# [Sponsored] NZXT BIO-MECHANICAL KHAOS Mod



## Bill Owen

I've been at the mercy of weather this week, so I haven't worked on the bezel. We're supposed to get in mid 40s today... "Get out your shorts and sun tan oil!"










I'm proud to announce that Cooler Master is sponsoring this build with a new Real Power M1000 Power Supply (RS-A00-ESBA).

I can confidently power whatever hardware I get from this point on ...lol

Photo Update: 2/24/09










Photo Update: 3/08/09










The KHAOS case arrives from NZXT!






































Worklog Update: 2/25/09 Link


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## EuroFix

Ha! For once I beat everyone








Another classic in the making


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## Swiftes

Yummmy.


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## kwanghyun

sexii case!!


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## CattleRustler

:watches:


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## noahmateen1234

:watches better:


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## Cod2player

So....whats the plan? Suspense







?


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## ErBall

Why choose such a cheap case?

JK I know that case is like 400 bucks. Good luck!!


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## Monkey92

I've seen tjharlow on youtube work on that case (I believe), it was quite cool. I look forward to seeing what you can do with it. Certainly some potential.


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## RAFFY

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ErBall* 
Why choose such a cheap case?

JK I know that case is like 400 bucks. Good luck!!

lol yes 439.99$ is sooo cheap.


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## lithgroth007

Subs, man I hope this turns out sweet. minnesota FTW!


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## curly haired boy

oooo. this should be good.


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## Towik

I demand more picz0rz


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## MNiceGuy

Quote:



Originally Posted by *lithgroth007*


Subs, man I hope this turns out sweet. minnesota FTW!


Minnesota FTW +1!


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## noahmateen1234

MN FTW. I grew up in mn, just moved out to cali a few months ago and I miss MN! MN is such a great state that gets looked over all too often.

only thing i like bout san jose right now, is it is 70 degrees and sunny compared to -20 degree in mn. bill, have fun modding that in the cold







lol


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## nafljhy

yay! another mod from bill! sub'd!


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## Kamikaze127

I recently moved to the NZXT Tempest and was impressed. I can't wait to see what this will turn out to be


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## Bill Owen

Thanks dudes!

Since the NZXT Khaos retails for $399, a lot of people want to see justification for it's high cost. I recieved one for a project, so I thought I'd post a video dissection of it

fyi: select "HQ" in the lower left of player for best quality


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## RAFFY

Great vid bill...GO SCI FI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Bill Owen

Thanks!, I hope it answered some questions for people. $399 is a lot of cash to drop on a computer case.


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## Derp

Thanks for the long and descriptive video on this case. The center triple fan mount is interesting and should be great for air cooling. i especially lol'd at the 3 feet of front panel wires







. Adding that bit about the dual PSU airflow problem was great, i never thought about "how in the hell are these PSU's going to get fresh air". They would probably run pretty hot kissing each other like that. $400 is pretty steep though.

Oh, i forgot to mention about the folding motherboard tray, i forget where i saw the review but because of the angle it causes larger CPU heatsinks to hit the top of the case preventing you from folding it up properly and eliminating the benefit of the tray.


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## whe3ls

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Auld*


Oh, i forgot to mention about the folding motherboard tray, i forget where i saw the review but because of the angle it causes larger CPU heatsinks to hit the top of the case preventing you from folding it up properly and eliminating the benefit of the tray.


with rod being removable that kinda negates the problem


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## Bill Owen

For $400, you have to really weigh out the hits/misses.. I do like that shell design!


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## Kasper

I saw the vid on youtube and left a comment saying that a Giger mod would be awesome. Bio-mechanical theme would be great for the shape of the case.

Are you going to make those slit style plate things more functional? looks like they were made for some reason. Maybe they made them for modders to make them into something.









Thx for the vid up


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## curly haired boy

gotta love that slightly recessed slot window. a watchmen mod would be sooooo awesome.


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## Syrillian

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CattleRustler* 
:watches:


Quote:


Originally Posted by *noahmateen1234* 
:watches better:










*watches betterer*










Go, Bill!


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## CattleRustler

cool vid, thanks for posting it
I also like the credits at the end


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## EuroFix

good video.
I like the idea of a case review from pov of modder instead of that of a system builder.


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## Kasper

Bump, just because I wanted to know if there's any updates for us about what direction Bill's taking this mod.


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## Bill Owen

Sorry for late reply, I've been super busy with other people's projects, so mine have to wait..lol

I'm definately doing a bio-mechanical with the Khaos. I've been tearing down the Khaos in my spare time. I actually like the case stripped down to it's shell. It's the extruded aluminum surface I dig. I ordered this medical model skull as my starting point. I also contact NZXT about getting another HD cage (shown here). I've got an idea for making machined intakes for each of the front of each removable HD cage.

I ordered this medical model skull as my starting point


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## omaryunus

oh man was hoping for the watchman mod but this sounds good too







good luck


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## Doomtomb

Any updates?


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## Bill Owen

still waiting for skull to arrive, working on machined aluminum air intake duct for the HD cages, should have the first one done by this time next week.

Thanks everybody!


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## CattleRustler

looking forward to the epicness


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## lithgroth007

Free bump for how amazing this is looking in my head. And Bill, has anyone ever told you that you look strikingly familiar to Dexter Holland from the offspring?


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## Bill Owen

I'll have to look him up, I loved Offspring tune that goes _*Na na na na naâ€¦*_

I've been busy, so not too much going on, but I'll be sneaking time with this project this week. The skull is mounted in the top 5.25 bay. more on why later

Heres the entire bay assembly removed from the chassis.


















Whats your remedy for a headache?!









stay tuned.


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## Swiftes

Looks really cool as usual. Perhaps that is the cure for my migraines?


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## CattleRustler

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Swiftes*


Looks really cool as usual. Perhaps that is the cure for my migraines?












Looks great Bill


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## Brandon1337

That is a pretty sweet case.


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## TDN1979

I gotta see this


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## Bill Owen

Thanks guys! Everything will grow out from the skull, it's my starting point for everything morphing out. This is the housing from a small motor I found. I love the design. The skull will be hosting the system Power & Reset switches (22mm & 16mm lamptron vandal switches, w/orange leds) The mounting plate I made (below) attaches to the upper half of the skull.


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## nafljhy

you really know how to make anything work huh?


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## curly haired boy

+rep for motor part re-purposing









i used to do that a lot myself.


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## Bill Owen

Thanks guys, I shop surplus and junk stores for fun., I used to dumpster dive behind the plant of the manufacturer I used to work too









I'll be implementing a lot of plastic wire loom, heres 1" loom inserted up the nose, HR GIGER style

















Adding more mechanical details to the skull, 1/8" Black opaque acrylic will serve as skull plate









Holding over heat gun









After the acrylic is flexible, I can bend it to follow the curvature of it's forehead









8/32 socket head screws fasten on the skull plate


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## curly haired boy

ooooo. how hot does the acrylic have to get for bending? i assume you have to use heat-resistant gloves for the shaping, right?


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## I AM TEH LAW GIVAH

Nice case mod ! subscribed







the skull seems like something i saw from one of masbaskudos mod
it's really nice
oh and the skull reminds me of the undead feature on world of warcraft lol


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## wildfire99

ooh cool ill be waiting ^_^


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## Bill Owen

Thanks guys! The acrylic takes no time to heat, and yes, wear gloves! safety first!

The skull model needs help. The factory's casting process isn't very good. theres gaps between the individual pieces. but what do you expect for $30 from Ebay?!









This is the body filler I use for all of my case mod projects. "Evercoat" fiberglass body filler, short strand reinforced with Kevlar. It dries quick! Less than 30 mins. It's stronger than Bondo, it applies smoother than Bondo and also doesn't shrink as it cures.

Manufacturer's description 


















I'm using Evercoat to fill the gaps. I will use my Dremel with a sanding barrel attachment to smooth the filler.

Notice the dry wall bit planted behind the eye sockets? another giger idea at work!


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## nategr8ns

holy crap, the watchmen mod sounded cool but that acrylic eyebrow piece sealed the deal for me on this theme







.

subscribed for another wild ride







.


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## illidan

subd









love your work Bill


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## Bill Owen

Thanks for subscribing, it's gonna be one sick mod, cause I love bio-mechanical art.

This is a preview of how the front air intakes will look, but 10 times bigger, lol! minus the dimples and claws in the base. This was a prototype for computer case feet I made last year. I should have the intakes done by fri or this weekend.


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## nafljhy

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Bill Owen*


Thanks for subscribing, it's gonna be one sick mod, cause I love bio-mechanical art.

This is a preview of how the front air intakes will look, but 10 times bigger, lol! minus the dimples and claws in the base. This was a prototype for computer case feet I made last year. I should have the intakes done by fri or this weekend.


oh man. you're so right this is going to be sick!


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## nategr8ns

that looks so sweet!
I can't wait to see more on the skull too.


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## CattleRustler

Evercoat Everglass








all the dings in the Intelligence case were filled with that stuff

looking good Bill


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## Bill Owen

hehe, right on man!

GIGER has been my biggest influence since I was a kid. I don't want to copy his work, just draw influence from it, mix it up a bit, ya know?









The new 120mm intakes are finished, cnc milled from 1-1/4" thick, 6061 aluminum. 6.5" O.D.


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## nafljhy

that is so sick! i want!







i gotta say, it came out alot cleaner than i expected.


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## Bill Owen

Quote:



Originally Posted by *nafljhy*


that is so sick! i want!







i gotta say, it came out alot cleaner than i expected.










cool man, The intakes will be painted flat black, along with everything else.. so, suck in the sexy billet look while u can


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## TDN1979

Why not powder coat them?


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## nategr8ns

Why not leave them?








Seriously though, nothing shouts bio-mech like bare metal







.


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## wastedtime

This is going to be another epic creation .


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## Warfarin88

Your billet work never ceases to enthrall me, Bill.

Bravo sir, bravo indeed.


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## CattleRustler




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## Alwinp

I think this case is pretty impressive already.
I wouldn't mod it at all, maybe expend the side panel's window but thats all.

Great review on this case btw.


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## Bill Owen

Thanks guys!

Edit, matte black, not flat.. everything will be matte black with grey highlights and shadowing, true to giger's bio-mechanical murals

I've never been known for holding the term "factory stock" in high regard. So you may wanna divert your eyes if watching me manipulate this $400 case into something less recognizable will upset you.

I already pissed off Thermaltake as a sponsor. _"Can you make it look more like the original?"_ They told me this after the project was finished...lol .. Lian Li wont talk to me anymore, I told them the XB01 they sent me to mod is a POS. So, whats being black listed by one more manfacturer gonna hurt? Actually, NZXT has been the coolest manufacturer to deal with yet. You can talk to reps in their forum, which is cool. They also understand the appeal of case modding.

Will NZXT like what I do to their Khaos case, only the future will tell.


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## Warfarin88

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bill Owen* 
I've never been known for holding the term "factory stock" in high regard.

I LOL'd.


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## nafljhy

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bill Owen* 
Thanks guys!

Edit, matte black, not flat.. everything will be matte black with grey highlights and shadowing, true to giger's bio-mechanical murals

I've never been known for holding the term "factory stock" in high regard. So you may wanna divert your eyes if watching me manipulate this $400 case into something less recognizable will upset you.

I already pissed off Thermaltake as a sponsor. _"Can you make it look more like the original?"_ They told me this after the project was finished...lol .. Lian Li wont talk to me anymore, I told them the XB01 they sent me to mod is a POS. So, whats being black listed by one more manfacturer gonna hurt? Actually, NZXT has been the coolest manufacturer to deal with yet. You can talk to reps in their forum, which is cool. They also understand the appeal of case modding.

Will NZXT like what I do to their Khaos case, only the future will tell.









oh man, thats crazy!

s'all good. we love your work.


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## CattleRustler

in true rebel form, letting case manufacturers know the real deal, hahaha I love it!









clearly thermaltake (aka "piss-take") doesnt have a clue, and while most Lian Li stuff is cool, they are not infallible, as you pointed out.

awesome


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## coffeejunky

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Bill Owen*


Thanks guys!

Edit, matte black, not flat.. everything will be matte black with grey highlights and shadowing, true to giger's bio-mechanical murals

I've never been known for holding the term "factory stock" in high regard. So you may wanna divert your eyes if watching me manipulate this $400 case into something less recognizable will upset you.

I already pissed off Thermaltake as a sponsor. _"Can you make it look more like the original?"_ They told me this after the project was finished...lol .. Lian Li wont talk to me anymore, I told them the XB01 they sent me to mod is a POS. So, whats being black listed by one more manfacturer gonna hurt? Actually, NZXT has been the coolest manufacturer to deal with yet. You can talk to reps in their forum, which is cool. They also understand the appeal of case modding.

Will NZXT like what I do to their Khaos case, only the future will tell.


I totally agree there. If I had your know-how tools and commitment to quality then I could see ways every case can be improved. I can never seem to find a perfect case....maybe I need to think about modding one









Nice work so far...not a huge fan of the skull theme in general but everything else looks fantastic as always.


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## Bill Owen

I've never heard the term "Piss-take" ....ROFL!

Thanks for the great comments guys









I have a love/hate for Lian Li... I love their A70 & PC80 cases, they're built tough! but hate the new 2010 series, this 2 piece unibody design is a ripoff of silverstone's tj07. The 2010s are way overpriced, $319 for a chassis fastened together with pop rivets. _"Tell the chef this steak is under cooked"
_
The skull is just the starting point, I promise other interesting things will transpire. Here, I'm cleaning up body filler with one of Dremel's many alluring dremel attachments I rarely use.


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## CattleRustler

looking awesome









Quote:



I've never heard the term "Piss-take" ....ROFL!


hehe, it comes from my UK friends who use the expression "taking the piss", basically like saying "thats totally lame" or "those guys are being lame" etc lol. I just converted it into "piss-take"


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## Bill Owen

nice one cattle!

The machined aluminum 120mm intakes, with fresh matte black paint.. I'm lovin it


















whats this hole for?









Ohhh... it's for the ribbed plastic loom.


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## iandroo888

that looks sweet man! i love that wire loom stuff. after i first used it in my CM690 project tuxedo, im using it in every case now and as cable management everywhere else =X


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## TDN1979

I see dust specs in your paint


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## prracer6

Those are sweet


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## Bill Owen

Thanks dudes! the dust specs will just add to the theme later...lol We're gonna airbrush grey shadowing over all of the features, to give a weathered-look.
I'm still waiting for my order of magic-sculp to arrive from Tap-plastics. I hear this is the best all purpose modeling clay around, next to milliput. I'm kicking around the idea of bringing out the left over Owens Corning insulation foam I have and sculpting a bezel to frame the intakes, and maybe making a top panel with it too. I used this for the Ghost Rider PC's skull. I used 1/8" thick sheet of 6061 aluminum for the base, the foam is epoxied onto the base. I cover the insulation pores with fiberglass filler, sand the cured filler by hand and use a dremel for carving intricate details. It's time consuming process, but yields a very strong piece that won't crack or chip if dropped. It will also lighted up the overall weight of the Khaos case.

Here I'm working Ghost Rider bezel made from insulation foam and fiberglass


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## CattleRustler

Im loving those fan housings. One question I had was when the screws are in there, do the heads go into the openings (countersink) or do they sit above the openings?


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## TDN1979

You know that I'm just messing with you. They look great! Custom work is one of my favorite things to do and I'm loving this thread. Keep updating on the progress.


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## Bill Owen

I know, I know TDN









Quote:


Originally Posted by *CattleRustler* 
Im loving those fan housings. One question I had was when the screws are in there, do the heads go into the openings (countersink) or do they sit above the openings?

countersunk, the NZXT HD cage was designed to hold factory front grill, filter and 120mm fan with 4x 5/32 machine screws. I made the intake's 4 legs thick enuf to replace the factory front grill and filter without any washers etc. I can make them again countersunk for 8/32 screws etc..


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## CattleRustler

nice


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## Bill Owen

*"Hey, It's Spin Art!"*


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## TDN1979

I guess that is one way to dry the paint a little faster, lol


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## Doomtomb

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bill Owen* 
*"Hey, It's Spin Art!"*




































Hey, does that really work?? I'd try that with my fans!


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## Slipp

Those fans are hot.


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## nafljhy

that is one awesome way to paint fans!







definitely looks alot nicer too.


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## iandroo888

whoa i wanna try that one day =X


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## Bill Owen

It's fun guys, just make sure your away from anything you dont want spray mist to land on









In order to reach my vision, some things on the Khaos will be sacrificed The overlapping edges of the side panels for starters...you've shipped your flagship case lies to an evil & twisted case modder .....Mwhahaha.

Good grief, these panels look cool, but the hang out in the wind... Maybe keep them and do BATMAN theme mod...? Nnnope!


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## RAFFY

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Bill Owen*


*"Hey, It's Spin Art!"*





































lol just make sure u dont have it pushing air towards your face, or might become black or in some cases blacker.


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## nategr8ns

man, I kind of want to make a case side panel that has the same kind of shape as those...

Did you tape off the LEDs? I'd be afraid I'd block them up


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## Bill Owen

lol, no kidding guys!









Pre-fitting skull and intake covers.. I need to fab a 5.25 cage above the skull, thinking I may salvage a quick release style 5.25 bay from the old chieftec dragon tower.

Imagine if the skull matte blackalready.. Yum, but I'm still working on detailing the skull, so it will be awhile before I paint it.


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## MNiceGuy

The fan setup in the front now looks a million times better! Nice work so far.


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## Dar_T

Those fan shrouds are sooo nice.


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## nategr8ns

^^ agreed!
That front looks intimidating! What are you thinking for grills? I'd like to see a bio-mech skeleton design incorporated onto a 3x120mm grill







.


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## DeckerDontPlay

This has to be the most out of control case mod I have ever seen. I love it.


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## nafljhy

wow bill. that is just jaw dropping!









i love it!


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## h00chi3

This is the only thing that comes to mind....


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## Aaron_Henderson

nice vid hoochie!


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## dieanotherday

i need to learn from you =D.

did you style your hair before doin the video.


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## Bill Owen

Thanks dudes!

no fan grills...

the fun part will be proportioning the rest of the case to my massive front end


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## Bill Owen

Well, Ive looked at the 2 chieftec dragon carcuses I have, but both are missing the 5.25 plastic drive rail brackets. Why did I toss these?! lol. I planned to rig up the optical in the top to slide out from within scuplted top panel. I'll have to keep hunting or devise another bracket system.


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## ps-gunkie

This is an epic case mod, the front part looks amazing







. Will you be painting the skull black as well?

Anyway, keep up the good work, it looks breathtaking (of course it does, it's sucking all the air out of the room with those fans







).


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## Bill Owen

Quote:



Originally Posted by *ps-gunkie*


This is an epic case mod, the front part looks amazing







. Will you be painting the skull black as well?


Yes, I noted it earlier. Everything will be Matte Black, I'm still working on the skull. All of the features I sculpt will be airbrushed to give a more three dimensioanl and weathered look, like giger's artwork


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## ps-gunkie

Nice, I almost can't wait until it's finished, but I'm sure the trip will be very interesting as well







.


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## Bill Owen

gotta love the journey









Today I fixed up some brackets for the optical drive. I cannibalized these from the base of an old 5.25 bay. Cut and bent them appropriately so they hold work with the "slide" style drive bay brackets screwed onto the drive. I couldn't find the Chieftec Dragon version I thought I had, but did find these (similar design). The new top panel I'll be making will encase the drive, so it was important that I can slide the optical drive in/out without having to access fastener screws.


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## whe3ls

that case looks awesome so far


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## ps-gunkie

The positioning of the drive looks interesting







.


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## h00chi3

Bill, since your mods are nothing but perfection, I am willing to donate my skull to replace the one you modded, thus, keeping with the perfect mod!


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## Syrillian

Mr. Owen...










Rock on, Sifu.


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## Bill Owen

@ whe3ls, thanks for watching and commenting









@ ps-gunkie, Indeed, it will make sense later on









@ h00chi3, I'll have to remove your eye sockets, I don't think I can handle the case watching my every move









@ Syrillian, will do bro!

Today I'll be working on the top panel. I'll post updates when I can


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## ps-gunkie

Nice to hear, I'm interested in seeing what you're gonna do with that one







.


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## whe3ls

i bet theat going to be a crazy top panel. i wish i had your skills


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## ps-gunkie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *whe3ls* 
i wish i had your skills

Don't we all?


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## Bill Owen

I'm betting on the entire case being crazy









Thanks for the kind words guys!

*"I do not like Black Molding on my Khaos panels Sam I am"*










No, I'm not insulating my workshop







. I'm using this foam to construct the cores for a new bezel, top panel and features on the side panels. These will be sculpted, then covered with fiberglass.

Cut from beneath with a hacksaw blade, this yields the best cutting results



























Look like something I may have stolen from the kitchen...









This is just pre-fitting the top panel, There will fan "holes" added .









The center portion will be opened..lol..


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## ps-gunkie

Alright, hard to see where you're going with this, but I'm sure it'll become clear in the next update







.


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## Doomtomb

Did you tape off the LEDs of the fan in the spin art?


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## ps-gunkie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Doomtomb* 
Did you tape off the LEDs of the fan in the spin art?











I don't think so, if he did the LED's shouldn't be that bright anymore.


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## nategr8ns

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Doomtomb*


Did you tape off the LEDs of the fan in the spin art?



Quote:



Originally Posted by *nategr8ns*


man, I kind of want to make a case side panel that has the same kind of shape as those...

Did you tape off the LEDs? I'd be afraid I'd block them up











Quote:



Originally Posted by *ps-gunkie*


I don't think so, if he did the LED's shouldn't be that bright anymore.


When I put painter's tape on my fan controller LEDs they stay pretty bright. It takes like 5 layers to get the brightness down enough that I can go to sleep







.


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## Starbuck5000

Styrofoam FTW. Used to work with that stuff a lot. I found a hot wire cutter was the best thing to cut it with


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## tat2monsta

dam..only just seen this.
this is frikin sick!
i love biomech too chek mt avator


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## ps-gunkie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nategr8ns* 
When I put painter's tape on my fan controller LEDs they stay pretty bright. It takes like 5 layers to get the brightness down enough that I can go to sleep







.

Alright







. Either way, don't think it matters much.


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## Bill Owen

Nah, didnt really care to tape them off.. the entire theme will be airbrushed to look weathered, perfection isnt on the menu for the fans

It's been awhile since I could build something for myself. I think 3 years. My business sales have dropped like everyone else. Case Mod parts are not a necessity. Luckily I've got local customers who allow me to feed their tech addictions. So while things slow, I feel like I should be sharpening my skills instead of worrying about money. Its also forcing us all to re-evaluate the materials and what resources we buy from.

This weekend my focus will go back to adding more details to my friend, Skully.

My Magic Sculpt arrived, after receiving the wrong product, Magic Smooth. I can't blame them, the product labels are very similar. Tap's customer service is one of the best I've ever dealt with. They took care of everything quickly, answered emails, and called to follow up with me about crediting the balance on my credit card. Very friendly over the phone. They're the business I strive Mnpctech to be like.

ARTbyTROY posted an excellent comparison of sculpting compounds for case modding. His article prompted my decision to try Magic Sculpt.










Sculpting Tools I chose


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## nategr8ns

this is gonna get interesting


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## ps-gunkie

I wonder what you're gonna do with that skull to be honest







.


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## Brutuz

Quote:



Originally Posted by *CattleRustler*


looking awesome









hehe, it comes from my UK friends who use the expression "taking the piss", basically like saying "thats totally lame" or "those guys are being lame" etc lol. I just converted it into "piss-take"










In Australia, taking the piss means that you're picking on something's faults.

This looks so sexy.. If I had the cash, I'd so buy 4, and make one fit my Xbox 360.


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## Bill Owen

I started with the skull today, adding mechanical aspects, like these vented and screw joints.

I will dremel details in these sculpted parts, 24 hrs after Magic Sculpt has fully cured

Small pan head machine screws


















It only takes a few drops of water to smooth the surface of Magic Sculpt









Hex Nut with tooth washer doubles as port for plastic wire loom


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## tat2monsta

oooh. likeing that allready


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## Danylu

The Skill isn't me but then again you're making the case and it looks pretty sweet.


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## bentleya

Fantastic work Bill


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## Zippit

can we get a total shot?

Nice job sofar!


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## Bill Owen

I'll post more pics today, Last night I worked on the chassis.










This 1/8" thick aluminum plate will reside underneath the foam/fiberglass top panel, which later will be sculpted with proper ventilation. In this case, a BIX 240 Stealth radiator.










I posted radiator template print-outs you can download. (PDF Files)

*Before printing, you must select "None" for page scaling in your print dialogue box!*

Download Page for each template

*Radiator Templates Download Page*




























my center punch


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## CattleRustler

shweet


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## nafljhy

very nice bill! but i would have thought you were going to use the knock out punch?


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## nategr8ns

very cool








Its kind of hard (for me at least) to get a good sense of where those things are going on the skull. A nice shot of the whole skull would solve my problems though







.


----------



## TDN1979

I know perfection takes time but you are killing me here, LIGHT A FIRE


----------



## Bill Owen

I'm not done with Skully yet









Top 240 rad mount, 1/8' thick aluminum plate









low brow art?...lol


----------



## tat2monsta




----------



## nafljhy

that is just sick!







your skill is just amazing.


----------



## ps-gunkie

Nice work Bill, keep it up







. That skull is gonna look amazing once you finish it xd.


----------



## wildfire99

a work of art as always bill ^_^


----------



## Bill Owen

Thanks guys!, back to the bench for this project today, Black Plastic loom in (1/4" and 1/2" diameter) will be embedded and intertwined throughout the bezel and top panel. The entire skull will be painted matte black

I love this painting, Giger's landshaft XIX


----------



## nafljhy

this is turning out to be one crazy mod. thats just freaky looking! in a good way of course!


----------



## Sinticfury

Holy balls this is sick


----------



## nategr8ns

awesome!
lol, that's actually pretty freaky looking.


----------



## Bill Owen

Thank you guys! I'm excited to see it painted all Matte Black.. I may get time to do that today


----------



## MadCatMk2

Very nice work so far; subbed.


----------



## curly haired boy

oh my word. that skull + all the tubing = friggin' awesome!


----------



## Syrillian

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Bill Owen*


Thanks guys!, back to the bench for this project today, Black Plastic loom in (1/4" and 1/2" diameter) will be embedded and intertwined throughout the bezel and top panel. The entire skull will be painted matte black

I love this painting, Giger's landshaft XIX
























































*stunned silence*

Goooooooooooooooo, Bill!


----------



## tat2monsta

giger would be proud.. 
its coming on real nice


----------



## ps-gunkie

Very nice work, I think it'll be amazing yo see the skull integrated with the rest of the case







.


----------



## nategr8ns

All flat black? No brushed aluminum/steel or chrome?









I'll wait and see what you do with it.


----------



## riko99

Sub'd As always great work Bill. Looking forward to seeing the final outcome... And yeah NZXT cases are pretty sweet if i say so myself lol.


----------



## CattleRustler

I guess that skull has no complaints about sinus problems anymore








great work so far Bill


----------



## Bill Owen

lol! thats right!

I carved a basic shape first, for the bezel. Then I'll carve and sculpt notches and crevices into it


----------



## nategr8ns

I don't see where you're going with that foam...


----------



## wildfire99

oh i think i see where your going with this, if im right i really look forward to seeing how you pull this off ^_^


----------



## Bill Owen

skully is painted, Black & White stills, help set the mood



















Power & Reset


----------



## arekieh

holy .....


----------



## Adrienspawn

And here I am cutting holes for cable management...


----------



## ps-gunkie

Looks better in black than I thought it would, great idea







.


----------



## nategr8ns

oh, my, god
Ditto what gunkie said.


----------



## MadCatMk2

Crazy ill Bill man. Can't wait for more.


----------



## Bill Owen

Thank you guys! I like the B&W stills too

I'm gonna head over to Home depot today, visit the Plumbing aisle for some ideas I brainstromed last night for the bezel.


----------



## ps-gunkie

I'm guessing you're talking about pipes and stuff to put on there then?


----------



## curly haired boy

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bill Owen* 
Thank you guys! I like the B&W stills too

I'm gonna head over to Home depot today, visit the Plumbing aisle for some ideas I brainstromed last night for the bezel.

yesssssss. yesssss. >:3

also visit the automotive store for injection valves/lines!


----------



## Bill Owen

yep, lots of loom piping..

Skully has gone back into his 5.25 column


----------



## MadCatMk2

Dude.. Badass, simply, truly badass.
Wicked-est mod I've seen in a long long time ;O

Keep working on it!


----------



## TDN1979




----------



## h00chi3

Bill, it is like a mixture of Aliens vs. Terminator! AWESOME!


----------



## emersonsc

one word....

Amazing.


----------



## nategr8ns

woaaaaah


----------



## Ducky

Those eyes better light up..

Simply awesome.


----------



## DeckerDontPlay

Amazing.


----------



## ps-gunkie

Very nice!

I must say that Ducky's idea from a couple of posts up sounds good, something I hadn't thought about yet. Maybe that's something to look into?


----------



## Bill Owen

Thanks for the great comments guys!

Yes, it will light up, but its a long ways off until I get that far. If you've ever examined giger's bio-mechincal art up close, especially his paintings.. everything is symmetrical, in one direction while every element of the design is different. Old circuitry is the only way I can describe it. Theres a massive amount of detail. I can already tell it will be overwhelming at times if I'm not in the mood. Theres just no way I or anyone else will come close to replicating his work. You can only draw upon it as inspiration for your own style.

My personal challenge with this project is that my brain likes to see everything symmetrical *and matching*. "Theres a notch on the left side, so there should be a notch on the right side" I have to force myself to stop thinking like this. However, I also think a lot of people neglect to see these details in his work and it doesn't matter as much I think it does.

giger's "New York VIII" painting


----------



## nategr8ns

woah...
I want to get some prints of his work now!

too bad i don't have a job... and being in high school doesn't help







.


----------



## MadCatMk2

On details, it's great to have them even if most people don't pay as much attention to your work. However I've found that focusing on details sometimes makes you fail in the "general" idea of the project if you know what I mean.

I've spent dozens of hours in photoshop for work I later securely erased so I wouldn't be tempted to try fixing.

Also try googling "Steampunk" or "Victorian". Might give you some ideas for additions.


----------



## Bill Owen

Thank you. I love steampunk art too









I've started sculpting the insualtion foam for the bezel core. I'll be sculting the individual cubes along the sides today, I'm considering the idea of implemeting thread rod into the sides.


----------



## ps-gunkie

Looks nice Bill







.

I just realized, the skull reminds me of this guy XD.


----------



## ChrisB17

Possibly the hottest case I have layed eyes on.


----------



## nategr8ns

oh, now I see why you used the foam








off-topic: madcat, what do you do for work?


----------



## CattleRustler

awesome work Bill, as always


----------



## MadCatMk2

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nategr8ns* 
off-topic: madcat, what do you do for work?

/Is 17.
Full time student.. Why?

Photoshop was a bigger part of my life (uh, lol) till 24/7 rendering was replaced by 24/7 folding .


----------



## nategr8ns

Quote:



Originally Posted by *MadCatMk2*


/Is 17.
Full time student.. Why?

Photoshop was a bigger part of my life (uh, lol) till 24/7 rendering was replaced by 24/7 folding .


haha well I'm almost 16 and I do a ton of photoshop in my free time and want to earn some money.


----------



## Bill Owen

Theres foam bits all over the shop today...haha! Progress of sculpting the foam core for the new bezel. More to come


----------



## curly haired boy

what are you using to sculpt? a dremel attachement?


----------



## Zippit

Quote:



Originally Posted by *curly haired boy*


what are you using to sculpt? a dremel attachement?










Looking at the pictures, he uses a utility knife, dremel and some other stuff I don't know the name of.


----------



## Bill Owen

I will post pics of the tools today!


----------



## Bill Owen

Heres the tools I use to sculpt the insulation foam, but it's always good to experiment on your own.

To cut thick foam, I use a snap-off blade utility knife.










To smooth the pieces, I use a Surfoam Shaver by Stanley Tools









For making intricate details in the foam, I'll use an array of the tungsten carbide cutter bits from Dremel, I mainly use the #9911


----------



## ps-gunkie

Looking good, I love the precision work you're doing there







.


----------



## curly haired boy

ah, i see. thanks, bill!


----------



## CattleRustler

shweet


----------



## Bill Owen

It's messy material to work..lol! I inserted 2, 1/4" threaded steel rods today in each side of the bezel. I also did some changes on
the top section to expose the plastic loom.


----------



## nategr8ns

very cool
also: yay for colors!


----------



## Zippit

Its good to see you are no longer cutting your budget with saving on colors!

That foam looks really soft and breakable... is it? And how are you going to make it hard if it is? Bondo or something like that?


----------



## Bill Owen

No prob, I was just starting to feel like the King of Cakes staring at this pink foam all day..

This is the body filler I use for all of my case mod projects. "Evercoat" fiberglass body filler, short strand reinforced with Kevlar. It dries quick! Less than 30 mins. It's stronger than Bondo, it applies smoother than Bondo and also doesn't shrink as it cures.

Manufacturer's description 


















I attached 1/8" thick sheet of 6061 aluminum for the base, the foam bezel is epoxied onto the base. I cover the insulation pores with the Evercoat Everglass fiberglass filler, sand the cured filler by hand and use a dremel for carving intricate details. It's time consuming process, but yields a very strong piece that won't crack or chip if dropped. It will also lighted up the overall weight of the Khaos case.

Here I'm working Ghost Rider bezel made from insulation foam and fiberglass









The Ghost Rider bezel cover after being airbrushed


----------



## MadCatMk2

What the.. o-o


----------



## Bill Owen

lol, you mean the last photo? thats another PC I worked on, not this one


----------



## illidan

what's that keyboard on the left?


----------



## Bill Owen

POS windows media kb...stay away from them!

Some visuals to inspire from the workbench, GIGER's soft cover book, behind the making of original ALIEN movie









My friends in Europe will recognize this, it's a universal euro license mounting plate. 
The recessed features and fastener holes play the part in my theme. 


















Applying Evercoat Everglass fiberglass filler









I've cut portions of the license mounting plate to fit the sides of my bezel


----------



## Kasper

I have that same Book by Giger. I'm so glad you chose to make this mod instead of the watchmen case. Seems as though the movie wasn't worth the hype anyway.

It looks sweet as a nut right now boss. Keep up the posts please Bill.

Peace

\\m/ (>.<) \\m/


----------



## Bill Owen

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Kasper*


I'm so glad you chose to make this mod instead of the watchmen case. Seems as though the movie wasn't worth the hype anyway.


Really? thats too bad.

Thanks for the comments Kasper!


----------



## nategr8ns

I'm about half way through the comic







(a compilation of all in one book). I want to finish it before I watch the movie.
Apparently there's a lot in the movie that was aimed towards the Watchmen fans and that you won't understand unless you've read the book.


----------



## CorporalAris

I liked the Watchmen.


----------



## Bill Owen

I couldn't finish the comic.. great artwork tho


----------



## charles_h

Being a huge Giger fan, I can't wait to see how this turns out.

Keep up the great work Bill.


----------



## gablain

are the tube getting out of the skull going to be for watercooling ?


----------



## Doomtomb

Quote:



Originally Posted by *gablain*


are the tube getting out of the skull going to be for watercooling ?


That would be a cool idea but I don't think wire loom is water tight.


----------



## nategr8ns

^ i think its sometimes used as a protective housing on tubes/pipes.
I have no idea, this was just in my head (I'm not sure why







:ninja).


----------



## RAFFY

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Bill Owen*


I couldn't finish the comic.. great artwork tho


im happy for you bill, this allows for more epic modding


----------



## Bill Owen

Thanks guys! the split loom will be embedded in portions of the bezel, but split, so I can attache and re-attach the bezel in the future if neccessary.

Next stage is to cove the foam core with Fiberglass Filler, sand that, then sculpt more features. Pondering idea for adding ribbed spines to the circular frames for the 3 intakes.


----------



## nategr8ns

I like the idea of spines







.


----------



## Bill Owen

or veins perhaps?

If the weather holds up, I can start sanding the fiberglass shell... Preferably outside


















Whenever I feel like I've got a big challenge ahead of me, I look at this photo of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth sculpting the plaster on the fairing for his "Rubber ducky" Trike ...notice plaster bags stacked behind him..Ed was the godfather of custom cars and bikes in the 50s/60s


----------



## Zippit

Looking a lot sturdier already!

Keep them pics coming!


----------



## ps-gunkie

Great, I hope the front works out exactly as you've planned, you're doing great







.


----------



## wildfire99

Mo' Updates boss.


----------



## Bill Owen

Found time today to get outside and start the process of smoothing out the fiberglass filler.

I'm predicting another week of sanding and grinding before the surface will meet my expectations.

I'm armed with Filtered Respirator, Black & Decker Mouse Sander and 120 grit sandpaper.. Let the transformation begin!

Note: This is Evercoat brand's Everglass "Short Strand" Fiberglass Filler


----------



## ps-gunkie

Nice, I'm really looking forward to see how it turns out














.


----------



## lithgroth007

Looks epic man, keep up the good work


----------



## Bill Owen

Thank you, I predicted a week of sanding and grinding the filler in the bezel, but I'm gonna request a time extension.. lol

Any pin holes or pock marks seen will be filled again


----------



## CattleRustler

Looks like its coming along







I feel your pain on this one, I know how tedious that current procedure can be, even from my limited usage of Evercoat Everglass on The Intelligence case (linked in sig), compared to what youre working on.

looking forward to more updates


----------



## Ramsey77

I'm with you CR. This will be insane when completed. I can't wait.


----------



## turbogeek

woah.
excellent work!


----------



## Bill Owen

I've been at the mercy of weather this week, so I haven't worked on the bezel. We're supposed to get in mid 40s today... "Get out your shorts and sun tan oil!"










I'm proud to announce that Cooler Master is sponsoring this build with a new Real Power M1000 Power Supply (RS-A00-ESBA).

I can confidently power whatever hardware I get from this point on ...lol


----------



## CattleRustler

how about an EVGA X58 i7 Classified mobo with 3 x GTX285 in Tri-SLI, that would be hawt








grats on the sponsorship


----------



## ps-gunkie

Quote:



Originally Posted by *CattleRustler*










how about an EVGA X58 i7 Classified mobo with 3 x GTX285 in Tri-SLI, that would be hawt








grats on the sponsorship


That would be amazing (hint hint) ;D. Nice going with the first sponsor btw, and good luck with the bezel =).


----------



## Zippit

Nice one on the PSU.

I myself have the 850 version.


----------



## CyberDruid

Dang Bill you just keep coming up with great themes. Your vids are getting pretty arty too...I think we need a Monster Mawd TV show


----------



## yutzybrian

Suscribed. Good luck, looking awesome so far.


----------



## Syrillian

*watches Mr. Owen in quiet awe*


----------



## kimosabi

I realleeeeee like that concept. Excellent, excellent, excellent and excellent. Reminds me of the movie "Virus" with Donald Sutherland and J.L. Curtis. Loved that movie.

Oh I'm gonna sub this.


----------



## tat2monsta

i love that film too.. 
its in my top 10 of all time list
got it on dvd not long ago..


----------



## wildfire99

Can we round up bill owen, cyberdruid, and syrillian. Then start a show called Overclocked, where people *insert pimp my ride storyline*?


----------



## coffeejunky

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wildfire99* 
Can we round up bill owen, cyberdruid, and syrillian. Then start a show called Overclocked, where people *insert pimp my ride storyline*?

That would be awesome.
Bill Owen the 'commando' modder
Cyberdruid the crazy multiple personality dude
and Syrillian the chilled guy

Now we need someone like Xzibit - I'm thinking zacbrain for a hispanic touch


----------



## meticadpa

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wildfire99* 
Can we round up bill owen, cyberdruid, and syrillian. Then start a show called Overclocked, where people *insert pimp my ride storyline*?

I'd watch that.


----------



## Zippit

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wildfire99* 
Can we round up bill owen, cyberdruid, and syrillian. Then start a show called Overclocked, where people *insert pimp my ride storyline*?


----------



## Brutuz

Quote:



Originally Posted by *coffeejunky*


Now we need someone like Xzibit - I'm thinking zacbrain for a hispanic touch










Yeah, some guy who has no idea what he is doing, but is similar to the rest of the people and famous among its intended audience.... Hmmn... I vote Admin.


----------



## BlankThis

Yes! Pimp My PC!

That would be amazing...

Where can I sign up









Oook back on track; Bill I love your work and this theme looks extremely impressive so far! Good luck with the rest









~B~


----------



## lithgroth007

lol you can mod while you modz man!


----------



## Doomtomb

So don't mean to be rude but it's been rather slow going Bill. Got an ETA?


----------



## wildfire99

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Doomtomb*


So don't mean to be rude but it's been rather slow going Bill. Got an ETA?


I think a different mod of his has taken priority over this for the time being.


----------



## ps-gunkie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wildfire99* 
I think a different mod of his has taken priority over this for the time being.

Yup, Panzerbox. Progress on that one is going pretty fast, so Bill should be back to focus on this case soon enough







.


----------



## mcnaryxc

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BlankThis* 
Yes! Pimp My PC!

That would be amazing...

Where can I sign up









Oook back on track; Bill I love your work and this theme looks extremely impressive so far! Good luck with the rest









~B~

I like this idea. Bring OCN's best of the best together and select a member with the worse computer and pimp their pc. It would be like in the freebie section. We should pitch the idea to G4TV. Be like pimp my ride lol.

We go to the person, surprize them at the door, be like "Yo dog, you're on Pimp my PC!" Then, we go in to see their computer and just make fun of them. "Man, you don't even have a power button. You start it with a screw driver?" "LAWL, you can't even boot into windows!" "O snap son, you got a virus, NOOB!" lol

Then, we take it away, and work on it at the shop. Be at a desk and talk about what they like. "He likes big monitors, so we're gonna build the case out of square monitors, so he can see every angle." "Well, I heard he like CSS, so were gonna break one of the monitors with the gun and jam it through like it's busting out." I don't know, something fun and creative.

Then, while the mod is under wraps, some of the modders could show tips on how to add a side panel window or do simple effects to a case to give it character. Plus we can goof around with stuff like can air or stick someone's hand in bondo and stick it to their head while they sleep.

Bring the guy in when it's done, and he'll be all stoked and say "no way! no way! no no no way!" And then bring in the guys and be like "yo dawg, we heard you liked monitors, so we built the case out of monitors so you can watch yourself get pwned at every angle while you get pwned from every angle." It sounds like pure win.*

*unless it fail

Back on topic, Bill, I've been watching this for a while. I love your attention to detail. I wish I could be a cleaner modder, but its not in my blood.


----------



## CattleRustler




----------



## ps-gunkie

Quote:



Originally Posted by *mcnaryxc*


I like this idea. Bring OCN's best of the best together and select a member with the worse computer and pimp their pc. It would be like in the freebie section. We should pitch the idea to G4TV. Be like pimp my ride lol.

We go to the person, surprize them at the door, be like "Yo dog, you're on Pimp my PC!" Then, we go in to see their computer and just make fun of them. "Man, you don't even have a power button. You start it with a screw driver?" "LAWL, you can't even boot into windows!" "O snap son, you got a virus, NOOB!" lol

Then, we take it away, and work on it at the shop. Be at a desk and talk about what they like. "He likes big monitors, so we're gonna build the case out of square monitors, so he can see every angle." "Well, I heard he like CSS, so were gonna break one of the monitors with the gun and jam it through like it's busting out." I don't know, something fun and creative.

Then, while the mod is under wraps, some of the modders could show tips on how to add a side panel window or do simple effects to a case to give it character. Plus we can goof around with stuff like can air or stick someone's hand in bondo and stick it to their head while they sleep.

Bring the guy in when it's done, and he'll be all stoked and say "no way! no way! no no no way!" And then bring in the guys and be like "yo dawg, we heard you liked monitors, so we built the case out of monitors so you can watch yourself get pwned at every angle while you get pwned from every angle." It sounds like pure win.*

*unless it fail

Back on topic, Bill, I've been watching this for a while. I love your attention to detail. I wish I could be a cleaner modder, but its not in my blood.


^ Win XD.


----------



## Chewman

0_o Coolermaster sponsoring an NZXT mod...
Because they agree that the NZXT is crap and needs a makeover.
and what a makeover, looks great thus far!
*subsribez 2 thread*


----------



## mcgrunt42

this is going to be awesome!!!


----------



## kimosabi

I want updates on this thing. NAO!


----------



## riko99

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Chewman*


0_o Coolermaster sponsoring an NZXT mod...
Because they agree that the NZXT is crap and needs a makeover.
and what a makeover, looks great thus far!
*subsribez 2 thread*


They actually make really well constructed cases minus a few flaws ... Just watch bills teardown of the case and you'll see that they are pretty good. Also their new Panzerbox is quite sweet as well..... anyways just my


----------



## Chewman

agreed. the Panzer Box is a pretty decent one, reminds me of retro Arcade cabinets.


----------



## Bill Owen

Thanks for the great posts!

Easter allowed an escape from my other commitments. I'm using a rotary tool with grinder attachment for excavating filler from the crevices of the bezel frame.


----------



## Brutuz

Nice. I want to see this done, Haha.


----------



## Bill Owen

This is one of the more tedious and boring stages of the project, but time invested will be worth it in the final piece. The grinder attachment works great, it also smooths the surface of the filler like fine sandpaper.


----------



## Brutuz

I can't wait to see this... It will look great.


----------



## CattleRustler

hey Bill, usually the orange type grinding stones are aluminum oxide for grinding ferrous metals, just curious if you tried the blue type in this process just to see if there's any diff in the result?


----------



## Gwias

Amazing and incredible work Bill.

Keep up the fantastic work. I'm going to love to see the final product of this amazing work of art. Grats on the idea from G's book also.


----------



## Bill Owen

just Orange on hand at home, till I get back to workshop

this project is time consuming, LOL but it will pay off in the end. Lots more work ahead


----------



## Zippit

Like they say Rome wasn't build in one day either.


----------



## Ducky

Looking great bill


----------



## Ao2 3lit3 snip3r

Up until this point i have been speachless, like the "Spirit of the Dragon & the Tiger" mod..... the passion for the project makes so much difference. When you love what you do it shows so much. This goes for all the modders in this community, incredible work you guys, and keep it up......... so i have something to look at when i'm at work


----------



## ps-gunkie

Looks great, I hope the grinding doesn't take up TOO much of your time







.


----------



## Bill Owen

Thanks for the kind words everybody! After more grinding today, I applied the 2nd layer of filler to areas of the bezel. 









Pre fitting the plastic loom tubing


----------



## nategr8ns

niiiiiiiiiice


----------



## CattleRustler

its gonna be shweet


----------



## Bill Owen

Heres after sanding the 2nd application of Evercoat brand "Everglass: (short strand) fiberglass filler. I thought this would be the final coat, but I'm not satisified with the results yet. btw: I'm recording stages of the bezel for YouTube after getting several requests offlist. I'll remember to edit out all of the boring stuff..lol!


----------



## Zippit




----------



## wright8790

looks awesome!


----------



## Chewman

I'm liking where this is going, can't wait for the finished product!


----------



## Bill Owen

Test fit it tonight, touch up some details with spot filler, re-install the threaded rod and then I can apply the base coat to the bezel


----------



## Brutuz

Nice, I can't wait to see this done.


----------



## Aaron_Henderson

Sweet!


----------



## yutzybrian

Wow I wish I knew how to do this kind of work.


----------



## Bill Owen

Test fitting the bezel onto the chassis and cut the wire loom tubing


----------



## Chewman

OMG EPIC.
looking so good!


----------



## ps-gunkie

WOW, that looks amazing







. Great job Bill, keep up the amazing work!!


----------



## Bill Owen

Thank you, I hope to work on the bezel some more tommorow. Inserting tubing into right side, test fitting things


----------



## nafljhy

that is sooo sexy in so many ways!







love your work Bill!


----------



## CattleRustler

vicious


----------



## Aaron_Henderson

Now we're talking!


----------



## Brutuz

Epic case.


----------



## legoman786

Man... Another SICK case mod that slipped by men until now...

Sub'd


----------



## Bill Owen

Thanks dudes! I wired the 3x 120mm front intake fans, yippe!... I'd like the leds a tad dimmer tho


----------



## MadCatMk2

Great work mate! Looking awesome so far! Keep it up!

"Dimmer" as in brighter or darker? (is from le greece, me no english speakie perfect kay







)


----------



## nafljhy

wow.. it looks great! but i do agree that the LEDs being dimmer would look a better.


----------



## CorporalAris

Quote:



Originally Posted by *MadCatMk2*


Great work mate! Looking awesome so far! Keep it up!

"Dimmer" as in brighter or darker? (is from le greece, me no english speakie perfect kay







)


Dimmer being less bright, or darker.


----------



## CattleRustler

nah, dimmer is boring
GLOW GREEN BABY - GLOW!


----------



## MadCatMk2

Quote:



Originally Posted by *CorporalAris*


Dimmer being less bright, or darker.


I guessed so. A few resistors would do









And now that I've solved the biggest problems of humanity, I can go to bed. It's 6:00AM.


----------



## p0isonapple

You continue to have an alarmingly enjoyable effect on my groinal area..


----------



## Bill Owen

Definately dimmer... I may rig a fan controller, hidden out of sight

I do have an old DFI Lanparty board i may dissect to create some embedded circuitry too in the bezel too


----------



## Syjeklye

man, i love those fan holes; so industrial looking


----------



## CorporalAris

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Bill Owen*


Definately dimmer... I may rig a fan controller, hidden out of sight

I do have an old DFI Lanparty board i may dissect to create some embedded circuitry too in the bezel too


Wait, explain what you mean.


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## CattleRustler

I think he means he's gonna cut up a dead mobo, and use the pieces to inlay "circuitry" in the front bezel


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## ps-gunkie

Spray a couple of coats of black on the LEDs? That might help, the green really compliments the case though







.


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## Bill Owen

Bingo! @ CattleRustler reply

I'm cutting a dead card to create the look of circuitry to the bezel's four protruding features. Not too many tho, I don't want People to think BORG. These will be painted flat black along with the bezel. I'll also be using model clay to add more details.



















Shot of the workspace this morning, the cases are "Skully" for ongoing project series on casemodblog, and black one is Matt's GOLIATH project in the corner which you'll see more of later. I'm fan of VWs too!


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## curly haired boy

oh MAN this is coming along nicely.


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## ps-gunkie

The motherboard parts should be interesting to see implemented







.


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## CattleRustler




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## kimosabi

Very nice!


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## CattleRustler

dear god, my eyes


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## Bill Owen

@ kimosabi, LOL!









Applied Black Spot filler / sandable primer this afternoon. Nice change from Green. Gives you a better idea of how the final piece will look. It also helps reveal what areas of the filler I wanna keep touching up.


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## Shiryu_Libra

hey







... it's gettin smoother...
fantastic Bill


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## wildfire99

wow bill you truely are a master, keep up the good work!


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## //.DK

Bill, you've honestly have inspired me to return to my case modding ambition after a year since I've left for college.


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## nategr8ns

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bill Owen* 
Definately dimmer... I may rig a fan controller, hidden out of sight

I do have an old DFI Lanparty board i may dissect to create some embedded circuitry too in the bezel too

poor lanparty









Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bill Owen* 
I'm fan of VWs too!









http://www.overclock.net/off-topic/3...ml#post6112237









Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bill Owen* 



























OMG OMG OMG totally worth cutting up the card.
Was the mobo already dead at least?


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## Bill Owen

Thanks guys! The DFI never got touched, that was an old VGA card

The bezel looks much better Black than Green.


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## Lyric

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bill Owen* 
Thanks guys! The DFI never got touched, that was an old VGA card

The bezel looks much better Black than Green.

wow man, this is an awesome project.

subscribed!


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## CattleRustler

Bill that looks awesome.
I was wondering if you were planning to hide or stylize the front of the dvd drive? I think it kinda clashes with the rest of the sexiness happening there.


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## Brutuz

I don't like how easily you can see inside the drive bays, but other than that, Smexi.


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## Shiryu_Libra

will be a RAD behind those awesome fans, right... right???


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## Bill Owen

bear me with me, it's not even near being finished









Video update, I explain the bare drive bay too @ Rustler


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## Shiryu_Libra

alright... I'll sit next to the pop corn machine.. waitin' for the stealth cd
and... I believe the fan controller it's better


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## CattleRustler

excellent


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## p0isonapple

Bill,

How are you planning on stopping the LED's in the fans flickering when you undervolt them?


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## kwudude

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CattleRustler* 
excellent


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## Brutuz

Awesome.


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## MadCatMk2

Dude this is sick. I love it.


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## Bill Owen

Ive never experienced flicking leds after undervolting them 7 volts.

I still don't know what hardware I'll be installing. still waiting from potential sponsors who expressed interest, but haven't followed up with me yet. I'll just keep plugging away on the exterior.

still need to tweek down led fans, no biggy tho


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## nategr8ns

Quote:



Originally Posted by *CattleRustler*


Bill that looks awesome.
I was wondering if you were planning to hide or stylize the front of the dvd drive? I think it kinda clashes with the rest of the sexiness happening there.


Agreed. Whatever you do, it would be sweet if you put a remote-eject button inside one of the eyes of the skull







.
Sorry if you addressed anything new in the video, youtube is blocked en la esquela (school).


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## Bill Owen

hehe, in the vid, I mention that I will be covering the DVD drive


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## Bill Owen

I planned to mount 2x 3mm white leds behind the skull, or above it. just enuf light to create a subtle mood in a dark room, experimenting first is always good tho


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## iandh

First time I've seen this, looks great. Too bad I can't get this type of stuff past the spousal approval department. +rep

I like what you did with leaving the roughing pass on the outside of the fan shrouds. Looks neato. All of my instincts as a machinist go against doing that but I'll have to file that away for future use.


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## nachosanchezz

Wow.......
Wow.......
Wow.......
Wow.......


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## Bill Owen

Thank you! 
Quote:



Originally Posted by *iandh*


First time I've seen this, looks great. Too bad I can't get this type of stuff past the spousal approval department. +rep

I like what you did with leaving the roughing pass on the outside of the fan shrouds. Looks neato. All of my instincts as a machinist go against doing that but I'll have to file that away for future use.










agree, They came out awesome.

Thanks for the great feedback! The bezel isn't finished I need to order the 3mm white leds, so I can get those sorted too this week.


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## curly haired boy

that front is looking increasingly awesome.









are you planning to add some ribbing/texture to the inside-edge smooth parts near the intake fans?


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## Tom-uk

the front lookes great


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## Bill Owen

Need_for_Speed found this photo and sent it to me. It's the interior of a Turtle shell. It would be really cool to implement something like this somewhere into the build.


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## Paradox me

Haven't read through the entire thread yet, so might not fit the mod too well, but maybe have something like that running front to back on the top of the case, coming from the skull in the front?

Either way, looks awesome. Fantastic job so far


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## curly haired boy

Quote:



Originally Posted by *Bill Owen*


Need_for_Speed found this photo and sent it to me. It's the interior of a Turtle shell. It would be really cool to implement something like this somewhere into the build.











i suggest running a google image search on the art of Nihei Tsutomu.










he's got some awesome stuff:


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## ps-gunkie

Any updates on this Bill? Or is the Panzerbox taking up all of your time?


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## nachosanchezz

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ps-gunkie* 
Any updates on this Bill? Or is the Panzerbox taking up all of your time?









I think Bills busy with lots of projects: NZXT Khaos, NZXT Panzerbox, CM Storm Scout, etc... can't wait to see all of them, only hope Bill can be more of a modding god and build everything quicker....


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## ps-gunkie

Storm Scout mod? Didn't know about that one







. *checks case modding forum*


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## nachosanchezz

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ps-gunkie* 







Storm Scout mod? Didn't know about that one







. *checks case modding forum*

The CM Storm Scout Mod is here, it's called the Scout Military.

EDIT: I think Bill should set up a page with all his case mod projects, and somehow organise it. E.g. Every row is for one project, and each row can have several colomns for case brand, case model, start date, finish date, etc...


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## ps-gunkie

Quote:



Originally Posted by *nachosanchezz*


The CM Storm Scout Mod is here, it's called the Scout Military.

EDIT: I think Bill should set up a page with all his case mod projects, and somehow organise it. E.g. Every row is for one project, and each row can have several colomns for case brand, case model, start date, finish date, etc...


Alright, thanks!


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## Deimos1993

sick mod.. i cant wait to see the end product


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## kimosabi

I need some more sick biomechanical evilness!


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## aspirino67

Hey Bill the case looks friggin awesome. Just trying to be of some help, regards that turtle shell, check this out: http://www.pcmodhouse.com/id59.html
Of course in your mod it should be much more clean to match that slick looking front bezel. That's it, I have two goals in my life now: to make a pc mod myself and to save enough money to get a kickass mod made by you


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## aaronmonto

Bill Owen blocked me on YouTube







.
Looks good Bill.
Like how we'd look together







.


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## nategr8ns

Quote:


Originally Posted by *aspirino67* 
Hey Bill the case looks friggin awesome. Just trying to be of some help, regards that turtle shell, check this out: http://www.pcmodhouse.com/id59.html
Of course in your mod it should be much more clean to match that slick looking front bezel. That's it, I have two goals in my life now: to make a pc mod myself and to save enough money to get a kickass mod made by you









I especially like the ASUS dragon he used







. Asus should go back to using purple parts, I like purple







.


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## kimosabi

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kimosabi* 
I need some more sick biomechanical evilness!

Yes I do!


----------



## wildfire99

Update! Update! Update!


----------



## ps-gunkie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wildfire99* 
Update! Update! Update!










+1 =(. With the Scout finished and shipped off, I'd like to see something new in here.


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## oliverw92

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bill Owen* 
Need_for_Speed found this photo and sent it to me. It's the interior of a Turtle shell. It would be really cool to implement something like this somewhere into the build.











nooo not the turtles









+rep man i'm in awe of your craftmanship


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## Bill Owen

been super busy dudes, I've gotta rawk out "Wolfenstein PC" and get it finished with Nate (CustomPCMax) by June 15th as promised to AMD. They need the finished photos for article.

Then I can get back to this project


----------



## ps-gunkie

Alright, good luck with that







.


----------



## Sinticfury

Amazing project, I guess Bills hips dont lie!


----------



## Bill Owen

I feel bad that I haven't been able to get back to this







My own projects get neglected so I can pay the bills. I do look over at it everyday and think about the next stage. I planned to mount the 3mm white leds in the top of the bezel next, to create a subtle lighting effect.


----------



## ps-gunkie

Ah well, it's ok Bill, just hope to see some pics soon







. Good luck!


----------



## kimosabi

I think you need to drop the *pay the bills* crap and get on with it.







Love this mod man!

j/k ofcourse. Except the love part. That was true. Are you feelin me dawg?


----------



## ps-gunkie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kimosabi* 
I think you need to drop the *pay the bills* crap and get on with it.







Love this mod man!

j/k ofcourse. Except the love part. That was true. Are you feelin me dawg?

But the job pays the BILLs D:.


----------



## kimosabi

Hey Bill. Have you payed the Bill's yet so that we can get some action around here?


----------



## exnihilo

Bump for Bill! This thing is sick! Any progress?

cg


----------



## kimosabi

The guy is gone. Too much customers.


----------



## exnihilo

Yeah, really! Darn him and his popularity!







.

cg


----------



## Bill Owen

My apologies for lack of updates. My personal projects have to go on hold so I can do other projects that pay the bills. I take whatever I can to survive the economy right now.

I'm also building this PC for the nvidia ION mod contest, and will be starting the DISTRICT-9 PC for Cooler Master to display at CES


----------



## FEAR.

WOW that has to be the best front panel i have ever seen... keep up the good work


----------



## kimosabi

This project won't be completed for a looooong time. Bill's bills come first ofcourse.







I do hope to see it finished though. It's one of the few projects I really like.


----------



## Xion X2

Last I'd heard, Bill was sponsored by Nvidia for 3 GTX 295s, so hopefully the project is back on again.









He's a busy guy, though.. always seems to be working on a few projects at once.


----------



## ClearDenominator

Man best of luck, I hope you can get back on track soon.


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## Foregasm

right then. its been 18 months. I DEMAND MOAR.


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## bassilisk

With "Prometheus" coming out in June, perhaps Bill should get in touch with Ridley Scott about sponsorship?


----------



## AlderonnX

Yes please... you don't know how sad i was to not find a video with the finished work on youtube after i saw the first one.


----------

