Exorcising my eMachines rig!!

[imperialreign]

just grabbed up a case from CompUSA that I'll be starting my build with:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119129&ATT=11-119-129&CMP=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Cases+(Computer+Cases+-+ATX+Form)-_-Cooler+Master-_-11119129

grabbed it for $65 in store - so not too bad. I need to look over how I'm wanting to mod in my extra cooling fans my current rig has - I've got 3 60mm and 1 92mm that I'm sure will help this case's cooling even more than what it's capable of.

Either way, I thought it'd be perfect for my use - not too bad of a deal from a reputable brand.

Next up - a mobo, GPU cooler and CPU cooler

[BigJunit]

That is a nice case, I like the way the front doors open. Not sure about the placement of the PWR and RST buttons though. Would imagin reaching to the top of the case may become a chore over time.

Still very nie design though and cant argue for the money.

[imperialreign]

yeah, I wasn't too sure about the buttons being up top - if I'd like that or not, but my rig sits on the ground, so I figured it'd hopefully be nicer for me instead of having to bend over to turn it on; we'll see . . .

I'm planning on takin pics as I mod stuff and get the rest of the components together and puttin it all together . . .

[Wile E]

yeah, I wasn't too sure about the buttons being up top - if I'd like that or not, but my rig sits on the ground, so I figured it'd hopefully be nicer for me instead of having to bend over to turn it on; we'll see . . .

I'm planning on takin pics as I mod stuff and get the rest of the components together and puttin it all together . . .
I have a Stacker 830, with the buttons on top. Trust me, you'll love it. So much easier to deal with.

[theonetruewill]

Dayum that case is cool.

[Wile E]

Dayum that case is cool.Yeah, I saw them at CompUSA. The pictures do them no justice. They really are beautiful cases. Not big enough for my tastes tho. (But I am a bit spoiled in that regard. :roll: )

[LonGun]

nice case and congrats on getting rid off the "eSystem" ;)

[imperialreign]

Yeah, I saw them at CompUSA. The pictures do them no justice. They really are beautiful cases. Not big enough for my tastes tho. (But I am a bit spoiled in that regard. )

it came down to either the CM that I bought, or the Antec 900 (http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=15900#)

but, the difference in price made up my mind, they wanted $140 for the Antec!

I prefer big cases, too, but I ain't willing to spend the stupifying prices for a full tower. I only wish my old Gateway server tower was compatible with modern ATX, she stands a good 3 ft off the ground!

nice case and congrats on getting rid off the "eSystem"

thanks! anything's better than a watered down, semi-idiot-proof Gateway, ain't it :p

[imperialreign]

well, I decided to go ahead and get this rgi up-n-runnin instead of waiting around until I can afford a new mobo - sorry, new toy, highly impatient :D

Anyways, I thought I'd post some pics of this case while I had the opportunity to take some pics. I must say, I'm very much impressed by it, now that everything is all together.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig01.jpg

side shot, nice an empty

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig02.jpg

case front, with the front panel closed

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig03.jpg

with them open, nice steel mesh trim panel there . . .

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig05.jpg

rear - even support there for liquid cooling :cool:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig04.jpg

top - the power button is really nice - very responsive, and big enough you can find it in the dark!

Like I said, I'm highly impressed by this case, for how much I spent, and the size of it - mediocre cable management is a breeze, there's a ton of space - installation of components was nice and easy. The front panel is easy to take apart, very study case, even with both side panels off of it. The only gripes I have with the case is that it's fairly heavy for an all aluminum case, the mobo tray is not removable, I'm a little irked by the fact that CM went to the effort to sleeve the USB and Audio cables, but not the power switch or sys LEDs. I'm not 100% thrilled with the HDD, FDD, and OD mounting, as this case uses a plastic "tool-free" methods. I guess I just come from the old-schkool where I prefer to actually have a drives mounted in a solid fashion. Aside from that, it's immensely quiet, even with both front and rear 120mm fans going 100%.

here's how it's set up for now:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig07.jpg

still more to do later - when I replace the mobo, I'm going to sleeve all the LED, PWR switch cables, and fan cables. I plan on drilling the intake and exhaust holes bigger so the fans can move a little more air. I already went and scrapped the CPU duct that comes on the side panel, as is clear I have no need for it; and in it's place I slapped an 80mm fan, and installed a 92mm fan directly underneath that:

ttp://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig06.jpg

I should then be able to get the cable management a bit more under control, and when I finally get away from those damn IDE ribbons . . .

anyhow, the sys stays much cooler than it did when cramped in that mATX eMachines case; ran F@H CPU and GPU consoles for 15 minutes, after letting 3DM06 run for a good 45 with the GPU clocked up, and I was still a good 3-4C below what it ran before. CPU and mobo won't break 38C under load, and ambient case temps hanging out around 56C. HDD's weigh in at 27C under load.


$65 well spent, IMHO :D

[LonGun]

well, I decided to go ahead and get this rgi up-n-runnin instead of waiting around until I can afford a new mobo - sorry, new toy, highly impatient :D

Anyways, I thought I'd post some pics of this case while I had the opportunity to take some pics. I must say, I'm very much impressed by it, now that everything is all together.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig01.jpg

side shot, nice an empty

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig02.jpg

case front, with the front panel closed

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig03.jpg

with them open, nice steel mesh trim panel there . . .

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig05.jpg

rear - even support there for liquid cooling :cool:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig04.jpg

top - the power button is really nice - very responsive, and big enough you can find it in the dark!

Like I said, I'm highly impressed by this case, for how much I spent, and the size of it - mediocre cable management is a breeze, there's a ton of space - installation of components was nice and easy. The front panel is easy to take apart, very study case, even with both side panels off of it. The only gripes I have with the case is that it's fairly heavy for an all aluminum case, the mobo tray is not removable, I'm a little irked by the fact that CM went to the effort to sleeve the USB and Audio cables, but not the power switch or sys LEDs. I'm not 100% thrilled with the HDD, FDD, and OD mounting, as this case uses a plastic "tool-free" methods. I guess I just come from the old-schkool where I prefer to actually have a drives mounted in a solid fashion. Aside from that, it's immensely quiet, even with both front and rear 120mm fans going 100%.

here's how it's set up for now:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig07.jpg

still more to do later - when I replace the mobo, I'm going to sleeve all the LED, PWR switch cables, and fan cables. I plan on drilling the intake and exhaust holes bigger so the fans can move a little more air. I already went and scrapped the CPU duct that comes on the side panel, as is clear I have no need for it; and in it's place I slapped an 80mm fan, and installed a 92mm fan directly underneath that:

ttp://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/newrig06.jpg

I should then be able to get the cable management a bit more under control, and when I finally get away from those damn IDE ribbons . . .

anyhow, the sys stays much cooler than it did when cramped in that mATX eMachines case; ran F@H CPU and GPU consoles for 15 minutes, after letting 3DM06 run for a good 45 with the GPU clocked up, and I was still a good 3-4C below what it ran before. CPU and mobo won't break 38C under load, and ambient case temps hanging out around 56C. HDD's weigh in at 27C under load.


$65 well spent, IMHO :D


Yea I agreed. Much improving. Oh and please don't bring the poor eSystem compare with any system (?) on this planet. :p It still have well... a good price and that could be a good (but unsafe) start for novice people or students.

[imperialreign]

Yea I agreed. Much improving. Oh and please don't bring the poor eSystem compare with any system (?) on this planet. It still have well... a good price and that could be a good (but unsafe) start for novice people or students.

Oh, I can't argue that - the price was the reason I bought one (plus considering that I hadn't had a PC in over 2 years and just needed something to start off with) back in Jan. Cost me $350 for the T5048/E19T5W bundle. Not bad for a decent P4HT CPU on an Intel mobo - but, I gotta get away from it; no user configurability at all.

[WhiteLotus]

very nice case, very smart indeed.

[imperialreign]

just a little update . . . went ahead and ordered an ASUS P5W-DH Deluxe; all-in-all, I think this board will best suit my needs, and great reviews on it too. I was looking at ASUS' Striker line, but a tid pricy, that and I'd worry about hardware conflicts with nVidia chipsets (I already know my X-Fi doesn't play nice with nVidia hardware). So, this weekend, I plan on picking up a Zalman 9700 from CompUSA, and when the mobo shows up, I'm going to see if I can't OC this friggin P4 until it starts thinking it's a friggin AMD!!

Anyways, I jumped the gun a bit on my hardware temps . . . with my current setup running 100% all day, I came home to CPU and mobo temps at 45C, not too bad, a bit warm for my tastes, though. Ambient, though was pushing 65C, which I wasn't happy with at all.

But, bringing the system back down to idle, everything cools down rather quick -soooo, my deduction is that the case can cool quickly, but the stock fans, IMO, aren't pushing enough air to keep the rig as cool as I want under load. So, I went ahead and ordered 2 120mm Evercool fans to replace the stock case fans, rated at 74 CFM, and a Thermaltake PCI slot cooler. From past experience with Evercool fans, they move a ton of air, but they're not by any means silent. Noise don't bother me, though. Hopefully that'll improve sys cooling while under load . . .

Other projects for this weekend include: rigging up the front panel audio connection to my X-Fi, sleeving the switch and case LED cables, painting the plastic trim on my 3.5" drive black to match the case, drilling the case intake and exhaust holes to a larger diameter, devising some way to rig up my extra 2 60mm Evercool fans . . . planning on keeping busy!

[Wile E]

Not a bad board, just know that it isn't the tops for overclocking. Still very competent at it tho. Very nice feature set as well. The also have great memory performance, just ask Infrared.

There are some rumors that modded bioses provide much better OC abilities, however. Might be worth looking into.

[imperialreign]

Mostly, I was pleased with the price, right in my range - everything else that would prob fare better was $300 or better, and most packed an nVidia chipset, and the biggest reasons I'm avoiding that is the ATi GPU and the X-Fi - I HATE hardware conflicts because they're an absolute bitch to get ironed out . . .

but yeah, I've read some on tweaked BIOSes, I'll defi look into that some more!

[grunt_408]

Mostly, I was pleased with the price, right in my range - everything else that would prob fare better was $300 or better, and most packed an nVidia chipset, and the biggest reasons I'm avoiding that is the ATi GPU and the X-Fi - I HATE hardware conflicts because they're an absolute bitch to get ironed out . . .

but yeah, I've read some on tweaked BIOSes, I'll defi look into that some more!

Hi mate looks like we are building PC at the same time. I went with this board
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P.
Chucked my old gear in this today...http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=38793

[imperialreign]

well, the Evercools and the Thermaltake gave me the improvement I wanted - temps before under full load for the CPU, mobo and ambient were 45, 44 and 65C respectively.

After 6 hours at 100%, CPU, mobo and ambient were 40, 40 and 59C.

much better, and not as loud as I thought it would be running, I estimate only a few decibels louder than it was before.

[imperialreign]

thought I'd make an update here on my rig . . .

In my quest for the best air cooling I can have for this beast, I decided to fabricate a cooling fan air duct/mount for the front of my case to make use of a couple of 60mm Evercools I had from my old case - this duct draws in cool air from the front panel (which is steel mesh and allows air to flow through) and blows directly onto the CPU and mobo.

I fashioned this from a coupla of old CD-ROMs I had laying around (besides, who uses x16s anymore?), scrapped the guts and kept the casings.

So, although this isn't the prettiest fabrication/mod in the world (I'm a stout believer in function over form), here's the finished duct with the fans just itchin' to start spinin':

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/fan_mod01.jpg

and here with the top portion of the duct:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/fan_mod02.jpg

here's a shot of the internals through the front of the case (you can clearly see the CPU cooler):

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/fan_mod03.jpg

the front of the case with the fan/duct installed:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/fan_mod04.jpg

and the front of the CPU, front panel installed, within everything powered up:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/fan_mod05.jpg


(my rig is starting to sound more and more like a turbine very day!!! :D - actually, this mod doesn't seem to have affected the noise level of the rig at all!!)

Sooooo . . . wondering how this affected reported temps in my rig? hehe . . . with the CPU being loaded up 100% for the last 3 hours straight, SpeedFan reports CPU: 30C, mobo 31C, and ambient at 44C

:twitch: . . . . . . . . . . . . :D

<sniffle> that's so pretty! It just makes me want to cry!! <*sniffle*>

[grunt_408]

Nice work.... The best part is it didnt cost anything!
You gave me some inspiration for my new rig :)

[imperialreign]

Well, seeing as how I'm going to be RMAing the mobo, and there's no idea how long my rig will be apart, I guess next weekend I'm going to do a couple of case mods (if I can get my supplies). I'll be painting the interior, prob a metallic purple. And I'm planning on fabricating a window for the side case panel. Not too hard to do, really . . .

I would just swap the old board in for the time being, but I'm not in the mood for dealing with all the OS tripe that comes along with a massive hardware swap - reactivating windows, possibly having to reinstall the OS, reinstalling all the hardware, swapping the CPU cooler (and wasting good AS5), etc.

Oh well . . .

[grunt_408]

Well, seeing as how I'm going to be RMAing the mobo, and there's no idea how long my rig will be apart, I guess next weekend I'm going to do a couple of case mods (if I can get my supplies). I'll be painting the interior, prob a metallic purple. And I'm planning on fabricating a window for the side case panel. Not too hard to do, really . . .

I would just swap the old board in for the time being, but I'm not in the mood for dealing with all the OS tripe that comes along with a massive hardware swap - reactivating windows, possibly having to reinstall the OS, reinstalling all the hardware, swapping the CPU cooler (and wasting good AS5), etc.

Oh well . . .

Aahh well we cant win em all..
Good luck with the painting.
What do you use for the edges after cutting holes in your case.
I cut a hole in the mobo tray for hiding wires in my sidewinder I file off the edges but it needs something put on there to stop it cutting the wires.
It is raining here ATM so I cant paint the inside of my Sidewinder.
What happened to your Mobo?:eek:

[imperialreign]

Aahh well we cant win em all..
Good luck with the painting.
What do you use for the edges after cutting holes in your case.
I cut a hole in the mobo tray for hiding wires in my sidewinder I file off the edges but it needs something put on there to stop it cutting the wires.
It is raining here ATM so I cant paint the inside of my Sidewinder.
What happened to your Mobo?


meh . . . the temp sensors on the board are faulty. All hardware monitoring is reporting the CPU at 12C at idle, and 22C under load. I prefer to have a better idea of how hot things are, y'know? Not looking forward to RMAing something, and the unknown amount of time until it's back in my hands, but, oh well . . . BTW, have you gotten your HIS back yet?

If I do decide to fabricate a panel window for my case this upcoming weekend, I'm planning on taking a bunch of pics and making a decent guide out of it - some might find it useful. I might paint the inside of the case, too, depends on my finances are going . . .

Anyhow, as far as dressing the holes you've cut, there's a few options. Usually, how I deal with cut metal (using a dremel in this instance), you can take a round or egg shaped burr to remove the small shards of metal, and to help round it off - these bits are also good for more precise rounding out and shaping of holes - then, I'll usually take a decent grinding stone bit and go back over it again, helps to smooth everything out even the finish of the cut (although, using a grinding stone on metal will tear up that bit fairly quick). Last, I end up throwing on either a brush bit (type depends on the metal I'm working with), a sanding bit, or a rubberized polisher - it depends on what I'm doing and working with. What you're trying to do is to even and shape the cut so it's not so sharp, and then polish it round - easy way to test if it's smooth enough is to throw on a non-powered latex glove and rub your finger across the edge, if there's still a bur sharp enough to either catch the latex or tear it, it's sharp enough to cut through wire insulation, plus, the latex glove keeps you from having to tear up your own fingers just to check! :) Even after the edge is polished down and all, it's still a smart idea to coat the edge with something. . . I usually use a bit of clear silicone caulk, as it's too thick to run and you can apply a very small bead of it, then spread around by hand as needed, but it can be messy and takes some practice to apply it without making a horrible mess. It takes about 12-24 hours to fully cure, though. Upside, though, if you've made a mess, once it's cured, rubbing on it with just your hand pressure will peel it off.

Another option, if you don't feel like going to that much effort, would be to pick up some rubber grommets from either an auto parts store or a hardware store. Most auto suppliers carry grommets assortments sized from 1/4" (~6mm) up to 1/2" (~13mm). Hardware stores will carry larger sizes than that. All you need to do from there is to drill a hole the correct size for the grommet - it will usually say on the package what the ID of the hole should be, if not, as a rule of thumb, go about .5-1mm over the ID of the grommet. Then all you need to do is fit the grommet to the hole and you're good to go . . . This is the easiest route, if you haven't already butchered your case too bad.

Although, if your case is already cut up . . . a handy trick I use in the shop after we've cut something up on a car . . . go to the auto or hardware store and grab yourself some vaccuum hose, usually something fairly small, like 5/32" (~5mm) ID or smaller, take a razor blade, and careefully cut the hose open lengthwise (you're not trying to cut it in half, only in such a way that it can be laid flat - know what I mean?). Once the hose is cut, it will keep it's round, hose-like form, but you can then slide it over the cut metal edge and the hose will keep the metal from cutting things. If you'd like for it to not move around too much, you can run a bead of silicone along the inside of the sliced-open hose, and once the hose has been fit to the metal and the silicone cures, it will help keep the hose from sliding around or sliding back off. You may need to find some way to hold the hose in place until it cures, though.


Sorry this was long winded, but I hope it helps, man!

[imperialreign]

Just finished fabricating a window for my cases side panel. Not too bad, I don't think - it turned out decent. No where near the quality of a shelf-bought case or panel, for sure, but not many people can claim they fabricated and installed one themself!

I'm pleased with it, although there are quite a few spots in the paint that got scratched pretty bad, so I need to try and buff that out with some automotive touch-up paint. It's going to be a pain to re-paint that side panel because of the white rivets that I used (and didn't break the Lexan!!).

I still need to drill the vent holes for the 92mm fan that was on the side, but I didn't feel like it today - prob this weekend.

Also for this upcoming weekend: painting the inside of the case!

(crappy pic, none-the-less; bad lighting :()
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/Windowpanel.jpg

[grunt_408]

Thanks I will get some grommets.
My HIS is back from the dead only took three weeks to return to me. They just replaced it.

[imperialreign]

I guess 3 weeks ain't to bad - at least they just forked over a new card. Hopefully that replacement HIS will do better this time!

I'm still waiting on my mobo - been almost 2 weeks now, and still haven't recieved an email or call from ASUS as to its status. Getting antsy, y'know?


damn, I just took another look at that pic of the fabricated panel window I did, and I sear it makes it look like a haxored job! I've gotta take a different pic with some better lighting!

[DaMulta]

I have a Stacker 830, with the buttons on top. Trust me, you'll love it. So much easier to deal with.

I didn't know you have the 830. I don't like the front door on it. So I leave it off.

[grunt_408]

I think your window looks good... I would have used double sided tape to stick it to the inside with no rivets. I have my case striped back and have cut out the fan mounts so the air flow is not ristricted. Also have joined two 80mm fans together with cable ties and they fit perfectly under the dvd burner.... That should help with dead spots. :rockout:

[imperialreign]

If I had taken a little more time with it, the I woulda had the rivets lined up nice and neat - but I was losing daylight and was starting to rush :banghead:

That's the only thing about it that irks me right now - but I'll get used to it. Still, for only $20 worth of materials, it's a lot cheaper than going out and buying a new side panel.

[Wile E]

I didn't know you have the 830. I don't like the front door on it. So I leave it off.LOL. Me too, unless I want to show it off to somebody. That thing just gets in my way constantly. lol

[InnocentCriminal]

Anymore updates ...with pictures?

[imperialreign]

Anymore updates ...with pictures?

My rig? Or someone else's?

I took a ton of pics while I was doing the window mod, I might write a guide for how I did it this weekend.

[InnocentCriminal]

I meant yours Imperial. Unless that's it.

[imperialreign]

I've got quite a few pics I took during the fabrication - if I get round to it later I might post a "How I did it" sorta thing.

Only that one pic of the windowed panel installed with the case. Need better lighting, and can't use sunlight till this weekend (cause I get home to late from work, too much shade around here). I wish I could re-do some things with it (realized after the fact that I could've taken the window much higher towards the PSU, and I'm not 100% happy with the alignment of the rivets), but not possible, and I'm not willing to pay an extra $50 for a replacement panel (in which case, I'd prob just buy an OEM window anyhow).

This weekend I'm planning on painting the inside of the case, so I'll have pics of that; and I just recieved notice that ASUS shipped out my mobo today, so I'll have that back early next week for a nice up-n-running-again pic.

I've got another fabrication/mod in planning that will be much harder than the panel window - I'm planning on installing a squirrel cage blower at the top of the case, and fabricating a custom housing that will hide the blower and will direct exhaust air out the back of the case. I need to do some equipment testing first, though, make sure the PSU can drive a large 12V cage blower. If it works, I'll have an uber effcient (although loud) air cooling setup.

[imperialreign]

Alrighty . . . here's some pics of my painted case which I did today. I must say, though, I am no where near happy with this paint job, and it's going to be a bear to fix.

It was a little too breezy today, so there are some spots that are darker, some spots lighter . . . the clear coat I put on was wanting to turn white in some areas (not sure why, it wasn't humid). So, if I feel up for messing with it more tomorrow, I'm going to use some 2000 grit and wet sand some areas where the primer fuzzed (hard to see until there's paint on it), then I'm going to take some laquer thinner and see if I can't *carefully* even out the unevenly colored spots in the visible areas, namely the bottom, the HDD slots, and the mobo tray.

I like the color, though, especially with the black of the case.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1283.jpg


http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1285.jpg


http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1294.jpg


http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1288.jpg


And, seeing as how I said I would do this . . . a simple 'how-I-did-it' of the window fabrication, with pictures:

Oh, if anyone has the bright idea to try this, it's not too difficult, but it does require some amount of skill, patience, and a bunch of time. It will void your case warranty, also. I take no responsibility for anyone who screws up their person or equipment if they follow this thing:

First off, this is how the case side panel was before:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1259.jpg

the materials I used; Lexan, Lexan silicone glue, black silicone sealant, masking tape, 1/8" white aluminum rivets, coupla sharpies . . . nevermind the steel and rubber washers, I didn't need them. Tools: dremel with fiberglass cutting wheel, round engraving cutter, cylinder and egg burr, 120 grit sanding drum, 80 grit flapper wheel, orange grinding tapered cone, white grinding sphere, various rubberized polishing bits; jigsaw with fine tooth blade; hand riveter; 3/8" drill and a drill bit assortment.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1258.jpg


First, I marked the design I wanted on the back of the case panel with a sharpie and a straightedge, I also noted all the length measurements of each side so I could make a template (if you've never done this stuff before, make your template first!!).

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1260.jpg


After I made up a template out of a piece of carboard, I taped it down onto the lexan so that I could outline the window. I went 1.5" over the size of the template, so I'd have more than enough room for fasteners. The only place I couldn't do this was where the panel release handle is.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1261.jpg


After the lexan was marked, I used the fiberglass cut-off wheel with the dremel to cut the window out. It is very slow going cutting through this material with a dremel. The wheel more-or-less melts its way through, and you want to be careful not to overheat the material and crack it. There are special cutter for lexan, plexiglass and acrylic sheets, but I wasn't spending any money on those - don't need em.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1262.jpg


Once the window was cut, I used the sanding drum to remove excess material from the cut, and smooth down the edges - followed over by a rubberized polisher to get it nice and smooth.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1263.jpg


test fit it to the panel just to make sure it'll fit and no more trimming is required.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1264.jpg


next, I covered the panel with masking tape to keep the paint from chipping, cracking, melting or otherwise. I also removed the handle so as to not interfere with the jigsaw.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1265.jpg


using the jigsaw, I carefully cut out the design from the panel. Once that was done, I used the engraving cutter to round out the corners as I wanted them, and to remove the larger pieces of excess metal.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1266.jpg


then, I followed that up with the burrs to smooth out the edges and remove the smaller metal slivers still attached, then went back over that with the grinding cone and a rubberized polisher. See, all nice and smoothed out edges:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1267.jpg


next, I taped the window down to the outside of the panel so I could drill the mounting holes for it. I went from the outside so that all the burrs and slivers would be facing the back - less dress up I have to do to the front of the panel, but . . . I pushed a little too hard with the drill and slightly bowed the panel inwards which was a pain to straighten (still a tick bowed, but not noticeable).

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1268.jpg


marking where the hole locations need to be - I used a ruler to try and space them somewhat evenly apart, but I was starting to rush a little at this point, you can see in the final picture just how lined up and unevely spaced the rivets ended up being

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1269.jpg


then, I drilled out the holes, starting with a small drill bit (I don't remember the exact size), and slowly stepping up to 5/32" (1/32" bigger than 1/8" which is my rivet size). I started small because the larger bit is a little slower to cut through the lexan, plus, the heat from the bit can cause the material to start to melt or pissibly crack, which I was wanting to avoid.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1270.jpg


once the holes were drilled, I removed the window from the panel, I used the cutter and burr bits to clean up the holes on the panel, then a quick touch with the grinding cone, and then used the flapper wheel to scuff a line from one hole to the next on the back of the panel. I also went over the holes on the window with a rubberized polisher to remove the crap left from drilling.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1271.jpg


Here the window, ready to be installed. No scratches, cracks, warpage . . .

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1272.jpg


I put a decent bead of the clear silicone glue on the inside of the panel where I made my scuff mark - to not only help hold up the window for when I install the rivets, but it will also act as a cushion as the rivets pull the window tight to the panel - plus, the glue helps to fasten it too. Then, I lined up the window, inserted the rivets and gave them all a quick pull just to hold the window up. Once all the rivets were in their holes, I slowly went from one to the next, pulling them up one at a time. The key is to go in a criss-cross pattern from one side of the window to the next, starting at the centers and working towards the edges. This puts even pressure on the window and will prevent it from cracking. With all the rivets seated:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1274.jpg


after the window was tight to the panel, I put another bead of the clear silicone along the edge of the window, this will also help hold it in place, plus help to keep any liquids out should someone spill crap near my rig. I used my finger to smooth it out and shove a little silicone underneath the window, too

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1275.jpg


on the outside of the panel, I used the black silicone around the edge of the cut-out. this will help to hold the panel in place against the window, plus seal the edges from unwanted liquids. The black also helps to hide the bare metal edge that was left from cutting and shaping. I used my finger to shove the silicone between the panel and window, and after it started to skin I gently rubbed the excess silicone off of the window itself.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1276.jpg


and here's the panel finished, minus the mount and holes for a 92mm fan

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1277.jpg


for the fan mount, I taped the fan to the window itself, and selected a drill bit that was a little smaller than it's mounting holes. I drilled those out, removed the fan, put some tape onto the window, then maked where I wanted the intake holes to be. I drilled those out, then used the cutter to remove excess material, then the grinding cone to shape the holes. I used the white grinding sphere to create a bevel on either side of the panel, and smoothed out the intake holes with a rubberized polisher.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb147/prophiseer/IMG_1291.jpg

she's good to go!

[grunt_408]

Man that purple paint is slick as. It looks real good Got a pic with mobo in it?

[imperialreign]

not yet . . . hopefully Mon I'll get my mobo back. I was hoping I'd get it today, but y'know how RMA goes ;) All I know is that it's been shipped back . . . black mobo should look nice on it, though - along with all the blue fans.

I'm gonna try and fix some of the spots that are more purple than others, but I might have to repaint the damn thing if I want it fully even. Not cheap paint, either.

I'll take some more pics once the rig is set back up :toast:

[Wile E]

Lookin good man.

You should polish up those rivets. 'Twould look bad ass.

Quick question, despite the fact I was a mech for quite a while, I've never had to paint aluminum. Is there anything special that needs done? I may try to do the inside of my case.

[imperialreign]

Quick question, despite the fact I was a mech for quite a while, I've never had to paint aluminum. Is there anything special that needs done? I may try to do the inside of my case.

nothing too much special, really - it usually just require a much more even coat of primer, which is hard to do sometimes, esp when the primer is grey (part of the prob I had painting my case), the primer can 'fuzz' up in some spots, and it just doesn't look right after paint takes to it. Otherwise, in a static setting, aluminum is very similar to steel.

I made a coupla of mistakes with this, though. For start, the primer, it was specific to the line of paint I used, and grey primer on a grey case . . . my fault, though, for not breaking that grey glaze used on a PC case. I shoulda used a white primer, it woulda made the color birghter, too. I also used a secondary bonder after the primer, and I think that messed up the final coat some, too. That, and the wind didn't help much either.

You should polish up those rivets. 'Twould look bad ass.

which ones? The case rivets, or the ones I used on the window? The one's on the window are white coated aluminum, I thought the white contrast on the black casing would be nice . . . but, y'know, once I get the interior paint coat even - yeah, I should go and get that polished steel look going again on the chrome :D

[Wile E]

nothing too much special, really - it usually just require a much more even coat of primer, which is hard to do sometimes, esp when the primer is grey (part of the prob I had painting my case), the primer can 'fuzz' up in some spots, and it just doesn't look right after paint takes to it. Otherwise, in a static setting, aluminum is very similar to steel.

I made a coupla of mistakes with this, though. For start, the primer, it was specific to the line of paint I used, and grey primer on a grey case . . . my fault, though, for not breaking that grey glaze used on a PC case. I shoulda used a white primer, it woulda made the color birghter, too. I also used a secondary bonder after the primer, and I think that messed up the final coat some, too. That, and the wind didn't help much either.



which ones? The case rivets, or the ones I used on the window? The one's on the window are white coated aluminum, I thought the white contrast on the black casing would be nice . . . but, y'know, once I get the interior paint coat even - yeah, I should go and get that polished steel look going again on the chrome :DI was thinking of the window rivets. I thought they were unfinished aluminum. Kinda hard to tell they're white from the pics. But polishing the case rivets would be bad ass as well. lol.

As for my case, any color primer will do, as I Just plan to go black on the inside and back. Might even paint the outside, but being brushed aluminum, that would be a little more difficult. Wonder how much it would cost to anodize black? Hmmmm, or maybe even blue? That would be kick ass. I think I might actually look into it. lol.

[imperialreign]

Powder coat it!! :D

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=SUM%2D01%2D06100&N=700+319897+115&autoview=sku

[Wile E]

Powder coat it!! :D

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=SUM%2D01%2D06100&N=700+319897+115&autoview=sku

I thought that too. But sadly enough, I don't think my case will fit in my apartment sized oven. :roll:

Can't find any info on anodizing prices. Wonder how much it would cost? Or even how much to have it powder coated (though I don't know it the brushed look would maintain it's looks with a powder coat).

[grunt_408]

Wile E you could always get it chromed. I reckon that would look pretty cool.

[Wile E]

Wile E you could always get it chromed. I reckon that would look pretty cool.Too shiny for me. I don't mind chrome or polished highlights, but I prefer a matte or satin finish for the majority, which is why I'm concerned with powdercoating ruining the brushed look.

[grunt_408]

Ahh well cool... I was chuckin out the suggestions.
I am itching while I wait for my cpu to get here then I only need to get my GPU.

[Wile E]

Ahh well cool... I was chuckin out the suggestions.
I am itching while I wait for my cpu to get here then I only need to get my GPU.The suggestions are appreciated and welcome.

And the upgrade bug is gettin to me again. lol. Should have an eVGA 680i and E6600 sometime in the near future. But I need to do something now, it's bugging me. lol.

[InnocentCriminal]

Sweeeet!

Love work logs!

[imperialreign]

And the upgrade bug is gettin to me again. lol. Should have an eVGA 680i and E6600 sometime in the near future. But I need to do something now, it's bugging me. lol.

:laugh: same here - that and I needed somethin to keep myself busy while the mobo was RMAed cause I can't go tweakin on my other hardware

oversized fan (http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/120672/377%20710%201660/0/Bilge%20Blowers/Primary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/0/0?N=377%20710%201660&Ne=0&Ntt=Bilge%20Blowers&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&page=CategoryDisplayLevel1&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=5002&subdeptNum=12&classNum=12111)

this is what I inted to install with my next fabrication/mod :D - I'm planning on mounting it on the top of the case, at the rear, and running the intake from a 4" hole in the tope of the case to the blower's intake. I'm planning on wiring in a rheostat into the power feed so that I can adjust the fan speed as needed - I initially thought of using a thermistor, but there is no way it would be anywhere accurate. If that blower is sickiningly loud, then I'm going to fabricate a cover for it that will be lined with foam and other sound deadeners.

I've got more than enough airflow through the front panel for a 240 CFM blower.

At the rate I'm going with this rig - it's starting to earn the nickname HVAC :D

[grunt_408]

The suggestions are appreciated and welcome.

And the upgrade bug is gettin to me again. lol. Should have an eVGA 680i and E6600 sometime in the near future. But I need to do something now, it's bugging me. lol.

I mean well.... Even if I anoy the crap out of people.:laugh: Sometimes I manage to help:rockout:

[imperialreign]

well, got my mobo back yesterday . . . :shadedshu

I won't have a chance to install it and hook everything up until Sat evening, so hopefully the temp sensors (and everything else) work correctly.

I figured they'd just swap out the board, I mean, what company actually fixes PCB's anymore? But . . . I thought they woulda swapped out the board with another NEW one - hell, the one I sent didn't even have any fingerprints on it (I handle mobos with latex gloves). The caps and various other chips on the board are different than the one I sent them, I've even got the pics to prove it (I took a ton of pics of the board before I RMAed it, just in case someone wanted to say it was physically damaged). The board I sent them had printed on it "PCB MADE IN CHINA", the one I got back read "PCB MADE IN TAIWAN".

Plus, two of the 5 3-pin fan connectors had bent pins, the 'copper' covers over the NSB and SSB sinks had scratches and dings in them (I don't really care as I'll be removing them - it's a piece of mind kinda thing over it), the board looks like someone slobbered over it there's that many finger/hand prints . . . I mean, I'm really dissapointed about this. I sent them a mobo that was only 3 weeks out of it's original box, and I get one back that looks like it's been chillin in a case for over a year.

I have half a mind to send the board back to them and pitch a fit over the mobo's appearance . . . just cause I can be an ass like that.

[grunt_408]

Turkey slap time. :)