Case Mod - In Progress Project: NLM. FINISHED 11.08.07

Hi guys and welcome to my first project here on bit-tech!
My name is Jon, I’ve just turned 16, and I’m from a little country called Denmark, we haven’t got lots of good case modders here, so with this case I hope to bring Denmark onto the international modding scene

I would like to present my up-coming project: NLM which stand for Nano Lan Monster.
My last project was very big, and now I want to make something, more crazy and sensational. I’ve been thinking a lot, and then I suddenly realized that I needed something crazy! First I would make a theme case, you know like a Counter Strike theme or a mud theme, but then when one of my friends send me a link to one of those small Nano Itx motherboards, my brain started working ideas out.

Now I wont give you all details, but just a overview, and some of the main-things.

- Small
- Lan suitable
- Crazy

I think that’s it The dimensions is going to be about 15*15*20, I just need the last information, then I can give you the correct dimensions.
My color-theme is black and orange.

I’ve just ordered some orange plexi; 3 and 5mm
As soon I’m getting home from vacation (about 25’th February) I’ll order all the stuff I need, I’ve made a little list for you guys:
- Motherboard
- RAM
- PSU
- 120mm orange fan
- Orange cabelsleeving (1/8”, 1/4”, 3/8” and 1/2”)
- Black headshrink (1/8”, 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2” and 3/4”)
- Black connectors
- Orange 3mm leds
- Orange bulging button (and yes it exists)

And then I also want An airbrush (I’ve always wanted that tool )

I’ve got all the tools I need, so if I just take my time, I’m sure I’ll get a good result!

Oh and also when I remember it! I’m going to build this case, cause I couldn’t find one to mod

But now I wont talk anymore, lets get to work. First part will follow in 2 minutes. Cya!

 

Update 1 – Fridge Part 1 @ Tuesday the 6th February 2007.

For word
I’ll build a little fridge for my case, I’ll start building the fridge because it’s the biggest thing so I’m going to use the dimensions. In the first part I’ll only build the box, later I’ll show you how its going to work!

The funny part

First I’ve cut out some pieces I’ll be using to the inmost where the cola is going to be.
All the pieces isn’t on the picture, but just to get an idea of the size I’ll show you this image.


Now I’ve bend some of the corners.


This is how they look, that’s great


The first pieces putted together, I used rivets to hold them.


That’s defiantly good enough for the inside, I’ll anyways paint it.





Now the whole box is rivet together, that’s not bad




Now with a beer in it, it fits perfectly!




Now I gave it some silicone to hold condense inside the box, we wont have wet hardware will we?


Now I’ve made the outside cover ready some synthetic metal.


The stuff I’ll put on will cover cracks like those, and when I paint it, you cant see anything

 

Some shots after the synthetic metal. I’ll sand it down.


Now I’ve rough sanded the corners.


So now I call the dremmel.


And after some dusty hours I’ve got a cover ready to fine sanding


Well, now away from that boring sanding, and time to find some materials, first here’s the isolation I’m going to use, original it was noise killer material for my other project, but I bet I can use it here as well.


The paint I’m going to use.

 

pretty interesting.. Are you gonna cool down the fridge actively or is it just gonna be an isolated so it will keep the cola cool for longer?

And also can you buy beer in Denmark when you turn 16?

 

Pretty intresting , keep going man

 

wow this should be good!

I would primer it then paint


is that jb weld?

 

Looks like that first piece of bent aluminium was cracked at the bend, bet it was 6061 material, what you need is 3 serries as its annealed and therefor wont work harden and crack like that. As for the all metal bondo, er...that stuff really absorbs mosture you know and it might just do that in this situation, which will make a mess of your paint and case latter. Just a few notes to consider, nice work on the rivets, bet that sucked to do them all from the inside.

 

Thx guys

Jipa @ I'm going to have active cooling, watch the thread and I'll show how soon. And yea i can buy beer when I'm 16 ^^

n0d4x @ my plan is to sand it with a low grit sandpaper, and then paint it black to get a brushed look, I think that would work pretty well.

Beats @ first off all, it isn’t cracked, I bend it with a bending-machine so the bend is properly good enough. I’ll keep the moisture inside the inner-box with the silicone, and then isolate it with the noise killer. I’ve got a cool idea with the door

 

Update 2 – Fridge Part 2 @ Saturday the 10th February2007.

For word.
Today I’ve done some more work on the fridge, not much but some sanding and painting.
In the next part I’ll prepare the frige for some cooling, but you got to wait until the end of the week.

The funny part

The outside-box is now sanded and ready for brushed look.


Now I’ve sanded it with a grit 120 paper.



Some close-ups, this is not bad .


After some painting. I’ve planted a little piece of tape to show the upside. Its only the two big sides which’s on this picture, that will be visible in the case.








It’s not easy to take good pictures of the surface. But as you properly can see, it looks awesome. That brushed look which also Lian Li uses is just amazing.


I’ll prepare the first piece of isolation.


Cut out.


And put in the box

That’s it, stay cool until next update

 

Very good and definitely very Lian Li style metalwork.. i like it

 

Now this is really off to an interesting start!
I like the idea so far, though I'm kinda curious how you'll stuff that thing in that small case..we'll see i guess.
One thing though: I like the look of the brushed surface, but it could have been better. In my opinion a brushed surface has to be perfectly straight, so if you had put it in an device which only allows straight sanding I think it would have been even sweeter. Not that I don't like it, just an advice (Gnu demonstrated this in perfection with his Widescreen Projector..check it out and you'll know what I mean)

Nice work though! Don't get me wrong

//ottzen

 

nice work, i cant wait to see hwo this turns out, consideirng i had contemplated building a lan pc with a built in mini fridge inside also, so im sure i will learn alot from this mod.

 

ditto the (way) above, this case looks like its gonna be one big heavy monster. How exactly is everything going to fit?

 

jakeiswicked @ thanks dude, I do like it to!

ottzen @ First off, thanks.
I know that the strokes could have bin a bit more straight, on the case (you know the REAL case) I will be very patently with this, but inside its had to see, also I’ll add something to it so its not going to be visible.

ArcAngeL @ I’m sure you will Hope the best for yours project as well as for mine.

Damouse @ nope the dimentions is very small, just wait, nano itx and a psu like this one:
http://www.mini-box.com/s.nl;jsessi...i1ynknvrkLOlQzNp65In0?category=13&it=A&id=417
help me out with some free space

I’ll give you an update Tuesday I hope

 

Update 3 – Fridge Part 3 @ Thursday the 15th February 2007.

For word
Today I’ve got a lot of work done on the fridge. Maybe it looks a bit messed, but I’ll try to explain the pictures so you can follow me.

The funny part
I’ll start showing you some of the stuff I’m going to use.


Here’s the to first things, a hinge and a some kind of “fastening” (Don’t know what to call it ^^)
But let’s take a closer look.


Here’s the hinge, I’ll give it some black paint before continue.



Here’s the ”fastening”, its quiet smart. As the way I’ve put them together at the last picture, they’ll be in the final result.


Here’s the block who’s going to lead the heat away from the peltierelementet, as I’ll show you in 2 sec.


This is the back, I’ll sand it down.


And the little 40mm fan I’m going to use.


I gave it some power, but it’s blue.


Right there You’ll find a led (and 2 other places), I have to open the fan to kill them.


Now they’re gone.


Aaah that’s much better.


At Tuesday I got some stuff from the post.
Here’s its most important contents, the peltierelement! I want it to cool the whole fridge, and I swear its effective! I’ll give you some temps when it’s installed.
If you shouldn’t know the one side is 60degreeds colder than the other, and if i then cool down the warm side, the other will be cold It use 4A and 12V which give an effect at 48W, which give my PSU some opposition ^^ Don’t worry I’ll take case of that later.


Some leds. Orange off cause. They’re on 2V so I’ll put them together 6 and 6 in serial on the 12V line.


And a lot of headshrink.


This is how I want to mount the pelterelement.

 

Now lets get to work! The first I did was to sand down the block, grit 120 – 300 – 600 – 1000 – done. This is how I looks now


Here I’ve draw where I’ll gut a 1mm groove for the hinge.


Cut out.


But before mounting the hinge, I’ll need a door. There’s 3 parts in the door, a outside, a inside, and the isolation between. This one is the outside.


Before I can mount the door I’ll need to make a little plate which 1½mm. It fits very good.


Now I’ve got some bolds on. But I wont use those, I’ll use rivets.


Now it’s mounted. Crap picture, I’ll bring you a better one in the next update.


I mounted the fan to see how it will look, it fits perfect with 4mm bolds, so I’ll use those. (Off cause I’m going to paint them.)


I’ve cut some holes on the inside of the door, it works good.


From the other side, the one who turns down to the cola. I need to finish this.


And the fastening is mounted.


Now the little thing which hold the door, It’ll be mounted on the same plate as the coolblock.


A little overview.


When I was working the post gave me a package.


That’s it.


In it I’ve found some plexi Orange off cause! 2 pieces. One at 5mm frosten and one at 3mm clear. This is definitely enough for the little NLM


That’s not bad

Hope to see you soon guys!
Comments are welcome as always

Btw. I’ll repaint the outside box

 

ahh i see. Cant say youre packing a pwerhouse of a PSU but it looks very nice. It looks from the pictures that the orange plexi is UV reactive. Not even considering at least one itty-bitty uv LED?

 

Wow this is an excellent looking mod, keep up the good work

 

Aaah.. Just like a project log should be.. waaaaaaaay more pictures than text

 

they say a picture speaks a thousand words, so if you add it up, he would have the equivalent of 72 thousand words