You guys all remember HP1 Since i'll be painting the parts for HP3 soon i decided this would be a good time to give HP1 a new FACE lift.....and a new name! Nothing spectacular..... but wanting to include a new on/off switch from the current HP computers and a Matrix LCD to help monitor temps and control rad fans for summer. The on/off switches for the HP's are a real drag!! they have a bad habbit of pressing in and never comming back out. It's just a design floor, and if theyr left alone they will work perfect forever,but once pulled apart and re-assembled a few times...... they never work the same again. What iv'e decided to do, Is "graft" a new "backlit" atx button from one of the new HP-Clone cases! This will fix the "dodjy" switch prob and hopefully add some class to to the front of the case. Again! the idea is to make the mod....look as tho there never was a mod. It's not a pretty sight! this is how i brought this case but i was just happy to get my hands on what looks like the last HP-Pav case of this type downunder!!! The first part of the face lift is the removal of the floppy section, there no need for this to be. So it is cut away and will be replaced later with a new tinted panel. Next is to remove some of the old paint!! the only way this can be done on plastic is some good old sanding. no need to remove it all! just in the main workarea. The new ATX power button! The victem is a yumcha HP clone case, originally i had try'd to source an genuine HP case to use the button, but unfortunatly it was proving to difficult to find a donor I know this looks like a crime on nature! to wreck a hole new tower for one button! but its a small price to pay if it makes me happy There is also a "mesh" update planned for the yumcha to replace the missing switch. Tis beutifull isn't it Comments
Project STEALTH'D You guys all remember HP1 Since i'll be painting the parts for HP3 soon i decided this would be a good time to give HP1 a new FACE lift.....and a new name! Nothing spectacular..... but wanting to include a new on/off switch from the current HP computers and a Matrix LCD to help monitor temps and control rad fans for summer. The on/off switches for the HP's are a real drag!! they have a bad habbit of pressing in and never comming back out. It's just a design floor, and if theyr left alone they will work perfect forever,but once pulled apart and re-assembled a few times...... they never work the same again. What iv'e decided to do, Is "graft" a new "backlit" atx button from one of the new HP-Clone cases! This will fix the "dodjy" switch prob and hopefully add some class to to the front of the case. Again! the idea is to make the mod....look as tho there never was a mod.
You can see the difference between the old and the new here! Time to cut a new hole! Originally the idea was, to just simply cut a a new square hole!.......this idea was qikly scrapped in favour of a full section graft, TO hold the new graft in place some tape is used on the front, flip the whole thing over and ruff the back area up to help bondo adhear. A qik slip slop slap! and a few mins to dray and the back is solid. Remove the tape off the front and the bondo has briged the gap!
Another slip slop slap of bondo allow'd to go hard and a qik sand again to level. Now that the front has some strenght next tis to flip over the panel and do some tidy-up work on the back. Next is to apply some spot putty, this will act as full filler and will be wet rubbed tomorrow. Comments
As you can see here, i think the new button will work in well with the look of the front. The putty will be left to sit overnight, i'll wet rub and post updates tomorrow. Comments
at it again, OMG! Don't you ever sleep or anything, you seem to be modding all the time. anyway, very nice start. That yumcha case is butchered the a good cause
Looking good, quick question though. When you press in the button, will it have enough hold so as to not pop through?
with the putty now dry, i could get on with making the the new smoked front facia panel. This is just like a "bigger" version of the CDROM mod i did on HP2 and again it was bending plex to the shape using hot air , marking then cutting. The shape is just cut out using the band saw, a steady hand and dremel would have worked the same. Once cut ! the edge is sanded to a 45 degree angle to provide a nice snug fit. a test fit.
To help secure the new panel and to make it a "removable" and a functioning panel a back support is added. Then glued in and tested
To keep with the "functional" theme of the face lift , i also decided to add some usb ports. again cutting a hole in the lower section and grafting in the ports. To help "light up" the area around the ports im adding a back lit peice of frosted plex.Again just cut, bent using hot air and sand frosted.
more updates guys, thanx so far the the support, i do sleep this is only a qikky mod. Yes the button is fine it push's up against its switch, so you'd have to have enuf force to push the switch thru the metal front penel before the button can go anywhere. that'd be a hell of a push
With the major mods done, time for some sanding. The over for some spray putty to fill in all the nasty scratches! A wet rub tomorrow then its off with the HP3 panels to get sprayed just on a qik note!! wasn't sure what colour to run on the new atx switch! so i thought maybe gowith one of those sexy new multi colour leds~!
Next was to put the front panels under "Black shadow" the shadow ( a dusty coat of black) works as a guide for you to wet rub, As you rub the "lows" become appearent as these are still shown with the black in them. Next was to test the moulded New front panel, As seen below, you can see the extra space the new panel covers frm the old one. It's not perfect, but close enuf.
Next was to mould and make what will be HP-1'a stealth'd cdrom door. Again just using a hot air gun until the plex is all "rubbery" then lay over the front and allowd to bend itself into shape. The new panel is allow to cool, then taped to the front flipped over and its a task of simply using a pen to mark the shape. The new door is cut on the band saw and check for fit. This will give an ultra modern stealth look to the front of the case. Couldn't help have a sneek peeek @ how the new atx button will look lit up
The panels wereleft to sit for 2days this helps to allow the spray putty to settle and sink back, altho, the longer you leave this the better and i'd suggest a week before you start the next part. this is of course wetrubbing, 800 grit wet and dry is the chosen paper, The panels are wiped clean, prepsoled and taken out to the spray shed for a few qik coats of "acrylic" silver and clear. I chose acrylic over my prefered choice of 2Pk simply because of time restraints atm, altho thsi method dos not yeild the same look as the 2pk paint, left for a week and a good hand buff and thes parts shouldnt look tooo bad. a comparison to show the different look between old and new, Comments
For now ive decided not to install the black panel as well, but rather use the new silver insert with the old black panel, as for the larger black panel i prefer to paint proper 2 a lter date when i can use the proper paint booth and 2pk paint. Next was to fix in the new ATX switch, Originally the button, was fixed into its panel using 2 tiny plastic points. I'll replace these with some good old Araldite epoxy glue. To Reach HP-1's ATX button inside, a small standoff plate had to be made, this will fill the void needed to reach. I wanted to make the new front panel one that could "snap" in and out, rather then hot glue it semiperm. a bottem Hook was glued on to lock on to the bottem runner, side hooks were bent and glued on. Next was to attach the new steath cdrom door, I went for the simple option here, also wanting to try a new product, some clear double sided plex tape! Comments
