old full tower server chassis (to mod)

do a search for "Lian Li EX-23NA Expansion Hard Drive Kit" you should find what your looking for, they are capable of holding up to 3 harddrives and you would still have one spare slot for placing your dvd drive at the top. :)

it may cost a bit and obviously you dont have to use the front fan and mesh, they can be removed and it can just be used as a bay converter.
 
my eagle fans and cold cathodes arrived this afternoon along with my HEX mesh. the two 120mm fan filter/grills will be mounted on the underside of my case as i've decided that i'll have two of the sharkoons sucking in air from the base for when i mount the wheels.

PC07.jpg



the res and rad are on a back order despite being in stock when i ordered.

ETA of 10days apparently so when i return from sailing i shall get started on filling in the fascia holes and sanding it down and preparing the case for some paint.
 
spent about 30mins on each cut out for the windows just filling :o

but i'm pretty happy with the result so far. just need to spend a few more minutes in the corners rounding them off as the drill bit slipped a few times so wasn't very clean looking. :rolleyes:



window/side panel so far:


PC16.jpg


and this is just to give you an idea of the tubing stuff i'm using on the edges to make them look all nice and neat.

PC19.jpg




yet to paint still but i managed to get some car body filler today from halfords so i'll start smoothing off the fascia and patching up the holes.



this is the underside of the case as i've decided to mount two of the sharkoons in the base for an intake.

PC10.jpg
 
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Todays update:


My EK Res came so decided to prepare the case for mounting that.

PC23.jpg


PC20.jpg


PC26.jpg




will continue work when i return from amsterdam.
 
Looking good! Well, as good as it can with the beige still there!

Are you gonna have some kind of light behind that res?

Enjoy your trip, and don't go overboard with those hookers and hash! :p

PK!
 
the beige is on the way out, do not fear.

I spent most of this afternoon sanding down the side panels and prep~ping them ready for the primer which if I don't have to work I'll do 2morra as weather looks good here.

Then again the BBC weather website said it'd rain in Amsterdam and I didn't once need to wear a jumper :p


I've got 4x Red 12" CC and 4x UV 12" CC tubes to go in the case so i was thinking red at the top/front (by drive bays) so that red light comes through the mesh without being able to see any of the cold cathodes.
Then the UV cold cathodes around the Mobo area (again out of sight) but this will light up the fluid in the water system and hopefully illuminate my Res. in the front panel but with out showing up the metal case front behind the plastic fascia.

Is it worth painting the front of the case as well as the side panels/top/bottom etc. despite a plastic fascia panel going on top of it?

does that make sense :confused:
 
not had much feedback as of late but I've been wondering.... would it ruin the look of the case if i were to add one of those USB/firewire/audio 3-1/4 drives bay covers to the front of the case just to make it easier to plug in something rather than using my monitor?


i had this in mind and would prolly put it where i had the idea of the sideways CD drive (a few posts up).

fp32B_01.jpg





its not a must or anything but let me know if you'd bother cutting a hole for it or just leave it.









ps. two Dell 24" monitors so thats 8 USB ports on my desk but i don't like the cables coming out the side/underneath the monitors fascia.
 
I'd put it in. I hate having to pull my case forward everytime i want to plug the headset in. Its a pain. Theres a headphone jack on my center speaker but it doesnt incorporate mic.

Isnt there a floppy drive hole already cut?
 
no - its really odd.


its just ten 5-1/4 drive bays.



well i won't be ordering it right this moment as i'm poor again lol. but a parcel should be arriving sometime today so will crack on drilling the holes for the new power/reset buttons etc.
 
I imagine that the ports can be removed from that 3 1/4 mounting, so it could probably be put anywhere there's even the smallest of spaces. The thing to think about is where is going to be convienient when you've finished the case and you're using it in your room. If its gonna be on a desk (unlikely I know :p) then you might be better off with it lower down or on the side panel. If its going on the floor then it might be worth thinking about putting it on the top if there is room.

Keep up the good work!

PK!
 
misterPK said:
I imagine that the ports can be removed from that 3 1/4 mounting, so it could probably be put anywhere there's even the smallest of spaces. The thing to think about is where is going to be convienient when you've finished the case and you're using it in your room. If its gonna be on a desk (unlikely I know :p) then you might be better off with it lower down or on the side panel. If its going on the floor then it might be worth thinking about putting it on the top if there is room.

Keep up the good work!

PK!
Click to expand...


i was thinking that and maybe just mounting it at the top of the case. the case is 8mm too tall to fit under my desk when i have the wheel on but since i have to have the wheels on for the fans to suck air in and the fans at the top to blow air out under a desk won't be the best place.

i'm also hoping that it loooks awesome and lasts me a long time, in which case i'll want to be showing it off so it'll be next to my desk most prolly.


Azza said:
Looking good.

What colours is the case going to be?
Click to expand...

black exterior with red / UV light coming through grills/mesh/window/random bullet holes :rolleyes: the case has a lot of random holes drilled into it from previous owner i guess.
 
I got another small package this morning. my dad has taken all his tools to work with him so i can't work on it until he returns this eve. but i should be able to a bit more sanding and cleaning up all the dust i've made.


pics are as follows:

PC28.jpg

+ nice red fan grills (to be mounted on top)
+ X-Swing for mounting my hard drives.
+ UV red IDE for my DVD-RW
+ custom Rocker Switch front panel so i can turn on and off the lights as and when i need. they light up red as well when the component is on :D
PC32.jpg


these are just an old 4Gb & 20Gb hard drive from a old machine I built but that is how i now plan on mounting the hard drives. Raptor X at the front so you can see it through the mesh spinning up and making noise lol.
PC33.jpg

PC34.jpg
 
wowie thats big!, i remember you getting that case, am sure i comment but guess i didnt! :( the case is coming on nicely :)
good luck
 
Those hard drive mounts look particularly funky! And as for those switches, they look nice and old school industrial machine-esque. I think they'd go well with my cooler master muskateer 2 and its dials.

PK!
 
today's update


got to finish working at 3pm so i spent a few hours sanding down what I'd filled before work. this stuff has a really nice smooth finish that just dusts away.


I've only sanded a little bit on the right of the fascia in the pic but I've done a lot more now

PC45.jpg





tomorrow i should be able to finish off the fascia for the front panel and get that primed ready for painting (my biggest worry of cocking up).


I've got 1 can of each but how many paint can's would it take to cover a case of this size?

i just remembered in al the how to paint a case guides I've read they've painted a standard size case with 2 cans.
 
woohoo!! more goodies today.


its like christmas all the time here lol.


what arrived:
+ STUPID amounts of cable management braiding, ties, heatshrink etc.
+ two Bulgin Vandal switches for power/reset.
+ more heat shrink (the cabling kit didn't say it included any plus I thought that there wouldn't be much but now i've got enough to cover every bit of cable that I will end up using).
+ and finally my Lian Li PSU back-plate.


with out the PSU back-plate i wouldn't be able to mount a PSU as the old server case had one of them switch out~switch in power supplies.

all good now though.
PC49.jpg


the switches sleeving looks orange but it isn't, just a slightly different red to that of the sleeving kit.
 
Dont suppose they make those duvet covers in Double do they?

Project is coming along! I'm excited for you. I wish i could be bothered to finish my old server tower.
 
DampCat said:
Dont suppose they make those duvet covers in Double do they?

Project is coming along! I'm excited for you. I wish i could be bothered to finish my old server tower.
Click to expand...



cheers and the answer is i doubt it.


my mum bought it when I was little as it was when Nigel Mansell's was in F1. 12 years ago maybe.. :confused:

sorry.
 
Nigel Mansell was F1 World Champion in 1992

15 years ago :eek:

Case seems to be coming along nicely. Good luck with the painting ;)
 
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