Okay, so after I finished doing the stained glass door for my PC, my husband Splitter, says he wants me to do a mod on his case (he wants something BIG,maybe that new truck...lol)....

My mind starts to think of all the possibilities. Then came the list I had of things to choose from. Things to make it more personal. So like mine, his would say "Splitter".
List:
Cars, music (ZZ Top, Van Halen, Ozzy, etc.), military career, geek

In going through the list there was one thing that made the most impact on his life (besides me), and that would be the military. Not only is our son in the Army ( along with other family members, and friends), my husband was in the Navy for 15 years.

As an AT (Avionics Technician), he was in only two squadrons in all that time. The Jolly Rogers, VF-84, and the GrimReapers, VF-101. Of those two he was most linked to the Fighting 84. So this is what I decided to go with as my theme starting point.

So I hunted and searched for images, and ideas. Read loads of different tutorials on modding (thanks to JE and the rest of the PR members who make the best tuts around!). Keeping in mind that I will only be altering the appearance of the case, not the contents inside . Other than lights of course.

Here are some views of the case as it is now:




The ideas for the case so far are as follows:
Can you say Dremel of my own
*First the whole case will get a new coat of black paint. Included in this will be the drives and front, so they match the case color.
*Each side will have a new fan. The right side already being cut, that leaves only the left. Trying to find appropriate fan grill covers has not been easy. All the ones with skull and crossbones are not the same as the VF-84 symbol. So I found these which look like plane props:
http://www.xoxide.com/80mm-jet-turbi...fan-grill.html

If they are to be the ones used the color of them will be changed. Most likely to a silver or something else to match the theme colors. That is unless I find an alternative. //wink//

*The sides will also have the victory stripe only (Minus the circle and star), cut out on both for symmetry.
Victory stripe pictured below:


Behind the stripe I will place a golden acrylic for the appropriate color.
*On the top of the case I am going to attempt to cut out the symbol for VF-84. Like this one:


*Then on the front I will be (not sure how yet), putting his name in one of the designs you see here:


*To show off all the cutting , and details the inside of the case will be illuminated with white LED lights. Lots of them!

There are a few other things I may try to incorporate, but as yet undecided how to or if I will need them at all.The pics of them are added below. In case anyone has some ideas on them.
The motto:


Tomcat / 84 Emblem

The timeline on this has not yet started. I still have to get all the needed parts, tools, etc. So I am thinking sometime in the next few weeks I will be in the middle of this project.
Behold the F14A Tomcat of the Fighting 84, Jolly Rogers!

if you can't find the right fan grills, you can always try making your own with either acrylic or some thin aluminum

Hey Foe just a idea why dont you take a pic of yourself get into photoshop,bryce or smomething like that and make yourself a pinup girl like on the old bombers for a fan grill or something ? or make a transfer for it for the window.

I've got a couple nice in-flight VF-84 Tomcat pics in a couple books I've got, if ya want em I can scan em...

/idea factory

And had you thought of the sticky-paper stuff.. print on it and get some birds in-flight (or whatever) on one of the sides? I think it was AntiM who was gonna use it on Nautilus' mobo-side... not too sure though.

/end idea factory

Keep those ideas coming guys! The fresh ideas are what will keep this project turn out to be something special.

Flounder405
I actually have a Poser image that was loosely modeled after me(hair is way shorter, and not nearly that thin), but not sure it would work. It would be best done as an airbrush image if anything. Have not done that kind of airbrush work in 10 years. Lin from mnpctech's place would be the only one who could do this image justice though. Attached at the bottom...

TheOutcast
Not sure I understand what you mean. Can you point me in the direction of an example?

Enko
Had thought of trying to fabricate my own fan grill covers, but that is something I have not the tools to do. Sort of like Wordbiker did the acrylic for his case project. I will see if I can pick his brain some more.

Sweeet Theme......

I found some cool grills....
http://www.crazypc.com/Merchant2/mer...Code=CPC8007MR

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Okay.. sorry it was a bad (rushed) explanation - I was about to run to Math class...

So here's a better explanation:

There's some "paper" out there you can print on with your average every day printer... its basically sticker-paper.. you print on it, and then peel it apart and stick it on things... so you could, for example, print some Jolly Rogers in-flight on it, peel it, and stick it on the mobo-side of the case... basically, cheap and easy "airbrush" effect... no paint skills required...
...And like in the other thread that mentioned it, if the image is too big for one sheet, just chop it up into piece of paper sized chunks and print the chunks to stick together on the case.

Thanks Thrasher! Those are some nice grill covers. Think I saw them while I was hunting, but I have seen so many I am not sure

TheOutcast
Now I understnad what you mean. Sounds like something to think about.

Also I have to correct a portion of my post above. I was told I made an incorrect statement about Splitter's time in the Navy.

Quote: Originally Posted by Splitter Just a quick edit..... 18 years, 13 active, 5 reserve, 3 squadrons, 1 reserve unit: VF-101 twice, VF-14, and VF-84

Men..can't live with'em and can't shoot them.

Very nice grill guards, however SPlitter would spot them a mile away as AIr Force insignia.

I have some others......

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Attached Images

Skull fan grill.bmp (81.2 KB, 201 views)

NoSlak
He only briefly glanced at them. But the more I think about it, I may try my hand at some custom grill covers. Was toying with the idea of a combination of acrylic and metal. Not sure if it would work to have them layered, but I will think on it some more.

Quote: Originally Posted by Foe Men..can't live with'em and can't shoot them.

Of course not... If you could, you'd have no one to do menial labor jobs for you all day...

I'm lovin' the military theme mod. I didn't have anything to do with it, did I?

Again, my hat is off to your whole family.

if you are going to make custom fan grills, ill be happy to help, i have desined some fore GPN, and chaotic, and some others, although never a two layer one, and now that you said dual layayer it got me thinking about some cool, ideas, maby ill share them later

Quote: Originally Posted by GrandpaNoob72 Of course not... If you could, you'd have no one to do menial labor jobs for you all day... I'm lovin' the military theme mod. I didn't have anything to do with it, did I? Again, my hat is off to your whole family.

Thank you GrandpaNoob! I was hoping you would stop by.

Cpl Rampage
Thank you for that! I have seen the ones you did for GrandpaNoob. Have you done any with acrylic, and metal?

i have only desined gaurds made for metal so far, but i dont think it would be to hart to adapt them to plexi, i would just have to consider how thin i can go with plexi, with out getting 2 weak, or else having to glue it to the metal layer for support.

ill look more in to desining with plexi after school tommarow, and then i can get back to you with some ideas.

Thanks Cpl Rampage!

wow this is harder than i thought it would be,

i found out what should and should not be done with plexi, that was easy.

the hard part is finding some good pics of things, here are some of the things i have been looking for so far, and i have found some, but they are not very good quality,

jolly rodger

avt insignia

and anchors

i have mad some prototype , but i dont think they are good enough to post yet, if any one can find some beter quality pics plz tell me.

Thanks for all your help Cpl Rampage! Let me see what I can come up with in the way of templates over the weekend, too.

Quote: Originally Posted by Foe Had thought of trying to fabricate my own fan grill covers, but that is something I have not the tools to do. Sort of like Wordbiker did the acrylic for his case project. I will see if I can pick his brain some more.

I hope you have a small pick.
I'd be glad to help out on your project Foe. I still have plenty of sheet aluminum left, and many different types of acrylic. Throw some ideas or a template my way and I'll see what I can do.

Wordbiker

Wordbiker
Getting my Dremel, and some other supplies tomorrow. I'm one of those people who once I see the tools, and the materials I get more organized on what I want. But ret assured I will be hitting you up for some help. See what being so good gets you? lol