaveW]

This going to be sweet.

-Dave

[JacobS]

nice mod. though can't say that I've ever seen the show it's a good idea and I think I'm going to use some of those techniques in my case. Good luck :D !

[Maz]

for the hdds and cooling them. would it be possible for you to remount the hard drives so they lay flat then use two fans and blow across them.
v--fans-V
ll= = = =ll ->
ll= = = =ll -> something lke that
^^ ^^
hard drives

[phalen]

@ Maz: nope - not going to lay them down vertically. wont get in as much hdd's then. :)


k - saturday came and finally i was able to start on my model. 8)
time to unwrap the huge block of foam:
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/6456/unwraptz2.jpg

i started to cut away areas i wouldnt need - using my 'blue-prints' to help guide me - i removed quite a bit of the foam - but i ended up what i wanted.
here's a pic of all the unwanted foam removed and my 'blue-prints' fixed to the block.
http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/3488/sketchalllx7.jpg

and another from the side
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/8665/sketchsideho1.jpg

here's one seen from the front - i removed most of the foam to get a general 'curve' for the front - bad curve i know - it'll get there ;)
http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/9651/beforelp1.jpg

k - so i looked again at my design - realised i had a lil problem. the 'tail-section' had to go - i'm it was not going to work with the fiberglass mold i want to do - so - i cut it off "off with its.... eh... TAIL"
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/3939/tailsectionaz2.jpg

here's a view of the side-outline just before i started to sand the block.
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/1981/sideoutlinenw7.jpg

here i have the back finished - not going to hav any fiberglass there so its not 100% level there except for the sides that are 100% on their outline marks. had to practise first with the sanding machine - first time i'm using it.
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/1315/backshotwf2.jpg

here's a finished shot of the front viewed from side - nicely done (you'll see the two extra outlines - i had to adjust my outlines a bit after i aligned them up properly.)
http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/8435/finishedsidesz1.jpg

here's a shot from the front. see the extruding part in the center? thats the eye-area.
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/5156/finishedfrontca2.jpg

now i hav to do the sides - i spent a good deal on satuday and sunday doing all this. got blisters on my hands from that sanding machine. :p

next weekend i'm at a lan - so i'll probably not do anything until sunday - if i'm able to stay awake that is....

but in anycase - i'll take a few more shots this evening - was sure i had more of the finished sides (top & front) - guess i imagined i did it :p

ciao for now

[MitaPi]

A. I LOVE BSG! I used to watch it all the time. What an awesome idea for a mod! How did I miss this? I need to check out the worklogs more often!

B. That is one big block of foam! lol

Good job so far, I'll be watching this project for sure!

Good Luck!
MitaPi

[DaveW]

It's coming along well.

-Dave

[JacobS]

you may have already said this but what are you going to do once you have the foam model? are you going to fiberglass it or what

[phalen]

@ JacobS: once the foam model is done - i have to seal it with some kind of sealant (not sure what to use yet) - then i am going to make a mold using fiberglass. then that will cure/set for 3 weeks at least till its good and firm. then i will make the article (final product) to fit over the frame.

anyhoo - i still have some work to do on my frame - i hav to fix the cd bay's and fit a power supply still - but that can wait till a bit later.

here's two more shots of the model so far.

http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/5031/finished1ik1.jpg
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7015/finished2cp9.jpg

[simon275]

Wow this is sweet dont think I have seen anyone take this approach before. Gotta love that sponshor ship you are getting free foam and all. So then are you going to seal the foam sealit some how make a fiberglass mold and then remove the foam block or something. I' am a little confused, Any way keep up the good work.

400 posts - woot!

[JacobS]

sorry, after reading over this thread again I realize that you had already said most of that. but that is a good idea and again good luck

[phalen]

k - didnt get to work last weekend on my case.... was way too pooped after the lan.

this weekend i hav nothing planned so i will b working hard again.

little side note - i was trying to find a dremel here in SA, but didnt have much luck - and the hardware guys didnt quite understand my poor explanation of the tool.

so i got an image last week, printed it out - and showed it to them. they showed me a nice big box with the Dremel - for R1600!!! i almost sat flat on my backside.

so i asked if they had anything cheaper but that does the same job - they did. Skill made by Bosch. for R275. less than a 5th of the price of a Dremel!

now at least i will have a good tool that wont cost me a fortune. I'll purchase it at the end of the month though - no cash now.

but here's a nice pic of what it looks like :)

http://www.rucni-naradi.cz/foto/SKIL-1415.jpg

[chedabob]

thats cool. problem with the cheaper ones is finding replacement bits. especially the cutting discs. they just explode.

[phalen]

k - been working on my model for last two weeks (weekends actually), working as time permitted me.

had to re-draw my outlines here, was too close to the one side for my comfort.
http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/1391/1bp1.jpg

drew the outline of the frame as well on all sides to help guide me.
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/6859/2wk0.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/5734/3hm8.jpg
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7743/4jy5.jpg

k - here's where i made a f&*^-up. tried to sand the foam according to the outlines, it didnt work to well, first, i couldnt keep a straight line - so i drew the lines accross the side of the foam, second, i sanded below my case line (on the bottom) in one area, i tried to patch it with wood-glue and foam-dust, at that point i decided to wait till it dried before i would work again.
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4089/5qo3.jpg
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/9057/6om7.jpg

last weekend - decided to loose some of the design to save my model - i had made a real mess trying to sand out the original design.... live and learn they say. decided to make it all smooth for the side.
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/1580/7gk1.jpg
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/7048/8iw3.jpg

this side was a lot easier to do after the messed-up side, seeing as i had a better plan to work with.....
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/8586/9ms3.jpg
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/5264/10wr0.jpg
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/2961/11za4.jpg
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/8261/12zn5.jpg

here's where i had the sides 'done', had to start smoothing out the top to give it a nice curve.... nice .... but not curvey yet...
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/7573/13lp4.jpg
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/9517/14ue6.jpg

decided i didnt like it, didnt fit too well at all - the curves were off, the one side's 'wing' was way lower than the other.... decided i had to rework it to make it work.

first i looked at the messed up side - i still had a lot of room to play with before i hit the frame-line - so i decided to make it narrower on the right side (messed-up side). i tucked the design in a bit, and re-sanded it, then i tucked the left side in a lil bit as well, just to get the same curve as right side.

then i had to get the 'face' worked out - had to take out a section off the sides to give the effect of a 'face'. worked on the top as well - made it move curvey. smoothed out any odd lines left from the sander. lastly i fixed up the 'eye' area, rounded its corners, smoothed out the lines more. the center piece of the eye i will finish once the final article (fiberglass cast) is done, as well as the bouth piece - which will be in the center of of the face - below the eye.
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/2906/15cm2.jpg
http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/3654/16ot0.jpg
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/2910/17er8.jpg
here's a view from the top - just to see its top side...
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/9288/18yg6.jpg

another view from the top - this is what the front looks like seen from the top...
http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/2715/19ha1.jpg

side shot - think i see one area on the right side that needs a bit more smoothing... will work on that next weekend.
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4750/20eg2.jpg

all in all i think it went well - the model is done - next - phase - fiberglass mold.

[phalen]

thought -i'd hav at least some feedback on my model being complete now - even very hateful feedback would be nice right about now.

**grumbles in a corner**

[SharkMan]

looks nice

[dgrmkrp]

feedback:

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4750/20eg2.jpg
looks like a Cylon Raider.. but i want to see how u're going with this... could you post some pics of a raider vs your model from different angles... cause it looks a bit off to me.. just a bit.. but, because the foam block is a primitive.. i cant follow :) i did have a 7 hour train ride right now.. so.. :)

[Acey]

*scratches head*

whats a cylon raider? spaceship?

[dgrmkrp]

the cyclones are a race of robots men created.. they are better than us..or so they think :) the raider is a ship/ cyclon that looks like a ship. the original battle star galactica series had them like ships with 3 can-like robot drivers.. the new raider is a new kind of being, adapted to space-flight and fighting. cooool :D i like the old and the new BSG :)
it's like a book. a good one :) u should buy/download/watch it :) or maybe it's free... i don't remember. i watched just some parts of season 1 on sci-fi :) i think.. good quality

[YoungBlood]

Errrrr....*speechless* (speechless asin... I dont know what to say :S)

I can't see where this is going?

How long til it is done?

[Maz]

looks good, for foam. are you going to use mold release on that so you can get your fiberglass out or are you going with the heat gun method of removal?

[Rankenphile]

Coming along nicely. I can't wait to see where you go from here. Keep it up.

[phalen]

primitive in design for the foam - yes - i kept the foam model basic - the eye & mouth pieces i will work on when the fiberglass cast is finished.

where am i going from here? creating the fiberglass mold. was told that would take about 2-3 weeks to set properly - then i can do the cast, from fiberglass. after that - i will work on they eye, mouth and other intricate parts of the design. then - once all that is done and it will go for air-brushing/spray paint job.

here's a pic of a cylon raider - mine is without the wings ofcourse, and had to change the design somewhat since i messed up with the sanding :(

http://scifi3d.theforce.net/downloads/BS_Galactica/Models/470_lge_cylonraider.jpg

[Monker]

Great Idea. Scary thing is that I wanted to do the Centurain and was looking on the net to find ideas on how to make it and found yours. what kind of foam did you as I want to make the model for mine.

[phalen]

hiya monker - well - i'm not sure what kind of foam it is - i got it from my fiberglass supplier. they use the foam with their fiberglass to build cooler trucks - the foam goes inbetween the fiberglass.

after 3 weeks of hiatus - i finally got a chance to work on my project again. gave my model another layer of fiberglass resin - and i worked some more on my frame - bolting the cdrom bay to the frame - and spray-painting it black mat.

i wanted to change the plastic cover my model was on - it was full of dust and blobs of fiber resin - so i made the attempt to lift my model - went ok - came off smoothly from the plastic.

then i noticed something a bit too late - the set resin was extremely slippery - i lost my grip - tried to catch the model - but failed. :( my model fell on the side of the table - denting the left side of the model in 3 places - and on the right side it landed on i dont know what - there's a small dent there too.

i am soooo depressed! sat there crying at the sight of the carnage.

could not think at that point - so i packed everything up - and ended up watching Saving Private Ryan on dvd.

dad heard what had happened - suggested i use polyfiller to fix the dents.... dont know if it will work - but will give it a try.

dont have photos now - its still on my camera - too depressed to look at them at this point. will get them for u all soon...

[Monker]

wow sad to hear hope u can fix the dents

[DaveW]

could not think at that point - so i packed everything up - and ended up watching Saving Private Ryan on dvd.

Not something to watch while depressed...bad to hear. Hope you get back on your feet soon though man! Everyone goes through these stages, so don't worry about it. ;)

-Dave

[Airbozo]

Hey novel idea: Don't fix the dents, incorporate them into the mod as "laser damage" complete with burn marks and debris. IMO space ship models and mods look much more realistic with battle damage.

[OvRiDe]

Hope you get back on your feet soon though man!
-Dave


thanks :) Just a lil side-note - i'm a girl :);)


Hey novel idea: Don't fix the dents, incorporate them into the mod as "laser damage" complete with burn marks and debris. IMO space ship models and mods look much more realistic with battle damage.

I agree.. Maybe like the Raider named "Scar"

[DaveW]

Thanks for pointing that out Overide-though i'm just going to, as usual, chalk this one down to culture shock and pretend it never happened.

:D

-Dave

[phalen]

thanks guys - the thought did cross my mind to make it battle scars - but i'm not really sure about that... wil hav to look at the dents more closely and see if it can be done or not...

thanks for the support guys!

[Canada's Own Falcon]

look how far you are trying to take the air and push it down. wouldnt it be better for noise and cooling if the exhaust were on top or mounted like your other fans but dedicated for the hard drives. if you font like making a T shape in fromt you could do a line of three fans. maybe vent them through the sides?

just my .02$

looks good

2 points so far, on this note ^^^ I would put the fans at the top of your picture, forcing air down through your vents. If you put them at the bottom, you'll get a nasty sucking sound...

As for the eyes (sorry, don't know what the link you gave was, it doesn't work) but if you wanted a great idea, try the NZXT guardian case, yeah you'd have to rip a case apart, but the eyes on it rock

http://www.nzxt.com/image/2/26/

Thats what it looks like from the front (sorta bad pic, the bottom set of lights " " are a reflection, the lights are the top, the bottom is a silver paint...)
the lights come blue, but they're led's, with a pretty cool flashing setup, I'm sure if you wanted you could change the LED's to red ones...

As for dents, it happens to everyone, worst case, slap some filler in there, apply a new layer of fibreglass, add some TLC (you're a gal, you should be great at that, at least myne is :D) in the form of some 220 grit sandpaper (be sure to buy lots, fibreglass seems to clog it rather quick) then when comes time for primer, give it an extra coat, then apply paint, good as new :D

I did work on some junior race cars, run on batteries, and the one I was working on had it's front right wheel cowel dented, quick bondo fill, some extra fibreglass, lots of primer, and a new coat of paint, good as new, no one even noticed (not even our driver. :P)


btw, great to see another girl working on comps, it's nice to see the opposite sex show some interest in our hobbies, keep up the great work.

[MDCS]

We're watching ;)
That's some good modding so far!
Sorry to hear about the dents. Mine fell off my rack and I had to start a huge
piece over again ... life happens;)

:)

[phalen]

hi guys & gals!

ok - so i had an accident a few weeks ago... promised a few pics - so here they are.

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/9751/photo125ok5.jpg
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6793/photo128or4.jpg
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/7674/photo131gy3.jpg
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/3038/photo132qu9.jpg
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/2024/photo133ue9.jpg

some pretty nasty dents in my model - sucks big time!

ok - so time to fix it. emptied and entire box of pollyfiller into a bucket - wasnt sure how much i would need- so i thought what the hell - just make it all.

filled up all the dents & holes as best i could on saturday - first cleaned out all the dents & holes of course - stuffed as much of the pollyfiller into those dents as i could.

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5302/photo134ac5.jpg
http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/6344/photo135np5.jpg
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/3599/photo136vb8.jpg
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/9948/photo137ic6.jpg

left it all to dry - gave it a good 24 hrs - but in the end that was not enough

turns out i put on too much at once. was supposed to use thin layers... didnt know that - and knowing that now i dont think i would hav done it in layers either- way too impatient at this point.

anyhooo- started to sand the pollyfiller - to get it nice and even with rest of the model - thats when i noticed that its not quite dry yet.

**sigh**

guess i'll just have to wait - again - to work on my model.

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/7228/photo138wg4.jpg

till next week - i'll be playing Dark Messiah of might & magic - supposed to be delivered either today or 2morrow!

[Monker]

hey hows things going? have you had any luck fixing it? It's getting a little quite in here

[GT40_GearHead]

monker is right


how are thing going
i hope you aren't quiting

[Monker]

I guess you have been busy Just would like to know hows things r going

[intergalacticman]

dang! nice idea, sounds like it will come out good
i never knew girls actually modded computers lol

[Monker]

hello?? just wondering what was going on it would be great if you where able to finish this project its a great idea

[GT40_GearHead]

i find my self quoting Monker again...so
wha' happen' ???
is it alive ?

[phalen]

Hi guys! sorry for my delayed responses.

yea - on my side - the project failed. was about 2 weeks after my last post that total disaster struck my model.

our cats finally decided the model made the best scratch pole they could lay their hands on.

i got completely discouraged and dumped the whole thing.

i then contacted a guy in the USA - he runs modelhead.com - i asked if he could build the model for me (exterior of case) - then once i got the case from him - i would proceed to build the interior.

here's a few pics that he sent me:

PLEASE NOTE: ALL CURRENT WORK ON THIS MODEL IS NOT DONE BY ME BUT BY A PROFESSIONAL!!

http://modelhead.com/mod_case/case2.jpg
http://modelhead.com/mod_case/case3.jpg
http://modelhead.com/mod_case/case4.jpg
http://modelhead.com/mod_case/case5.jpg
http://modelhead.com/mod_case/case6.jpg
http://modelhead.com/mod_case/case7.jpg
http://modelhead.com/mod_case/case8.jpg
http://modelhead.com/mod_case/case9.jpg

think its gonna look pretty awesome!

[b4i7]

hey! glad to see you havent given this up and welcome back


i was wondering what had happened to this....sorry to hear bout the mishap with the cats

[jdbnsn]

Heck yes, very happy to see you return to complete this idea. That is a great looking model you got from modelhead, this is going to be one kick ass case when you get done. BTW, that case shape seems reminiscent of H.R. Giger. Question, what are the chances you could post some larger pics as these can be a little difficult to see. Are you keeping the original framework and everything to go together with this modelled case?

[Boddaker]

Wow, I didn't know this worklog was here. :) I'm doing a BSG mod as well. The raider shell is looking really nice! Do you plan on adding the wings to it, or will it just be the head?

[Oneslowz28]

Too bad about the cat scratching up the foam. If you ever decide to work with fiberglass again you can wrap your foam mold in tin foil and use plain masking tape to seal the laps in the tin foil. Use 2 layers and once the fiberglass and resin has cured the mold just pulls right out. Also to make the polyester filler harden quicker you can use a few drops (8-9) of mekp (the hardener you mix with the fiberglass resin.) It should cure to a workable point in 5 min or less. Its the same stuff used in bondo hardener. I don't know if they have bondo in South Africa but when working with it I mix up a golf ball size dab of it and use the cream hardener it comes with to make a smiley face on it. This is usually enough hardener to allow 3-4 min of working time before it begins to set up.

Also for shaping foam a rasp or hand held cheese grater (coarse grit) works great.

I have a huge tutorial I wrote up on working with Bondo and fiberglass I will post if every one would like me to. It pertains to car work but the same principals apply when using it on a case mod.

[phalen]

thanks for the comments & support guys :)

@ boddaker - i wont be adding the wings - the case is already more than half-a-meter long (sorry - dont know feet & inches :P) and about a quarter meter wide! if i had put on wings on that scale i wouldnt have a place to put it - the wings are quite large ;)

the framework i am going to re-build from scratch - in perspex - but i cant start on it till i get the case from modelhead.

@ jdbnsn - H.R. Giger? who's that? :think: the case does make me thing of alien though :)

@oneslowz28 - thanks for the tips! think it will be a while before i work with fiberglass again :D still have all the material though..... mebe laterz....

[.Maleficus.]

H.R. Giger is an amazing alien/surrealist/future artist. (http://www.hrgiger.com/)

[Monker]

The leason here is never get a cat they like to ruin everthimg;)

[jdbnsn]

The leason here is never get a cat they like to ruin everthimg

On the contrary, "modding cats" were all the rave here a while back. It seemed like everyone had one, sort of a mojo thing. However, it is wise to keep your mojo out of destructive range from your mod. :)

[Drum Thumper]

On the contrary, "modding cats" were all the rave here a while back. It seemed like everyone had one, sort of a mojo thing. However, it is wise to keep your mojo out of destructive range from your mod. :)

Didn't we used to have a used kitten salesman at one point? Or did he go into retirement?:D

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

lolz like it or not..... cats pwn.... if i could afford a mod i would have him in the pics :)

[Omega]

I never had a "Modding cat", I do, however, have a "Modding Dog" who I keep out of my workshop (hence why you never see him)

[jdbnsn]

I posted some pics and a brief synopsis of your epic adventure on the front page, glad to see you are keeing at it!

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com

[phalen]

:eek: :eek: :eek:

**teary eyed**

wow! thanks! i'm honoured! didnt expect to appear on the front page at all

kewlio!

hehe - now i just gotta wait for modelhead to get back to me - and get my case shipped to me so i can finish the mod :)

does anyone perhaps hav matt's number (the guy from modelhead)?

[GT40_GearHead]

welcome back and congrats for the front page !!!!

[ChevronX]

Nice work and cant wait too see whats happening next

[phalen]

k - no new news yet - still waiting for some feedback from modelhead.com - hopefully it'll b soon now :)

[jdbnsn]

Let us know if you want us to drive over there give'm a kick in the rear.

[Boddaker]

Let us know if you want us to drive over there give'm a kick in the rear.


That'd be quite the drive! lol

[GT40_GearHead]

sniff sniff .... blood... sniff sniff.. mmhhhhmmmm

[intergalacticman]

you know, it looks like the alien's head from the movie Alien

[phalen]

it does kinda look like the alien head - but once the Eye is put in and doing its thang it will be a bit more distinct :)

[Ozzhedian]

Nice one Phalen!
Hopefully I can join you on the forums someday with my own mod.
A big WOOP, WOOP from a fellow Capetonian for making front page news!!! :D
Max Respect.
:banana:

[phalen]

thanks Ozz!

still havent heard anything from modelhead.com - dont know if Matt has abandoned me **sobs**

[jdbnsn]

I tried to find their address on that website and no luck, strange... Maybe it's a sign, you need to take the case into your own hands and give it another go with the original plan, eh?

[phalen]

i really hope it doesnt come to that because i'v already paid half of the quoted amount....

if modelhead.com has abandoned me, then i'm just going to can this completely - i'v already spent over R6000 on this project - i cant afford any more losses...

:(

i'm sending another email to modelhead.com, hopefully i'll get a reply.... last one i sent was on the 11th, no response....

[jdbnsn]

That sucks! Let us know if they don't answer the next email, if we get each of our members to send one email a day asking where your mod is I'll bet you get a reply.
Jon

[.Maleficus.]

That sucks! Let us know if they don't answer the next email, if we get each of our members to send one email a day asking where your mod is I'll bet you get a reply.
Jon
I'm down. I don't want to see this get scrapped.

[phalen]

i'm gonna wait for two weeks before i respond again - i dont want to be overbearing...

i keep having nightmares about this though - keep thinking someone saw what he was building, made him a better offer, and he sold it to them!

didnt get a response on the mail i sent him yesterday :( feeling utterly depresed....

think i should start at least on the interior of the case - start laying out the blueprint for the framework - even though i dont hav exact dimensions i can make it close - the blueprint can change - but not the actual work :D which will only happen when (and if) i have the case :/

[Tech-Daddy]

phalen - I hope you dont mind, but I took it upon myself to email Matt and see what was up. My email bounced with the reply that the "mailbox is full"

I then performed a "whois" on the domain name and have attempted to contact the admin contact noted on the domain registration. I have not heard anything from them yet.

Keep your hope alive!

[Bopher]

If we can find the address it might be time for us US members to uhh "pay him a visit" I mean not to sound to violent or anything..... Well maybe a little.
Big fan of the show and would hate to see this not be completed.

[jdbnsn]

If we can find the address it might be time for us US members to uhh "pay him a visit" I mean not to sound to violent or anything..... Well maybe a little.


heh...love your enthusiasm but let's keep it civil...for now. I appreciate folks coming together to help out a modder in distress, especially if we can help. We'll wait for your word Phalen, when you want us to attempt to locate these folks I think you can see we're ready. Someone here surely can reach the modelhead guys and get a progress update for your project. What burns me is the fact that you have already paid a portion of your bill with no response. Let us know when you want help contacting them, standing by...

[wendy]

phalen - I hope you dont mind, but I took it upon myself to email Matt and see what was up. My email bounced with the reply that the "mailbox is full"

I then performed a "whois" on the domain name and have attempted to contact the admin contact noted on the domain registration. I have not heard anything from them yet.

Keep your hope alive!

Hi Phalen and Tech-Daddy,
The mod is alive and well. Matt is still working on it. Right now the base is getting a styrene skin and he's trying to figure out the best way to hinge the cylon head to the base.

I believe he's also going to do some cleanup on the inside of the mod (don't quote me on that he could have been talking about a different project.) Usually I'm not into going in and replying on his behalf but we were incommunicado for the last two weeks because of a family emergency and he has a massive amount of email to wade through.

Any messages sent to me wendy (at) yarnporn (dot) com will get a response, and I will make sure that Matt gets them immediately and I'll be happy to keep you updated. Thanks for emailing me Tech-Daddy, and Phalen please don't think you're being pushy when you email-- I'll check the junk mail filters on his website and make sure that your addy is whitelisted so that it goes through.

Best,
Wendy

[jdbnsn]

Yay! It's alive!!!

[Tech-Daddy]

Yippeeeeeee!!!!!

[Bopher]

Woohoo!!

[phalen]

everyone - thanks for the support guys! it really means a lot to me :)

Matt did send me an email - got it this morning :) very glad to have heard from him again :) just hope his family emergency was nothing too serious!

i'm busy working on the frame layout - so far i'v got the idea to do something similar to the resurrection ship for the inside - although it wont have the shape of the resurrection ship itself, for obvious reasons ;)

still working on a design for the 'ribs' or skeleton bones or whatever u wanna call it ;)

all in all i think this is gonna be awesome - besides just the frame i want the inside to be all black with lots of glowing reds, try to give it a real feeling of it being alive inside - hopefully what i see in my head will be just as great when done :)

***hugs everyone here***

[Boddaker]

Good to see your project is still up and running, Phalen. :) It is great to see two Galactica mods progressing along simultaneously on this forum, so that when I fail to update frequently, people can still get their BSG fix! lol

[phalen]

hehe - yea - mine is a bit behind though - but it'll get there eventually :D

[phalen]

ok - here's an update from modelhead.com :)

"I have to finish the eye frame, skin around the head, build the rear plate, and paint.

The case is plenty strong. It's made of 1/4" MDF with a styrene skin. There is also aluminum angle running along the inside of the head attaching it to the lid of the stand so it is also plenty strong.

The rear plate is made but not mounted. I figured it would be easier for you to do what you need to do to it with it loose then just glue it where you need it. It will need to set in a little so that when the head is hinged open it clears the top of the rear plate. This also leaves a recessed at the rear for cables etc.

The inside of the case and stand will be painted black. I found an awesome metallic gray that looks perfect to paint the exterior of the head."

and a few images he sent with:

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z144/phalen78/bsg01.jpg

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z144/phalen78/bsg02.jpg

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z144/phalen78/bsg03.jpg

looking at the base i'm thinking that i could lay my motherboard flat on the base - it seems wide enough to do that - the base isnt exactly what i had in mind but ok - will take it from there :)

[Boddaker]

Wow, that is looking great! :D

Yeah the base is huge, and could fit the motherboard flat on the bottom, but with the sides tapering in like that, I'm not sure you would have room for the expansion cards or cpu heatsink.

The head is almost as big as a standard mid-tower case, I just figured you would mount the motherboard vertically where it would normally go. Looks like you got plenty of room for everything in the head by itself, and not need that big of a base, or maybe none at all.

Good to see proof of progress though! :up:

[Tech-Daddy]

that thing is SO sweet....

[Modelhead]

Hi all, I'm Matt. I know there have been quite a few folks following this build and I wanted to get some pics up. As promised she's done and a day early to boot :D .

This has been a very interesting build to say the least. Usually I'm working on starships or robots but never a mod case.

Here's are some views of the beast now that phalen has had a chance to see them first:

http://modelhead.com/TL_BSGMOD/stand5.jpg

http://modelhead.com/TL_BSGMOD/stand8.jpg

http://modelhead.com/TL_BSGMOD/stand6.jpg

http://modelhead.com/TL_BSGMOD/rear2.jpg

The head portion as per request came in at 24" long x 5.5" at the narrow section to the rear. It was quite the challenge to maintain the scale dimensions of the Raider with the inside clearance requested but hey what do know it worked:banana: . The base picked up the remaining height needed for phalen's motherboard if it mounted vertically.

[chaksq]

Looks sweet, now I want to see it with everything installed.

[Tech-Daddy]

Ohhhhhhh that thing is BEAUTIFUL!!!!
*applause*

Matt, thank you for the update and, I guess we can say this now....
"Welcome to case modding!"
;)

Excellent job! Be good on the packing! I Cant wait to see what phalen does with it!

[psychowit]

I never watched stargate or whatever so I wouldn't know what this thing looks like on tv but it looks awesome now!!! I don't like the colour though.

btw. Phalen are you from SA??? if you are post your stuff on www.pcformat.co.za/forum

[phalen]

thanks for the update Matt! - i was just about to post all the pics myself :)

anyhoo - like i told matt i'd be able to make final payment of the mod after the 6th of july (my payday) - i dont have enough this month to cover the costs of the project :(

but thats not the worst of it...

Matt gave me the shipping quotes - here's what i'm looking at:

Shipping Options
$915.82 UPS
$710.30 FedEx
$682.28 DHL
$261.92 USPS

now - in a perfect world i would have that kind of moola - but i dont. it will take me at least 4 months to save for the dhl shipping option - minimum. i'm trying to find out how USPS works - cause i know our normal post gets checked at customs - and the last package i received through normal post (from china) got held back at customs - and i had to pay a crap load to get it from them!

hopefully USPS will get past customs... then i could go for that and do payment 6th september (two months and not 4!)

:( totally depressed. does anyone perhaps know someone in these shipping departments - stowaway on their ships/planes? :P

the color of the raider is not what i wanted - it doesnt look like the raider at al - i'v let matt know about this - dont know if he picked it up in the mail i sent him - he didnt respond to it - i sent another mail asking about it - will wait and see what he says.

anyhoo - i'm gonna scout around for other shipping options, hopefully i'll find a sponsor for my shipping :D

[jdbnsn]

Ouch!!! That is alot of money to ship! Maybe we can start taking donations to keep this alive...I'll chip a few bucks in.

[wendy]

the color of the raider is not what i wanted - it doesnt look like the raider at al - i'v let matt know about this - dont know if he picked it up in the mail i sent him - he didnt respond to it - i sent another mail asking about it - will wait and see what he says.



Phalen, the color you seem to want is black which isn't either the color of the fan art you sent Matt for your paint preference or the actual color of a cylon raider, nor did you specify that you wanted black except *after* the job was completed. He responded to you on both Friday and about half an hour ago before your post.

Guess you need to check your email:bunny:

[jdbnsn]

Ok folks, I appreciate you all keeping us posted on the progress of this great project (by all parties). But this is not the appropriate ground to settle the details of your agreement, and I do hope you can settle them diplomatically. I have edited out the personal info on the contract picture as I don't think it should be included for privacy reasons.

[wendy]

Phalen,
The paint job was not part of the contract, and not subject to approval (it was a gift for the delays on our side.) When you say "Great" "Fantastic" and "Awesome" you've approved.

I'm really appalled by your public airing of what you should really be ashamed of-- that is commissioning a build and not having the funds to complete it, then giving the artist a run around to buy time, you had plenty of time prior to completion to ask Matt to pause the project in order for you to save up funds. I've already sent you a private email addressing your issues.

Let's not forget that there are delays that were also caused by you adding to the original build perimeters.

There were 90+ emails between you and Matt regarding this project, plus you acted as if you couldn't possibly contact us when you had both our address and phone number.

[wendy]

Ok folks, I appreciate you all keeping us posted on the progress of this great project (by all parties). But this is not the appropriate ground to settle the details of your agreement, and I do hope you can settle them diplomatically. I have edited out the personal info on the contract picture as I don't think it should be included for privacy reasons.
Thank you.

[jdbnsn]

Last warning, settle this via email and/or private messages. Not here.

[phalen]

i am sorry folks - this project is not going to go anywhere.

moderators - pls lock this thread and delete it pls - i am not going to go ahead with this project nor am i able to pay within 30 days.

my apologies to all who have been watching this.