[Build Log] Zeuligan build - white leather Be Quiet! Dark Base Pro 900

[Voxels-Box]

1 hour ago, Zeuligan said:

I admit it took me a few tries to get the right amount of heat for sealing the sleeve. Need much more time/heat on the heat shrink than I first could imagin.

Great work so far!  I ended up with a very similar mod to my cable strippers during my first time as well. 

One trick I found with the heat shrinkless style is to use clear heatshrink (I found mine at Frys, very inexpensive). This lets you see exactly when the sleeve is sealed, and since its gonna come off anyways, it doesnt matter that its a different color.  Good luck with the rest of your sleeving!

[Zeuligan]

1 hour ago, Voxels-Box said:

Great work so far!  I ended up with a very similar mod to my cable strippers during my first time as well. 

One trick I found with the heat shrinkless style is to use clear heatshrink (I found mine at Frys, very inexpensive). This lets you see exactly when the sleeve is sealed, and since its gonna come off anyways, it doesnt matter that its a different color.  Good luck with the rest of your sleeving!

That is a really great advice. Thank you so much for that, will use that for the future.

Thx for your nice feedback, much appreciated

[Zeuligan]

MDPC-X 8pin EPS/ATX

Very happy with previous sleeving, so thought it was time to try to do a proper ARC as well. Took some measurements and decided for a length for layer 1 and 2. After some cutting, crimping, sleeving and finger torching it turned out really good.

 

 

    

[Zeuligan]

I thought a long time about what I should do to the backside of my case, but it finally hit me. Carbon fiber full cover plates to tie up the theme and make a background for my new custom sleeved MDPC-X cables.

 

As with previous custom case parts to this mod, I did the backside panels in acrylic. New for the backside is a test of a new very exclusive car wrap. My supplier just finished wrapping a 250.000€ Lamborghini and had some vinyl to spare, for me to test.

 

 

The only problem with this part of the mod will be the custom case floor PSU shroud I previously created. I also want to secure the horizontal cover into the case edge, but have a good idea there as well.

 

 

 

The horizontal piece was of course very straight forward to cut. I made it exactly as wide as the case, but added 5mm to the height. More to why in the next step...

 

 

 

I cut away 5mm with my newly acquired Dremel Moto-Saw and as wide as the edge case plates visible in the previous picture.

 

 

 

 

 

With the 5min cut-out and some quick sanding with me Dremel (that I love more for every mod) the fit is just perfect. It will prevent the horizontal piece to slide out in the bottom and made the top align perfectly with the motherboard tray.

 

 

 

After cutting the piece for the vertical part of the backside carbon mod, I took measurements for the cut-out for the floor as well as the holes for mounting it. I will share holes with the inside carbon fiber case wall, so the fit needs to be perfect.

 

 

 

Can't  be happier with that cut-out, just a perfect fit. It's a little little wider then the floor, so after adding my 3M carbon fiber vinyl, it will be super snug.

 

 

 

Looking really good and everything aligns. Time to test my Lamborghini vinyl

 

 

 

Looks and feels even better then my previously used Di-Noc.

 

 

 

Super tight fit with extremely nice surface to it. The small bottom fins on the horizontal piece is nicely visible on this picture. This carbon vinyl is water resistant as it's a certified car vinyl, but I hope I never have to verify that

 

 

Finished result with an even sexier case backside. What do you think?

 

[Natsoup]

Oof the cables are HOT

[Zeuligan]

4 minutes ago, Natsoup said:

Oof the cables are HOT

Thx  Looks even better inside the carbon case. Now when the backside is more or less done (might create a cover for the fan-hub) I can start to assemble the build. 

 

Got a few more steps with the custom lighting. Coming in future update

[Zeuligan]

4th time is a charm I guess. Tried many different coloring versions for the backside be quiet! logotype and fan covering plate. Never really happy with what I manage to do. Decided to go with carbon fiber over the entire plate making the be quiet! logotype visible in relief. Worked out nice against the white leather. 

 

 

 

 

 

But after that, the weekend did not go as planned, but decided to share my none-progress anyhow!

 

I had hope of finishing all my lighting details this weekend, together with all mounting holes, brackets etc. But that was just a hope as nothing has turned out as planned this weekend. Actually the first time I'm really disappointed on the outcome. My solution for uplight for the two SSDs will not work in reality. It is to tight of a fit in relation to mounting the floor (and with pump, reservoir, tubing inside the floor, I will need a little wiggling room). I also think the LED isn't looking like I want. I imagined a full single light solution, not small dots with to big of a gap. Didn't help that I broke my entire L-shaped LED lid in half, when I tried squeezing the floor in place. Will need to go back to the drawing boards on that solution. 

 

I'm thinking if I can mount the LEDs pointing backwards and then mount some sort of reflector to get a more smooth and even light. I hate LED-dots, light should be even and fluent. Any suggestion on a solution for that is much welcome...and don't mind the blue light, couldn't switch light with my hot-wired 9V battery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[IAmOctonaut]

love the wraps so far, very professional looking. 

[bmccarthy]

This is looking super clean! Can't wait to see the end result. 

[Zeuligan]

3 hours ago, IAmOctonaut said:

love the wraps so far, very professional looking. 

Thank you very much. Learned a lot about wrapping in this project. Will be easier and better next time

1 hour ago, bmccarthy said:

This is looking super clean! Can't wait to see the end result. 

Thx m8. Makes two of us hehehe

[Zeuligan]

Eureka - reflectors!

Woke up 2 am this morning, mildly irritated about yesterdays light failure. This has to be solvable.

Messed around with flashlights, kameraflash and suddenly it hit me. The newly mounted LED strips in my kitchen. EUREKA - reflectors of course!!

 

Did a quick test with grill foil and so MUCH BETTER <3. 

I have to order some reflector tape and if that isn't enough, see if I can use a prism to devide the light. 

 

Slept like a baby

[Zeuligan]

Time to finish the custom light ramps I planned early in this build based on the included 2 LED strips from be quiet! The challenge is I want them to be indirect lights, so it’s crucial they are smooth, but powerful.

 

 

 

First, I drilled some mounting holes to the vertical diffusion lid made out of 3mm acrylic and 3 layers of frosted film. I have also sanded the inside of the acrylic to diffuse it even more. The holes makes it possible to attach the light directly in the motherboard tray.

 

 

 

Started to cut an inside shelf in 3mm acrylic with my Dremel Moto-Saw. This shelf will serve two purposes. One for adding the reflective tape, but also to make an edge for the diffusion lid to stand on, preventing it to be pushed down in the case.

 

 

 

Added reflective tape to the bottom of the case in the area of my custom uplight.

 

 

 

Trimmed the lower corner edge of the reflector shelf, to make it snug in the bottom of the case (small edge in the bottom of the case where its riveted together).

 

 

 

Glued the whole thing on the bottom of my custom carbon floor with super glue.

 

 

 

Perfect fit!

 

 

The original be quiet! LED strip is about 40mm to long for the area created by my custom floor. After a quick and very helpful session with be quiets! support I got a confirmation that cutting the LED strip would not ruin it.

 

 

 

Dremel time. Cut 40 mm of the LED strip and it indeed still worked.

 

 

 

Took a small exacto knife and removed the LED pins from the connector. Marked them with some tape to put them back in the right place.

 

 

Sleeved the whole cable with MDPC-X Carbon-BTI sleeve small. Tight fit, but did manage to get all 4 cables into one small sleeve. 

 

 

[Zeuligan]

I thought I would show my products used in project Zeuligan as I'm getting close to putting everything together. Extra special thank you to be quiet! for the sponsorship of their products. As it's my first mod, it has been equally fun learning to take photos. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also added the products in my first post, makes more sense to have them there

 

[Zeuligan]

Small update, but important. Can be one of the last modded items for this build.

Last step of the backside is to create a cover for the be quiet PWM hub. Everything in the backside is black carbon fiber, so decided I needed to add some white accents. 

 

 

The PWM hub and LED strip connector is small and need to have height enough to give room to remove and add cables.

 

 

 

Marked the shape and size on a 3mm acrylic sheet and put my Dremel Moto-Saw to work.

 

 

 

Did a shape on freehand that felt relevant. Each 45° part is exactly the same length to give a sense of symmetry.

 

 

 

Looks good. Some trimming to do with a file, but will look good. Layering two color of carbon fiber.

 

 

 

The PWM cable is fixed to the circuit board so decided to sleeve it. All peripheral cables are sleeved in MDPC-X Carbon-BTI making me take a decision to sleeve the PWM cable in MDPC-X white-xxx.

 

 

 

This turned out really good in my humble opinion. Adds a dash of white to the otherwise black and black carbon fiber as well as some contrasting lines.

[IKnight]

Snyggt! Now if I could actually get my project looking good....  

[Zeuligan]

58 minutes ago, IKnight said:

Snyggt! Now if I could actually get my project looking good....  

Tack, thank you  /bow

[Bulldogge Builds]

I love where this is heading!

[Zeuligan]

15 hours ago, Bulldogge Builds said:

I love where this is heading!

Thank you, means a lot! 

[Zeuligan]

It is an amazing feeling when you start to assembly items planned months ago. My EKWB D5 PWM pump and Aqualis XT 880ml reservoir custom bracket created so long ago is no execption. Will it work together with my custom carbon fiber floor and PSU shroud? Only one way to find out.One major concern since I started this project has been the tight space between the case floor and my custom floor.

 

Now filled with an amazing be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11, EKWB D5 PWM pump, Aqualis XT 880ml reservoir, custom bracket, cables and the need for a drain valve. As a result, I need to find a solution to hook up my new Alphacool 6mm pass throughs with the pump and reservoir fittings.

 

 

 

I started with sleeving the Aqualis XT 880 ml reservoir cables with MDPC-X Carbon-BTI sleeve. Same sleeve and theme that I've used in the entire build. Then I mounted the reservoir to the custom bracket.

 

 

 

The pump is positioned at an exact distance from the reservoir to make room for an angled Alphacool rotatable black nickel fitting with a 6mm extender fitting. This should align the pump and reservoir with the holes I cut in my floor together with the pass through. Hope I measured this one correct

 

 

 

Can't leave the beautiful EKWB D5 PWM plexi pump without some love. Sleeved the cables in the same MDPC-X Carbon-BTI sleeve. Even if they will never be visible beneath the floor / PSU shroud. I would know and that is enough for me.

 

 

 

It's so tight. The Alphacool angled fitting clears my bracket with less then 0.5mm. How I will fit my baguette sized fingers to tighten that once the floor is in place I don't even dare to think about at this point.

 

 

 

Added the rest of the needed Aphacool fittings for the floor connection. Shame they will never be visible, but wanted to add fittings rather than bends. Feels safer in such a small space. Specially as I need to fix this prior to installing the custom floor.

 

 

 

This gives an idea both on how I will secure the pass through and floor to the pump / reservoir, but also how insanely tight this is. In the picture above, I have just placed the loose floor / PSU shroud on top to do a last control. Looks like it will work.

 

 

 

Here is where I will place the custom pump bracket using the existing fan holes. I will then add a fan below the case to pull air out from the custom floor and secure the bracket with fan screws. Neat and modular. The lowest front fan will push air in and I should have nice circulation.

 

 

 

I just love those black block of awesomeness that is Alphacools three way fittings. Heavy, exclusive and functional. It's a shame I will hide it below the floor, but this will be a great solution for my drain valve. Using rotatable fittings will ensure tight fit as well as a more flexible solution.

 

 

 

 

 

Cut a piece of 13mm Alphacool PETG hard tube in the correct length and secure the drain valve solution. As I use a rotatable 90 degree fitting on the pump side as well I end up with a solution that can move in 3 axis. It is needed, as I can then attach the 3 way fitting to the floor prior to lowering the floor the last 20mm. That extra room is all that is need to have room to secure it. Super happy with that solution!

 

 

 

 

That flash enhanced picture isn't the best, but it shows just how tight that fit is. But more important, it worked. Millimeter precision fit needed in XYZ for this to work. Finally I feel a big stone lifted from my chest. This will ensure my entire design and solution worked and no need to redo anything.

 

 

This shows how flexible the drain solution will be with dual rotatable Alphacool fittings. I can twist it both in and out and rotate the drain valve.

 

 

 

The EKWB D5 plexi top tilts a little forward, even if the bracket is straight. I will need to fix that somehow, but this looks stunning. The plexi top combined with the huge 880ml Aqualis reservoir filled with white pastel will add a super nice contrast to all the carbon fiber. A major milestone passed today as the custom floor / PSU shroud with its complicated tube routing is required for this concept to work. So happy.

 

Please let me know what you think by commenting below. I would love your feedback!

[MrRavens]

My goodness. Finish your build and sell it to me god dammit!

[Zeuligan]

39 minutes ago, LtRavens said:

My goodness. Finish your build and sell it to me god dammit!

Hehehehe, I guess that means you like it?

Thx m8, means a lot. 

[AperumDesign]

Congrats on finishing up the PSU Shroud/Pump and Res housing. It's those small details like these that go unseen that make a build special. So clean. Can't wait to see this one finished 

[Zeuligan]

7 hours ago, AperumDesign said:

Congrats on finishing up the PSU Shroud/Pump and Res housing. It's those small details like these that go unseen that make a build special. So clean. Can't wait to see this one finished 

Thank you very much, means a lot coming from you

Sometimes it's the small details you know that no one sees that are the most fun to build. 

[TheRealDieselD]

This is turning out to be an amazing piece of art! I really respect the amount of time you spend and your attention to detail. This build log is a huge motivation for us all to be more meticulous with our own builds and I hope to see more great work from you and everyone else here! I don't have the most expensive build and I haven't put a lot of time into it, but following this thread has inspired me to at least organize my build and I am excited to show off my work, even if most of the stuff here is way ahead of mine.

 

Much props and much love man!

[Zeuligan]

1 hour ago, TheRealDieselD said:

This is turning out to be an amazing piece of art! I really respect the amount of time you spend and your attention to detail. This build log is a huge motivation for us all to be more meticulous with our own builds and I hope to see more great work from you and everyone else here! I don't have the most expensive build and I haven't put a lot of time into it, but following this thread has inspired me to at least organize my build and I am excited to show off my work, even if most of the stuff here is way ahead of mine.

 

Much props and much love man!

It is hard for me to write a good enough answer to give you the appraisal you deserve after your amazing comment.

I'm more than grateful, I'm excited and happy beyond words. I'm inspired to work even harder on my next project. As this is my first ever mod, there is so much things I have learned on the journey that make me want do do things differently. That is also for me one of the big passions discovered in modding. The never ending learning curve and new cool and fun people that have supported and thought me so much stuff already. 

Shout me a message with your build log and I will follow it with great interest. Thx m8, you rock!