Project Flames

[Shikimaru]

Hey, i'm currently in the middle of a worklog that i would like to share with you all,
I'm new, so i'm seriously not trying to break rules

i have withheld the first couple of pages, because they are messy

This thread has been taken from http:www.speedlabs.org

Hey, i have been working on this mod for a while, however, i have found my feet now and so we should see some good progress.
The first thing i did was to cut out a fan hole and line it with PVC pipe.
Here are the first pics after i cut the excess pipe down and sanded it to the surface of the bezel

YOu can see the fan i am going to use as the bezel is on the case.


with flash

The vision for the next bit of the bezel is something i have never seen before.

This involves the empty part of the bezel that usually contains CD-roms and DVD drives. THe basic idea is very simple, i want to fill that area with three layers of blue perspex, in the shape of flames. Where there are more layers of perspex it will be darker and less layers lighter.
The first thing to do was to cut away the plastic that provided support for the insert in the bezel.

This was difficult in parts and i cut in a bit too much,

but it's ok, cause it will be covered with flames eventually

shiks

will update again when i have fully sanded back and am ready to start on the flames

UPDATES,
Well, it's about time i got my act together and stopped playing Battlefield!!

Anyway, i wasn't able to keep a very good work log for all of this, as the camera's memory card was on hollidays

so

I have cut the name of the case (flamed) out of the side, the intention is that it will be back lit and have perspex behind it, i have almost finished it, just have to smooth it off more

Yesterday while i was in sydney i bought a fan controller/temp gauge/cool audio needle. Anyway, the analouge dials are going to be mounted into the front of the case, just below where the flames will go

Firstly i marked where i was going to cut the holes, then drilled an entry point.

THen i enlarged this with my trusty coping saw, and dremmel sanded it with my drill.

A bit of sanding to smooth off the raggy bits, and in goes the gauage

cool eh?


Now for the other one

The one in the middle will be the hardest, because of the old power button, next update = bondo to the rescue

Well, the middle Analouge piece was the hardest because of the old power switch,


However i used the same procedure, marked it out, and drilled a hole


around the markings i cut again with my coping saw, straight through the power switch markings



I sanded it back with the drill dremmel until the display fitted into the hole, as you can see, due to the power button, there is a small gap there.

I tooK a small piece of plastic that came with the unit and cut it to size. That i stuck to the front over the place that required filling. I used sellys filler for the job, which hardened in about 10 minutes

I tooK a small piece of plastic that came with the unit and cut it to size. That i stuck to the front over the place that required filling. I used sellys filler for the job, which hardened in about 10 minutes

I then pulled the plastic off revealing the nice smooth finish below

Put the gauges in for a look see, sexeh!!

THere were a few small gaps, so i filled them in with a small amount of filler.


After that dried it was sanded back



and boy does it look pretty!!



I then attacked the whole thing with wet 'n' dry to get it ready for painting



The first coat of paint, nice i think

All i have to do to this particular piece is to get a nice refective finnish on the paint

Feedback is welcome and very appreciated

]..::UPDATES::..

Roof inlaid power button!!

Ok, as i have used up basically all the available room on the front bezel, i have decided to mount the power button on the roof panel.

Firstly i found the button i wanted, this is a very old one, from a very old case, as it is an old power button, it requires a little modifiaction to fit the usual power button in.

Then i marked out the area to be cut on the case, used a 10 cent coin to trace around.

Drilled a small hole

enlarged that

and enlarged again with tin snips.

Started removing jaggy edges with dremmel/drill


Soon the hole was nice and round

I then marked the holes to be drilled, unfortunately, the drill moved while drilling and they are not straight, so i will have to do them again

These pics give an idea of what it will eventually look like


Some shots of the entire thing

blah, not working how i want, however you may see my progress

First i drew it up and drilled the new holes and screwwed the swich in again

Then i removed the other screws and covered the holes in putty

That puttty, was then sanded down, annoying cause it keeps crumbling at the edges and not lying flat

Then i gave it a quick coat of paint to try and settle the putty

slowly getting there, i just need to pinstakingly sand the lumps down now to make it nice and smooth

[Shikimaru]

OKIES

.:.:.:.UPDATE.:.:.:.

Ok, this update is the start of a long process, i am now doing the last things before i paint the bezel, properly, i i have to get the shape and ETc that i want.

Problem: THe Flamed text down the side is not how i want it, so i bondo'ed it up and started filing away again

After two lots of Bondo stuff going on and sanding it all down, i feel better about it, so i added a light coat of paint to see what it will look like

It will be back lit by some bubble lights and a cold cathode tube, put soem in to have a look, and swanky it is indeed!!

Thanks for the comments and support guys

Red fan ey?.... :sick:

Just for you virus, a small update, exclusive to Speedlabs!!

..::UPDATE::..

added two small sliders which BTW may have to be repositioned, it's a start anyway

Plus, MOCK UP!!

enjoy

[Shikimaru]

::UPDATES::

Okies, i hace finnished the "white" part of the plastic bezel, now don't take that wrong, i still have to do the mesh and the perspex, but for painting purposes, it's done (maybe a few touchups with bondo)

Anyway, i have cut the FLame Grill Holes and recut the slider holes, with my trusty Coping saw, i am getting better each time i pick the thing up!!

Just put some tin foil in to see what it would look like

And, the two sliders cut


As per usual, comment Critisism and general spam is widely accepted :roll:

[Shikimaru]

::New Photo Style!!::

A few shots, don't show much work, i have just been sanding, but these are just to demonstrate my new camera abilitys

Comments and Criteque Please!

[Shikimaru]

Well, that seems very much to be the theme of these next photo's as well.

I am working at the front, generally making it scratch free etc. THat involved putting on a layer of paint

This layer will be sanded back, and will help to find small raised sections in the front

[Shikimaru]

oday, i started cutting the case window, i'm not going to give away the idea behind this until it is finished, so ... i dunno, watch how it unfolds :roll: :oops:

[Shikimaru]

.::<[UPDATE]>::..

Now it has , been quite a while since my last update, and i do have reasons, such as uni, etc that has kept me...rather busy. Anyway, i hope you like what i've done, it is coming along nicely

Firstly, the top of the case Bezel, didn't quite look finnished, so i have added in a piece of plastic, to.. even it out

That's the piece inserted, with the first layer of bondo

and the many

succesive

layers

of

bondo

some spray putty

Sanded back again

And painted black (fun)

Then some spray putty over the whole thing

nice and smooth, hey?

[Shikimaru]

OK, the next bit!!

I got the grill today, that i am going to be using in the case...
MAN it is thick!!

THen i started to cut the flame grills for in the holes, i traced onto paper, cut that out

Then i stickied that onto the grill, and cut it out, with a 1/2cm margin around it

I then cut little slits into it, so i could bend it

started bending it

more bending

some more

It's coming along nicely

Just a few tweaks and it will be finished

[Shikimaru]

Well, just a taste, of what i have been doing, this particular panel still needs lots of work...

Here it is

I think it looks really nice, if you think the same, or perhaps oitherwise, post your comments below

[Shikimaru]

Well well well, here we are again, another update in the world of fire

Today, as i got my Dremmel, i did alot of work on my case window, i have been looking foreward to doing this for a long time, and finally the time is here

Firstly i drew the pattern on the perspex, namely blue flames, i did it by hand without a stencil

THen i started cutting a channel along the line, to give it a nice hard edge

Peel the backing off, ooh nice and shiny

sand with sandpaper, to give it a frosted look

I then washed it off and peeled the rest of the backing off, i think it looks nice,

What do You think??

Post comments below