Project: KNS-01 19-AUG

[Kumo]

Hi everybody.

This is my first post in this forum, althought i've been following TBCS since the times of Matrix Rebirth Project at least. Let me introduce myself a little. I came from Madrid in Spain, and i've been making mods for about 5 years with a dozen of cases done (with more or less success in contests) and a endless number of other minors works. You can see all in my webpage where i also discuss about japanesse culture, modeling and others... but only in spanish... Although you can post in english in the forum if interested.
I hope this will be the first of a long amount of posts (despite my english hehe)

Well, the important thing, the work.

I began with this project at the beginning of August so i'll try to make a little summary until today's updates for you.

I have been making a rack project (Here) and hope to post it here also soon, because it still unfinished. I'm doing it to keep my computers tidy and clean. This is the first machine on my network (KNS-01) and the first one for the rack.

A jump between some post that i've seenin other forums, like this or this i was inspired and decided to make a new case for my Shuttle system.

I have a LAN party close in time and with my LAN Raider project on hold (Here) while i get more parts and ideas, a new case was needed. In add, this case will give me enought space for liquid cooling components and others.

By the reasons i've said, i have other projects on hold, so i took these hex bases borrowed for this project. I fixed both with screws, cutted, filed and sanded until they matched perfectly. Then i began to make an alu frame.

This is the back of the case. The small hole is for ventilation and the big one to pass the shuttle chasis thru. I'm going to use wood (MDF) only in front and back and it will be properly covered when finished. I've recently changed the back a little, but it is ahead.

The inside face of back and front, with the angles to support the structure and the chasis. The frontside will has holes also, for buttons and others, but i'll make they later.

8 of those 8x8mm ALU square bars wil be the chasis of the upper structure.

A teaser of the case. HDs will be in the botton, in a removable plate for easy access. The shuttle chasis in the middle and WC comps in the sides. I have to decide some things, like the location of the DVD (maybe a slim type unit) and others.

I've traced lines in the middle of each profile and then i matched it with the lines in the steel angles. They were fixed with clamps to make the first set of holes.

The case is pretty strong and still left more screwing work.

A preview:

[Kumo]

After making the second set of holes the chasis/case (outter shell) is rock solid.

Supports for the shuttle chasis.

After align the profiles with the frame, i glued they with araldit epoxi, is very strong.

Watching modding forum across the world, Cats love mods... is a fact.

Get the shuttle chasis there is not easy. I had to cut and sand some sides, because (disapointing) the chasis is larger at the back. I have to paint the chasis well before put it inside the case.

The back of the case. You can see my current setup to cool the CPU and GPU. I'll redo it better when the case will be finished. A handle to pull out the case would be nice.

At the front, holes to secure the chasis. The front needs work...

Some details in the front. Black in the top, the Imon inside reciver module. At the botton...

...My spider logo. i'm re-using it, maybe by the last time. Isn't still glued, but fit perfectly. Once the front will be covered, you only could see the the inner circle and the spider.

Behind the spider i'll put one of my MDVA's lite unit. I hope to achive a nice effect.

The MDVA full unit front bezel used as template for hole drilling.

The front. As i previosuly mentioned, when the front will be finished, only the circle will be visible.

And the back. The MDVA only uses de 5V line, so less wires to solder, and less mess.

Yesterday i bought some new gear for the case and new items for the armory

Hinges, vinyl, etc... And my copy of your favorite delta sander.

[Kumo]

ALU profiles to make a variety of pieces. I'm using a lot of profiles in this project.

Edges to support the sides. Are fixed with araldit epoxy. Recently i've discovered the Araldit expoxy for metals that is even stronger.

The base of the case is made of steel. I hope the steel will be present only there, if not i going to need a truck to move it. To bend the plate without the required tools, i dremeled a channel first.

The base in place. The top plate should be like that but in alu, if i can find 1mm alu plates anywhere.

I've changed the design a little, so i'm going a little slower than i want to. I want a removable HD tray. But in the former desing it wasn't possible. So i began remakin the back pannel small hole

Catch the diference?? I reconstruted the hole with wood, araldit and putty.

This is the idea of the docking bay.

The plate for the bay has being glued in place with araldit.

I've also did a stand for the hd tray

Triying to save some weight in every place.

The stand is fixed with screws to the base.

Profiles added to drive the tray thru.

This is the HD tray. It's a hacked shuttle tray with a lot of work. I had to reconstruc one side because it has a hole for wiring pass in other project, added profiles, cutted vent holes, added stands off from a Zalman block, etc... In the pic with dummy HDs

This is the idea... And the last pic for today. But before a little preview....

Preview 1:

My girlfriend is making a Lan party hex bag for the case.... more to come.

Preview 2:
Some final scheme designs. I made they with Gimp. Each image are 2 faces of the hex sides. The top and botton will match they more or less.

Design 1

Design 2

Design 3

No paint this time. I want to cover the case with vinyl. The "grey" part is metallic finish vinyl.

Comments are welcome.

More soon.

[Kumo]

I did a little test with the MDVA and the spider etch.

What do you think?

[OvRiDe]

Originally Posted by Kumo

What do you think?

I think its lookin GREAT!!! Anxious to see the next update!

[Indybird]

Pretty sweet, cant wait to see it done!

[Silenced_Coyote]

At first, when I was looking the the spider etch, I wanted to say that the lights kind of took away from the etch. But I was too quick in my opinion and now that I look at it, I like it. It looks like a web! My first thought was bike spokes. lol

Maybe you can put a different color LCD on the side of the plexi that the spider is on so that it lights up only the etched portion. Just a thought...
Like on the Doom 3 pentagram by Crimson Sky

[Shikimaru]

looking great, nice to see some beautiful original work

[MAC]

very nice, looks really clean too.

[Kumo]

Thanks all for the comments. Are really much apreciated.

Silenced Coyote: ThX. Like the leds are behind the plexi is dificult to light only the etched lines. Mmmm maybe with other leds and a on/off switch....