Quote: Originally Posted by HemiCuda1970 WOW, That latch is badazz....So have you got parts from AMD yet?? keep it up!

Carlos told them we need to have the system here at Mnpctech by Feb 23rd, no later, no sooner if they want this system on display at ceBIT.

@ Paul, a contrast would be cool

It would indeed
Looking forward to the next update!
*as always hehe*

Remember the conceptual drawing? Looking back at it, I thought it made sense to drop a 120mm exhaust fan in this corner of our blank metal canvas. Craig did all of the manual programing of my designs, so it was only proper to give his shop, "CNC Metalcraft" a nice tag on the milled shell

Thanks for the posts dudes

for the past 3 days I've been sieving through files and editing video clips for the next video update. Since Dave couldn't get footage of the waterjet, he sent me a clip from the waterjet manufacturer, Wardjet - Waterjet Cutting Solutions - Home the clip is very breif demo, nothing that will your minds ..lol. Also, for the record, Carlos has been sick, so he won't be giving a report from AMD about developement news on the phenom. FYI: Carlos is in charge of working with AMD, procuring everything from sponsers and installing the system.

Soo, the part 3 segment is going to get right to the meat of my involvement here, the case! No commentary except for a brief intro, then music with lots of eye candy.. I may add my visit to the plater today at the very end.

I hope to have the segment posted here 2nite or thurs

Part 3 Video segment!

YouTube - Case Mod: SwordM AMD Phenom Spider Platform: Part 3

Quote: Originally Posted by mnpctech Remember the conceptual drawing? Looking back at it, I thought it made sense to drop a 120mm exhaust fan in this corner of our blank metal canvas. Craig did all of the manual programing of my designs, so it was only proper to give his shop, "CNC Metalcraft" a nice tag on the milled shell

...Thats sick.......Awsome work bro.........

Thanks for the post Hemi!

You can see more in the video I posted

I had a bit of a scare. I was gathering up all of the parts for my trip to the plater, I couldn't find the AMD logo cut-outs! Finally after 30 minutes I found them in my tool box drawer. I forgot that I planned to paint them instead of plating *sigh

I've done a lot of aluminum polishing with an electric buffer and by hand. Until you've done your own polishing, I can only describe it as extremely tedious work. It numbs your brain, but not in a good way. Theres only a few Modders like myself that have been crazy enough to polish their own aluminum parts, sethnmalice and Paul from coolercases.co.uk. It takes a lot of patience! Last year I polished the 26" tall machined 6061 aircraft aluminum side panels and motherboard tray for the PimpRig tribute PC by hand. It took me 2.5 weeks of work, on/off otherwise the task drove me out of my mind. If you don't have the proper buffing equip, you can wetsand out any imperfections first before buffing out the finish. I don't have all the pro equip, so the problem with 6061 alum, is it can scratch real easy. Any speck of dirt caught under a sanding block will create havoc in the finish, just like wetsanding a paint finish. Of course, this did happen a few times and you started over. I vowed I'd never do this again and seek a professsional next time I wanted this type of finish. "Project Phenom" presented this challenge again so I made some phone calls and found AAA Metal Finishing.

Yesterday I picked up the first pieces from AAA. On a saturday no less! Since Mnpctech manufacturers their own line of machined aluminum parts, I've always wanted to learn about chrome, copper, and bronze platting. AAA's owner, Raul gave my son and I a tour of the facility. The building is city block long! He showed us the steps involved in plating metal parts. I noticed one of Raul's clients was BigDog Motorcycles I recognized their logo on handlebars and frame brackets in different stages throughout the building. Before any part can be plated, it must first be Bead blasted and then polished, otherwise you will see any surface imperfections in the final chrome coating. Raul was kind enough to allow me to record some of the steps with my camera. I plan share this footage in the next video update for this project


The first parts to return are the new top panel and factory front bezel trim from the Thermaltake SwordM Case. The factory finish on the bezel was originally anodized silver.

hats one damn sweet finish there Bill
It almost looks nickle plated from here...
Glad you had a nice day out with your son, it's
even better when your offspring show a keen interest!
Daniel loves going to carshows with me and last summer
I was pleasently surprized when he showed a particular interest
in the caddies, airbrushed beetles, roof chopped pops etc
So look out for his first worklog in about 10 years....

Paul

Quote: Originally Posted by MRMOBEUS hats one damn sweet finish there Bill It almost looks nickle plated from here... Glad you had a nice day out with your son, it's even better when your offspring show a keen interest! Daniel loves going to carshows with me and last summer I was pleasently surprized when he showed a particular interest in the caddies, airbrushed beetles, roof chopped pops etc So look out for his first worklog in about 10 years.... Paul

hehe, I'm sure our sons will be posting their worklogs on these forums long after we're gone Paul.. I'd love to see a carshow over there!

Onesy twosy pick-ups will go on for awhile. Raul must plate my parts in between his larger customer production runs.

You'll remember this panel as the new top from the video

They may even colaborate! Daniel has far more imagination than I do and I believe he will asspire to great things when he's older. ( They grow up to quickly eh Bro? )
Yeh there are some good carshows here from time to time...
One that me and my Brother go to a lot is "Run2thesun" in Newquay on the second weekend of every May. Lots of custom rides, mainly Vdubz.

Top Panel is looking Awesome Bill

Quote: Originally Posted by MRMOBEUS They may even colaborate! Daniel has far more imagination than I do and I believe he will asspire to great things when he's older. ( They grow up to quickly eh Bro? ) Yeh there are some good carshows here from time to time... One that me and my Brother go to a lot is "Run2thesun" in Newquay on the second weekend of every May. Lots of custom rides, mainly Vdubz. Top Panel is looking Awesome Bill

Yep, the offspring will be modding just like their fathers

UK vdubbers rule...I've had 4, mk1s... (1, 83 Mk1 & 2, 84 GTIs and 84 Jetta GLI) Even met Ian Birch from Dubsport. He built the twin engine mk1, mk2 & mk3 Golfs. I went over there about 6 years ago and met him in person and hung out at his shop for an afternoon when he was in Wrightington. I founded and ran one of the largest VW GTI Clubs in the US at the time, Volksport

I'm picking up more chrome plated parts this saturday. I hope they have the side panels finished! I'd really like to get to the re-assembly of this case. Otherwise I should have a new update posted by this Friday. We're painting the SwordM's rear door with Alsa Corp Chrome FX and airbrushing circuit board trails over it that play off the recessed portions in the milled side panels.

last minute change, not enuf Alsa Corp Chrome F/X paint left, we're gonna use HoK's Kosmic Krome mirror reflective we can get locally instead of ordering and waiting till next week for Alsa Chrome

Photos from tonight's painting session, House of Kolor's "Kosmic Krome" Paint.. It's freakin cool paint dudes, but not something a paint newbie should start out using. It's very fickle in how it's applied. No worries here tho, Brads behind the spray gun.

Heres the milled aluminum duckbill thingy, we didn't make it. Thermaltake did. I hated the damn thing at first sight. It's soo fugly weird, but jeez it surely looks different than anything I've ever seen.. Plus, it's milled from solid block of aluminum!! The designers at Thermaltake must have been smokin some seriously strong dope that day.

I just had to leave it on the case and paint it.

Heres the latest update on the rear door progress. The theme behind the Project Phenom's rear door design is futuristic.. Perhaps some strange type of space exploration equipment. Not neccessarily from Earth.

More progress photos

Dayum, that guy is 1337 with an air brush!

This case is wicked sick! Keep up the good work!