Finished! G5, Twin 120mm fans at the rear and hot swap caddy

[minihack]

Oh yes, sorry I notice I didn't answer all the questions.....the paint doesn't match. I cruised Halfords looking for something that had a top to it that looked the right colour before realising that those colours aren't actually a match for what's inside the spray can! In the end I just bought a spray for re-finishing alloy wheels and I masked the seams top and bottom so there is a clean line that actually contrasts quite well. I hadn't planned it to be a feature colour but it did work quite well.
The panels I had made (not without incident when the guy misunderstood my dimensions first time!) were lasered by a bloke I found on eBay. Those metal lasers are SERIOUS machines (they dwarf my little baby) and usually getting someone to burn a panel costs a mint. This chap did me my panels for around £50 - which when you consider the UK importer for mountain mod.s is charging about £90 for their mob tray - is pretty damn good for your own panel design.

 

[thin_soldier]

Brilliant, thank you helped me allot with that not sure I am going to be able to do the flat mb tray thing, since I already have one that isn't - Lian li PC60 - and it would just be a great extra cost for me building or buying another. As well as that I am going full ATX on this baby. I guess Ill just have to live with a 092mm fan - and go down your route with my next mod.. because I guess there will be more

Do you remember the name of the alu wheel paint you used? might be running over to motobitz and picking one up if they have it

Thanks immensely.

Thin

 

[minihack]

Brilliant, thank you helped me allot with that not sure I am going to be able to do the flat mb tray thing, since I already have one that isn't - Lian li PC60 - and it would just be a great extra cost for me building or buying another. As well as that I am going full ATX on this baby. I guess Ill just have to live with a 092mm fan - and go down your route with my next mod.. because I guess there will be more

Do you remember the name of the alu wheel paint you used? might be running over to motobitz and picking one up if they have it

Thanks immensely.

Thin

Hi, to make your own tray is REALLY easy and not expensive. Look:

A pack of 50 of these:http://uk.farnell.com/duratool/ps-m3-2/nut-self-clinch-m3-pk50/dp/7033230 from Farnell (£3.16) + a dozen of these £2.20: http://uk.farnell.com/ettinger/05-13-101/spacer-m3x10-vzk/dp/1466815
Ali sheet £7 inc postage: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aluminium...Supplies_ET&hash=item3f0d2d666a#ht_720wt_1141

Then a 4.8mm drill bit, a diagram with the ATX spacings and a vice/hammer/press to insert the fasteners and you have your own motherboard kit.......

When I bought the Lian Li trays I ended up throwing away the backplate and making my own, so why pay through the nose when with a little time you can do almost the whole thing yourself. Only thing that is difficult to find at a reasonable price or make yourself is the actual I/O piece with the slot spacing and openings - that is a pain in the arse.

 

[thin_soldier]

I see, and agree,
only problem for me when it comes to fabricating anything is space, I only have what is called a floor to work on (Student accommodation) so everything that calls for a work bench, wise, hammering etc. scares me a bit. feels like I would have a hard time being precise if I didn't have something to clamp things down with, sure I could probably make something up with clamps etc. however buying all that hardware would probably be more expensive in the end, and I only have a month to finish the project. Still haven't started though so I'll just have to make my mind up, because making my own tray seems tempting

 

[tom.humphrey]

drool

I have once again ran out of time for mine, was trying to figure out the 120's as well as wanted to mount my H80 at the rear of the case but don't think the radiator will fit in (parts lie just outside of the fans)

Will have to have more of a look when I come to work on it again (I've got one month left to do my finals in so can't work on it at the moment)

 

[jcbay]

The I/O bracket I used was the Lian Li micro-ATX bracket. I still have a spare single 120mm backplate here that if you are interested in knowing more about you could PM me about. I won't be using it I reckon and you can either make a better job than me of bolting it to the back of the case (see my earlier anodised mod) or bonding it in the way I did with the later one.



Really Impressive Mod.
I am about to start a mod. With the aim to make a pair.
You said in the post you have a spare backplate, would you be willing to give me an idea dimensions you used, or what to be wary of.

Laser cutting does produce the best results

Very inspirational.......

 

[minihack]

Thanks jcbay for the positive comments. Please PM me so we can chat.


.....On the subject of lasering, I am really pleased to be able to say that I have just got an arrangement with a guy (in fact the guy who I went to for this project) who cuts metal with a laser and we are now working together. He does not do design work, but I do and his rates to me are very reasonable which means that sorted designs will now be economical to produce both in my own materials of perspex, plastics etc and in metals such as aluminium and steel. So backplates and custom designs from a good range of materials can now be made to users own spec.

 

[jcbay]

Minihack,

I'm looking forward to getting a custom backplate made.

On finishing your G5 are you likely to do another anodised finish.
I am considering either anodising or powder coating one of the cases, having been the only person I have seen who has anodised one, what are your thoughts.
An engineering friend of mine suggested if you want the logo try milling, routing or sandblasting the logo onto the ali first. 0.2 mm or less is more than enough for it to stand out. He has milled logos before anodising as it gives a crisper finish.

Not sure it it's a home workshop sort of job, but may give it a go.

Thanks for all of the help and advice.

 

[minihack]

Minihack,

I'm looking forward to getting a custom backplate made.

On finishing your G5 are you likely to do another anodised finish.
I am considering either anodising or powder coating one of the cases, having been the only person I have seen who has anodised one, what are your thoughts.
An engineering friend of mine suggested if you want the logo try milling, routing or sandblasting the logo onto the ali first. 0.2 mm or less is more than enough for it to stand out. He has milled logos before anodising as it gives a crisper finish.

Not sure it it's a home workshop sort of job, but may give it a go.

Thanks for all of the help and advice.

Cheers jcbay,

Am sure that milling before anodising would give a nice result that'd look really good. The opinion of the guys who anodised my one was that the original finish is bead blasting and then natural anodising finish.....I think that'd mean that a sandblasted logo would be a no go as that would not show up.

Another possibility is lasering the logo into place afterwards (low power laser of the type I have) which then shows the logo as white as it takes off the anodised area locally in the same way that iPods and laptops can be done.

 

[Flybye]

Blue lightning isnt apple-like, i think this mod is great but the blue light is gay..

Why is the blue lighting happy?

BTW minihack, you did some great work here.