Case Mod - In Progress Project Redemption [Fractal XL R2 Mod] [Update 4/11/15..New Stuff]

Tools and Sheet metal bender

Hello everyone. I would like to show you what I purchased in the last 7 days.

The main one being the new, better quality, clean sheet metal bender. It cost me a pretty penny but it will be worth it in the long run.

The new work table. No more warping for my sheet metal due to being clamped on one side and having the other side hanging as I cut.


Jigsaw. I bought this one by chance and it was a good purchase for $69.99 from $99.99. Hitachi!


The aluminium piece that I will be working on come tomorrow.


Now the main thing. The sheet metal bending unit aka Bender Rodriguez

 

Great tools man,also the project,I really like your work,well done
Looking forward

 

Thanks bud. The tools are awesome except for the sheet metal bender.

 

Hello everyone. I had such a crappy evening.

I was planning on updating you guys with a nice rad shroud but it never worked. I should not rush into grabbing things and forgetting the measurements.

My aluminium panel is 2.5 mm thick and the sheet metal bender can only bend up to 1.3 mm thick aluminium. So, I will have to call the store and see if they will take it back. I thought I could make it work but nope.

So what now? Well, I am bummed out. I am simply going to have to buy a thinner rad something like 30-37.7 mm thick and put it onto the top of the case. But this means no push pull since the max clearance above the MB with the original roof in place was 70 mm and that is cutting it very close.

The other option is to just close the top, work on the side panels and call it a day. This will save me money for the next build. However, wife thinks I should just go buy a thinner aluminium panel and work with it. Sigh!

 

Awesome job! Congrats!.

 

THanks douglas.

 

Hello fellas. It has been a long time. The work on the case has been on and off. I have decided to change the way I am going to approach this build.

I am going to move the rads to the bottom of the case, make a radwich and place the PSU on the front part of the case where the bottom front intake fan used to be. I managed to get the aluminium sheet bent by my brother in-law but at the end I discovered that I had made a mistake in my measurements as I didn't take the thickness of the sheet into consideration. This means it ended up being a bit wide and long. So I have decide to just cutout enough of it to cover the top of the case.

Here's how I am going to do this.





I will be remaking the acrylic sheet that I had behind the motherboard tray as well as the mid panel sheet. The PSU will be separated from the rads using an aluminium sheet.

 

Thats a nice balance of red and black.
What do you use for lighting? I think a strategically placed desk lamp could take some of your pics from good to great.
I am by no means an expert though.

 

Thanks TVG. I have a desk lamp but it's not that great. I am about to buy a floor lamp that I can place next to the desk and go at it.

 

Hey, nice build you got there. What caused you to move the rads to the bottom? Was it because the bending brake didn't work out?

As for your radwich you might want to check out this test. Sandwiching rads is pretty inefficient.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?220874-More-Radiator-Sandwich-testing

 

I made a few mistakes with the first panel so it is useless atm.

Thanks for your advice. Other people in another forum said the same thing so the layout won't stay that way.

I have decided to leave the bottom the way it was before and I am going to place the second rad to the front. This means I will also move the ODD cage to the bottom (making a new one that can house the fan controller and NZXT Hue 3).

 

Hello friends. This is one, way overdue update and it will contain case materials and new water cooling gears that I purchased almost a month ago as well as new GPUs that are awaiting their water blocks.

Three weeks ago, I worked on the case panels. I cut and drilled the holes for mounting the new aluminium plates. I didn't take pictures for all the panels but here is what happened to the rear panel (front, bottom and top panels have been subjected to the same treatment).

First I measured the area that I wanted removed. I then, marked it and went to work. I made a very nice cut and I was proud of myself. Then I filed the panel and made sure it was smooth. Then I grabbed the new aluminium plate and measured the area that I wanted the screws to go. I took the same measurements and applied them to the original back panel. I grabbed my punching pin and went to work. I like how it fit so perfect. The bottom and top of the panel will need some rivets due to the fact that I am using M5 screws. I know I could have used the countersunk screws that I have but for this build I want to have some industrial look to it.





And this is what I am going to use for the motherboard tray. You will see what I do for the cables path through holes and clips. For now, enjoy the MB mounted to the new tray.



This is what I received from Dazmode almost a month ago but I haven't been able to work on mounting them to the MB. The build will have black all over it and I am thinking about getting black fittings to replace my current silver/nickel compression fittings.

Well, this is what came in the box.









These are the 2 GPUs that are going to replace my EVGA GTX 780 Hydro Copper. I could have bought a second GTX 780 HC but I decided to go AMD way for this one and will use the EKWB R9 290X Acetal Nickel Rev 2.0 full cover waterblocks.

 

niceee

 

those black blocks are sleek

gpu's are hot to trot

 

Thanks bud.

Thanks FF. More to come.

 

I did more work on the PC last night, well on the MB and the blocks.

First I stripped the ASUS supplied block. I have to say, the thing is heavy and well built. I intend to fire up the pump, hook up the ASUS block and keep it under water for a several days. I will monitor the condition of it and bring in the results. This will help validate their anodizing.

First order of business was to take the ASUS blocks off.









Then I cleaned everything and also removed my other EKWB CPU block and started to mount the new stuff.















This is how it looks now. I just love it.









And I can't decide on which one of these reservoirs to use. I can keep the Aqualis for the next build and keep using EK products on this one.









More updates coming soon...

 

A lot of great work so far.. The effort you put into this really shows.
Awesome!

 

Thanks Hanoverfist! I have been away from this mod for a long time..here come some updates..

 

Water Blocks fitted..800D for place holder and case work..

Hello fellas. I know it has been a long time since my last update. I have been super busy with work and young family.

Anyways. I took some of these pictures a while ago but I was unable to take and upload them.

First up..I fitted all the GPUs with EK R9 290X Rev 2.0 blocks and stuffed my system into a Corsair Obsidian 800D case that I scored for $90..

 

This is what I accomplished today for the front rad plate before my drill battery died..I like how it turned out and I will be finishing it up tomorrow morning as well the back and top panel.