Kordir, Not 100% sure yet, but in all my test fittings I've used the small silver screws that came with the radiator (you can see them in a few of the pics I've posted). They're long enough to reach through the acrylic and into the radiator mounting plate. I'm not too concerned about these screws holding a lot of weight...the way I've designed my fan shroud, the weight of the radiator and shroud are distributed on both ends. All, Again, thanks for the praise and encouragement--I appreciate it!
December Update Disaster Mod I: Front Bezel Well, December was a month of setbacks as far as the Imperial case went...starting with the front bezel. As I detailed in my last update, I removed 5mm of the vertical supports around the drive bays to hide the vertical lines. However, I had problems with the right side support...it kept popping loose: As you may be able to tell from the picture, repeated attempts to secure the bezel failed. At first, I thought the problem was that I was trying to glue on top of paint...but I had no such problems with the left side. Careful examination showed the right side was curved slightly, so I applied some more glue and clamped the entire bezel down. *CRACK!* The left side of the bezel cracked, right at the start of my cut. I have a new bezel on order with ClearPC.ca, and expect it in January. Disaster Mod II: Control Panel Since I couldn't continue work on the case itself, I turned my attention to my "control panel". As part of my original case order, I got one double-bay drive cover which I planned to turn into my "control panel". Basically, that's where my Matrix Orbital LCD will go, as well as a modified Nexus 305 fan/light controller. (I went with the 3-1/2" bay version because I didn't need five fan controls--this case is watercooled--and the "built-in" light controller was something that appealed to me.) I did some careful measurements to mask off where the LCD screen will show through and where holes for the NXP-305 would need to be drilled: (What this picture doesn't show is the USB drive port that will be next to the fan controller.) Each of the holes are to be 14mm in diameter...I determined that by taking the NXP faceplate to the local baumarkt and trying drill bits until one fit properly. However, it turned out that the holes I drilled were too big...not sure what happened exactly, but the snug fit I had intended wasn't happening! The hole on the left is the "disaster mod" one. After ordering two more double-bay covers (at the same time I ordered my bezel), I began drilling different sized holes in the other spots to determine the true size I needed. (It's the second from the left.) Minor Success: New Feet So, casting about for some success this month, I began looking at replacing the feet on the case. The ones that ship with the case are functional; however, they don't give enough clearance for the acorn nuts I'll be using to secure the water pump to the botton. Here's one place I deviated from Macro Black: I didn't want lighted feet. (Besides, I don't have four daughters to get compacts from!) What I was looking for was a basic, functional look. I considered using some "designer" knobs I saw at the local baumarkt, but when I stumbled on these, I knew I had what I wanted: Rubber doorstop...nice, functional, and would help absorb any case noise. (A bonus since my case currently sits on a ceramic tile floor.) With adhesive backings, I wouldn't even need to drill any holes in my case. I bought a few packs of these and headed home. My first concern was that the stops wouldn't support the weight of the case, but a few experiments proved they'd do just fine. I quickly popped off the old feet and attached the new: Finally! A success this month! Seriously, this wasn't the only success I had this month...however, it's the only one ready to show you all. Trust me, there's plenty more to follow! Until the next time, may you all have a Merry Christmas and a truly Happy New Year!
This looks great Cant go wrong with blackpainted plexi it simply looks great. And the imperial emblem turned out great to You did a great job with great result. I will also be using a lot of black plexi for the finishing touches on my project. http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46844
Minor Update: Window Tinting Minor Update: Window Tinting While waiting for my new front bezel and drive bay covers to arrive, I pressed ahead with finishing the windows. The window tint I used is somewhat darker than that used by Macroman in Macro Black; however, I'm very pleased with the results. One piece of advice: follow Macroman's approach to using Brasso to "knock the edge" off the windows...it makes the difference between an OK result and a professional finish. I redid each of my windows because it was obvious that I hadn't put enough "Brasso time" on each the first time I applied the tinting. Here's how my windows turned out: Imperial Emblem on Painted Side of the Case: Imperial Emblem and "Stealth Window": Test Lighting During Daytime: As you can see, the lighting during the day is rather subdued...what the picture doesn't show is that you can clearly see the insides of the case. To give you an idea of how dark the tinting is, here's a "head-on" shot from the front of the case: All in all, though, I have to say I'm very pleased with the dark tinting. Here's how the case looks lighted at night: And a shot through the top window at night (a bit blurry, sorry): I've also turned my eye towards a redesign of the fan shroud assembly for the radiator...but that'll have to wait for the next update! Until then!
Serious doubt Sharkbait your case really impressed me.It's different. I´ve read your article but i gotta ask u this... You've painted the inside or the outside of your case? It´s really bugging me because it appears painted on the outside. Keep up the good work and i will too.
Stellar, It's actually painted on the inside. Because it's clear acrylic, the paint looks like a high gloss black on the outside. I used the same technique Macroman did with Macro Black...you can read his excellent how-to here. Macroman, Definitely not! I must've taken 30 pictures just to get six good ones! As always, thanks for the support and encouragement! SharkBait
Holy ****!!! I love it! Keep up the great work! Though luck on the breaking parts.. Though I am sure you'll get it all sorted out soon enough. watching with interest....
Sharkbait, the case is looking awesome man! May I make a small suggestion? Change the blue lights to red. I think this will fit in more with the Imperial them.
Kordor, Good suggestion...I considered red lighting, but after watching Return of the Jedi I went with blue. The Force lightning the Emperor wields is blue, as is the "explosion" that occurs after Vader throws the Emperor down the power shaft. Of course, all Dark Jedi lightsabers are red... Perhaps I'll borrow a couple of red CCFLs and see how they look, just in case...I have time while I'm waiting for my replacement parts to arrive. SharkBait
