Battlestar Galactica Mod

[Boddaker]

Ok, well I was going to post an update last night, but my server was down. But now it looks like it's up and running, so on with the update!

Got a bunch of work done on the pods over the course of last week, adding detail and basically
hacking them up! Essentially, what I wanted to do was continue the ribbing/armor motif,
but I didn't want to just glue more styrene ribs over the pods. So I came up with the idea to cut out
areas of the pods to give the impression of ribs running through them.

So I drew out my design,

...and cut it out.

Then I proceeded to add a styrene backing to the underside.

Once that was done, I started on those rows of ports seen here:

Since I didn't have any styrene tubes lying around, I figured a few pens would work just as well. Sorry Lowes!

Chopped it up,

Drilled the holes,

and glued them in. Here's a shot of the back side.

Used some glazing putty to fill in around the edges.

I was trying to figure out what I could use for the inner nozzle. After looking around in Michaels
craft store, I found these wooden beads.

Had to sand them down a bit so they would fit into the pen tubes. I stuck them onto a nail and
rotated them over the belt sander.

One more to go!

For the bigger pods, I had to find bigger pens. These are 7/16" dia. Drilled a pilot hole, then used
the dremel to rout out the rest. A bigger drill bit would crack the plastic.

Pen #2 cut and glued in place.

Pen #3 bites the dust!

While the pens were setting up, I drew out the rib sections on the larger pods.

And cut those out.

With the styrene backing in place.

After more sanding and filling around the ports, I got all four primed.

Now I can start lining out the armor pattern. I just did a quick sketch on one to show you what it will look like.

I won't be doing these armor panels the same way as before. The pods' complex curves would make it too difficult to
lay them down flat. I have a much easier method in mind, but I'm gonna leave that for next time. In the interim though, feel
free to speculate how I will do it!

[Boddaker]

Thanks a lot guys! And UK-Blade, I don't know about that, the real CGI battlestar is flippin insanely detailed. I could spend years making this case look like that.

Well, I was going to have an update for ya today, hoping to have the pods mounted on the case. But alas, it started raining last night and I couldn't paint. So I set them aside and started the front bezel, which will house slot-loading dvd drive, and lcd screens. Yes, I said SCREENS, as in more than one! :wink:

Sorry for the non-pic post, but I didn't want to post only one or two pics and leave you hanging.

[Boddaker]

Ok, here's what I got done on the pods as of late. I taped all the gutters off using standard blue masking tape.
I couldn't find any 1/16" pinstriping tape, or anything thin enough, so I made my own.

Here's one pod done. I just went randomly, not following any specific plan, or even my previous pencil
marks for that matter. lol

All four masked.

After several coats of primer and about 3 coats of the metallic silver. Ooooh, shiny! but not for long!

Removing all the tiny strips of tape...

... and all four unmasked. Yes, thats primer underneath, and yes, it will be covered with a final light coat of the
silver metallic.

Don't worry about it being too shiny and chrome-like. I will be weathering it and dulling it down quite a bit when
the time comes.

This shot reminded me of "tinsel". Anyone remember that stuff?

I didn't get to the end caps tonight. Was too tired and wanted to post what I had so far before bedtime.
That's next on the list, and should get to it in a couple days.

[Boddaker]

Thanks guys!

Got the end caps done last night! My son fell asleep early so I was able to get into the garage sooner.

First I used the pods as a template for the end cap.

I wanted a 1/4" thickness all the way around, so I measured in from the edge and made marks about
every inch or so, and connected the dots.

And cut out the middle.

Then I took a 3/8" strip of styrene and glued it around the inside edge.

Trimmed off the excess and sanded the edges smooth.

Test fit. One down, three to go!

Done and done. Ahhh, uniformity!

Once I glue them into place, I will sand them down for a perfect match. I will need to do some gap filling in certain areas first.
Regarding lighting, there's not much room in behind there for leds. I'm thinking I can light them from deeper inside and just
let the glow spill out to achieve the effect. Would make for a cleaner wiring job too.

[Boddaker]

Thanks a lot guys!

This is right up there with Paul's Doom 3 mod in my book.

Outstanding detail!

I think that's the best compliment a modder can get. Thank you!

I'll have an update up shortly. Got stuck doing fix-its around the house all weekend, with only a few hours last night left for modding. Most of which was planning for the week. I might get the end caps done tonight, so I can post pics of that at least.

[Boddaker]

Got a bit more work done on the pods' end caps. I sanded the edges down to where they look nice and even,
then I applied a bunch of spot filler around the outside as well as inside.

Let it dry, then sanded it down smooth.

A quick shot of primer shows the progress. This one needs a bit more work.

That's it for this update!

[Boddaker]

Well, I can't really do much more with the pods until I get the mesh in. I want to get those in before
attaching them to the side panels, and that is the next step. So I thought I would put them aside and
continue work on the front bezel. Here are a couple teaser pics, as there are a lot more (yes, I've been holding out!). :p

I removed the mesh from the door and marked the area to be cut.

...and cut it out with my trusty jig saw.

Here is a shot of it back on the case, stripped of its anodization, and with some added framework I built
using aluminum flat bar. I neglected to record the actual cutting and bending for this, but that is all
basic stuff and you didn't want to be bored with that anyways. It utilizes the original mounting holes for
the mesh on the reverse side of the door.

The idea is to provide support for the lcd screens and the slot loading DVD drive. More on the layout later.
The Stacker's original power button/reset/usb/audio port assembly will return to its original location,
but with some modifications (of course!). Again, more on that later, as pics will better illustrate what
I have planned.

I'm sure most of you are happy to see something new and different other than more engine pod updates!
I know I am! The detailing and such can get very monotonous and repetitive, which is why I'm trying
to liven things up here and posting something different and refreshing!

[Boddaker]

LCD Screens

As I mentioned before, and a few of you picked up on it, I will be mounting multiple LCD screens
in the front of the case. Now it's not what you may think, as these screens are only 2.5" and will be mounted
in a cluster-like fashion, similar to the data readout display seen on Galactica's bridge. I will try to
find a screenshot of it so you get a better idea of where I'm coming from.
After measuring the width of the front opening, I came up with this design for the screen mounting assembly.
This is one of the rare times I actually drew it out on paper, due to its complexity! lol

Again, I neglected to take pics of the actual bending and pop riveting, but here's the end result.

The triangular ends are 1/8" styrene.

Since the screens are just the LCD modules and didn't come with any sort of enclosure, I made some pockets
for them. Here are the pieces...

...And here they are glued together.

Here's a shot of the screens by Accele-vision. I got them through Millertech. Thanks Patrick!

A close up shot of one of the screens. It's got composite in (RCA), and its 12v. Has an on/off switch, as well
as horizontal and vertical flip modes.

The screen slides right into the pocket.

I made a slot in the bottom for the ribbon cable.

Here are the pockets mocked up on the mounting assembly.

And here it is temporarily taped in place on the case.

I will be adding smaller dummy screens underneath these to round out the cluster. They will just be stills printed
out on transparency and lit from behind.
The LCDs will run off an auxilliary PCI video card's S-video output. I have an S-video --> Composite adapter,
then a composite cable that splits to feed all three screens. Should turn out pretty slick!

[Boddaker]

I actually got some work done on the case last night. After a stressful couple of days, modding can be quite theraputic!

I started on the framework for yet another LCD screen. This one is a 17" Samsung, and will be mounted opposite
the motherboard tray. The main purpose of this screen will be to play Galactica episodes. I plan to have them
all archived on the hard drives once season 4 is done and released on DVD.

First I had to remove part of the hard drive rack.

Then I made a bottom support piece out of angle aluminum.

I made a wooden template the exact size of the LCD screen to aid in the placement.

Here's a shot of the side panel in place over the wooden screen.

Next I need to make the vertical supports that will connect the top and bottom. These are the pieces the
screen will be secured to. After all is said and done, I should have about a 1/4" clearance between the screen
and mobo tray. I plan on relocating the LCD's circuit boards, which would normally reside behind the screen.

[Boddaker]

hm that would be nice. how are you going to run the lcd display cords?

As in the DVI and power cable? They will be hidden internally, probably under the floor of the case. I have a DVI cable with a 90° end that will be perfect for routing from the back of the vid card into the case.

As far as the wiring in between the screen and circuit boards, I will have to extend some to make the relocation work.