Case Mods/ Tech Mods

[Major_A]

www.bit-tech.net/modding/2009/12/24/mod-of-the-year-2009/19

[Major_A]

Thought I'd share some of my recent additions.
This added controller I'm sure can be used for extra buttons
in an fps game for quicker access to certain options.
However for me it's being used as next enemy and next
friendly view, return to cockpit, engine 0%, engine 100%,
engine start, and the sticks are trim and elevators and still
have unused buttons.

This metal bracket is the knockout from a pc 5¼" drive bay
bent roughly at a º45 angle, mounted with 2 small screws,
flat and lock washers.



Velco attachment.







Chair reinforcement was done with 1½ aluminum L channel.
It used to be part of something else which is the reason for the black paint patches on it.

This reinforcement keeps the chair arms from sagging.
It was dreadful to put up with.

Nice large area for joystick and trackball placement.
Plywood armrests are 7¼" x 16½"

The white pvc is part of an overhead frame for the chair,
but I'm not sure I'm going that route or not so the pvc
º90's on the ends are being used as pencil holders atm.





Right before the extra controller was added, I installed
sound activated lighting, and lighted case feet.
Just thought I'd throw in the video because my
desk was clean

[Lamron]

Is that a second keyboard with hand-painted letters I see? You're going to need another hand or two for all the buttons you have within reach there.

[RedRock]

Wow, I'm getting carpal tunnel syndrome just thinking about all that keyboarding!

[Major_A]

I used the painted keyboard for several years. It was an experiment painting the keys.
It was the third keyboard I'd refurbished so to speak. Aside from the John Deere green keyboard in the video, I've got a coke red one also, and currently working on a hp media keyboard with unpainted keys of coarse.

The painted keyboard was going to become this mod here
www.rogerdodger.net/diyflightsims/d314_ww2_fighter.html

I have since abandoned that idea and am going to build my own
switch panel for the left side of the chair using a joystick encoder.
www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836X/

As you can see it also supports rotary pots too so I can do steering
wheels as well as rudder pedals flaps and throttle.
I just need the funds

[Major_A]

I need some opinions on this case I've been working on.

I'll show a few of my work log pics before I ask what I'm looking for.

This is one of my old cases, I think the second one I owned lol.

While your looking at the photos, think Coca Cola cooler.

BEFORE











-----
AFTER















I didn't realize a case had that many rivets lol...

It looks nice in the pics, but actually seeing it is way more
impressive considering I had to strip all the white pieces
& repaint because of a BAD clearcoat error.

Anyway, all I have done is what you see because of
color scheming the left, right, and top panels and the
front bezel.

The bezel is plastic of coarse and I'm going to have the
hw store order some plastic primer aside from that a few
other design issues with the bezel I'm working out with
logos & chrome looking shiny metal guy stuff on it

I have the right panel primered and hanging in a holding
pattern on the back porch. The top and left panels are
waiting on holes cut in them for a windowed left panel
and air flow top panel.

Here is where I wanted a few opinions...

I didn't really want the entire outside of the case red!
However, if the top airflow hole is covered with
HEX modders mesh www.mnpctech.com/moddersmesh.html
should I leave it shiny aluminum silver, or paint it white? OR
cut the hole and use a shiny fan grill in place of mesh

Left side panel...Plexi glass or HEX modders mesh?

This leaves the color of the panels...all red with silver
hole and window coverings or a red left and right panel
with the top white panel.

This is what I'm stuck on because those colors will determine
the main color of the front bezel....rrrrr (pulls hair)

Lighting was planned on being an 18in WHITE ccfl inside
the case, and RED led case feet. Should the feet match the
inside, which would look better?

I was also considering a coke bar/cooler/vending bottle opener
on the case.

If I added a power supply to go with it, I think I'd disassemble
it and paint it gloss black.

Please, give your thoughts, I welcome them.

Here are a few paint schemes I've been starring at

[Major_A]

I found some plastic primer and have the bezel prepped for paint.
It's been hardening for about 4 days.

Has anyone ever put a painted pinstrip on plastic or metal?

if so how did it turn out?

[RedRock]

Wow, the coke scheme is sure interesting.
But all that work, just to decorate a box that has to do nothing but work.......sheeesh, you guys are nuts. My middle daughter's BF visited here on Spring Break and brought his case with him and spent hours and hours painting it in a camouflage scheme. Again, interesting, but I have tons more to do with my time than unnecessary painting. Like.....posting unnecessary comments!!!!

[Major_A]

Mostly time invested so far.

It's one of those things with me where I don't do much
drawing anymore but I like to make stuff.

Making stuff to make a few bucks I like also. ;D

I hope to be able to consign some stuff to a local computer shop,
possibly getting back into some of my artistic ability's in some way.

However, mainly just wanted to know if anyone had used generic masking
tape for pin striping anything and if it bled under the sides.

I'm glad you like the color scheme so far. Just trying to figure
out the way I want to proceed with the front mostly.

[Lamron]

The Coke theme is a pretty cool idea. ;D

For the plastic parts you want to use vinyl dye instead of paint. The dye doesn't fill in anything, so the plastic looks the same as it did before, in the new color. Any plastic that isn't glossy has a little micro-texture on it and paint fills that in unevenly. But you can minimize the effect by using an ultra-flat paint.

Pin striping with masking tape isn't going to leave a nice sharp line. Its too porous, and doesn't lay flat enough, and the adhesive is too weak to prevent bleeding. Try using contact paper instead, or just buy stick-on pin striping from the autoparts store.

[Lamron]

What you need now is a liquid cooling system, and food dye the coolant to look like Coke circulating around.

[Major_A]

I saw some of those dye colored liquid cooled mods a while back b4 I started,
some are very cool and gave many ideas!

I never thought of the dye though...I am going to look into that!

The pin striping though, i was looking really at some 3m stuff
that the auto shop guys use to make flames on cars with, it's blue and slightly stretchy
...I was just trying to avoid ordering as much as possible. I kind of figured that with the masking tape because of something I tried years back. Just double checking.

The only pinstripe stuff the auto parts places have are the actual stick on body type. It kind of annoyed me when I sent my wife to pick up a roll of the stuff that wasn't what I wanted...women that don't know about auto stuff have know place working there. My wife was mad at me.

I was going to try and locate the change slot with the use correct change light in place of on of the cd slots also.

[Major_A]

I painfully struggled with windy conditions for a month last winter painting
and cleaning this, and I've been stressing with the missing button thing
ever since... someone can't watch their F'n kid from getting into my stuff,
tg my kid has been taught better than to do that.

Anyway, does it look good? also, if you come across this keyboard I need the
play/pause button. It's an HP sk-2560 and I can't replace it for anything less
than $30 bucks...used... just to get the button.
Unless of coarse you have this keyboard and would like a new shell ;D






On a side note I obtained a second monitor finally, not wide screens but hey...
also reconfigured and turned my chair actually facing the TV, now and the
chair is my new footstool! That's the reason for the cheetah pillow so I
don't wear a hole in that, armrest ... if I could just find a recliner for cheap

btw, I've cleaned the air conditioner since the pic

[Lamron]

Nice work on the keyboard, and yes, two monitors is the MINIMUM number!

[Major_A]

yeeeeay I found the missing keyboard key!!!
Now mybe I can trade it for a 16" deluxe pizza ;D



I found the key and my missing Jango Fett Westar 34 blaster pistol
that someone lost and didn't tell me dinkin' around with my desk light
while removing the "8yrs of I'll get to it projects" out from around my
desk and re-arranging and making room for my new "used"
"Lazy Gamer" chair ;D

I'm still working out the details, but I'll have it modified with
built in speakers and some new armrests before long.
Unfortunately my box is back on the floor.



EDIT - 15 min after post, sold to neighbor....pizza on its way