Project:: Black Lightning

J

JEEVES/whohasmyname?

Gawd
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
696
yes thats right another chieftec/antec mod! altho when this one is done you will hardly be able to tell. I am not going to devoldge too much about the mods planned, but you will see as I go along. Well lets get started on the pics.
The case
chieftech.JPG


I took this picture of a 3 foot by 3 foot sheet of aluminum i got for 12 dollars, ironicly the flash and minor bends in it kinda made it look like a lightning bolt going down it (and no that is not where i got the idea for the name, you will see why.....)
sheet.JPG


The first thing to go was the door and those nasty looking finger holes around the bays.
bondo.JPG


and of coase one coat of bondo is never enough
more_bondo.JPG


and as for the top, I didnt want to go for a traditonal blow hole. So a rectangle is about as far away from a circle as you can get.
top_pre_cut.JPG


The rough cut before any filing or perfecting.
pre_file.JPG


and after the filing (dont worry about the screw ups in the corners they will be taken care of, as you will see in tomorows post)
top_cut.JPG


There is going to be a false top to hide wires and other nasties.
false_top_angle.JPG


and a shot from the side of the false top.
false_top_side.JPG


Much much more to come, i will try to post an update every day (seeing as how i do nothing but go to work and come home and work on this case). As always i am open to suggestions. within the next 3 days you will have the jist of what I am going for. Until then you will have to do with these.

JEEVES
 
Ok since I know you are all confused on the blow hole and false top, this update will have alot of pictures. I will be painting the case black but that is far down the road.

first off here is what will be in the rectangle hole.
fluke_in_place.JPG


then of coarse comes the bondo (rember when i said dont worry about the screw ups in the corners they will be taken care of) This will insure a nice smooth edge to the angled "flue".
fluke_bondo.JPG


Then comes the sanding, just wanted to get a semi smooth feel to it. I always seem to do two coats of bondo to get it perfectly smooth (sometimes 3)
fluke_front_bondo.JPG


Then comes the second coat, to get out all the minor imperfections.
even_more_bondo.JPG


then after sanding that coat I get (for the most part) the finished product. I will have to back over everything with a 200 grit sand paper to make it uber smooth before painting. But i am going to wait till right before I paint to do the whole case at once.
front_bondo_done.JPG


Here is a downward shot of it.
top_bondo_done.JPG
 
Now i know what you are thinking, that looks horrible. Well what I am doing with the blow hole now is adding this to the top of that.
top_windo_cut.JPG


I am adding a piece of lexan (that i will be tinting with car window tint on both sides at a later time).
top_plexi_bolted.JPG


Those fricken bolts cost 4 dollars :jawdrop: and I had to buy 8 (4 are going somewhere else) but the nuts that fit them only cost 89 cents for 12 (and i needed 24). Anyways Here is a picture of how the lexan fits into the top.
side_lexan_in_place.JPG


And a picture of it straight down. you can see how i left a a gap along the edges of it so that airflow will not be restricted (its about a half inch, so that one idiot at lan parties wont stick his finger in it)
top_lexan_in_place.JPG


And here is how the false bottom and the two 80mm fans (i know in the picture there is only one but you can see where the second one goes) fit into place with the blow hole. The fans attach to the flue and the lexan is bolted into the 2 outside edges of the fans.
blow_hole.JPG


And the flase bottom will be screwed into the other side of the fans (with fan grills) so that you get a nice flush look to the under side of the top of the case.
false_top_fan_cuts.JPG


I will be using 2 coolermaster quad white led fans in the top, so you get a nice white glow coming out of the sides around the semi litup tinted lexan. I hope this helps explain the top of the case a bit better. I know I was kinda brief in yesterdays post, but it would of taken me 10 pages to try and describe what i did. Prob sat. I will post the pics of what is going on with the front of the case. until then enjoy, and please feel free to constructivly criticize on what i have so far.

Jeeves
 
Ok time for an update. I got alot done today (hooray for a day off). Now you can finaly see the direction the front of this case is headed. I have taken the front door pannel off (i hate bay doors). I have also cut the bottom half of the front panel off, but i left the sides of the front. That way i can mount the door as the new bottom, I didnt like the way chieftec cases have a real curvy bottom. On to the pics

I have cut out the center of the door and glued a sheet of aluminum in its place
frontbottom.JPG


using a piece of 3in pvc that i cut in half, and attached some straight pieces of plastic (spare parts from what was cut off) I was able to make an oval to fit into the front. I cut out the aluminum and squeezed the oval into place.
frontoval2.JPG


Then as always bondo (this case is turning out to be more bondo than plastic)
bondofront.JPG


Then sand....and more bondo
morebondofront.JPG


after many hours of sanding and bondoing and sanding some more, i get this.
bondodone.JPG

fronttogether2.JPG


On top of that oval (about 1/3in) will sit a piece of lexan (tinted of coarse).Here is the rough cut before sanding
frontplexicut.JPG


All sanded and sitting next to the done oval. you can see the bolts i will be using in the background (same ones as on top)
frontplexi1.JPG


And of it just sitting ontop of the oval
frontplexi2.JPG


I also got some of the top front done, and will post those later tonight or tomorow. Unfortunatly most of the realy good stuff doesnt come till later. Until then

JEEVES
 
alright time for a good update. now you can start to see why it is called black lightning (well the case will be black.....) here is what is going to go on each side of the bays

lightningtube2.JPG


and a shot of it without the flash
lightningtube1.JPG


Here is where it will sit (imagine one on the other side as well)
tubeon1.JPG


Now what i had to do was remove the plastic caps on each side of the tubes. and it still did not fit right, so I had to cut down some of the case (right around the bay).
cuttube.JPG


And to control the dust (damn bondo) I had enigma hold a 120 finga choppa (he actualy caught his finger in it, but wouldnt let me take a pic :hehe: :hehe: )
gettofan.JPG


Of coarse i had to do the same to the other side (but i didnt take a pic of that) but here are the tubes test fitted into place. I also had to cut away some of the bottom. I will be bondoing over the bottom and top to keep that nice clean look. The blue stuff on the tube is just seran rap to protect the tube from getting scratches, it will be removed.
lefttube.JPG

righttube.JPG


And I had to drill holes into the top so that i can run the wires through the top and into the flase top.
wireholes.JPG


More to come

JEEVES
 
Looks awsome so far! Goin' nuts with the bondo i see...


EDIT - Whats another name for Bondo? I live in Canada and I want to buy some...but I cant seem to find it anywhere.
 
Originally posted by ShadowRap3r
Looks awsome so far! Goin' nuts with the bondo i see...


EDIT - Whats another name for Bondo? I live in Canada and I want to buy some...but I cant seem to find it anywhere.
Click to expand...


thats cause bondo is da' shit
 
Originally posted by ShadowRap3r
Whats another name for Bondo? I live in Canada and I want to buy some...but I cant seem to find it anywhere. [/B]
Click to expand...

Bondo is just a brand. It's a tough filling compound. Go to a local hardware store and ask for some Bondo. Even if they don't carry it they should know what you're talking about... and if they don't... God help Canada.
 
Originally posted by sector
Bondo is just a brand. It's a tough filling compound. Go to a local hardware store and ask for some Bondo. Even if they don't carry it they should know what you're talking about... and if they don't... God help Canada.
Click to expand...

They even sell it at Wal-Mart... do they have Wal-Mart in Canada?
 
Originally posted by ShadowRap3r
Looks awsome so far! Goin' nuts with the bondo i see...


EDIT - Whats another name for Bondo? I live in Canada and I want to buy some...but I cant seem to find it anywhere.
Click to expand...

Canadian Tire carries it, Just ask for Body Filler or something
 
Originally posted by ShadowRap3r
EDIT - Whats another name for Bondo? I live in Canada and I want to buy some...but I cant seem to find it anywhere.
Click to expand...

erm, Tim Hortons?
 
Bondo is nothing more than a body filler. Any automotive/hardware store should cary something of this nature (even in cannada). you could also order it off line if all else fails.

http://www.bondo-online.com/about.asp

I believe you can order direct from them. I hope you can find some body filler becuase no great mod is done without bondo!

JEEVES
 
Interested to see how this one turns out. I have a similarly themed mod going on (using a plasma disc instead of the tubes though).
 
when something can't be done right.........................bondo the shit out of it :D




heheh
 
Looking good there man. Will keep up with this project, seems like a great idea. Good work.
 
Originally posted by PaulMuaddib
OMG he has THREE HANDS!! I need one of those.

j/k man... nice work so far... please keep us updated.
Click to expand...

4 if you count the one holding the camera!
 
I haven't had the pleasure of using bondo yet, but isn't it supose to be bad to use it to fill in such deep spaces. Won't it cause cracks and mess up your paint, or is that all just a myth. I was always under the impression it was intended for minor surface imperfections.

Good job though, i like what your doing with the front of the case:D
 
Originally posted by SB22
I haven't had the pleasure of using bondo yet, but isn't it supose to be bad to use it to fill in such deep spaces. Won't it cause cracks and mess up your paint, or is that all just a myth. I was always under the impression it was intended for minor surface imperfections.

Good job though, i like what your doing with the front of the case:D
Click to expand...


lol looks like me and him will be finding that out soon enough :D lol btw thats my hand :D
 
it will only crack if there is movement, but the large areas i am filling in are not flexible areas. I have had a few areas crack (damn electric sanders) but have been able to fix them with some glue or more bondo :D . I do not believe that it will effect the paint, but we shall see

JEEVES
 
NEED HELP

I need a good water block for my agp and for my northbridge. I am not sure wich ones to get tho. I have a zalman block on my cpu, but the zalman agp blocks look prety crapy. I am leaning towards swiftec for the northbridge, and i kinda want the danger den (no plexi) for the agp. Can anyone think of any cheaper, but good, water blocks. thanks.

JEEVES
 
i've got no gripe with that.

you could go DD for the nb as well, if you want, but it doesnt really matter. if memory serves, the DD attaches better.
 
well the reason i was thinking swifttech for the northbridge was becuase it looks alot like the zalman block i have now. Also i am looking for a new radiator. I am looking at the 120 black ice. If anyone knows of any radiator for around 50 dollars (that is good) let me know.
 
everyone knows a dtek heatercore will slap down a BIX like a redheaded stepchild any day of the week.

it costs a HELL of a lot less, also. you can get similar for under $20 if you are less concerned with appearance.
 
asthetics does not bother me, I am going to be counter sinking the radiator under false bottom. All you will see is the the grill on the floor of the case. Do you have any links to a site that sells the heatercore. I was also told to get a (i believe it was) a impala heatercore from autozone.

JEEVES
 
problem.....heatercore is 2in thick, and i need it to be around 1-1 1/2in. We will have to see what can be done about that. also right now i am debating on wether or not to order an aqua tube (it would be around 140 shipped) but i think it would realy be worth it. if anyone know where i can get an aqua tube for cheaper in the us please by all means let me know.


JEEVES
 
Originally posted by JEEVES/whohasmyname?
problem.....heatercore is 2in thick, and i need it to be around 1-1 1/2in. We will have to see what can be done about that. also right now i am debating on wether or not to order an aqua tube (it would be around 140 shipped) but i think it would realy be worth it. if anyone know where i can get an aqua tube for cheaper in the us please by all means let me know.


JEEVES
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http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2997650903&category=1467#ebayphotohosting

found this one on ebay for hella cheap dood.. $6!!

:D
 
Keep us up to date on this one, the projects seems sweet..

I'll check up on your work later.. good work so far :)
 
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