Project: Gr1zz

[zero_vertical]

more! more! more!





keep up the good work!

 

[WarMace]

Still no guesses for what I am using the 2 ceramic tiles for?

 

[zero_vertical]

heat transfer on the radiator?

no idea....

 

[Teknokid]

very nice. the front looks amazing

 

[Indignity]

Still no guesses for what I am using the 2 ceramic tiles for?

A peltier sandwich???? or if you do any modding like me, a straight edge

 

[WarMace]

Painted the sharp edges from Sundays cutting.

Started work on the Baffle:

Mounted the motherboard backplate and crossflow fan to measure how much room I have.

I used plexi for internal parts, because they will not be load bearing (Read: cat sleeping platforms).

Man this plexi is easy to score and snap, I was able to do this long piece all by myself. I screwed up the right side where it didn't break right.

I mounted the PSU to see how much space I have to work with. ....not much.

*Tisk-tisk* to those who thought the ceramic tiles were for the peltier. Ceramic is an excellent insulator, not a conductor. I purchased them to lay over the burner like so, and create a poor-mans plexi/lexan bending station. The tiles are too small for this burner, the heat from the uncovered burner wouldn't create a nice square edge.

The small burner is better for the size tile. I just have to move the plexi back and forth.
The gap between the tiles is 1cm. make it wider to get a rounder corner.

This bend took 5 seconds with the little burner on high, I was surprised.

Wow! This looks too good to be true, it fits very snug, I couldn't be happier with this piece. The bad corner looks like it will not be visible, which is an added bonus!

18 days til the deadline, can I make it?

Death to ribbon cables!! I just ordered a Pioneer 212D SATA burner to make this PC IDE-Free! Its Beige, we will have to fix that...

 

[FrEaKy]

nice dude, I cannnnnnnnnt wait to see this complete bro

 

[meinzorn]

that was a great idea for bending the plexi, I'll have to keep that in mind for future use.

 

[brasherman]

Agreed, in fact I would like to see a step by step!

 

[WarMace]

Agreed, in fact I would like to see a step by step!

Fair enough.

1. Proceed at your own risk.
2. Go to hardware store and request 2x of their cheapest Ceramic floor tile. (50cents ea. for mine) Nothing fancy, or flammable, and they may bust violently if there is any air pockets just to warn you.
3. Place both on burner like shown with a 1cm space between tiles.
4. Double check tiles are not in contact with anything meltable.
5. Equip oven mitts with small pieces. Have sink cleared out in case of emergency.
6. Set (electric ONLY) burner to high
7. Hold the plastic above the heat 2 inches, 1 inch if you feel comfortable. Any closer and you may get bubbles.
8. The plexi directly above the slot in the tile will almost instantly become pliable like play dough.
9. Gently form to desired shape away from heat.
10. Shut off heat and (with oven mitts) move HOT tiles away from heat
11. Allow plexi to cool slowly.

 

[WarMace]

I made an anticlimactic movie of me bending a piece of plexy if you care to see. http://warmace.net/HardOCP/Gr1zzPC/Baffel/Bending.wmv The music is from Oblivion.

2 for one here. I bought pipe insulation for the radiator, hopefully it fits as good as it does in my head. I bought a punched sheet of steel for the front grille. The selection sucked, and this one sucked the least. I would love a sheet of mesh with fine holes, but the deadline is creeping up on me.

And finally in back you can see I cut a notch off the bend I made last night.

Peering through the back of the case you see how nicely it now fits with the side door on.

I marked off some smaller pieces for fit and finish inside.

They broke poorly, so I will recut them with a dremel.

The top PSU space is a gaping hole needing fill, so....

I made a small piece to go in here. I don't know if i will mirror it on the inside and black on outside, or leave it as a clear window...

 

[brasherman]

Fair enough.

1. Proceed at your own risk.
   .....

Thanks! Very cool way to do that. I never would have thought of that, but I never work with plexi. Have you tried polycarbonate (Lexan) bending in this manner?

 

[WarMace]

Thanks! Very cool way to do that. I never would have thought of that, but I never work with plexi. Have you tried polycarbonate (Lexan) bending in this manner?

The only Lexan bending I have done is on page 1 in the oven. I would assume it would react the same except due to the density, it would take longer over the heat before it becomes pliable.

 

[Teknokid]

keep up the amazing work. cant wait to see it finisshed inc pda screen.

 

[WarMace]

OK, I would like to remind you my back deck is a mess because the landlord has not replaced the carpet, and sweeping/vacuuming it just tears it up. I couldn't hide it very well in these photos, so i chose to go with it.

Painted the insides of the side panels. Will be cutting them to the rounded corner very soon.

Recut the small bits for the inside baffle, because the last ones broke funny.

Installed them with 2 bolts, and a little slit for the Optical Drive cables.

Had to shave a molex just a little because it was going to bump up with the small piece I just made.

Ok, now to install the 4xUSB, 1xeSATA, and 1xFirewire interfaces into the panel. It would look funny without them, so it must be done.

Marked how much I will be removing from the backplates.

And I got to work shaving the plastic back so the interfaces will mount flush with the lexan, and not sunken in.

This is the ONLY way these 3 interfaces will fit in this area.

They are all shaved down to the threads. The eSATA threads were up high, so i was not able to shave it as much as needed, so I may have to redo it a little differently.

All ready to cut out the slots. By now it is totally dark out, so I moved the operation inside.

I have to admit, I am getting better at making these little slots. I drill an over sized hole at each end of the slot I want to carve out, then I use a cutting wheel to make the straight cuts across.

All Installed. the eSATA needs some more work so I can be able to use the mounting plate. The Instrument Panel is All Done Cutting, and ready for paint!

I ordered 2 High flow barbs from DangerDen for the chiller. Hopefully it comes soon.

Pro Tip: A lot of the best modding supplies are going to be mail order only. When your looking for that special part, then give the company a call, or the e-bay seller a e-mail. You may be surprised how they are interested in assisting you with your purchase. They might know a better material, or part for your project. It helps to start out with "I am a hobbiest" and not "Its for my computer's water cooling".

 

[WarMace]

The DVD Burner came in and is shorter than the old cdrom i was using as a placeholder. This caused some of my parts not to fit, and may require remaking them...

Went to my dads shop again this weekend to use his tools to make the Grille just right.

Heres a small strip bent as a sample.

The first bend. I am using a board to make the bend even and straight.

Last bend. The "British Jack" pattern is starting to grow on me.

A little tweaking and it fits.

With the sides on there is no visible mounting hardware, just the way it should be. Next I need to stealth the DVD Burner without voiding the warranty, because I have not turned it on yet.

 

[FrEaKy]

keep upz the good work bro!

 

[Teknokid]

wow, that final pic look awesome.

 

[Willsonman]

Will you be placing anything behind that front panel? For all my fans I use Victoria's secret pantyhose. It is a dense weave that does not restrict airflow so it acts to hide things but allows good airflow at the same time. You could stretch some across that whole panel on the back side.

 

[WarMace]

Will you be placing anything behind that front panel? For all my fans I use Victoria's secret pantyhose. It is a dense weave that does not restrict airflow so it acts to hide things but allows good airflow at the same time. You could stretch some across that whole panel on the back side.

Im thinking about drawing air in from the bottom, and blowing it out the front. But that is still up in the air. I do like your pantyhose tip, but I dont know if i need to go all out Vic'Secret. Having a washable filter would be a big boon compared to the stock case, and fits the theme.


I Still cannot decide on a color. I like Gunmetal, and Black Pearl. But both are shades of greay, and do not stand out much. I want something that is unique and draws the eye.

Plus, I do not know if I want the grille crome (like a car) or painted to match the outside of the case. Crome would be flashier.

 

[craigbru]

The project is looking pretty good. That mesh on the front is pretty unique, I like it!

 

[zero_vertical]

What color are you going to paint the mesh? black like the rest?

I think that'd look pretty awesome.

zv

 

[WarMace]

What color are you going to paint the mesh? black like the rest?

I think that'd look pretty awesome.

zv

I am still unsure, but definitely not black. I was looking for something flashier.

 

[Willsonman]

heheh... I think they have some metal flake pink spray paint at wal mart... would that be flashy enough?

 

[FIDDYOWNZ]

Best mod in a long while. High-Five.

 

[Teknokid]

cant wait to see the finished case

 

[WarMace]

heheh... I think they have some metal flake pink spray paint at wal mart... would that be flashy enough?

You joke, but I like classic cars just barely enough to do something crazy like that...but no.

Metal flake looks good but reminds me of bass boats. Plus the Project DIGG used blue flake, and when I paint my keyboard I would hate to be compared to another project.

Best mod in a long while. High-Five.

Wow, thank you all for your support.


Well I have been doing daily updates minus the weekends, but lately I have been slacking and skipped a day, sorry. But I have good news, my little lady gave me the green light to get a new motorcycle so I have been like a kid in a candy store for the last 2 weeks looking at new models. Once the Lan party is over, I will be lurking in Automotive Insanity a lot more.


Had a rough night last night...

Here is the SATA Burner to be stealthed. I want to fill that gap and cover the rom behind the grille.

Keeping with tradition, i thought I would use the last of the lexan to stealth it.

As suspected the Lexan required a much higher heat to bend. It took too long, the coils got red hot and the Lexan was barely pliable. One of the tiles busted with a bang, and I gave up on the piece. It was bowed too badly and would never get a sharp bend without the right tools.

Thinking I could just grab a piece of plexy and bend it real quick was a mistake. I did not give the tiles time to cool before using them again and they shattered. It was sad to see the little fellas go but they served their purpose well.

I did manage to get one good bend out of the bigger pieces.

I got the bent plexi to fit just right and begun drilling the stealth slot. I was rushing thinking I could bang out this piece then some bad luck struck. I broke the piece.

Bad luck 4 - Gr1zz 0

Frustrated that I had nothing to show for the night I got to work with some quick and easy things I could manage. Like cutting the tongs out of the side door's hole.

I also cut the opening for the ROM, hoping to stealth it another night.

Then I figured I should start prepping the water cooling.

I was told to use vinegar to flush Rad's. So I ran some water through it to get the dust, and filled it halfway with 100% vinegar and capped it off. I swished it around once a minute for about 15 minutes.

I glad I flushed the Rad', the vinegar that came out was not clean. And to the naked eye, it was shinier inside.

In order to plan the Rad' mounting, I had to assemble it. Starting with the fans and barbs.

Then I wrapped it with pipe insulation to see how it fit. DangerDen suggests Velcro, but I needed two things.

1. Electrically insulated from case ground.
2. And a tight fit so hot air does not recirculate back in.

Here it is packed into the case temporarily to see how it fits. The space is tight so I am trying to figure out the best way to mount everything and still keeping it easy to maintain.

Another note: 2 DD High flow barbs came in for the Chiller, so that is almost ready to go.

I think the next step really needs to be cutting the curve out of the side doors. Then I will be 100% ready for the finished paint job, and can start reassembling. The stealthed ROM is one of the few remaining parts that need to be crafted and will take a while to get just right.

 

[FrEaKy]

very nice

 

[zero_vertical]

what tile is that? I think it's what i used in my bathroom!

Something like Roma?

 

[Teknokid]

keep the updates coming very nice.

 

[Ockie]

I've seen people bend plexi well with a heat gun.

 

[jackknife]

Normally you can bend Lexan sheets without adding heat since they are "cold deformable". I've done it with 6mm thick panels, you can get some stuff for cheap at most automotive window repair shops here, since they use it for rear windows on cabriolets and caravans.

 

[FrEaKy]

gotta love plexi!

 

[WarMace]

what tile is that? I think it's what i used in my bathroom!

Something like Roma?

I don't remember, its long gone now.

Normally you can bend Lexan sheets without adding heat since they are "cold deformable". I've done it with 6mm thick panels, you can get some stuff for cheap at most automotive window repair shops here, since they use it for rear windows on cabriolets and caravans.

Yeah, thats what my dad told me. I should do that on my next Lexan bend. Funny story, my dad for years would manufacture machines. One day back around Y2K he brought home some scrap Lexan from a window on a machine. I saw it and thought it would look cool on my PC. This was before anyone I knew had herd of the "Window Mod". I dont know when Windows became popular, but I think it is neat I thought it up on my own without ever seeing it before.

9 Days 0 Hours Till The Storm


I got a lot of pic's so lets jump right in.

It is finally time to cut the corners off the side doors. One false move and I may cut too much without ever having a way to repair my mistakes. So I start with the Right door, the side no one usually sees.

A bit knurled, but the cut is made. My wife watches and jokes how I'm acting like a surgeon.

A good fit, just needs a little touch up at one place.

The grinding bit is not very useful on the soft aluminum. So I touch up with a cutting bit as usual.

Left door Before.

Left Door after.

Left door installed.

Both doors installed. A match made in heaven!

Switching gears a little, I wanted to start mounting all the parts inside to see if there is anything left to cut. Here is the Apogee water block with the complimentary over sized ring taped to it from the manufacturer.

Man, theres a lot of itty' bits in there.

The method for installing the ring is quite simple. What it does is not for some. The over sized ring is an optional feature that greatly improves contact with the waterblock and the center of the CPU.

As you can see, its a larger ring.

When you screw it back together you get resistance at about here (note the gap). Now you want to start torquing it down.

When you torque it down it bows out, especially in the center of the plate.

This causes a peak in the center of the plate that makes great contact with the area of the CPU that counts, the cores in the center. The peak was so tall the water block can be spun like a top!

Removed the heat sink and cleaned everything with alcohol.

The plastic sheath on the water block was protecting a pretty good shine.

I have to hand it to Swiftech, they instructions were very good. this was the easiest heat sink instillation ever in my life! Instructions were easy to follow, and no fear of a screwdriver slipping and gashing the mobo' like in the past.

After mounting the Mobo on the tray I noticed the backplate hole was too high. I could make it larger if I was not rushing to finish on a deadline.

Here is all of the large parts mounted in the case for Fit&Finish testing. This is good because I noticed a lot of issues that need to be taken care of. Like the HDD's bumping the door, so I need to cut a little tab off the door.

Picture the Plexiglas as a mirror and you will start to see my vision.


Routing the watercooling will be difficult. I envisioned more space, so I will have to move things around a little.

 

[WarMace]

Sorry my hosting is so slow, I need more comments so my next photo post will be on a new page.

 

[FrEaKy]

dude, this is coming along very nice, cannot wait to see this finished!

 

[Uncle Toxie]

Sorry my hosting is so slow, I need more comments so my next photo post will be on a new page.

Consider it commented .

This is a really great project, can't wait to see how it turns out in the end.

 

[Jomanscool2]

I agree, awesome project. Might want to put up some thumbs, I know for my first worklog I will be using thumbs for every picture.

 

[Randominal]

ive been following this whole thing and i must say its pretty slick

 

[WarMace]

I have been doing a lot of work, and sadly not enough updates. I have the sides prepped for the final paintjob and will deliver them to the body shop as soon as I hear back from them. Keep an eye on this thread Monday for a pritty big post weekend update.