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The Dragon

B

bruce42

n00b
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
27
What do you get when you cross a satellite dish with a DVD player, and add a 90 year old rebuilt lathe? Why a computer case, of course.

After completing the 'mdportal Elite' early in 2002, I decided to build a LAN rig. I scratch built all the case components and the woodwork is all hand cut & turned. She is dire need of an upgrade and some cosmetic work, possibly even an entirely new case, but the Dragon has served me well the past few years. It has recorded days worth of live audio while surviving the rigors of road abuse.

You can check out new pics and worklogs at ultrasciencelabs.com, or browse through the super old site worklogs.

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Same :S Doesnt look very balanced. What would happen if I poke it just like that... *case falls over* :p
 
Balance WAS a major concern during the design. The CD-ROM is basically a big brick strapped to the front of a box made of thin steel and aluminum. The case feet I turned are designed to lean the case backwards, centering the weight squarely over the base. In its 3 year run as a mobile recording and gaming unit, it has yet to tip, wobble, wiggle, jiggle, or fall. It is a suprisingly stable and sturdy rig.
 
CrimandEvil said:
Very nice work. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks! It's amazing how far $30 bucks in hardware and paint can take a broken DVD player.


I'll be sure to keep checking the SE Lain rig; that PSU mod looks pretty promising.
 
Creative yet odd. I always wanted to make something way out of the line for a computer case. But then again i like the standard rectangular case the way it is.
 
Kevin003 said:
Creative yet odd. I always wanted to make something way out of the line for a computer case. But then again i like the standard rectangular case the way it is.
Click to expand...

Yeah, boxy IS foxy, but every once in a while you have to go crazy. The weird shape is really a matter of function; I wanted as small a PC as possible using cheaper desktop parts and the broken DVD player. The CD-ROM and PSU really didn't fit inside so I had to make allowances for those bits. In the end I would up with the HDD and CD-ROM sandwiched together on a single mounting bracket (yes, the HDD is strapped to the bottom of the CD-ROM) bolted to the side of the case.

I think I will probably end up rebuidling the case- The rig is nicely portable, but I would really like a rig that is integrated into one case; similar in style, but with all the cables and components inside. Don't worry though, I'm sure it will be weird; my cases seem to end up that way.
 
** UPDATE **
I had to test some motherboards last month; I needed a CPU and some RAM so I ganked them from the dragon. Of course, this means disassembly and it's been sitting on a shelf negelcted ever since. I decided as long as it was in pieces I should finally get around to cleaning and updating it a little. I stripped the case down yeasterday and spent some time trying to clean up the wiring as much as is possible in such a cramped box. I made a few alterations so I could put a beefier heatsink/fan combo inside, and I put more coats of finish on the wood panels- 3 years of smoke and road abuse really did a number on the paint and polish.

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I modified the rear support bracket to hold the fan speed control switch and later added a chrome toggle for the CCFL.


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Stripped and ready. I had to pull the CD-ROM apart so I could refinish the dragon scrollwork. I also want to backlight the figure so I bought some high-brightness red LEDs.


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The new tip-drive fan has a smaller bolt pattern than the old, noisy-as-hell 80mm I had in there. I've tested the new heatsink/fan combo on the road and it provides much more reliable temps then the old 1U heatsink I was using. I cut a cable-pass through slot on my scrollsaw.


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The biggest wiring issue in this case is the power cable arrangement. Here I am using Radio Shack "wire tie mounts" to hold the wires in place; I used them on the mdportal Elite mod and I must say, they beat the living crap out of electrical tape.


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The CCFL was purchased in the hopes of producing and evil red glow, but instead it turned my case into a Valentines Day card. I grabbed a roll of tail light reflector repair tape from an auto parts store in the hopes of spectrum correction. More wire tie mounts hold everything in place.


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Well, I got as far as installing the motherboard and cables. Today I want to finish off the front panel LEDs and get this thing wrapped up.
 
Adisharr said:
Neat man - it's nice to see something different than what's out there.. :)
Click to expand...

Dig those PC's a lot. I really want to try a desk PC and a coffee table PC. Maybe build the table with a glass top and have the monitor mounted underneath to shine up through the glass... might be cool to toss an emulator on it and play old nintendo games on it.. hell could even throw a TV card in it and hook up an actual nintendo.
 
I managed to gut, clean, repair, tune, reassemble, and test the Dragon case this weekend. I installed some new lights and repaired the CCFL that's been missing for months. I tried tail light repair tape to redden the light, but it is still pinkish. Has anyone tried LEDs for interior light? Seems to me a handful of well placed high-brightness LED's should be more than sufficient for this little box.

Anyway, on with the latest pics.

Just an overall shot of the rig tested and running.
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Various case shots
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fan and light switches; newly added.
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I added LED's to the back of the dragon scroll work.
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Me, working. Look at me go!
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Definatley a brek the mold PC case. Good job on the hard work put into it.
 
wow... this is crazy bud. One of the most custom cases I've ever seen. you're doing great. Keep it up :)
 
Thanks y'all. Yeah, this thing has been to hell and back and it's [H]ard as ever. I will be retiring the Dragon from road work in the Spring, though. I think this ancient beast will be a lot happier on my desk rather than choking on a fog machine or bouncing around a car trunk.

Meanwhile, I am curently planning the Dragon 2.0. I'd really like to pull out the stops on this one. I suppose I should buckle down and get some concrete designs hashed out- Spring is almost here.

Anyway, I think this will be the last major update for this case. I need to scrounge up some more rubber washers to dampen the fan mounting plate, but i think it's cosmetically complete - at least as far as my budget allows.

At some point I will post pics of my other mod- "Rei & Asuka" :D. Unfortunately, it had to be dismantled, but I might get a chance to resurrect that case, too. Maybe someday when I have some money ;)
 
That case is completely OFF THE HOOK! I love it. The details show how much work you put into it. A lot of modders like to strap lights onto a case perhaps even cut a whole in the case and call it modded. (Note: I list my box a case decor not modded)



That case is an example of a great case! Keep it up. I hope to see more cases from you.
 
i'm surprised nobody mentioned the computer screen in the 5th pic in the first post.... good stuff :)

this case looks really cool. i have to build myself a case sometime... my lianli is missing a sidepanel and i don't feel like paying $20 for a new one.
 
bruce42 said:
What do you get when you cross a satellite dish with a DVD player, and add a 90 year old rebuilt lathe? Why a computer case, of course.
Click to expand...
Boy, that's a breath of fresh air!! Surprised I never noticed this case b4. That DVD cover looks very nice. The free-formed design is also sweet.Wood cases are hard to pull off, but looks like yours works a treat :)
 
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