Case Mod - In Progress Project: Mission

Thank you!

Thanks. I was thinking about where to get some filter material and realized I already had a bunch of it in the house already. Crazy cheap too.

The paisley pattern is a light green with a burgundy background. Looks better in person but I suppose you have to be a fellow child of the Sixties to really appreciate paisley...that's all I'm going to say about that.

Thanks. No window. The wife isn't impressed with that sort of thing so it would be a huge wasted effort. Now if I take it to QuakeCon next year then I might have to install a window. I think it is a requirement.

Thanks for that! I always recommend using plywood instead of solid wood because of the warpage issue. Plywood seems to have an image problem.

Cool! Any links to a worklog? Maybe we should form a club. LOL

Thanks guys. I appreciate all the comments.


I'm still sanding and re-applying lacquer. I'll see something I don't like and re-do the whole section. This will continue until the wife threatens an intervention. I can see in her eyes that the end is drawing near.

Last up is wiring and switches. I won't be doing any fancy wiring job mainly because there is no window in this project. I will be doing just the basic sleeving and organization stuff. There was a time in my life when I would braid and sleave the inside of a power supply...but I'm feeling much better now.



The power switch will be located on the back of the case. I actually kinda prefer it that way. Here is a photo showing the case's external liquid-cooling pass-through ports that are ugly and unused.






Pulled the rubber grommets out.






I have a couple of old vintage momentary switches left over from another project and I bought some stainless steel washers at my local hardware store.






The washers straddle and sandwich the cooling port holes and provide a smaller hole to mount the switches.









Thanks for looking!

 

I want MORE

 

+1 on what Bobsquad said.
...only it might be tough to find large sheets for the sides. The hobby shops tend to sell that stuff in tiny one foot squares.

 

I've been watching the side panel parade too. How about natural cork? Comes in thin sheets or 1 foot squares.

john

 

+1. I was using pine too but now I'm thinking 1/2" plywood + laminate would make life easier.

Wood takes SO much more work than metal, esp when you're a noobie

 

I want this case... NOW!

Freakin' awsome, great job.

 

http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=163797

I went through a few sheets learning how to cut the glass correctly.

I found my glass at Hobby Lobby, but there are other shops that sell bigger pieces.

btw, I used the same type of handles to remove my case, but yours are a big, um, longer.

 

It has got to be oriental laquer on the panels, its the only way.
Superb build by the way, exquisite cabinetmaking and veneering.



http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...el=s&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=G&um=1

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&start=84&um=1


It is possible to replicate this fairly cheaply.

 

There are loads of Marquetry kits on Ebay, if that helps.

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/__marq...ID=10&keyword=marquetry+kit&ff4=228459_228460

 

Not a whole lot left. lol

Maybe. I'm not a big fan of stained glass but the mica idea is still hanging with me. Kinda the same thing.

I scoped out some interesting cork last weekend. Good idea but I don't think it gives me the contrast I need. Some dark cork might do better but I haven't found any.

I've never used anything more than 3/8" plywood in a project. Most people I talk to say the opposite about wood vs metalworking especially steelwork. I think woodworking tools are much more common than metalworking but I could be wrong.

Thanks! You can't have it.

I remember your project now. The inverted tapered leg design jogged my old memory. How's that working for you? The handle design is common but the size I'm using isn't. The wife calls them "towel racks". They are functional no doubt. The case is a tight fit and it comes out with a lot of weight behind it.

Interesting. I've already committed several fashion crimes by mixing the chrome stuff into the mission-style. I'm afraid adding an Asian flair would land me into some gulag.





I assembled all the parts and fired it up. As I expected. there was a significant "leak" in the back from the case's open fan grill. Good for the CPU cooling but bad for directing all the incoming air through the filter. To solve this I cut out a piece of 3/16" plywood the size of a 120mm fan, drilled out the corner holes, painted it flat black and mounted it into the case.






One of those "a picture is worth a thousand words" photos.






Back to the Almond Slate. I just finished up the all the woodwork. You can see my rag that I used to buff the coat of Johnson's Paste Wax. The Almond Slate is a little too light in these photos. I had just made the face panels and was mostly curious about how they looked.





I'm doing lots of testing looking at temps and dialing in fan control. Looks like lots of Far Cry 2 and Blu Ray movies for me.

Thanks for looking!

 

Pretty **** cool. The only thing I would add is maybe taking some veneer and replacing the black plastic face plate on the optical drive.

Ten thumbs up from me though! Great looking case, nice work.

 

that is sooo sleak, i want it so bad. I couldn't even imagine how much someone would drop for that case for the professionalism i see. But i imagine your too attached to give that beauty away.

 

+1 to stealthing the drive. Otherwise, she looks HAWT

 

+2 for the drive stealth.
All that effort hiding its function, then stick "G'DAY MUCKER" on the front.
Superb work, very classy .....love it.

 

Thanks guys! I appreciate the comments.

I never intended to stealth the computer...it just worked out that way. Adding power switches, front-mounted ports and lights to the front would require me to make holes for them to slide in and out of with perfect alignment. The front fan was eliminated because I converted the air flow from front-to-back to bottom-io-top because that is more efficient.

I actually want people to know that it is a computer so that is why I don't mind the obvious clue. Same reason I didn't stealth the front mounted ports on Ingraham. Call it my trademark LOL I also happen to think this Sony model is one of the best looking drives I've seen in a while. No explosions from an acronym factory printed across it...just a single, simple Blu-Ray logo.

Besides, it would end up looking like shite...trust me. All the CNC laser cutters in the world couldn't stop a walnut-stealthed slip-in optical drive from looking contrived and forced.



[/rant]

 

Dude that looks awesome, the colour you chose for the sides and front suits perfectly, superb work.

 

Thanks but I haven't chosen anything yet. I'm busy setting up my photography "space" and lighting arraignment. Frankly, none of the choices really move me. I have a contest deadline next week and I'm making compromises that I don't really like. I'm considering passing on the contest and keeping this project open until I can find and afford what I really want.

Anyway, I appreciate your support and participation in this project boy 4rm oz. It has been a ride.

 

No worries mate, I do what I can .

 

Fair point.

Still haven't decided on the color? I wait with bated breath

 

Here comes...

The first test photos using a wrinkled up back drop and a busted tripod. The colours are looking much better...finally. I need a few more reflectors and to work on that top glare but this test shot was all about the colours.

What do you think?