Xaser II

[mopery]

I have been coming to this site a lot and not really posting. Although I have been modding one of my cases for over a year, the mods I have done would be called pre-mods by most. That is still how I got involved in the modding community.
Here I’m going to post my worklog for the case that I have been using as my main computer. This is the one I have been using as my pre mod/ intro to computers, because it was my first self built computer.
It’s a Xaser II Case
Here are some pictures of what my computer looked liked. I also used a sharpie marker and made a stencil to match the biohazard on the window to my mouse pad.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mcomp1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/hh2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mousepad.jpg

[mopery]

Here it is now, next to my other mod project. (More on that later)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mcomp.jpg

As most of you can see right now it has mnpctech.com handles great by the way.
I also put a blowhole on the top of the case using mnpctech.com modders mesh. I wanted to do something different than just using a fan guard.
I’m not going to show how I did ether of these because there is already a great “How To” on Gruntville.com and mnpctech has kickass instructions that come with your order.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mcomp2.jpg

[mopery]

I know that a lot of you are going to see how much other modders influence my mods.
The flames on the silver case are directly influenced by http://bonzai-mods.com/
He has a kick ass how to on how to do the flames. http://www.kgcooper.com/mods/antecmod.htm
Also the black case has mods from my favorite modder Bill Owen from http://mnpctech.com
Please read my posts before you think I’m a total ass for ripping everyone off that was not my intention. When I mod I do what I think will look cool to me. I don’t mod to be the first.

[mnpctech]

Nice work mopery. Thanks for posting these. You nailed that flame design right on!

Please read my posts before you think I’m a total ass for ripping everyone off that was not my intentionThat wasn't my thought at all. We're all inspired by somebody at one time or another. You showed a lot of class by listing where your inspiration came from. I've mentioned several times that g-gnome's work has inspired me :)

btw: I like the fact you took photos outside. Nothing beats natural lighting!

[mopery]

Thanks man, plus my camera is really bad inside. It needs to use a flash and then the pictures look bad.

[mnpctech]

same here. My canon S40 takes awful pics under flourescent lights no matter how I calibrate it. And flourescent lights are all I use in the workshop

[Pug]

Don't sweat it man. At the end of the day , you use what you like from the ideas pool and the results are your cases.

I'd be quite happy to put something like your silver side panel on hex, for instance.


The only time you're likely to be thought of as an ass is if you either bolt a pre mod on and lord it above standard case users as making you a l33t modder or make a lot of noise about being the first to do something that people have been quietly doing for their own enjoyment for years (remote IDE activity lights and pin39 for single drives come to mind, for instance ;) ).

Making a case personal to you in whatever way... no crime there. :)

Good jobs bud. Happy to see 'em (as I would be to own 'em). B)

[Edit] ...and just in case I never said before, Welcome to WizD. :cool:

Thought for the moment... "My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition there." -- attributed to either Mohandas or Indira Ghandi

[dutchcedar]

Everybody steals ideas from here and there, mopery. But like a chess game, the results are never the same. Its all about having a little fun, exercising your grey matter, having a good excuse to buy more tools and making something you're proud of.

You have certainly made something to be proud of. I especially like your cut flames. I'm an old flame hound... had my first flame licks on a '72 Chevy truck way back in 1974. WOW, I've been flamin' for thirty years... :rant: There are good flames (rare) and bad flames (very common). In the last few weeks, I've seen two good examples right here... yours and mnpctech's "Deuce" project. My hat's off to both of you for understanding and making flames look "right".

For what its worth, when I see an idea of mine "stolen", I take it as compliment... so steal away... <_<

Me first flame job...
http://www.amdreview.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=127174

[mnpctech]

I Must Have Dutch's Chev

I Must Have Dutch's Chev

I Must Have Dutch's Chev

<tells Mrs, I'm leaving for CA. I'll be back on Tuesday

[dutchcedar]

Not meanin' to thread crap... but speaking of flames, mnpctech... you're eBay auction caused a little stir over here... http://www.hardwarehelix.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16105#post16105

And NO!!! You can't drive the truck... :rant:

[mnpctech]

Good for him :) Customer paid me 3 times that amount for the case. Its so friggin huge, I had to use a 2 wheeler to haul it around :blink:

Ryans got helluva chore in packaging it up. Congrats to both

[mopery]

This is my second update.

This is my plan for a mod that I think will look very cool and serve a purpose.

Is a hard drive cooler.

Mnpctech has done a hard drive color. I saw it at mnpctech's HD Baycooler II mod (http://www.gruntville.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1748&highlight=)

http://www.moddersforum.com/imagehosting/uploads/frontHDwb2.jpg

This case is turning out to be a mnpctech envy case or a poser rip-off depending on how you look at it.

[mopery]

Here is the stock fan controller that case with the case. It’s nice but I don’t use it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mcomp4.jpg

Even when the door is closed the bay is still open. Making it perfect for this mod.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mcomp5.jpg

This is what I got.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mcomp6.jpg

Here they are next to each other. Doesn’t that hd cooler look ugly. Mnpctech saw its potential, and made it into what I think is the best looking hd cooler ever.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mcomp7.jpg

The bay cooler only came with 2 fans. Lucky me I had a 40mm fan that used to cool a old Pentium. So I sodderd to run with the other fans. I tested it and it works.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mcomp8.jpg

Here it is without all that junk on the front. I also changed the 5mm led that tells hd activity to red.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mcomp9.jpg

I used a miter box to cut the 1.5" PVC pipe.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mcomp10.jpg

Stupid me I does not fit. That’s what I get for trusting the sign that said 1.5” pvc at home depot!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mcomp11.jpg

That put a stop to this mod for the day but here is a shot of my 4”red CC
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/mcomp12.jpg

[mnpctech]

Holy cow mopery. Youre just full of surprises aren't you? ^_^

My only advice (if you planned on it), is dumping the corner LED. Reflecting back, its too big and Ghetto-ish. You could epoxy a small piece of tin behind hole and JB weld over that. Actually its the chrome LED bezel that looked so god awful.

Nevermind, I see you swapped it out. Ok, wheres my coffee?!

[Pug]

I'm guessing the pipe dia. prob is down to them giving the ID rather than OD measurements.

I wondered if you might have managed to transplant the LCD readout from the one unit to the other (instead of adding the third fan in the centre). Could look pretty good without compromising the cooling too much.
Just a thought...


So d'you have a plan for the distinctive TT door/logo/X thing?

I'm trying to think ahead of you here but failing to come up with what you might do with it... :unsure:


Keep it coming though. The clarity of those pics makes it real easy to get an idea of what you have going on. :)

[mopery]

So d'you have a plan for the distinctive TT door/logo/X thing?

I'm trying to think ahead of you here but failing to come up with what you might do with it... :unsure:

If you’re talking about the bay door. I'm going to get it chromed The black part that is above the anodized red piece.

[toby]

nice flames !

[Pug]

If you’re talking about the bay door. I'm going to get it chromed The black part that is above the anodized red piece.


Cool. Proper plating a la G-gnome or sticky-back plastic a la Bit-tech (& me :D)?

[mopery]

Sorry for the lack of updates. I got out of computers but now im back I hope to have some updates soon!

[zer0]

very nice i realy like it all even though i loth those X cases i have a hope that you make it something no one elts in the world has becuase it seems EVERYONE has one of those cases.

[mopery]

Update
This is my first day of spring break so I thought I should do an update. It’s a small one but not I’m so much closer to getting side panel done. All the hard work is done the east (cutting) part I should get done tomorrow.

Here is the motherboard side of my case. It’s going to have my username on it. In a cool font. I want to have it backlit. A long time ago I printed out the name in the font and taped it onto the case. I then used a dremel to cut out the letters. This proved to be very hard. And I lost interest in the idea. Now I’m back to give it a second shot.

As you can see its very ruff. The worst part is that I throw away the stencil! I had to print out the same font a few times to get the right font size.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/036.jpg

This time I wanted to get rid of the paint. I found some real old pant striper.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/037.jpg

I put a coat on. But I thought the process was taking too long because its very cold outside. So I washed it off.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/042.jpg

I found some 190 grit wet/dry sand paper
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/050.jpg

I wet sanded the area where the cutout is going to be.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/055.jpg

I have everything all laid out.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/057.jpg

I used a razor to cutout the text on the Y. I had to do this so I can get a starting point and fix my past attempt.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/068.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/062.jpg

I then used a sharpie to color what I still need to cut/grind/file away. I will not be doing the rest of the letters like its. More on the in my nest update hopefully tomorrow.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/070.jpg

[zer0]

cool good luck

(i guess this qualifys as unique :P)

[mnpctech]

Paint stripping solutions only create more work and mess IMHO. 220 grit paper w/ sanding block is easier for prepping surface.. Black/Decker Mouse sander makes the job easier too.

Nice personal touch mopery.

[mopery]

I thought I would give an update. Here is what I’m doing with the parts of this case. I had them in a temp case. But now I though I should get a new one. My sister is going to be using the computer for a while. I wanted a good looking clean case that had a removable motherboard. So here it is.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/x4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/x3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/x1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/x5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jcorsello/computer/worklog/x2.jpg

[mnpctech]

mopery, dat Compucase will whoop the CM for cooling...I'd also flip your heatsink fan when you use the Compucase again..... 120 will help pull out warm air from HS

[Starbuck3733T]

he's right. good start on the cutting!

[mopery]

flip your heatsink fan when you use the Compucase again..... 120 will help pull out warm air from HSI never thought of that.

Oh well the case/parts are for my sister. And she like its. I think I'm going to give the compucase to my fater.