StealthRay 1.0 -- a silent build in a custom case.

[ManWithBeard1990]

So I'm back with more parts and have test-fitted some to get a feel for how big it'll be. The answer? Really very big indeed. The handles actually make the thing almost 4 inches taller than a 900D. That's how big it is. Mind you, the proportions will look a lot less ridiculous when the side panel is on. I hope.

 

There's no changing the name now, is there?

 

 

The case with part of the front handles and fan controller temporarily installed

 

 

View of side panel. It should also be clear now how the window will wrap around the top, and on the other side a faux one as well. With a split in the middle like a '63 Corvette Stingray. Hence the name as it'll be stealthy quiet.

 

 

 

[AMaleWhale]

moaaaaaaar

[ManWithBeard1990]

I just noticed part of the side panel's hinge doesn't fit. I guess that's what happens if you get confused about inner dimensions here and outer dimensions there. I could probably correct it with a saw. I'll see what I'll do about it later. For now, I've done a quick mockup, leaning the side panel against the case a bit for a better view of what the final product will look like. Imagine it in black and with a piece of acrylic in the recessed bit of the side and top panel and you're pretty much there.

 

[Tearass]

I just noticed part of the side panel's hinge doesn't fit. I guess that's what happens if you get confused about inner dimensions here and outer dimensions there. I could probably correct it with a saw. I'll see what I'll do about it later. For now, I've done a quick mockup, leaning the side panel against the case a bit for a better view of what the final product will look like. Imagine it in black and with a piece of acrylic in the recessed bit of the side and top panel and you're pretty much there.

 

van Thomas_IMG_0023.JPG

 

Will that vent looking thing have a window under it, right?

 

A rad or something?

[ManWithBeard1990]

Will that vent looking thing have a window under it, right?

 

A rad or something?

The vent looking thing is a window and will be covered with acrylic, which will sit flush with the rest of the panel. I just thought it'd be nice if the window wasn't completely see-through

[Tearass]

The vent looking thing is a window and will be covered with acrylic, which will sit flush with the rest of the panel. I just thought it'd be nice if the window wasn't completely see-through

 

Oh ok, great. And also, the window will be completely see-through enough because of the vents.

[ManWithBeard1990]

Oh ok, great. And also, the window will be completely see-through enough because of the vents.

That and the structure provides some extra rigidity to the side panel. Also helps  absorb sound when the acrylic is glued directly to it.

[IcedEskimo]

duuude... keep on going! I love the look! why can't case makers actually do windows like you did?

[ManWithBeard1990]

Finals are finally (lol) over, so I can get back to work on this thing. I'll go lasercut the rest of the parts tomorrow, but today, I've started upholstering some of the panels with felt. I kind of like the black-on-mdf look, so I've decided not to bother with painting the exposed MDF on the inside. I can always do it later, but I can't really unpaint it if I want. Also, I've seen a wooden case here with Noctua fans and that looks really spiffy, so if I get some disposable income in the not-so-distant future I might get some NF-F12s. I know the S12 is a better airflow-optimised design but the mufflers do impose some restriction on that. So yeah, that's just a tradeoff I made. Hopefully it won't be too noticeable.

[ManWithBeard1990]

I've test-fitted hard drives and a fan, to check if everything, well, fits. In tune with the silent theme, the hard drive mounts are vibrationally isolated from the rest of the case by a layer of sponge. The fan is mounted with rubber bands. I feel it's cheaper and more secure than rubber pushpins, and also absorbs vibration very well.

 

[ManWithBeard1990]

Alright, another batch of laser cut pieces has arrived, which means I could finally start gluing stuff together for the first time. Having done the design usually at 2AM, predictably some of the more fiddly pieces didn't quite fit, so I'll have to do a bit of sawing or dremeling at home, but all the major pieces went together beautifully, and the exterior is pretty much done.

 

[Brendson]

Looks good so far man, really like the case design. Can't wait to see what it looks like when it's finished.

[ManWithBeard1990]

Power supply bracket installed and rear muffler mounted

 

[ManWithBeard1990]

Guys, I've run into a problem. The original intent was to paint this case black but my mother and sister, both of whom have more style than I do say I should leave it as is. I like the color of bare MDF too but the reason for painting it was more for ease of cleaning rather than an aesthetic consideration. Although I do think black would fit my peripherals better. It would also allow me to sand off some imperfections and paint over them. Mind you, once the acrylic windows are glued in I can't paint the wood underneath them anymore. So what do you guys think? Should I paint the outside or leave it as is?

[Guest]

I think you should give it a clear coat at least. Cleaning the bare MDF would be a pain. it will have nasty greasy dark stains (over time) where you touch it the most and I don't think there is any dry cleaning option for it. MDF will suck in any moisture and swell.
The lackquer will darken it though, so it's up to you. Maybe you could seal it with some oil or wax allowing you more cleaning but I'm not familiar with those. I've always lackquered any wood project I worked on.

[ManWithBeard1990]

I think you should give it a clear coat at least. Cleaning the bare MDF would be a pain. it will have nasty greasy dark stains (over time) where you touch it the most and I don't think there is any dry cleaning option for it. MDF will suck in any moisture and swell.

The lackquer will darken it though, so it's up to you. Maybe you could seal it with some oil or wax allowing you more cleaning but I'm not familiar with those. I've always lackquered any wood project I worked on.

That's what I was thinking too. In the meantime I have put my cell phone inside the case and put some music on. Closed the side panel and, as expected, things quietened down nicely. Most of the noise was coming out of the two mufflers that haven't had felt applied to them yet as well so there's still room for improvement, but I suspect what little noise the fans and hard drives make will be all but inaudible once I get a build going in this thing.

[AMaleWhale]

I think you should paint it, I had a wooden case, and after a while with out paint it just starts to look really weird... Get some good paint thats either super matte (spelling?) or super glossy. But also look in to other colors than black, I think a nice metallic color would look good on that thing

[OverachievingSnowfall]

Ya i'd suggest painting it too.  Bare MDF just looks like it's unfinished. It will take a solid primer base and then a few coats of your chosen colour to cover it properly. MDF is very porous and absorbent, so it'll soak up a lot of paint if you don't prime it. 

[ManWithBeard1990]

I did it! It's finally finished! I decided to varnish it instead of paint, although it does have some black accents. Glueing the side panel windows in was a bad decision as the glue is quite visible; if I was to do it again I'd use screws instead, but the glue is kind of permanent so I can't really do that. That said, the system has been transplanted and the cooler upgraded from stock to a Hyper 212, and is purring away happily. I'll clean up the room a bit and upload some pics later. Might use my sister's dslr as it's a much better camera than mine.

[ManWithBeard1990]

Alright. Room is clean, pictures have been taken and here they are

 

[ManWithBeard1990]

 

Let's open her up, shall we?

 

 

Choosing the A10 7850K wasn't a compromise. I genuinely believe HSA is the next big thing and that's why I wanted one. This machine wears her AMD badge with pride.

 

 

Also a pair of SSHD's here. The space in the middle has yet to be filled with an SSD of sorts but that's for a future upgrade.

 

[Yummychickenblue]

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Let's open her up, shall we?

 

2014-07-20_19-27-59.jpg

 

Choosing the A10 7850K wasn't a compromise. I genuinely believe HSA is the next big thing and that's why I wanted one. This machine wears her AMD badge with pride.

 

2014-07-20_19-27-46.jpg

 

Also a pair of SSHD's here. The space in the middle has yet to be filled with an SSD of sorts but that's for a future upgrade.

 

2014-07-20_19-28-18.jpg

Why a top mounted PSU?

[ManWithBeard1990]

Here she is purring away happily, merrily. A 23 inch monitor is by no means tiny but it looks positively diminutive next to this thing. I like that though.

 

[ManWithBeard1990]

Why a top mounted PSU?

Mostly because it seemed like a good idea at the time, it doesn't really matter too much where you put it though. I wanted the top panel to be as clean-looking as possible so all the vents are on the rear and bottom and a PSU would take up too much of that real estate.

[ManWithBeard1990]

I also like this shot a lot