pcModz Philippines (PCMP) is a online community for computer hardware and PC modding enthusiasts.
You have not registered yet and have limited access to the site. Register now to enjoy the entire site features.
You did not receive the email confirmation? Click Here!
Just dropping by to wish everyone a belated Happy New 2010 and drop off my worklog of the latest project I have been working on.
Background) After a modding hiatus (some do get fed up modding after a while, specially under contest pressure), I dropped by a computer tech friend of mine who was sort of experiencing a post seasonal depression the first week of Feb/10. Anyways, he was doing an early spring cleaning and was dumping a bunch of old customer cases and assorted junk in the trash bin. I of course gave him a hand and when I saw this little case, I just felt that I had to ask him for it. I killed 2 birds with this stone: got prime material to make a modding tutorial for my fledgling forum and a perfect excuse to enter the New Mod City 1st Anniversary Tourney. I have been working on this for a while so I will upload as fast as I can to get it up to speed so don't be phased with the dates. All was done from the 2nd week of Feb/10 to date so it is not ancient history, hehe. I am still working on it and the due date is 16/Apr/10.
I want to say hello to my bros. Sunnyxtremist and Cham_E_Lyon and my fellow forum mates from NMC Acid_Eyez and gabriel_d7 and wish them all well and the best of fortune for this year and the future. I want to give credit to Sunny and Cham_e for getting me going into acrylics, fancy mods and a better sense of modding. My mods now are WAY different from when I met them and I will always look up to them as Senseis and Master modders and mis amigos.
Back to the case,
My tech friend told me that the owner had gotten fed up with changing the psu which is of the mico-Atx variety and that are really hard to find here in Mexico vs Atxs which you can get anywhere. The hardware was junk by now (Athlon XP) so that too went out. So, as someone said "one guys junk is another guy's treasure". I toted it back home and this is it, after a little cleaning: 
I placed my recently arrived mini-Itx mobo inside to see what it llooked like and this was it, either the mini-Itx is really small or the case if really big! The mobo is a Zotac 9300i-e which is a socket 775 and takes DDR2 ram, but the distinguishing factor is that it also includes a pc-express 2.0, 16 bit slot for an external video card. It has all else buit-in: wi-fi, 7.1 sound, lan, etc.
Of course it was all scratched and dented (the previous owner would hit it with a broomstick when it would lock up, probably from excess heat). It will however be the prime-material for a hot mod, hehe!
Saludos and Cheers
Offline
Checking around the net, this happens to be an Actek Kendal and costs around $720mn or $55.38 usd, including a pretty sorry 500w micro-Atx psu.
The highlight of the this case is a strip of acrylic that lit up with a couple of blue leds on each end of it.
When I got it, one of the leds was knocked off its base and just hanging inside the case, leaving only half of the acrylic strip lit, probably from on of the multiple interventions the case (burnt psus, overheating, etc.).
To begin, I would change the fixed lights in favor of something with movement (I like a lot), be it something secuencial or flashing.
http://www.steren.com.mx/catalogo/image … /K-320.JPG
Analyzing the case front, now I see why it would overheat. The front has no fans at all and the front cover is practically solid with no entrance of fresh air. The only way the case could breath from the front is if the access door to the dvd burner/usb ports were left open, something that most people would not normally do. There is even nothing in the floor (solid plate) so if the door were shut, the only air it could suck was the tiny slit left by the door and the frame, duhhh!!! A clear case of form (looks) over function (breathing).
To remedy this I will take of the door (one of the plastic pins that held it in place was broken anyways) and turn it into a grill. I was thinking of using a piece of orange phosphorescent acrylic I got not too long ago for around $1.15 usd.
I think I will lean on a lot of acrylic like Chozen did on his Dragon and who competed in CM and NMC mod contests.
Why you say? Cause it it is relatively cheap, of high visual impact and you don't need a lot of expensive tools to work it.
Cheers and Saludos
Offline
When I went with Cesar, my acrylic and similar supplier (he has a sign and publicity business which specializes in acrylics, styrenes, foams, etc.), he surprised me with a "spring cleaning". This forced me to forage through what little he had left which included this:
From left to right: translucent red, then another piece of phosphorescent orange (no other colors, damn!), in front of that "opalina" or frosted, next to that smoked, then mirror finish and finally translucent dark blue. Total cost: $120mn ($9.20 usd) a real bargain considering! Now this is what he calls "scrap" and most of it was already charged in previous jobs.
From the piece of I already had of phospho orange, I consulted him what to do in order to make a "grill" and he ended up shredding it into 2cm.X23cm. strips. When he is backed up with work, he is not too patient:
The cost of this was $30mn ($2.30usd) and he did it in around 5 min.! Well lets see what I do with this. Since I am going to use a lot of phosphorescent acrylic we will call this project "phosphor", short for that long name, heheh.
The rest will be paint, a 200mm led fan (CoolerMaster), a led kit and some other doodads. Hmmm now to see what I am going to do with all that acrylic, hmmm....
Saludos and Cheers
Offline
Well this is a pain, sanding the edges and then polishing them. First with a grit 80, then a 280 and finally 600. After this a automotive rubbing compound with a rag till it shines.
Just to fix 10 slats took me almost 4 hours and my fingers were aching. There has to be an easier way! When are they going to come with home lazer or water cutters!
I place a piece of masking tape on each end to cut the desired curve through it. The masking serves as a guide to know how far to cut and does not leave a stain like a Sharpie does. I do not cut through the tape but around it.
The rough shape is cut with a Dremel and the rest is sanding and polishing like above.
The first one took me 20 min, but the rest should be easier (I hope).
Saludos and Cheers.
Offline
| Topic | Replies | Views | Last post |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
4 | 929 | 27 weeks ago by doki |
Copyright © pcModz Philippines 2007-2010
