1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Case Mod - In Progress Project : Deuce

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by Tech-Daddy, 24 Feb 2008.

  1. Sheldog23

    Sheldog23 What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    11 Jan 2004
    Posts:
    297
    Likes Received:
    0
    Congrats on the MOTM nomination buddy. You totally deserve it! Good luck man!


    Austin Modders Represent...word!:hehe:
     
  2. pizan

    pizan that's n00b-tastic

    Joined:
    25 Apr 2008
    Posts:
    300
    Likes Received:
    0
    yea congrats on the nom, good luck , keep up the awesome work
     
  3. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    8 Oct 2003
    Posts:
    869
    Likes Received:
    1
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I'm letting the clear set on the other pieces (top and other side)

    And am madly soldering some LED's for accents. Once I get those in place, the clear should be dry enough for me to finish up the res brackets (that requires sanding and I dont want any more boogers in the clear.... friggen bugs... ), get the res brackets in their final place and I can start placing the tubing. I have two different ways that I have mapped out.

    I also need to finish mounting the top res and stuff.... once the roof piece dries a bit more, I can get the acrylics mounted and in place to finalize the tubing!
    YAY!!!
     
  4. Xarig

    Xarig What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    26 Feb 2003
    Posts:
    140
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hey Tech-Daddy, congratulations on the MOTM nomination, well deserved.

    Just wondering whether you have any concerns about the gel you've mounted the pumps on melting due to heat. I've heard that can happen, especially with the DDC pumps - presumably the acrylic sheet will insulate a bit? I'm thinking of something similar and just wondered whether you've tested it out?
     
  5. mansueto

    mansueto Too broke to mod

    Joined:
    31 Aug 2007
    Posts:
    3,784
    Likes Received:
    109
    Nice work, congrats on the nomination. I would love to mod my TT armor case, but i've stuck to painting the interior flat black. One issue with the case is cable management though, they have no holes to route cables behind the mobo, any suggestions besides actually cutting your own?
     
  6. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    8 Oct 2003
    Posts:
    869
    Likes Received:
    1
    Ok, so I start out with the bestest of intentions of having Seuce ready for it's debutant's ball @ Quakecon2008... so, I started working hard to make that happen... after the fact I have realized that this goal was *wayyyy* too optomistic... but hey... you aim high! ;)

    SO... I start filling the machine with equipment to start getting my tubes laid out and routed.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    WHat is a computer without a good PSU... and folks, Tagan steps up yet again and hammers out a home run with their STELLAR BZ900 modular PSU.... check this baby out!
    All the expansion cables are kept in a service bag, that has a screw driver for those PSU screws.... there is more, but yo uwill have to read the review that will come out after I wrap up this mod. Let's just say Tagan has a great. detailed, customer centric presentation that happens right out of the box. It is a stellar unit that veels good and sturdy. I am looking forward to using it!
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    On the Saturday morning of QC, my wife wakes up to find her husband *still* spinning around the kitchen (yes, I took over hte kitchen, as it was just too hot to work in the garage). I had been working none stop.... and I think it was starting to show.

    Center island has the top of the case with the window bent and attached. the Rad is attached, and the 2 hoses poking through there are to the rad...
    [​IMG]

    I am so surprised that I was still so full of energy. I did not feel tired. Truly inspiring and wierd at the same moment.
    [​IMG]

    That is Sophie... and she thinks, "Daddy haz leuzed his marblez..."
    [​IMG]

    Me looking at the completed buildout of hte lower section, sans the roof and radiator...
    [​IMG]


    I built a power bus bar to be used to hook up the 6 LED's that I had setup on the 5v supply side, as well as the 2 12v pumps sources. I simply took all the lines togheter and tied them into a common spade bit and attached them to a strip on this bus bar. I then built a standard female molex and tied the 12v - G - G- 5v into their corresponding bus bar terminal. I must say, this turned out to be a Godsend of work, as it allowed me to hook up an external PSU and run the pumps without firing up the unit running the motherboard. 1 plug for both the pumps and the corresponding LED work... sahwheet!
    [​IMG]

    Full the reservoirs, and preparing to turn on the pumpz for a leak check... no wait... I dont eve nhave to turn on the pumps! I came back to the computer after loading the water (30 minutes, as I stepped away for a bit to eat...) and ZOMG! I'm missing water! WTF?!?!? Both res's were half full... uhm the loop on the right haz sum 'splaining to do!
    [​IMG]

    Not a good pic, but I was grabbing the paper towels at this point....
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I had 2 confirmed leaks. 1 off of the lower video card (cuz the water kept pouring out in lurches after collecting in the acrylic of the fan shroud!) and the other off of the pump intake.

    It was here.... that I threw up my hands, stepped back, and went to QC without my rig.

    Also, not pictured here was the fact that my top acrylic that my rad was attached to, cracked. I thought that I had caught all of the potential pain points, and had taked corrective actions to relieve the stresses.... apparently I missed one, because t fractured into the top window acrylics. I'll have to pull the top back off again and rebuild the window. I will likely have to contact Thermaltake to see if htey have nay spare tops laying around that I can buy off of them, because if I dont redesign this top window, I'm just going to be continually breaking and over stressing the acrylics.

    what a freakin bummer.... but you dont learn without breaking a few eggs! Unfortunately, this was a rather unique egg that I had cur and etched with a laser.... &@)$&#()$*!!!!

    So. I move into post quakecon mode... after taking a break and coming out to QC and hanging with the awesomness that are the Austin Modders, I return home refreshed and more relaxed.

    Next up... the results of sleep and a bit more time to think about stuff....
    :)
     
  7. bigsharn

    bigsharn Officially demotivated

    Joined:
    9 May 2008
    Posts:
    2,605
    Likes Received:
    83
    That really is a biatch:( Hard luck on the crackage...


    damn, you've got me all depressed now:waah:
     
  8. skullen

    skullen Minimodder

    Joined:
    31 Oct 2007
    Posts:
    539
    Likes Received:
    23
    Nice one Tech-Daddy,it do look the part,i like :thumb:
     
  9. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    8 Oct 2003
    Posts:
    869
    Likes Received:
    1
    It is actually fairly easily fixed... assuming that I can get a hold of someone at Thermaltake that can supply me with a new Armor top.
    :)
    No worries, it's just a piece of acrylic... I can easily remake another one. :D
     
  10. E.E.L. Ambiense

    E.E.L. Ambiense Acrylic Heretic

    Joined:
    26 Jul 2007
    Posts:
    2,957
    Likes Received:
    68
    Sorry to hear about that, man. It could've been worse though, lol. Man, that's almost freaky looking what you did with the res's in the bays; it looks very similar to my old rig with two EK res's.

    Keep it up, man!
     
  11. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    8 Oct 2003
    Posts:
    869
    Likes Received:
    1
    Thanks everyone!

    I like this update better!
    :)
    So...I started working on this now, and put my head in a "post Quakecon" mode... making damn sure that this thing would be ready for the Republic of Gamers convention happening here in Dallas this next weekend. Already have my ticket, already have my hotel room... and this time, I'm going to game and have fun! ;)

    First things first.... these drives have too much bulk on the power cables... see how they roler coaster all over the place? Well... that had to go....
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    Ahhhhh! Much better!!!

    My MAZE5 had a leak, under the fitting with the little nick behind it. (Staring down at the top, the nozzle on the right). I took it out, and I'll be darned if the thing did not have an O ring seal in it!!! I pulled one off of another in the garage, and it has sealed itself up nice and tight!
    [​IMG]

    After all of my leak checks, this is what I have been left with.... yummy!!!
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    The cards are now sporting Tweakmonster BGA ram sinks, they were chromed, and seem to fit the auto motif the best of all of the sinks that I had found! I adhered them with Arctic Alumina Thermal adhesive. I used a bit more alumina in the mix to make the epoxy a bit more diluted... should I want to pull them off.
    [​IMG]
     
  12. skullen

    skullen Minimodder

    Joined:
    31 Oct 2007
    Posts:
    539
    Likes Received:
    23
    Nice job on the wires :thumb:
     
  13. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    8 Oct 2003
    Posts:
    869
    Likes Received:
    1
    I got my shrouds in!!!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    Not my final pics, but getting daaaamn close!
    ;)
     
  14. badje

    badje boni

    Joined:
    30 Oct 2006
    Posts:
    135
    Likes Received:
    0
    Your idea's are pretty awesome, the inside looks good to.
    But the paintjob is not my favorite part, but hey it's your case not mine.
    The acrylic works is great to.
    When does the next mod start?:thumb:
     
  15. Frido

    Frido Minimodder

    Joined:
    19 Apr 2007
    Posts:
    130
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hey - cool job with the front (must admit I don't like the sides, but hey - it's modding isn't it? ;) )
    Nice hose-routing, but I prefer the rad inside the case than outside. (Danger of bending thinGs)

    I'd like to know the idle and load temps of yer cpu :)

    /Frido
    PS. Really good job bending the acrylics!!!! Yay!
     
    Last edited: 9 Aug 2008
  16. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    8 Oct 2003
    Posts:
    869
    Likes Received:
    1
    Thanks everyone! I know the colors aren't for everyone.... that's cool! I learned a long time ago a very simple modding truth...
    "If you mod your machine for others, you will end up with their machine and will be disappointed. If you mod for you... then you are nearly guaranteed a machine that you will enjoy!"

    I appreciate the feedback, I really do.

    Up to date glamor shots...

    ;)


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Not done.. but daaaaaaamn close!
    ;)
     
  17. Tech-Daddy

    Tech-Daddy What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    8 Oct 2003
    Posts:
    869
    Likes Received:
    1
    Oh, and I would like to give a big shoutout to ThermalTake for hearing the pleas of a modder on the brink. I lost a bag in my garage of little bitsies that were some key attachment parts of the case. (That is a major reason for why there has been a gap. I have been cleaning my garage looking for these parts!!!) I also need to rebuild the top window, and would be needing a new roof section.... TT shipped me a complete refurb'd case to scavenge for whatever parts I needed!!!
    Is that friggen COOL or what??!?!?
     
  18. flare

    flare What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    29 May 2008
    Posts:
    106
    Likes Received:
    0
    wow man grats on that and **** does that case look cool in the dark or wat!!
     
Tags:

Share This Page