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Case Mod - In Progress Project [Mini]malist (Jonsbo UMX1 mod) DONE!

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by akpoly, 22 Jun 2014.

  1. akpoly

    akpoly What's a Dremel?

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    Project [Mini]malist

    Hi guys! I use to venture these forums when I was a teen. Boy that was a decade ago and things have changed here! But same great work going on that still amazes me.

    I'm here to throw my hat in the pool for once. I'm not one for having an over the top looking computer in my home. I love to look at them, but find them too distracting for my living room where my computer is. Everything is very minimalist for me. So that's where I want to take my next computer build. Small and minimal. My computer still needs to be powerful enough to handle photo editing, 3D modeling, AutoCAD, and some light gaming (although I don't do that much anymore :rolleyes:).

    I searched high and low for the smallest, most unobtrusive looking case I could find and landed on this beauty. The Jonsbo UMX1. It measures 300 mm (D) x 160 mm (W) x 345 mm (H)
    [​IMG]

    This is a Chinese brand that gets rebadged globally. In the US, they get sold under the Rosewill brand. But the UMX1 was not one of the models that Rosewill elected to rebrand and sell in the US. I had to purchase this from a Chinese website and import it into the States. It also isn't a case meant for heavy duty hardware. For instance, no watercooling or discrete graphics mounts.
    [​IMG]

    I intend to keep as much of the exterior the same as possible. But I need to make a spot for a VGA card and watercooling. So that means:
    - Making a new rear case panel
    - Modifying the bottom case panel for a radiator and fans
    - Relocating the PSU
    - Making a new HDD mount
    - Mount for the watercooling pump
    [​IMG]

    THE GOODS
    Mobo ASRock Z87E-ITX
    CPU Intel i7-4770K
    PSU Silverstone 450W SFX
    GFX EVGA 750 Superclocked
    HD OS Samsung Evo 500GB mSATA
    HD storage 2x Seagate 3TB 7200rpm
    RAM Crucial Ballistix Tactical VLP 16GB
    Cooling 3x Prolimatech Ultra Sleek Vortex 12
    Cooling 1x Noiseblocker NB-BlackSilentPro 80mm
    Cooling Swiftech 8-way PWM fan controller
    Pump Swiftech MCP655 Variable Speed with G1/4 modded top
    Reservoir Bitspower Water Tank Z-Multi 40 Clear
    Radiator Alphacool Nexxos ST30 240
    CPU Block EK Supremacy Clean CSQ
    GPU Block EK VGA Supremacy HWBOT Edition
    Connections Koolance fittings and QD3 quick disconnects

    How much can you cram into a mini-ITX case?!?! This will all be a very tight fit. I spec'd as many low-profile items as I could.

    All the goods so far!
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Wow this fan is thin
    [​IMG]

    I decided to buy the Ballistic Tactical because it was $5 more than the sport but it came with a black PCB! I didn't want the green PCB on the sport to muck my black and silver color scheme up. And off comes the heat spreaders...
    [​IMG]

    Yeah... that's very low profile.
    [​IMG]

    The watercooling goods!
    [​IMG]

    Beautiful big pump with g1/4 taps.
    [​IMG]

    Uh oh. CPU block mounting plate interferes with the msata.
    [​IMG]

    Well just a snip should fix it.
    [​IMG]

    Beautiful heavy little thing.
    [​IMG]

    Sir, we have our patient ready. We can make him better.
    [​IMG]

    Screwdriver. Alcohol. Allen wrench. Thermal paste.
    [​IMG]

    I think we did it sir.
    [​IMG]

    Machined back panels. Original in the middle. I got it made out of the same aluminum grade as the case.
    [​IMG]

    Amazing fit.
    [​IMG]

    And of course... making it look like its original. Got to give it that brushed aluminum effect. It was just a matter of making a jib to keep my strokes straight. 200 passes of 220 grit sandpaper, 100 passes of scour pad, and a matte clear coat to get it indiscernible in finish. I'm willing to say they probably anodized the metal, but that's just crazy for me. Can of clear finish will do!
    [​IMG]

    Can hardly tell the difference.
    [​IMG]

    The VGA tab was the hardest. The tab was milled down with a "V" groove so I could brake the metal by hand. It was difficult to begin the braking. But once I broke it enough, I grabbed some pliers and finished it off.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: 22 Jun 2014
  2. akpoly

    akpoly What's a Dremel?

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    And here comes the internals! Everything will be 3D printed. I'm waiting on a delivery of these in early July.

    Since I needed to relocate the PSU, I took advantage of the top mounted fan and created a shroud with it so it doesn't blow the hot air back into the case. I had to figure out all the small little nooks and crannies of the case that would cause any interference with what I was modeling.
    [​IMG]

    Here is the inside of the PSU shroud. Its going to be hung from the underside of the top of the case where the top mounted fan is located using the fan mounting screws. The shroud will need to cantilever from those mounts with the PSU (kind of). In theory the top case fan will only pull air from the PSU to help keep things cool.
    [​IMG]

    And the side panel that replaces the stock panel. This will hold the 2x 3.5" HDDs with brackets that would be a tool-less release from the cage. Its designed so the HDD can be mounted facing up or down. The side panel also has a ledge that the PSU shroud will be laying on to help support the shroud (so its only kind of cantilevering).
    [​IMG]

    How the release would work... They slide in and lock.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: 22 Jun 2014
  3. Hukkel

    Hukkel James' minion

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    This is looking absolutely mint. I love the work on that rear panel. Looks factory new!

    I didn't know that motherboard had a rear msata connector. I was telling my mate last time I didn't understand why companies didn't do that. Very nice.
     
  4. Father Fuzzy

    Father Fuzzy What's a Dremel?

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    Very nice project

    case reminds me of the Cubitek mini cube

    back panel is gorgeous :baby:
     
  5. Xlucine

    Xlucine What's a Dremel?

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    Ooh, I'm impressed by your work on the back panel
     
  6. Derick

    Derick Senpai Studios

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    Nice :)
     
  7. leonetu

    leonetu What's a Dremel?

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    This is nice. Subbed!
     
  8. caboose

    caboose What's a Dremel?

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    This is amazing :jawdrop:

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Ianovski

    Ianovski Rawr!

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    Great looking case you got yourself there! Curious about the rest.
     
  10. hanssx2

    hanssx2 Minimodder

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    This just need to be subbed. Will wait for you 3D Print, but you Metal finish is stunning close to the of the case
     
  11. akpoly

    akpoly What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks mate! Yea, I chose this mobo because of that! One less HD I had to worry about getting wires to.

    I had to google that. Yea, it looks similar. I chose this thing because its the cleanest case I could find. No logos on it. Simple but looks high end. And the lifted design I thought was sweet for drawing air into the case.

    Thanks mate!

    :D

    Stay tuned. I also want to sleeve all my cables with custom lengths. Just black.

    I'm curious as well. I'll have to see how good this 3D printing really is and if I need to do finishing work on it.

    :rock:
     
  12. Z0DIAX

    Z0DIAX bending alloys

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    very nice work so far, i curious what the 3D-printer will ad to this :thumb:
     
  13. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    Very tidy!
     
  14. Noob?

    Noob? What's a Dremel?

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    Jaw dropping work, impressive indeed!

    As you say, this community never ceases to impress with the showmanship. :)
     
  15. akpoly

    akpoly What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks mate! I'm hoping I won't have to do too much finishing on the 3D parts. Probably some sanding with 600 grit to get things smooth. But they are the housing for the internals. Because of the geometries it would have been too difficult for me to make. I needed something exact.

    So far! Will try to keep it that way!

    Thanks! Trying to keep up with everyone else (although in a different way from the normal here).
     
  16. akpoly

    akpoly What's a Dremel?

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    So a month later... teaser!

    [​IMG]

    The printing company was 2 weeks late in getting me the part. They had to reprint my stuff twice apparently.

    Its a little like sandpaper. Like 300 grit. Some of the dye is patchy so I'm going to take some duplicolor filler primer to smooth things out and then spray it flat black. This coming weekend will be perfect since the S.O. will be out of town!

    This is the PSU shroud.
    [​IMG]

    You can see how tight fittingeverything is.
    [​IMG]

    HD brackets. I think I made the clip a little too thin, so its a little flimsy but it holds the HDD in just fine.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: 22 Jul 2014
  17. caboose

    caboose What's a Dremel?

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    loving it so far. great work
     
  18. akpoly

    akpoly What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks man!

    It's a little drab outside in LA this weekend. I washed my printed parts thinking it was going to be a normal hot weekend so I can start priming, sanding, and painting but its been a wet and humid. :wallbash: I think the LA weather is trolling me or something because this gloomy weather was no where to be seen in winter.

    But once its nice outside, this stuff is waiting!
    [​IMG]

    So I got some work done with the cabling. Start at 12 going clockwise:
    - SATA and molex power cable (added the molex and reorganized the SATA plugs)
    - EPS8 pin
    - Mobo 24 pin (silverstone cable is not 1:1, this was messy)
    - PSU pass thru power cable (this gets mounted to the case and gets fed to the PSU)
    - Fan controller
    - Pump
    [​IMG]

    This stuff took awhile! I measured and cut all cables to length to minimize on the cable clutter. I also sleeved all the cables as best as I could. This was my first time, and I must say, use a heat gun instead of a lighter to shrink the shrink wrap :thumb:
     
  19. Monsieur R.

    Monsieur R. In cornichons I trust.

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    The UMX1 was already a beautiful case, but what you are doing with it is fabulous (and rare) : transforming and adapting it to your needs without without betraying the original spirit ! :rock:
     
  20. akpoly

    akpoly What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks for the kind words! Yes, why mess with something that is already beautiful? Its nice when people take a boring beige box and make it look awesome. But at the same time, it is difficult to alter an already beautiful box for what you need and keeping what was already there.

    So before I begin spray painting, this is a closeup of the printed parts. Kind of rough. I wanted to get this smooth because rough things will trap dust. And trapped dust in rough things are a pain to get clean! :grr::grr:
    [​IMG]

    This is my paint box (in the house). I wouldn't recommend doing it in the house, but it helps keep the dust from outside landing on my parts. I definitely opened all the doors and windows though.
    [​IMG]

    I was originally planning to go from 150 to 220 to 600 to 1000 grit sandpaper. But after my first pass at 150, I just skipped to 600 wet. I may do 2000 wet, but I'll see.
    [​IMG]

    After 5 coats of filler primer
    [​IMG]

    And first pass of 150grit
    [​IMG]

    Its interesting to see how the laser printed the parts
    [​IMG]

    This is something I learned from school way back when. Superglue tiny pieces of sandpaper to the end of a wood skewer. Cut tiny squares, glue it, then take a pair of small scissors and cut around the skewer. Now you have detailing sandpaper!
    [​IMG]

    So I'm currently at a few coats after 600 grit wet sanding. Tomorrow morning will be 1000 grit wet sanding. Maybe 2000 if its not smooth enough. And then flat black paint!
     

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