SECTION: Introduction Hello my names Jeffrey Watt or Jeff for short. A little bit about me. I live in South Australia; I have been following the modding scene since around September 2007. My first project (still unfinished) is called Moditor the concept for that is to take a CRT monitor and build a computer into the housing of the screen. This project has been but on hold as I am having a break from that mod for a while (until this case is complete). I started Moditor in December 2007. I am born on the 9th of September 1993. I have enjoyed working on my computers ever since I started. But enough about me. This work log will not be in the order of when I made these pieces but I will explain and make one part before moving to the next. This will make it easier for the reader to understand rather than skipping from place to place. This is my newest project; I started toying with ideas for this case around 25th of November in 2008. I have done countless hours of work on this and still have many hours to go. Ill get the main ideas out first. The reason I have decided to make this case is because of the major heating issues some computers have, as I did not want to get my computer to fry I have decided to make the coolest case I could think of (pun intended). The main airflow pattern in this case (if you know about that) is all fans intake and then the air is forced out of the side and top vents to create a reverse suction pattern. This case when complete will have 5 120mm fans; 2 long life silent coolermaster (located in the base) and 3 120mm long life silent blue led coolermaster fans (on the front bezel) and last but not least (fan wise) it will also have 1 92mm silver stone FM83 calling it home. As for this project I am taking of the generic bezel and making my own “vented”, fan holding bezel I needed to relocate the switches. So I moved them to the back of the case (as you can see in the bottom right of the first CAD) this is also to stop those “oh wow nice computer! What does this button do?” “AHHH” moments.. SECTION: Design So without further ado… I bring you... Project Vento! Some renders a friend did for me. In black (final colour will be black) In white just to show you it in white I guess Using Google Sketch up 7 I made some perfect scale CADs (computer aided designs)(not 100% detail) These two show the back (with I/O panel and PSU) also this shows the top and side The Side design. Notice at the bottom that there is an extra part added. This is the custom base I will be adding later. It will house the CDrom and two 120mm silent Coolermaster fans. Here are some of the Design pics and measurements. And some of the front designs. Black = raised panels Green = raisers Red = base aluminium Green hatch = base still putting the work log together and still making the case.. updates when i get some time until then..
Hahaha that's funy because all of those plans where made in the last 4 days... and I have been working on this mod for 6 months... =p I have been trying to get the worklog in order and finish one bit before moving on to make it easier The plans where needed as some people did not understand the raised pannels idea =p Thanks for the luck guys! Like I said... I've done a fair bit... but still have heaps to go Thanks again Jwatt.
Glad to see you finally bringing this over from TBCS D-F. The progress is looking really good, I can't wait to see it finished.
I appreicate your interest and really want to get this work log to you... But as I am doing it in order Designs Panels Top Base Hdd holder Switch plate Yada yada yada It may be a while as I am forcing myself to finish the panels before I move on to show you the next bit... =p This should in turn make me mod faster.... I hope..... Just found out they have a masive bench sander at school so I am gunna try talking the teacher into letting me use it to finish the pannels.... Hopefully! He will agree and I might be able to get all bar 1 pannel sanded to final shape. (Bar one as I don't have the material for it) Fingers crossed until then
bahahahah... i might... .. NOT im gunna do this log properly. dont think about giving them the link jase..
SECTION: Left and right side panels. A lot of the designs for the side panels are shown above. So showing them again would just be pointless.. MARKING OUT when it comes to marking things out. These 2 objects are your best friends. A sharp point sharpie and a roll of masking tape Here is one of the panels taped off and ready to be marked out. Here is the panel all marked out and ready to be cut out. CUTTING OUT Now most normal modders would use a dremel or a jigsaw to cut out this panel. But me… I am far from normal. (plus didn’t have my dremel with me and didn’t know how well jigsaws worked on metal) so I used a technique I thought of… HAMMER AND SCREWDRIVER !!! Now the trick is to get a large headed screwdriver to speed up the process (if it is an unneeded screwdriver feel free to sharpen it) This is the screwdriver head compared to my finger. It is safe to say that this takes forever! (around 15hours to cut two panels) for anyone planing to do this.. if anyone is as crazy as me.. do not line the screw driver up on to the line as this will create a bur that may need to be cut up to a centimetre back so cut 1cm inside your line The two smaller holes cut All three holes cut and ready to be de-bured. By using tin snips to cut along my line I have taken the bured edge away. This leaves me with the shape I want although the metal is still sharp (ill fix that later). But because of the glue masking tape uses you do not want to keep it on a surface for too long. This is why I have re taped the side panels. (notice the original vents, I will fix this later) (There are still some edges I need to touch up with the dremel) That’s the first panel done. Heres a pic of it sitting next to the second panel waiting to be cut. Just repeat this process for the second panel. (Is done but no photo). MAKING THE RAISED PANELS The next step for my side panels is to make the raised panels shown in the original CADS. These raised panels will be made with 3mm Aluminium. The place that was nice enough to give me some supplies LEquip build and repair trucks, so this is quality material. The owner of this business Steve, a friend of my fathers let me go through the “scrap bins” to find what I was after. Heres what I came home with Side panel for size reference And also this lot too! I am very appreciative to his kind donation and the only thing he wanted in return was to see a teenage boy actually doing something for himself. Next marked out the size of the panels needed, then added the exact cut line with a pen and ruler. HDD for size reference and alot more to come... need to get pics.... finish some and then get time to make a propper worklog.. until then
mm... my angle grinder died... lol i got em all cut in a day.. its the sanding and polishing thats taking the time.
Jigsaw plus sheet metal... Amazingly easy, just make sure you are using metal blades (High teeth per inch). Bunnings sells packs of 5 Bosch blades, of which you will likely want the Basic for Metal or Basic for Aluminium. I use the basic for metal for all my cuts, steel, aluminium and acrylic (although you have to lower the speed quite a bit). I actually see a jigsaw as more useful to general modding than a Dremel. I barely ever use my Dremel for more than intricate little cuts, or to cut a pilot hole for the jigsaw blade when I can't drill it out (PCI slot for mobo trays spring to mind). So, jigsaws are your friend. Also, I really like your design, but I think it will be interesting keeping the blacks beneath the vents as black as they are in your renders. Keep modding... I am to tired to...
Yeah I use a jig saw a lot. I use it to cut metal and plexi to size and to cut large pieces out of it. I only use my Dremel for small things and to finish off edges etc . with the sanding drum.
Duct tape makes terrible masking tape. It takes carburetor cleaner or gasoline to get the gum off later. A drill and a hacksaw blade would work better for cutting. <--Advice from someone who had to dig a chunk of metal out of his arm at your age.
