Project: Arctic Cat

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15 Dec 2010 09:44 - 15 Dec 2010 09:47 #12861 by SXRguyinMA
Original thread can be found here:
www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?p=311975

Alright I figured since the case showed up it was about time to start this thread!

First off, the sponsors who have donated or will be donating components for this project! A HUGE thanks goes out to each one!
NZXT supplied the white Phantom and white 24p and 8p cable extensions!

Crucial is supplying a 4GB set of Ballistix Tracer (green of course) DDR3-1333 memory!

John from PCBoard.ca is supplying the lighting elements!

Thermaltake is hooking me up with a power supply!


And Rick Maines (SgtM from TBCS ) is teaming up with painting legend Rick Primeau of Primo Customs for the paintwork on this beauty!

Now I've been wanting to build an Arctic Cat themed case for a while. I work at an Arctic Cat dealership and already have approval to display a machine at the store once I'm done. Things slowly started falling together for this build.

I got to thinking, "What would I do with another computer?" I've got plenty to use right now, and frankly don't have anywhere to put another rig. I got to talking with my wife, and the idea hit us.

Her best friend's mom died from Huntington's Disease a while back. This disease is horrible, and very little is still known about it. Why does it happen? Who does it happen to? How can it be treated or possibly cured?

I decided that rather than build a sweet rig to display for a bit then get stuffed in my basement somewhere that I'd do something good with it. I plan to either auction or raffle this rig off. I still haven't settled the details as to when where or how yet, but it will happen. I plan to display this at my shop for a while, and also get the local snowmobile clubs to run a small ad about the auction or raffle. I'm hoping I can raise some money and also awareness of this disease. All the proceeds will go straight to the HDSA .

Now on to the ideas!

These first SketchUp models were from when I first had the idea for this project. The final Photoshops I did after I found out NZXT was hooking me up with the Phantom :D

The inside will remain white, while the outside and other details will be painted Arctic Metallic Green (or a shade close to it).


Arctic Cat MudPro 700 in Arctic Metallic Green


















I plan to cut a window into the side panel. The clear acrylic will be etched and edge-lit with green LEDs. I've got a neat idea for a cool internal lighting accessory as well.

System specs are as follows: Stay tuned for updates!
Last edit: 15 Dec 2010 09:47 by SXRguyinMA.

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15 Dec 2010 09:49 #12862 by garfi3ld
Replied by garfi3ld on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
looking forward too it, your already starting with a kick ass case

Wes

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15 Dec 2010 09:52 #12863 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Thanks! I got the case in today, man this thing is huge!

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15 Dec 2010 09:54 #12864 by garfi3ld
Replied by garfi3ld on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
big and bright green, should catch some attention. Hopefully it raises a lot of money in the end too

Wes

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15 Dec 2010 09:57 #12866 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
I'm hoping so!

Also, is there a way to get hyperlinks to show up? I've got a few embedded in the text but they're not visible

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15 Dec 2010 10:05 #12870 by L0rdG1gabyt3
The green looks pretty wicked on the Phantom! Good luck with the mod!

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15 Dec 2010 10:14 #12871 by garfi3ld
Replied by garfi3ld on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat

SXRguyinMA wrote: I'm hoping so!

Also, is there a way to get hyperlinks to show up? I've got a few embedded in the text but they're not visible


make them bold for now, I will look into fixing the issue

Wes

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20 Dec 2010 19:41 - 20 Dec 2010 19:58 #12959 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Update time!

Got the motherboard and processor from Trace over @ TBCS! I'm EXTREMELY happy that the RAM placeholders DO NOT have the LEDs in them that they did in the review. :D

just for reference, these are the LED dummy sticks I'm glad don't actually have the LEDs :D


ixbtlabs.com/articles3/mainboard/msi-x48c-platinum-i48x.html

the spots are all there for them, but they're just bare solder pads with no actual LEDs (thankfully lol)

And just for giggles and to show the size of this beast, here it is next to Rockin Case. Keep in mind that Rockin Case is a 1:1 scale of a real acoustic guitar and it's sitting on a real guitar stand.
I started by removing the side panel fans and mesh vents.
Then I removed the mesh vent from the other side panel.
Then I removed this spare HDD rack that isnโ€™t going to be needed. 10 small screws later and itโ€™s off.
I also removed the rear 120mm fan and top 200mm fan and the LED power button for the top fan. The 200mm fan has 8 3mm blue LEDs in it. These will be swapped out with 8 3mm green LEDs :D I plan to wire all the LEDs in the case to that rear power button, so they can all be turned on or off as needed/wanted.
There are 2 of these spring-loaded side panel latches. I was going to remove them, but the rear panel will stay white so Iโ€™ll leave them in.
This is a shot of how the cables from the top panel units come routed from NZXT. Everything is very neat and tidy and held with zip ties.
This is the de-meshed side panel back on the case. This will give an idea of the windowed cutout.
Next I disassembled the front door for paint. There were these 4 screws holding the door panels together, 2 more holding the top black trim piece and 6 more holding the bottom trim/vent piece.
I had this 140mm Antec fan laying around that Iโ€™m going to mount here in the front opening. It doesnโ€™t have LEDs but it does have holes already to install 4 5mm LEDs. Green will be installed of course.
Here we have the 2 top panel units unscrewed and the wires pulled through.
And the case ready for paint!
And the large box of parts that were removed. Most of these will be reinstalled.
Next I moved onto the cutting. I decided to cut out along the fan mount flange that was already in the side panel, rather than go more like my original Photoshop design. Going lower will only show the PSU, and going farther forward will only show the dive bays. Plus keeping this shape helps preserve the sleek lines of the case.
And 10 minutes and 2 reinforced cutting discs later and itโ€™s cut out.
Now the cuts were fairly rough. So I measured from a few select points and marked lines with a pen. I will grind and file to these lines to ensure nice straight cuts.
I got two of thefour4 sides finalized last night. I should hopefully be able to get the last two done today.
And a final shot with the panel reinstalled on the case. This should look real nice :D
Hopefully today I can get the rest finished, then it will be ready to send off for paint!
Last edit: 20 Dec 2010 19:58 by SXRguyinMA.

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25 Dec 2010 01:26 - 25 Dec 2010 01:27 #13045 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Update!

I got the last of the sanding and filing done on the side panel!
And I came home from work this afternoon to find a rather large box sitting on my steps with a Thermaltake logo on it. What could be in there? :D

A HUGE thanks goes out to Thermaltake for sending over one of their TR2 RX 1000W PSU's!

Merry Christmas everyone!
Last edit: 25 Dec 2010 01:27 by SXRguyinMA.

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30 Dec 2010 06:10 - 30 Dec 2010 06:12 #13104 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Update time :D

I got this candy mold from eBay for $2


I had some of this casting resin leftover from a different project


I mixed 1oz of resin and 1oz of hardener, and it was enough to fill all 8 cavities. I only needed 2, but I did all 8 in case I screwed one or two up during the removal process.






Two days later I removed them from the mold. It's a good thing I made all 8, as they were tough to remove and I only ended up with 4 usable pieces. Yes, even that broken one will do, you'll see why in a sec. These just need another day or two to harden, then I'll do the final trimming and filing and painting.










Next I had a pair of these green NGK spark plug boots. But they'll be of no use to me in the state that they're in. So off to the band saw!






Now this is why that broken one doesn't matter. These will sit at the back of the case (see the SketchUp models in the first post). I'll mill out the center of the plugs, and 3mm blue LEDs will be installed. The wiring will be run up the plug and cap and out the wire end of the caps, and over to my LED blinky kit from John at PCBoard.ca .





Now the LED blinky kit blinks much too slow for these to look like real plugs firing, so I did some swapping of capacitors and resistors until I got the blink rate just right.






Video if the standard configuration:


Updated configuration:


And soldered together:


It's kinda hard to tell because of the frame rate of the camera, but it looks sweet.

Next I disassembled the Cooler Master V6GT that I got from CJ. The LED effects that come with it are red, blue, purple, or off. This won't do now will it?


So I took out the control board and hot-glued in a 5mm green LED


Much better :D


I'm also going to add 4 5mm green LEDs to the front side fan on the cooler. I'm currently waiting on a shipment of 5mm and 3mm green LEDs :D

That's all for now!
Last edit: 30 Dec 2010 06:12 by SXRguyinMA.

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02 Jan 2011 10:55 #13127 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Well I'd like to add another sponsor to this project! The Hines Design Labs are going to help me out with the engraving for the side panel window!

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04 Jan 2011 07:14 - 04 Jan 2011 07:16 #13145 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Update time!

After reading a review on the Xigmatek fans, I decided to get my hands on some. 2 200mm green LED fans and 1 140mm straight blade green LED fan.



Now the issue with these 200mm fans is they're actually bigger than the 200mm NZXT fan that came out. Also, the mounting holes are not the standard 200mm mounts like the NZXT ones are. So either these ones are wrong or the NZXT ones are.

Here's the difference:




These are the mounts on the Xigmatek's. The drilled hole is on the right, and the undrilled notch that is needed to put these in the Phantom is on the left. I ended up drilling out the 4 of these so I could mount these fans, but that's minor.


Now the second issue with these fans. They're a touch wider than the NZXT ones, and don't fit in without some gentle manipulating.








And turned on.






Next I mounted the 140mm straight blade fan in it's place so you can see how the lighting looks for the front of the case.




And a shot with the fans lit and the side panel on. This thing's going to look killer :D


Now the lighting is a bit bright from the outside, but I've got a neat idea that will dress up the vents and also let a little less light outside the case and should make it a little more aesthetically appealing. :D
Last edit: 04 Jan 2011 07:16 by SXRguyinMA.

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09 Jan 2011 06:09 - 09 Jan 2011 06:13 #13259 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Memory came in! :woohoo:
4GB Crucial Ballistix Tracer Green DDR3 PC10600, 1.65V




Last edit: 09 Jan 2011 06:13 by SXRguyinMA.

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11 Jan 2011 20:33 #13311 by sarjent
Replied by sarjent on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
This is gonna look awesome. good luck with the mods!!!

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11 Jan 2011 20:50 #13313 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
THANKS! :D

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22 Jan 2011 07:09 #13451 by Jolly-Swagman
Modding is coming along just sweet , looking forward to seeing more soon!

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22 Jan 2011 11:08 #13454 by Shroud
Replied by Shroud on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Awesome looking mod man! Everytime I look at one of these threads it makes me want to upgrade my computer and case. lol
The following user(s) said Thank You: SXRguyinMA

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05 Feb 2011 10:12 #13631 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
OK so update time, finally :D

MNPC Tech has helped out with some 3M mounting tape and u-channel edge molding for the window! Thanks Bill!

I started off by finishing the sanding and filing on the edged of the spark plugs, and trimming them down to size. The tops were not needed, as the plug boots will be covering them anyways.
I then used my Dremel to cut a channel into the backside. This channel will hold a 3mm blue LED, and the wiring will run out the top and into the plug cap, as shown.
Next I got some 1/4" black fuel line. This will be the plug wires, and the wiring for the LEDs will be run through this as well.
It fits nicely into the cap :D
Now I needed to make something to hide the PSU wiring mess that will reside behind the PSU where the second drive cage was removed. I made this carbon fiber piece for my Tempest SXR mod, and will do something similar, but nicer.
Here's the PSU installed, and the bundled wiring will need to be hidden for aesthetics :D
I've got approximately 15" in length, 7" on the horizontal leg and 4" on the vertical. I got 2 sheets of aluminum, 18" x 12". I marked 7" from one end and made a line, then bent the sheets on my metal brake.
These will be used as an inner and outer mold. I've got some Rexco Formula Five release wax and Partall PVA mold release on the way for these. This way I'll lay up a few sheets of carbon fabric with resin, and clamp it between these two mold halves to get a nice consistent single piece, then I'll just trim and sand as needed.

That's it for now!

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13 Feb 2011 01:59 #13687 by garfi3ld
Replied by garfi3ld on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Looks like its coming along, I am curious to see how your going to make the cf cover better. I thought the one you made for your last build looked great

Wes

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13 Feb 2011 02:20 #13688 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Well the last one I made was originally one flat piece. I made 2 separate pieces, then sanded them at a 45ยบ angle and glued them. The problem with that was that the angle and the sides were not quite straight, so it ended up witting kinda funny. This way I'll mold it as one solid piece with a 90ยบ bend and just trim it as needed, so it'll look a LOT better :)

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18 Feb 2011 05:50 #13817 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Update time!

Here is the mold release and PVA I used:
It says to put 3 coats of wax on a new mold, so I put on 5 just for good measure :D
I then did 2 brushed on coats of PVA onto each mold. I've got 2 layers of carbon and 2 layers of fiberglass matting for the middle. The fiberglass will add stiffness since it is not a directional weave.
I worked up some resin and got it all laid out and clamped the mold halves together.
About 2 hours later I popped the mold halves off the part. Thanks to the wax and PVA, it came off effortlessly. :D The PVA is still on the part in the following few pics, which is why the finish is a little dull.
Uh oh! I must not have clamped the parts together good enough, and ended up with a big air bubble! :facepalm: The purple over the bubble is the PVA film.
There was also an excess of resin at the corner, but that can always be sanded down.
An air bubble on the inside, which isn't as big of a deal because it won't be noticeable.
A shot of the air bubble with the PVA film removed
And a few shots of the part with all the PVA removed. The finish is a lot nicer, and once I wet sand, clear and buff it'll be nice.
I'm going to try to mix up a little resin and fill in the hole, then sand it down and see how it comes out. If it doesn't come out nice, I've already been brainstorming a few ideas to keep the halves stiff and supported, and to be able to clamp them more evenly.

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11 Aug 2011 08:25 #18035 by garfi3ld
Replied by garfi3ld on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
did this ever get finished?

Wes

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11 Aug 2011 15:49 #18043 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Not yet, but it will be ;)

It's getting the last of the airbrushing and paintwork now, should be back to me in a couple weeks.

Here's a screenshot from Primo's live webshow doing some of the painting:
And here's how it sits now:
If you need paintwork done call Rick at Primo Customs!!

The Cooler Master V6GT also got a frosty pant job courtesy of SgtM from TBCS:

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12 Aug 2011 22:36 #18112 by Kelf
Replied by Kelf on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
The painting looks great! :cheer:

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12 Aug 2011 23:25 #18115 by Lersar
Replied by Lersar on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Diito, very nice work!

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23 Sep 2011 03:30 #20013 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
The case is FINALLY back from paint! It's partially assembled so far. Enjoy :D

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23 Sep 2011 06:35 #20022 by Wooderson
Replied by Wooderson on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Looks great. The paint job is very impressive. Looking forward to seeing more pics.

I kill CPU's

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18 Dec 2011 22:50 #21661 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
UPDATE TIME!!!!!

Yea I know, finally :whistler:

Minor update for now, got some work done on this puppy today. System is up and running with a fresh install of W7 Home on the 1TB drive.

I ditched the idea for making the carbon fiber wiring cover because I failed so many times that I ran out of carbon :facepalm: So I decided to use some leftover plexi to make one instead.

I marked out the cover on the sheet.


Then I cut it out with my jigsaw and bent it into a 90ยบ angle. I then trimmed out the areas where the MB cables pass through. I got a little carried away working and didn't get any progress pics :facepalm: I used a small piece of aluminum angle to mount the cover to a pair of existing mounting holes in the chassis.


I also got the mounting done for the die-cast model.


I got the cover painted white and I have a neat idea for it, but I'll have to try it out to see if it'll work the way I want it to!


I also got this nice 50th anniversary emblem that they put on the ATVs and snowmobiles this year and mounted it to the front door.


And I mounted a nice billet aluminum cat head logo to the PSU to dress it up a bit :D

That's it for now, more to come soon!!

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18 Dec 2011 23:19 - 18 Dec 2011 23:22 #21662 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
Here's the final update!

I got the PSU cover painted and added a nice Team Arctic decal to break up all the white.


I cut a piece and drilled it to mount to a pair of the extra E-ATX standoff holes on the motherboard tray.


Then I used some double-sided tape to secure the LED blinky kit to the backside of the tray.


And I got carried away with modding and didn't take too many pics :whistler: but I sanded and painted the piece of plexi, wired up the 2 3mm blue LEDs and stuck the plugs and plug boots to the plexi mount, then ran the wiring through the black fuel line and over the tray to the LED blinky kit.


And a shot of them on.


And a video :D Yes, I know the music in the vid is a little depressing, but it's all I had that fit in the 26 seconds that the video is lol.


Next up I cut out another piece of plexi and bent it into shape.


Here I set it on the 5850 for a test-fit, then painted and added another cat decal to break up all the white.


Next I cut out the clear acrylic for the side window. I cleaned it up a lot after this picture was taken, then stuck it to the side panel with some double-sided tape.


Now the really crappy thing is that I had to notch the chassis to fit the window in. The edge of the window lined up with the edge of the case, so I notched the case with my jigsaw (after removing all the components of course). I then put some black trim on it to cover up the cut edge.
Last edit: 18 Dec 2011 23:22 by SXRguyinMA.

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18 Dec 2011 23:29 #21663 by SXRguyinMA
Replied by SXRguyinMA on topic Re: Project: Arctic Cat
And the final pics for now, until i can get ahold of a better camera :D



And once again a HUGE thanks to my sponsors!!!

Now the rig will be displayed at the dealership I work at and I'm currently working with Arctic Cat on raffling it off at one of their charity events! I'll be sure to post up the details when I get them!!

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