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Wednesday, May 30, 2007

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PC Mod Project: Gen 8.5 (Part 22)

I didn't have too much time to work on the mod last night, but I did get some PSU sleeving done. I have a spare Newegg brand PSU (Rosewill) around that I may use in a PC for someone else. It's cheap, but it's both new and has black connectors!! I don't want the 'fugly' opaque connectors that come default on the PC Power & Cooling PSU, but I don't want those UV green ones because I also think they're ugly. So, black ones it is. This cheap little Rosewill PSU won't mind it if I... riiiipp. *wink*

And here's the ATX (with new black connector) and PCI-E cables I sleeved. I used UV green and black heat-shrink tubing as well as rubber wrap to cover the exposed cables near each connector:

I'll work on it more tonight and hopefully finish sleeving the other PSU cables. More pics and updates tomorrow.

Posted By cipher_nemo At 12:00 PM

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

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PC Mod Project: Gen 8.5 (Part 21)

I finished the wires for Bulgin switches/LEDs after chopping off the oversized quick-disconnects from FrozenCPU and installing my own, smaller ones. Here's a shot of the wires at that point of the project:

Components to complete LCD Readout wires and D-sub connector (sorry for slightly blurry pic):

Wires added to LCD Readout and sleeve cut...

D-sub pins added to end, half-way through inserting them into the connector...

D-sub all wired up, but still needs its housing...

Installation of D-sub connector into its protective housing...

LCD Readout is done! The only thing left to do is mount it on the window.

Test confirms all connections work. It switches on/off properly from relay, reads all fan RPMs correctly, reads temperature probes correctly, and shows warnings for temperature and fan RPM according to the thresholds I set.

I overcame a really annoying problem this weekend with lighting. It took a lot of my free time on Sunday to mount and wire-up the lights (mounting, wiring, sleeving, and D-sub connector, etc.), then it took most of my free-time on Monday to correct the problem. Yuck, what a time sink. *frown*

If only I knew more about some of the problems related to CCFLs before I started.

My problem: CCFLs are sold with wires that are cut to a specific length. If someone wants to increase the distance between the lamps and the inverters by doing their own wiring, the CCFL's brightness is jeopardized. I never knew this until I ran into that problem myself. One of my CCFLs was bright, but all of the others were dim.

The reason: The wires for CCFLs can create their own capacitance if they're too long (ie: operates as a capacitor). This not only creates electrical noise, but it also reduces the performance of the CCFLs. Lengthening the wires will dim the lamp, and lengthening the wires too much will cause them to partially light, or not function at all.

My solution: I researched this problem online quite a bit. I found solutions from individuals using CCFLs mostly for other applications. PC modding isn't an area of lighting where people lengthen their CCFL leads, let alone splice them at all. I decided to do the following, taking advice from various others to solve this:

Separate the lamps' two leads at least a couple of inches from each other
Run a ground wire along with each lead (advice suggested running a ground wire in between the leads to prevent capacitance build-up).
Seal the leads in a rubber or plastic wrap.
Add a ferrite core to the line to reduce noise build-up from capacitance.
If possible, shorten distance between lamp and inverters.

This means I spent Monday undoing all of the sleeving, heat-shrink tubing, wire connections, etc. What a pain. The price I pay for bright lights and my ignorance is quite high, lol. *grin*

Components used for D-sub to connect the lighting wires:

D-sub pins for lighting wires, along with completed D-sub for lights:

At this point, I realized the lighting problem as I stated at the beginning of this post. During this process of troubleshooting, I made a test lead to connect only one CCFL at a time between my D-sub connectors:

The test lead also helps add some length to each CCFL's leads, finding out how close certain lights were to not working (ie: one is bright at this time, but was dim when attached to the test lead). Using the test lead:

Grounding block added, since I will run a ground wire with each lamp's individual leads:

I opted for rubber insulation since it helps a little with induction (stops resonance), and has a super high dielectric voltage rating of 69,000 volts! Unfortunately this stuff is a little pricey. $10 compared to 60 cents for a roll of regular electrical tape. Electrical tape on steroids:

Instead of wrapping the wires, I opted to seal them in the rubber tape since they're so small. I got a good 1/4" of seal along the wire to reduce any potential voiding:

It doesn't look as nice as sleeving, but it's still laid out cleanly. I shortened the lighting wire lengths on the right (window) side of the case so that I could still sleeve them easily. I was able to get all of the right-side lights short without having the wires look bad or interfere with other components. The lights on the left side of the case are a different story. They need longer cables, and the additional length is just enough to keep them dim. I wired all of these up with my new method, which was tedious but showed impressive results.

I also installed extra HDD grounds since grounding to the 5.25" bays isn't easy with all of the undercoating and truck bed liner sprayed on the case. I could cut out an area for the screws to make good contact with the metal, but that's the easy way out of it. I prefer the classy route with ground cables. *wink*

Whoot! Lights are nice and bright now. I originally had the UV lights at the top of the case, but since this was too far to get them to light well (even with new method), I opted to move them so that their leads were closer to the inverters. The UV glow of the sleeving shows up well in person, but a camera shot of it is tough without turning off all of the other CCFLs.

Thanks again for watching my work log. Because of my earlier lighting issues, I didn't get as many steps done in my project as I originally wanted last weekend. Oh well, at least the lighting is completely done. On to other steps this week. *grin*

Posted By cipher_nemo At 12:00 PM

Friday, May 25, 2007

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PC Mod Project: Gen 8.5 (Part 20)

This project is really coming together now that the junction is done. Here's the final wiring and additional stuff I added to it.

Since the Zalman fan controller has a switch soldered to switch between 12V--off--5V instead of a normal open/closed circuit, I needed to add relays to my PC. I don't want to send 12V to my LCD readout (it runs on 5V) by accidentally hitting its switch to 12V position. Same goes for the CCFLs, in that I don't want to accidentally give them 5V instead of 12V, even if it won't hurt them much (it just shortens their life). So, I need to add relays to switch their isolated 12V and 5V circuits on/off from a source voltage.

I wanted to use larger relays because they 1.) handle more amps and 2.) have the larger quick disconnect mounts instead of solder-on ones. Reason: I want to have the ability to disconnect them, but mostly, I hate soldering! lol. My soldering skills are lacking, so the crimp-on connections have a more robust grab than what my solder points would have.

I bought 12V, 30amp max relays, even though the lights will only use may be an amp or two for nine tubes, and the LCD readout uses very few milliamps. The smaller size, 'electronics' classified relays for PCBs were only rated up to 1 amp, and they have solder points. Here's the ones I got plus a bunch of quick disconnects I had that fit, as well as a pic of when I cut off the screw-mounts since I'll be adhering them to the junction box cover with double-sided molding tape:

Completed wiring of relays (sorry for blurry pic, I have to start taking these from further away)...

D-sub connector for the LCD readout with the temperature sensors connected, then the completed D-sub connector, with (in order from left to right): temperature sensor leads, fan RPM wires, power (ground, ground, 5V, 12V).

Completed junction box with relays attached to cover:

I also completed the cable for the USB side-window mount. I cut the 4-connector dongle in half, then angled another cut to have each side match. I need the other USB header on my mobo for the 3.5" bay media reader.

Junction box installed, along with PSU:

I still have to:

sleeve the PSU and cut down cables that will be too long
...wire-up the switches using the FrozenCPU cables I bought. I'll need to chop off the quick disconnects they use because they're just too large, purchase smaller ones tonight, mount them, and sleeve the cables.
mount the lights and wire them up to their own D-sub
wire-up the LCD readout side of their D-sub connection
cut-out holes for LCD readout and USB connector in the side-window, then mount it
mount the mobo
run power to everything
connect northbridge fan to a female connector I already made for it (controlled by the fan controller instead of full power on mobo)
position thermal leads
tie down wires

Here's my wiring so far, including the media reader switch from external to internal USB connector (its end is hiding in this pic)...

I'll have plenty of time to work on it this weekend and finish everything (yes, finish everything!). It's a 3-day weekend for me, so I should have plenty of time if no new problems surface. *grin*

Posted By cipher_nemo At 12:00 PM

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

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PC Mod Project: Gen 8.5 (Part 19)

Exanimis mentioned on [H]ard forums:

"...CCFL tube wires will arc as you plug them into the inverter so possibly in this application as well."

That arc is most likely due to all the high voltage built-up in the inverter before you attach your CCFLs. Manufacturers recommend not powering up your inverters unless you have at least one of two CCFLs attached since it could damage the inverter. Those inverters are pretty simple devices, not nearly as intelligent as a switchable power supply to recognize no CCFLs are attached. If you're powering them up before attaching the tubes, don't get your fingers close to that spot marked "high voltage" unless you want to feel a mini taser effect. *wink*

Arcygenical mentioned on [H]ard forums:

"I'm a bit worried at the voltage [tolerances] of those parallel ports... I'm not sure if they can handle the 50kvac without arcing... Only one way to find out!"

Most D-Sub (D sub-miniature) connectors have a Dielectric Withstanding Voltage rating of 500 or 1000VAC. This is volts AC, not DC, which is a slightly different rating. AC voltage testing is more rigorous than DC voltage. I could only guess on the rated DC voltage, but I do know that PCBs alone can generally withstand a continuous 1000V every mm of thickness without crossover (arcing). Plastic is much more dense and can withstand much more per mm.

D-subs have exactly 1mm of plastic in between the connectors and completely cover the entire electrical contact (a small part of the insulated wire goes inside each hole in the connector). I found a spec sheet for an HDP-20 tyco Electronics D-sub connector that is exactly the same as the one from Radio Shack from what I can discern. It is possible tyco or another large supplier makes components for Radio Shack. Mine has a Dielectric Withstanding Voltage rating of 1000VAC. The only D-sub crimp connectors rated for 500VAC are the HDF-20 series which connects to a ribbon cable instead of using pins and wires.

tyco specs for the entire HD-20/22 line:
catalog.tycoelectronics.com/TE/bin/TE.Connect?C=10096&M=FINF&GIID=255&BML=10576,16358,17560,17773,17791

HDP-20 connectors overview with pics:
catalog.tycoelectronics.com/TE/bin/TE.Connect?C=10096&M=CINF&GIID=399&BML=10576,16358,17560,17773,17791

An EMPF.org article for Dielectric Withstanding Voltage testing of PCBs:
www.empf.org/empfasis/july04/help704.htm

So, my junction box should be safe from arcing. Still, I like to test things myself, so I hooked up a green and a UV CCFL tube to two different inverters (one of my "A" labeled inverters, and my "D" labeled inverter). Everything works fine when tested for 5 minutes. *grin*

Six of these bright CCFLs in my case is going to light it up like a green explosion, lol! This is taken with the other lights on:

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Luckily I'm not running 500kV AC through there to make a 100 foot arc in the air:
205.243.100.155/frames/mpg/500kV_Switch.mpg

Posted By cipher_nemo At 12:00 PM

Monday, May 21, 2007

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PC Mod Project: Gen 8.5 (Part 18)

I completed a lot of work over the weekend, but all of it was focused on fabricating the junction box. This box will hold all of the CCFL inverters, their modular connections, and the modular connection for the window-mounted LCD readout. I'm using 25-pin D-sub connectors (ie: good ol' parallel port connector) and one Molex connector for the junction box.

First of all, I'd like to give a big 'thank you' to Dremel for outstanding customer service. I sent in my flexi-shaft XPR accessory for repair/replacement when an EZ-Lock bit and the flexi-shaft bent during high-speed cutting. Dremel sent me a new replacement for the flexi-shaft, and an EZ-Lock bit, and a cool little free gift (Dremel keychain tape measure). Unlike all those other cruddy free gifts, this is a free gift I can actually use... imagine that! *grin*

Thank you, Dremel! Dremel took care of me, so now they have a customer for life.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I picked up some 24-gauge wire, a pair of 25-pin D-sub connectors (I purchased a second pair of male and female DB25s later) from Radio Shack. Yeah, I think Radio Shack usually stinks because they have a triple whammy in my book: poor quality, poor selection, and high prices. But, a D-sub connector is a D-sub connector regardless of where it's purchased and I didn't want to wait for it to be shipped.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I used a paint pen to cover the D-sub connector covers in black...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I had a spare 12-position, Euro-style binding-post block. To start, I cut off two pairs of posts. Later, I'll end up using five pairs.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

6 new, green CCFLs that I purchased earlier, plus 3 UV CCFLs left over from other mods with painted inverter boxes...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

The primary purpose of my junction box is to hide the ugly, plastic inverter boxes. Since the inverters will be mounted in a new enclosure, I can remove their circuit boards from the plastic crud. Bye, bye fugly plastic...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Matching up the lights to the inverters...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Labeled inverter boxes and lights to keep track of which one goes where...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

One final thing I wanted to do was was test the LCD readout to find out...

Question: Do I need to switch the 12V or 5V leads to power on and off the LCD readout?

Answer: 5V. I don't need to switch both, thank goodness (difference between 2 and 4 wires running up to the switch). It appears the 12V is only used to power fans via the fan connectors on the readout.

The readout beeps annoyingly when no fans are connected. Do all four fan connectors need to be connected to fans, or just one fan connected in order to stop the error beeping?

Answer: Only one needs to be attached. Others will show error on RPM, but no more annoying warning beeps.

Do I need to run my fans' power through the readout to get the RPM values, or can I just add the RPM signal lead?

Fortunately, I only need to run the RPM signal lead. It would be really annoying if I couldn't because I want to power the fans through my fan controller.

The LCD readout testing, as well as unloaded voltage test of the PSU...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Onto the junction box fabrication! I am using an old PSU box with a fan-less rear panel, since I wanted vents on the back for the inverters.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Both for looks and to better vent warm air, I wanted to make a slope on the top. I removed the top of the PSU box and measured my cuts...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Preparing to cut...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I want the side that doesn't show to be open to both access wiring easily and to give some room for fresh air to enter the enclosure. Here's the bottom and sides cut to size, as well as the two screw mounts bent down to match slope...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

As with the other parts of this case, I'm very compulsive about covering up unwanted holes and cut-outs in panels. I hate extra, unused cut-outs because it just looks lame to me. Marking aluminum panel to cover-up old AC power connector and voltage selection switch holes...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Cut piece of aluminum with little bits from the nibbler tool...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Double-sided automotive molding tape applied between steel and aluminum, and mounted with two screws...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I thought about using some of an aluminum sheet I have to make the top panel, but that didn't seem right to me. Instead, I decided to use acrylic for the top panel of the junction box. Partly because I want to play with bending at least one acrylic panel in this mod, but also because I want the retro look in this case as much as aesthetically possible. The old Atari/Apple II look of the sloped case, complete with a curved end, popped into my mind. I had a Tandy TRS-80 with the upgraded 32KB of RAM when I was a kid, so this brought back memories.

I had a spare acrylic panel leftover from a previous mod. However, once I drilled the counter-sinking of the second, top hole, I cracked it. Fortunately I had another piece of the same time of acrylic. This time, I took my time, drilled at the lowest speed, and took plenty of precautions. I was able to make it all the way through its cuts and bending without a single crack. Still, a small bit chipped off when counter-sinking the first hole. It wasn't much of an aesthetic problem, so I ignored it.

Acrylic...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Measurement for the scoring I'll do to make the cut for its width...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

It snapped just fine...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Drilling mount holes on the top...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Marking off cuts for connectors...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I used my Dremel to cut-out the sections for the D-sub and Molex connectors. I'm glad I saved my old cutting discs for finer cuts like these...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Time to bend some acrylic with a heat gun, gloves, a some patience. Since this will be my first time bending any type of acrylic, I'm using a test piece.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

It was pretty easy when I applied heat in a painting motion, putting constant, even pressure on the panel to bend down. Yet, I wanted to see how much heat the acrylic could take. I held the gun over a section of the test piece until it bubbled. I was surprised how much heat even thin acrylic can take...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Bending of the actual panel was easier than expected. I got the nice, rounded curve I wanted...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

After bending, I used my Dremel to cut off the excess on the bottom...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Junction box painting.

Weather was perfect on Saturday, and this will be the last painting I ever need to do for the mod. I got all of the painting done that day, just in time before it started to drizzle on Sunday with a humidity of 70+. I lightly sanded the metal, applied a coat of rust converter/inhibitor (because this is an old PSU enclosure that has some mild surface rust on the vents), sanded again, then applied self-etching primer, gloss black, and two layers of clear coat.

Self-etching primer...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Painted rear side...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Front and top...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Time to show some of the reflectiveness from wet sanding, polishing, and applying hand glaze. I only did this to the top of the acrylic panel since it will show the most. It's not nearly as good as the metal panels, but I'm happy with it for a component on the inside of the case...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Junction box wiring, part 1 of 2. Even inside internal enclosures, I like to sleeve all of my cables. *grin*

Some of the wiring pics are a touch blurry because I tried to focus too close, but most should be fairly crisp. I apologize in advance for that.

I mounted the CCFL inverters, each with three layers of molding tape to avoid grounding on the pins on the bottom of the little circuit boards. Next, I cut a majority of the wires I'll need with the connector ends to attach to the inverters. I also attached a few of the Molex connector pins.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Output cables are fitted with D-sub pins...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

First output cable being sleeved...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Other output cables made and ready to be connected...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

First cable added to D-sub connector (I can't put the heat-shrink tubing this close on all of the connections because of limited space)...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Completed 25-pin D-sub connector, using 18 out of the 25 pins...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Cables for inverter outputs attached...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Inverter power cables made (blurry pic, sorry, but best out of about 10 pics of this)...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Power cables attached...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

All of the cables for the CCFL inverters...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Posted By cipher_nemo At 12:00 PM

Friday, May 18, 2007

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PC Mod Project: Gen 8.5 (Part 17)

I didn't have too much time last night, but I did at least finish the rear fan. The mobo side of the fan has anti-vibration mounts that run through the entire width of the fan. The other side has individual anti-vibration mounts to the case and fan grills. Here's the pics:

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I should have a nice chunk of time this weekend to most of the case *knocks on wood*. I still have to do a few major items, but they shouldn't be time consuming. This is more of a reminder list for me than anything, but I'm happy to share info about this mod:

Re-sleeve the PSU. Possibly take off existing black sleeving, or sleeve over top if it looks good. I might cut a few cables short (such as the SATA power cable) if they never need to be long, even with future upgrades.
Mount the PSU.
Run cables for power and reset switch, power LED, and HDD LED from Bulgin Vandal switches to mobo.
Run black, rubber weatherstripping along front edge of case to fit small gap between front panel and case. This will keep air intake focused on passing through both mesh cut-out and around 5.25" bays.
Cut mounting areas for LCD readout, its own power switch, and USB connectors in acrylic window. Make wires 'modular' to easily disconnect only one wiring connector when removing the side panel. This might include purchasing a wiring harness similar to car audio harnesses for head units (dashboard-mount stereos).
Mount acrylic window.
Install green and UV lighting. Design an enclosure for CCFL inverters out of an old PSU box. Make it modular for power in and power out plugs. May be mod it with a nice slanted top to look like a wedge that slants down to the PSU.
Mount the mobo.
Hook-up remaining connections and do wire management.
Detailing, more hand glaze, and more pics.

Hopefully I can get at least up to step 6 done this weekend. Painting the modular CCFL inverter enclosure will make me wait for it to cure until I can mount it. I hate those inverters, because they're so fugly. This time I will remove the plastic crap, mount them in an enclosure, and make them modular (run cables from inverters to connectors on outside of enclosure).

Posted By cipher_nemo At 12:00 PM

Thursday, May 17, 2007

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PC Mod Project: Gen 8.5 (Part 16)

I've made a lot of progress on this mod since I first started with a Gateway 2000 case. It looks nothing like the original anymore... that should be a good thing, I think. *grin*

I'm ready to move onto the inside of the case, assembling and mounting components, and a whole lot of wiring management. I took off of work on Tuesday to volunteer as judge of elections for my local precinct, and took off Wednesday too to relax afterwards (Tuesday was a 20-hour day of continual work for me, ack). So on my Wednesday off, I finished up polishing everything that needed it except for the left side panel which won't need any wet-sanding or polishing compound (only hand glaze). I even got around to installing all of the drives (HDDs, DVD, and media reader), as well as the front fans and fan controller.

Here's two shots of the front of the system so far, and my work to get there shown below in additional posts...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Here's a pic of the side, windowed panel with clear coat, before any sanding, polishing compound, or hand glaze. Low reflection, but plenty of gloss...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

A mistake I made applying the last clear coat layer caused it to run. I added even more clear coat to chase the run down the side of the panel so I would only have to sand it at one spot. But that process also made it fish-scale. No problem though, just more work to sand it smooth again.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I sanded it smooth until I went through the clear coat in just a small area. I could sand it more and reapply clear coat, but this small, slightly uneven area won't show much once the panel is shiny. It will only distort the reflection it gives in this area a bit.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Half-way through wet-sanding the rest of the panel (not even yet)...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Almost completely even now without ever going through the clear coat. Whoot!

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Entire panel view of wet sanding results (area that was corrected is in the top right of the pic)...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Polished with polishing compound to get back that glossy reflection...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Hand glaze to get a deep, wet-look that might almost pass for a mirror-like surface. *grin*

The front panel is plastic, so it's extremely difficult and time-consuming to get a mirror-like surface from it. Attempting that with all of the angels of the front panel would make it even more difficult. I will at least make it a little shiny and glossy, with a wet look...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I've learned that Krylon Fusion paint that bonds with plastic is much more susceptible to fish-scaling when applying either enamel or acrylic on top. All it takes is one pass too many to have it crinkle-up on you a minute later. This bay cover crinkled after the final application of clear coat (first two, very thin, third medium build with 10 minutes of dry time in-between). I later sanded this cover down to the plastic and repainted it. It's currently curing, but here's the before shot of it (sorry for the blur)...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Media reader, DVD, and fan controller face plates...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Assembling of the DVD drive after painting its parts...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Assembling of the media reader after painting its parts...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Installing the front two fans were fun, even though a bit tedious. I like to keep my wiring tidy, and if I think something will be fairly permanent in the case, I will cut wire to exact length (with some slack). The front two fans are no exception. Here's a record of my front fan wiring job:

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I cut the fan's housing at the wire guide area (on the edge of the fan) to hold the larger wire housing with wire sleeving.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I mounted the standard fan grill with silicon-rubber, anti-vibration mounts, and painted the connector with a thinned-down, black paint pen. If you thin-down those paint pens by injecting water (for acrylic) or paint thinner (for enamel), then paint on like ink pens, but dry like paint. One completed fan...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

And some shots of the drive bay and front fans...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Posted By cipher_nemo At 12:00 PM

Monday, May 14, 2007

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PC Mod Project: Gen 8.5 (Part 15)

First, the boring stuff. I'm going to eventually place my slot bracket-mounted USB ports in the side window panel. More to come on those plans at a later update. Here's the bracket mount that came with my EVGA mobo:

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Some more of the less interesting stuff to get it out of the way. Here's the painting results on my paint booth from all of my work so far...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I've mounted the feet...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Some of the panels drying, before cleacoat but after black base coat...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I had to gather up all of my small parts (ie: face plates, bay slot covers, etc.) to be painted with either Krylon Fusion Gloss Black or Duplicolor Enamel Gloss Black...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I wet-sanded off all of the labels and black border on the Zalman fan controller's face plate to be successful in painting it with Krylon Fusion paint...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

And the small parts, painted with the gloss black base coat...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Clear coat applied...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

The top of the PC is my prototype for testing the paint, clearcoat, and polishing.

Gloss black base coat at different levels, including clear coat in one of the photos...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Reflection is present but weak from just clear coat alone. It needs to be wet sanded and polished.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Wet sanding of 1500 grit to level out clear coat just a little. I could have gone further, but I didn't apply an insane amount of clear coat, so I didn't want to sand past it. It's dull after sanding (as expected), but will be buffed back to a gloss with the polishing compound.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Reflection after polishing compound and hand glaze, with and without my camera's flash...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Reflection...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Here's a test of alignment for the left panel, front, and top...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Posted By cipher_nemo At 12:00 PM

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

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PC Mod Project: Gen 8.5 (Part 14)

I dumped the Krylon Indoor/Outdoor paint and bought 4 cans of Duplicolor Gloss Black paint. I know Duplicolor is part of the "Krylon Products Group", but the Duplicolor paint is truly of a better quality than Krylon paint (at least in my opinion it's better).

Here's a few updates of the painting so far.

All of the paint applied to the case is now cured. It consists of 1.) duplicolor self-etching primer, 2.) duplicolor undercoating w/ sound eliminator, and 3.) duplicolor black truck bed liner paint. Here's a shot with the truck bed liner paint applied:

Gen 8.5 mod pc

This does a nice job in protecting against scratches, and the undercoating reduces noise pretty well too.

Top of case with first application of filer primer sanded down:

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Rest of case taped off, and more filer primer applied:

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I wet-sanded the side panels with 600 grit to remove the minor Krylon runs, then applied some of the regular duplicolor primer. I then wet-sanded the primer with 1500 grit. They're nice and smooth now.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I completed the first application of duplicolor gloss black, and it looks pretty good so far. I will post those pics soon. I will also paint more tonight, and may be even get around to the clearcoat.

Posted By cipher_nemo At 12:00 PM

Monday, May 07, 2007

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PC Mod Project: Gen 8.5 (Part 13)

I picked up some filler primer, edge molding, and feet for the mod.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

The bottom of the case is pretty well sealed up, but the rear of it doesn't currently offer enough space to mount the feet (it will also be uneven). So, I cut a strip of steel to help mount the feet. I originally was going to make it 7.5" wide, which is the width of the bottom without any side panels. Instead decided for 7.25" wide to roughly match the 17.6cm wide panel near the front.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

As with all of my attached panels, I'm using the molding tape to reduce noise from vibration before pop-riveting it to the case.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I installed this quickly since I was in the middle of painting...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Line-up of feet before painting...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I need to fill the holes on the top of the case since this will be both serve as both the inside and outside panel on top. I painted the case with self-etching primer before doing the Bondo work, because I needed to protect it from surface rust. While sanding, I was also able to grind down the pop rivets a bit, since the three in the back will need to stay. Now they look flat.

I missed taking a photo of it before sanding, but here's what I have, ready to be painted...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I laid down a few coats of self-etching primer, then lots of filler primer to get an even, smooth surface ready for sanding. There are two little bumps from these annoying tree seeds that were flying through the air that day. I'll sand those out, then it will be ready for the top coat.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Since I was already adding Bondo to the case, I thought I might as well fill in all those extra holes in the front to have it look a little better and improve airflow. As with Bondo on top of the case, I used aluminum tape on the reverse side to hold the Bondo until it cures.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

This took a lot of sanding, so I pulled out an electric detail sander to help me get through it. Holes filled and body filler sanded down even with surface...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I'm on my third filter now, as they get clogged quickly with the filler primer. Used (mostly from self-etching primer) and new filter...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Now with a base coat of Fusion paint (to bond with plastic), I used filler primer on the front panel to build-up areas...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Filler primer will help cover scratches and minor defects in the surface. It's working great so far, but it's pretty soft stuff until it cures. Sanded down, ready for more filler primer...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Wet sanding with 1500 grit for side panels...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I'm very unhappy with Krylon paint. It's supposed to go on "smooth" according to the marketing on their can, but it looks more like stock paint for a PC from Antec than automotive quality "smooth" paint. After multiple thin coats, I also don't like how the paint looks. It really looks like a "rattle can" paint job... uneven. I never have this problem with Dupli-color paint.

Also, this Krylon paint claims "no runs, no errors..." etc. on the can, but the crap runs when applied just a little too close. I never have that problem with Dupli-color paint, and I certainly don't have that problem with Rustoleum paint. I don't like Rustoleum paint because it's too thick, but at least that stuff doesn't run like the Krylon junk. I didn't have any problem with the Krylon Fusion paint for plastic, just the regular Indoor/Outdoor Krylon paint. I now have two tiny runs on the left side panel.

I'm going to switch, so I'll be sanding down what I have to get it smooth again. Here's the Krylon gloss black paint on side panels (only 2nd coat)...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Fortunately, I was very impressed with the Dupli-color Undercoating paint. It went on smooth, despite its high rubber content, and didn't run or look blotchy. It took the entire huge can to cover the case completely plus two test strips I made earlier. I'm very impressed with it. Today (Monday), I will cover the undercoating with the truck bed liner paint to get it a cleaner, non-scratch surface. The undercoating is only to stop noise.

Here's the case so far (upside down)...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Since I'm going to switch paints for the exterior, and I'm open to choosing a color scheme other than black for the outside, any suggestions? I'd like to try one of Dupli-color's Metalcast colors, because I've never used it before. Anyone have experience with those? I'm up for any color, including black, that will go well with the black interior and green highlights such as sleeving and cold cathodes.

Posted By cipher_nemo At 12:00 PM

Friday, May 04, 2007

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PC Mod Project: Gen 8.5 (Part 12)

I've been doing some last minute things to the case before painting, including covering all of the holes on the bottom. I'm not fond of having holes in the bottom of my PC. Not only does the notion of holes settle well with me, it also allows noise to escape the case if the hole(s) are considerable in size. One of the holes is, so I'm doing that one with a cut piece of steel, and the other holes are small, so I'm using an aluminum step flashing panel there. First the flashing.

Here's the holes to cover...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I measured and mark the size of the panel I want...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Cut it with a nibbler since the flashing is so thin...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I applied automotive double-sided molding tape to the entire surface of the panel, then stuck it on the case. The flashing is so thin, that it wouldn't work well trying to pop-rivet or bolt it to the case.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Next, the big hole in the front portion of the bottom. This used to be a cut out for the cover's metal clamps to slip into the case. Since the case is flipped, and since I now have two side panels instead of one cover, there's no need for this huge, rectangular hole.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Measured, marked, and then taped since I will be cutting this with a jigsaw to speed things up a bit...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Cutting...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I am also covering this panel's mount side with molding tape. I love how that stuff helps deaden vibrations. Since this is a steel panel, I'm also pop-riveting it to the case. Here, I drilled out two pop-rivets that attach the 5.25" bay to the case. I will be using these points to connect the new panel, case, to share the same pop-rivet hole...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Pop-riveted, and then marked for two more pop-rivets...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Drilled with steel 1/8" pop-rivets ready (similar size to the metric ones on the case)...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Done...

Here's a view of the case's bottom. After painting is complete, I'll mount four rubber feet, two on top of the new panel, near the front, and two at the back edge.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I have plenty of self-etching primer to apply, then sand to a smooth base for the rest of the paint.

Side panels after 3rd application of primer...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Panels after 1st application of primer...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Backside of window panel's clamps...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Here's the case, ready to be painted. I 'm using a couple scrap PCs to prop it up inside the booth. I don't really feel like taking the case apart to paint each panel (did that on my last mod). I'm applying some thick undercoating and truck bed liner, so getting it back together after that could be a nightmare; there's little tolerance for where areas pop-rivet together.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

1st application of primer (I put screws into the mobo standoffs to keep them unpainted)...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

For the front panel, it's no where near finished, but I needed to apply some Krylon plastic fusion paint to see what areas need more Bondo, and what areas need just filling primer. It's not bad, but it's far from a near-perfect smooth, glossy finishing. I'll be sanding it a little and then applying some more Bondo.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Booth after half of the painting shown above...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Filter after front and side panels (still good)...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

The case and 2nd/3rd application of primer for the side panels was the last thing I painted, and that finished off the filter. I have two more filters before I need to grab another set.

Some things I still need to do before any more painting...

Sand inside edges of window panel. They've only been evened with a metal rasp, but I didn't want to wait any longer to get the primer on it to check for unevenness.
Fill holes on top panel of case. Now that the self-etching primer is on, I can add Bondo to the holes and smooth it out some. This will be the exposed top panel, so it needs to look like a solid plate with no extra holes.
Use Bondo and Filling primer on front panel and sand.

More updates soon, as I'll be working on it this weekend.

Posted By cipher_nemo At 12:00 PM

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

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PC Mod Project: Gen 8.5 (Part 11)

I got quite a bit of work done today since I took the day off (it started ugly with a migraine-like headache). I was able to work a few more hours because of it. *grin*

I purchased an 1/8" thick acrylic panel (24"x18") and had Lowe's cut it for me to 18 1/2" by 12 5/16", which will make the window and leave 1/2" hang-over all the way around it. So I also bought some 1/2" automotive double-sided molding tape to mount it. I've had much better luck with this type of mounting for acrylic windows than anything else, including screw-mounting and hot-glue. The molding tape is thick, absorbs vibration, and keeps its hold even though varying temperatures, humidity, and weather. I also got some cheap UV green wire ties and an anti-vibration PSU mounting thing in UV green in the mail.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I tested my new PSU and temp/fan status LCD readout. I'll make a switch to turn this readout on and off; I'm not sure I'll want it on all the time. I'm going to mount down low in the acrylic window. I'll most likely make a box for it first to hide wires and make it modular. I love the variation of backlight colors and how easy it is to read! The photo I took doesn't do it justice (the light is so bright is almost bleaches out my camera's white point, making the text difficult to see).

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Time to test what I will use to paint the inside of the case. I tested both the Automotive Undercoating paint and the Truck Bed Liner paint, to see which was best at absorbing sound, resisting scratches, and which one generally looks better.

Test panel...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

One strip of each on bare metal, then self-etching primer base above...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

All four test strips...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

The undercoating won me over in every aspect except looks; it was a very dull, washed-out black color. The bed liner looked great, but didn't stop noise too well (ie: tapping painted areas with a metal object to check noise from vibrations).

The more layers I apply, and the longer I let each layer cure, the better they are at resisting scratches. This is a photo of a short cure time test for scratches, which shows how important a layer of self-etching primer is for bare metal.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I eventually let it cure for a few hours. I even tried multiple layers. I'm the happiest with a couple thin coats of self-etching primer, one or two coats of undercoating paint, and two or more coats of bed liner paint. Putting on multiple coats of bed liner paint with long cure times resists all but the hardest of scratches. Having a layer of undercoating helps dampen vibrations, thus reducing noise.

On to finishing the prep work for the left-side panel. I used an orbital sander to strip all of the existing paint...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

Then I covered it with a rust inhibitor spray. The blackened areas are where the inhibitor put a halt to oxidation. These areas would have flash rusted on the surface if not eventually treated. The front and side panels are ready to be painted.

Gen 8.5 mod pc

In order to achieve a nice paint job, I need a clean area to hang-up panels and remove over-spray. I created a paint booth for my previous mod, but it was huge at 8' wide and 6' tall. So I cut it down a bit to 4' wide and 6' tall. I'll only be able to do 2 panels at one time compared to 4 panels with an 8' wide booth. But for this mod, that will work just fine. This is from my earlier design found at

www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Paint-Booth-in-Your-Garage
and
forums.pcapex.com/member_modding_tips_and_guides/84010-poor_mans_walk_in_paintbooth.html ...

Gen 8.5 mod pc

I decided to go this route of noise dampening for a few reasons:

Variety. My previous mod was regular paint (copper for interior), so I wanted to do something different. It was a chance to check out this stuff since I don't see too many others attempting it. So, a win for everyone if it works well.
Price. I did consider things like Dynamat, acoustic foam like the popular modder MNPCTECH uses, and the stuff sold on modding sites. It would probably work well, but it's expensive compared to automotive undercoating and/or truck bed liner paint.
Coverage. With the paint, I can cover absolutely every piece of steel on the inside of this case. With acoustic foam, I might be limited due to space concerns in tight areas.
Dampening vibrations vs. absorbing sound waves. The acoustic foam is great for absorbing sound waves, but it doesn't dampen vibrations on the surface it covers very well. Dynamat and other types of sound deadening material do, but then they lack absorbing sound waves. I really only need to stop vibrations since direct noise from sound waves will be minimal with my HDD silencers and low voltage on the S-Flex fans. The only ones I'm worried about are on my video cards. I will have to live with their additional fan noise until I can switch to 8800 series. The A/C cooler is decently quiet, and my Silencer PSU is very surprisingly very quiet for an 80mm fan exhaust.

I hope it works well and we'll all see the results whether it lives up to any expectations or not for sound dampening.

Posted By cipher_nemo At 12:00 PM