Project: Antec 900 spray & mods

[Seanrb]

I've been using my Antec 900 as it comes out of the box for the last month or so, and whilst it's usable in it's standard form, there are a few things i think would take this case from being good to being great.

First thing is first, empty the case off all components:

Spraying the case requires just the metal chassis, not plastic, so off all that comes:

Which leaves me with a very bare chassis:

The first thing i thought let the case down was the lack of off switch for the 4 fans that come pre-fitted. So i made a simple set of on/off switches.

The switches are simple flick switches from Maplins, they come in silver, which doesn't match the case, so i painted them black using some gloss black enamel i had lying round from my coughairfixcough days.

I could have just brought a fan controller, but IMO the case has got an industrial look to it, and i think a digital display would ruin the look, which is why i went for the switches.

I made the switch a while ago, so that has been in use for a while and i couldn't be happier with it.

Another thing that is a big problem is cable routing. Whilst is has gotten considerably better with the addition of the 2 holes to the right of the motherboard, it is still a pain getting the cables to the holes, and you end up blocking off some of the airflow from the HDD racks. To solve this i had the idea of cutting a hole in the mobo tray so i can route the cables where they need to go behind the mobo, rather than around it.

Marking out the hole:

I'm not too bothered about the neatness as i will be edging the hole with some form of rubber, so any rough edges will be covered.

The hole cut:

Now to check that the hole is in the right place and big enough to get all the cables through:

I'm considering another hole by the bottom HDD rack, though i would only be saving on a inch or so of hanging cables, so need to decide if it is worth it.

Once i've finished cutting holes i will be spraying the inside black, i've got quite a bit of lighting in the case (4x120mm blue LED fans, a blue cold cathode tube, blue fan on PSU & LED's on Ballistix Tracer RAM) and the silver chassis seriously detracts from the blue & black feel of the case.

I'm hoping to prime the chassis Thursday, ready for it to be sprayed black Saturday, so there should be an update pretty soon!

 

[PV5150]

Nice start mate and make sure you keep us updated with plenty of pics. One thing though - I hope you're going to protect your PSU's wire loom from being cut by the metal edges of that hole. Are you planning to put a rubber grommet around the edge as protection?

 

[Seanrb]

Nice start mate and make sure you keep us updated with plenty of pics. One thing though - I hope you're going to protect your PSU's wire loom from being cut by the metal edges of that hole. Are you planning to put a rubber grommet around the edge as protection?

Yep, i've been looking for some black rubber edging strip, struggling to find a supplier that will do a meter though, most require an order of atleast 10m. Another option is the plastic spines used to hold loose paper together, i will have to see if i can get some the correct size.

I've had a few more ideas since i started the thread last night, and have already begun to develop them.

I have ordered some bits this morning. A UV reactive cable sleeving kit, 2 x 12" blue UV cold cathode tubes and a UV spot lamp. The bits are killing quite a few birds with one stone, for a start they are adding a nice UV glow to the case and enhancing the blue and black colour scheme, the sleeving kits will keep any visible cables tight together and also remove the need to swap out the SATA cables for blue ones.

I'm also going to paint a design on the clear window of the side panel using this stuff. I'm not sure what yet, that won't hold the project back so i can take my time thinking about it. The paint dries clear so without the UV lights on the window should appear unmodified.

The end result i'm aiming for is a neat case, with cables only visible where they plug into the component, and a case that looks standard with no lights on, then with a flick of a switch the case turns into the Blackpool Illuminations.

Cooling is also a major thing in my books, but i've pretty much got that sorted.

More pictures when there is something worth showing!

 

[Bungral]

You mean a bit like this: Linky Link

Yep, i've been looking for some black rubber edging strip, struggling to find a supplier that will do a meter though, most require an order of atleast 10m. Another option is the plastic spines used to hold loose paper together, i will have to see if i can get some the correct size.

 

[Seanrb]

You mean a bit like this: Linky Link

Brilliant, thanks for the link.

I will be ordering some in a few days once it's needed.

 

[Seanrb]

A can of primer and a patio jet wash later and i'm left with this:

Leave it to dry properly over night and it's ready for it's black transformation tomorrow!

 

[Seanrb]

Well, i've had a busy day, but the chassis is now black and most of the components are back in:

I'm waiting on the UV lights and sleeving kit before i can finish it off, so i will take some proper pictures once it's all finished.

 

[Kerotan]

Looks really good in black, should be nice once everything's fitted, that fan controller is a really neat mod as well, might do something like that but with low-profile switches or something.

 

[Seanrb]

Looks really good in black, should be nice once everything's fitted, that fan controller is a really neat mod as well, might do something like that but with low-profile switches or something.

I've still got the blue LED's to fit to the switches. I might well try and fit them tomorrow, i'm not looking forward to doing it TBH, i can see it being a pain because the LED's aren't much bigger than the holes in the grill, so if they don't position in the centre of a hole then i'm going to have to be really careful otherwise i will end up with a hole much too big for the LED and a ruined plate.

 

[SuperRoach]

Lighting to the switches sounds great - although try to think of your eyes, and go for a more subtle effect if you get the chance too... I can't find any references atm, damn :/

But it looks great so far!

 

[mariojas]

Hello

What paint did you use, what color?

Did you apply a primer first?

 

[Pseudonym]

This is a 10 month old thread. The OP is probably dead by now.

Yes he used a primer and it looks like he used matt black. If you are hoping to spray a case, you may want to start your own thread with a few pics of the case and your ideas.