# "Station 6" first modd



## GuavaSauce (May 29, 2011)

Good day!!! this will be the start of my first case mod. the name comes from what a pal and i say when its time to go home, " heading to station 6". readily fueled on monsters and ding-dongs, ive already put some work in on the frame. the blue prints are spread across some paper and in my head, so sorry no foreshadowing. pictures will come soon.







Parts: MSI Xpower BB
         i7 920 @ 4.2
         12gb G.Skill PI mem w/fan (must be modded)
         1 xfx 7970
         Creative titanium fatality pro sound card (something or other) 
         TT tough power 700
         2x 300gb raptor raid 0 
         4 60gb SSD's 
         2x MCR420 rads
         MCP 655b
         EK supreme HF
         1x EK full cover gpu block
         8x Yate Loon hi speed
         8 port fan controller
         odd 1/2 id comp fittings and tube
         30' aluminum angle, 2x 36"x36" sheet aluminum
         dremel, speed square, file, and mapp tourch.

these items took me a while to aquire due to my budget (wife) but now that i have it, the building begins. also, there are a couple things im still looking at, so ill add them as they come. cig time, pics to follow.


----------



## MT Alex (May 29, 2011)

Great looking set of parts, and welcome to TPU

And, no offense, but I have been waiting to use this pic since I found it


----------



## GuavaSauce (May 29, 2011)

That pic is completely awesome!


----------



## GuavaSauce (May 29, 2011)

ok, i took a quick break for pics and panda express.

some of the stock peices and some done ones. no big deal.





heres the base of the frame, its gonna be 22x11x20 (lxwxh) 2 more of these to make.






some of my handy machining work done with a dremel, file and a square.





here is a bead (blob) i need to fix. it cracked while evening up the slots for the supports. notice, the corners are cut for the supports in this pic. and yes, that is an ammo can.





a lesson learned, im going to cut the slots before brazing the box. its going to make things a bit easier i think.


----------



## GuavaSauce (May 30, 2011)

ok so, between forgetting, then remembering that i dont really like playing MoH a couple of times, i have a bit more.

but first, these items keep dumb people like me with 10 fingers and both eyes.




.....too bad i wasnt wearing shoes or socks.......ill learn one day.

and now a slight tale in picture format:








and this:





dont mind the holes in my shiftey braze job......i remember steel being much easier, and i just figured aluminum would be too......oh well. 

see, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade, and offer him some. and when he goes for it, splash it in his eyes then kick his ass!!!

tomorrow im off to wally world for some "mill it, drill it, grind it". it will fix 'er up, and fill another idea i have anyway.


----------



## GuavaSauce (Jun 8, 2011)

ok, so its been a rough 2 weeks, and next week is gonna be worse. im in the middle of teaching a class on MK154 (USMC) and will have some time this weekend to post you guys up. 

verbal update: the first box snapped durring drilling, NO BIG deal though, i already made a new one and am re-fitting the panels.



not dead!!!!!


----------



## GuavaSauce (Jun 29, 2011)

OK back from my time in HADES!!!!!!

things were coming left and right these past couple weeks, but it all pays off when 1750lbs of c4 goes off 60 meters from you. 

so heres a short update, the original frame has since failed and surely felt some wrath...jk i salvaged some of it. but i made a whole new one with the same numbers so the panels would still fit (and they do). also, ive been able to coax the machine shop at work into cutting my last set of panels on the water jet so as soon as thats done and in my hand, ill tap and mount some things and get some picks in here.


----------



## JrRacinFan (Jun 29, 2011)

**Subscribed**

Will be watching this thread! Keep up the good work!


----------



## GuavaSauce (Aug 8, 2011)

ok update time. where im sitting right now, im waiting on another sheet of aluminum to finish the mobo tray and the top hatch. after that, its just cuts, and mounting.

heres the cut out i made for to bolt the rads to, its gonna sit on top.





heres 3 angles of the new frame i made, with a psu cut out in the back and with the top sitting on.


----------



## mATrIxLord (Aug 9, 2011)

sub'ed.... this build is looking really good... keep the good work up..


----------



## GuavaSauce (Aug 16, 2011)

UPDATE!!!!!!

so, here is a couple pics of my paint shop and a couple of the pieces. my paint shop is pretty pro, at least, thats what the pros tell me........... also, i have some more parts coming in to add to the glory that this might be (if i dont dick it up). im pretty sure ive decided the colors, and the lay out of things. as niticed below, the i/o shield came in today so i got to work and made the cut out for it and lined it up to the mobo tray. everything there is solid, now im going to start work on the actual cut outs and fits for the tray itself.
(bottom panel)









(rear i/o with psu)









and heres a couple of the top rad mount area, its painted, but not in these photos.


----------



## PhysXerror (Aug 16, 2011)

Looking good dude, Subbed!


----------



## GuavaSauce (Aug 16, 2011)

thank you!!!

gonna try and do as much as i can this week cause i have to take off for two weeks on sat, but everything i ordered should be here when i get back, so it "SHOULD" be just mounting and painting. (and a little water jet action)


----------



## GuavaSauce (Sep 12, 2011)

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!! update time.............
ok, so right here we have  the divider i made for the top 8 fans. i figured, why have a 8 channel FC if its not gonna matter if i turn up on bank or not? so.....its mounted and  meshed up with the front and rear panel, now i just need to trim and fit the "hoods", cut the fan holes, and attach with the cool hinges i got.

notes: im not gonna mount the front panel till i have the lexan and cut out done on it, as with the mobo tray, the stand offs are drilled, tapped and match up, but i need to fully finalize the lay out before i fully commit. still kinda shooting from the hip on things.........i HATE plans.











And here is one with a hoods (unfitted) for imagination purpose.


----------



## MT Alex (Sep 12, 2011)

Things are starting to shape up nicely.  The sanded aluminum looks nice, reminds me of a Delorean.  Did you use the old blocks and claps method to bend your hoods?


----------



## silkstone (Sep 12, 2011)

looka good - subbed


----------



## GuavaSauce (Sep 12, 2011)

@Alex- no, i have a 30" brake bender, and im glad i did cause bending the sheet was actuall kind of tough. almost pulled the mounting bolts through the table i have it sitting on lol.


----------



## GuavaSauce (Sep 20, 2011)

here we go again!!! 

for this update, im showing what ive done with the hoods that mount over the radiator area. i dont have the spring hinges on yet, that will be this week though.

here, the fan screw holes are already drilled, and im using a old fan shroud as a template to trace and cut.









this is an example of what the gods eat. daily. if they dont, theyre wrong. best tuna ive ever had.





here we have the crude opening cut with ye' ole dremel tool. very rough and need some file action.









and now a mock up of what its gonna (baring murphy's law) look like when its done. dont mind the gap in the middle of the two, they fit nice and snug, just sitting there right now though.













enjoy.

ps- dont seem to get too many comments, do i smell funny?


----------



## MT Alex (Sep 20, 2011)

It's pretty easy for threads to slip through the cracks when they aren't bumped during prime hours.  I know that I usually only hit the New Posts button, and don't sift through all the categories unless I'm hunting for something.

Don't get discouraged, I'm sure many people look but don't post.  Nice work, by the way


----------



## Altered (Sep 20, 2011)

I just get sick looking in the case modding. I pretty much F up when I try something like this. I want it to look like most of you guys and it actually looks like crap. So its depressing. 

As usual Nice work! Wish I could get one to look like I picture it in my head.


----------



## GuavaSauce (Sep 20, 2011)

alex im not getting discouraged, im just clowning around!!! thanks though.

Altered, if i have a dime for every time i dorked something up on this build alone, i would have dual 6970's instead of 5870's. 
i guess you just need to take it slow and see what you can and cant do to make things happen.  a single hoods alone took me 3 hours from a bent piece of aluminum to a matched up, cut and holed item, and its still not done. i even take out the old hacksaw if i feel i need to be more precise on something. vise grips and a steel speed square for straight lines works wonders, and a dremel works better in multi pass cuts if you ask me. ive been working on this thing for a couple months now and its still got a ways to go. feel free to chat me up and ill assist you if possible, however, im far from a metal worker, and really getting lucky flying by the seat of my pants.


----------



## GuavaSauce (Oct 11, 2011)

Hey peeps!!! got a few more pictures to show off now that the BF3 beta is over. i still got a couple things done during it, but not nearly enough lol. so....;


what we have first is an end to those UGLY rivet heads on the outside of the case. they really bugged me, and i had to get rid of them.
here we have the rivet recessed into the panel. all i did was head to home depot for a wood dowel bit, it has a nice flat face to work with and a collar for depth.









after i re-posted them, i used a dremel grinding head to clean off anything poking over hole level, and filled it in with good ole JB.









now, after it hardend, i took it back down level with a grinder, and there it is. LOOK MOM, NO MORE RIVETS!!!!





i also put in some work on the front panel. its almost ready to be painted but i have to wait to mount the mobo tray to do so. no biggy though, its gonna be done here next weekend and everything will be primered, mounted, and ready for final coat/components.

















you can see a couple spots where i got too busey with the dremel and over cut. no worries, JB fixed that too, cant really tell from the pics though. but it will really shine when i airbrush it.
till next weekend, stay classy san diego!!


----------



## alexsubri (Oct 11, 2011)

Looks amazing! Can't wait to see it finished


----------



## GuavaSauce (Oct 11, 2011)

haha you and me both my friend!!!


----------



## GuavaSauce (Oct 19, 2011)

AND AGAIN!!!!!!!! update time!!!!!!

what ive been up to now is fitting the mobo tray in and making the cuts for the perminent cable extensions that are going to mount to the backing. the 24,8, and four 6 pin extensions are going to snap in and run to the mobo, and the rear of them will poke out the backing for the psu wires to plug into. this makes it clean, and still swap-able.






also, if you can see it, there is some hole on the right side, those are going to be for the res, HDD's and a supplimentale PSU mounts.






also, i have the holes drilled in the hoods to mount to the hinges in the top....which the hinges are also mounted.     lol.   
i need to trim back the inner area of the hinges though, so they dont mash up with the fans.    this is what happens when you shoot from the hip.














note: i only had 2 nuts/bolts to spare for the pictures, so both hoods couldnt be mounted. but they are going to get ninja mounted anyway so no need for extra bolts.


----------



## PopcornMachine (Oct 19, 2011)

Impressive.


----------



## MT Alex (Oct 19, 2011)

*Station!*


----------



## GuavaSauce (Oct 21, 2011)

so yeah gents, looks like this weekend ill be finishing a couple more holes, (hopefuly get to the panels too),inside final paint, and maybe run the blue leds and sleeving for them.


----------



## GuavaSauce (Oct 31, 2011)

Good day!!! after a slow week, i have a couple more pictures to add.

first, is the extension for the fans. i didnt really like the original cables, and instead of going the easy route and just sleeving the whole thing and running it, i came up with another plan. figure, each knob is like a battery. one knob per fan, 8 knobs on front of case, right? well, i decided to instead join all knobs per side in a parallel curcuit through the extension and on to each fan. this way, i wont have to turn each fan up individually, as each knob will add more amps to the line, pushing that sides fans faster, while keeping the volts under control. 

also youll notice i painted the inside light gray, but its gonna take a bit more sanding till its ready for a good picture. but i lined up an extension on it for show.


----------



## GuavaSauce (Dec 23, 2011)

ahhh back again. so after a few (lol) weeks with out any updates, here are a couple more pictures.

what im doing in these is cutting out the 6 in the side pannels. and of course, it will be backed by plexi so no worries about the weak spots. also, im toying with the idea of leveling it off with acrylic after the paint is done. the 4 holes in the bottom there are for the air intake, and i have 8 of those 3 part fan filters to cover it. 









this little guy here is a oem case hdd rack. i cut out the top and mounted it in the case. probably gonna stick a fan to the side of it too.





here is the front, all filled and ready. just need to re-primer the sanded areas. the holes cut out are for the fan controler knobs and led's. and yes, it matches up perfectly.





what you cant really see here is the clamps and steel im using to here hold the rubber strips in place while the glue sets. ill add more pictures of that as it moves along.
so soon will be the other pannel cuts, primer, and mounting. love mounting.


----------



## GuavaSauce (Feb 21, 2012)

ok, here wee are again with another update. its been a while, but im close to finishing. without further excuses:

what we have here is the case screws i chose to use to keep the hood and panels secured, along with a rivet. (explained next)





i somehow (lol) missed my marks when lining up the panels, and it was a tad off, but enough so that my threads and holes for the case werent gonna work. so, after a lot of thinking, i decided to resize the case holes, and use a larger rivet as a threaded insert. all i did was remove the post, drill it out just a little, and tap the inside. then, i positioned the panel to center the insert, little epoxy, and a screw to hold it, and, BOOM!!!! perfect fits!!!





now, here  we are with the rubber seals in place (although dirty) and the hoods/panels in place (one side open for show). the tape is still in place cause i need to do the airbrushing on the outside (need to re-tape the hoods) and since i promised the evil dictator i live with to clean the garage before i paint, hopefuly ill be brushing this weekend. 

















also note, ive changed the hardware from 2x 5870's, to a single 7970, and added ssd's to my list, and ram/mobo change.


----------



## GuavaSauce (Feb 26, 2012)

paint!!!

got the paint done today, with clear coats. (still need to buff the clear)

so what i was going for was a smoke-ish look, now what i have and what i wanted may be two different things lol. little history on my airbrush skills..........this is it. this is the very first time i ever used an airbrush. i watched a few videos, picked up a wand, and this is what i came up with. 

i may have went a little heavy on the front, and whist deciding if i should re-shoot the front, i threw it aside and started laying clear. that made my mind real quick i suppose. hate sitting on the fence. anyway, heres five shots from some angles. the black squares are unbranded dust filters i got off ebay.


----------



## GuavaSauce (Mar 23, 2012)

almost done!!!!

apologies for my slackery, but heres a couple more. in these first picks, its just my airbrush, a clean slate, and the start....and thats it. i had full intentions of documenting the re-painting of the front, but, yeah....













then here we have a bit of the hardware mounted with the front panel done. i mounted the fan controler and the switches, but i still have one more switch to put in. and yes, one knob on the controler is currently UA, and will be handled accordingly upon retreval. all the front side cables are sleeved, now i just need to finish two 4 pin leads on the psu and the fans, then sleeving will be done. 





















this weekend i "should" have everything ready to fire up, to include the plexi backing and resin fill for the cut out items.
um....not to sure what else to put, so, ask em if you got em.


----------



## Fitseries3 (Mar 23, 2012)

i actually got some good ideas from this build. thanks


----------



## GuavaSauce (Mar 23, 2012)

do share!!!


----------



## GuavaSauce (Mar 25, 2012)

and in more news:

heres a huge milestone, water testing!!! its been running for about an hour with no leaks, but i did infact man-handle the fittings, plus i have a bit of experience with hydro/elec work. anywho, here it is.






i also put some more work in on the top, installing the fans and grills. 










note: in an ealier post, i chatted about running the FC in a parallel circuit. this only half works. the idea was to have each knob add a bit more juice, sending full power when all 4 knobs (per bank) are at max. however, turning a single knob maxes the fans attached. this leads me to believe the amps arent whats being governed by the potentiameters, the volts are. (i should have known this though) so, all knobs at minimum = .30A and a couple volts, but one knob maxed = .30A and 12V. makes me wonder if its just the fan wiring creating the resistance....and the leds for fan activity dont work properly. probably would work if i just ran a single power, and individual grounds. but, no harm, and i can always chat with the manufacturer and request some new cables to revert to a stock condition or text more (for money/shipping at worst).


----------



## MT Alex (Mar 25, 2012)

GuavaSauce said:


> heres a huge milestone, water testing!!! its been running for about an hour with no leaks, but i did infact man-handle the fittings, plus i have a bit of experience with hydro/elec work. anywho, here it is.



Don't tighten your fittings too tight or it will squish your O-ring out of alignment and flatten it so it won't work as well.  They should only be a scosche tighter than hand tight, otherwise you are risking a leak.

Looks great, you've made some serious progress


----------



## JrRacinFan (Mar 25, 2012)

Looks very nice Guava. Even if you didn't redo the front panel it would still looked kick-ass.


----------



## GuavaSauce (Mar 25, 2012)

thanks Alex and JR, its been a long road. almost a year, but of course not solid work everyday on it. i suppose the front could have stayed as was, but i though it was too dark. ill make up for it though, going to start my wifes case soon.

im making some room and rearranging my parts area, so as soon as im done there, ill add the LEDs and migrate the case upstairs. be ready for screens and final pics in the next couple days.


----------



## GuavaSauce (Mar 31, 2012)

well i suppose its time for some finished pictures. i dont have a cool picture area, but maybe ill see if i can scrap one together soon. so, here it is:

























as for OC results, i decided to sit at 4.2ghz with ht off. after doing tests and such, i was going to sit at 3.8 with ht on, and 1.39v, but i did some more playing around, and figure i really dont need ht. 4.0 and 3.8 were done with 200/20 and 19, while 4.2 is sitting at 200/21. remember, this is a c0 chip, so a lowly *1.43v* is required to maintain this speed! however, stress testing temps were great, only seeing the hottest core hit 69c. during bf3 the chip is in the 50's, so i suppose ill run her till she blows. i havent started on the gfx oc yet, i just maxed it in ccc. when i get back from this trip i have to take, (2 weeks) ill start in on that sucker. 

i took the raptor out and put a reg 300gb hdd that i use for general storage in, as im always saving and pulling files from it. the raptors are going to sit in a small 2 bay rack and connect through the esata pci plate that came with the mobo, and be use for fraps 'in stuff. good times!!!


----------

