Well, I started attending a Thursday night LAN party about one and one half years ago but didn’t have a rig available to drag along. My four year old A8N32SLI – Deluxe build is hooked up to my big screen and was too much of a hassle to unhook and drag along. The host was nice enough to allow me to use one of his spares, which I did. I started to get this nagging urge to build another but wanted it to be in a case that was easily transportable and unique. First, I thought of a five gallon pail but that soon turned out not feasible. The pail’s diameter was too small to take even a micro-ATX board. Then, I thought of a portable toolbox. One with the handle on top and without drawers. Finding the elusive TB was not an easy task. After about three months of looking for one deep enough, I found it. If you want to duplicate this Mod, use this TB. Trust me
 
[link=http://www.stack-on.com/tool_and_hardware/handboxes/dxg-26-1.html]http://www.stack-on.com/t...andboxes/dxg-26-1.html[/link]
 


It’s deep enough to take a MB. It’s tall enough to take the GPUs. It’s long enough to take everything together. It has a steel front, bottom and back which means straight surfaces to mount parts to. With all the plastic TBs I looked at, they all had drafted fronts and backs. This would not work with out some “angular compensation” that I wanted to skip if at all possible. Others that were large enough either had drawers, which I would have to cut off and fake them back on or didn’t have the top handle that I needed for portability. I bought it online, no store carried them, and hoped it would work. Follow my tale for the details.
 
I bought a Lian-Li removable MB tray from performance-pcs. It can be found here. [link=http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3387]http://www.performance-pc...o&products_id=3387[/link] 
 

 
It was too tall to fit in the TB. So, I scribed a line on the back where it needed to be cut and sent it to a local machine shop for them to cut it down on the band saw. I didn’t get a before and after shot so you will have to wait for a pic later.
 
I measured the outline of the MB tray and drew up a cutting template in AutoCad. I gave the pattern to a friend who is a production supervisor at a metal fabrication shop and he cut it out on the laser for me. I stupidly forgot to add clearance to the inside so it didn’t fit over the MB tray. I added 1/32 clearance all the way around and had him recut it. This time it fit.
 
While I was waiting for the template to get cut, the PSU on my A8N32SLI-Deluxe rig popped. I contacted PC Power and Cooling and they fixed it ASAP. Sidenote: These guys are awesome. Anyway, I now had access to a PSU panel that I could also measure and have a template cut, which I did.
 


I measured for location and taped them onto the back of the TB.
 


Then cut them out with the dremel. Side note: Buy the reinforced cutting wheels.
 


Here is the first test fit with a junk MB and PSU. Here you can see the difference between the before and after trimming of the MB tray.
 
 
 
Shot from the inside
 


More to come later.

It’s soon
 
There are two areas on the top of the TB, one on either side of the handle, that are perfect for two 80mm fans each. I didn’t want to use the typical wire fan grills for the TB mod so I worked on something a little more fitting. At work, on my own time, honest, I scanned some hand tools on our Coordinate Measuring Machine. Exported the scan to dxf and imported it into AutoCad. With a little work, I came up with some fan grills for the top of the TB. I may want to WC the CPU at some point so I emailed Danger Den to get the bolt hole pattern for their Black Ice Micro II radiator and made the pattern match so if ever I get to the WC phase, the radiator will bolt right up. It can be found here.
 
http://www.dangerden.com/...ice-micro-ii.html#tabs
 

 
I gave them to my friend and he lasered them out of stainless steel. What a guy. Sidenote; Befriend someone who works in a fabrication shop. Here is what I got back from him.
 

 
And
 

 
Here is one taped to the top for scribing the pattern.
 

 
Here is the TB with the holes and bolt hole pattern cut out.
 

 
With the grills in place.
 

 
One more with the fans and stainless steel hardware. Stainless is very expensive. Don’t use it. Sidenote; Don’t use stainless in future mods.
 

 
 
Close up.



From the inside.



Close up from the underside



More to come sometime

It’s very soon now.
 
 
I bought a Scythe HDD adapter for a 5.25 bay to hold the HDD.  You can get it here. [link=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817984005]http://www.newegg.com/Pro...x?Item=N82E16817984005[/link].
 

 
I put it on the table saw and cut off the sides just past the part that holds the HDD. Sorry no pic. I will add one later. I measured the adapter hole pattern for the 120mm fan and the overall size. I took these numbers into AutoCad and came up with a bracket that would hold the HDD vertical in the TB. It mounts on the bottom and the back of the TB for stability. I took the pattern to my buddy and he cut it out for me. Again, out of stainless, What a guy.
 
Here it is in the flat pattern state.
 

 
In order to make it more presentable, I took my orbital sander to it with some 120 grit sandpaper. I did the same to my fan grills. I turned out nice.
 
Here it is after sanding.
 

 
I scribed bend lines 3/4” from the ends and tried to bend it with a vice grip pliers. The kind with the two inch wide head. It didn’t bend very well. So, I put it in my vice and beat the hell out of it until the bends were nice and sharp. It turned out OK. I don’t mind because the nasty bends are hidden by the HDD and the fan.
 
Here it is after bending.
 

 
Here is the other side.
 

 
I mounted everything into the TB and found a good place to mount it and taped it into place. I marked the holes, drilled and bolted it into place. It turned out nice.
 
Here it is mounted in the TB.
 

 
The other side.
 

 
I thought I would have to remove the MB  to install the HDD and fan combo but there is just enough room to get the screws in with the MB in place.
 
Here it is with everything installed with a temporary fan. I bought three Coolermaster R4 120mm blue LED fans for the TB. I will get a better pic later with the Coolermaster installed. I highly suggest these fans if you want LEDs but don’t want an overpowering lighting effect. The LEDs give off a subtle light and look awesome. Again, I used stainless steel hardware for mounting. The fan can be found here. [link=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103060]http://www.newegg.com/Pro...x?Item=N82E16835103060[/link]
 
Here is a pic of the fan.
 

 
Here it is with everything else.
 

 
 
More later.

My first subscription, I feel like an author.

I got the TB together and running. I sleeved the cables but don't like the sleeve I bought. It is supposed to be white but it's clear when it's expanded and you can see the wire color. So, I got some opinions and have decided to go with MurderMod's sleeving in white. It can be found here.

http://en.mdpc-x.com/mdpc-sleeve/sleeve/sleeve-small-white.htm

pic from murderMod website


It is more expensive than what I wanted to spend but after all this, the TB better look like it was done right. I have to order it from Germany. It's not available for purchase in the States yet. I think blue lights, oops spoiler, with white quality sleeving will look wicked. I will order next week. Then, if I get time, get it sleeved and get the final pics up then. Be patient till then.

OK, here is the tool and method I came up with for getting the stubborn wires out of the plugs, the ones that won’t come out even with the MDPC-X tool.
 
Bend a large paperclip in this fashion.
 

 
Insert the clip into the hole with the stubborn wire.
 

 
Another view
 

 
Insert the best tool ever made, Inspector Edition.
 

 
Another view
 

 
Take a needle nose pliers, push the clip into the plug as shown.
 

 
Out comes the wire, Taa Daa!!!
 

 
If you ever decide to do any sleeving, get a heat gun. The lighter works OK but is uneven and was leaving black marks on my white heatshrink. I got this one from Menards. $22.
 

 
The way I had everything organized in the TB, the main 24 pin cable was too long so I had to shorten it, one wire at a time.
 

 
A better view.
 

 

 
This is what I have so far on the PSU.
 

 
Here is the SATA cable.
 

 
OK, I finally got around to getting some final “lights off” pics. Here they are. I had to set it on the floor to get better pics.
 
Here is one with the lights on.
 

 
Lights off with the top closed
 

 
And one more, lights off, top open
 

I said this once and I'll say it again: really really good job. Every detail was cared for, no imperfection was left standing. I've subscribed in case of future updates!

That is an awesome build. Makes me want to try building something crazy like that.

Incredible amounts of effort, much props! I can also see that you're quite mechanically inclined, that's a gift

looks great.

WOW, this tool box is awesome! Nice work

Absolutely digging that cable sleeving. Excellent work!

WOW man, rig looks fantastic I LOVE IT

Very cool project, great job.

jaw drops! never would have thought of that. simply amazing