Scratch Built Tree Stump Computer Case

[Insomaniac]

Hello, welcome to the first official home showcase of my very first custom computer case build. It it 100% scratch built along with a custom scratch built cooling loop and functions at a better rate than my previous case with aftermarket air cooling. For more in depth information read below

 

PC Specs:
Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit

MSI 970A-G46 Motherboard

AMD FX-6350 @ 3.9 GHz

MSI GTX 660 Twin Frozr

12GB G.Skill Ripjaw X-Series 1333 MHz DDR3

120GB Samsung SSD

240GB  Silicon Power S60 SSD

1.5TB Western Digital Green HD

1TB Western Digital Green HD

 

Case Features:

Scratch Built custom carved exterior

Front USB/Audio Panel located in protruding root

Optical media slot hidden behind root

Scratch built CPU "Heart" Cooler w/Embedded interior LEDs

Scratch built "Mushroom" Reservoir w/Embedded interior LEDs

Custom Sculpting around Radiator

 

 

 

 

 

History and Other Info:

 

Here is my first foray into a serious case modding project. I decided I wanted to do a sweet case mod after I built my new computer desk, but I wanted something unlike anything else I've seen and something *hopefully* new. I have seen loads of cool crazy case mods but I wanted something less... computery. I wanted to make something with a more natural feel and with smooth curves and things like that.I had created a smaller little stump carving before this and it struck me what my grand idea would be.

Then it was decision time and I spent a while pondering how I would accomplish it, but decided to craft it entirely out of lumber as opposed to tracking down a stump and cleaning it out for a computer. This way I would have a little more sway in the design of things and could fine tune my project as opposed to being constrained to the random stump I would find. So I got to work right away and started measuring and planning, I got it all put together and then... let it sit for a few months. I just had no good way of carving into this wood I had at a quick enough pace and other projects ended up getting priority over this fun side project. 

But, then before Halloween I found a nice carbide blade for my grinder and it allowed me to really carve into the wood at a good pace to facilitate the shaping of the stump. Fine details were then done with a Dremel likes the knots and finer wood grain pattern. After it was carved I used a Red Oak stain (I believe that was the color) and coated it in fiberglass resin to add strength and cohesiveness to the entire build. I made a platform for the motherboard which raises it vertically to allow room for the HDs, DVD, power supply, and water pump below it. The USB front port is worked into the root and has the DVD access hidden behind the root but is still fairly easy to get to (who uses DVDs now right?!).

I also wanted to do water cooling for the first time but again I wanted something natural and organic. I decided that I would make my own loop from scratch (as much as was reasonable) so I only bought the water pump and the copper heater core I used as the radiator. The reservoir and CPU cooler are made by me from sculpts I did for this project. They are completely clear organic shapes which will withstand the operating temps of the system, which means I could make any kind of custom CPU or GPU cooler. A fun little feature is the power button, which is actually the largest knot visible in the front of the case which you just press like any normal button

[MattLantis]

That's so cool

[terrytek]

Specs? I would like to know.

[TheHolyCawCaw]

Poor teddy bear sitting there lonely 

[Insomaniac]

Oh of course I forgot specs! I'll add it into the post. 

[MattLantis]

Specs? I would like to know.

same

[Epic_Nex]

that is crazy

[Insomaniac]

Poor teddy bear sitting there lonely 

Do not worry, that is a mini chewbacca in his lap, and he is next to a few Vader plushies too.

PC Specs:

Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit

MSI 970A-G46 Motherboard

AMD FX-6350 @ 3.9 GHz

MSI GTX 660 Twin Frozr

12GB G.Skill Ripjaw X-Series 1333 MHz DDR3

120GB Samsung SSD

240GB  Silicon Power S60 SSD

1.5TB Western Digital Green HD

1TB Western Digital Green HD

 

Edit: Fixed my specs, I messed up a few items the first time D:

[TheHolyCawCaw]

Do not worry, that is a mini chewbacca in his lap, and he is next to a few Vader plushies too.

PC Specs:

Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit

MSI 970A-G46 Motherboard

AMD FX-6350 @ 3.9 GHz

MSI GTX 660 with factory OC

12 GB of DDR3

2- 240 GB SSD

1- 1.5 TB HD

1- 1 TB HD

Thank god !

[Insomaniac]

Here is a quick 3D video, not that it's fantastic but it shows it off a bit more thoroughly than the pictures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxFwYVqv0jg

[ALXAndy]

Amazing !

[Laputacake]

Well its certainly unique

[alpenwasser]

Now here's something I haven't seen before...

[Insomaniac]

Well its certainly unique

I hope that this is not the only quality it has! D:

 

Thanks for all the comments guys! Now I just have to brew up my next big mod...

[Insomaniac]

Hello, just cleaned up the first post a bit. I am planning on coloring the water in the loop green, it will highlight the reservoir and CPU cooler even better in conjunction with the LEDs. The design of my CPU cooler will not really clog up with gunk and the lines I am unworried about staining, with that said any recommendations for fairly cheap coloring solutions? 

[Hikaru12]

How do you clean up the stump so residue from the wood wouldn't leak onto the board?

[Insomaniac]

How do you clean up the stump so residue from the wood wouldn't leak onto the board?

 I created all the wood stuff outside to keep the dust away from my parts and since it wasn't made from an actual stumpy or anything there really isn't any residue(like sap). But even if there were something the entire case inside and out has been coated twice with fiberglass resin which seals up the wood quite well. 

[Gofspar]

THATS FUCKING DOPE

[MattLantis]

I can has?

[Insomaniac]

I can has?

For a few pretty pennies

[Wingfan]

Very cool!!!! good job

[Swndlr]

that made my wood hard

[Shd0w2]

For a few pretty pennies

will five do?

[Insomaniac]

will five do?

It is definitely a process I could replicate if people are really interested.

[Insomaniac]

Just wanted to post a quick update, I don't have good quality pics, but I am bound for Mexico so I will not have time until I get back.

I did a bit of work on this to help finish the case a bit more and I am happy with the results. I went through and weathered the case to help showcase the smaller details in the carving that kind of were just washed out before. I also painted the custom parts in my waterloop, the heart has been painted to help visualize better what I was showing. The mushroom as well was painted, though it was a bit more obvious I wanted to still make my system a little more coordinated. I also painted a few heatsinks on the RAM on MOBO. 

I put in green liquid which definitely ties in the mod a bit more. I also painted the lines which I am up in the air about, I'm tempted to switch to hard lines and do an actual physical root system that runs along them instead of paint. I got my hearbeat light set-up instead of just always on it now beats and will speed up a bit and slow down as well. 

Let me know what you think