PROJECT 47 (T-47): Hello Everyone! I am a traditional artist and also do a lot of digital art as well. So I thought I would share my progress and my love of art with everyone! Why I am doing this Case Mod: The T-47, one of the most over looked ships in the galaxy (and is my favorite). Rogue Flight (later blue team and then later rogue squadron) were an elite group of pilots that took the battle into their hands on Hoth. They also performed search and rescue missions as well, in these ships. This is a little homage to these men but mostly to all the pilots in the real world who have done the same across the globe. This is My DELL XPS 700, it was my old editing computer from 2007 everything still works but its time to put my new rig in this case. The case has been through a lot with me and has been by my side for years. So I thought id use my artistic mind and create something unique. I also made some "Work Vlogs" so you could see more detail and get more info that wasn't typed out. This case, I modeled after the T-47 Snow Speeder from Star Wars during the Battle of Hoth. (I'm not sure if I should go into great detail about the design but here is the back door.) I started with the front window door so I could get the vision out of my head and get a solid start on the look of the case. After taping and drawing my window design onto the tape. I added some details with white pencil so it would stand out against the blue. (I ran out of blue tape and had to use scotch white) I started cutting the window out first using a Metal Cutting Disc by Dremel. Then I used a Jigsaw with a Bosch "Progressor for Metal" blade. The cutting then started! Making sure to cut along the white lines. Windows holes are all cut! Onto the Acrylic Sheets! So these little pieces cover parts of the window to look like it was riveted to the window of the aircraft (sorry for blurry photos). I was at Lowes and was going to get some metal. I then realized that I forgot my card at home and had 10 bucks on me, so I got this acrylic instead. I cut the acrylic with a scoring knife and then snapped it on the edge of the table. I ran into an issue with snapping a design. I accidentally snapped a corner off of the sheet leaving a broken corner. I accepted the broken corner and realized that its okay that it was broken because the case is supposed to look beat down and like it went through combat in the snowy wastelands of Hoth. So all in all it worked out. Finally after a half hour of scoring and snapping, It finally got done. Now it is time to drill out the holes for the Bolts to connect all the pieces! I marked all of the spots I need to drill out with the bolt and some watercolor paint. I then took all the pieces, marked them all in the same spots and started drilling. Now that it is all cut out, drilled and placed in a safe spot, I am now going to tare this case apart.
DISASSEMBLY There is a lot to this case. More than I thought there would be. Rivets where rivets shouldn't be, screws where its impossible to get to, and lots and lots of metal. So I start cutting. And finally some progress. I then realized that there was an LED in the back. There are also two LED panels in the front connected to a board in the front. I am not sure how to re-connect these to my Asus sabertooth X79 as of yet. I've been searching and nothing has come up that I could understand. And then it was removed! Next was the removal of the CD cages all the way. SO MANY RIVETS! and then the top magically came off I really didn't know how small this case actually was until I took all the unnecessary stuff out of it. my motherboard takes up almost, if not more than half of the case at 10" wide and 12" tall. So now my layout has to change. I am trying to figure out where to put the PSU because I want it hidden behind the motherboard tray along with all of the cables. I have three different options and one makes me have to extent the X16 slot to the top of the case for the GPU. And I think that is what my option has to be at this point. The only Issue with that is there is only about 3 or 4'' from the motherboard to the window and the hard line is going to have to make a very sharp angle from the CPU. GPU BACKPLATE I am currently using an MSI R7 370 4gb GDDR5 gaming OC edition.. It sounds amazing! but not really. haha I had some left over acrylic from the window, so I thought "why the heck not?" When I up grade it will be super easy to fill the holes in the acrylic and drill new ones. so no problem there. I also painted it purple previously from my personal build (but we wont see that). LOOK ITS A LINE! Again I use the plexi blade to cut through the acrylic. The plate is in a two piece design. I now need to do the top design piece Okay, all the pieces are cut! now it is time to drill some holes and sand the acrylic so that the paint will adhere. The sand paper gave the acrylic a really cool frosted look to it. I might have to experiment with it some more. Up Next Will be Painting and Weathering.
PAINTING TIME! I am using a self etching primer as well as tractor paint! I had it, it was the correct color, and why the heck not! After priming the acrylic I then covered the base plate because I wanted to keep the primer color on it and paint the top plate. After they were dry, I noticed a bit of a drip of the orange paint and it was still tacky. So I flipped the pieces and gave it a light spray and it seemed to even it out. Then I had a crazy Idea (forgot to take pictures) I would take plastic wrap cut little pieces out of it (super tiny) and smush it like a faux finish on a wall, then take a space heater and stand it up in front of the drying paint. Keep in mind that I will be using a PCIE extension cable to bring this up to the top of the case. So I made the back plate bigger to cover any cables that would have been exposed. I am using Acrylic paint (you can use any brand it doesn't really matter) and Dupli-Color Chrome. I am also using a Dremel to make "hit" marks and scratches. NOTE: I spray the chrome onto my pallet and use a brush. Fresh off the press! Time to add some detail! Next I start adding chrome into areas of the design by dry brushing then going in with Orange and Burnt Umber using the same technique. All of this is dry brushing. Now it is time to get that dremel out and start adding scratch marks. I want to add as much detail onto it since it is going to be one of the "show" pieces in the case. After a few hours I finally finished it! and now its time to assemble! Risers are a must Adding some super adhesive tape to the back of the plate. And We are at 100% on the GPU!!!
Hello everyone! I was working (and still am) on the Front bezel. I have made a lot of progress especially with some setbacks that occurred. There is still a lot to be done and I will keep updating the progress of this. So I started taping off the front vents so that when I cut them, they will all stay together. Next, using a plastic cutting disc on my dremel, I cut. Nice not-so clean lines. (I'll fix that) All cut out! Time for a sanding using a sanding bit that I found in the Dremel box. Now that it is all sanded and smooth I am now ready to make my mesh grill. I chose the hexagon shaped mesh because It looks like it would provide a lot of room for air to flow through. It is also pretty unique and doesn't look like prison bars. Now I trace and start snipping away! Then I apply a little pressure on the back to get the bend and curve I want. Sanding is the key to prepping for a paint job! the paint must adhere to the surface and it will NOT do that on a smooth and glossy surface. Then I had to transform the garage into a spray shop! This was probably my favorite part of doing this mod because I really like painting! And this was super fun. I used 1.5 mil Visqueen and some clamps. SAFETY FIRST! This front bezel is taking a bit to complete because there is a lot that is going into it. Visually and electronically. The top is all cut out and ready to start adding some character to it! but how was it done? bum bum buuuum!!! I start with marking my cut with a sharpie then go in with wire cutters and start snapping edges. When I originally cut it, the mesh was a little bit big, so I had to evenly cut it down on all sides until I got to the point I could start folding the mesh over the edge to get the "raised" look that I wanted. Pushing the middle of the mesh down so it is seated inside the frame. The top and bottom are both folded in and it will be dipped in the middle. It still is not 100% finished. I have to cut holes for the CD/DVD Drives and for the fan controller, then get into the second painting stage. Until then, here is what it looks like as of right now.
Thanks Bartacus! I had a hard spot for this case too until I cut into it.. But I am having a lot of fun with it!
XPS LIGHTS I have finally figured out how to wire the lights inadvertently due to some helpful people at the Mod Zoo. I ordered a LED Controller off of amazon that can also be controlled through music for around $12.00 USD. I thought this was unique and would add something that I have never seen before in a mod. Using the controller I will now attempt to hook up the Original LED's from the Dell XPS. I Begin with Taking the cover off of the pins for the LED strip. These are NOT color coated for some reason which is okay. I found the color scheme. I labeled each wires accordingly I then start plugging them in to the corresponding ports on the controller. I then realized I have no way to connect it to the PSU. I looked through my parts box and found a MOLEX to 2 pin that came with an old fan I had. So I snipped off the 2 pin and connected that to the controller. And this is what I ended up with! The Work Vlog Below shows the process and the colors working and reacting to voice and music (Sorry, I might or might not have sung at the end) The video will not embed for some reason so here is the link https://youtu.be/mFdldj56fYI
FRONT BEZEL COMPLETION This was a long process, but it paid off. I will be using A DVD Drive, A DVD burner and a lamptron FC10 fan controller. This configuration works best for me because The fan controller gives enough of a gap to easily get cd's and DVD's in and out. Now that all the mesh is in and looks pretty, I will destroy it. …With class… Using a sharpie, I mark out around the drives and fan controller. They don’t have to be perfect. Then I took some wire cutters and gave it the ol' whatfor. I kind of jump around a little bit while I work the wheel in my brain. So with that said, I take the whole thing down to the shop area (the new cat is healthy and now living in the house). I take the Dremel and start the fun of stressing the bezel with scratches and gouges. While I was Down there I decided to chop the top off of the Optical Drive mount. Then I start on the Drives them selves Cutting with a knife and a file I start shaping the distressed look. Then I painted it using acrylic paint using burnt umber, chrome, and orange. Layering the paint and highlighting details. With that all done I then take the front bezel outside. AND SET IT A BLAZE! With a lighter. Then I use clear epoxy to adhere the mesh to the plastic and start painting the front bezel in the same manor as before wet and Dry brush. A little Orange Vynal to contrast and tidy it up a bit. AND WERE AT 100% Front Bezel! Up Next is the motherboard tray and the back I/O.
NEW WORK VLOG UP! Hope you all enjoy it! Ill be up dating the project Log in the next day or two. This case seems like its going to be a long ride. https://gaming.youtube.com/watch?v=lkSLcpaPRAc&feature=share
I loved the snow speeders, probably my favourite Star Wars vehicle. Great work on the bezel. and capturing the Star Wars feel of scratched and dented.
i understand why you may be hesitant to cut into, or otherwise harm, the fc10 - but it just looks too clean in the front... but the front as a whole - like said before - you've nailed the distressed and worn look!
Thank You! I Listen to all types of music! I Have been in a rock and punk mood lately. Lots of Germs and U.S. Bombs on my playlist Yea I am a bit scared to harm the Fc10. But you are correct, it is a bit too clean. I might as well just go for it! And thank you again! Thank you very much! The Snow Speeder is my favorite as well! Ever since I was a child, I really liked the snow speeder and the land speeder for some strange reason. The symmetry and Design choices they made on those vehicles are A1.
OKAY, the dust has settled and the storm of chaotic shrapnel and acrylic is finally over. Here is the rest of the work log. I hope you all enjoy! PSU COVER: So, The one thing that I really like is the PSU cover. It provides protection and looks really nice. So I'm making one... It took a bit to cut it out with a jig saw but it was worth the patients. Next I measures where I needed to bend it (I kept in mind, my PSU is a little taller than the one I'm using as a mock-up) Then clamped it down to two boards and gave it the heat! After I bent the acrylic, I needed to cut some vent holes, then decided I wanted to put some words on it to identify the ship and the rebel alliance. I used Vinyl to make the stencils. Then paint was applied to the back for my secondary color, then I applied my primary color to the front and removed the stencils when the paint dried. And it was done. ___________________________________________________________________________ Motherboard/Rear I/O I next started on the motherboard tray and the rear I/O. This was the most complicated and precise thing I had to do for this mod. It took a long time and most of my time. I pulled my motherboard out of my build and used it as the template since it is the mobo that will be going in this. Then I cut it out and cut out the hole for the back plate if I ever needed one. Next I used scrap metal from the window I cut out and used it to measure (with motherboard in) where the I/O plate should sit. This took a lot of time to get right and I could only cut it once, so I had to make sure I was correct. ___________________________________________________________________________ Priming parts: Next, everything was to be primed And then we assemble the rear with Pop Rivets that I purchased from Mnpctech! (link below) https://mnpctech.com/case-mods-gami...hassis-cases-copper-black-silver-countersink/ ___________________________________________________________________________ The Window Now needs to be painted and weathered. I used acrylic and watercolor paint. The reason I used watercolor is because it drys fast and rubs off really neat like. But it will stay forever when clear coated. I used: Yellow OCHRE, Burnt SENNA, and Burnt Umber. These colors are what you normally find in heavy fresh rust in wet/humid climates. See that sponge brush? ^^^^^^^^^ Yea, it works for about 5 minutes and then becomes gunked up and you have to go clean it... so maybe use a rag or something else with texture. ANY WAY. I masked off my orange stripe, then started the weathering process. which included embedding salt into the fresh paint. and a bit of cinnamon. yummmmmm... ___________________________________________________________________________ THE TOP: I marked out three 140mm fan holes at the top, then I used a jigsaw to cut them out. After that I sanded and filed the edges to make sure it wasnt sharp. Then I started the weathering and painting. Along came the fan grill cover! Cut from acrylic and you cant tell what is a mistake and what is intentional! LOVE IT! When Painting I based it with primer and then finished with flat white. When I started the detail paint, I used mythril silver and carbon black for a wash. Then I used 400g sand paper and 50g sand paper to give it some character. Then we add the rest of the puzzle...aaaaaand. ___________________________________________________________________________ Assembly: Now that I only have some small things to make, such as an SSD cover. I can now start slapping this baby together! So when I wanted to keep all the watercooling on one side then all of the cables and drives on the opposite. I was left with a choice... so I drilled a few holes in the PSU cover (yes i know i have to take all the piping out to change the psu out but I'm okay with that.) SPEAKING OF PIPING! ___________________________________________________________________________ WATERCOOLING TIME: Now, this hole time I've used almost everything that I already had aside from the acrylic and the fans (Scythe and CoolerMaster). So I already had a Swiftech H240X2 and a few Primochill revolver fittings. So i thought "HEY WHY NOT COPPER HARD LINE THE H240X2!?". Yes, it scared me that the thought even crossed my mind. No I didn't think it would work out... YES, it worked out just fine, and the one (or three) leaks I had were small and were fine tuned with gentle and romantic love between the fitting and a leathermen. So here is the process I took. Thanks to Envious Mods for inspiring me to make the most ghetto jig ever! The pipes bent very well! oh and I added some snow and Ice inside of the computer... on the components. For a cheap little AIO it doesn't do half bad... and it looks pretty interesting with he copper. I am using Mayhems X1 UV Blue Dye. I didn't want the color too deep so I only used a bit of the dye. ___________________________________________________________________________ FRONT WINDOW/Fan Controller: Okay now We are slapping this front window together and we will be just about done. A few things i forgot to mention were that I did wire the Led's up. I have diodes behind the SSD Cover and White strips behind the PSU cover so that the Rebel alliance Logo will illuminate. ___________________________________________________________________________ And we are completed! I am very grateful to be apart of this beautiful and peaceful community! MOD ON!
That is pretty nice. I like the chassis and how you really modded it. You pipe bending skills could use some work But at the end of the day we all have our own taste in style.
wow alaht the result as a whole, looks very good! and nice job on the fc10 you seem to have achieved very consistent weatherring and distress on all the different components on the front
HAH! Thanks, Yea I had to bend the pipes with what I had, I couldn't go get a bender. But All in all the bend could have been way worse for bending it on a home made wooden Jig.
Thank You! I think I cried a little when I weathered the FC-10. The consistency was the hard part because destruction and rust isn't consistent. So I had to constantly create inconstant patterns in a consistent manor....
