Front Cross Bar Removal:
 
After debating on whether to leave the cross brace or take it out; I decided it needed to be removed. This brace is here for those of you who may want to use an optical drive. I won't be using one so it's got to go. It's an aesthetic choice and won't make any difference performance wise. I used a hand or hobby saw to cut the pieces out and now I need to file and sand the edges. The lexan fan surround will cover up part of it. Painters tape was laid down so that the saw didn't rub against the plastic causing more work. The area remained rigid, even after removing the cross brace.
 

 

Update: Front Lexan Fan Surround
 
I've finished the updated template for the front fan surround. I always mount my templates using painter's tape. Doing so creates a contrast for the cut line and it also helps to stop the acrylic from melting. Once that was squared away it was time to cut it out on my scroll saw. Having a scroll saw is an important tool for any Modder to have. They are fairly affordable and can be used on a lot of different materials. The one I own was bought used and it's almost 10 yrs old but, it still works great. When I first test fitted the freshly cut pieces I quickly realized that I needed to notch out a couple spots to give it a perfect fit. The majority of this piece of lexan will be covered by either stainless steel or sheet metal. Spots will be cut out allowing the lexan to show through when its edge lit.
 

 

 


 
Pro Modder Tip: Cutting Acrylics
 
In order to cut acrylic with a scroll saw or jig saw you need to make sure the acrylic doesn't heat up too much or it'll re-fuse itself back together. There are several methods I use to help counteract this. Painters tape helps a lot. I always place it over the areas I'm planning to cut and then draw my cut line over top. Using a blade with a lot of teeth also helps. One of the main factors is speed. The faster your blade moves; the more heat is created causing the material to melt. Using a combination of these methods will help assure that your acrylics will be cut cleanly.
 

Mocking Up Hardware: EVGA
 
Even though it's a bit early to put hardware in, I still like to as soon as possible so that I can make sure everything is where I think it will be. I also like to do it as it inspires me to design the mods that will be done to the hardware. After looking at the cable connections I realized that I'll need to cut a passthrough in the PSU shroud in order to run the 8-pin power cable to the motherboard. This won't be difficult to do once I determine the location that will look best. After checking the rest of the cables I feel that I'm in good shape. Be Quiet did a good job on placing the majority of the passthrough needed to cleanly install a system.

 

 

 

Like the reverse mounted MB
 
I've cut acrylic under dripping cold water, lubricates and helps stop melting

Cool GTX
Like the reverse mounted MB
 
I've cut acrylic under dripping cold water, lubricates and helps stop melting

Thanks. I like the Inverted setup as well. Once the upsidedown labels are changed it'll really look sweet. I've used water before as well but, I've found it to be rather messy. Using the methods in the tip section has worked wonders over the last 5 yrs and is much easier for the average person. There are rare situations where I'll use water but I haven't run into that situation in the last yr or so. Thanks for the comments and checking out the build log.

+1  great progress!  looking awesome!

Update: Rear SSD Cover

I felt that the SSD cover is built was missing something so I started doing some freehand drawings in order to come up with an additional piece. I will do bare metal finish work with a clear coat for the main base piece and I'll paint match the two additional top pieces in black to match the rest of the build.




LED Testing:

Now that I have my new camera I decided it was time to test out the new LED configuration. I had to move one of the LED strips to give the inside an even glow. When I mocked up the hardware is noticed that the GPU blocked a lot of the light. This caused the lower half of the motherboard to be dark. Moving one of the top LED strips to the side did wonders for it.



https://vimeo.com/183765104


GPU Support Bracket:

I've been wanting to build a GPU support bracket for quite a while know. The only downside is that there isn't much space for creativity other than the fit and finish. Bill from Mnpctech has already perfected the design so it'll be a challenge to figure out something new. It's like trying to reinvent the wheel. I think I came up with a bracket that will work well and look even better.





Acrylic Insert For GPU Support Bracket:

I've come up with the primary design for the GPU support bracket and I designed a piece that inserts flush with the metal side piece. I knew that I wanted it to have the EVGA Logo on it as well as the IKONiK EDITiON badge found on the front of the build. It took me a while to figure out the vinyl details and I ended up coming up with a neat design. It does a great job of drawing attention but, not overdoing it. Two out of the three pieces that make up the GPU support bracket are almost done and I'm about room start cutting the main piece.

EVGATech_EddieH
+1  great progress!  looking awesome!

I appreciate it Eddie!

Update: Prototype Support Bracket GTX 980ti Classified

I managed to finish cutting the last piece of the support bracket for the 980ti classified GPU. I also took some time to paint it to match the rest of the pieces. After putting all the parts together to mark it up everything looks great. The front piece is 3D printed and allows for adjustments up and down to change the angle that it supports. I've debated on adding a second piece that would be adjustable as well towards the right side. I'll have to give that some thought but for now I'm going to move forward with the rest of the build and come back to it once I have more of the Interior work done.




Update: SSD Cover Acrylic

I've cut out the 2 additional pieces being added to the SSD cover. These pieces are for aesthetic use only. I went for a very clean, simple design that helps tie in the combination of sharp lines with the occasional rounded lines. Small pieces like this do a great job of reinforcing a chosen design. It's one of those things that doesn't look like much by itself but, when it's all put together it'll make a noticeable difference overall. For now I have painted it black but eventually it'll be painted a little more fancy. This gives me an opportunity to play around with different finishes and shades of color.

After cutting out the template in acrylic I went ahead and sanded/filed them to the exact shape I wanted. A light surface sanding helped to prep them for paint. It took about 3 to 4 light coats to achieve full coverage of the pieces.

I'm liking every piece of work on this mod.

rjohnson11
I'm liking every piece of work on this mod.

I appreciate it. So far stainless steel has been tricky to work with but, I've learned a lot. If I did everything out of acrylic I'd probably have a lot more of it together. The stainless is worth the effort for sure.

So how much is left to do on this mod?