I know, i know... So looooong since my last modding project. But i'm back with a real project. I've just started it, but as you can see, it's taking shape. It is a PC for downloading and other auxiliary tasks, as others projects of mine that you might have seen, but more sophisticated, not in components (nothing very special), but in design.
The Cube
I found this lighted CD storage in a shop. And spent some days thinking about it. And after return to the shop with a measuring tape, i had to buy it. The design is cool and i've wanted, since my last projects, to build a red computer (Primary) because my other mods are mainly dark colored.
By the moment, i'm not going to use the lights board that you can see in the pic below, but i want to light the case with red lights to get an effect close to the original lightning (first pics). The board looks very simple and upgradable, so perhaps i will use it in another porject. Below that, you have a comparison between the original board, and the Epia board, for this machine.
The Mod
The firs step is to make some room for the components. So, after removing the original board, i cut the bottom of the inside cube. That way i can operate parts easily and venting all casse with a single big fan at the front/top.
Cutting the inside cube isn't easy. You don't have many space to maneuver with the (fake)Dremel and the low visibility inside. So, after cutting, i had to retouch and file edges, a lot. Anyway, without the bottom side, the duty is easier.
Now, you can figure how it will looks at the end and the visibility of the components (althougt front/top mesh and fan will cover them a lot). Some red lights are required (in the To-Do list)
To reach that last photo with the cube's inside view showing the board, you need to make the base, before. The base is made of plexy also, but factory black and silver painted (i have to fix that). At the final stages of the project it will need more work, but by the moment, only the basis is needed: Holes for motherboard screws and a big one for wires.
The board is not centered on the base, i left more room in one side to put controls (buttons and others) and let the PCI slot be still functional.
The first auxiliary work i've done is to make/adapt a fan speed regulator, for the main fan (120mm) placed in the cube's hole.
It is a cool mini-project by itself, to test my (a bit rusted) skills with the soldering iron.
The origins are in a cannibalised 3 channel AKASA fan control. By one side, for this mod i only need one regulator. On the other side, the needed parts were there and i didn't have to buy anything.
Basically, all the job is: 1) Desoldering the part from the original board. 2)Estudying how the circuit is routed. 3) Attacht them back in the most compact and nice way that you can achieve. 4) Put an extra wire for the RMPs meter. 5) Your personal touches... Heatshrink, painted edges... All you want.
It's a small job to make a full guide so, if more info needed, just ask me
And that's all, by the moment. Althoug this is not a very long and complicated project, it will take me some time, because i need to get some componets and over all, some time to get a quality finish. I hope you understand it. As soon as i'll have more pics of the following steps, i'll publish new posts.