Order h4>
Back in 2006 I did my first steps in modding, at least back in 2009, I went to a professional level. Behind his back thousands erased dust Coulter, spent liters of paint, a lot of completed projects. One is forced to think about it, what's next?
What prospects are there modding, what to do when the most interesting work is gradually turning into a routine?
It is with this in mind, I automatically pressed the inscription "Inbox" in guglopochte. 1 new message. I>
Subject « MSI Dragon PC » eloquently hinted that miss in the near future just is not necessary.
Project h4>
It seems to be working, IRTO every day. Someone phone, someone laptop, someone body and seemed to have all seen and wonder then nothing.
When you get an order from a major company - again become a greenhorn youngster and at least one night you can not sleep with excitement. Damn nice feeling when you are standing on the threshold of something complex, new, but such desired.
When the euphoria has passed, returned understanding of what needs to be done that will surpass everything I made earlier.
October 28, 2013 started the countdown of the project, codenamed «MSI Dragon PC». The body shall be made subject to a series of gaming accessories and manufactured with the expectation of participation in various activities. The next three weeks, we have tried to agree on the design.
To develop a design for the body I usually spend one night. Worked - showed thrown, went further and so the circle. MSI desired body in the style of their new series of gaming accessories, to me, quite frankly, it seemed that all the components to build a dragon eerily banal, but to me a matter of fact, this is what was asked. Soon, a compromise was found - in the design, I decided to implicate them in addition to the dragon more corporate shield and in addition to the shield - sword. Unfortunately, when I come up, I was already mentally squeezed and, in truth, was ready to abandon the project because did not see solutions to the dilemma - how to do is not trivial and effectively. Besides, I can not stand to work on images of living creatures, I gravitate more to the technique and different mechanisms ...
To work through my last sentence for MSI I spent as much time, how much the average person has time to eat a standard hot dog.
Called the MSI and literally on the fingers described what I plan to do. I have absolutely nothing on hoping, I was - still.
MSI gave the nod.
In my studio there are a lot of necessary work tools and machine tools, the lack of some expensive units compensated savvy and contacts in the right places. We do not have one - 3D modeller who understands anything in modding.
All the projects I see in my head, but what I see does not see the customer. And MSI need something to show.
We went to a simple old-fashioned way - made a cardboard mock-up.
Layout has also been approved, and we started to work. Well begun ...
Not having an accurate model of the body in 3D, without the original drawings, and not having a fully developed concept, we realized that we did not meet deadlines.
Under the terms of the agreement with MSI we had to publish the progress of work in the form of a detailed vorkloga on one of the Ukrainian Internet resources. Terms of work, I called it, relying only on their own subjective feelings. I was wrong. How then would not weakly so wrong.
It was originally planned to finish the body for two weeks + -. That's how much time we spent just thinking through every detail that will make the project interesting, memorable and just cool. During the first two weeks of course we were doing something, but not very much, because was not entirely clear from what is better to do this or that detail.
The fact that two years earlier, MSI has already ordered one modder Kiev housing in the subject of their products, but disappointed with the result. Because housing, to put it mildly, was nontransportable - his weight was about 180 kg and poorly reflect the essence of the concept.
Our goal was to not screw up with the weight and design. Everything that is possible to do from lightweight materials. Well, the design should just scream about the company, which it commissioned. Remembered, imprinted in the memory.
The result was the thinking through the following concept of design and functional:
The body is designed as an open stand. The basis of the housing is a shield (one of the symbols of the line gaming accessories) in the shield vertically pierced with a sword. Dragon soars above the shield, holding in the paws of the motherboard with the graphics card. The highlight of the body is a system to enable it. Put in this case simply click - just stupid and boring. I thought that at any exhibition building should be "trick", which will simply attract people at the show, thanks to which everyone wants to be photographed with the case. Should be a "dialogue", a certain relationship between iron and man. I came up with the ring. Typically, such a ring. For subjects of swords, dragons and shields - it. The user wearing the ring, as if endowed with magical power to "revive" the computer. The computer will turn on only at the touch of a hand with a ring to the hilt of the sword! B>
Everyone wants to be photographed at the exhibition, clutching his sword hilt. And this, in turn, thousands of likes in instagrame, facebook and everywhere. Advertising in general is good.
Initially, we wanted to make the shield and the dragon made of aluminum. Some parts of 3mm and 6mm from the other.
Prices of material is impressive, but the quality of aluminum while it was "through the floor", the number of deep scratches just defied account. Working with aluminum and more we refused because the company with which we usually cooperate in the field of waterjet cutting is closed and the number of competing companies for various reasons could not fulfill our order on the cutting of.
And the weight of aluminum needed for the body would be impressive. So we shifted to more affordable, better quality and lightweight material - acrylic sheet.
Made drawings, laser cut acrylic. Climbed another problem for the body of this size is too flexible acrylic, even two parts to put together 3mm bent.
Operational elements were invented structural reinforcement in key areas - aluminum plates, they will fit into the design and solve the problem of rigidity of some details.
A story about the case would not be complete without mentioning the main Fail - money.
The amount that I called MSI for the execution of this order, was not great, and in truth, was designed to pay 14 working days + materials. At the beginning of the project, I received an advance payment for materials.
By the end, I made a mistake and the terms and materials.
Prices of materials are not pleased, especially given the fact that a number of the key and not very cheap items we altered for different reasons at 2-3. Constantly needed something to buy more. Option was to simplify the design and construction in order to save money, but I did not consider it. If you do, so you do not regret about what has been done!
Money was gone very quickly, leading to a tightening of terms, because the money for the project had to earn doing other projects, as in the original plan is not taken into account ...
Therefore, the scheme of the project «MSI Dragon PC» looked like - we take another project, do we get the money from them deduct wages, taxes, rent, all that is left goes to «MSI Dragon PC».
Sadly it was - not a word.
Ask the rest of the money at once, or change the amount originally agreed I could not. Such were their conditions.
Modding h4>
Work on the body was, slowly but surely.
Each decision to ponder twice.
Work on the shield h6>
Manufacture of acrylic shield was given to us is not easy. It was extremely difficult to make a stand, which should support the upper part of the shield. Acrylic has the ability to bend, so that seems to be very simple and obvious, in practice simply does not work. All racks are manufactured and tailored to the geometry of the board manually.
Inside the shield we found the modified PSU Seasonic and ssd kingston. With seemingly gigantic dimensions shield, put him in anything other than the sword, ssd and the power supply is very difficult.
However, there is now even a 120mm fan, it captures the cold air from the bottom and blows through the entire shield. At the back of the shield we have settled the blinds.
Vyshlifovannye and fitted in place by hand. Sidewall shield was made of 1mm acrylic, which is curved to form a shield and stuck in this position, the outside of the sidewalls are covered with vinyl film under the brushed aluminum black.
Pad on top of the shield, which is the inscription Gaming G Series also skin-tight film under brushed aluminum.
At the bottom of the shield settled feet of black brushed aluminum.
It is also worth mentioning diffuser plate inside the shield, it is necessary to protect the acrylic from excessive heat power supply, which will be inside the shield. It is made of brushed aluminum, the edges tinted red.
On board was also a depiction of a dragon. Details were cut from stainless steel 0, 5 mm, but did not fit in design, they are not looking at a red shield. Therefore, the details of the dragon were covered in black tape under the skin of reptiles. On the reverse side of the finest caused prozrany 3M double-sided tape and alternately glued to the board.
Work on the sword h6>
Sword we decided to do two fastened with aluminum profiles square section. But the two profiles is not very similar to the sword.
Solving this problem did not take one day or one week. We tried everything - aluminum profile triangular section, composite, and considered other options crazy ... We stayed at the moddersky not, but it is quite affordable and convenient in handling MDF.
Historically, my workshop is surrounded by furniture factories. On one of them we kindly helped out by preparing for my drawings, two side plates on the sword.
Lining had only difficulty in manufacturing - cutting angle, it must be exactly 39, 5 degrees. Otherwise, the profile does not match with the sword cut in acrylic. We were lucky - everything was made right and come to the place.
One admirers my studio and my personal, from the city of Kiev, once brought us fifty kilograms of different piece of iron, tubes, parts, components from the server. It is nice and helpful. A number of these items were not only useful, but also essential for the production of housing. For which he thanks a lot! In particular, in a pile of metal were found remarkable steel reinforced corners and cooked to securely attach the sword inside the shield, and the U-shaped profile was used for the rear panel, as well as fasteners Dragon to the sword.
Sword, as well as a number of other items, was covered with a vinyl film for black brushed aluminum.
Pine slats was made guard of the sword.
To complete the sword, lacking only the handle. That was the problem.
Because to turn on the computer, the user must touch the handle of the sword in a certain place, we had a task - force to take the handle with a certain hand, and in a certain place. This is not just. A more grip should be firm to the exhibition it is not broken off wishing to hold out her hand.
In the search for the handle, I started a real crisis.
When I do something I can not think of or find I go to the supermarket building.
So I did this time.
Walked, walked, did not find anything. Already on the way to the exit, passing through the ranks of garden tools, garden rake came across. Juha! This is it.
Perfect handle a sword.
Handle fixed on the guard and fitted a vulcanising insulating tape, charming imitation leather on the handle!
On top of the handle fastened red ball that visually complement the sword and become the logical conclusion of the handle.
In the handle of the sword we settled reed. Approximation of the magnetic ring will close them and turn on the computer.
Work on the frame h6>
Skeleton dragon had to be voluminous, so that through him might miss an occasion and at the same time powerful enough to support the weight of components and their own. 3mm black acrylic we cut the carcass parts - four identical plate, two on each half of the chassis. After we safely pulled half frame screws and half were combined in a single unit rack - frame gained the desired look and an enviable stiffness. Frame tightly connected to the sword with four screws. Inside the frame is equipped with a ring through which pass the wires.
Originally thought to make a frame made of aluminum, but mostly because of the large weight we abandoned this idea.
Ring h6>
Ring for such a project can not just go out and buy. It should be done!
We do not have a studio liteyki, so we had to turn "on the side". Rings, we cast in three different designs. Two dropped out, leaving only one.
Ring we cleared acid sanded spatter after casting, and zapolirovat paste GOI.
Then "to boiling" ring avopaste and only then painted red powder and inserted "stone". "Stone" black - a piece of acrylic, fitted by hand and processed "under the brushed aluminum».
Rings of each species was originally 4, to the final stage, we have brought only two (one primary, one spare).
Work on decorative elements h6>
On the sides of the frame should be bolted plates with scales. Production of this scale - is another story. In total, about 1,500 were produced flakes, from which we selected about 250 pc., And fixed them on the sides of the dragon. 6:00 work on each side.
Design scales - also a non-trivial problem. Should look like scales mythical creatures live? There was no answer.
12 years ago I was fond of creating ornaments. Dug out my old sketches. Of them and chose the scales. There were only three criteria - ornament should consist of only one repeating element distribution in the plane should not be boring, and it is desirable to shift the element should remind flake.
Paws - one of the last, but it is also the most difficult task.
Initially I had hoped to make legs, which really can keep the tray with the motherboard and graphics card, but while working on the legs I was convinced that this is not feasible, to be more precise, we do not get the graceful legs - it will be a thick paws!
Urgent search was initiated to solve the problem. I would like to say that we had a lot of choices, but no. There was only one option - the hidden fasteners for pallet that will take the weight of the carcass.
Alternatively, put the dragon paws on board, was not even considered, because it would ruin the whole idea, our dragon should "float" above the shield at any price!
Paws in the end made of copper conductor, conductor dressed in black braid, braid gave an interesting, leathery form.
Claws from the beginning I imagined exactly as they happened, I knew how to do them. But an unexpected problem was repeatability. You know, to grind out 12 identical claws using grinders weighing under 3 kg is not just.
To power the video card, we need the harness, its delivery to the destination from the beginning is not a problem - in fact need a dragon's tail. The tail consists of stylized vertebrae through which we will miss the wire.
Nearest to the video card 15 centimeters of tail we made mobile, in case you need a graphics card can be easily removed.
The dragon's head seemed to me only as a pseudo-three-dimensional. Her arched from the plane we acrylic blanks, then outside obtyanuli vinyl foil under the skin reptiles, and inside was painted in red.
Eyes for the head of the dragon were also made by hand. Only 4 hours of hard grinding and polishing, and 1 eye ready.
Inscriptions on the shield made of acrylic with stainless steel plates. Thus, we were able to achieve the effect of the end of illumination letters.
MSI inscription on both sides of the sword logically complemented the design and not distracting from the overall appearance, the letters are made of acrylic and painted red hand.
The power cord into a custom enclosure must also be unique. For the manufacture of power cable, we took a chrome chain and woven into her veins 3, pre-braided in red and black braid, so we were able to achieve unity of color 3 basic colors - red, black and chrome.
Power connector, which is connected to the body - is a modified three-pin microphone connector.
