Scratch Build – Complete ⭐ Da Module Thingy - Handmade Not Sponsored

Hi everyone

UPDATE: 14 Feb link to the presentation videos and to a short twitter video that show the rainmeter widgets working on the small LCD screen

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To jump to the completed project pics that start from Page 13 click here​

UPDATE: 1 Feb 21 Pic of the finished project



UPDATE: 8 June - Project Name: Da Module Thingy, it's funny and make me smile .

Hi all

I'm a new entry on this Forum but here we go.

OLD > Project Name: your builds have cool names but I didn't think about a name for mine to be honest. I'll get an idea and I'll update you all about it.
Hi all

I'm a new entry on this Forum but here we go.
Crafted with NO CNC involved or 3D printing, I'm not against those but this project is handcrafted, also not sponsored.
My poor old Dremel 395 died in December, I repaired it but then after some days it died again... for good this time RIP my old friend.

I didn't even think about posting about it when I started.
It was going to be just a mod, I wanted to make smaller a Cooler Master RC 690 my brother gifted me for christmas years ago by shortening it and call it a day.

I can't really call it my first scratch build, because thinking about it during the first years of the new millennium i made the first one.
It was case i built as my very first try in building a PC from the ground up and not buying it, it was made with some wood and plexiglass.
Thankfully the winds of time and the phones of that era helped me in not having photos of it.

I'm really curious so i like a lot of different things, but this case is going to have a sci-fi industrial vibe 90% will be hand brushed and polished aluminium.

In my second post I'll show some photos of the work in progress.

Even though i could craft it, I'll keep the IO panel structure of the original frame so i'll keep at least a part of it, like Legion used a piece of Commader Shepard's armor.

This Case is going to be my Main PC, in the first few days after the green light for the Scratch Build path i was scouring the web for inspiration and that is how i discovered this site too.

The Lust for a SFF grabbed my Soul, wow such a warm and powerful feeling and so i started with the idea to craft the smallest case i could using my Msi B350M Gaming Pro.

During the first phase of the crafting process, the voice of reason of my brother and some of the lust wearing off, I had to stop and make the choice of crafting it a bit larger to make it future proof.

Case Main Specs:

To Look Cool and be Quiet and Air Cooled
MB: Support for any M-Atx Form Factor so 244 x 244 mm
PSU: Standard ATX 150 x 86 x 140 mm
GPU: at least 330 mm
CPU Cooler: Right now i'm using an Arctic Freezer 33 eSports One and it will fit
Main Fans: 200 mm we tested how quiet they can be in my Brother's case.I want them.
Memory: Space for 1 HDD and 1 SSD on a Module that is removable from the main frame so it can be modified if necessary.

Hopefully you will find the project interesting.

*edit: Changed Project Name

 

Da Module Thingy is Komplete .
You can find more photos at Page 7 13 of the Log .



The case naked photos at Page 6

Hardware on the completed case UPDATED SPECS

• MB: MSI B350M Gaming Pro (M-Atx)

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 1300x - Ryzen 3 3200G

• CPU Cooler: Arctic Freezer 33 eSports One

• RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8Gb @2666 - HyperX Fury RGB 16 Gb @ 3200 Mhz

• GPU: MSI R7 360X

• GPU COOLER: handmade with 2x120mm Arctic P12 pwm fans

• SSD: Samsung 860 EVO 250 Gb

• HDD: WD Blue 1Tb

• PSU: Energon EPS 650 W CM

• SLEEVED CABLES: Silverstone black gold

 

Ok i got the hang with the code for the Pics.

I started to take more photos now, but in the first phase i just took one here and there, the fan in the pics is for just for test the fitting.



This was the start of the Scratch Build These are the Base and Top of the Case





This was the first try to see the effect of how big it was going to be, but it was shorter at the time 350 mm. To give you an idea he bent side are tall 500 mm I'll cut them in the next days when I'm sure of the dimensions.





The Top Fan will cover the cables connecting to the IO Panel



Here to show how I bend the Aluminium. Wood block+ Hammer+ Brute controlled force= Nice Curves





Progress of the Top Fan Module



These are the parts of the two Big Fans Modules all Bent at the correct angles.



This is the work in progress of the connecting parts of the bottom fan module and the main frame



This is the main frame lengthened to the final height of the Build 420 mm for this section



Have a nice day.

 

Nice start! Always good to see hand work, files and hand bending. Plus : reverse Micro ATX!

 

Perfect skills!

 

Scratch build! Welcome to Bit. This looks like it will be neat.

 

Always pleased by a nice aluminium hand work, and you do great , and not to mention a very original frame and design

 

Thanks you so much for the warm welcome .

I've checked some of the amazing projects on the forum, and I'm glad you find mine interesting.
I didn't mention clearly the inverted Mobo before, because I plan to craft the exterior part in a way it'll look good in different orientations vertical or horizontal.
I'm going to use it in a vertical skyscraper position for now but you never know for sure, that is one of the reasons to hide all the I/O cables under the exhaust fan module.

I'll upload some photos in the next days, the main frame is close to be assembled cleaned and finished.
Thinking about the next update, I should be able to show you the bottom fan module with all the protection wings on.

 

So here is an update, I said that i would do it and I back it up.

I have read the general common rules for the project logs, so i won't post a ton of useless photos but if you really want to check more here is my Flickr Album of this project: My Flickr I tend to update it more often than the thread.

My brother has seen some of my photos , he has worked as a photographer in the past.

I'll avoid the use of bad fake backgrounds again in the work in progress shots, when it's complete I'm going to shot with correct lighting with everything clean.

Unless you really like my cardboard backgrounds that is.

This is a preview of the petals/wings that are going to act as protection for the big fans, probably I'm going to put a metal mesh too so I won't put any of my fingers in there when the fan is working



This is the bottom fan module and the base of the case without the petals



This is a photo of one of the external corners as i wanted to see it brushed even if not perfectly



After this test I chose that I'm going to brush the external parts horizontally, mostly because i really like how the case react to light with that texture.

The fan modules are going to have the sides covered by aluminium borders I'm gonna call 'em crowns, the open sides were another thing i didn't like when test fitting the test Mobo and the PSU.

It's starting to show the final shape, the top crown which will be the support for the top fan is not complete but it may help you in getting an idea of the case shape.

Cutting and Bending









If all goes well tomorrow I'll finish the top fan module crown, finish the top cables passage hole and the base crown too.

 

Here is an update regarding the top crown





Here is the inside view of the crown, there is 45 mm between the I/O panel and the base of the fan module, I have already a 90° bend for the DVI connector as it was the one protruding a bit too much







Tomorrow I'm going to finish the base, you can see some parts of it in the background.
I was really looking to get the base done today, but during a test fit I though it was better to add two small side lips to the top crown as it look more clean this way.
For the same reason I added the triangle holes on the bending corners, it's a crown so it must be a bit fancy .

 

OMG!

 

Added two side lips to the base crown, it looked a bit poor in comparison to the top one.
I made the triangle holes on it too, I like 'em .



Tomorrow I'm going to start building the hard drives Spine.

 

A glimpse of the work in progress of the storage drivers Spine, to be honest I'm pretty happy because it's close to the sketch I drew the other day

 

Looks cool, that would be something that I would buy

 

That's some sweet sheet metalwork there dude - nice job!

Looking forward to this one

 

well... seems you are not lacking on manual skills.... hoping you will finish this soon, and keep us updated then

 

will it be portable? it would be kinda cool to have a portable one with maybe a nice handle

 

Thanks all, I'm glad you like it

Yes it will.
I want it to be comfy to move when needed, at the start of the project when the case was going to be smaller about 20 Litres it had to be just one on the top.
Now It's longer, it is light but it doesn't feel balanced when grabbed only from the top.
So it's probably going to have more than one handle, but I'll look into it in the next days.

 

keep us updated do you already know the specs you want to put inside?

 

I love this shape

This is my favourite pics so far