Project Divergence :: my58vw's HTPC :: 1st place CM3!!! New Pics :: 7/03/04

Project Divergence
Thinking outside the Box
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Hello Bit-tech.

It is time for another project while I wait to get the parts for baby bliss. I have decided to build a file server, HTPC to house all 20 GB or legal mp3's, video and 20+GB of pictures and have a nice front end to display them. The driving force for the project is the PC Club (USA) modding contest that is coming up soon here. They require that you use on of their cases and modify it using the orginal design of the case (no baby bliss here ).

My goal is to make the case look like factory quality but different, diverging from the normal factory beige (and black and silver and...) and really thinking outside the box. We will see what the next 7 weeks produce...

Now on with the project.

Here is the link to the case that I am using, it is a normal colgen case with little premodding, the way that I like it.

Colgen Case​

Here are some of the pics of the case after it has been stripped and ready for work.











Here are the goals of the case...

1. Look Premod... ie. reproduced center section in plexi, factory style air vents, nonmolded (no molding) windows with rivits, silver color (or black, or...)

2. one peice top panel, 1 cdrom, fan controller, vft. inlaid in the panel.

3. Cool top with vandel resistant switches and one peice construction.

4. possible reverse plexiglass on the sides...

5. top window like sides with a windowed hdd grafted in the top.

6. Additional cooling, but quiet (fan controller)

7. Peices laser cut (possibly)

8. hidden cdroms via lcd monitor (PS1 mod)...

9. Most Important... Done in 7 weeks (april 15th); yes June 14th, for the PC Club Modding contest.

I will be looking for lots of ideas on the project from you. It is very important that the case retain much of the look of the stock case... not like baby bliss which I am working on.

I hope that you can send some ideas my way... looking forward to doing the case... (oh yes tinted plexi is going to be used...

Until Next Time... Keep Modding


Oh ya, the fan is not staying... that is my very first mod of necessity, this case got so hot it burned the video card... yes it sucks, I ahve sure come along way since that.

 

this should be an interesting one... looking forward to it

caff.

 

Sketchup time...



This is a "VERY QUICK AND DIRTY" sketchup of the case front, yes things are out of proportion but I had 10 minutes to do it and well you know.

This gives you an idea of the front, with the drive bays sunk in like stock, a custom made front panel with fan, lots of ducting, shaved front, etc. The orientation of the cdrom, vft and fan controller are as shown but ccloser together. Ideas?

 

Ok here is the Final Sketchuo of the upper front... this time close to scale...



A few things to notice...

5 inch lcd... no monitor needed
VFT for file server stats
2 vandel resistant switches... borowed from baby bliss for now. (I am looking for non lighted now for baby bliss, post if you can tell me where to get them)

No CDROM, attached file server, maybe put in back for loading os (I hear slim slot loading...


A fews things that are still uncertain. How to mount the vfd? How to make the middle front peice strong for the switches. If I do not put the switches there where do I put them? Hidden? May graft into the bottom lip of the panel if they will fit. (maybe small switches for there... we will see.

Dark black plexi for the side panels, the case is going to be silver with black centers, dark tinted side panels. Trying to match my home entertainment center with it do that are the colors. Front will probably be tinted plexi that was been back painted black so it will match the sides and look nice.

Still lots of things to think about with the project... we will see what happens as it procedes.

Any sugestions... please post.

Until Next time... Keep Modding...

 

looking cool

 

This should be what you're looking for switch wise. hope it helps.

 

Thank You much, that is what I was looking for. I will probably nr ordering as few for the project.

I am going to start workin on the front tomarrow and hope to have some in progress pics then. Thank You
Until Next Time... Keep Modding

Just a thought... how about the lcd module flipping down and exposing the cdrom drives and switches... oh, I like the idea... maybe have the lcd slide up and out of the way when the cdroms are needed...

ah, now that would be nice... I like the idea... now if I could pull it off...

 

LCD modding and front panel modding update

Here are some initail pics of the modding of the front panel. I am going to square the cut and insert a plexiglass peice and fully bondo it smooth, the lcd is going to be mounted behind the panel as the bracket screw into the front via counter suck screws and they will be bondoed it. a hole will be cut for the lcd which will have a tinted plexi cover so the vft will look on the surface.

here are the pics









More to come soon...

Until Next Time... Keep Modding

 

VFD Panel creation







Yes the vfd is crooked... that is only temporary











As you can see all the middle front is ready for plexiglass center and the vft panel. I still need to make the bracket for the vfd in the back but that needs to wait until after paint. A tinted plexi glass center is being made to cover the hole and provide the writting effect that I want. The little usb hole will be filled soon... but I need to do a mod to the bottom first so that will also wait.



Dancing VFDs... one from Baby bliss and one for Premod..

More to come soon...

Until Next Time... Keep modding

 

I decided to change the name of the project to relate more to what I am doing with the project... you will see why later


Now please post... 1000+ views and 3 replys

 

Looking good! I really like the use of the floppy spots for the VFD. Are you going to put plexi in front of it? It would be sweet if it was smoked acrylic ---> a stealth vfd

 

I hate to say this

Sorry maybe it was not clear...

Yes I did use the floppy area but not the slots for the floppy, I actually made a whole new panel to fit the 20 x 4 line vfd. The look is going to be like the sketchup, the same effect used in project orac3 and a few others where the writting will be on the plexi. I just have to wait for the primer to be on to do that.

 

I was just wondering what VFDs those are? Sorry, I don't have any useful comments!

The case is coming along nicely though!

 

Here is the link to the VFDs...

Matrix Orbital VFDs

They are models VFD2041 and VK202-25 both V (12V) models. I orginally bought the VFD2041 for baby bliss and liked it so much I decided to use the same model for the server but they were out where I bought them so I got the keypad model... they are the same. They look really nice... I will get some pics up tonight of them in action...

 

Yet another promising project that I'll be subscribing to

So when will we see one of these finished??????

 

nice i love the lcd placement

 

I apologize and I don't mean to be picky or snotty, but it's VFD not VFT. VFD stands for vacuum fluorescent display, so I'm not sure why you keep changing VFD to VFT (ex. VFT2041 when the actual model on the page you posted is VFD2041). They are Matrix Orbital VFDs, not VFTs. Sorry again, but it's a pet peeve of mine

-special [k]

 

Sorry I miss typed... I know that it is a Vacuum Florecent Display... I was typing really fast and just messed up... yes it is a pet peeve of mine too.

Maybe this is a lesson to type slower... oh well

I plan on having the whole case done by June 15th at teh latest, perferbably a whole lot sooner than that. I will send up pics tonight of the VF"D"s on and powered for that, they will not be mounted until the end time (at least after paint) so I do not paint the display.

*EDIT*

All the VFTs now fixed...

More to come soon...

 

Damn, i love the VFD panel..

Nice mod!!

 

Pre Fab Models... let me know what you think...







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The plexi is off the side panels (done with spacers) to allow extra cooling and to be different and allow for a mb side window and other reasons that you will see.

The last tow are the lcd panel mechanism that will slide out of the front of the case exposing two cdroms behind... hidden cdroms. I will provide some more on these when I start the fab on them.

Comments? Suggestions?

Until Next Time... Keep Modding