Summary of Entry:</br></br>I try to focus each Mod Project on a different set of goals, along with a different Theme.  This time around I wanted to try my hand at a Small Form Factor (SFF).</br></br>
After hunting around at lots of SFF cases, I came upon a new manufacturer making small batch systems.  He didn’t want to sell barebones, or just the case…but some of us on the forums kept pushing and he finally decided to sell bare cases.</br></br>I then set to work in Sketchup:</br>
<img src=" http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/BloodMoon-05102006.jpg"></br>was the result.</br></br>
My Theme was the unusual eclipse known as the Bloodmoon: that particular event when the Sun’s rays are refracted just right in a Lunar Eclipse such that the Moon appears reddish, orange, or pinkish.</br>
I found a supplier online that could make my plexiglass domes to specification, and got to work with my rotary tools on this $400 case (all American, all Aluminum).</br>
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/Dremelwork/eclipse-window02.jpg"></br>
I decided that I didn’t want a waterjet or lasercut Mod, the only tools involved were my trusty rotary tool, and lots of files!</br>
<img src=" http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/Dremelwork/eclipse04.jpg"></br>
I worked on the lettering for many, many, many, many hours.  Just cutting each letter took anywhere from 45 minutes to almost 2 hours depending on how many curves it had, how delicate the inset was, and what position on the case it was for keeping a steady hand.  Then the Filing started…</br> <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/Dremelwork/filedclean01.jpg"></br>I wanted it to LOOK Laser cut, but know I did it with my own very sore hands.</br><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/Dremelwork/filedclean03.jpg"></br><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/Dremelwork/letteringfinal01.jpg"></br></br>As that work progressed I was prepping hardware, setting up the watercooling, and working on the wiring layout.</br><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/Dremelwork/nv-7800-01.jpg"></br><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/Watercooling/CPU01.jpg"></br><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/Dremelwork/wireguides01.jpg"></br></br>All sorts of trials and experiments to get the right look for my lighting, and voila!</br> <embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://img.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/lighting/MOV00990.flv"></embed></br>
I also did some custom work on my G-15 keyboard and Revolution mouse:</br><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/final%20assembly/G-15-day-and-night.gif"></br><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/final%20assembly/CPU/Mouse01.jpg"></br></br>Add in some custom faceplates, a clear red sheen to the case, fitting it all into the small footprint of an mATX case, and the final result:</br><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/final%20assembly/CPU/ISO-03.jpg"></br><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/final%20assembly/CPU/EarthSide01.jpg"></br><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Dgephri/Qmicra%20mod/final%20assembly/CPU/FullSystem02.jpg"></br></br>
Features:</br>PCDesignLabs Qmicra mATX all aluminum case</br>Asus P5LD2-VM running C2Duo E6700 @3.45 watercooled by DangerDen TDX</br>4X512Meg Corsair DDR2-675 w/LEDs</br>XFX 8800GTX watercooled by DangerDen</br>2X250Gig Western Digital Caviar 7200rpm 16Meg cache</br>Matrix Orbital MX6 PLED bay display and fan/light control</br>Plextor 716SA DVD +/-</br>Custom LEDs on G-15 keyboard, custom USB cable blinks with activity--Custom painted Revolution mouse</br>