casemod: AlumaxX

[Franklin]

I posted some pictures in the show your computer thread, but some people think it is better to give it its own thread. I didn't start one because it is a finished project.
I will start with some photographs of the finished mod.

In april I was a contestant in the Dutch Casemodding Championship. Because of the weight ( about 40 kilograms ) I had to tranport it like this

There is a worklog on Bit-tech, but if you guys want to know more about this case I can post a log and give some answers to any questions you may have.
I already started a new project, not a casemod, but a caseconstruction. I will start a worklog here on TBCS soon.

[Franklin]

I will post the log in parts.

Started on the casemod in december 2004. Yes a long time ago, but it took me more than a year to finish it. Several reasons for it, it is my first mod, don't have much time and only use simple tools.

The case I started with is the Lian Li pC-V2000

First thing I did was removing the original harddisk rack

I had to make some room for the radiator grill at the top of the case. Some tape and a good planning were needed before cutting the case with a Dremel clone.

The firts cuts in my expensive case.

One of the reservoirs will be mounted in the top of the case, just behind the radiator grill.

After removing the harddisk tray I had to come up with a new custom made Harddisk tray. Because I want to know whether my handmade parts will fit and how it will look I make some paper models before using metal or acrylic.

Both harddisks will be watercooled with Aquacomputer coolingblocks.

Started working on the aluminium, just using a saw.

and removing the corners by drilling holes

After some filing it already looks better.

[Franklin]

After making two aluminium pieces it needed some acrylic, just for the looks. Again some paper models of the parts.

Needed some curves on the corners and used a file for that.

one side of the HDD rack is finished.

I wanted to use three radiators, two BIX radiators and one BIX II radiator. The small radiator in the front wasn't a problem. The second BIX radiator didn't fit at once. The case needed some modding. I wanted to use the original mounting holes for the fan taht was attached to the radiator, something like this.

I had to make some room underneath the radiator to lower it a bit.

After cleaning the case up and removing the tape.

Now it fits.

In a German webshop I found a watercooled Enermax PSU.

It looks fantastic on the inside so I had to come up with an idea to keep the waterblocks visible in the endresult.

The green acrylic will cover the hole.

[Franklin]

The front

I removed all the bezels because I wanted to create a frontpanel that covered everything that was mounted in the drivebays. I'm using two DVD burners, a reservoir and an Aquacomputer Aquaero. First things first. I needed some acrylic that fitted in the opening.

Made some holes in it for the Aquaero, reservoir and the two DVD burners.

Because I don't want to see through to front I also had to create the same panel in aluminium.

drilling holes in the aluminium sheet.

Drilling holes alone isn't enough to remove the material.

and the last pieces with a saw.

The two layers for the front.

I used two bezels to attach the acrylic and aluminium together.

The three buttons from the Aquaero were not long enough to come through the new front so I needed the help from a friend, he made som buttons to extend the original ones.

For the DVD and the DVD buttons I used the same sandwich from acrylic and aluminium.

The DVD stealth was mounted with some bolts.

The aluminium had to be cleaned. After cleaning it it needed some wetsanding up to grid 2000 and at the end some polishing.

I only will have to attach the ejectbuttons to the frontplate with some thin rubber sheets.

this it what the ejectbuttons look like. The layers are glued together.

and with the acrylic back in place.

[Franklin]

Watercooling

I use two seperate waterloops. The first one cools two PSU's and two harddisks. The second one will cool the CPU, mosfets, Northbridge and GPU's. So this means I'll also put in two pumps in there, two Eheim 1048 pumps. These pumps will be covered with Aquacomputer metal housings. Normally these things are black, but I had them chromed to match the theme.

The first pump will be placed in the upper compartment off the case on some aluminium profiles. Between the profiles and the pumphusing there is some UV acrylic.

The bolts that I want to use don't fit, so I will make them fit in there.

I use Aquacomputer coolingblocks, that's small bore stuff, but it is German perfection and it is perfekt with the theme.

I love to see hoses from the watercooling, but I hate cables, so I experimented with some paper covers before building it from aluminium.

It needs some openings for the hardware.

It was not possible to use one piece of aluminium, I wouldn't be able to get it in. So I used several sheets of metal. Some of these sheets are for the covers that will come in the lower part off the case.

The first metal cover is ready and in place.

The white paper on it was another idea. It is the place for a Crystalfontz lcd.

The screen needs an aluminium cover and some green acrylic.

The other covers need to be mounted.

I already drilled and tapped the holes in the aluminium plate. But now I will have to get the places that have to be drilled marked in the Lian Li. So I used a bit of paper.

Put the paper in the case and mark the drilling spots.

After drilling the holes I mounted the plate from underneath with some bolts. Notice that the bolts are behind the aluminium plate.

Next thing to do is the left plates. I attached the plate with the LCD cover to the smaller one with 4 bolts.

and an overview. I think it will look very good after it all has been polished.

To empty the watercoolingsystem I wanted to use a draining system with valves at the bottom of the case.

Time to testfit and mount the valves. I use a handdrill in small spaces. With a drop of oil this works perfectly.

Let's see if it all fits.

and from behind

Later on the PSU will be placed back again, so I also have to make sure the hoses will be able to go underneath the rack the PSU rests on.

[Franklin]

I think the complete case costed about 3500 euro, that includes all the moddingmaterials and hardware.

There are two waterloops in this system. The first waterloop with the reservoir in the top of the case was very easy to fill. The second loop was very difficult, but I knew that while I was building it. The fillcap should be placed at the intake from the pump, but I didn't do that because it gave me some problems with the lay-out and looks. I don't have to refill this thing everey week so I don't mind.

watercooling 2

The valves are mounted, but now I need two points in the case where the hoses come out of the case. Needed some acrylic to modify the case for it.

Before I can finish and mount the acrylic part I will need to make some room at the back of the Lian Li.

I glued the acrylic part. When the gue has hardened I can file the edges.

Here the part is finished and mounted.

Aluminium covers

I wanted to see as few cables as possible. The cables from the harddisks will be hidden between two sheets of aluminium.

One of the pumps will be mounted on the other aluminium sheet.

and with the pump in place.

Now I will need some aluminium covers at the compartment at the bottom of the case to hide the other cables.

The metal and the paper models.

The first cover is ready

it fits

With all the covers in place.

The cables from the second PSU are still visible, but not for long. I used some aluminium U-profiles to hide them.

Only the open end will need some more attention.

[Franklin]

Most covers are almost ready now

The memory modules needed a cover that also allow the air to flow over them. This is what I came up with.

and all the covers connected.

The black fans also needed some covers, aluminium ofcourse. I used some wood to bend the aluminium around.

and the finished cover.

All the metalwork needs a finishing touch. Wetsanding.

This took me many hours to do. The metal I used were leftovers from a metalshop, so not scratchfree at all.

But not finished yet. Polishing by hand takes even more time. But the result makes it up.

bling bling

[Franklin]

Seperators

Hoses never do what you want them to do. If you want it to make a leftturn it goes the other way, that's why I made acrylic seperators to guide the hoses.

Here are those valves again.

The original Lian Li case is divided in an upper and a lower section. Thre are some holes in this divider fot cables, but I will not use those, so I want to cover it with some acrylic with the holes in the spots I need them.

The radiator grill

I use an Aquacomputer radiator grill on top of the case, but I needs some pimping. There are also a reservoir and a Danger Den fillcap.

It all looks like seperate parts, another acrylic part will solve that. Started with this piece.

Finishing the edges of the acrylic part that comes at top of the case.

Only the edge of the acrylic will be visible underneath the grill, reservoirplate and the fillcap.

And from another angle

Not finished yet, the most difficult part will start now.

After making room for the radiator air, the fillcap and the reservoir.

It looks good, but it will look better with some leds.

I drilled holes in the acrylic and in the case to be able to place all the leds.

[Franklin]

wiring up the grill leds

The holes for the leds.

putting the leds in and wiring them up

Only wired the kathode, the anode needs to be wired as well.

What is the general idea for mounting the leds? From top down

1. Aquacomputer grill
2. acrylic plate
3. aluminium from the case
4. another acrylic sheet

something like this.

All these leds ( and lots more in the rest of the case ) need wires and resistors.

To orden the wires a bit I made something simular for it like the hoseseperators.

and mounted it in the case.

Let's see what it looks like in the dark.

[Franklin]

The case is ready for the other leds. I found the perfect LED holders, chromed.

The first LEDholders are in place.

I think these holders look great with the overall style from the mod.

and the leds that will light up the LCD cover

LEDholders between the PSU's

and two LEDS under the pumphousing

Two LEDS in the compartment of the PSU's

Because the room between the aluminium is very small for all the cables I need to shorten every cable when possible. Like the cables to the harddisks.

shortened them a bit.

and reconnect the wires.

This computer will be for daily use. All the light effect are nice, but I want to be able to switch the lights on and off. Isn't very difficult to do. I've got soom room at the back of the case for the switches.

The only problem is the see through acrylic. Now it is possible to see all the wiring behind the aluminium covers. No problem. Just use some stuff that is normally used for blinding windows.