Case Mod: Project: [Fireblend] (Dual Window, i7, CM690) - Overclock.net

Aeogenia · 05-15-09

Casemod worklog

Project:

Fireblend

Case: Cooler Master 690
Aeogenia
30/03/09 - 14/05/09
Overclock.net

Worklog

Table of contents

I. Introduction
II. Hardware, supplies, tools
III. Prep work: design, CAD and getting the parts
IV. Day one: disassembling and painting the case (ex. side panels)
V. Day two: letting the parts properly dry (no picture's)
VI. Waiting for my hardware: assembling the case
VII. Day three: cutting and drilling the side window
VIII. Day four: painting the side panels
IX. Day five: cutting and fitting the Lexan (no picture's)
X. Day six: finishing the side panels
XI. Day seven: final assembly
XII. Conclusive notes

I. Introduction

The Cooler Master 690 is one of the most modified cases in the world. Because of its cheap price and good design it's a modifiers favourite. This may seem like a good thing and for the most part that's true, however it makes it harder for the owners of this case to be original in their design. Just see the "CM690 club thread" at the amount of modified cases, and you will understand my point.

"Creativity has no boundaries, only limited users" I'd like to say and so my case-mod was born. It's a simple paint/window project, and because of the fact that this is my first ever case-mod. It has taken some time and effort to make everything fit and look the way I desired. It took a proximity 8 hours, spread over 7 days to complete it (not including the design and prep work). I know that not really allot of people make work-logs for window and paint mods, because there often not to complicated and it does take some time to make the log, but I wanted to do it anyway. So it's a single page work-log made in one go. If this log was interesting to read, if you like my work or have any comments don't forget to leave a message/rep. Let's get started.

II. Hardware, supplies, tools

Case:
• Cooler master 690

Tools:
• Pencil, ruler and paper
• CAD (AutoCAD 9/Inventor 9)
• Hacksaw
• coulomb-drill
• hand drill
• file's (not the binary one's)
• screw drivers
• Safety goggle's (safety first)
• 6mm drill

Supplies:
• Lexan/acrylic 500*500*3mm clear
• M3*12mm bolts Inbus black
• M3 nuts
• M3 washers
• painters tape
• primer
• paint: traffic red and mat black
• thinner
• sanding paper (grade 4-3)

III. Prep work: design, CAD and getting the parts

The only design I have made on this project is the side-panel window, I didn't wanted to go with a basic shape and after a few drafts the design was born. I have included the dimension's for anyone who may be interested to made this himself. It's made up from two windows, a motherboard window and a HD tray window. The HD tray window is made so you can only see the HD trays and not the cage itself. The holes are for the Acrylic.

Picture one: the drawing with the dimensions (for anyone interested made with Autodesk Inventor 9)

Picture two: final design of the window

The prep work.
This basically is getting the paint, acrylic and all the other supplies. My new hardware was also ordered at this time, and got just in time for the final assembly. But soon after it arrived the PSU blew up, so there I was stuck using my old PC for the time being. Please notice that I have invented the most static free way to have store my HD, and no the side panel did not fit any more.

Picture three: my old pc, cable-management anyone

The colours.
At first instance I was going for all black, but this changed at the store. After some time it was decided, traffic red for the mesh and mat-black for the interior and side-panels. The paint was rather expensive but of good quality after all, so this did not really matter.

ΙV. disassembling and painting the case (ex. side panels)

The first build day arrived. After shopping for supplies the case was emptied of all its hardware and was fully disassembled. Every nut, bolt and screw had to go, and was stored in a safe space. The weather was nice today, so my workplace was moved to the backyard. After setting up the painting table and sorting out all the parts, I started priming and painting the parts. After a wile it got quite windy, so the painting had to stop for about 2 hours. When all was painted, because of the wind the tiles where also red

so I had to clean it...

At first the case looked like this, almost fully painted in machine-Gray sheet metal.

Picture four: the stripped case.

Picture Five: the other parts to be painted

Picture six: my improvised painting table (If it isn't broken, don't fix it )

Picture seven: the case and mesh after the primer

Picture eight: tapering the front and top panel

Picture nine: priming the panels

Picture ten: the case fully painted black

Picture eleven: in progress of painting the other parts red. (the sun is my enemy at this point)

Picture twelve: the painted case

Picture thirteen: the finished mesh and handle's

Picture fourteen: the completed top and front panels (with the rest of the unpainted parts)

V. Day two: letting the parts properly dry

Well this explains itself, I could have made a video showing the paint while drying...but you get the idea

VI. Waiting for my hardware: assembling the case

The actual assembly was not to difficult, some things where a little harder to fit because of the paint but it all fitted. I did experience some massive amount of paint chip, especially on the black parts. The sun was probably to blame for this, it did get very sunny

Picture fifteen: the assembled case (NO that's not orange its RED, I blame the camera)

Picture sixteen: the assembled case with old scratched side panels

VII. cutting and drilling the side window

After quite a while it was time to make the side panel window. I do not have a Dremel unfortunately, so it was made using my old and trusty hack-saw and some different grade of files. a hole was cut for the blade and the cutting began, it was easier that I expected and it was ready in no time.

Picture seventeen: fully taped side-panel (and my leg)

Picture eighteen: the drawn out windows and holes to be cut

Picture nineteen: my workbench and tools for the job

Picture twenty: windows cut ready to file

Picture twenty-one: holes drilled and finished the windows

Picture twenty-two: the unpainted result(needs a little more work)

VIII. painting the side panels

The camera was borrowed to a friend, at this time. But it was not really interesting, but for the fact that the first paint job was unacceptable. The wind and moisture got in my drying area and totally messed-up the coating. The second layer was not perfect either but my paint has run out, so I left it the way it was.

IX. cutting and fitting the Lexan/acrylic

Cutting the acrylic/Lexan took about 10 Min, so I forgot to take a picture in this time. Again not very interesting.

X. finishing the side panels

There was not much to do here but to clean the acrylic and make a picture.

Picture twenty-two: the finished side-panel

XI. final assembly

The side panel did not fit the first time, because the bolts where to long. So I cut them down to size and it fitted like a glove.

Picture twenty-three: the final assembly (with new hardware)

XII. conclusive notes

This is the end of my work log, the casemod is semi-completed. If you have any comments or suggestions please leave a message. This is after all my first ever worklog and casemod, tell me what you think.

Future things to do list

Repaint the side panel, because of the bad paint job.
Experiment with different colours acrylic
Make a air duct shroud for leading the hot air out of my room in the summer. I'll make a work log of this when there is some time
My i7 runs very hot with my Mugen, so I was thinking of putting in a WC loop...maybe sometime.
Make a Fireblend/overclock.net logo for the side panel.

Casemod worklog
Created by: Aeogenia
30/03/09 - 15/05/09
Overclock.net

Aeogenia · 05-15-09

reserved

iandroo888 · 05-16-09

looks great ^^

InfernoReaper · 05-16-09

What type of black did you use on your inside?

I'm tossing around flat, matte, and satin as choices for my case and I'd like to see what they look like.

Aeogenia · 05-16-09

Quote:

looks great ^^

Thank you

Quote:

What type of black did you use on your inside?

It's matte satin black colour code: RAL9005
I like it, its not to reflective but not totally matte, its got a nice shine

Anyway is the bad paint job clearly visible on the picture? I would like an opinion about that if possible...anyone...thanks

Jolly-Swagman · 05-16-09

Looks great well done on the Dual Window Mod

Aeogenia · 05-16-09

Quote:

Looks great well done on the Dual Window Mod

thanks

T3h_Ch33z_Muncha · 05-17-09

looks beautiful

imo black racing stripes or something along the top/front red painted mesh stuff would have looked even better, but it's great as it is.

Keep up the good work

Aeogenia · 05-17-09

Quote:

looks beautiful

imo black racing stripes or something along the top/front red painted mesh stuff would have looked even better, but it's great as it is.

Keep up the good work

Thank you

Putting racing stripes on the mesh would be hard but its a really nice idea to put on it in the future. Thx

T3h_Ch33z_Muncha · 05-18-09

eh, I've seen it done before. You basically just tape off the bits you aren't painting and spray away! No harder than normal painting

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Case Mod: Project: [Fireblend] (Dual Window, i7, CM690)

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