Much as I love the Project logs here and would love to get into modding proper, I have two problems. 1 - I'm 18, unemployed, and any little income I do have goes into things like guitar strings and transport. 2 - My Case is a P180, so its a little much for me to take on as a first modding project. I'm sure I could source an old case from somewhere (Or alternatively, if anyone on bit needs to clear one out, I'm here *puppy dog eyes*) But that leads me to the next question. Whats a good mod to cut your teeth on? Not a full case conversion or anything, just the one or two things to do that aren't too difficult but'll help me get used to working with the bits and pieces of modding. Tools wise I think I can source a dremel from somewhere, and we have drills and saws and files.
you've got a beautiful case that you can't do much to the outside of, but that doesn't mean you can't play with the inside. try doing the modular power supply thing on the front page. i know my p180 is a jumbled mess on the inside, i bet yours is too. i find modding is no fun if you are looking for stuff to do just for the sake of modding. find something that needs to be done, and tackle that.
Already have a modular PSU... Was thinking of engraving something, but I need muchos practice before even trying that.
i reckon half the modding here is done by guys that had no reason to mod, these guys were just looking at their stuff thinking "what can i do to that? hmmm..." here's some suggestions for first time mods: fit heatpipe heatsinks if not there already fit ramsinks, vreg/mosfet sinks if not there already before fitting heatsinks roughen up heasink fins & lapp then polish the bases fan speed controller install leds, led fans, ccfl light controller improove vents for fans if they aren't free-flowing install fan filters that can be cleaned easily stealth dvd drive rubber mount hdd for reduced noise, hdd heatsinks available aswell maybe some of these ^ interest you? you could engrave heatsinks, the visible part of mobo tray, drive mount part of the case & psu - you would want to remove all components when engraving, and then clean thouroughly - you don't want particles of metal floating around in your case!
I know how it feels to be limited. Myself I am 16 years, with only about 125 USD/month. Though you can build cheap. Last summer i built a case for like 10 usd. I got 3 Meters of steelprofile for 10 USD, cutted in to size, riveted it together. Add to that a soldering station, Dremel copi, and a cordless drill/screwdriver, thats my arsenal, and alot of guts Ill soon start my new building, a chase in a amplifier-style, stay tuned, even brats can do modding ;D
Pvc pipe. You can make anything with enough pipe and glue. I used to pick up construction site scraps and build stuff. (I sold a lot of homemade bongs too.)
for elcheapo modding visit a swap meet - i've seen old but BIG tower cases & desktop cases for like $5 australian. The venting is pathetic on these old things but they are perfect candidates for drilling, hacking, filing/sanding & painting. If you have the tools to cut in the garage at home then all you need is like $10 for a couple of cans of paint for a first mod - thats $15 total! You can spend more on paint, even fibreglass, fans, lights, acrylic, etc I'm sure someone knows where to get things like fans, leds & acrylic for free.... many different companies & businesses have trash that is a modder's treasure
I say use what you have and get what you can afford. I know on trash days around my neighborhood, I scope peoples garbage for cases. Haven't found one yet, but I will one of these days. I've also been in close contact with a local signmaker and when I first met 'em I remember him saying that if I was interested in some scrap vinyl, I could have it for free. Maybe there's a sign shop around where you live that might do the same for you. You never know. As far as my first case goes, peep my sig.
seems like you play guitar.. should mod a computer into an old guitar, ive always wanted to do it to a cello. I saw an acoustic bass (huge mother f**Er) in the garabage at my school today, i REALLY didnt have room in the car . The point is, be creative and you can do anything for your first mod.
Engravings easy. Just find a picture you like and go nuts. Make sure the picture has some strong points of contrast before you take it on as a first one. You can do photos later. Although metal might be harder to work with then wood, so I might be wrong here.
i just found out that there's a couple of places you can get heaps of pc parts for free, they are literally throwing it all away: monitors, cases, mobos, ram, psus, the lot, and these aren't all bottom of the range stuff either, much of it was once cutting edge high performance gear. linky
