Scratch Build – In Progress Project BluBawx I by E.E.L. Ambiense - Completed

thats comming out great it does look great

 

Thanks, man! Just wait until you can actually see the acrylic, lol!

Yay! --Wait! HEY!

Thanks, man! I'm looking forward to it too.

Thanks, mate!

Thanks! I appreciate it.

Thank you!

 

Looking good EEL

 

looks really good!
The colour of the plexy is incredible, I try to imagine how good will be the case without the protective film...
Go on, brother!

 

Thanks, man!

Thanks, man!

 

so stop posting and remove the film... (please?)

 

^^ Haha, I guess we are all waiting to see it. Nice work EEL.

 

Feb. 18th - Update!

Okay. Got a little more done. I'll get right to it.

For mounting the HDD in the chassis, I needed standoffs to allow some airflow around the drive itself, so why not use motherboard standoffs!



Simple, and universal.



...And mounted in the test-assembly. Works perfect!

Now, let's start doing what I've been wanting to do... taking off the protective film.

I wasn't looking forward to disassembling the whole thing after I just finished putting it together, but it's a necessity to be sure.

And like a career in fast-food, I started at the bottom and worked my way up! The case feet going on it are simple stick-on jobs that definitely do...the job. I loved opening the package for these, because it immediately started to smell like a tire store. Or as my best friend put it, "that poop and rubber smell".



And installed.



Anyways, here's the front plate...



...And the majority of the chassis....



I did have a small problem. Because the holes were all hand-drilled and tapped, after I reassembled it I had issues with occasional holes not lining up exactly perfect, and unfortunately I had a couple spots crack after re-threading the screws into them.

It sucks, because had I just assembled it with the protective film removed in the first place and not needing to reassemble the box, I probably wouldn't have had a problem. It's really not bad, and with the top and bottom installed, you can't even see inside the chassis without a halogen bulb, lol. But I'm thinking I'll cut a modified front black piece to cover the small crack up because I know it's there. I'm thinking I'll even make one for the back as well, so it doesn't look totally off with just the front having a plate. But really, you can't tell. Had I gone with solid acrylic instead, I'd have never known. Come to think of it, I really don't know why I went with transparent blue, because there are no lights inside the chassis, being a HTPC and wanting it nondescript for the most part! I guess I'm just an idiot. Any possible future Bawx's I build will probably have threaded inserts instead of tapping the acrylic directly. LOL. Revisions before the original is even done!

Anyways, back to the meat of the matter. I also finished the crown for the front of the box; the stealth-cover for the drive tray. I'll just let the pic show everything instead of trying to explain...



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Until the next update, I got nuthin'.

 

The stealth cover is obviously gorgeous. Sorry to hear about the crack!
Is that crazing I see on the top edge on the chassis picture? Perhaps you should anneal your acrylics.

 

Thanks!

No, no crazing; it's lasercut. It's just the angle that's showing the pulse-marks.

 

Wow, I love that stealth cover!

 

I had to check my OWN pulse-marks after seeing this without the paper.
I'll go lay down now.
Awesome.

john

 

Without papaer is better than I was thinking!
The stealth cover is incredible, how you create this 3d letters?

 

Thanks, man! It really came out great in person.

LOL! Thanks, John! I appreciate the kind words, man.

Thanks, man! The idea for the stealth cover? There's this IQ exercise where you have to match shapes with slots... can't recall what it's referred to as.

There's also a game that I used to play with as a kid. I really don't know if they still make them or not. ... Ah, just looked it up. There's one game called "Perfection" from Hasbro®, where you have to fit a particular shape to a particular slot.

This one...



That's kind of where I got my idea from. Simply drop out the cuts from the one color and inlay the same cuts slightly reduced in thickness from another color. Presto-- cool logo for the case!

 

Feb. 18th - 2nd Update!

Yup, two in one day! It's not much. Just a few pics of the system as it sits right now. I may replace those pieces I'm not totally happy with; I may not. Just depends. I'm thinking I should test-drive her for a while and see how she does in her spot I have for her at home.

I just had her running so I can connect to the net and update Vista as well as flash the firmware on the Blu-Ray Disc drive so I can actually use the thing, lol. I had a DVD playing, and the CPU didn't top 30°, lol. Looks like the chipset floats around 50-52° regardless of load it seems. Board's other sensor says it's around 23°, whatever that is. HDD runs around 26°; a bit higher than I expected, but certainly tolerable! I'm happy with the temps, considering I can't really hear the fans at all unless I have my ear against the case. Trust me, from 10-12 feet away it won't make any noise at all! Should be a bit of an improvement over the PS3 in terms of noise, lol. That thing kicks up bad after a while, simply because of the placement of the vents in that room more than anything else.

But that's a whole other issue entirely. Let's get back to the Bawx!

Here's some pics of her polished up and ready to go home for a stretch...









I don't want to call her totally done just yet, so there will probably be another update. The only 'lights' anywhere on the case is the ring around the power switch, which glows a subtle blue and the LED on the optical, which a strategically placed tiny hole on the front plate allows a small amount of the light to leak through instead of the bloody aircraft landing lights the manufacturers all like to put on those things, lol.

I was originally going to sleeve the PSU, but it's pointless, really. You can't see it anyways. Maybe in a future Bawx I do (if at all) I'll make things even more elaborate. I just did some functional cable-management inside to allow maximum airflow through her. Zipties Cheesecake!

She's purring like a kitten!

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Until the next update, I got nuthin'.

 

I only have one request.

PM Bindi and/or Tim !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We haven't had any modding on the front page since before Christmas. This IS front page.

Just do it! No excuses accepted. I know where you live, don't make me hunt you down.

john

 

That is a truly jaw dropping case...

 

Words cannot describe how amazing this case looks! It is small, functional, and looks absolutely stunning!

I DON'T know where you live, but I am sure that if you don't follow through on this, John would be happy to get me involved in this hunt!

 

PSST:
http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2009/2/16/128793022548497636.jpg

 

Wow, EEL! That's looking great! And done so quickly! The stealth cover is sick! I tried some inlay with a couple acrylic pieces like how you described, but didn't like how it turned out due to the holes I needed to cut for the blade to fit.