Case Mod - In Progress Project: Hutch (Qmicra v2) The reservoir v.2! Aug 16

Thank you! Now that I've got the SFF forums at losias.net up and running fairly smoothly, it should free up some time for more regular updates. I seriously need to get this project wrapped up!

Thanks man! The shroud really cleans things up. Everything underneath will be sleeved and in order, but it still wouldn't be the prettiest thing to look at. So, I cover up what I can, and have someplace solid to mount the second pair of hard drives. It's win all the way around.

Thanks mate! It'll look so much better once sanded and painted! I've got a few more holes to cut in it though.

 

Who's ready for another update? The last post left off with a half finished center shroud, and newly installed lights in the shop, and that's where we will pick up now. As you're about to see, the new lights are bright. They are surface of the sun bright. They are so bright I couldn't see quite right for a day after I first turned them on. So, what better way to explain the results, than with a pic? I can say with certainty that this picture doesn't do reality justice...



With all the newly found glow, I needed a way to tone things down a bit, so I put in a dimmer switch.



Since the lighting was taken care of, it was time to get back to finishing the center shroud. The first task at hand was to modify the OEM hard drive mounts. There isn't room in the case to use the mounts as they were. While they could originally hold two drives apiece, I only needed them to hold one. So, they were marked for a date with the Dremel.



After they were cut and sanded...



I thought now as a good time for a test fit.





With the left side looking good, I thought I should check things out on the right side as well. First I need to get the fans mounted to the side radiator.



Now I drop the radiator on it's mount, and put it in place. All looks well!



Almost there! I just need to find a way to secure the side hard drive mounts in place. These bolts will do nicely...



Done!



Up next is the switch plate, stay tuned!

 

Thats just awesome. So much hardware crammed in such a small case!

 

Brilliant! Subbed (A bit late I know )

 

wow nice build it is looking really good and it is really well thought out like it lots will be following this to teh finish

 

Thanks man! SFF is kind of my thing.

(Subtly directing your attention to Losias link in my sig... )

No worries! Better late than never.

Thanks mate! This build is all about functionality and clean looks. No bling in this case.

 

that's great! awesome HDD mounts!

 

it is a mini tardis

 

very nice work with that central shroud and the hard drives !
looks very clean

 

I'm glad you like them. Thanks!

Lol, you're right. Never though about it like that.

Thanks mate! If you think it looks clean, then I'm pulling off what I want!

 

HDD brackets turned out very well and the radiator mount fits like a glove, great work as always mate.

 

Thanks! Things have indeed come together very well. I've even got enough pics for another post. We'll see what kind of time I have tonight.

 

Two updates in one day? Crazy, isn't it? Well, as promised, I'm moving on to the switch plate. For any of you that remember when I was putting the mesh in the case cover, you'll have noticed that the switches were in a non-traditional location. They are on the right side of the case, and to facilitate their placement, a custom bracket was needed.

So, I marked out the pattern I needed in a piece of aluminum, and I was ready to cut.



A little quick Dremel work, and then some time on the metal brake resulted in this...



A quick test fit indicated I could move on to the next step. It fit exactly as it should.



Next I had to mark out the switch locations.



Once drilled and Dremeled, I was left with dropping the switch and an USB port in place. Like a glove!



With a high strength epoxy applied, the bracket was clamped in place.



One day later, and the epoxy was cured. The clamps were removed, and believe me when I say, that bracket won't be coming off anytime soon... okay, ever...



So, what's next at this point? Well, good question. All major pieces are now in place. I've got no real fabrication left. Hutch and I are still contemplating a good reservoir idea, but other than that, it's all down to details now. I've got wire sleeving to do, as well as hose routing. Also, who could forget the paint? Colors aren't definite, but the interior will be black, while the outside will be a complementing color. Sure, we'll also likely slip in some other small details here and there, but this is really the bulk of it. Of course I'll continue to post as work progresses, but for now, we've got the clean and solid foundation we were looking for. There's no bling, or extraneous fluff here. So, for anyone expecting Project: Rogue type insanity, stick around for the official start of OSIDIAS soon!

 

WOW 2 updates in one day, must be my lucky day lol. As usual your craftsmanship is fantastic.

 

I have a suggestion for your color scheme that fits well with the PC's name.

 

Haha, thanks. You know I did it just for you...

Lol, that would be epic. I'm not sure it would qualify as subtle though.

 

sweet switch plate! impeccable fab work as always craig!

I also like your workstation / bench setup

 

Thanks Bill!

Yes, the bench has been a nice addition. Most of the Rogue was done on a card table! Now I've finally got a proper home for my tools, excellent lighting, and PC with conveniently located screens. It's a huge change for sure.

 

One of the biggest ongoing, yet unresolved issues with this project, was the placement of a reservoir. It's been debated for much to long, and I wasn't sure we would find a solution we really liked. Well, that has now changed...

Hutch will be getting a custom reservoir that due to it's placement, will be a huge focal point for this case. If every mod has at least one aspect that could be considered it's 'showpiece' item, then this is it.

So, to get ready for the reservoir, it was decided to bring a new look to the top of the case. The cuts should highlight the res, and the fluid flowing through it. I took a piece of transparent sheet of adhesive mailing label paper, and printed out the pattern I wanted.



I peeled the backing off of it, and stuck it in place.



Now, anyone that has followed one of my logs, knows that I love using masking tape to guide my cuts. I find it much easier than following a regular line, and it makes for very accurate filing. With this in mind, I applied tape on the sheet to match the lines.



Finally, after a little time spent with the jigsaw and Dremel, I'm left with the following...



With the cuts out of the way, it's time to start on the reservoir itself, and that will be covered in the next update. Until then, I've got a high tech paint image of the reservoir placement. Who needs CAD? Haha!



One other thing... Most of the work in this post was streamed live as it happened. Thanks to my http://losias.net/losias-live/ page, I can now stream, and archive those streams for later viewing. I'm hoping that this will become a huge feature on this site, although I'm still getting the bugs worked out. Anyone interested in knowing when I stream live should follow me on twitter @craigbru. I always send out notice when I'm live. For those not on twitter, or if you miss the live streaming, the videos are archived on the Live page as well. Until the next update!

 

It's just not the same without the audio from the live cast. The Dremel and the squeeky filing.
I recommend any of you catch a live feed when you can, Tis fun!
Excellent work as always and waiting on the res. That will be neat.

john