The BFG

[Frenkie]

And here I am again. This time I will bore you guys ( and gals ) with my 2006/7 project which I called "The B.F.G." Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed making this case.

Frenkie
---
The BFG

Three characters, which have a deep meaning in the gaming world. Many games know the concept of ultime weapon in a list of available weapons. Often availeble as very last weapon after you blasted your way through innumerable levels and unbelieveble amounts of enemies with your Desert Eagle, M16 or doublebarrel shotgun.
BFG. Most of the gamers know the BFG from Quake II.
This is according to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BFG10K the first game where we found this weapon. Later, Doom has copied it, what better compliment can you get? Even in the film Doom, where at
one time, actor The Rock gets his hands on a BFG9000, only they call it a "Bio-Force Gun".

The BFG looks like a canon, and is a two-hands weapon. When you jerk the trigger, it takes a couple of seconds to power-up, then it launches a green plasma ball which travels relatively slow through the level.
The plasma ball shoots green laser beams to surrounding enemies. If the ball makes kontakt, it explodes with enormous strength.

For my casemod, I will be using the shuttle PC, because of its size. The PC casing will go away and I will build a sortof canon-barrel around it. The length of the case will be 1 meter ( about 3.3 feet ), any longer
would not be "controlable"

Before I get started with a new mod, I first browse through the Internet for study. First of all, if this kind of casemod is already made. I really try to make unique casemods, it's kinda important to me. I did find a
casemod which was a weapon on a tripod. That looked like it a little bit, but just not enough for my taste.

My first and perhaps most important picture is that of my old passion; Quake2.

You see here a classic First Person Shooter image; only one arm with a weapon. Going a bit deeper into the IDSoftware website I found some concept art and tech details of this weapon.

From the movie Doom, I have some screenshots of the BFG9000.

I won't copy this weapon. It will never turn out right and my Shuttle is simply no Mac-Mini, which you could stuff into anything

For a slightly more realistic idea, I made a cardboard model to scale, to see if the eye and the brain see the same

In SketchUp I draw several models, until I got a bit of a "feel", which way I wanted it to go.

Great program to use my 2D sketches (see bulletin board behind my table) and my thoughts in a semi-3D image for me to see it and to "walk" around it.

I started with materials purchases, Compact plastic plate. ( dutch = Compact Kunststof Plaat ) I always called it "TRESPA", http://www.trespa.com/na/
Awell, whatever its name is, it is very sturdy, easy to machine, drilling and threading etc etc.

Sponsors like Salland automatisering, Sapphire and Revoltec are great with their help in enabling me to keep this hobby kinda affordable.

[Frenkie]

This is the TRESPA panel plate from which I made the chassis parts.

Sawing the various chassis parts.

Removed the inner part with the saw and a holesdrill.

From thin to thick, the various frame parts that make up the inner frame.

I made two blowholes for the exhaust pipes.
Drawing.

Drilling

And the result from a few angles

Got my hands on a slimline DVD player.

And yesterday I found the glass mini-jars, for those I was searching allready a few weeks. Now this

sub-project can go ahead too.

Finished the Quake logo with needle files.

The scetches for the jar-construction, now i know how far I need to saw to get the right angle when it is

bend and done.

The saw blade is only 1.35 mm thick, couldn't find thinner ones.

[Frenkie]

Stole an idea from Mythbuster, trying to get more order in my workplace by seperating the junk from the
garbage

From the same material I made a solid handle bar.

With M5 threads and bolts.

And the whole thing bolted into the case.

Here you see the handlebar from two sides, it is exactly between the blowholes.

The handlebarside stick through the topplate exact on the side, so there I will make a little hole.

Here you see underneath the case, the handle bar is now rock solid attached to the case, and I can lift the
whole thing on it.

Making something good from something bad: The heads of the bolts were sticking out, so I added a few
rubber feet on the bottom of the case. This also enables me to use that space for more lights.

Preparing the jar project. Drawing the measeurments on both panels.

Cut both panels, and posing for the picture.

A cardboard cutout to get the right angle, the drawing with the measuerments and two plastic plates. Lets
see if that bending will work out. First plate ready for bending.

Checking with the cutout if we are getting close.

Not far enough on this picture.

Bended both plates, and with a piece of duck-tape to see how it will look like.

Shot from the other side, I also cut two pieces out of the topplate to stick the handle barsides through.

And a total shot.

I am not very good in sheet work, so I need to do a lot of work to get this a bit tidy. For now I am pleased
the way it is looking and I have confident it will turn out good enough for me.

[Frenkie]

The display subproject
First a layout of the measuerments on aluminium sheet.

Cut out.

Bended and a small piece for the front.

The rear of the display.

And the front with display, but without the frontplate.

Measeuring onto the topplate.

Sawed out, fitting.

Just a quick fit for the look and feel.

From the other side.

Close-up of the front plate with duck tape, will finish it ofc.

I think it will turn out good.

===

Disassembled the Shuttle, won't need this chassis anymore.

These are the parts that will be used in the BFG.

And this is how the motherboard looks like with the graphic card.

Here you see the famous Shuttle cooling with heatpipes. I really like it a lot.

And mounted the heatpipecooling onto the mobo.

Underneath this was attached to the aluminium frame, which I wont be using anymore.

So I made a new plate to attach it to.

I use grommets to mount the motherboard to the bottom frame.

All holes are drilled and threaded. Mobo fits perfect.
Now to assembly the whole lot together.

Thanx again to the guys of Spacepromotion.nl I got a bottle of Swiftech HydrX anti-corrosion/alg UV Green, so I can finish the BFG ammunition jars.

Fill up with water.

UV green crap added.

Glued the jarlids onto them.

Lets see if the water level is indeed 45 degrees.

Yup, rocksolid. Lets get on with the rest.

= a lot of friends suggested I use the jars to intergrate into a watercooling set. I tried and tried but it just wouldnt work. If you put water IN the jars, you build up pressure. The upsidedown glued lids cant handle a lot of pressure. =

Maybe I will try the use of an aquarium air pump onto a test jar later on

Thought of a new gadget-addon: The BFG will get two aiming-lasers. Have ordered them allready and hope to get them soon.

Can't wait to see them in action




Started with the rear panel, first a try out in cardboard.

These two pieces will have to go for the cables and stuff.

Between the rear plate and the fan is a gap of 10 mm, with this strip I will solve that problem.

Just a quick tryout, I will finish it properly soon.

I guess it will work out fine.

The inside view.

Now onto the powersupply mounting, maybe a hole in the side for the power to come in.

The laserpointers are in, two of them. Fed by 3 miniute 1.5 Volt batteries, they put out 0.5 mW.
Doesnt seem a lot, but believeme, These shine into the neighbours bedrooms across the street

About 30 seconds later they were open
Damn, I thouht they were small to start with, but without the batterie compartiment, they are truli micro size !

The switch has 4 connections, and I soldered two wires onto them.

Now I can activate the lasers remotely.

Here is how they planned to go ( duck-tape mode ON )

tried to picture them in the dark.

[Frenkie]

The new netentree ( whats that in english? ) with two circuitbreakers.

The orginal Shuttle powersupply.

The intestants, bit boring eh ?

Lets mesh it.

I was wandering how I should make the window.
like this:

or like this:

I decided the latter. So I will make three windows in it, the powersupply behind it will come a bit higher and a CCL will light up the intestants. Maybe some fiddling with UV reactive paint, but that is for later.
I finished the laser-pointers supports, so I will mount them this weekend.

Here you see both lasers.

Close-up, the laser hangs onto two rubber crimp foil rings on a bracket.

The power supply on its new feet.

I didnt like the aluminium surface of the cooling, so I gave it a rougher look.

GRETVERRRRRRR*^%#$)(!^*+$%! ( <- dutch curses ) I sawed too far!
I will have to fix that in one way or the other.

Made a UV green security plate that will go between the powersupply and the outside. Dont want any curious little fingers hanging onto the current.

I received the Quake font from one of my friends. made a sketch what my plans are with them.

Really liked the 3 letter logo so:

some creative dremeling....

Now that I have your artistic attention; this is the plan with the matblack paint.

I was wandering if a nice small pinstripe would look good there?

Today I mounted the circuitboard with the switches. Here you see the circuitboard with two supports.

A good solid fitting cover out of stainless steel.

The circuitboard with the cover.

Here comes the hole.

Working on the edges with a nice bevel.

There, another hole.

With circuitboard.

And from the front.

Did some shoppping; matblack paint and a white-reflecting pinstripe.
Also some stuff for the aluminium.

This is how it looks at this moment in time.

It was mounted wrong, looked crooked, so I disassembled it and made it proper.

With the switches.

Started with the DVD player and the USB connections.

Looking for good place to stack the harddisk, like this....

Or to the sidepanel......

The holes for the USB entrees and a small hole for a (fake ) counter.

Just for the picture, assembled it together.

The rearpanel with cutout DVD slot, and the on/off switch next to it.

With the switch mounted.

Hmm, giving that harddisk a proper place is trickier then I pressumed at first.
Disassembled all aluminium plates for working on it.

Testing the UV CCLs from Revoltec, one short on the front, and one long one on the rear.

Another idea popped into my head: beneath the case a "floodlight" from 3 laserleds. Will I be able to get it working with only the power of the normal powerLED?

Hmmm... the rubber feet are 6 mm high, and the laserled casing is 10 mm. So I will raise the rubber another 4 mm.

Finaly got the LCD up and running, been fiddling with various kinds of LCD software.

[Frenkie]

I extended the axle of the motor, because the styrofoam ball cant support itself. You can see I roughened up the axle so the glue has a better grip on it.

Made a smiple but efficient support for the mini-stroboscope.

Mounted it with two ty-reps.

Oop, forgot to make a reset-switch. A quick mini-support bracket around a switch I had laying about.

This is the position for the reset, I will drill a hole here so that the white switch will hover just below the surface.

Tommorrow I'll mount two switches on the back panel, one for the stroboscope and one for the motor.
Then I'll mount the aluminium cooling cover to the rear panel with 4 x M3 bolts.
Here you see the optocoupler wich I use to convert the HD activity to the 3 LEDs that I use as floodlight beneath the case.

Well, I did think about it, but decided to go fot the 6 mm space underneath, so I removed the laserled housing and used glue to stick it to the bottom. Beneath the LEDS I stuck a piece of aluminium tape to get a little bit

more reflection.

To mount the CPU cooler better, I made 4 small studs to screw it to the back panel.

Twisted the wires together and made a clean connector to it.

The pins in a neat little block.

Looks good.

The switching print.

Preparing the panels for sanding them, after that I use Scotch-Brite pads.

Working on the panels, tried to keep the grid in one direction along the length of the case.
This matte aluminium looks good with the matte black that comes after this.

First layer of transparant paint. After this another transparent layer, then 2 x black and then the pinstripes.

Second coat of transparant is dry, so its on with the first layer of black.

It looks shiny now, but its still wet. Oh my wat a mess in my workshop, gotto clean it up !

Attaching the UV powder, I used transparant paint with the skull of The Machine, but this time I tried a bit of moddelers glue instead.....

....then the styrofoam started to melt . uh oh. But I went through with it pouring in the powder into the grooves.

And then... I found out, this is exact what i was looking for Deep "craters' in the ball, from its depth comes the UV poweder glow. The camera cant pick it up very well, but I post this picture anyway.

Fiddling with the buttons from the switches.

Light coming from underneath, will light up the buttons.

The switch I will use for the power.

And because I had to make up something for the powerLED, so this lightbulb I cant use, I will replace it with a green LED.

literaly a small update:
This is the lightbubl from the powerswitch, s you cansee its 24 V 50 mA. Not for me....

Soldered the lightbulb out of the socket.

And replaced it with a green LED.

To fit it proper, I had to reduce the size with 0.2 mm...

But now it's in and fits perfectly.

The powerswitch is ready, the reset switch, the power LED and the HD-activity LED.
Lasers are connected, just the motor now.
The side with the painting tape.

And here after the reflective pinstriping.
Maybe not so clear on this picture, but in dimmed light, this looks so cool (did anyone say lanparty ? ) :-)

A fellow-tweaker came up with this idea of camouflaging the cut I made too far.

Previous shot maybe not so clear to see, but this one is better. I made 4 strips to cover the window of the powersupply and gave it a bit of 3D look.

Mounted the two exhausts.

Another small add-on, three tiny stainless steel cables that run to the display. Drilled the holes.

Fixed the cables.

Working on th electronics, soldering and stuff.

The results, the powerswitch and the resetswitch are done.

Fitted the window in front of the powersupply.

And behind the Quake logo.

Looks like its gonna be ready soon

[Frenkie]

Lots and lots of small things done, a lot not worth the photo. Worked on the cables, tightened it all, got the green mesh on it, crimping foil, soldered and connected.

I "found" a Zalman ZM-NB47J Northbridge cooler, lets hammer it in :-)

Too bad it isnt UV green..... ( don't sulk, Frenkie....)

Made a mock-up for a quick look how its turning out so far.

Mounting the 4 CCLs and connecting them, then the DVD player, the LCD, switches and motor etc etc

Last the three munition-bottles and the hand-grip.
The plastic mountings replaced with metal ones.

My friends at Sapphire wanted to know if was intrested in a new card for the BFG....

Well, who can resist that ? Not me.

Almost a waste that I didnt make a seperate window for it.

The Sapphire logo on the back.

Mounted the DVD player, connected the HDD and two of the 4 CCLs.

----

Slight change of plans, the motor I used for the ball was running way too fast. Lucky I got another one, almost the same size and this one run a lot slower.

The new video-card needs more power and I meshed all cables.

Most cables are ready, tyrepped and all. The last small CCL I will mount with velcro.

The tunnel around the ball I covered with shiny aluminium foil for optimal reflection.

A small finishing edge for the videocard.

Trying out the lightning.

Looked even better then expected.

The window for the powersupply lit up like a christmas tree

And the green floodlight underneath the case.........

Tried to capture, how much light the ball emits...

...and with another camera-adjustmend.

Anothe wacky idea. This thermaltake cooler "found" among the mess, just begging to be used.

That blue really had to go, matte-black is the color.

Mounted a UV laserLED in the back.

The bolts that came with it just didnt fit right.

So I lathed (?) 0.6 mm of the diametre and flattenend the heads.

Looks ok to me.

This is how it should be.

As a finishing touch I made some warning labels that cover the case here and there.

Hand grip on, top plate on and finishing it.

These are the last pictures of the case just before the NKCM ( Dutch National Casemodding Championship )

A picture for measuerments.

And some night shots.

Het MOV filmpje

==========

Returned from the NKCM< where I became second.

( next on this worklog I will show you the BFG 1.1 update

[Frenkie]

Thanx guys, most appriciated.

Time for some BFG upgrades. I wasnt too happy that the stroboscope didnt work straight away when I pushed the button, but first had to load a few seconds.
So I searched and found another one. This one is from Velleman in a DIY kit.

Soldered it together.

The trigger for this stroboscope I intergrated into the second handgrip ( idea from Koradhill )
First lathing (?) the aluminium rod.

Cut out quite a piece for the switch-trigger.

Perrrrrrfect fit.

Switch goes in.

Voila.

Wasnt too pleased with the CCLs underneath the bottles, so I searched and
came up with a pulsating LED circuit for LED straight into the bottles.

Something like this.

The UV laser-LEDs from a Revoltec set.

desolder it....

and the rest of the puls circuit .

Some shots in working order. Here you see the 3 laserled HD activity.

I liked it so much I made a small move from it

http://clan-rag.gameparty.net/bitchi...ize/BFG11b.MOV

And one from the exhaust fan. You see it wont start straight away, so i needed to give it a little push.

http://clan-rag.gameparty.net/bitchi...ize/BFG11c.MOV
Removed the cap frm the bottles.

Drilled a hole for the UV laserLED.

The rear with the LED in it.

The front with the LED.

The tubes I want to use for the bubbling effect.

Drilled the holes and inserted the tubes, then sealed with siliconenkit.

I will try to get this leakfree

The wires for the switch.

For mounting it to the case I bended a steel strip, here I am drilling the holes for that.

Threading.

Screw it tight.

As you can see, I am right-handed

The wires in a green sleeve into the case.

And the LED-puls circuit is ready.

Made a little clip showing the pulsating LED into the green water.

http://clan-rag.gameparty.net/bitchi...ize/BFG11d.MOV
Used stickon lettering for the switches.
The button for the lasers.

The button for the powersupply.

The button for the stroboscope.

I have been tinkering with the bubbling idea, but failed over and over again.
I need more time for this one.
Another add-on, a rocket-launcher from the Quake2 Tank character.

Tank
A real tank merged with a "human". Has a triple rocket launcher on his shoulder plus both a machinegun and a blaster.

First some sketches.

looking for material ( left-overs from work )

Drawing.

Drilling.

This stainless steel pipe is ideal, but the diametre is 1.7 mm less, I need to some up with soemthing to straighten the two parts.

Thought of this, "stel"screws of M3 x 5 mm on the proper distances.

lock into place.

Nice and straight.

Little bit imagination on the back.

[Frenkie]

A rocketlauncher without rockets is like a bicycle without wheels. I found these in a candyshop!

Thought up a support bracket for them, first trying it out in cardboard.

It fits like I thought it should be.

This time in aluminium, folded out version.

Folded and finished.

Perfect fit, now spray it mattblack. Giving the roxkets some color ( red nose and decals.)

Like it ?

Time to mount the rocket launcher and the rockets to the case. Side view.

Front view.

Rear view.

New decals for the bottles.

Added some reflective pinstriping to the rockets.

And some transparent decal for the block motif.

And the final view.

I wanted to add a bit more debth to the logo, but I havent ever done airbrushing before.

So I pretty much goofed this one, please dont be too hard on me. I promise next time I will do better

Tape removed

And here I conclude this worklog and leave you with the final pictures.

At the moment I am still working on my ultra-low budget R2-D2, but TheGreatSatan allready showed you his creation, so I dont think there will be much demand for mine.

[Frenkie]

Havent got an working spinning ball movie, just a few shots from this years chamionship.

This first you see the last moment added Rambo-bowie knife on the front.

Made with the exposure time a long time open, it just looks like its spinning violently fast, trust me, it isnt.

Local newspaper here in Holland picked up my casemodding hobby and printed two (front)pages
on their december edition ( 500.000 copies )

Here you guys see a little bit of the unfinished R2-D2. I will publish it too when I get the time for translations.

Link To Original Worklog