Mod of the Month - March 2008

Big Thing

by skullen
Worklog

Here at bit-tech, it's no surprise that we're into big things. Bigger equals better equals faster equals cooler, right? Well, maybe not, but you still need plenty of room to store your ten hard drives, three DVD burners and two to four LCD displays.

It's probably also no surprise that we're looking for the next big thing in modding. And imagine my surprise when, unbeknown to me, a very literal big thing was starting in our forums with a new contributor by the name of skullen. It was named, as luck would have it, "big thing" – and the title doesn't lie.

Skullen started his creation with a mammoth of a case, over half a metre long and tall. It wasn't a well built case by any stretch, and it was horribly ugly to boot – I guess that's why he decided to gut it down to the frame and start from scratch.


"Big thing" by name, big thing by nature takes a literal meaning, as it's 500mm long and another 624mm high – it's not going to sit quietly in the corner and draw no attention. Unfortunately, it also wasn't going to win any beauty contests, which is why skullen stripped it to frame and began making new side panels with some aluminium and a trusty dremel. Once done, the panels would receive a carbon fibre vinyl treatment – a look that has been done to death improperly, so I was really looking to see how he'd finish it out.


Before the treatment of the side panels could begin, skullen decided to give them the window he had always dreamed – flames and skulls, preferably combined. Dremel in hand, it was off to work – and for a fairly first-time modder, I'm pretty impressed with the outcome! After quite a bit of filing, the side panel was looking like something that belonged on a behemoth case.


Next after the side panel came the carbon fibre vinyl, which skullen actually applied beautifully. I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone say he did a lousy job with it – in all the pictures in the log, there's not a single bubble, scratch, or stretch. It looks almost like the real thing. Excellent work!

To add a bit of finish, skullen chose a UV green accent colour. Even the hex-head bolts and machine screws that he uses throughout the mod from this point forward get the treatment – an excellent and often-overlooked use of modding supplies! For the more visible things, spikes would be the eye-catching treatment – including on the fan grills.


Due to a lack of supplies, skullen is currently air-cooling the rig – though he's designed it to expand easily to watercooling when he gets the opportunity. So, details like fans on the underside (where a radiator might normally go) and their grille treatment with the AC Ryan Radgrillz really add a nice bit of "pop" while maintaining future functionality. Most people would just leave these spots empty until they could be filled properly, so it's nice to see the detail work!

And while you're staring, make sure to notice the other bits of accent work – the awesome wheels, the spikes on the grilles...skullen may not be working with a huge budget, but he's making every bolt into an attractive and eye-catching piece. There's also a lot more that I haven't even pictured here, so you should take a trip over to his worklog and check out the next big thing.

Of course, while you're on your way there...if big things and spikes are what do it for you, why don't you vote for skullen's Big Thing as March's Mod of the Month?