RatZ - rat look inspired build

[Pål-Marius Stavdahl Hansen]

Hey, This will be the work log for the RatZ project.

 

 

Line up

So I don't relay have any thing mind blowing, but for the theme I have chosen that's in fact perfect.

 

Case are an old Cooler Master Elite 310 black/silver

 

PSU corsair CX750M

 

CPU AMD athlon II x2 250 stock 3 Ghz but running at about 3,2 Ghz now.

Kingston DDR3 4GB + a random hyperX 

cooler master fan + two corsair fans that I might opt not to use.

MSI GF615M-P33 V2 motherboard.

Asus GT 210 silent ( fan less GPU)

 

I might opt for an FX 9590 and a r9 270x that I have on my hands if I could get my hands 

on a dirt cheap motherboard that supports the 9590 that my grandmother gave me after she slightly downgraded her own gaming rig.

but highly unlike besides I have been using it as a server PC and have plans to use it for the same as soon as this project are done and don't relay need any thing better

even tough I always want better  

 

 

Little about me

 

So I am a certified sheet metal worker even tough I haven't worked with sheet metal in a while I still think I am some what qualified to work with metal, that I am a little bit "rusty" are just a big plus for this project  I have always had a great passion for making, building or repairing thing and I like old and new tech, so this should be a perfect mix right?

I have never made a case mod and what better case to use than the very same that was my very first rig that a build to my self, I did build a couple of systems before this but this case and some of the components are the first rig that I made for me. 

 

 

A little about the project and why I want to do this,

So I have for a long time wanted to make something for the cooler master case mod series.

 

I always like to make stuff, but I don't rely have a budget to make those amazing/insane and pretty builds that you usually see,

and I was tired to put it of just because I never relay have enough money, so I decided I wanted to make a rat look inspired case that's usually a type of style mostly found on styled cars, that I could potentially make rather cheap out from scavenged parts and components and just by trying to use some creativity to make the most out of the smallest possible budget 

 

So I have plenty of ideas, but as I might just end up using a fraction of them or even other ones entirely during the production of the case I wont mention to many,

 

so the main idea are of course to make the case rusty, I also want to make a hole in the side panel that looks like a fracture or more like shredded metal with a lightly tinted plexi glass and try to make that glass look a bit old and green-ish, like it's been laying in a ditch for years or something. I also wanted to either engrave the cooler master logo on that panel or something else, I guess it's cool if I use the cooler master logo?

 

At first I was thinking I wanted to weld together a new front for the case but I think I changed my mind to sticker bomb it instead.

I also have some old peripherals that I want to see if I might be able to do something cool with.

 

But I will update with some more information and ideas as I progress, and I hope at least a few persons might like the idea or hopefully even the finished result when the day comes. 

[Pål-Marius Stavdahl Hansen]

So this a what I have at my disposal at the start time for this project, I am gonna buy a few more thing.

But I gonna focus on looks and not specs, how ever I would love to get my hands on a motherboard supporting the FX processor 

as it's defiantly the most powerful one of the bunch that I have.

 

The case have already lived a tough life, as I have in the latest years only used its as either server or a loaner PC and some times for some reason the ppl

I borrow it to decides to do stuff with it, for instance one person swapped all of my fans out with crosair ones and one of them I taped because he missed some screws.

also, he some how managed to bend the pins on my CPU so I had to straighten them for hours with a super tiny pliers and a Flathead screwdriver 

 

And yeah, the CX750M is totally overkill I know, but a friend was in dire need of a PSU once, so I took the Silver Power 400w that was in this system out and fitted it in his system, I never got it back tough.

 

[Pål-Marius Stavdahl Hansen]

Okai, so not to much done except removing all the existing components plus removing the whole HDD bay + the two other bays pretty much. I have 

a different idea for a HDD bay and I don't need a CD-ROM on this this PC anymore as it's a server PC, so pointless of having these super large bays taking space.

So yeah, all I need to relay get started now are to get some supplies and some tools, so need to wait for my bank account to grow a bit first  

 

to be continued

[Pål-Marius Stavdahl Hansen]

Okai, so I still need some more suplies and stuff, but I visted my father yesterday and got some of my tools and a steel plate that I had laying around in his garage, I tought I had more tool tough, maybe I just did not find them

 

 

Any way, I wanted to start with the hard drive bay design.

and if you are wondering, yes that is a wooden table with a AUX input inside of it, and it's completely functional and it's hooked up to my desk.

 

.

 

and came up with some relay crude drawings with some measurements.

I'm no artist that's for sure, how ever, getting something on a sheet of paper usually helps me a great deal when

I am doing any kind of metal construction. 

 

then I proceeded to make a mock up of what I had in mind.

also pretty crude, but hey, it's just to help my mind work slightly better  

 

 

then I made a template with hopefully correct measurements, I had to take the thickness of the plate in consideration for the bending, 

also with the intention of making rubber "stand offs" for the back side where the hard drive gets mounted, so that the HDD circuit board wont touch the metal surface.

 

I sadly don't have any thin cardboard that I could use so had to use regular paper for the first cut out template, but It should still give me some sort of idea of where I am going with this.

 

Also, look what my grandfather gave me  His old rotary tool, a plastic cutter and a scalpel  comes in handy, still have to buy some blades to the Dremel as there was none left. Well I think this concludes every thing for today.

[Pål-Marius Stavdahl Hansen]

So I finely got around to do some acual practical work on the project with making the first prototype for the HDD bays,

Also first time using such a small grinder as the dremel, when I used to work with metal at the factory I used to work at we always used 125mm or bigger angle grinders

 

 

 

the outlined piece turned out fine just had to file the rough edges down at it's find

 

 

Sadly I dont have any tools for bending sheet metal, but I do have a vice and I do have a hammer so I managed to do what I wanted to do regardless  

In fact, it turned out better than I would expect from this method, I would expect a lot of dents wicht would be fine anyway, would kinda match my theme for this build, it did get some dents, but nothing major. Also, I might have added 2 mm to much in clearance, but its fine, I make it work, and better with a slightly to much clearance than what to tight clearance, So I gonna use the same measurements on all three.

 

 

 

 

And then it all came down too the side panel, I rely wanted to remove those holes and mesh and fill it with a whole plate, I wouldn't care if It looked like a chepo weld patch thingi thing.

 

 

 

But the whole thing warped/bended and I "rage quited" the work for today, also did not take picture of the failed attempt to patch this panel, Kinda mad that I could t manage to do what I used to work with on a daily basis. Welding that is.

 

So now I have to find a new solution to fix this, I guess I am cutting a whole new plate, cut of the things that holds the plate looked to the case, bend the backside, and glue the thingi things to the plate instead of risking messing it up again, also, I wish for a TIG welder for Christmas " hint hint "