Cooler Master Haf XB Harley Davidson Mod

[tastegw]

Thanks guys!


Some planning updates:

After much thought about the progress thus far, I am pleased with everything except the front panel.
I have decided to outfit the front panel with diamond plate only leaving the edges as that plastic.

With this change, I have purchased a new power button:

With orange led

Front plate will feature minimal, meaning, only 1 button, 1 drive, and of course the two intakes fan/slots.
I will use the bottom drive.

Other items arriving:

New case screws

Two 5mm LED harnesses 2-pin

Orange LED light to shine on (down the seem) etched window

Two Harley badges

And if I do decide to take use of the second drive, it would be with this Lamptron FC10
(Not purchased yet)

Questions, comments, suggestions welcome

 

[tastegw]

A couple of purchase updates while I'm still a week from home:

Cooler Master Silent Pro Hybrid 1300w to start things out:

I don't think I'll be using that controller, i have poor hearing as it is, 100% is fine with me.

Next up is the CPU cooler
Kraken X60 by NZXT

This will be my first ever product bought by these guys, so I hope this cooler does a nice job

The original light I wanted to glow my etched window suddenly was in stock

And some cool looking Willie Skulls

And most importantly, I'm taking advantage of my time down south with an awesome lunch from my favorite fast food joint in the world.

I'll resume the work in about 7-10 days
(Ima truck driver)

Enjoy for now!

 

[tastegw]

Hehe, I've never had waffles with my chicken, I'll try it sometime

Airflow plans for this build after completion ( note side venting not shown )

I have came up with a temporary build to put in this rig once I finish the modding

Intel i7 3820
NZXT Kracken X60 (owned)
ASRock X79 extreme 9
EVGA 660ti FTW in twin SLI
Geil Enhance CORSA DDR3 16GB
Cooler Master Silent Pro Hybrid 1300w (owned)
OCZ Vertex4 SSD (boot)
Random high capacity storage drive ( not very important )
Random BR/DVD drive

The GPU's come with EVGA backplates

That I plan on painting orange
Also adding a orange pin stripe on the card cover

The motherboard seems to have some appearance modding options also

Only if I can remove what I want

The Ram isn't the best, but will be plenty fast

Plan on replacing cpu with upcoming 22nm chip
Plan on replacing GPU's with upcoming 780's if performance gains over 680's is more than 25%

See u soon

 

[t77snapshot]

Aww it's a bummer you were never able to get you hands on this board..

It would have looked perfect

**and I speak for both of us**

 

[PatoRodrigues]

Man, if you could get your hands on a UP7....

Your build would be complete, then.

 

[tastegw]

Ya, can't find it anywhere

 

[tastegw]

Small purchase update:

4x Yate Loon 140mm 140cfm fans for my Kraken

Since I have no filtering left over, I will use this (by silverstone)

Mounted on bottom in the same manner the PSU filter is mounted, easy in easy out (pull out)

After being advised on airflow direction, the rad will suck in from bottom instead of blowing out.

Until next time, enjoy.

 

[tastegw]

Finally home again, will begin working tomorrow.

A ton of packages were waiting for me though, after opening them all:

Geil Enhance Corsa DDR3 1600 16GB (4x4) Quad Channel with Orange HeatSinks

OCZ Vertex 4 128GB SSD (something tells me ima like this, wish it was bigger though)

Asus external BD Burner USB 3.0

4x 140mm Yote Loon 140CFM fans

280 Filter by Silverstone (magnetic)

Custom Etched Acrylic (looks amazing in person, great job by my source to be unnamed just in case of copyrights) (will demonstrate the effect tomorrow)

Cooler Master Silent Pro Hybrid 1300w PSU

Kraken X60 AIO by NZXT

Power Switch

Harley Accessories ($80 for these ;/)

Also in but not worth a picture "yet":
Clear Acrylic Panel
Amber Acrylic Panel
3mm Amber Sleeved Led's
3mm Amber Spotlight
5 Led Lazor Light (to shine down the seem of the etched window)
3"OD Racing Pipes (these will not be used in this build anymore)
120mm COUGAR fan (rear exhaust replacement)
2'x4' Brushed Aluminum Panel (will cut this up in 3 parts tomorrow)
4x Bullet Style bolts
2tb HD by Toshiba
Windows 7 OEM
3" and 2" etching letters/numbers

cant wait to get started again tomorrow.

 

[tastegw]

32 incoming photos of my progress this mid day and last night:

first thing I could do last night was to remove the front panel ports

I decided I may need the usb connectors, so I took those out

the rest of it will be tossed

did a little measuring for my 3 panels side/side/top

tested out my rad filter

it holds very well

the magnetic design

close up

then I began planning my new design for the front panel since I will be scrapping my previous design.

I will try to perform a miracle and set the power button inside of the willie skull

for a look of something like this:

front panel work began this morning:

I really wish I could get straighter lines with a dremel... but I guess that will have to do

cut completed

panel fitted in place

mounting holes

I cheated a little, ididnt need to measure here, I just used the outline of the holes that were never drilled into the backside of the front panel

holes completed

those bullet style bolts I bought, just a tad too big, my attention to detail failed me again here, they hang off the edge just a few hairs, so I will need some new bolts for the front panel, oh well

next up was to figure out just where to drill my 5" holes for the fan mount grills

with the help of no template, I had to rely on good old fashioned mathematics, I think i got it right

all in place so far

so now I could mark my grill mount holes

plan seems to be coming along well

now for some experimental cutting, never tried anything like this before

I was very nervous about this, as there wasnt any room for error because there were the only two flame cutouts I had

I first started with a grinder, using the dremel, but that was getting very hot, it didnt like the chrome. so I broke out the old strait line metal cutter and tried to work wonders, I think it came out well

sanded the edges a lil to get the rough out

did i crop this photo wrong?

both pieces done, woo

as you can see, I need to go back and grind a lil on the right piece, no biggie

front panel nearly completed

just need some sanding, some priming, some painting, and some polishing (and a few drill holes)

will update with more later on today hopefully

enjoy

 

[erixx]

Wow, you will be able to sell this to some official HD shop and they will pay you everything.

 

[erocker]

You do my city proud tastegw.

 

[brandonwh64]

You do my city proud tastegw.

Good ole "wiskanson"

 

[tastegw]

side panel vent work:

here are how they look out of the package

what I needed to do was to remove the middle so that they would work as actual vents

so I began cutting from the backside on the first piece

turns out, i didnt need to cut anything, the only thing holding the middle in was that 3M double sided tape, boy these were made cheaply, but I had already cut into the first one and saw some blemishes that would be hard to fix since these are ABS plastic

wish I would had known before hand that the middle inserts just pushed right out with some elbow grease

so anyhoot, I went to buy a new pair so that I would have 4 perfect side vents with no blemishes

the one on the far right has been replaced, that was the one that I took the dremel to.

this will fit on the side panels above the exhaust pipes, I will be using part of the front panel modders mesh to use as my screening behind these after they are mounted.

will update later on
enjoy

 

[tastegw]

thanks guys!

as promised, I would hook up the lazor light to my current rig to show effect on etched window.

boy am I disappointed to learn not only was the so called "spotlight" a crap shoot, but 3 of the 5 bulbs in my lazor (i know im spelling it wrong, its just how the makers spell it) light are dead,

so with only 2 working bulbs, this is all it could do, I really need another solution, something stronger.

2 working bulbs, 3 dud bulbs...or im doing something wrong?

not the effect I was looking for, a stronger light(s) would help out.

so can anyone link me to a good quality orange/amber light that will illuminate my window the way it was meant to be?

thanks all.

 

[n0tiert]

thanks guys!

as promised, I would hook up the lazor light to my current rig to show effect on etched window.

boy am I disappointed to learn not only was the so called "spotlight" a crap shoot, but 3 of the 5 bulbs in my lazor (i know im spelling it wrong, its just how the makers spell it) light are dead,

so with only 2 working bulbs, this is all it could do, I really need another solution, something stronger.

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/tastegw/IMG_1192_zps8767a625.jpg
2 working bulbs, 3 dud bulbs...or im doing something wrong?

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/tastegw/IMG_1191_zps03621975.jpg
not the effect I was looking for, a stronger light(s) would help out.

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/tastegw/IMG_1193_zps5bc190f8.jpg

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/tastegw/IMG_1195_zps358fc0f6.jpg

so can anyone link me to a good quality orange/amber light that will illuminate my window the way it was meant to be?

thanks all.

i dunno where u located but may u find some here

http://www.aquatuning.us

 

[tastegw]

Thanks guys for the nice comments

As for selling for a profit, I highly doubt I could pull that off, some sucker would need to pull out $750 or more for just the cast after its finished for me to make any extra bones.

today I got some panels cut and ready for work, I started by cutting out the top panel overlay:

I used a dewalt jigsaw for the cutting today

I then went to recheck the case after I had the top panel cut out
my case is torqued when stripped down, this is a nightmare!

when I lay my cut down on top of the case in its final resting place, it does not line up, even though my cut is pretty good:

but the good news is, the case untorques itself after the panels are reapplied, so everything should be fine once completed, but just in case, if something on the top looks off, im blaming CM!!!

so now was time to get my window lines drawn

using a fairly large washer for my rounded corners template

some measurements against the window placement

the top looks like its going to be off

so I have to cut my acrylic at the bottom about a half inch or so

after all lines and corners measured and drawn

it was time to cut out the window section, cut completed (minus sanding and grinding at corners to make them better)

4 corners, they need some work

ill get those fixed up tomorrow with a grinder, and while im grinding, ill grind out those flame cutouts a little better too.

next up was to get the two side panels cut out, this was pretty strait forward as they were the same size

setting it all in place thus far:

back tracking some, those chrome flames, they really tore up my metal cutting disc, here it is compared to a unused one:

maybe that is the result of trying to turn the blade as I was cutting.

other photos of my work today, didnt get them fit into the "story"

there, now I dont feel bad for uploading them to photobucket

anyways, I should get some more done tomorrow, things on my todo list:

grind the corners of the top panel to near perfection
grind the flame cutouts a little better
side panel aluminum cuts for the vents and exhaust piping
finish cutting the right side panel (case panel not aluminum)
drill 3/4" hole in a willie skull (if i can find a bit that big)

things I will get to the next time I am home since I ship out on Saturday:
placement of the 280mm rad, fan hole cutouts and filter placement
start mounting everything together to make sure it "fits"
strip it all down again and prime the panels ready for painting
painting
and etc that I cant quite think of, dont want to get too far ahead of myself.

enjoy!

 

[tastegw]

got a bit of stuff done today thus far:

I started this morning by getting the side panel vent cutouts ready

next was to get the modders mesh off the original top panel

but first i needed to get the mest off the panel, so i took the easy route

just broke off the plastic parts holding it in place

next i needed to cut them to size

and to see how it would look when finished

I also fixed the corners of my top panel, now I need to order some u-channel mold from mnpc

I then got some primer readied up for the top and front panels

will have more updates later this afternoon, i think I am past the halfway mark for this project log, so about 40% left to do i think, stay tuned.

 

[Pehla]

wana se how it finish up!! very impresive.. you make moding so simple...

 

[PatoRodrigues]

Your project is really amazing thus far, looking forward to see the final product. Hope you got those orange lights that you needed.

And as i said before, just a shame that you couldn't get a UP7.

 

[tastegw]

thanks u2, ya up7, where is mine at!!

last update for tonight and until I get back home from my next trip out starting tomorrow, be about 2 weeks.

finished the top panel, got the exhaust holes drilled into the side panels and gave them a few coats of black, as well as the front panel.

the exhaust pipes fit real nice in the side panels, i will have to get photos of that next time im back.

things left to do for this case mod:

• get final coat of black onto all the panels
• get some orange in there also, still undecided on what I want with that.
• clear coat the panels
• wax/polish the panels for a really smooth shine
• mount the panels
• mount the exhaust pipes
• mount the side vents and mesh
• instal u-channel in the top panel
• mount the window
• paint and mount the overkill grills
• install power button (either in the willie skull or above it)
• polish and mount the front artwork
• install custom made feet (will have more info on this later)

mods to do for the hardware:

• paint the backplate and cooler cover of the gpu
• motherboard work****(if applicable)
• mount the radiator and get holes drilled for it

hardware left to purchase:

• motherboard - leaning toward AsRock Extreme 9
• temp gpu - leaning toward anything with a backplate, perhaps a 660ti reference

current build still boxed up:

• Intel i7 3820
• Kraken X60 AIO cooler
• Geil Enhance Corsa DDR3 16GB (4x4)
• OCZ Vertex 4 128GB SSD
• Toshiba 2TB 7200RPM HD
• Coolermaster Silent Pro Hybrid 1300w PSU
• Asus External BR Burner

any questions or comments more than welcome, as I have 2 weeks to think about this project without being able to touch it.
Thanks!

edit: sorry, forgot to resize the images

 

[tastegw]

Case feet update:

Many of you know FannBlade, if you don't, he is an excellent metal crafter and modder from OCN. he has agreed to make me some custom case feet and a kickstand for my mod here.
I'm 110% sure that his work will be nothing short of fantastic. I or he himself will keep you posted on the outcome of his work.

When deciding on what kind of feet I wanted, I really didn't see any striking options, even MNPC's aluminum feet (while still being badass)
So I decided to ask for help. Incoming update(s) as soon as they are ready.

 

[tastegw]

Hi again, back home finally and got a lil work done today.

I began with making room for my Kraken, I needed to remove both front bays, the 5.25" and the 3.5"

I dont have a rivet tool, so I just drilled them out, that was a lil harder than I thought it would be, steel rivets are tough.

I began to play around with my 3.5" bays cause the case states I can fit 2.5" in there by doing something with the plastic snaps on the right side,....
I couldnt figure this out...will have to look more into that, or maybe i just need to open up my vertex 4 and see if it came with anything to fit it in a 3.5" slot

anyhoot, I was now ready to get my fan holes done

note on those fan holes, my hole saw pieces have just about had it, it my largest bit would not cut all the way through, so I had to resort to the ol jigsaw, these holes are not perfect, but the good news is, nobody will see that once the build is all together.

somebody remind me the next time I do this, to get a damned template to use, that would be much easier.

next up was to get the mounting holes ready for the top window.
this made me very nervous because this was not just any piece of plexi glass that came with a protective layer on either side, this was a laser engraved piece and those layers were removed well before it got to me, so I had to mask it up with my painters tape before doing anything

got the holes marked and drilled, and then mounted

top panel needs a re-finish, that last can of black I bought really sucked, so I went back to the kind that I knew was decent, no painting tonight, but I did get it sanded down to a smooth surface.

thats it for today, I also watched 2 movies, hit and run and 7 psychopaths, so that hurt my time a lil bit, but it was relaxing.

tomorrow, I plan on getting a lot more done:

refinish top panel, front, and side panels with better spray, adding in design
get "inside" side panels measured, cut, primed and finished
watch paint dry i guess, smoke some cigarettes, drink some dews, and try and remember what the hell else I was going to do

its been a long week for me, from Minneapolis, to Green Bay, to Indianapolis, to Lexington, to Chicago, to Dallas, to Des Moines, to my hometown in Lancaster County, PA ......my brain is fried, should be better in the morning.

have a good night.

 

[HammerON]

Your mod is looking amazing!
Keep the pics coming

 

[PatoRodrigues]

Your mod is looking amazing!
Keep the pics coming

+1. This rig is going to be AWESOME.

 

[tastegw]

thanks guys!

Today I got a ton completed, well it seemed anyways

I will break this up into two posts, have about 40 or so photos.


Lets begin with the front panel willy skull:

So I thought I would try and get a 3/4" hole in the top of the willy skull to slide my power button through as stated in an earlier posting, so I prepped with an X

Since I don't have a 3/4" drill bit, nor would I be able to properly perform this using a hole saw (which I do have that size) due to what this skull is made of, (weird combo, it appears to be aluminum plated steel)

So I started with a small bit from the box:

and just kept on going bigger and bigger

and bigger

and bigger

and bigger

until i reached a point that the largest bits didn't fit inside my drill,
so it was time to grind it the rest of the way out

not quite there yet

after about a while, I finally got what I was looking for

ya ya, i know it looks not so circular , but that's all good

it fits like a charm (don't mind the front of the skull being all dirty, that polished right up)

all in all, I spent about an hour and a half on this one piece, it was a challenge that I honestly didn't think was going to work.

I still need to drill a 3/4" hole in the front panel to mount the button, but here is how the front will look (unless I decide on changes, doubt it, but its still open)

next post for more: