"Microsoft MVP" Project...A Pictoral Journal

Wow.. that looks nice

I love the bolts... its nuts (pun intended)...

Well once again thanx for the support...

My mentor/PC modder/support (NCballer) has been sleeping all day. What a bum!...

But anyway, I can't wait to show you guys pics when this is all done. It should look awesome! At first I was getting really frustrated because he kept messing up the paint, and we had to get more, and more, and more...

Once we finish all the paint touchups, add the new front due to warping, change leds, finish side panels, and the etch, this will be for sure an awesome rig. HMMM am I teasing at all...muahah

Well, I did finally get to run 3dmark2001, because I don't have the internet on this rig yet (because I haven't gone to get an ethernet card *cough* I know I'm cheap *cough*)...

I had to download it on my other pc then transfer the program along with some essential transfers...

I got a 13589...well I don't think thats too bad for not having everything set up yet...missing fans...no side panels...no overclocking...no new heatsink...and no flashing the bios...

We will keep you updated soon cause I have to get this show on the road, presenting my project in less than 2 weeks!! argh

-Silentscope

Celeron_Phreak said:

So, how DID you get that chrome paint to stick and not discolor?

Click to expand...

Never did get it to stick. I just painted it a nice silver color instead.

Did you clear coat that at all? If you did, did you buff it afterwards? Cause I haven't been able to get a nice reflection like that from any silver paint no matter what I do

EDIT: I was looking back on your pics and saw the one where you were drying the primer for the front panel over a running stovetop. If I'm not mistaken, that looks like a cardboard box under the panel, isn't that a bit of a ....fire hazard?

Celeron_Phreak said:

Did you clear coat that at all? If you did, did you buff it afterwards? Cause I haven't been able to get a nice reflection like that from any silver paint no matter what I do

EDIT: I was looking back on your pics and saw the one where you were drying the primer for the front panel over a running stovetop. If I'm not mistaken, that looks like a cardboard box under the panel, isn't that a bit of a ....fire hazard?

Click to expand...

The Stove was not on!!!!! LOL...It was just drying there, with the stove off!!! LMAO

Oh. hahahaha. The blue refelction of the light must be what I'm seeing. Looks like a blue flame from a gas stove

Ok, time for a little update!!! I managed to pull the case away from Donnie and I brought it back to my apartment so that I could FIANLLY finish it all up. There really isn't a whole lot left to do...just some odds and ends. The real good news is I am in the mood to do some serious modding today. I don't know if you guys ever get like that...you know....you wake up and just want to do some hardcore modding. Well anyways, I am in a mood. My goal is to have this thing as close to done as I possibly can by the end of today. There are a few things I can't do because I don't have the tools available...but this thing WILL BE COMPLETELY DONE by the end of this week. I think I am working on my fourth deadline now...LOL! It was supposed to be done like a month ago...but I ran into some major problems along the way with the painting, me being a little lazy, etc. lol

Ok, back on subject. Here are a few little things I have done this morning:


I had to extend the power cord for the front 120mm fan so it could reach the Zalman fan controller. The Zalman originally came with four extensions...but I have had it for a while and I lost one . I pretty much just cut the original power cord in half and threw some wires in there to make it longer. I know, I know, G-H-E-T-T-O...but I did at least take the time to solder the joints. After the soldering, I just threw a little electrical tape on the bad boy and poof...I was done. Pretty simple.



Here is the painted CD-ROM faceplate. I did a pretty good job. I am not one to brag (too much) but I think I have case painting DOWN PAT!!! How do I figure this??? Well, this is only my second case mod, and my first metal one (first one was acrylic). Sooo, this was the first case I have ever painted and I think I did almost ABSOULTY everything WRONG you could do when painting a case. I mean me and Donnie have gone through about $60 on painting supplies (sandpaper, etc.) and paint alone, just from screwing up and having to redo everything. Well, you know what they say, "you learn from your mistakes." And boy I have I learned. Now, I know how to paint ANYTHING...plastic, metal, you name it. And I have gotten a lot of practice from redoing it so much...lol. I guess you could say this case mod was a learning experience and if I could do it all over again...I defiantly would!!! I just can't wait to get a damn job so I can start on MY own case. And yes...I will have to throw up another pictorial journal for it cause I got some awesome ideas...some I don't think have ever been done before!!! (I think I will do A LOT better with keeping that one up-to-date as I did horrible job with this one...and for that I apologize.)

Here is the side panel with this epoxy/filler I found at my local Lowes Home Improvement store. Stuff works GREAT....except it smells like Friskies Cat food...lol. I had to use it because I wasn't careful and I wasn't thinking when I cut out the window with my Dremel. The head of the dremel hit the side panel a couple of times while I was cutting which cased little dings along the sides of the cutout. I was in a hurry as I recal .



Here is the filler/epoxy I used to patch up my foul ups. Like I said...good stuff.




Like I said before...I am in the mood to mod today so keep an eye out as I SHOULD be posting my progress throughout the day. As always....comments and suggestions welcome!!! \


....damn I just typed a lot....

Aighty...I got the side panel primed...waiting for it to dry. Then I will finish up all the blue painting. I have to throw one more coat on the right side panel, a coat on the window side panel, and then a coat on the little faceplate that covers the un-used 3-1/2" drive bay. After that the only painting left to do is the inside of the right panel, the little cover for the front USB ports, and....hell yes that is it!!!!


Window Panels Primed:



3-1/2" Drive Bay Cover Primed:

Ok, here are is a minor mod I am doing for the front USB ports. He said he didn't want the USB ports, so I am getting rid of the stupid little flip up panel that says "USB" in big bold letters and replacing it with a small plastic rectangle piece. Nothing fancy...but it will look a WHOLE lot better as a plain panel then the letters "USB" jumping out at you.

Haven't made the cut for it yet...about to do that once I do the blue painting and am waiting for it to dry. The panel I am talking about is to cover up these USB ports:




As you can see, I didn't worry about doing a nice paint job on the USB ports because you won't ever see them!

NOW, here is a more interesting mod. When I soaked the small plastic front panel in paint thinner overnight it warped the hell out of it making it pretty much useless. Not only did it warp but when I tried to see if it would still fit on the front, it cracked:




Here is where it origanally went:





So....because of this little screw up I have to find a way to make the front panel look good and replace the cracked panel. Well, I did a lot of thinking and I figured I could just but like a small sheet of aluminum and drill out the holes and be done with it...but that just isn't any fun.

So I got the cool idea of making the replacement panel out of some plexi. Then change all the LED's that surround the power and reset button to blue. That way, the front plexi panel will light up and sort of glow blue (which will now help carry the blue, silver/chrome theme a little more throughout the case)...in theory. Here is the planned layout of the blue LED's, Screws and buttons:

So this is in theory what it would kinda look like:




Oh...and you love the VERY amatur Photoshop skills...lol.

Any ideas or suggestions for this mod would be GREAT. I will be making the front plexi panel sometime this coming week and I ordered the LED's yesterday...so they should also be here sometime next week.

So when are you going to start etching? I wanna etch something into my clear case side panel

already started, should be done by the end of the week. It is a pretty detailed etching and I am trying to build up the motavation to finish it. lol

Here is some of my past work

http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=219175

http://www.ncballer1985.com/etchingpics.html

I got some more work done today. Good news is the front panel is FINISHED!!!! I will post pics sometime tomorrow as the letters on my monitor are getting very blurry and I think I am about to pass out....I pulled one of those 48hr mod-a-thon's.....ok...definantly time for bed....

I honestly can't understand any of the etching things. What but do you use for it? Maybe a tutorial of exactly how to do it would be better?

NcBaller1985 said:

I got some more work done today. Good news is the front panel is FINISHED!!!! I will post pics sometime tomorrow as the letters on my monitor are getting very blurry and I think I am about to pass out....I pulled one of those 48hr mod-a-thon's.....ok...definantly time for bed....

Click to expand...

Don't you have school?

I can't wait to see how it turns out. Looks awesome, even right now. Although bolting the case together is definatly GHETTO.

Sorry for the delay. Here is the small update as promised.

Here is the front panel all put together. The only thing missing is the LED's and the small round tube like clear plastic pieces that go around the crome power and reset buttons.




The custom cut front USB port panel. Turned out nice.



Here is the custom made plexi front panel. Turned out REALLY good. We are thinking of maybe throwing an etching on it...haven't decided yet though.

The front panel lit up. I only have one of the 5 blue LED's plugged in so once the other 4 come in it will light up like a christmas tree!!! This was the only mod on this case that went the way it was planned. Everything else...something would always go wrong. I guess you could say this case mod has been one big learning expierence.




Sorry my camera is POS. It looks real good in person.

So far now, here is what is left to do:

-Sand down the chrome trim.
-Attach the chrome trim for the side panel with the window.
-REPAINT the other side panel for like the 5th time.
-Finish the side window etching.
-Put everything together.

This SHOULD be all done hopefully by Sunday. He has to present this his class for practice on Tuesday...so it HAS to be done by then.

Etching Status- I am about 80% done with the side window etching. So far it has gone pretty good. A couple small foul-up's...but nothing to major. I will definatly post pics of that when it is done. I think you guys will like. It is right up there with my Halo etching in quality...and surpasses it in difficulty.

Let's put it this way- I have now spent a total of 8 hours it...and I am only 80% done. The other night I decided to do a little etching after I had been drinking...NOT a smart idea and that is why there are a few foul-up's. Luckily, they are hardly noticeable. I thought it was funny at the time ...NOT funny the next morning when I saw what I had done. *sigh*