Slasher's First Mod (Trees Beware!)

naughty · Post by **naughty** » 10 May 2006, 10:34

Actually, Supa wood as such isnt an expensive option... The wood is relatively cheap, the varnish with stain we have, nor is that overly expensive...

actually thats very very true - supawood is around R400 for a 2,5m x 1.8m sheet whilst perspex of the same size will be around R1500 - so the wood is a really cheap option for the mod even if you include finishing materials

BTW that pic that jee linked to doesnt need to be wood all the way ie the keyboard and monitor could be a preglued veneer on top of the plastic

jee · Post by **jee** » 10 May 2006, 10:46

Do also have a look at the other wood options on that site... i just love those mouses

naughty · Post by **naughty** » 10 May 2006, 11:35

yeah - very nice jee - also that last one by zapwizard - well we all know zpwizard from bit-tech.net - and yes those are all real wood

i was just saying that yo could veneer the plastic to make it all look like wood easilly - instead of going the long route and making those out of wood - which would be time consuming - but not too difficult for those of us who can work with wood - i wouldnt have the patience - my normal mod is already taking up too much time even including all the painted woodwork im doing and all of that is far easier than this

Slasher · Post by **Slasher** » 04 Feb 2007, 14:53

OK... So almost a year has passed and I havent done squat...

I actually did do a projected final drawing on paper of how I want the case to look... My third year projcet however took over all my time and that was hell..

I am finished with varsity, graduated last year and is off course, working now...

This equates to less time, but gives me the much required money for this mod. My dad's wood working power tools are quickly expanding giving me more and more options...

I hope to start doing planning on this mod sometime after the 17th of February, as I am currently putting all my energy into organizing a Valentines Ball fund raiser and do not have annnny time for some other stuff...

I downloaded Google SketchUp but have trouble figuring out all I want and as it does most likely not allow me to "router" the edges to a pattern of my liking, it will most likely not be used...

I will see if I can have some detailed drawings up of what I hope to end with in 2 months... From there I need to start planning how I will fit it all together and will be just more sketches of interior parts and seperate parts... Work will most likely only start in six months, but at least I have the cash...

Yay, I am a grave digger, digging up my own threads...

The idea of a wood case is still strong in my wanting, as well as the fact that I am now seriously considering buying myself a el-cheapo watercooling set just to keep fans to the minimum. Thus it may not cool very well, but I will only run the components at stock, so R1500 WC set will work perfectly...
Add to that 2x 120mm fans , one front, one rear, with front one blowing over HDD's to keep those cool...

I believe I can do quite a neat project without too many fancy costly add-ins... From there I can mod and replace panels as I want to change em... Love of wood

I also have an idea which I am considering with adding a 'hot-pluggable' flip out bay for a HDD in my mind, but feasability studies might really kill it, as the weight of wood and size taken would outweigh practicality...

Its gonna be huge, its gonna be heavy, but its gonna be done biiit by biiiit by biit... Im gonna have to file / sand down so much wood, the planer and jigsaw / tablesaw can only do soo much, so I'll see how long my patience lasts...

Slasher · Post by **Slasher** » 19 Mar 2007, 20:12

Just a quick update... Im dead busy at work, so no pics yet... I cannot for the life of me use google sketch-up, but will do some pencil scribblings in the next while...

Will also buy a sheet of supawood sometime this month or next and start on making my prototype... The idea is to play around, see what works and what does not... Obviously I will not buy expensive stuff for it, but basics...

Apart from the laser LED that one can buy from performance-pc's, do any of you know of an LED light that can act as a spotlight that I can use? I need 3 and they should be small enough...

Thanks guyz...

haja · Post by **haja** » 19 Mar 2007, 20:28

HA!

I built a case from wood about 4 years back. It was nothing super fancy, just some laminated wood making the box, with all the stuff in it. I used u HUGE tower case for the frame (just the 8 sides) and attached my panels on that.

TBH, it did nada for noise, but it was a rush job, so maybe I could have done it alot better.

GL with the mod, can't wait to see pics

Slasher · Post by **Slasher** » 19 Mar 2007, 20:34

Thats the difference, Im building it from sratch... no old case on the inside... The only thing Im considering is the HDD & 5.25" bay's with the screwless design, but will most likely work around that as well...

With Watercooling it should help considerably against noise... I have though of laminated wood, but thats just too darn cheap. Im making this from scratch, will bevel all my sides....

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 19 Mar 2007, 22:21

Slasher wrote:Apart from the laser LED that one can buy from performance-pc's, do any of you know of an LED light that can act as a spotlight that I can use? I need 3 and they should be small enough...

What about regular LEDs?

Slasher · Post by **Slasher** » 20 Mar 2007, 07:45

Well, I actually want them to focus light on a certain point. That is why that standing Laser LED from performance PC's is roundabout what I want. I want to put them down in the bottom of my case and focus them on certain points, like my CPU, some logo I put somewhere or such stuff... Im considering taking those laser led's and just creating a foil 'filter' for it like a flashlight... The standard LED's give a more general light, which is not the idea I am going for...

Im going to need some people's help in finding suppliers, as I need a few odd bits... Especially in terms of screws.

DJV - Once I start looking at my WCing, will you please help me? I just need ideas and assistance with the basics of it. Will however only happen in 6 - 8 months most likely...

Now that I finished one MASSIVE workload I had, I can start spending some time on this project for sketches... will keep you guys up-to-date...

DAE_JA_VOO · Post by **DAE_JA_VOO** » 20 Mar 2007, 07:47

Slasher wrote:Well, I actually want them to focus light on a certain point. That is why that standing Laser LED from performance PC's is roundabout what I want. I want to put them down in the bottom of my case and focus them on certain points, like my CPU, some logo I put somewhere or such stuff... Im considering taking those laser led's and just creating a foil 'filter' for it like a flashlight... The standard LED's give a more general light, which is not the idea I am going for...

That's what modding is about dude... modding

MAKE a way for the LEDs to point in the direction you want them to

Slasher wrote:DJV - Once I start looking at my WCing, will you please help me? I just need ideas and assistance with the basics of it.

Yes of course

Would be my pleasure to help you

Let me know

Slasher · Post by **Slasher** » 02 Apr 2007, 08:40

Well, now that most of my Watercooling parts are either waiting or in line to be ordered, that part of the mod can be put to sleep for a while...

Now, I am hoping to buy the wood for my case within the week guys...

Im planning on starting by creating my 'bays' for within the case. All of the case will be made with 6mm and 9mm Supawood. I will most likely start with the easy and basic PSU bay. Then I can move on to a HDD bay that should also be easy enough for me to handle... Seeing as I am using a screwless design system, I just need to make a few cuts into the wood for everything to work as it should...

My problem arises in my DVD bay's, as I do not feel too positive on the point of buying a few nice screws to use to tighten it, as those will most likely be the ONLY screws visible in the case. If I used more screws, it would work. I have an idea waiting to replace this with a 'quik-lock' system, but wether I can get the stuff I want and how well it works is yet to be seen...

From there I need to create my mobo cover, which also holds a small surpirse..

From there I have to create the main case. Now, this holds 2 challenges...

1) I have to cut and file the dvd and fan controller bay to fit EXACTLY... Thus, I cut it smaller than should be and then file... However, tilting the file would render the part useless and would require a redo...

2) Fan Grills... I need to create a grill for my front fan, for which I have some idea. The biggest issue is that I cannot make it a fixed part of the front panel, else, when that breaks I have to redo the WHOLE panel... Thus I have a way around that... Just creating the grill will be a nightmare...

The top two fans I have that will be where my rad sits is not such a drastic issue... For those fans I can just cut numerous horizontal lines if I cannot easily create myself an easier grill...

I am hoping to start working on it all this weekend, but it will be a very rough and basic look. The stain / varnish will only happen once the whole box is complete, so yeah...

Watercooling will most likely be the LAST item I install, so I am really sad about it... Having all these costly stuff and not being used...

My case should however be done in about 2 months, so at least it is not THAT long a wait... And after 3 months of testing and deciding what I did not like I can very easily create a Ver2...

Tribble · Post by **Tribble** » 02 Apr 2007, 10:44

Do you have a diagram of what you plan to do? I find this very interesting. Interested in woodworking and a case made of wood interests me.

Slasher · Post by **Slasher** » 02 Apr 2007, 10:51

Well, I have tons... In my head unfortunately...

I actually need to make a few drawings sometime this week as the work starts the weekend. It will however be paper based scribblings...

Will however try and make a neat one that I can upload for the interested ones...

Will send you a mail with more detail, as I dont want to give out the whole idea just yet, as it will most likely change as my creation grows...

Tribble · Post by **Tribble** » 02 Apr 2007, 10:55

Thanks I appreciate that. Never thought of making a case out of wood and would love to know how it works out.

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 02 Apr 2007, 13:29

Some wood case mods

Slasher · Post by **Slasher** » 02 Apr 2007, 13:34

Hey Viceroy

Thanks for the link...

Not quite what Im considering though...

I dont have the fancy woodworking tools to create that rounded redwood case, which is what I am aiming at in the future... For now I am looking at a more standard wood case mod... Im not too crazzy about the other wood cases they had. The redwood one is amazing, the rest I really dont like. The cabinet / drawer system will not work for me, as I LAN often enough for that to be silly...

Interesting to look at still...

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 02 Apr 2007, 13:42

I also really liked the polished and rounded redwood one...that guy has some skills.

Wouldn't wood be too heavy for a lanning case? unless it had plywood panels?

Slasher · Post by **Slasher** » 02 Apr 2007, 13:47

Not neccesarily. It will be heavy, but not overkill... I am planning a decent handle on the case as well, so carrying it should not be too bad...

That redwood one requires some mean powertools though... They cost really way out too much...

Tribble · Post by **Tribble** » 02 Apr 2007, 18:52

viceroy wrote:Some wood case mods

Wow stunning stuff. Must have taken days to complete.

Post by **Monty** » 02 Apr 2007, 19:51

jee wrote:

Slash.. found these... oh WOW oh WOW! somebody build me one please, purty please?
http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/62/1/

I saw one like that in Austria
drool

Slasher · Post by **Slasher** » 05 Apr 2007, 23:18

Ok guys...

Mini update...

Yesterday I received my full sized sheet of Supa Wood... This afternoon I just started cutting it to a rough size for what I need in terms of the front / top / rear / bottom in sizes...

Then ate dinner and discussed it some more with my dad... Slight change in how I will handle my motherboard tray idea. Yet, this should make it easier and even take another day off my TimeToCompletion...

I am not home next weekend, weekend after that is my Bday so I will be busy busy busy with other stuff in between... However, this case SHOULD be done within a month from now, maybe 2 months at the most...

The advantage of working with wood is that I cut as I want and can change it easily as well...

I have decided that this is my Mark 1, will redo the case with Rodesian Teak for the outside or the whole case... That will however be damn expensive...

I will try and take pics as I work tommorow / saturday and at least be able to show you some stuff, although it will just be square blocks of wood...

Had to get my measurements for width correct, as the idea I am using restricts me to a fixed width to keep my DVD RW and fan controller centered on the box...

With my Mark 2 I can up the size if I really want, then just work around a small niggle... Will take more time to do it though...

Sorry for the no pics, but cutting a BIG sheet of wood into smaller strips of wood yield little photography material and tons of sawdust to dirty a lens...

Hope to get more and more detail as time goes along...

Tribble · Post by **Tribble** » 06 Apr 2007, 06:48

I can just imagine the excitement as you post the pics of square pieces of wood.

What we really want to see is when you start putting in the bits to stabilise the motherboard and drives - so no worry about the pics for now. Dimensions would be interesting though.

Oh, and be careful with that saw and your fingers

(the mom in me coming out - sorry)

Slasher · Post by **Slasher** » 13 May 2007, 13:41

Well, sort of an update for the time being...

Excuse the greenish hue, that is due to the green plexi used as roofing on our 'stoep area. Camera didnt flash, wasnt too bothered to take another pic...

EDIT - Yes, those are my ugly feet... I was standing on the bar counter (home made) to get the picture taken...

As you see it there, you see the DVD writer bay area in the box. To the bottom, as the image lies, will be a PSU box, looking much the same as the DVD one, only square and much smaller...

To the right I will fit my HDD cage, sideways, so my HDD's face to the sides of my case, not to the front/back...

This is the HDD tray, still in my 'home-made' clamp system. This clamp will also be used to glue / screw my total case together as well. Works wonders in keeping everything nice and square...

Yes, it looks dang ugly from the pics... That cannot be helped...

I do however now have almost 75% of what I need to complete my case. It starts with sanding and varnish now, lots and lots... the case gets like 5 coatings...

Then as the next step I will fit everything, then take final measurements for another mini box for the top to cover my RAD...

Will also then still have to cut the holes on the back, front and top of my case. Then it is just completing the side panels and the plexi windows, doing electronics and I am done...

I can almost gaurantee you I wont put up another update. When I work on building the case, I build,,, I dont take breaks, so I dont take pics either...

Will definately put up pics when it is done and will most likely go to the DPEX lan that will be held on the 30th of June - Day of Defeat Source FTW!

Yeah, still some interesting ideas and surprises that should be forthcoming, but yeah...

Cant believe that that ugly piece of wood will look so darn nice and shiny and dark and colourful once it is decently varnished...

Shortest MOD thread ever prize should now be handed over to ME...

FUSED · Post by **FUSED** » 13 May 2007, 15:59

Great idea man!

Cant wait to see it when it's finished.

Tribble · Post by **Tribble** » 13 May 2007, 17:29

Wow - it is looking good. Really impressed. Thanks for the update