Bladerunner 2048 Casemod

[dmodz]

Bladerunner 2049 Casemod

Hi Modders!

This is the second mod my son and I are working on together, the first mod we did together was a Camaro themed build and was 100% my sons concepts. This time its my turn to choose the theme so what better than my favourite film Bladerunner. I have been watching all the news and hype surrounding the sequel to the film and am now very excited to see how the plot possibilities pan out.

I have been in and out of hospital receiving treatment for the last months which has rekindled my love for modding as less mobile. While in the hospital for a week bored out of my mind I taught myself how to make the origami unicorn from Bladerunner. That was when I started thinking about a concept for a build. Normally you might think a Bladerunner theme would be jet black with red accents with perhaps a grungy dark distopion feel to match the atmosphere of the first film. I suppose I just liked the metallics of the unicorn and decided to go with a more cleaner metallic feel more inline with the new film and with the origami.

There are no sponsors for the build sadly so have managed to scrounge about for parts in the garage and buy in what I could to get the ingredients for mix. Using a Thermaltake Core V21 as the case and I think nearly all the main manufactures of watercooling parts for the cooling a real colab affair!

I really do love the Thermaltake Core v21 as it is such a dynamic case with its swap-able modular sides and front leaving lots of variation options for the enthusiast and designed for a matx system.

The other driver for this build is showing your respect to your elders, my son took a lot of inspiration from Jp Modifieds work on his design, so we talked about who did I look up to in the modding world? I still think today my favourite casemod is still Orac 3. Its the case that got me into modding and blew my mind as to what was possible. Back then it was all flashing fans (back in fashion) and what you could do with a beige case.

So the goal Bladerunner with hints of Orac as a bit of a love letter to Gnome.

 

[dmodz]

Sleeving the cables

Liitle vlog update of sleeving the cables in chrome finish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wnt8VDNV5b0

 

[dmodz]

Was tempted to make a start on the case today but my son and I do the modding together and it would not be fair while hes away so minor task instead. Took apart the ram sticks and gave the heatspreaders a good scuff and tack to give the primer coat some grip. Two coats of primer then a wait for 6 hours and two coats of Chrome.

 

[dmodz]

Son back from his trip away yesterday so we did the primer caosts on the rad. Today the trailer for the new film came out and that was all the inspiration needed for the Chrome coat. Just the fans to strip down and Chrome next and thats one task off the list.

 

[Wraith]

Really liking the build so far and also super excited to see the new Bladerunner, the original Harrison Ford blockbuster was a true icon and cinematic masterpiece.

 

[Bartacus]

That chrome paint is looking good!

 

[dmodz]

Cheers, I had an old aluminium rad lying about so did a half and half test on that first, it would seam despite what it says on the can (grey) white primer brings out a more real chrome finish. + clear coats.

 

[AlienALX]

Yeah that's got to be the "chromeist" chrome paint I have seen yet. Cool beans man !

 

[dmodz]

Well very frustrated yesterday was to windy outside to do any spraying and today is very wet up north! I am heading to a local body repair shop in the morning to see if they will rent me a spray booth so I can get on with spraying all the fans and the case.

The Thermaltake core V21 has a side window installed already which is acrylic. I already own another of the v21's and intended using a window on each side leaving the top mesh. I'm now in two minds to widen the pre installed window as much as possible and install a glass finish without tint rather than stay with the original. I think ill leave that decision until the very end to see what looks best. Fingers crossed tomorrow I can get a spray booth organised.

 

[Excalabur50]

Very interesting build shall watch with interest

 

[dmodz]

Dylan stripped down the Corsair AF120's and prepped them for painting. I made him watch Bill Owens tutorial vid on the 120's on youtube first, what a great vid simple and accurate so good a 10 year old could do it Dylan then gave the fans 3 coats of primer.

Time for a bit of streetfighter 2 while we wait for the primer to harden before two coats of chrome and 2 coats of clear coat.

 

[dmodz]

Important lessons learned today (always a school day modding) Dont use clear coat on top of a chrome effect. As you can see the rad does not have a clear coat sprayed on and looks much more chrome the fans on the other hand had 3 coats of primer two of chrome. We then added one clear coat on top and as you can see it has dulled it to a flat silver at best. The clear coat does create a nice gloss but not the desired effect for this mod.

Back to sanding and starting again..

 

[Wraith]

Really love how the young ones are getting involved in your build, it's epic to see and the build is coming along nicely.

 

[dmodz]

After a LOT of trials getting the chrome look as close as possible I think we are getting there. Alphacool rad with 2 X AF120's.

Really hard work getting chrome to look okay out of a can, a warning to anyone trying it do not use a clear coat on top or it will dull the finish badly.

 

[AlienALX]

Very industrial

 

[dmodz]

Really love how the young ones are getting involved in your build, it's epic to see and the build is coming along nicely.

Youtube can be useful at times, he set off watching West Coast customs and as cars were a little out of our budget pc's were an easy solution. He very much enjoys cable sleeving which I didn't think he would get into but I think he just likes sitting doing things together regardless of what it is.

 

[Wraith]

Youtube can be useful at times, he set off watching West Coast customs and as cars were a little out of our budget pc's were an easy solution. He very much enjoys cable sleeving which I didn't think he would get into but I think he just likes sitting doing things together regardless of what it is.

Really nice to hear, I too enjoy sleeving it's quite theraputic I find.

 

[tolagarf]

Btw it's Blade Runner 2049, not Bladerunner 2048. Just saying in case you plan on putting that on the case somehow

 

[dmodz]

Btw it's Blade Runner 2049, not Bladerunner 2048. Just saying in case you plan on putting that on the case somehow

Crickey well spotted! Thankfully no wasn't going to write Blade Runner anywhere on it, there is a pannel free which I was going to pop Nexus 6 on (will sanity check at the time incase i put nexus 5 )

Cheers dude.

 

[dmodz]

Well been a week or so since we posted any updates, things have been changing behind the scenes with two offers of sponsorship for the build so the hope of finishing this with the boy in the holiday is on hold while we wait for some new parts to come.

The motherboard armour is something that wont change however so we have set to work planning and crafting. The cables will all screw into the housings after they are drilled into the acrylic plate. on the under side of the armour i'm using a rubber sealant just to make sure non of the fittings can come into contact with the board.