H2O case

[toby]

Ok time for my next case. here is a lobely deluxworld dog case that cost me all of £16 from ebuyer including a 350watt psu
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0352.jpg

ooooh bargainolicious
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0353.jpg

and tastefull!
so first things first
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0356.jpg
quite a nice selection of case front panel stuff for such a cheap case


http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0358.jpg
blowhole traced

back and front stripped
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0359.jpg
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0360.jpg

and now im taking it off to the garage to de rivit it

[cools]

Been wondering about those cases since they always get such good reviews. I can see why now. Straightforward, no mess case :)

[toby]

its not a bad case and is good value for the price, although it will be looking a lot different when im done eventually. although some of the bits of metal are sharp as razors and my hands have some quite nasty cuts on them

[toby]

well i derivited most of it untill disaster strikes and my drill bit snaps i was using a 3mm drill bit and now it looks like this, it flew off to god knows where nowhere near me tho, ah well another thing for the shopping list im going into town 2m to get some more essentials like 4inch tape etc.http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0365.jpg

[Starbuck3733T]

that is rather 'cute' aint it.

[toby]

here is the design of some laser cut fan grills im getting done. i got some more stuff as well like some filler and psu sleeving stuff for my new antec neopower.and i got a new drill bit and finished de riviting the base and cut the front 120 blowhole.more pics laterhttp://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/fan-grill.jpg

[cools]

Whereabouts are you getting the laser cutting done?

[toby]

a place called spectrum laser you can email them at sales@spectrumlaser.co.uk they are charging me £10 per grill based on a quantity of 5 and you will need to send them your design in a cad file format.

[cools]

Hmm not too bad, definitely worth me checking them out :)

[toby]

OK a quick mid week mod update i did a little cutting work tonight.

http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0375.jpg
the case de rivited

http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0377.jpg
front 120 cut but not filed

http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0371.jpg
front panel cut but not finished

http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0370.jpg
partial cut on side panel


http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0366.jpg
got no idea what im gonna do to the back here cause there aint enough room for a 120. ideas anyone?


http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0372.jpg
remember always use saftey gear!!!:D


http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0373.jpg
a little teaser for the future

[mnpctech]

OMG, You Destroyed the CUTE PUPPY! :eek:

[Kickass]

How could you... the cute puppy :wub:

Anyway, i think 2 x 80mm fans would fit nicely in the back dont you? or is that too standard for modders? sorry for being stupid but ummm aint that what those slots are for... lol

Anwyway loving the progress and cant wait to see more work done on this case

(As most people may notice all i do is read the chop shop on wizard designs now) So cant wait for more progress keeping my eyes peeled esspecialy for this!

[toby]

sorry there have been no updates im waiting for a few deliveries, although i tend to get out in the workshop 2m, to do some more cutting work.cant seem to find a good powdercoater around so i may have to paint the insides by hand.Lots of work to do with a few mini mod surprises in store hopefully. But for now a few questions:

1. where can i get some plug and cool 1/4 barbs at short notice from(not doesnt have to be plug and cool, can also be that type where you plug it in and twist but i have forgot the name kind of like this http://www.innovatek.de/contentServ/3.0/www.innovatek.de/data/media/32/500179.gif)

2. i would like to open up the case differently by the side panel lifting up kinda like a car boot or the delorean(?) from back to the future, i have seen it done before but cant remember where so if you know it a link would be nice, or any ideas on how to do it.

3.also where can i source some decent modders mesh from?i only have real junky stuff thats made for boy racers cars and its not nice at all very cheap looking.

[toby]

fixed all the problems! started working on the keyboard the other day, completly dissasembled and cleaned, it now awaits bondo(to fill in the holes of the rubbish office buttons that i never use) and painting , the case insides will be painted manually as well so its pretty active but no pictures as i forgot:huh:

also i havent heard from the guys supposed to ber doing my fan grills so if anyone knows a good laser cutter in their area be sure to let me know!

[Nexxo]

Yeah! Mod that suckah! B)

[toby]

avast update ahoy!
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0378.jpg
lovely aluminium heatsink box arrived from mnpctech the other day with a selection of components i will be using although i need new switches as those ones are locked on one of the throws so useless for fan control(should read specs more carefully when ordering next time). still waiting for shower hose for and some other stuff from screwfix, which reminds me i need to get some more cat5e to use as the wiring from the box to the pc.
also got an antec neopower today which i have sleved partially(damn you p4 atx connector only thing i couldnt sleeve because i couldnt get it off lol) and replaced molexes with blue ones. antec psu is quite nice, a few minor gripes tho, at least i didnt have to sleve a lot of cables lol!
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0382.jpg
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/hpim0381.jpg

[fillip]

That a modular PSU?

I'm thinking of modding a Tagan so that it's modular - well, kinda anyway. Ultimately i would want it w/cooled too.

[toby]

yes its modular, not bad but i would probably go with the ac ryan power supply thats modular next time.

[mnpctech]

Ohhhh, this ought to be good.

[fillip]

yes its modular, not bad but i would probably go with the ac ryan power supply thats modular next time.
Can you buy those in the UK yet? if so do you have a link?

[mnpctech]

How about the Ultra brand Modular PSUs? They're gettin heavy pimpin in US.

I like it... as did BigAkita @ pimprig

http://reviews.pimprig.com/power_supply/uv_x-connect_500w_psu.php

[fillip]

I saw those a while ago but that review hadn't been done at the time.

Must say, looks pretty good for $99, hopefully if they're available over here the price will be just as reasonable since i don't fancy the shipping costs.

Thanks for the link though Bill - bookmarked!

[toby]

the ac ryans arent available in the uk yet but they will be soon,bad news on the mod front checked answer machine and it seems screwfix dont have any shower hose, so im pretty annoyed, ah well i will order some more now of a diff type!

[Greeny]

They don't make an active PFC model yet, hence the units are not legal for sale in the UK apparently. I don't know how that stands for the rest of Europe though.

[fillip]

They don't make an active PFC model yet, hence the units are not legal for sale in the UK apparently. I don't know how that stands for the rest of Europe though.
Presume you're talking about the Ultra PSU's there - have already read 4 pages of discussion on the Kustompc forums - they'll sell thes psu's as soon as a model is available for the UK market.

[cools]

Those ultras have never interested me, even back when I was looking at them 8 months ago! 2x 80mm fans are pointless. Sure it LOOKS quite pretty, but I'll take anything with a single 120mm over 80s any day.

I love the NeoPower though, can't wait to be able to sleeve it (not sleeving the cables as stock, waiting until I know the routing layout before doing so)

[fillip]

Those ultras have never interested me, even back when I was looking at them 8 months ago! 2x 80mm fans are pointless. Sure it LOOKS quite pretty, but I'll take anything with a single 120mm over 80s any day.

I agree, don't fancy the idea of twin 80mm, but then the idea isn't to keep them so that doesn't really bother me. I definately like the style of the non-UV ones though, the UV acrylic psu's seem a little OTT

[toby]

ok time to put the thread back on track with a huggggggge update!
we will start with the keyboard!

here it is unassembled ready to get those holes at the top filled
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/100_0007.jpg
shot with filler in place
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/100_0006.jpg


preparation for painting(couldnt decide which picture i liked most...)
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/100_0001.jpg
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/100_0003.jpg


keyboard after painting metallic blue, looks great
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/100_0017.jpg
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/100_0018.jpg

here is the rest of the bits after first coat!
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/100_0012.jpg


now for the breakout box updates.......
a shot of my desk with me doing some of the case side electronics(yes i know its a mess)
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/HPIM0384.jpg

Two very poor shots of the cat5 termination whatsit
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/HPIM0392.jpg
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/HPIM0390.jpg

hot from the workshop tonight some cutting work i did on the panels(and my p45 from my last job which i blued out in paint!)
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/HPIM0394.jpg
http://www.h2omods.com/miscstuff/HPIM0398.jpg

more drilling 2m
with the button fitting to follow(assuming my switches arrive)
also fan grills should arrive from the laser cutting company soon should look sweet,also so all you guys know, all the paintwork was done by my dad, he filled the keyboard too!

[fivecheebs]

that blue looks great :) Your dad is well handy isnt he!

Cant wait to see the cat 5 socket in action, a very good idea IMO.

[toby]

yeah it should work out nice and mean i can transport the case easier because it will be detatchable,although i may need to get unbooted cat5 because the lil jackets the actual connector is in wont fit through the shower hose attatchment thingys or i may rebore the attatchment thingies to make them bigger inside, they were originally to make sure that water only goes one way and never back(forgot what they were called) so i had to drill out the middle in the first place but drilling them out some more does seem like a sensible idea, even after that it looks like i will still have to take the boots off so i might just wait and get a reel of cat5 and some end connectors and a crimping tool and do some myself and cat5 is always handy anyway

[fillip]

So it's really your dad's project log then... ^_^

[mnpctech]

Looks great Toby!

My only suggestion is that you would have cut out those 2, restrictive rear grill perforations.

[cools]

I want to know where you got those hole punches from, seem much easier and neater than a hole saw :)

[Fibbles]

Can you buy those in the UK yet? if so do you have a link?There are 2 that I know of, the Antec NeoPower and the X-Connect. Both are modular from the factory. The Antec has the mains and the 12v line, plus the fan cable connected to the unit (not modular), while the X-Connect is completely modular, not even the mains is conected if you don't want it to be :p

Whoa, I completely missed page 2. Ok, the Ultras have been coverd, but the Antecs remain. ^_^

[toby]

im definetly going to get some cat5, and im going to use the cat 5 terminators at both ends for easy removal of the hose for transport and incase i ever want a different type of hose(i dont like the current stuff much).oh and cools i used a hole saw, it doesnt give a great finish but you can tidy it up with a dremel and edging, i think those punches are expensive.also i should really take my pictures during the day and take time doing them cause most of those pictures are very poor!

[fivecheebs]

The cat5 crimping tools can be expensive. I think maplin have one for about 10 or 15 quid. I have seen them for as much as 50 :o

[FastRedPonyCar]

lookin good so far. I like the blue. My project rig is a very similar color. Rustoleum metallic blue.

I may have missed it on another page but what are the plans for the internals? I'm assuming based on the thread title that it's going to be watercooled. What components and proposed configuration do you have in mind.

[toby]

internals are going to be innovatek watercooling with their passive side rad and a peltier water chiller. project has hit a setback, all the stuff thats been painted(minus the keyboard) was transported to my house so each bit was wrapped up in newspaper before being put in the car, when i unwra[[ed the paper there were nasty smears over the paintwork from the ink! i tried to wash it off but it didnt work, there was also a fair bit of chipping so it will alll get repainted, althu0gh this is very disheartening and makes me a bit frustrated about the project, on the other hand the fan grills arrived and they look awesome and the keyboard is assembled and looks great.

[toby]

well today has been good, everything has been resprayed metallic blue like the keyboard and it looks amazing, its all drying in the garage as we speak and i will have to go out there to do a few more coats on the stuff but its looking pretty good at the moment, and the fan grills are going off to be chromed. pictures soon probably

[toby]

well i took some photos but they look rubbish so i will only post one of them lol!will take some more 2m in the light(if there is any by the time i get home from work)also i should be getting paid 2m so i will be able to buy some things i need to continue with the project

[Fibbles]

Not to thread jack, I'll start my own when the time arrives. I'm going with half of your water coling setup on my cube. I bought a second hand Innovatek Maxi passive rad in blue (I didn't exactly have a color choice - I wanted red).

Good luck and it's looking good. Hurry up so I can "borrow" some ideas ^_^

[toby]

i get confused with their rad sizes, is that the one you can put on the side of a case or a huuuuge one. was thinking of getting one chromed. would look very nice! im also looking into getting the project box chromed too because that would look nice!.havent decided if i want a fass o matic or not, oh dear i have justfound out that you can add two of the small radiators together or 2 of the big ones together, hmm i will have to do some measurements to see if two of the small ones will fit, that would be just awesome if i could do it and would give me 140 watts of heat dissapation! yay! although it would weigh about 10-15lb fully loaded and the side panel of the case is not made out of very thick steel so maybe icould reinforce it, decided i will probably get a fass o matic cause of the nice leds you can put in it and the temp sensor, hmm that was a long rant lol!

[Fibbles]

I want the insides and other select parts chromed.

They come in 3 sizes, which are: small, large and larger. AFAIK all sizes can be linked together. Mine is the larger size, but isn't the huge one. The small one can dissipate 80 watts, while the larger one can go for 125 watts and I have no idea about the huge one.

[toby]

ok well im still modding but a few changes, this one isnt going to be watercooled, im leaving that for the next one, but i am near the end of the h2o case.atm im having some hosting issues so have switched hosts pics should be back up when i have the time.

I got some mesh from bill which i have cut to size and used some etching primer on.also fitted the window and window trim. I did spray the project box metallic blue which looked great until on the last coat i got a paint drying mark down one of the sides, so tonight i took some car paint remover ( which i was a bit sceptical about) and attacked the project box whcih has no paint on at all now and is in a fetching aluminium( im wondering wether to shine it up or not now or paint it) i have one piece of the main box which needs repainting to mesh and paint the front and finish off the project box and then i am done!