My first casemod! P180!

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jessehclark

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ok, so I just finished building - except for hd and cpu - my first custom pc, AND just finished my first two case mods

Pics Here



The first is a 4 switch 5.25 panel to control the led's and EL wire that i ordered...they have little red leds on them that light up with they're on. when i'm done, my case will have 60 red led's and 10 feet of red el wire... =) im thinking leds insside, one strip of el under the case , and the other either around the window somewhere or inside the door to shine through the vents on the front of the p180.

the second - the HARD one - is a 9x11 plexy window. I cut the plexi from some big sheets i had and cut the case both using my trim router... i was going to try a hacksaw, but the p180 is a beast! the side panel is OVER 1/4 thick... AND i couldnt find hchannel in town, so i used trim and mounted the plexi inside. i will permanently mount it with silicone so that i dont get bad airflow and noise, but this is temp. with velcro.

as for the crazy case: i have learned several things.

it is possible to put a window in a p180, but its **** hard. h channel should work, since i hear it can stretch, but the chrome trim i used looks great, i think.

if using a hole cutter bit to make the rounded corners (like i did) reverse the rotation of the drill so that the teeth don't catch on the metal. most hole cutters are made for wood, but this way it works very smoothly! =)

the panels are two layers of pretty standard metal with about 3/16 of black plastic in between, with some sort of adhesive tape holding it together.

also, clear book covering contact paper stuff is awesome to protect panels while cutting them. that, and, well, routers are awesome. the whole thing went very well!

anyways, tell me what you think!
 
Wow, that is GREAT. I am very impressed with the job you did on the window, the P180 is a hard case to mod due to the noise canceling foam.

As for the EL wire, i suggest that you etch out all the details in the case with it, and go around components such as the top fan and drive bays. It may be overkill, but I think that would be sweet.

Dex
 
Wow... some of the best modding ive seem on the forums in a long time...

I really like how that window turned out, the front switches, meh cool but thats a great job on the window!
 
Real nice work, it almost looks stock. I like the idea of El wire, I've always wanted to use that stuff but I could never think of a good idea for it.
 
thanks!

wow, thanks everyone!

ive also ordered a black and aluminum 6" 'turbo' emblem that will find a home somewhere on my case. I think it'll go with the automotive style of the switches.. i was also thinking about making this a 007 case... hmmmmm...

I am currently looking for ideas on window etchings or even whether i should etch or not.

I would to see some gauges on the front door, and maybe a red lumin disk, small window over the led switches..

ahhh how to occupy myself while my last two parts ship lol
 
Dude, etching is risky business, I would suggest you get a nice window decal that looks like an etching and stick it in there.
 
hey, i found that out when i tried on some scrap... etching is hard!! lol.. but i have quite a bit of plexi, and its only two straight cuts on the table saw to make a new window.

anyways, i have two options:

1) a friend runs a powder coating/vinyl shop, and i could probably get him to make me a 'frosted' decal

2) use a trophy shop to have the piece engraved- not too expensive if i keep the piece not-too-big and either put it in vector make sure the grayscale jpeg isn't too dark-heavy.

one more pic of the inside of the case... how's my cable management? its a little tricky in this case.




inside closer with decent light
 
The window itself looks very well made, however I don't think it fits with the case at all. This is personal taste of course and you probably like it, I personally think it looks better with the panel intact. Nevertheless a very fine cut job.

The switches are pretty cool. How did you manage to make them?
 
switches

lol yea i like the window- but you're not alone in thinking that case shouldn't be messed with! =) it always looked like something you'd find in the death star to me ( i havent discarded the idea of an imperial window etching!), but i just HAD to see what was inside.

as for the switches:

1) remove 5.25 bay cover and metal plate behind it (p180 has snap-off metal plates behind each opening)

(optional: trim metal piece to fit inside the back of the plastic cover for added rigidity & glue in place)

2) measure + drill 4 x 1/2 inch holes

3) screw in switches (about $4 each at walmart, but i've seen them WAY cheaper, even at the auto store)

4) use male and female slide connectors to put the switches in the middle of the positive wire for whatever you're attaching

5) use female slide connector and some spare wire to ground the switches' leds to the case.

(optional: secure back of switches with some glue to make sure they stay straight and tight)

it was a little more complicated becuase of 1) the metal piece i wanted to use and 2) the switches having leds instead of being plain.

that was it. only took around 30 min.
 
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