Trapped by the Machine

Hello,
This is my first time posting to any forum. Please forgive me if I make any stupid mistakes. I have been lurking here for a while and I am always in awe of the immense artistic and technical talent of the contributers to this forum.

I started modding about 2 years ago with a rig I built into a desk (I was tired of kicking the case on the floor).

That mod led me to build my next rig (affectionately named Black-n-Blue and
pictured just below) which I finished around November last year.

It's specs are:
Ultra X2 550-Watt ATX SLI Modular UV Power Supply
ASUS A8N 32-SLI_Deluxe NVIDIA Socket 939 ATX Motherboard
AMD Athlon 4800+ 64 X2 Dual Core Processor
2GB Corsair XMS RAM
Twin XFX GeForce 6800 Xtreme 512MB GDDR3 SLI PCI Express Dual DVI HDTV Video Cards
Twin 150GB SATA Raptor Hard Drives
Western Digital Caviar 160GB IDE Hard Drive
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 4 Sound Card
Logitech X-540 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers
ANTEC Hard Drive Cooler and Case Temperature Monitor
Thermaltake Blue Orb II CPU Cooler
Zalman ZM-MFC1 Multi-fan Speed Controller
3 Ultra Blue Titanium 80 mm Ball Bearing Case Fans
ANTEC Turbo Case Fan Cooler
4”Dual UV Cold Cathode Lights
Saitek Eclipse Blue LED Keyboard
Kensington Expert Mouse Trackball
Windows XP Service Pack 2
Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP 24” Wide-Screen

Other than the faceplate mods that I did, the only other element I added was an etching of a picture I found on Deviant Art.

Of course I enjoyed that experience so much that it didn't take long before I was dreaming up my next build. I ran across an article about a Lian Li case that was of monstrous proportions--the 343B Modular Cube Case. I had been wanting to dive into water cooling and thought this would be a great case to try it out on.

And so was born my latest project build. I call it Trapped by the Machine because it seems I can't stop building these damn things now.

Here is my initial Sketchup of the project with some trial colors:

The concept is a water cooled computer using two radiators, two pumps and one large reservoir at the top. I wanted to include more artistic elements into this one than I had on previous builds so on the PSU side will be a sculpture of a woman trapped inside the machine trying to break out and on the MB side a molded Plexiglas face pushing out in a scream. Other design elements have been added to the top as I have gone along and more will be added as inspiration strikes.

I started working on the preliminaries around Jan/Feb this year and have continued on and off when time and work permits.

The sculpture element has taken me the longest. I don't have any experience with sculpting and this is actually only the second piece I have ever done. The first piece is actually in the final picture just to the right. If you have never done any figure sculpting let me tell you--faces, eyes, hands and feet will kick your a@$!

At the same time I was working on the sculpture, I tried to work on the reservoir. Because of my inexperience with Plexiglas, I had to make the reservoir a total of four times before I got it right. I guess persistence pays off with this hobby. Although, I can't complain too much, I am better with Plexiglas now...

I decided to etch the top of the reservoir and light it from underneath. The etching was inspired by another picture I found on Deviant Art by an artist named Spookeriffic:

The image is etched on the underside of the Plexi so the top is smooth.

The top of the case has also been a challenge. I wanted face that looked like it was pushing out of the metal. I used the face from an old Halloween decoration my wife and I have been carrying around for years. It made a great mold for the face. I did it in plaster first, then recast it in Bondo. There were a few air bubbles but all in all I was pretty happy with the results.

I knew I needed to do something with the airflow because the reservoir would block some fans in the back on the MB side. I decided to put some intake fans at the top of the case to allow more air in. I hope the airflow scheme works out. Although the holes in the last picture look like they are blown out, these are actually air intakes as the airflow will go from front to rear.

It has taken me all these months to get to the point I am at and will probably take me the rest of the year to finish.

Tomorrow I am going to start building the aluminum supports for the reservoir. That should prove interesting.

Thanks for allowing me to post my project here and to be a part of this great community. I humbly submit my work for your suggestions and criticism.

Thanks,
Byendor

Wow!!! Nice entrance! Welcome to TBCS Byendor, I am lovin your art by the way. This looks like a great project!

Uh.. wow! Welcome to TBCS.

That etching on the top of your Reservoir looks Great! +Rep
Amazing work so far! Im Subscribing to this one!

The only thing i would have done different is put bigger tigg-o-biddes on the broad. :D
The look on her face is priceless. LoL

If you ever get around to it a "How to make a Molding/Recast Tutorial" would be awesome.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Eclecticos

The only thing i would have done different is put bigger tigg-o-biddes on the broad. :D

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And I was thinking just the opposite... make the model less realistic and more generic to represent that ANYONE could be caught in by the machine.

Awesome work. I'm going to add this work log to my watching list.

Oh yeah I got a good laugh out of this photo. I'm sure if you look long and HARD you can figure out why :think:. There are actually 2 reasons kids shouldn't view this pix.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Byendor

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Just giving you a hard time man. Honestly there's nothing really wrong with this shot if viewed from an artist angle, I just need to get my mind out of the gutter :D.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spacehonkey

Awesome work. I'm going to add this work log to my watching list.

Oh yeah I got a good laugh out of this photo. I'm sure if you look long and HARD you can figure out why :think:. There are actually 2 reasons kids shouldn't view this pix.


Just giving you a hard time man. Honestly there's nothing really wrong with this shot if viewed from an artist angle, I just need to get my mind out of the gutter :D.

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We think too much alike!

LMAO! You guys crack me up, I hadn't noticed that until you "pointed" it out.

Well now, this one seems to go to "eleven".

+Rep and /subscribe.

What you've done so far looks great! Especially the fan holes at the top, I love the blasted look.

+rep

this case has sooo much potential. love the res and etchings +rep

GReat work so far man welcome to the forums and please create a sculpting tutorial :D + rep

First of all let me apologize for not posting sooner. I am having connectivity problems at home that are really frustrating.(stupid cable company!)

I am overwhelmed by the positive comments from you all. Thank you very much for the positive feedback.

Regarding a tutorial on mold making, casting and sculpting--believe me I am no expert. Any success I have had at casting and molding has been pure trial and error and a whole lot of searching and reading on the internet. I will certainly try to put together some of my most valuable links and a "lessons learned" paper and share them with the group, but all credit goes to those artists and craftsmen from whom I have taken guidance and help.

I will also spend a bit more time with the pictures I am posting. Thanks for the laugh SpaceHonkey. I didn't notice that "photographic coincidence" until you pointed it out :) I'll try to take better care in the future.

As for the subject matter of the sculpture and the etching. I debated about whether or not to have male figures or female figures for a while. At first I thought male figures would be appropriate seeings as I am a male, but, in the end, I would prefer to look at, sculpt, and etch the female form. So, for better or for worse, that is the decision I made:D My wife says I am a misogynist, but I assured her it is the exact opposite. I really love women, and it is only happenstance that the female imagery in this build is so--rough.;)


On to yesterday's work--reservoir mount.

The case comes with a pre-cut section on the top. Lian-li sells various modular parts like dual 120mm fan cutouts, Plexiglas sheets, etc that screw into place. That is where my reservoir will live.

I debated back and forth on whether to put the reservoir on the top of the case or inside the case. If it is on top of the case I would have easy access to the connectors and could hook up the water hoses without difficulty. However, doing that would mean that taking the top off to work on components underneath would be difficult, not to mention cutting holes in the side panels to run the water lines. Putting it inside the case would allow me to take the top of the case off more easily for inside access, but I would be sacrificing water line clearance.

I decided to go with the inside-the-case solution and deal with the water lines when I came to them.

I went to Home Depot and picked up some aluminum that already had a 90 degree bend on the long axis.

After taking some measurements, I cut the aluminum strips to length with the handy Dremel.

I made two roughly 45 degree lines on either side of the measurement line and cut out the triangular piece.

I then scored the mark and bent the aluminum on a 90 degree angle and made two brackets.

For stability, I cut two cross pieces and placed them on the ends.

The next step was good ol' JB Weld.--love that stuff. I used JB Weld because rivets would have created a pivot point that I didn't want.

After it dried I sanded off the excess Weld and had a nice sturdy bracket.

Next, I drilled 1/8th inch holes in each support leg (how do you like that nice straight cut on the right? Nothing but quality here! ;)) and riveted them to the sides of the case.

After that it was time for a final test fit. I set the reservoir in place and put the top on and it all fit perfectly. Before final painting I will file down my crooked cut to be flush with the case support to which it is riveted. This will prevent any marring of the underside after it is painted.

And as I knew, water line clearance is going to be a problem. The picture is a bit deceiving. There is about 1 1/2 inches of clearance between the ends of the fittings and the bracket. I am going to have to make some l-shaped connectors that I can hook my water lines to. Oh, well--nothing like having to solve a problem to spark creativity. Any suggestions?

Unfortunately, my honey-do list is growing at home, so I probably won't be able to do any more work for a week or two.
I still have to make the Plexiglas face on the side and cut the windows in the side panels of the case. I could buy them pre-cut online, but where is the fun in that?

After that I still have painting, buying components, test running the cooling system, the list goes on and on.

Thanks again for the warm welcome to the TBCS community and for making my first posting adventure a pleasure. I truly appreciate it.
Byendor

You could try a trip to the local hardware store and look through the plumbing section for some fittings for you cooling hoses. I'm sure they will have some right angle elboes there to do the job.

This is looking great! I'm loving the whole gothic/cyberpunk feel to this case. It's looking sweet dude, and i'll be keeping an eye on this mod.

-Dave

try water lines for a refrigerator...

Sorry about the lack of updates. Don't give up on me.

I have a family member who recently suffered a stroke and I have been taking care of family business. He is doing well...

I hope to restart work on the project by the end of the month and I will post more updates then.

On a very positive note--I have some time off on Friday and I am heading to the local Tiger Direct Outlet for some goodies--this is going to be fun:banana:

sorry to hear about the family member :( it seems something bad has happen to every single forum member :/ me included

your modeling skills are superb! and this case is lookin great!

and i like the art ;)

Wow! I just ran accross this thread. Your etching is amazing.

wow... great work man... +rep

Finally! An update.
As always, thanks for the positive comments. They are a real encouragement.

It's been a long time since my last update. Alot has been going on and I haven't had a lot of time to dedicate to my project, but I have been using my time wisely--I have been buying stuff.

First of all let me say that my trip to the Tiger Direct store was less than exciting. They had a bunch of stuff, just not the stuff I was looking for.

I went back to the tried and true method of the internet, and here is my latest collection of stuff:

Here's a list of what I have to date:
Enermax Galaxy DXX EGX1000EWL PSU
Stealth GTS 360 Black Ice Radiator
X-Flow Stealth GTS 120 Black Ice Radiator
4 Yate Loon Medium Speed Fans
Danger Den DDC-12v 18 Watt Water Pump
Lian Li Radiator Mounts
Lian Li Hard Drive enclosure
Lian Li 120mm Fan Enclosure
Tygon Tubing
DD-Delrin 90 Degree fittings

I have finally started my mock up process by installing a few components. The PSU was first--

I don't like the Logo upside down so I will have to fix that and, as you can see wire managment is going to be a bear with this PSU (but oh, so worth the hassle!)

This is going to be a two radiator system with one radiator dedicated to the CPU and the other larger radiator handling the other components. Both will be fed by their own pumps, but the fluid will come from a common resevoir.
I did a mock-up of the small radiator and fan and attached some tubing to test for clearance.

I think the clearance will be alright once I cut the side panels and install the plexi. The plexi will be a molded face that is pushing out of the side, so I hope it leaves me enough clearance. If not, I will cheat the resevoir over and get creative.

Well, that's it for now. I'm finally cutting side panels this weekend provided the weather stays cooled off and I can work in my garage/shop.

I still have to buy MB, CPU, Memory, Water Blocks, Graphics cards, etc, etc, etc...as well as the cutting, sanding, painting, powder coating, more sanding, more painting...the list goes on and on.

Again, thanks for all the positive comments,
Still Trapped,
Byendor

Update

Slow going on this one.

The weather has cooled down some and my garage is bearable again. I finally had a chance to do some work this weekend.

I assembled my fans and radiators and built shrouds for them.

I needed some sheet rubber, but coudln't find any at the local auto parts stores or home improvement stores. I searched around and found this--

It is made from rubber and designed to go on the top of a stair to prevent slipping. Best of all was that it ounly cost about a buck and a half.

I started on the small radiator first. I used the rubber sheet to cut gaskets so that the fan wouldn't be attached directly to the radiator. I know you can find the commercial nylon gaskets out there but I wanted to try and use something a bit more custom.

Raising the fan up off the gaskets like that formed small gaps between the fan body and the side of the radiator which would allow for airleaks and reduce the radiator's effeciency. I used the same gasket material to custom cut a small gasket which wraps around the fan body and seals the air leaks. It also gives the fan a cleaner appearance in the case.

The large radiator was a bit more difficult. I cut a gasket from the rubber material like I did for the small radiator and attached the fans.

I made the shroud for this one from plexi. I did a mock up in Cardboard first then cut the pieces from thin plexi.

I had to clean up the fan wire mess, so I spliced them all together and hot glued them down to clean it all up.

Finally I set it in place inside the case for a test fit.

When I do the final install, I will clean up the edges with some black car-door trim I picked up from the auto parts store. It will give the cut edges of the plexi a more finished look.

The weather is cooler now, so I am hoping I can pick up the pace on this project.

byendor...

If you ever need gasketing material or various other odds and ends I would recommend checking McMaster-Carr. They carry a load of items from tools, to fastners to tubing. I personally love the place.

www.mcmaster.com

Great work mate, I like where this is going and I LOVE that case lol.

Where did you get you water cooling system? And what brand is it?

no fair!!!!!! mine is a 850 galaxy DxX but it doesn't have the DxX on the psu :( if you flip your psu around so the fan is up then the label will be too i think. when i got mine i thought it was going to be upside down but it wasn't once i installed it, picture.

OMW! indescribable jealousy!

Roughhouse - Thanks for the link. It looks like that company sells everything...I will definitly check them out in the future.

Spawn-Inc - Thanks for the suggestion. believe me, I have tried every configuration under the sun to get that logo turned in the right direction and still get it to vent properly to no avail. I think what it comes down to is the psu is designed for a standard configuration where the case opens on the left hand side as you are looking at it from the front. In this case the psu is mounted on the floor of the case on the right hand side. Not to worry though, I will come up with some method of either flipping it over, or just replacing it with something else. (I love the blacklight logo in the picture--It really pops out at you)

Fuganater - I have bought most of my parts for the water cooling system from Danger Den with the exception of the resevoir obviously which is my own creation. I pretty much find one company that is reliable and stick with them. I don't know much about water cooling, but DD seems to be a pretty good place for information and parts. (O.K. ad over now) I am waiting on two DD12V D5 pumps from there now. I originally bought a smaller pump, but it comes with 3/8 fittings and the D5 has the 1/2 inch fittings I am looking for. This water cooling system is really a trial by fire. I haven't ever built one before, so I am doing a lot of reading and buying parts in stages.

Well I'll deff keep watching because I want to do water cooling but have no idea. Spawn-Inc has been helping with it too. Keep going :D

I am in awe of your talent! Truely a fantastic project

love the side!

ohh my god i am in a daze.
*Bowing down at your feet in amazement*!!!!!

You are doing an amazing job!
I lust after your case...(don't tell my wife!)

In my opinion (I spent 6 years in the Navy as a Machinist Mate) The res should always feed the pump and the res should never be lower than the pump. The res has 2 jobs. First it acts as a makeup tank for any leakage, evaporation...ect. Second the res provides NPSH (Net Positive Suction Head) to the pump. (It makes sure that the pump is not starved for water.) The location of the rads is less important and I do not believe having the rads above your pumps will result in any negative concequenses.

Hope that helped!

Having the pump under the res also allows for some from of gravity feed.

Forgot to add this to my last post but your craftsman ship is incredible. This is really coming together and for the detail you really do deserve +rep.

EDIT: About your design I know of something that may give you a few more ideas. The "face bursting out of metal" effect that you have going I have seen a lot on Warhammer miniatures, mostly on the Chaos Tzeentch cult models, I think they call them "tortured faces", if this is where you got your inspiration from I'm sorry to bring it up but I thought it may help.

Here is a link to a guide:
http://us.games-workshop.com/games/4...s/tzeentch.htm

I'm sorry I couldn't find a better link, I was trying to find one already painted for you so you could have a better idea of what I mean.

Yeah its one of those "Wow, I can't believe I missed this mod!"
This is truly amazing. To help with any further sculptures someone around here did a tutorial on vacuum forming. It looks a lot like what you are doing. It might help for the future.
Linky here

Great work man. +Definate rep

Wow, great stuff! +Rep

My 2 cents at watercooling: I agree that the res should be higher than the pump. And I add: The res should be the highest point in your loop, as all the air in the loop gatheres there. If your rad is the highest point, you will hear gurgling noises, because the air stays there...

i really want that type of case but they cost $$$$!

Great progress, keep it up.

Those fan guards are very cool.

+rep