Some time ago I approached Stu about putting together a machine. I needed to replace the one I had and the Gateway experience had much to be desired. My wife was a bit reluctant since there would be no all encompassing warrantee. I pointed out our success with Gateway and it was just a matter of ordering parts.

I still had a budget to deal with so I settled for decent, but not the greatest hardware. That's where this log picks up from. Re-fitting the Toxbox.

The Plan. Add a blowhole, case handles and open up the back fan and install a new grill. I'm also looking at painting the inside of the case and back with Hot Rod green.
Here's my list of supplies:
• Blowhole, 92mm kit:
http://www.mnpctech.com/mnpctechblowhole.html
• Fan, 92mm:
http://www.mnpctech.com/Evercool.html
• Grommets:
http://www.mnpctech.com/Grommet.html
• Handles:
http://www.mnpctech.com/MnpctechBillethandle.html
• 120mm fan grill, for back
http://www.mnpctech.com/HCGrills.html
• U-channel, for back:
http://www.mnpctech.com/UChannel.html
• Paint:
http://www.pointshop.com/Mall/Catalog/Product/ASP/engine/Fro%20ogle/product-id/22178776/store-id/1000045133.html
I'm not sure about the case feet yet, but everything else is pretty well set. I hope I can get the handles. They're currently out of stock.

All I need now is to stop at Red Rooster Automotive and pick up the Hot Rod green paint and some primer.

The day of the mod, yes day. This is a machine that my family uses on a daily basis and it can’t be down for any length of time. Here’s a list of what we (I) wanted to accomplish.

92mm Blow Hole install
Case Handle install
120mm Exhaust fan install
Full interior paint job (primer and paint)
Wire management
Memory upgrade 1gig OCZ platinum
Performance testing and tweaking

Here is a picture of the box as it is now. The case is a Silver Stone Temjin.




We started about 11am and are scheduled to finish at 9pm.

11:00am - 1:00pm

We got started right at 11 and did not waste any time. We started by taking a series of pictures of all the cable hookup and pin locations, Stu’s idea, and a good one, too. This is especially helpful when reassembling the system.

As soon as we had all the pics we wanted we start stripping down the chassis. This process went quickly and we were soon down to the bare metal will the components packed safely away in a box.

The first thing we had to do was get a hole cut in the back of the chassis for our 120mm fan. We elected to cut this out instead of sticking with the intergraded grill on the box. It looks better and promotes better air movement. Stu setup his 4.5 hole saw and we use a little shot of 3 in 1 oil to lubricate the blade. The drill cut through really easily...literally 5-6 seconds of cutting.




Once the cut was complete I began the prep work for painting. All the components to be painted were cleaned with denatured alcohol and then masked with tape and masking paper. Since I paint for a living Stu left that to me while he moved on to the blow hole and case handle mods. All the drive cages in this case use plastic drive mounting clips. All the clips were removed, the window was removed and the side panel masked. I also masked the bottom of the case since it won’t be seen.

Once all the masking was complete we shot the frame with a few light coats of white primer.


1:00pm - 3:00pm
So far things have been clipping along very quickly and smoothly.

The next step was to get the blowhole and case handles mounted. For this mod we have a mnpctech chrome blowhole kit and some machined aluminum billet handles.

Stu made a simple little jig with 2x4's and quick clamps to securely hold the case panel in place while the cuts were made. Taping off the area to be cut, Stu started up the 3.5" hole saw for the blow hole. Again a little splash of 3 in 1 oil and the cut was done. Once the piece was rinsed off the burrs could be cleaned up with a Dremel.



The blowhole kit comes with nonstandard fan screws. In fact, they are just bolts with alan key heads on them and as a result they do not bite into the fan frame as well. We had to bore out the holes in the fan a little bit but after that it went together really well.

A little extra time was taken with the billet handles just to make sure they were mounted straight. Installing the handles is easy; the trick is making sure your holes are nice and straight. Here you can see the finished product. This part of the project is done and we can set it aside.



As mention earlier, the paint we are using is Hot Rod Green engine enamel. It's kind of expensive stuff but the finish we get with it is worth every penny. I saved on paint by only shooting those areas that will show when the case is open. In this way we were able to get the whole job done with only one can.



After 2 coats of paint we placed the parts in a warm dry room to let the paint cure. The temp in the room was 80 - 85 degrees thanks to a gas stove and since it was November in the Great White North, the air was VERY dry.




6:00pm - 9:00pm
After about 4 hours of curing time in a warm dry room we start reassembling the chassis. The fan mount holes were bored out and rubber grommets were installed to help keep the exhaust fan quiet. We also used a 14.5" strip of U-channel to clean up the edges of the cut.



From here on it was just a matter of getting all the parts back in place. We install the motherboard and front bezel first so that we could clean up all the power and led wires. Stu kindly braided them and put them in black sleeving. We did not have time for a lot of other wire management but we did make a few changes that allowed us to remove one power cable from the mix and get all the hardware require for the lighting up off the bottom of the case. We really wanted that nice green to show through.



Once everything was mounted we fired her up and got a dim pool error on the startup. A quick flip of our SATA cables and we were off and running. WM is minimal on this project but part of what we like about this look is the UV green cables, even the SATA cables have been replaced with UV green. Unfortunately we were not able to get our hands on the new OCZ memory in time for mod day but it is on order and should be installed by the end of the week.



I decided to paint the slot covers black at the last minute after I noticed Stu had some flat black sitting on his shelf. I like it. We pulled it off finishing at 9:20pm. Now it's time to start planning for the next set of upgrades.

This just looks good ..... down right good!
the braid of the wires is the same thing that i do when i sleeve anything also.

but KIKAS$ AWARD!

99% of painting is in the prep., which includes cleaning. As mentioned earlier, everything was washed with alcohol before the primer was applied. If you skip this step you'll run the risk of the paint not adhering properly and the next thing you know, you've got paint flaking off your case.

I would add, however, that although we had some decent drying conditions and our paint was a lacquer-based quick-dry type, if at all possible, I'd recommend letting it cure for at least 24 hours. The reason being that even though the paint was dry to the touch it was still very soft and can scratch easily, which made reassembly a little tricky.


Here's a couple of nice before/after interior shots



Well, that went so damned well, that I thought I drag Stu through another trying day of fast pace mods. I like to do a PSU mod, custom case feet, lighting and wiring.

First, the PSU. Eventually I’ll be sheathing all the wire but for paint will do. We start the project by taking apart the PSU...good by warranty!



After disassembly all the parts are cleaned with denatured alcohol and then the guts and wires are masked. Normally we would use standard masking paper but today be are using a paper grocery bag. The stiffness of the paper makes is easier to work the masking down between the PSU guts and the frame. All the stickers are removed and saved. If you want you can move them to the top of the PSU since that is usually facing the top of the case.




Once our masking is complete we sand down the exposed areas with fine grit sand paper. We rough them up just enough to help the paint adhere. After our sanding is complete we clean the parts a second time to remove any dust.



Two light coats of primer are followed by several light coats of flat black enamel. To fit with out black and greed theme we shot the fan grills with Hot Rod green. As mentioned earlier, the wire will eventually be bound with UV green sheathing to complete the look.





Putting case feet on the ToxBox is something that I have wanted to do for a long time but finding the right thing is not always easy. My requirements were that they needed to very stable, easy to roll, lit from the inside and unique. Right away that ruled out most of the case feet you see in the mod supply stores.

For the Toxbox, I decided on Nacelle wheel from Kikboxes.

What the hell is Nacelle?
Nacelle is the name give to the shroud that surrounds the engines on the space shuttle. These wheels are very unique. The housing contains a large rubber ball that is capable of rolling in any direction. Not only is the design of our case wheels unique, they are also incredibly stable. When you push a case with casters it takes a certain amount of pressure to first spin the wheels the right direction before they can begin to roll. This is not the case with Kikboxes Nacelle wheels. You can push it any direction with very little force lessening the risk of toppling your case.


I decided to go with the clear acrylic wheels because I wanted to light them. For this project we have also purchased a http://www.xoxide.com/sleevingkit1.html UV green sleeve kit and a http://www.xoxide.com/sunbeam-525-lightbus-black.html black Sunbeam Light Bus from xoxide.com.


We start by mounting the wheel adapters. These wheels are incredibly easy to install. Using the holes for the existing case feet as our pilot holes we drill out the holes. We shortened the bolts on our adapters so that we could fasten them with cap nuts. The cap nuts and adapters were painted using our Hot Rod green. 4 holes, 4 bolts and we are done! The Nacelle wheel housing fits into the adapter easily. Simply push the housing into the adapter and friction holds it in place. The wheels stay in place even when you pick up the case. There is the added advantage of being able to swap out a new set of wheels any time you want. If I ever decide to go with the black wheels it will be easy.



You’ll notice that a lot of the components have been left in the case. This was done in the best interest of time. I did at least have the forsight to remove my graphics card and hard drives, though.

The next step is to install the lights. We have 4 high intensity green LEDs. We us a drill press to carefully drill a hole in each of the 4 wheel housings. The hole is just big enough to allow the LED to penetrate the plastic but small enough that the LED cannot get into the housing and disturb any of the wheel mechanics.



With our holes drilled we start the wiring. We are planning to control all 4 lights with one channel on the Sunbeam so we wire these in parallel. The resistors and wire are all soldiered and sheathed with a generous length of heat shrink tube. We used more heat shrink tube than I would normally but the extra will help to protect the wires that will be exposed under the case.

With our wiring complete, we drill 4 holes on the bottom of the case. The LEDs extend through the hole and then into the wheels. The holes are positioned above the hole in the wheel housing. The LEDs will NOT be permanently attached to the wheels. After drilling out the holes we inserted rubber grommets to protect the wires and give us a nice finished look on the holes.



Now we run our LEDs through the holes and into the wheel housing. We use our UV green sleeving to dress the wires on the inside of the case. We are able to hide most of our wires along the bottom edge of the case, just below the case panel. From there it's a straight shot up to our light controller.



Turn down the house lights and.....viola!





The clear Nacelle wheels are textured giving us an interesting effect. If you want a really intense back-lit effect these wheels could be etched with some fine grit sandpaper. I love these wheels. I get about 3" of clearance over the table, stable rolling and a truly original look!



Now, I know these wheels aren’t for everyone. Really, they’re in that category of like ‘em or hate ‘em. What I like is that they get the case off the ground, which is important to me with this case because the front intake fan, (yes there is one) on the case takes air in through a series of vents on the base of the front bezel.
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With wanting to sheath the PSU wires, the Toxbox would have to wait another day for it’s new power. Besides, I had hardware upgrades in mind at this point.

I invested a little money in a PSU modding kit for this and it was money well spent. Having the right tools for the job saves hassles and can also save your connectors.

I also picked up a sleeving kit, some additional head shrink tubing and some replacement Molex connectors in UV green.



Just to be on the safe side, I recommend full photo documenting your connections before taking any connectors off. There are lots of wires here and if you think you're are going to remember where they all go your fooling yourself. It's nice to have the photos to refer to just in case. Even then I ended up having one of my sata conectors mis-wired.

Start by popping the connectors off one set of wires first. Measure and cut your sections of sleeving and heat shrink and then slip them over the wires. Once you get everything in place you can work your way down the length of the wires with your heat gun to get everything nice and tight. With the sleeving on all that's left to do is re-attach your connectors.


This is a time consuming mod but the end result is worth the effort. A sleeved wire looks so much better. The nice thing about the PSU DIY is that you can get any PSU you want and make it match your project.



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Ah, new hardware…mmmm. So, what did this mod day entail….nothing much, really, just replace the motherboard, psu, cpu cooling fan, graphics card and memory.

Before we began…
We hooked up Stu’s ghetto cruiser to the ToxBox and copied any data that I wasn’t fond of losing. Then, carefully following instructions for replacing a mobo with Win XP, we shut ‘er down. I'd like to dig up these instructions for anyone who might be interested but, because we actually ended up using a different set than I originally had printed (they weren’t as complete), I'm afraid I can't give you much here. All I can say is, Google, man, Google.

Anyway, you basically have to insert your XP disc before and after the swap so that Windows can reinstall without overwriting your data.

As you’ll see from the pictures below, the overall look isn’t that drastically different, with the exception of the cpu cooler.

We began by taking some photos of where everything was connected, these were purely for reference. After that, out came the connections, followed by the mobo and the psu. Then we began on reinstalling the cpu in the new mobo, set the new cpu cooler and seat the ram. At this point we decided with the layout of the box that the new psu would have to go in before the mobo. With both of those in we could begin reattaching the wires. One of the last things we did was snap in the new video card.

After double checking our connections and rechecking our directions, we powered it up. This was a nervous time…I REALLY didn’t want to have to reformat my drive, or more-so, tell my wife that I had to reformat my drive!

….enter the bios, make certain first boot device is the optical drive; save and exit….Windows install screen, install Windows…..can’t find a valid installation of Windows…WHAT!?, try again….WHAT THE??? Scratch head…scratch head again…look over directions about 10 times, confirm that instructions were followed…scratch head one more time…power down.

Change SATA power connections back to molex. SUCCESS!! This is the part where I look at the floor sheepishly. It would seem that during my sleeving process I rewired one set of the SATA connectors wrong. I know this because this psu comes with two sets (to power up to 4 HDDs) and when I compared them the next day they were not the same, and when I changed the molex back to the sata power, using the other set, there was power…my bad. Fortunately, it was an easy fix.

The hardware.

Old
Abit AV8 mobo
Stock cooler
X-Connect 500w psu
Radeon 9600 graphics card
Patriot ram, 4 x 256
-3dMark 03 benchmark = c.1800

New
Asus A8N-32 SLI Deluxe mobo
Enermax 600w psu
Zalman Cooler
OCZ ram, 2 x 512
BFG GTX OC 256 graphics card
-3dMark 03 benchmark = c.16,000
BOOYA!



Out with the old



Mmmm, shiny new mobo


Mmm, shiny new graphics card….








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So, what’s next…..well, when money permits:

Build a cowl around the base to soften the look of the feet a bit
shift into SLi mode with another BFG GTX OC 256 graphics card
water cool…maybe? This box might not have the room for it…
paint the handles black, maybe the blowhole ring too
cut out window more, maybe replace the whole side panel with a sheet of acrylic
more light
stealth the optical drive

Well, that's all I've got, and again, big thanks to Stu for making it possible. Maybe someday I'll have enough coin to get a more unique case from him.

Thanks for posting your project dude! I can't wait to get another shot at this case...

Very nicely done. Inspiring to say the least.

Thanks, what I like about this project is that we did it in bite size pieces, some bigger bites then others. So I can attest that you can still do some nifty things without sacrificing your machines availability. It helps to have someone around with the tools and know how too!:D

It's a work in progress, but then again, what isn't I guess.

I REALLY like this project, the colour theme is perfect!

Wow man, nice paint! Loving the green theem!

The PSU looks awesome too.

Thanks guys! I have to give props to Stu on the color. When I started I wasn't sure what color I was going to go with until he suggested Hot Rod Green.

It may be a pretty common color scheme (over-done perhaps), but I don't care, I like it. My next machine though, dark metallic blue with a pearl yellow/gold interior and accents. I think that'd be pretty sweet too.

Nice one dude! Looks amazing!

i love the color scheme. the ultra neon green is nice!

the Leds over the case feet look great.

Nice, its a small world. I am working on a project (long-suffering) with the same case and same (black-green) color-scheme..Even the same blue & green lighting..
Great-stuff, just love it..

vERY NICE the green grills on the black

Thanks eegg, that was an after-thought, actually, (like painting the slot covers in back black) . One of my better moments - they're few and far between, but they do pop up every now and again