Inexpensive Modding - by Ichbin

A new story entry has been added:

[drupal=275]Inexpensive Modding - by Ichbin[/drupal]

Quote:

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You may be thinking to yourself when runnning around on this forum, "Gee wilikers...I wish I had enough cash to get some of my cool ideas done!"

I'm here today to tell you...Modding CAN BE a VERY inexpensive hobby! As with any creative outlet, the hardest part of it is the imagination!

Now, the big-wigs such as Paul Capello spent a LOT of time and money to get what he wanted with his mods, but you yourself can get some small mods done over a period of time to get the exact look you want!

For example, making a window for the side of your case costs around $30 to actually do. The rest is know-how and imagination. Another example is lighting. Buy a bag of LEDs from ebay and wire them up on the inside OR outside of your case to get the neat glow effect you've been looking for to distract everyone at your lan party!

Of course, the next thought that pops in your head is "I have no idea how to do that!". Ask us! We're a community of both rookies AND veterans of all shapes and sizes. Everyone loves to help out because they love to see a modder get something rolling because of a quick answer.

Another thing to think about when working out modding expenses. You don't need to buy a completely new rig, Mod the rig you have now! No need to scrounge up for materials you don't necessarily need. Modding isn't all about getting new PC parts...It's a creative outlet to express your imagination to your friends and the world!

So, next time you think "I have no money" or "I'm not smart enough". Think again and get modding already!

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thanks for the awesome words of inspiration!! :banana::banana::banana:

I am currently on my third mod, which I have built from scratch.

The only thing I bought in this picture were the pop-rivets.

(Previous modding: http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/f...476#post195476 )

Materials List - Free
-almost empty cans of primer and paint. (Enough for my needs however)
-microwave window
-left-over bondo.
-toys the kid's don't play with anymore.
-various screws, nuts, and bolts retrieved from garbage.
-aluminum sheets, aluminum L-channel, plexiglass found in garbage.
-beige computer case missing parts found on side of road.
-motherboard tray found in garbage.
-handles taken off ?something? found in the garbage.
-grills taken off ?something? found in the garbage.
-part of an aluminum ladder.

Modding can be very inexpensive. It helps if you're a pack rat. If you're throwing something out, whether it be a toy, microwave, etc... consider tearing it apart first. At the very least you'll gain some fasteners. But I have some neat pieces of plastic, aluminum, etc. Unlike a mod where you'll buy what you need, don't plan too hard. You need to work with what you have. With my third mod show above for example, I located the power button in a hole that just happened to be there. The height was determined by the shortest of four pieces I had. I had to patch in a piece of plexiglass because the sheet found in the garbage wasn't exactly the right size. In the end, you might wind up with allot of materials you couldn't use, but that just might be the inspiration for the next mod.

Totaly agree with that. My cupboard is filled with weird and strange materials, that I found in the garbage. Not needed for the mod I am working on now, but gives me plenty of inspiration for the next one.
My best example for inexpensive modding, is my R2-D2 made from an old garbagecan. This mod will enter the BeNeLux Championship here in Holland which will take place next month. I spend about 120 euro on wood for the legs and the rest is all from garbage-materials. Even the PC inside was for free, an old redundant office PC which was replaced by a faster modell. Sure, a casemod with a ASUS Rampage Extreme and a Core 2 Extreme QX9770 is very sweet, but neccesary ? I disagree.
from this

to this

with 120 euro and lots of blood, sweat and tears. :)

Wow thats a pretty cool trashcan.