Kai Lan Case Final Pics

[XcaliburFX]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

We'll get a table for her to sit at while using the computer, and will eventually set it all up in her room once I get a separate monitor.

She's a cutie buddy, ... looks like she loves it.

Very nice job. Be sure to check featured rigs ... in a bit that is lol Ya I'm a slow poke.

[Boddaker]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

Doh! How did I not post final pics?? I must be losing it lol.











To (finally) answer your question enamor, the LED's aren't bright at all, because you can't really see them directly through the sides. They are just there to add a bit of pink to the insides.

[Enamor84]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

Kinda curious, how bright are those LEDs in the dark?

[Boddaker]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

Ok, so last time I told you I'd have final pics, but there was still a few more things left to do. I ended up adding a bit more functionality to the case by adding a couple external USB ports, and I got some pink led's from Moddersmart so I could add some internal lighting.

For the USB ports, I chose an inconspicuous location to mount them, and measured & cut some acrylic separator blocks. Glued them down and painted them to match. Then I threw down some double-sided tape to hold the ports in place.


Digging in my stash of USB extensions, I grabbed a dual port expansion card slot cover, removed the cover and rubber casing so I just had the bare ports and cabling, and placed them into the slots I made.


The ports are now sandwiched in between the base and the first middle panel.


A wider shot. Good thing the cable wasn't any longer!


When I asked Moddersmart for some pink led's, not only did I get 8 tailed 3mm leds, but also a 20-station board with purple base! These boards are now available on their site btw, as a stand-alone and in kit-form.


Staring at the open case, I had to figure out where to mount the leds. I wanted some semblance of even lighting, but I didn't want the leds directly visible from the outside. So I came up with this mounting configuration: Acrylic bar spanning three sides, glued to the underside of the lid.


I drilled evenly spaced holes to accept the leds, and to maximize the amount of light shining into the case, I added strips of foil tape to the bar. This reflects the light that would otherwise get absorbed by the blackness of the lid.


Fast-forward past all the wire-management, and we have the result.






All set up and ready to test! Of course I had to get the Kai Lan game installed too.


My daughter beta-testing lol. That keyboard interface is the Computer Cool School by Fisher Price. That Kai Lan disc in the above pic is one of the add-ons you can get for it.


I think I got her seal of approval.


We'll get a table for her to sit at while using the computer, and will eventually set it all up in her room once I get a separate monitor.

So I got just one more thing to do before I can post final pics. About a half hour into testing, the thing shut down due to excessive heat. As I suspected, there just isn't enough space between the lid and the top of the HS fan for proper airflow. So I'm looking into a low-profile solution to replace the stock HS/F. Back soon!

[Boddaker]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

So I almost got this thing wrapped up over the holiday weekend. Wife had to work, so I spent most of my time with the kids, but I still managed to do a couple things: Mount the power plug, and make one of the hearts the power button.

Starting with the power plug... I decided that this case will be standing up full time, so that allowed me to mount the power plug through the base. So I used the plug as my template and marked where I was to remove material:


I used my biggest acrylic drill bit in the drill press and drilled through the center of my template.


Removing more material with the hand-held rotary tool.


Getting there. I did quite a few trial fits before I got it nice and snug. I also created an inset so the plug would be mounted flush with the back of the base.


There we go.


Glued in place. You will notice here that I went ahead and painted the base black, as well as all the middle panels. Looks a lot better imo.


Finished shot from the back. It's not "oldnewby perfect," but it will suffice.


Now we move on to the power button. First thing to do is add a rod to the back of the heart. So I drill a hole about half way through.


Then glue the rod into it. I made sure I had plenty of length to mess with. I'll trim it down later.


Next I had to drill a hole for the rod to go through the top panel. WARNING: Some children might find this picture horrifying! Please view with discretion. lol


Ok, now the rod can travel smoothly through the top panel.


Time to figure out where the button will reside. I made this little bridge dealio to position the button under the heart.


It fits like so...


I made a notch for the surface mount button. I later had to widen it so the button would line up better with the rod.


Here's a close up shot peeking through the middle panels.


Most ITX cases come with an all-in-one plug for the button and led leads now, but since I don't have a case to pilfer that from, I rummaged through my box of motherboard accessories and came across this serial cable port add-on.


It has the same configuration as the leads off the Zotac motherboard. (a USB plug is opposite and wouldn't work)


Plugs right on!


Then it was just a matter of finding out which wires were which so I could solder up the button.


Here's a shot during final assembly. I got the reset button and some leds connected. I ended up mounting the antenna internally to the base, so I'll use that port I created for the reset button. In this shot I connected a monitor via the DVI port temporarily, and will be utilizing the HDMI port later when I get this thing inside and hooked up to our 50" DLP.


Next will be final shots of the case and its accompanying peripherals that go along with the theme. I'm sure I can coax my daughter into demo'ing it for us, so stay tuned!

[sh4rkbyt3]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

I like the idea of just painting the top and then adding LED's later. Red, Green and Blue triple color LED's would be great for this and give your daughter on the fly customization . And maybe add yellow LED's too?
Sorry, I'm all about complicating things lol. I know all kids love colors though.

[Enamor84]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

Wow.

[Boddaker]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

Got some painting done over the last couple days.

While I was at the craft store, I picked up some paints in the colors that I would need. Didn't need much, and these small vials are still more than enough to do the face. But I'm sure the kids will find a use for them after I'm done.


Removing the blue protective coating off the pieces.


I taped them all from the back so I could do some bulk-sanding.


Started with black, and the biggest piece. After the first coat, I didn't like how the coverage was, so I sanded most of it off and used a spray can lol.


Doing the flesh tones. Took 4 coats. I used my heat gun in between to speed up the drying process.


Got all the pieces painted, and decided to have a bit of fun with them. :P


Next step was gluing the painted pieces down to the top panel. I'm using Weld-On and clamps with some wood to even out the pressure.


I assembled the smaller parts like the flowers and eyes before adding them to the face. The Weld-On disappears fast, so I don't have much time to work.


Done, with the exception of the little hearts on her shirt. I'm contemplating using them as buttons.


I still need to do some touch-up, but I wanted to see how it looks on the case. Here's a shot of the top cover on.


Standing up.


I'll probably paint the middle panels too, as I don't like how it looks clear.


Maybe I'll paint just the tops and leave the edges clear so if I decide to add lighting, they'll still glow. What do you guys think?

[sh4rkbyt3]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

LED's or not, this is a truly genius build. Great custom and detail work too!

[Boddaker]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

Hey..whatever happened to the Portal Turret PC you were making, I lost track of the links.. wanted to see its final looks hehe.

That wasn't me. (I did the Spider PC) Geno was doing the Portal sentry, and as far as I know, he hasn't completed it yet.

[Shodan]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

Hey..whatever happened to the Portal Turret PC you were making, I lost track of the links.. wanted to see its final looks hehe.

[Boddaker]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

On a side note, if anyone asks about the antenna...it's a cow lick. Did you go with your original plan and strengthen the hair tips and the shirt/neck area?

Yes I did. It's hard to tell in this pic, due to the acrylic being clear, but they're there.


@sh4rkbyt3- I probably won't add any lighting to this case. Trying to keep it simple this time lol.

[sh4rkbyt3]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

So cool Boddacker! Blue LED's inside?

[Enamor84]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

On a side note, if anyone asks about the antenna...it's a cow lick. Did you go with your original plan and strengthen the hair tips and the shirt/neck area?

[Dewayne]

Kai Lan Case Final Pics

I am really enjoying this build and like any modder you sometimes have to make adjustments to your ideas on the fly.