[Casebuild]=[Project: Lightning Case]

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tmaniac

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Topic Title : [Casebuild]=[Project: Lightning Case]
Project : Lightning Case
Goal : Create and build a good looking case that is functional and provides silence!
Pictures : Clickable thumbs!

-==[ About lill me ]==-
Well first of all, welcome @ my BiP (Build In Progress)
oh...and i like casemodding to.
Since i started with casemodding i got a lot of positive comments and now i have this tickeling feeling again.
So i will be building my own case!
Here are 2 pictures of my current (out dated!!) case:


-==[ Specs ]==-
The hardware from my current computer will pe put in this new case.
i don;t need a whole new faster case...and since i can not afford that either i will re-use my current hardware!
ATM this hardware is as followed:

Mobo : Asus P4P800
CPU : Intel P4 2.6Ghz HT @ 3.1Ghz
Memz : 2 x Corsair 256MB PC3200 (dual channel) (timings: 2.5-3-3-7)
GPU : Albatron GeForce 4800 SE
Storage : 2 x 7200rpm IDE Western Digital HDD total @ 320GB
PSU : 450Watts
Cooling : A self modded Koolance External Watercooling
Monitor : A 9 year old 17" IIYAMA visionmaster 400 (my first self-bought computer part)

-==[ The Project ]==-
Well so far the hardware part.
Before i started this project i modded my current case, as i liked the result...i didn't like it for long.
I feld the need of modding again!
So i started to design a case, it had to be a good case,
airflow wasn't needed because i use an external watercooling
which gives gr8 cooling to my cpu (29 degrees celcius in the summer!)

So i wanted my hdd's completely silent.
ATM i have wrapped my hdd's in sound isolation mats (yes i "cool" the hdd's to...with a home made copper tubing frame)
I figured that the best way to sound-isolate something is to let air between the source of the sound and the isolation.
This means that i needed a rather large space for my hdd's.
No problem!

-==[ The Design ]==-
My design is quite simple.
In the bottom of the case there is going to be a second bottom/compartment.
this compartment will be 20cm wide, 20-30cm long and about 15-18cm high, room enough for 2 hdd's + isolation.
i figured that, since i don;t really need the airflow, i could also put my PSU inthere...so i am planning to do that!

The whole case will be about 65cm high, lotsa room in this baby...just the way i like it!
as i told before, i have a koolance watercooler, i want to make it look like it is a part of the case.
I am going to do this by not making a top-plate for the case, the exos will be my case-top.
And the plating will cover about 5mm of the exos.

As any casemodder i do not like to see cables in my case!
So i will be placing cable ducts in this case (for power and ide)
this way we won't see any of those ugly cables...or at least not much.

In the front of the case there will be a Plasma Ball.
Since the theme of the case is Lightning and i really like nice thunderbolts i wanted this very much :)
So santa gave me a nice plasma ball this christmast:

This plasma ball will be placed in the middle of the front of the case, u guys will see.

Well...enough talking!
let's look @ some pictures!

-==[ Log-Start: 01-01-2005 ]==-

I forgot to make a picture of the loose materials so here's 1 side of the frame allready complete:


Make 2 of those, put em together and you get something like this:


For the moment that is all, making a frame is a lotta work so this part will go slow.
Updates will follow in the startpost!

-==[ Small Update: 03-01-2005 ]==-
Well i made the hdd section in the frame...worked on that for about 3 hours.
It's a bitch to drill the holes, tap wire, make the screws and mount the bars...but...here's the result for today:

And a picture of the connection between the bars:


-==[ Small Update: 04-01-2005 ]==-
I was working on the frontside today, i'm not quite finished but hey..here are the pictures!
(the "hole" is where the plasma ball will come.)

And 1 of the front


-==[ Update: 07-01-2005 ]==-
Well i am allmost finished with the framework now...did a lotta work (allthough it may not seem like it).
Never thought building a frame would take so much time! (and quite a large amount of money)
Anyway, i thought i'd show you guys...soon i'll be sanding the frame down and putting bondo in all the little holes, sanding again..and then paintjob!
well...Pictures say more than words...so let's take a look!



Here's a picture of the connection on the front of the case:


And to give you an impression of where the plasma ball will come...well...here: (i'm still planning on removing the casing on the foot of the plasma ball.)


-==[ Update: 09-01-2005 ]==-
Hey folks...another update...ginished the frame!...used some bondo to fill up the holes and sanded them down:

this is how the holes look without paint:


and this is the result after the primer:


-==[ Update 24-01-2005 ]==-
Well time for a small update again!
I had some time on my hands so i worked on the mobo mounting-tray.
A friend of mine had an old pentium mobo laying around so i used that as a mold (dunno the correct english word) for the mounting tray.

I am not completely finished yet but hey, here are some pictures:

2 pictures of the side:

Picture taken from above:

And 1 from the rear:


I will wait with the plating untill last...since i'm not sure how to solve it yet.
Soon i'll start working on the front, gonna do that with epoxy so i can make it look good with the plasmaball :)
More pictures of the mobo tray will follow as i'm still working on it!


-==[ Update 20-02-2006 ]==-
Well, i'm working on my case again!
i was outta money and outta time for a while but i have some time again to bring you folks a little update!

I started with working on the front piece, since this part would give shape to the entire case, i made a mold which i filled with polyesther, the result is this:
and

After that i had to shape the front, cut off the edges and stuff, it became a little like this:



After this i was able to make the sides of the case, at first i wanted to do this with aluminium but that was too expensive so i took wood which will be painted black offcourse!






that's it for now, i'm gonna play with bondo later this week :)
 
i am using simple screws and hooks ;)

when the frame is put together i will be using some bondo to fill up all the little holes and stuff...then i will sand the whole frame and paint it nice black....after that i can start with the plating and wiring
 
You might want to put the plasma ball in a seperate chamber due to the static electricity that thing generates, remember on little static shock can fry a system.
 
mashie said:
The plasma ball won't cause any issues, it has been done a fair number of times before without incidents. Well except that the plasma effect dies out over time until it is nothing but a glass globe to look at.
Click to expand...


u mean the gas inside the globe wil stop "functioning"?
 
mashie said:
The gas will slowly leak out of the globe.
Click to expand...

could be, but I've got a Radio Shack Illumastorm that I've had running off and on for roughly 5+ years now. I've got it set to pulse to soun at the moment and it has been that way for most of it's life. Still works fine.
 
-==[ Update: 07-01-2005 ]==-
Well i am allmost finished with the framework now...did a lotta work (allthough it may not seem like it).
Never thought building a frame would take so much time! (and quite a large amount of money)
Anyway, i thought i'd show you guys...soon i'll be sanding the frame down and putting bondo in all the little holes, sanding again..and then paintjob!
well...Pictures say more than words...so let's take a look!



Here's a picture of the connection on the front of the case:


And to give you an impression of where the plasma ball will come...well...here: (i'm still planning on removing the casing on the foot of the plasma ball.)
 
those full sized images are [H]ard! Had to sit back at first ;)
Looking good on the frame! And good luck on the bondo'ing :)
 
-==[ Update: 09-01-2005 ]==-
Hey folks...another update...ginished the frame!...used some bondo to fill up the holes and sanded them down:

this is how the holes look without paint:


and this is the result after the primer:


tomorrow i;ll be painting it black....shiny black :)
 
so you're not having any issues at all with a plasma ball there?

My kid got one for a christmas once, but everytime it was turned on it made my speakers buzz, and seemed to cause some other minor issues, and that was several feet away from my desk!
 
I think I've seen this before..

yup.. http://www.bit-tech.net/article/95/

*not* saying I dont like it.. just remembered it from before, hot then and hot now. I definately like that this will be a custom case and not just a hole and a plasma ball in some generic case.
 
Do NOT let the glass touch any metal in your case. You will be in for a nasty surprise! (kaboom is the word)
 
hehe...i'll do that :p...i'm gonna make the entire front of the case with epoxy....and the globe won;t touch anything..i'll make sure of that :p...currently working on creating a m,ounting plate for my mobo...it's a small frame that will "hover" in the case....but...gotta make it, measure, test, remake, test....and so on and so on...gonna use an old pentium mobo as test subject ;)
 
-==[ Update 20-02-2006 ]==-
Well, i'm working on my case again!
i was outta money and outta time for a while but i have some time again to bring you folks a little update!

I started with working on the front piece, since this part would give shape to the entire case, i made a mold which i filled with polyesther, the result is this:
and

After that i had to shape the front, cut off the edges and stuff, it became a little like this:



After this i was able to make the sides of the case, at first i wanted to do this with aluminium but that was too expensive so i took wood which will be painted black offcourse!






that's it for now, i'm gonna play with bondo later this week :)
 
very nice and your presentation is amazing if i was a teacher id give you a A* :D
 
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