Storm'd !

Defyant

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
316
s promised STORM'D is the second in the series of plex "theme" case mods.

Storm'd is based on the newer model Sunbeam LED UV blue plex case this time and again will feature "Bolt on" type machined plex highlights as well as some Storm features :) to keep it t theme case

The Sunbeam case was chosen for its extra features and the fact that its main outer structure is held together using 4 solid looking metal rails...

these shiny metal rails have a great contrast against the clear plex and will fit in nicely with what i have planned.


Due to all the "one off" fabrications that need to be done with STORM'D i won't be able to finish it as fast as PeRs-pLeXeD! but hope to have a finished product by weeks end :)

Sunbeam put a quality package together and you really do feel its Xmas when you get this home and open it!.....well xmas with that "ikea feel about it"!!!!

You can also see just like PeRs-pLeXeD! the main feature of the case will be its 2 dual front 120mm UV fans! this time i'm going with the purple, as this colour fits in well with the STORM theme,

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NOW! @ this stage of the mod! i have 2 trains of thought about it!

the first is to use the dual 120's the other is to use Dual 80's! with 120mm outer shouds.... i will first fabricate up the 80 and shrouds as im very keen to see how this will look!

if i don't like the effect from the dual 80's then i can move onto the 120 idea.

Back to the modding :)


The front of the case... to give it a more appealing hevier look will get a custom laser cut outer frame. the frame will be beveled @ 45 dgree on the router and dilled with counter sunk M5 Steinless steel hex heads.

To compliment and fitin with the front theme a smaller frame will also be installed to surround a pr of counter sunk Dual custom made "defyant style " STORM RES's.


LEFT front frame RIGHT top res frame.

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The finish on these custom laser cut frams is class all the way!

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You can see the idea of how i want the frame to sit! the frame will still be beveled drilled countersund and flame polished again.

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First off it's the top Res frame that gets a pimping.

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The frame with the STORM RES's.

The frame will sit around the 50mm OD x 180mm STORM RES's will sit down into the top of the case and be "half in and half out"

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The STORM RES frame is taken over to the router and given 45dregee outer edging

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M5 SS Marine HEX heads all the way for STORM'D

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Time to "cutup" the top of the Sunbeam for the STORM Res's


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The STORM RES's can now sit down into the case.


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The oringinal thought of joining the 2 STORM RES's was to drill a joiner hole in each, tap thread and use a brass threaded joiner......


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I really wasn't happy with this look....and the fact that the brass peice moved the to res's apart to far for my liking.....

the soloution was to cut a small plex joiner drill out the holes slightly larger and then glue the joiner in.

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Dammm! almost perfect !!!!

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For the ends ive had 50mm x 10mm thick laser cut ends made.


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These are glued on and left to sit for 10 before water-testing


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The STORM RES's will need to have an in and out let! to allow the "flood gates" to flow! ")

Over to the drill press for some drilling!

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back for some threading!

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Some barb fitting!



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and some testing on the case!


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The barbs will feed back off the STORM Res'sto the pump rad and block,no external plumbing will be seen this time.


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With that out of the road i really wanted to get a start on the first of the 2 front fan ideas!


The first one uses Dual 80mm STORM inlet fans these will have a customised plex hevy metal shroud around them giving the illusion of 120mm fans!





The idea was discovered purley by mistake! after cutting the hole for the first of what was going to be the Dual 120mm STORM fan bracket!

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The innner circle was taken over to the router and given a good 45degree rip!


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Next was to flip it over and mark the holes for the SS hexheads!

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After a drilling!

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Next was to do some sexy counter sinking! this time ive gone closer to the "edge" so that the tool cuts down into the side of the bevel'd edge and allows the bolts to be seen from the sides .

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Testing with a spare UV green fan


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And just for kiks! with some lighting effects.


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Withit sitting on the facia panel i think you wil agree that the front surround add to the size of the 80mm fan and gives it amuch larger appearance.


With 2 of these i think is should look very "beefy"


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I got around the making the second front Storm Vent today, i'm very pleased with the look of them as a pair!


The second one was made as the first was.





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as you can see in the above pic..the sight of the original plex front panel now looks way out of place! to fix this and add a contrast to the machined plex surrounds a Smoked or tinted plex background is cut and added.


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Next will be to make surrounds for the CDROM and Matrix orbital display.
these be be a rectangle shape.

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Centers are marked and cut out again in a frame'd shape.


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Next! was the BIG one! beveling a 45 degree angle on the main fron frame.

This was a steady and slow effort...one slip here .......

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Next is to take the frame over for some drilling and counter sinking for the hex heads.


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The inner shadow panel is layed in

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Storm rings added


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Top frames

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The idea will be that with the tinted back panel only the Storm rings outer main plex frame and smaller inner frames will light up!

should look very interesting!
 
was about to call it a day! but had to have a look and see just how STORM'D was going to look.


Really keen to check out how the Clear plex on Dark plex was going to look!

The first thing to do was to start peeeeling off some of that kaky brown protective paper!

next was to drill and cut back the original holes that would be needed for the case's panel buttons and io panel.

as you can see its a pretty complicated bunch of holes!!more than most cases!

i would have to really measure up and take my time cutting these!

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after a bit of cutting in the dark plex the new holes where done.

I also used the flame teknique to smooth out the edges of the holes and give them a clean look.

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looks almost factory!

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For those of you wondering what the "Flame teknique" is!?.... this is it!--->


After cutting, say a 80mm blow hole , either with a hole saw or jigsaw! or if you must... a dremal...your left with a ruff edge from the cut.

You can! sand and polish this smooth and shiny...how ever! if you have a bit of practice under your belt..a small flame torch , you can shine these back to a nice fluid looking finish.


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Don't hold the flame in one spot for tooo long! you will bubble and fry! Move back and forth over a small area till you see the plex melt back-in on itself and shine.. very much like mig welding,

Also work the plex just above the blue tip of the flame! not the orange bigger part...come inside that larger flame to the top of the blue tip.
Get right in close! and really watch the plex! as close as you can!!
and be prepared to quickly BLOW out little spot fires that start up on the plex.

Happy flameing!


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You can see that nice melted smooth look to the edge.


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the same is again repeated the the whole tinted panel around the cdrom hole and the whole outer rim.

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great idea. u jsut got me thinking. mayb ill get this case too. lol and paint it and stuff.
 
I wish I was leet =(.

That is some nice ass plexi work man... I admire your skills. Continue the great work!
 
Wow, I agree, great plexiglass work. I look forward to seeing how this turns out. :cool:
 
thanx guys :)

a cathar G4 block will be the order of the day :)

due to the expense of this mod the hardware is goin to be very skint! its a show peice and will end up on display in the city with "PeRs pLeXeD!" so im not keen to fill it with high end hardware.

but a G4 block it has to be :)
 
tyvm guys :)

this worklog is a lil behind while i catchup posting here.

but promise ! better things are to come :)




The Storm rings are added!

(ive decided NOT to flame polish these!) as having them FULLY polished will not give the lighting effect im after!

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the top Frames are added as well.

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I think you guys will agree it has a very crisp classy clean look about the front of thr case now, and im happy thats its all still pretty much an original idea.





and of course! how could i end a post without some mandatory lighting effects :)


i personally love it!

i think that the opportunity here for me to have a ball with diff lights really presents it self!

the larg outer frame can easily be one colour with the Storm rings another! but i'll prolly stick with a blue or a purple to keep in with the STORM'D theme.



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after the last post and the "mock up" shots! i was really keen to get the front end fitted!


First call of the day was to pick a couple of sets of fans! i'm still not sure what the exact fans that i will run.


for now i'll use the aerocool silver blade 2's


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another trip to the local fastner shop forsome more HEX heads


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A qik test with the new fans

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time to screw on the front storm rings!

the bolts that hold the rings on also hold the front fans in place.


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fans in place its time to part assemble the the plex case.


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the front of the case has been drilled to match the pattern of bolts from the front frame.


The bolts will not go all the way thru, but stop short but still enuf to secure the frame to the case.




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the frame can now be bolted to the front of the case.


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The innner area has been cut away to allow the top fan to fit


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With the new front "Bolted" into place.


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that........

is super secksi. I bow down before t3h 1337 acrylic m0dding skillz.
 
He's a man with visions, know how, tools, and materials. Good things tend to follow!! :)
 
Damn but that looks good!

Just get rid of that other AeroCool sticker on the top fan :D

Almost inspired me to do some more work on mine...
 
awesome looking case. thanks for posting the flame polishing tip, should come in handy.
 
Needing an excuse to use my sexy new router bench! i was off to the plex shop today for what will be the second last time in this project.

Picking up some "cut to size" panels for what will become STORM'D new overlay side panels..

The Original idea was to leave the case clear! but this case is being "STORM'D" so it needed to be Darkend all round.

Using overlay panels keep in with the over all plex theme.


5 new smoked panels and 2 new front clear panels.


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Starting with the top.

These panels are cut to the .5mm and are a perfrct fit!

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The new side overlay panels fit snug as well.

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The orignal side clear plex panel has 2 holes already cut for 2 x 80mm fans! thinking that not a bad idea! i decided rather then cover them up!

i'll add some storm rings as well and make a full feature.......this won't the the cases main side feature! bigger and more special things for that.


Over to the drill press some new rings are cut..... this time rather than make thick clear rings like the front..i decided to go for a more subdue'd sleek look...something that won't stick out like a sore thumb!

the rings are made from the same smoked plex as the overlay panels and arefrom 4.5mm thick plex.



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The new smoked overlay panel is cut to match up with the original side panel.

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For now i'll use these fans! but a chrome fans will be brought later to match.


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The whole assembly-- rings---overlay panel----original panel ----fans

can now be bolted together for a test run!!


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really wanted to get the side "storm vents" perfect! altho they come off looking ok! they still needed a lot more work!



I decided that the HEX head bolts i was going to use....didnt suit the side vents as much....a trip back down to the local fastners shop and i came home with these sexy little thangs!


these are just perfect! i much prefer the way they will sit flush with the ring .


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Back of with with side rings and it was time to give em a "flamin"
doing the inner small holes and the inner ring itself but leaving the outer angled edge still with a machined look.



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With that done!


i relised that there was no way to slide the side panel off with the fans still attached to the inside of the case!!!

a qik fix was to make the whole overlay panel and fans/storm rings as one unit! then bolt that unit onto the orig side panel.


a large clean sqr opening is cut and flamed smooth.


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Fans panel and ring assemble are bolted together then layed onto the orig panel and bolted on



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Somthing still wasnt right!......they just didnt look "finsihed" a qik think about it...


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they need mesh!




the solution was some old 8" car speakers i had under the bench!


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a small frame jig is made from some scrap plex..this will be used to "press" the shape into the new grills.

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a ruff cut is done, with plenty of excess

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this is soo much fun!

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after a qick trim!

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big smile for D :)


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and with the freshly flamed rings and new bolts! bigger smiles for D.

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onto the second one!!!


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slide it in!

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:)


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i know its a lotta hoopla over somthing small :) but its getting the small things just right that really give me a buzz!


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I think this is the best work you've done so far on a case mod. I really like the counter sinking of the plexiglass which is something I don't see a lot of. I really dig the way this mod is turning out and I can't wait to see it finished. Your plexiglass work is impressive to say the least. gj
 
Good lord....I thought I was no longer interested in modding. This thing is gorgeous so far.
 
Truly amazin' work! Please give us more,more. I never knew acrylic could be so cool!
 
That is some nice work, especially with the mesh.

I want some mesh sheets that have holes that size, but I don't think they make them for the consumer...only in large quantities :(.
 
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