My old P3 gateway case i am modding for my new setup. See below the pictures. As each day comes along i will post a end of the day pictures how it is coming. i am trying to have the case done by friday when my mobo gets here. If not i should have the inside of the case done to put in the mobo, PSU, and the drives. I will add more of the inside later. Project Logs Discussion here.
i have that same case.... its been sittin here for 5 years un-used. ive been tryign to think of somthing to do with it, but its verry uninspiring. i still kinda wanna run whats left of the system thats in it. though its REALLY old, thinking maybe a linux toy. i may have to not watch this one so i dont leech too many ideas
Today I did a little work to the front cover. I got a piece of 4" pvc pipe and cut a round hole in the case. i used epoxy to hold it in place and bought a hot glue gun kit and use that on the back to hold the pipe. Before sanding After some sanding
I have a Gateway 450 which uses the exact same case. Its a pretty dull case along with crappy inards, mine came w/ a pentium 3 450Mhz, 64MB sd-ram and 6gb quantum harddrive and it was made (I tihnk) in 2001 ugh out of date when it was new.
Sure was, it was out of date before it came out. I ended up getting a loan for $2k at the time around 1999. What the hell was I thinking? Then I didn't know much about hardware, and now I am building computers. Its amazing how advance technology had gotten in the last 10 years.
Lol. Cheater. Using the PVC pipe. Good job on that, insures a nice clean hole, unlike those of use left with a dremel/jigsaw. Looking good. I love modding cases from big names like that. Shows that there is hope, all you need is a dremel.
Problem the psu is a rectangle and i'm trying to find a psu template be more helpful cuting it out. I did a search on google and nothing. I'm planing to do all the metal work tomorrow cause i got my mobo in today DFI Lan Party UT nF3250Gb, and processor due in friday.
Today i went did some metal work to the case with a lil help from my work loaning me a electric grinder/cutter. I started off doing the hole for the front fan using a dremal and grinder. After moved I to the I/O plate I had to cut the metal out cause gateway didn't have a removal I/O plate, next to cut the metal covering the rear 80mm fan, then to the PSU mounting for the last 2 holes i am doing to drill tomrrow if i get a loaner drill from work, and cut a hole in the side panel for the window which does need more work straighten the cuts. Below are some photos.
Small update still working on the front cover sanding it and adding more bondo. Went to Wal-mart and bought more sand paper and a rubber sanding block. Tommrow I will go back for some more Bondo, even out the window edges on the case side panel, and take more photos. Hopefuly the weather turns out ok here over the weekend so I can wet sand, primer, and paint the entire case.
Lots more sanding and bondo. I found the Rom's covers from a old case and thought they would come to use. Here is a few more photos.
Still working with the front cover. Bondo is tough in corners. I am thinking of speaker mesh over the drives with a small blue cath light or leds.
Yay, My favourite, bondo! I know what you mean with problems sanding the corners, they are a pain when they are concave. Imo the best thing to so is if you can avoid putting it on thick in the first place do. However if you are VERY careful you can sometimes trim it down with a really sharp knife and then just keep at it with sandpaper using a strip slighly wider than, and wraped around part of your index finger and keep sanding untill its smooth. It's terribly time consuming but worth it in the end. Other than that use the sanding tube/drum/cylinder thingys' on a dremel if you have one.
Nice job so far. I like that hole in the front, it definitely suites the case. Please tell me your going to file the hell out of that window though, because it is fairly uneven and doesn't looks so good right now. Also, any drawn or written plans for this mod yet? Any idea where it is going, or just freestyle modding?
Small update. I got aggervated with the rom covers the bondo was not being fun sanding wouldn't smooth out and keep cracking so I ripped them out. I am posting a few pics some are some led's behind the front cover lighting up the floor looks sweet.
As of right now there are no plans but make it look cool as hell the window i just cut the hole just to get it done after I am done painting the other panels, getting the front cover, and lighting done I am putting full effort twards the window. I am hoping to get the 1st coat of black on tonight give it a day to dry and wetsand then a couple more coats. Hopefully painting will be done by the weekend i can work on the window. Also i posted a small update with the lighting behind the front panel last night.
Pics of case mostly together. The fan in the front is not the fan i'm using I will be using a blue led 120mm fan. Notice the feet I took from a blowed sterio reciever.
