Yes, I did all the work myself. I saw some websites on how to do it and thought I would try. It is now really popular and you can buy pretty much everything premade. Check out these websites for a lot of details: http://www.pccasemods.com/ Here is some info on how I did mine. First it started as a regular PC case. I then primed and painted the case in yellow. I then took some 2 inch wide blue painters tape and stuck it on the case at 45 degree angles, and painted the black. So when I took off the blue tape it had the alternating stripes. I also painted the inside flat black. I cut the holes for the windows using a skill saw with a metal cutting blade. I then used some window trim to cover the cut edges of the case. Next I cut two pieces of triangular clear plexiglass and epoxied them behind the cutouts. If I had thought about it more I would have realized that I only needed one large square of plexi - oh well. You can also buy trim that allows you to have the window flush with the side of the case instead of mounted behind it, but I was being cheap and too impatient to order it. You can even buy a case with a window already installed. The wire wrap is from an auto parts store. You can get it in different sizes and colors. Again I was impatient and ended up ordering about 50 feet of yellow wrap. It was cheap, and I have found other uses for it, so no big deal. It is wrapped around the power cords, and the ribbon cables. You can buy ribbon cables that come rounded and in different colors (simulated braided stainless steel is my favorite). I did it the old fashioned (cheap) way - use an exacto knife and CAREFULLY cut between every 3rd wire of the ribbon cable. Then tie wrap the wires close together and cover with the wire wrap. Also cover all power cables, and try to route them so as little of the cables show as possible. I bought the automotive neon at a local shop that sells stuff for import cars, and a toggle switch from Radio Shack. It turns out that PC's provide the same 12 volts as a car! You just connect the wires of the neon (or any other electrical device for a car) to the right wires of a PC power plug and add a switch if you don't want it on all the time (plus a switch on the outside of the case looks cool). Check the above websites for details, as I have forgotton which 2 of the 4 wires provide the power and ground, and I'm a little too lazy right now to open the PC and look at the plug. I also fabricated a shield out of sheet aluminum that hides the actual neon bulb, and helps direct the neon into the PC. That's about it, except for a fan added to the plexiglass window, and a handle on top from a hardware store to make it easier to carry to LAN game parties. Mine is not nearly as complicated as some out there - can you say "liquid cooled"???? Have fun, and just say NO to boring PC cases! |
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