Project Penguin

Xappy · 8 Aug 2009 at 20:50

Hi guys!
Well I've decided that my next pc will be in a new case modded by myself! I've never done any major modding myself but I've built about a dozen pcs so I figure it's about time to start going for something more complicated and figured I'd share a buildlog.

So, here's my current setup:

Ugh.
Horrible case I bought off ebay several years ago and thought looked good at the time. The only mods to it include porting the vents around the rear fans and colouring the floppy drive in black with a sharpie.

I must be able to improve on that.. right?

So, here I begin.

I've decided to start with the Antec 300 not only because it's a very good case in its price bracket but also because it's understated and simple therefore allowing me to put my own spin on how I want it to work and look.

.. and here she is unmodded straight out of the box.

I'm using Akasa "Quiet fan" white LED fans - very pretty fans with white blades and clear outside. Very quiet. The Scythe Kaze Maru will be going in the side; I much prefer the shape of the Kaze Maru's round frame to the square ones in normal 140mm fan.

Nowhere had a Kaze Master or Kaze Master Ace fan controller in stock in black that I could find so I wound up ordering in a Kaze Server, which is similar in looks to the Master Ace but has the added bonus of fully automatic and semi automatic modes, which I intend to put to good use.
Oh, and that's a white LED vandal-resistant button I intend to replace the 300's power switch with.

So now work begins on stripping down the 300 ready to be sliced.

Xappy · 9 Aug 2009 at 12:42

the scheme I'm going for is black and white, so I'm currently planning on painting the internals white.

edit.. either white or some sections black, some white.

Xappy · 9 Aug 2009 at 13:08

Update:

So here's how far I've managed to strip the Antec 300 down so far:

Off came the front panel, out came the fans, the switches, the front panel connectors and the fan holders.

Unfortunately I had to snap the switch holders to get the power and reset switches to come out (there probably was a better way but I don't actually need them anyway because I'm replacing both). Thankfully the front panel connectors are all very helpfully in one single piece which screws off easily.

The power and reset switches will be at the top of the case; I'm remounting the front panel stuff at the bottom of the case where the Antec logo currently is.

More when I've begun dremelling.

Xappy · 9 Aug 2009 at 20:27

Okay

Started the dremelling today!
Marked up the window dimensions and then decided to make it a bit bigger, then began the cuttage:

Note, I am aware that my cutting isn't that great:

I had planned on that which is why I didn't cut to the pencil lines; I will be filing it down neatly.
Even so it doesn't look too bad with the trimming added:

I've also abused the plastic front piece which is ready for my own custom frontpiece. Rest assured I will be filling in any imperfections, sanding it smooth and painting it so the roughness you see now should go away.

I've also sprayed the backplates and fan holders with primer but seeing as it's grey primer it's hard to see any difference in photos.

Edit oops helps if I upload the photos I link to doesn't it??

Xappy · 9 Aug 2009 at 23:46

Well, I'm not blessed with a particularly high budget, so dremel and files it is for me!

Xappy · 10 Aug 2009 at 00:44

I have a question:

w3bbo said:
*pic of fan in bits*

Do all case fans come apart and if so how do I do it?

Xappy · 10 Aug 2009 at 10:47

I suspected as much.. we'd see a lot more custom painted fans I think if they did. Thanks.

Xappy · 10 Aug 2009 at 23:28

So I guess I have to go overboard on the masking tape if I want to custom paint a fan

Xappy · 11 Aug 2009 at 02:02

Awesome, thanks PaulyD!
Just tested it out with one of the tricools (likely to be replaced due to how awkward it'd be connecting it to a fan controller) and it works perfectly.

Xappy · 11 Aug 2009 at 23:20

Here's the first lot of painted stuff - the fan cages from the front of the case and the backplaes. The finish irl looks much better than in this pic..

Xappy · 12 Aug 2009 at 00:13

It's difficult doing much to this on weekdays because I work the late shift, so by the time I'm back from work it's too late really to be doing noisy filing or power tool work.
Painting is quiet but I can't do much of that until I'm done with the filing and power tools. I'm currently part way through adding primer to the center of my Scythe Kaze Maru and will share pics when that's done.

Xappy · 12 Aug 2009 at 00:18

I would expect it classes as a competitor. I just googled 'blowhole trim'.

Xappy · 12 Aug 2009 at 23:37

Update

Here's the side panel after filing the edges straight. I could at this point then move onto finer finishing files and sandpaper but with the trim this will be fine.
Now the side panel needs sanding smooth, two coats of primer, sanding smooth again and then paint. Then edging, then window.

Kaze Maru has 2 coats of primer, right before a light sanding.

and here it is immediately after getting a coat of white enamel paint.

Xappy · 13 Aug 2009 at 01:20

Side panel 1 has been sanded smooth, removing the not quite great finish of the antec paint and giving me a nice surface to paint:

Xappy · 14 Aug 2009 at 01:18

Not a lot to report for today; finished sanding and primed the windowed side panel.

Would anyone know how to request the mods rename this thread to something more catchy like "Project: Black and White 300" or some such?

Xappy · 15 Aug 2009 at 15:05

Update:

Scythe Kaze Maru in black and white:

Finish isn't perfect because I made the mistake of painting too thick then had to sand and repaint parts.. but I'm quite pragmatic about that seeing as you're not really going to be able to see the finish on a spinning object particularly well, espescially seeing as I'm going to be making a filter to go in front of it.

It's not awful and you can't really see anything wrong unless you look closely:

And here's my grey primed side panel with two coats of primer pre wet-sanding prior to paint:

Xappy · 15 Aug 2009 at 19:59

This bit of metal is going to be where my new power and reset buttons will go. Trimmed it down to size.

And here's the side panel with a few coats of paint; it's hard to get a photo proving it for some reason but the finish isn't half bad.

Xappy · 19 Aug 2009 at 09:52

Update!

Another update for what I've now decided to name Project Penguin.

I tried to get the mods for this forum to rename this thread to that; the forum says that Yewen and Gilly are the mods but the mail addresses listed for them haven't gotten any response.. so if anyone knows what I need to do just let me know. :confused:

EDIT THANKS TO WHOEVER DID IT

Right on with the update :cool:

Black paint on Side panel 1 is done, now it's been masked and the white trim added:

The side fan grille has been primed; am still debating whether to replace the other two fan grilles with ones that match this.

Site panel 2 has been primed and sanded down ready for the black paint:

Begun de-rivetting the case:

Once it's in bits I'll dremel out the extra holes I need and begin painting that bit too.

Any thoughts anyone?

Xappy · 19 Aug 2009 at 21:14

Rich1988 said:
wont spraying the fan blades (unless its done perfectly) put the fan out of balance and make it noisy?

It can do if the paint is particularly uneven.
I was concerned about that and tested afterwards.. I didn't notice any additional vibration and that was with resting it on a desk edge on with the blade spinning fully.. but yes it can in theory, which is why I had to sand it down and respray it.
If it had been bad I would've had to sand it down more thoroughly (probly with my dremel) and sprayed again.

Xappy · 19 Aug 2009 at 23:35

Update: OH NOES!

Well.. this is not a happy penguin:

The paint didn't set evenly and in fact seems to have crystallised in some areas.. yes I made the noob mistake of painting too thickly and too quickly.. so off it has to come and I'm set back a bit. :rolleyes:

Live and learn!

Careful sanding now to remove the paint, possible re-priming and reapplication of the black and then the white paint.
I have to paint very lightly and build up in layers, and let each layer dry properly.

EDIT - I just find it so strange that the white is so much thicker and more plasticky than the black.