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

A few more lighting pics...







Last pics for the day... need to study for finals now...

 

Sides painted...





I can say that is is the last major part to deal with in the case. Still need to install vfd bracket on the front and the lcd screen and get it all running. Lower rack needs to be installed than the hardware... ETA 5 days...

 

looking good...

however, thats a pretty poor cut on the side panel...

 

I know it is not *prefect* but I need to have the case done in 5 days and I could not spend another 5 hours + on the side panels. After the contest I will probably strip the sides and fix the side panels but things need to be done now. If you are refering the the bar on the Non MB side I could not do anything about that, the orginal case had the vents and when I cut them they left those impressions. I am a prefectionist with these things and they will be fixed when I can.

BTW the side panels do not look bad at all, just a few areas show up more than others...

 

any way we can 'influence' the contest in your favor?

 

Go to Pc Club and sign up for the forum and when it comes time to vote, vote for my case

The judges have the final choice in the matter though... Hope I do good!

 

done and done.

good work, it must be hard to be so constrained. Im sure a couple of times you jsut wanted to take a chainsaw to that chassis.

 

I had so many things that had to be modded including all the inside edges and such, actually here is a list...

back panel, the fan area had to go, the edges where the panel originally mounted and the top lip had to go

mb tray, the rest back lip had to go, as the same with a lot of metal by the front fans

front panel, same outer edges as the back, the whole bottom area, the 5/1/4 area.

Drive cage... gone, had to fab a new one due to the front fans

side panels. all the side mounting tabs and the windows obiously

top cross member panel... all the inner metal, made mounting tabs for the cage

top panel, all the orginal sliders and tabs,

front panel... no metal work, but 4 grafted in panels, lots and lots of bondo work...


Yes I eish I could have just killed the case and made my own but the stiipulation is that the case has to be recognizable as the stock case. This case is, thus the words the "ultimate" promod.

I hope that I do good in the contest, there is some strict compitition with some major laser cutting but I think I have a chance. 1st prize is 1000 dollars and second is an athlon 64 3200+ with a Gigabyte MB, 3rd is a 17 inch lcd monitor... And this is not going to be my last contest. I have a few things up my sleve for the next one...

 

very good work... but WE WANT MORE

 

Assembly pics begin... Here is more








I am still thinking of painting the cdrom but are undecided now. It kind of makes the hdd not stand out so much with the metal of the cdrom. You can also see the start of some of the wiring work...

Now just to get the plexi and then assembly of the hardware and then we are done! oh yes and the beilge cdrom is behind tinted plexi so you will not see that it is beige. Still might paint though.

 

Just my opinion, but anything metal you should polish up to be as shiny as possible. If you have the money get it chromed. I think it would look nice against the black. This way the HDD wouldnt stand out, but they would both fit with the case.

Great work! Keep it up!

 

Looking at the pic it does seem gray, not polished. I will probably just paint the outside peices and the top when I know the dvd-rom still works. after all the modding. Maybe a blue slot backlight is in the picture too... we will see.

 

nice i like the vertical DVD rom, the discs popping up will be a cool effect. In fact you mite consider doing Zapwizards lighted DVD mod, with the way the drive is positioned the user would get the full effect of the lighting (i think).

btw it mite be a good idea to use a black rounded cable, instead of that UV reactive one, unless you're planning on UV lighting. (altho i dont recall u saying so)

 

If I can in the alloted time period I will but we will see. I had these cables laying around and decided to use them for now. I kind of like the silver braded look though... we will see. I am thinking of the lighted mod if I can squeze the time in to do it. I agree that would be a nice effect. I am up against the clock now and I can do those things if the case gets done by Friday...

 

oh yea thats rite i forgot PC club have a pistol to your head for 1 more week.

better study for your finals too! naughty boy

 

Quick text update...

I just got the lcd mounted in the front and the front vfd mounted. Stated striping the ps for the wiring. Small setback with the hdd, cdrom rack. I think that I am going to rebuild it bending plexi this time instead. That will be the last thing that I do for the computer for now. MOunting the MB tomarrow with all the components so I can see where the wiring needs to go. After that it is the new rack and a little final wiring and then off to the contest.

Pics will be up soon...

 

Ok I will pick up a play station screen. Can you point out exactly where you wired it up? I cant seem to find it.

 

thread in modding... psone screen mod... link www.kickassamd.com

 

Here is some more in progress pics.











LCD is mounted but needs some wiring still... in progress. I killed the ps today (i.e. took it all apart.) I am going to do all the wire extention from it with it out of the casing, cut a few windows in it to match the case and paint it black. The ps fans will be powered outside of the ps to the front panel with the fan controller.

I played with bending plexi today and it worked nice. I designed a stronger rack and I will build it tomarrow. I am running up to the deadline and this is the last big fab peice to do before the contest, then it is wiring and final details. More really soon...

 

looks freaking awesome man, nice stuff just curious though - why a tower for a HTPC, i mean i see a lot of people doing that but i put mine in a component stereo system, i mean just for the astetics really.. but anyway i like the way this turned out man, its sick