[Scratch Build] Node - 3D Printed PC Case

Complx

n00b
Joined
Jul 10, 2013
Messages
59
w2y8X4G.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwBgBR0P698

^^^ WATCH THE INTRO VIDEO ^^^​


Hi Everyone,

Im back with another project, the last version of this one fell flat on its face due to a number of reasons, but this is pretty much version 2.0 of this concept. The basic idea of this was to use 3D printing to create a case from scratch. The original version was a full scale, full tower. After getting some of the parts printed I started to find that there were some flaws with the plan, so I scrapped it and started from scratch. the new plan was to make this a robust and semi portable system that I can travel with to and from LAN parties.

I will be keeping both forum and video logs of the progress. Stay Tuned!

Concept Images:​


6B9rgD5.jpg


dxoZF6O.jpg


RHrgzU6.jpg


CFyluoA.jpg


WIbbbtg.jpg


J03Abbs.jpg


UCIWdCq.jpg


MAfiCLB.jpg


WloBX3O.jpg


txnN9XD.jpg


Nz1r8F7.jpg


NRTkDzL.jpg


8hnq3QQ.jpg


42WlAea.jpg


nqcFhAl.jpg
 
Last edited:
I've worked with a couple of 3D printers at my school (Makerbot, Uprint, Objet30) and by far the hardest part of designing whole assemblies to be printed, is making sure that the different parts mate properly.

How exactly are you connecting the frame pieces together? It looks like they snap in?
 
I've worked with a couple of 3D printers at my school (Makerbot, Uprint, Objet30) and by far the hardest part of designing whole assemblies to be printed, is making sure that the different parts mate properly.

How exactly are you connecting the frame pieces together? It looks like they snap in?

Originally I had a pin system to mate them together, but a buddy of mine who does a lot more 3D stuff than I do advised me to use a metal dowel to connect them together. The fan/radiator mounts along with all the paneling will hold the entire thing together.
 
So a quick update for everyone, I have finished making the tweaks to the printed parts and they are off to the printer now, the metal work should start Monday as well. In the mean time I have started work on the parts that I will be putting into the case itself. I plan on using an Asus Z97I-Plus for this build, but with some minor tweaks. Instead of the gold heatsink, I want to paint the gold parts white and place my logo on the southbridge heatsink.



cx1gu2j.jpg
 
2a.First Set of Parts Arrive​

Hi everyone.

Got a small update to post tonight. I was able to get my hands on a number of the parts I plan on using in this build, however, I still do not have ALL the parts, I'm still missing the SSDs and any water cooling parts as well. I should have those in the next few weeks if all goes well. For now, here's what I picked up.


CPU - Intel i7-4790K​

z6FkFJe.jpg


G9JAzbc.jpg


JELr2rY.jpg


GPU - EVGA GTX 970 Superclock​

KP7MQPo.jpg


vi6NcpA.jpg


FrA5ZwH.jpg


mpDlbMm.jpg



Motherboard - ASUS Z97I-Plus​

nCHSCMA.jpg


JX8cmXG.jpg


SnlJXuN.jpg



PSU - SilverStone SX600-G​

8zGUAtT.jpg


vVu3FOY.jpg


xP2qzpF.jpg



RAM - Corsair Dominator Platinum - 8GB - 2133Mhz​

H5cyAE6.jpg


7A8FZUt.jpg


Sruxmz8.jpg


SKCXUnn.jpg


64CZhqt.jpg



Thats all for now, stay tuned for more!
 
For those wonder/looking for an update on the status of this project, here is a quick overview of whats going on.

  • In the process of getting all the required pieces for the case setup to print and for the paneling to get laser cut.
  • Purchasing the last few pieces of hardware to put a working system together
  • Modding current
  • Photographing/Filming these processes and putting together my 2nd update video

All of these combined will take a few weeks to finish, but I will be sure to post sporadic updates as they come in, look for a new video in 2-3 weeks, if not soon. It wil feature all the completed hardware.

Break down of the next few videos:

  1. Intro Video (Completed)
  2. Hardware Spotlight Video (In Progress)
  3. Case Spotlight Video (In the Works)
  4. Finished Project Video (In the works)
 
UPDATE 2B - Parts, Build and Posting

http://youtu.be/SZUwOw9jehY

Hi Everyone,

So I know its been awhile since this last had an update, this was mainly due to putting the final touches on the model for printing, getting the logistics in place to get all of the final pieces....as well as some interesting opportunities you will get to see in the coming days.

Anyway, onto the important stuff!

SPECS:
i7 4790k
Asus Z97I - mITX
EVGA GTX 970 SC
Corsair Dominator Platinum 2133 Mhz
120GB Samsung 850 EVO
250GB Samsung 850 EVO
SilverStone SX600-G

Stay tuned in the coming weeks, things will be updating a lot more frequently.
 
Update! Now with Sponsors!


FSLaser_logo_blue.jpg

I want to thank Full Spectrum Laser for offering their 3D printing and Laser cutting services to me, without them this entire project would have come to a complete stop. Thanks again guys! Be sure to check out their site:

http://fslaser.com/

About Full Spectrum Laser:

Founded in 2010 in a Las Vegas garage, Full Spectrum Laser (fslaser.com) and wholly-owned 3D printing subsidiary
FSL3D (fsl3d.com), designs, manufactures, and sells a full range of consumer and industrial grade laser products and
3D Printers. As a highly-integrated company, FSL produces all electronics, software, mechanical hardware, and
chemistry in-house for the tightest integration of engineering disciplines. FSL creates superior price /
performance products through an emphasis on innovation and engineering excellence. The Company’s
product assembly, sales, customer support, logistics, and administrative groups are also in Las Vegas.​
 
So I have good news and bad news...The bad news is that my model is too big for the printers I planned on using. The good news is I know how to fix it...but I need to start from scratch. So I'll be streaming is here if you feel like stopping by:


www.twitch.tv/complxdesign
 
Sorry there have been so few updates with this project, I have run into some major issues along the road. But here is they latests on the project. Currently the parts are being printed, as of writing this, there is one part left to print. I will be picking them up tomorrow, but so far everything looks OK.

I have all the liquid cooling hardware ordered and its all sitting next to me waiting for the last few pieces to arrive. I hope to have the laser cut panel in this week as well as all the mounting hardware. From here I will be shipping the case down to Texas for to have the sleeving work done. Once that is finished and I have the case back in my hands, I will be doing the water cooling and the last few pieces.

I will update as much as I can, however, due to the time constraints, they might be a bit delayed as I need to focus on getting this done before the end of April.

In the mean time, here are some photo of the printed parts.

O0Q8DTu.jpg


GZhZsIh.jpg


GZJd13b.jpg


VcuAwVH.jpg


FIEt8Bj.jpg
 
Last edited:
Someone "borrowing" a 3d printer from Micro Center? The price tags in the case look familiar, LOL
 
Question, how much has the printing and cutting of parts for just the case run you?
 
I had an idea for that case, on the youtube video where you show the light in the rear of the case, I was thinking you could add a hole so that the light that illuminates the inside, could also illuminate the I/O panel.

You would have to move it over a little bit though.

view
 
Hey everyone!

So I know its been awhile since I had an update to this project. I have run into a few more issues since the last update so lets dive in!

My biggest problem at the moment is currently trying to find a place to get the case printed at a reasonable price. The quotes I'm getting are ranging from $2000-$4000 just for the printed parts, I knew it was going to be expensive, but not THAT expensive. The first set I had printed where OK, but far from perfect. They were done on a Makerbot Replicator 5, and the quality of the parts left a lot to be desired, but it also had a few other issues with the prints warping and shrinking. I did discover that a few of the parts needed to be remodeled so that they would work properly so I had to make some edits to them. Since it was a 1st prototype, I knew there were going to be issues, so hopefully the next set will be perfect or close to it. The biggest problem, like I said, was that the model shrunk way more than anticipated, so a good portion of the acrylic paneling didn't fit correctly or had to be wrestled into place.

Right now I'm trying to find a company or someone to print these parts for a reasonable price. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a printer that can both handle the large parts and are willing to print them at a reasonable price. So right now the project is in a minor state of limbo, I have everything else ready to go for the build, but I'm missing the case itself.

I have invested a fair bit of time and money into this project to just give up, so this project WILL be getting completed. Just not as soon as I had hoped.

y9kf17x.jpg


pUp9X8K.jpg


KEpLSRc.jpg


gyz4o37.jpg


SOTgDbK.jpg


OdaY40f.jpg


aeDatn3.jpg

 
Hi everyone,

Back with a quick update on the status of this project. I got a call back from one of the printers I have been shopping this case around to, to try and get it printed. The cheapest they could do it for was around $700. While this is a major improvement in price than the 2-5K other places have been asking for, I feel that there is still a way to get the price down even further and improve the design as well.

After fiddling around with the model the past few days, I was able to come up with what you see below. This design utilizes 8 of the same 3D printed pieces with an internal acrylic or aluminum structure. This will allow me to utilize most of the acrylic I have already purchased and had gotten laser cut.

This is still in the rough stages of the concept, i still want to figure out how to get the corners covered up so they are not as unsightly as well getting the rest of the panelling and internal structures worked out and finished.

Once the I have the final model finished, I will share the images of it and detail out how this new version improves upon the old.

More Soon!

OqBLKP3.jpg
 
Nope, this project isn't dead, just needed a few weeks to work out the logistics of everything. My last post was about how I was going to redesign the Node to use less parts, be smaller, etc. Well after spending 2 weeks looking for a 3D printer and trying to redesign the case, it became clear that it was going to be a few months worth of work again. I would have to start from scratch again and go from the ground up, and after all the time and effort I put into the current design, the thought of going back to step one was not really all that appealing.

While I was able to get a model that had some potential, there were elements about the design I still didn't like, like the lack of edge covers. This without them you had a clear view to the underside of the paneling and it just didn't look good.

So at this point I decided that the guys who quoted me at $700 to print the entire case were my best option. I was a bit hesitant at dropping that kind of money so they were nice enough to provide me with one of the larger pieces for free so I could test all the paneling.

And IM SO GLAD I DID! Every panel I tried fit like a glove, the finish is at a level where a few coats of paint will fill in the ridges and there minimal finish work. I have already ordered the rest of the parts, and I should have some photos in a few weeks.


EAMmNhF.jpg
 
UPDATE!!
FINALLY!!! FINALLY!! After about 2 weeks of talking back and forth with the printer, I FINALLY have a quote! $500! They are FINALLY printing the pieces and I should have them in about a weeks time, so I can get back to work!

More info soon!
 
BIG UPDATE!! All I'm going to say is that this was money well spent. I have had a grin stuck on my face for the past few hours while working on this. So happy to be able to begin moving forward wit this project again! Enjoy!!

NsTNpjR.jpg


UUE3D3I.jpg


AJaR6mA.jpg


gfdSdmV.jpg


jo0IJjo.jpg


7h725hG.jpg


5D83DR4.jpg


UCbdEZ9.jpg


y6qQVKN.jpg


URDfidE.jpg
 
UPDATE 6/27/2015


And so the work continues!!! This week it was about putting the final touches the assembly of the case and working on getting the hardware fitted, making sure there are no last minute tweaks to any of the parts (Spoiler Alert: There are, but they are minor)

So first up, the design has hex holes carved out for the nuts that will hold all the paneling, they needed to be glued into place to make sure they won't fall out when you remove the various panels, as this was a minor issue when I was trying to assemble this case for the first time. I got to the last panel on and had issues keeping the nuts in place while trying to screw them in. So after some super glue and letting it set, this issue has been resolved and we're good to go!



07IAL5v.jpg


p09wdPK.jpg


7ctlzxF.jpg





And after a quick trip to the hardware store to pick up the last few pieces of mounting hardware, I got started on mounting and fitting the hardware!


RNtsNYo.jpg


070ol1T.jpg


c3J37ZY.jpg


nakDHx7.jpg


11334192_10153408433859921_5803488505526652997_o.jpg


11415460_10153416463894921_4957054854936725668_o.jpg


XleKvBQ.jpg


9HwGVLa.jpg


Nnedadw.jpg


RI6WpwJ.jpg


I ran into a minor issue with the motherboard tray, it will need to be redone, but that's because of a few issues. It's missing pump mounting holes, it's smoked acrylic instead of black, and the motherboard mounting holes are a bit to high. So when I went to install the I/O shield, this happened:

QMpfozJ.jpg


So other than that, I'm starting the next parts of the build, the water cooling and hardline tubing. My first time doing hardline, so wish me luck!!

Stay Tuned!

 
Update! (7/3/2015)

Now that the major stuff is out of the way, I can start focusing on the minor things and detail work that needed to be taken care of. Enjoy!

Taking the heat sinks off for painting.

AqQZZY0.jpg


3foU692.jpg


ICpPSby.jpg


XcB2zxG.jpg


wSYgER6.jpg


Pump Mounted

c5YUcIu.jpg


Kllcpc2.jpg


Running a quick leak test

bBIg0Pi.jpg


iInn4en.jpg


Painting the parts, now to let them sit and dry overnight.

K4sfHMM.jpg


H6w2ZtN.jpg

Stay Tuned, more tomorrow.
 
Update 7/10/2015​

Back with a few more updates, and I'm happy to report it's finally coming together. I have had this thing together and apart so many times I'm getting pretty good at it. There were a few more parts that ended up needing to get painted, one of which was the motherboard tray. I had originally wanted a solid black tray, not transparent. That's what I had originally ordered but the company who cut it for me screwed up the order. (they has also messed up previous things so I decided not to use them any more) So I ended up disassembling the entire thing again to get at the tray and painting the back half with black paint.

ZzcApEK.jpg


A few other things came out nice after painting.

t6sGXCR.jpg


oXM2Usw.jpg


FGJkB4A.jpg


I also marked and drilled holes for the pump to mount to.

uU7Q7MH.jpg



I also went about making some custom stickers for the back of the fans so they were not so ugly. I had access to a printer and cutter so I was able to make them next to perfect.

nOzO3Tl.jpg


4wzNbv7.jpg


VMlUBvb.jpg


wMOlweT.jpg


217V2xk.jpg


ri6nUcV.jpg


JNhop2l.jpg


wG7Dt7Y.jpg


M0sBYyN.jpg


Mounted!

bx17kt7.jpg



And so the current state of the case looks something like this! LOL!

Vs2FdTS.jpg
 
See it in person!

Hi all, I will be attending 2 shows coming up in a weeks time. I will be at both PDXLAN 26 and Quakecon 2015 this year and I will be bringing the Node along with me, so if you are interested in seeing it in person, feel free to stop by!

MLBx800x150_transparent.png


7/17 - 7/20

QUr5vc0.jpg


logo.png


7/23 - 7/26


aowZou1.jpg


Hope to see some/meet people!
 
Update 7/15/2015

Another update! Getting closer and closer to finishing this project, this will be the last "progress" update to the project until it is finished. I will be posting some images of the project at some of the events I'm taking it to, so keep an eye out for those.

So lets get to it!

Started testing the lighting system, these suckers are bright! RGB LEDs controlled via IR remote and receiver.

6rioxOq.jpg


This is one thing I'm not happy with and will be fixing in the future. The lights are SO bright that they bleed through the 3D printed plastic. I think the solution to this will be to disassemble the case and paint either the interior of the case or the paint all the parts to add a barrier for the light. THIS WILL BE FIXED!

vP4yvPe.jpg


As with the last update, we painted the motherboard tray along with a number of other small parts.

zNS2n5A.jpg


gJweAWc.jpg


SSD's Mounted.

DWJMHoI.jpg


It's all coming together!

w4heThN.jpg


LZFWhPz.jpg


gp6s2ms.jpg


CbVrqL7.jpg


As I stated before, I will be taking this project with me to a few show, and to make sure it all gets there in one piece, I ordered a pelican case to ship it all in.

q3uhzfw.jpg


TBby5wN.jpg


sprtgUl.jpg


All packed up and ready to go!

rlD5sCj.jpg


Time for a beer!

jUd2Ylr.jpg



After the two shows are over, I will be handing the case over to a friend of mine to do all the cabling, at that point I only have a few minor things to take care of and it will be completed!!

Stay tuned!

 
Last edited:
This is like build of the year material, just gorgeous!

I love the case for it as well, makes it even more impressive once you crack that open.

Cheers to you on this build..

So, when you selling the blue prints :D
 
I will be coming to bug you in person to chat about this fantastic build. See you at PDXLAN.
 
Hi all,

A couple of updates on the status of the Node, nothing to crazy. So I traveled to Portland, OR for PDXLAN 26. Had a blast there, I entered the Node in the CPUMag Case mod competition, I took 5th place and was up against some very tough competition.

After that I was off to Dallas TX for Quakecon 2015. Again, I entered the Node into the Modders INC Scratch Build competition, unfortunately I didn't place in that competition at all.

A lot of people were very interested in the case and had a lot of good things to say. I'm VERY happy with the reception of the case overall, makes all the time and effort worth it!

After both events I was informed I won Bit-tech's Mod of the month for June! http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=287885

For those wondering about the status of the project, after Quakecon, I handed the case over to my buddy at Hexagon PC so he could do all the sleeving for the case. Once it is done, he will be shipping the case back to me and I can start the rigid tubing for it.



I want to thank Hexagon PC for the sleeving, he does great work!

logo.png


https://www.hexagonpc.com/


Thanks everyone! Stay tuned for more!​

Fv29JXY.jpg

From PDXLAN
 
Back
Top