Scratch Build – In Progress Project SG: Atlantis, by Ashaman. 22.03.09

Hi there folks.

I've been a member for a while now, and thought that it's time to start a worklog on the mod I'm working on at the moment.


Modding has been one of my big hobbies for about 2,5 years now. It all started when I fond the log on "Dark Blade" by "G69T"
That mod really was a great inspiration to me, and it really made me want to build a custom case. So then I started a prosjekt based on wooden plates and some crappy experience that needed some learning. My first mod is still unfinished, but I may finish it some day when I find time and inspiratoin.

I then started to make a HTPC case, which isn't finished either, but I'm still working on it, and I think it's going to be pretty good. I may put up a log on this mod later.

Well, about half a year ago I started to watch the TV-show "Stargate: Atlantis" and was really thrilled about it. I loved the awsome story and the cool effects and details. About the time I was watching season 2 I played with the idea to make a case that was as small as possible, but could fit a ATX motherboard laying down flat. I took some mesurements and made myself a drawing in Google SkechUp. I didn't think much of this skech for a while, but then the idea about a SG: Atlantis mod started to grow. Suddenly I realized that my "smallest possible ATXcase" would be the perfect case for a SG: Atlantis mod.
A made up a lot of ideas in my head, and found that this crazy idea could be really cool to do. I tried to put my ideas into the sketch I had made earlier, but found that my SkechUp skills could not put the ideas into the drawings i wanted. I figured I had to do this oldschool, by using pencile.
I took som print screens of the ATXcase and printed them out. I used some weeks more or less to finish the drawings and was really pleased with them. They aren't very accurate, but I mainly made them to get a hold of my own idea. I will have to draw everything later on with exact measurements and so on.

Here you can see the drawings I made:

Front:


Left:


Right:


Top:


Back:


The darkened areas are clear plexiglass. The rest is plexi that will be painted. As you mayby can see I tried to take a bit of the "Puddlejumper" design into this mod.
In the front I will make a stargate (yes, I know there are to many signs on the gate I have drawn) with the 36 signs. On the top I will make the dailing device with swiches under them so that I can actually dial up a 7 digit adress. (Can't dail earth though. Hehe.)
I'm also thinking about having a box with the crystal powercenter on the top, as seen at the Atlantian bases in the series.
On the left side I will make a commando center to read temps and folw indicator. I will also control lights and fans from there.
I'm not shore about the radiator in the back yet, I have a few ideas, but I'll see what I come up with later.

To build the size and form I wanted my case in I had to start from scratch. I figured the easiest way to start was to build a chassis out of aluminium. So i bought 6 metres of L-profiled alu in 2,5cm x 2,5cm.

I use this miter saw to cut my alu:


I started to cut the bottom of the case:




To get the front and back perfect I took a sheet of paper and drew the outer lines of the structure. Then I taped the alu parts too the paper.


I needed something to hold the alu profiles together, so I made this pieces from a sheet of alu:



Then I used rivets to bolt the parts together:



(Yes, I know there are some gaps here and there, but the plexi will cover this up later anyway, so I'm not concerned about them.)

Here you can see the two sides togheter, and the alu parts I needed to make four 40 degrees and four 50 degrees angeled peices for the construction:


When the angeled pieces was finished I test fitted the case, as you can see the angels are not perfectly smooth, since my brake was too week and broke down I had to use a sledgehammer to bend them, therefor they have a dented surface, I'm thinking about grinding them dovn a bit before paint, but I have too think a bit more before I decide what to do:




To attach the bottom I made this corner parts:



And these for the top:

]

When the chassis was bolted together I needed a MBtray, so i bought this:


It was a bit wide, so I took the jig saw and cut away about 0,5cm on each side and it was a perfect fit:


Thats it for now, but there will be more to come soon, so stay tuned.

See you later!

- Ashaman

 

Nice metal fabrication! Looking forward to the next installment!

 

I'm looking forward to this...

*subb'd

 

This is a fine time to start an SGA mod, what with the finale having just aired a couple of days ago. I'm a big Stargate fan and I like your concepts for this mod. Can't wait for more.

 

i absolutly love SG: Atlantis... its a shame the last episode here is on Tuesday!!

anyway you have made a good start and i love the concept...

ill def be subscribing to this one!!

 

awesome!! will watch this

 

Thank you very much everyone!
I know that the series finale has just aired, and I think its a real shame, but it doesn't keep me from seeing the episodes over and over again.
Anyway, I bet we will see som Lantian design in the new series that's in the makeing, so hopefully I will get even more inspiration from it!

Well, back to the mod, I think I will be able to get back to you with an update this thursday or friday, so stay tuned, and I will be very happy for any feedback you guys come up with!

- Ashaman

 

looking good thus far!

<-- Subscribed!

 

Maybe a dumb question. But how will you get hardware (especially the motherboard) in that case with so much aluminium on it?

 

Looking good.

 

Shame the series came to an end, but well we still got a movie coming, and your case.
Looking forward how it turns out

And i do expect a real moving wormhole in the gate

 

Nice project. Like the design. Good work with the Alu pieces.

What color it will be?

 

I'll make ''lambo-doors'' on each side, so I can work from both sides, pluss the MB slides in from the side before I attach the screws, with alle the bits and parts attached. The HDD cage will be removable, and the rig will be watercooled, so there won't be any big aircoolers inside.

Well, I think a lot of things will dematerialize in a 120 Yate Loon fan. (Of corse with blue LEDs.)
I may get some help to make a chip with program to controll the DHD, so I can dail a 7 digit code, and the LEDs in the fan will light up when I press the middle button in the DHD. But this is only in my imagination at the moment. Hehe.

I'm thinking a gray basecolor, with an aged look which will be made with black paint in the inner corners and such.


And to the guys I didn't answare: thank you very much for the nice comments!

 

HDDbay and doors.

Hey guys, it's update time!


I've done some work on the HDDbays and the DVDslot since the last post.

I made the DVDslot from some alu parts and some dark blue acrylic (3mm).
The HDDbay I made from a plate I got from my work, the HDDs will stand a bit angeled, I hope this will make the temps go down a bit. The hot air dosen't accumulate as easy under the HDD now, when it's angeled a bit.



To hold the HDDbay in it's place I added some thumbscrews:



I've also started to work on one of the doors:



I'm really pleased about the door, I only have to do some modifications to make it fit perfect.

The PSU is also in place, but I did't take any pictures of the process. I'll do some more work on it, and then I'll post some pics.

I have been thinking a lot about the radiator, and I figured it would be better to put it under the case. This way it will not ruin my design, and I can even put two rads under there, to get even better temps.
I've done this in SketchUp too see how it would look like:


I don't really know if I'll do this or not, because I'm not going to get the ''smallest possible'' case I want to make, but I think it will look much better.
So I really need some feedback on what to do!
What do you guys think about the drawing I made?
Does anyone have any other ideas about where to put the rad/rads?

I'll consider every good suggestion that you guys can come up with!
So I hope you have some good ideas, or that you like mine, because I'm not sure at all!

- Ashaman

 

i think the design u made looks really good... how are you for space on the inside of the case? if ther is nough room you could put a rad in there out of sight... the only drawback with that idea is that it may be a pain to route the tubing...

if you are goin to do a nw design i hope you keep some of the other sketches you done for the first design on the case...

 

Nice work, with the frame and door. It is getting more interesting.

 

There is absolutely no more space inside the case than necessary, so there is no chance I can put a rad inside. Actually I'm not shore I'll have space for the GeForce GTX260 I have, but I think it will pass the HDDbay with about 1 cm... much less space than I expected.
I should have posted some pics of the case beside an ATX-case, so you guys can get a hold of the size...

The sketch I made was only too see what I could do underneath the existing design. So all the drawing in the first post is still the design I'm aiming for.

Thanks m8!

 

Thats good to hear!! so what will be the final dimentions of the case?

would it not be possible to do this?



have it tight up against the top... this may not be possible as u already said that things are tight! if not you will have to mount the same way as in the sketchUp you done...

 

Not a bad idea, but I think the PSU makes it impossible... And I have to vent the hot air out somewhere, and then I don't know where to put the DHD.
But thank you for your opinion and thoughts!

The dimentions is about 35cm x 40cm at the bottom, and 27cm high, pluss the new design for the rad solution, which I guess will add about 10cm to the hight...

 

that would depend on what rad and fans you would be using! my GT Stealth is only 29mm(0.29cm) high and with fans attached aprox 59mm(0.59cm) high.