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Project: FullMetalBox (FMB) UPDATE: 6/19/06: Window Complete

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by HapeMask, 31 Jan 2006.

  1. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    For my first real set of mods :dremel:, I decided to go with a Fullmetal Alchemist theme, one of my favorite anime series. The plan is to paint various symbols on the case that are similar to the ones in the show, if not exactly alike. I also added a small white cube room in the 3.5in drive bay that will be lit with 3 UV LEDs and will contain something glowing (not sure what right now but it'll be cool) suspended in the middle of it. I also ordered 50 white LEDs off ebay, and I'm going to put them in various places around the inside of the case to give it a ... clean feeling. (I'm not sure how to describe it, but out of all the mods I've seen, the rare few with white lighting in them really stuck out.) The window will also get a large design painted on it. All the symbols will be in flat black spraypaint, and the glowing thing will probably be painted with fluorescent green airbrush paint unless I find something better.

    I've made some progress already, with one of the 2 (perhaps 4?) EXTREMELY complex symbols masked and painted onto the side panel. The mouse is also being painted, but that's been some trouble (more detail in the following pics.)

    NOTE: All of the following pictures are thumbs. Click to view the larger images.

    My current plain Lian-Li PC65 (I think it's 65, might be a 60 though, I forget :D)
    [​IMG]

    The old boring logitech mx310
    [​IMG]

    The cube-room in the dark, with the UV lights installed (I took them out after I took this shot so I could solder them into a better arrangement, but they'll be back like this when it's done.
    [​IMG]

    I took a trip to the hardware store to grab some much needed painting things. The clearcoat is for the mouse. (I forgot to buy masking tape, but I grabbed that the next day).
    [​IMG]

    Mouse dissassembled and ready for painting (Or so I thought, but it turns out that the buttons DO come out, but its tough to find the screws that hold them in place, I might make a post about that later.)
    [​IMG]

    Brand new xacto knife blade for cutting the masking tape stencil.
    [​IMG]

    The stencil, with the design printed on the masking tape (I stuck the tape onto a piece of photo paper so I could print on it then take it off safely.)
    [​IMG]

    The final mask, which took in the end over an hour to finish!
    [​IMG]

    The final result after painting. Some of the tape wasn't pressed down as well as I had thought so there was some bleeding (Something to remember next time I do one of the designs!)
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    Here's how small it really is on the panel. NOTE: Nasty looking pointy metal thing in the top right is a big metal compass, my dad uses it to draw circles on wood/metal.
    [​IMG]

    And here's my poor poor mouse. The story behind this is I painted it once, turned out great. Then I went and picked up the clear coat and painted it again. The clearcoat made the blue paint bubble (too cold out and the paint hadn't cured enough I suppose) so I sanded it down and then let it dry again. It bubbled AGAIN, same spot this time. Right now I sanded it down to the plastic on that one spot and painted it again, then I'm going to wait 2/3 days this time before painting+sanding it again.
    [​IMG]

    More to come when the LEDs arrive and I find something to fill the cube-room.
     
    Last edited: 20 Jun 2006
  2. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    Project: FullMetalBox (FMB) UPDATE:2/19/06: Etching+symbol#2 complete

    Feel free to post any comments/criticisms here. First plexi engraving and 2nd symbol finished!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 6 May 2006
  3. Zekey

    Zekey What's a Dremel?

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    Hey man, I'm a big FMA fan myself the case is looking good so far, I can't wait to see more!
     
  4. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks :) The plan is going to be pretty flexible when I hit the top panel of the case with the roof vent. Since it's my first mod I'd like to get something of everything in, namely electronics, painting, cutting, and the like, although I've had plenty of experience with electronics before.

    ...I also just realized that while each large pic hosted on my site is only around 600k, the images total to 9mb, and with the number of hits this site gets, I might run out of bandwidth pretty fast since I only have 10gb/month. (that works out to be a bit more than 1000 hits total for those pics :worried: ) If I do I'll try and get the pics back up on a free host ASAP. (The thumbs are hosted on tinypic.com since I expected them to get tons more hits than the big images, but it might not turn out like that.)
     
  5. Nix

    Nix What's a Dremel?

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    Just wondering how you coloured in the engraving, and was it a bit tricky to do?
     
  6. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    Engraving? If you mean the black symbol in the top right, check out the log itself, I used masking tape and paint, and yes it was very time consuming (many small cuts) :) The window will be done with more masking tape and xacto knifing.
     
  7. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    Update: Mouse is almost done curing, then time to clear coat (HOPEFULLY for the last time! :D). LEDs came, and I finished installing the UV LEDs in the glowing box. Still not sure what to put in it though...

    Here's the final assembled glowing box.
    [​IMG]

    Front view of the box.
    [​IMG]

    Whee, 50 white LEDs finally came! In a smaller package than I expected too.
    [​IMG]

    They've got a slight blue tint to them, but they were cheap so I can't complain much.
    [​IMG]
     
  8. THEkorean

    THEkorean 42

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    if you still dont know what to put in that cube put a suspended PHILOSOPHERS STONE!! :rock: that would be cool and also etch all the sides of the cube with transmutation circles :)
     
  9. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    Yeah that was one of my top choices, the trick is finding something red and ovoid (word? :D) that will glow in UV light. I don't think they make UV red plexi in 1in. thick blocks (so I could carve it) but if I can find some that would be sweet. Second choice is this film canister I can paint with uv green paint and stick the LEDs in the middle of it.
     
  10. THEkorean

    THEkorean 42

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    just get like a light weight rock and spray paint it red, then get clear Red UV spray paint and then clear coat it an suspend it with a plexi rod or fishing line :) hope that gives you some ideas


    i want to do a FMA mod now :)
     
  11. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    Ah that sounds like a good idea. Fits with the stone idea too. Thanks :)
     
  12. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    Update: 2/5/06

    I installed the LEDs today and also finalized some plans. Instead of painting the big symbol on the window, I'm going to etch it on there either with a dremel or some plexi solvent (lacquer thinner didn't work, going to try some acetone when I can get my hands on some.) That way it'll catch the light from the LEDs inside. I'm also going to use fluorescent red paint on a small rock to make a philosopher's stone (from FMA) to put inside the glowing drive bay.

    LEDs mounted on a piece of plexi.
    [​IMG]

    Final LED assembly covered in tape and installed.
    NOTE: The drive bay is illuminated in UV, but it seems UV is out of my camera's color range so it appears blue.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: 6 Feb 2006
  13. THEkorean

    THEkorean 42

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    lol glad to help, i hope this turns out good
    if the etching dosnt come out too bad mabe you sould etch the other symbols too :)
    TBH the paintjob onthe symbols is pretty mess :p
     
  14. Leeum

    Leeum What's a Dremel?

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    I like the white lighting, very subtle :)
     
  15. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    Oh I agree, it comes out a lot in that closeup shot, but from 1-2 ft away it looks pretty decent. As I mentioned the paint bled when I took the mask off too early, but next symbol I'm going to do a much better job. For the window I'm looking for some kind of plexi solvent that'll frost the places I mask out, much cleaner than a dremel. Lacquer thinner just makes a mess though.

    Thanks :) That was the effect I was going for. Hopefully the etching will catch the light from the LEDs and really pop out.
     
  16. Fahey

    Fahey What's a Dremel?

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    looks cool
     
  17. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    Here's a small update to pass the time til I get my dremel etching skills (nonexistent right now :dremel: ) up to the point where I feel confident etching something big like a window, or until I find a good chemical to etch the acrylic. I finished my mouse's final clearcoating, except for a spot that bubbles seemingly no matter how long I leave it to cure. It's hard to see unless you're right up close to the mouse even though it's as big as my thumb. I left the color coat to dry for a day and it bubbled, then read some guides and left it for 4 days in a warm dry spot, and it still bubbles, so I think I'm going to leave it as is for quite awhile before trying again.

    Final paintjob for now at least. As always, it's a thumb.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: 12 Feb 2006
  18. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks for the comments, if anyone knows of a chemical that I can use to etch/frost the window cleanly (as in it won't melt masking tape) please tell me :)
     
  19. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    Small update> My PC is currently lying in pieces on my desk while I await the last new component: a 7800 GT ! :) (the new motherboard and cpu are already installed.) Hopefully my PSU will be able to support it, but if the sites I checked are correct, it will. Once I get it back together I'll post some more updates.
     
  20. HapeMask

    HapeMask What's a Dremel?

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    Small etching+second symbol complete.

    After about an hour or so of :dremel: :dremel: , this was born:
    [​IMG]
    Overall I'm quite pleased with the result, especially given its small size. (about the size of a 3x5in index card). The only part I'm dissappointed with is the set of three small circles at the intersection of the triangle and the hexagon. (the ones that look like absolute crap :D ) I had to do those freehand since the metal compass got pretty shaky drawing circles so small.

    This is the reference drawing I used. I didn't mask it out or anything since it was all simple straight lines and circles, and I didn't expect any masking tape to stop me from engraving where I shouldn't anyway.
    [​IMG]


    I also finished the second symbol, which came out much better than the first. Shame it goes on the bottom of the window.
    [​IMG]
    Still a bit rough around the edges, but it can be cleaned up. I also forgot to mention that the reason the top three arrows are split off from the rest of the design is because there's going to be a thick circle surrounding the space between them, I just haven't painted that part yet.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 6 May 2006

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