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Antec 300 Case Mod Project

MonsterMawd
Level 12
If theres one case getting a lot of attention today, it's the new Antec Three Hundred. For under $60, it packs a lot of features with decent cooling and the superior build quality we've come to expect from Antec.

Antec 300 Three Hundred awaits it's first incision


To draw out your design, I'll first apply either #2060 Green or #2090 Blue "low tack" painter's tape by Scotch/3M.
You can buy these Home Depot or Ace Hardware stores. You also apply tape so you don't scratch up the panel with the jigsaw's steel guard. I always use a measuring square for windows


Window corner, but how do you make a curved corner instead?, for inserting U-channel molding later


For making corners, use a roll of tape! The smaller the roll, the smaller your arc




Whenever I make a side panel window, I always use a jigsaw with a 18 TPI (teeth per inch) bi-metal cutting blade. I'll make the intial incision for the jigsaw blade with a rotary tool and 1.5" reinforced dremel cutting wheel


I use a Black & Decker jigsaw with a 18 TPI (teeth per inch) bi-metal cutting blade.


Window is cut and ready for refinements, ie: clean up the edges and corners


I'll use a rounded side file for detailing it's straight edges and corners


Before I install the window, I debate about using something other than clear plexi, Maybe translucent Blue or Yellow to fit the Mod Brothers logo?


Towards the end of the video review I noted the front bezel is a good canidate for injecting your own design.. Heres whats involved with the Antec's front bezel.. The removable filter and perforated mesh grill are easily removed.







For the "new" front intake, a piece of 3/16" thick blue translucent acrylic will be provide a back plate support for a mod brothers 240 (2x 120mm fan) intake grill.

E.E.L. Ambiense (Jeremy Birch) is devising it's design as we speak





To support the new intake plate, I'm using the lower 5.25 bay cover, below I'm using DP-190 2 part epoxy to keep it in place permanently, you need to use gloves and smear the 2 part into the crevices (not shown)





The Antec 300's perforated rear fan grill providea decent airflow, but I prefer using my own grills. You can use a Tin-snips to remove the outter portion of the perforated grill. I prefer a cleaner look, so I marked off an octagon border around the rear exhuast grill.





1.5" cutting wheel kicking up sparks!




Hand filing the edges




I'm gonna blow this case's cover..hehe

Armed with power drill and 1/8" drill bit, I remove all of the pesky pop-rivets


we don't really need this or do we? Ideas are brewing :scratch:


Top panel ready to lose it's inner core


Where did it go?!


Another look w/o the tape


Heres the intake grill design by Jeremy, If you're not familar with Jeremy's work, check out the E.E.L. Ambiense worklogs on bit-tech, he kicks out some cool designs. I was happy to hear he was interested in contributing his talents to this project. The theme is fun!

Jeremy drew up this front intake grill design with the appropriate "MB" for "Mod Brothers" of course.. I'm going to have cnc milled from 3/16" THICK 6061 aluminum



For the "new" front intake, a piece of 3/16" thick blue translucent acrylic will be provide a back plate support for a mod brothers 240 (2x 120mm fan) intake grill.
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MonsterMawd
Level 12
We've gotta cut a notch in the access panel lip to accomondate the MB grill, Here I'm using 120mm Turbo fan grill to measure where to cut notch in left access panel, to clear the panel lip










Brad's von dutch style pinstriping done during Ric Mirto's party on Mnpctech's 14" Grizzly Vertical saw


I love old school toggle on/off switches, thats why Mnpctech offers these Machined Billet 5.25 Toggle switch plate bay covers
Use the plate to trace out your holes


Every Modder should own a drill press, 1/2" chuck


I use my drill press frequently for case modding,




Just pre-fitting this standard $1.99 toggle switch, I may use something else, maybe with led



#10, x 5/8 stainless steel button head machine screws of mounting the switch plate


Heres the premilinary drawing Slaymate was kind enuf to do for me, Thank you Dan!

After seeing this sketch by confusis, for the bit-tech sketch-up contest, I had an idea for doing something similar to his side panel design, but as a top panel. I recieved a 2' x 1' sheet of 1-1/4" thick clear acylic for milling this. Instead of using a single 120mm fan like confusis did, I'm adding 2x 120mm fans in the center in single file towards the rear. The 2x 120mm fans will mount beneath the the cover with the fins going over the fan blades. Maybe .5" wide fins, 3/4" tall... At the front, a 45 degree 1.5" x 4" space for a custom badge.



15 lbs, 2' x 1' clear acrylic, 1-1/4" thick





First, I tape off the bottom with 3M low tack masking tape


I'm positioning 92mm wire fan grill










3.5" Greenlee knockout punch








U-channel molding, http://www.mnpctech.com/UChannel.html

My original idea when talking to Jeremy's (E.E.L.) about the front grill design, was to use it as an intake grill, having the fans positioned in their factory cages, but as I stated earlier, the cages are off-center.. So as Steve was about to start milling the intake grill, I caught a future glimpse of off-center blue led fans. ("hold up Steve") Instead I want the option of mounting 2x 120mm fans directly on the backside of the grill. This required going back into cad and changing the grill proportions and removing one lower grill slot to allow space for the fan mounting screws. A small sacrifice, but I believe it will look much better with the fans mounted directly onto the grill

The grill is 1/4" thick 8-)

























I finally returned to the shop this weekend to get back to work
We need to vent our 1/4" thick blue translucent beneath the cnc milled dual 120mm intake grill. Note, I've kept the green masking tape backing on to avoid any scratches.



Here I am tracing the inside portion of the machined intake grill, note I went aropund the letters too





I'll use a jigsaw w/ 18 TPI blade to cut out the center portion of the acrylic, I make the initial cut with a reinforced 1.5" cutting wheel attachment and rotay tool.


Using a hand file to clean up the edges of the blue translucent acrylic




Front translucent blue acrylic intake panel is finished!







MonsterMawd
Level 12
Heres another Antec 300 I modified for a customer. (not mod brothers case) They didn't want to mount their PSU upside down, so I made this 92mm hole in the floor beneath the PSU with u-channel

contact me for Antec 300 mods, pcbuilderATmnpctech.com







I'm tracing this 5.25 machined billet bay cover over the 3/16" thick translucent blue acrylic.





Using vertical saw to cut acrylic




10/32 socket head screw




I changed my mind about using the toggle switch plate, instead I will be installing a Zalman MFC1 plus fan controller. it's 3/16" thick aluminum bezel and extruded heatsinks have made this controller my all time fav.

Heres the Zalman I had chrome plated for AMD's Phenom build....hint





We started on the cnc milling of the acrylic top panel, this 3/16" thick acrylic, it will hold 2x 120mm fans in the center in single file towards the rear. The 2x 120mm fans will mount beneath the the cover with the fins going over the fan blades.


Acrylic mounted in KURT vises


Clear Acylic Block measures 1-1/4" THICK


Anyone hungry for CNCed Acrylic Cole Slaw?!




To our surprise, the acylic milled very nicely with minimal scoring






Milling heatsink inspired columns












45 degree radius






HoK #F22 Royal Blue Flakes


Mixing cup




Test piece, we're both sold


The chassis received it's new coat of White with Pearl Flake last night. The intake grill and 5.25 bay covers should be ready from pick-up from the Plater next week.

Mixing House of Kolor Pearl Flakes


Brad at work!


White with Pearl Flake


Picked up the white pearl flake painted chassis and machined billet feet from Brad yesterday





The Billet Case feet product page












Just a small update today anodized blue thumbscrews

Kipper
Level 10
So much talent. Your threads make my day, thanks for sharing

Awesome!! Thank you for watching and commenting Kipper!

The painted panels should be buffed and finished this weekend. I'm still waiting for a call back from the Plater about the intake grill and 5.25 cover. Yesterday I came up with this fan grill for the rear exhaust, using one of the old billet fan grills I had stashed away. I made center grill with round hole modders mesh.





I used Plasti-kote's "ANODIZE-IT" Blue to paint the grill


Using 50 grit sandpaper to prep the surface of the plain steel


I then used enamel clearcoat




I got the chrome plated parts back last night, they came out great!

Heres the 5.25 bay cover and front intake grill













Installed front intake, bezel, 5.25 bay covers, it's lookin real tasty folks.









Heres the clear acrylic top panel w/o 2x 120mm Yate Loon led fans installed. The pearl white really helps spread the illumination throughout the chassis.





The Zalman MFC1 fan controller is installed. I had to make extension brackets so the faceplate was flush with the billet 5.35 bay covers. I found some blue anodize machined screws for mounting it (nice!)




Anodized Blue machine screws


Close-up of finished rear 120mm fan grill. Installed the 2x 120mm fans in the top panel