Transformers 4 xbox 360 case mod: Completed!

Oh you know... Just chilling in the bathroom, checking my phone, drinking my Monster Energy drink, when it hits me that I need to do a project today (yesterday). I haven't done a new and original project in a long time.

I'm sitting at my computer drawing a complete blank. I have all of my inspirational stuff surrounding me. Mighty Muggs Soundwave is just sitting there staring at me, saying, "do me do me" and I'm like "I already did you 4 years ago".

The it all came to me. Transformers 4! BAM. I found my image and did a little shoop de` loop.

Next I printed the image and made sure it would be the appropriate size.

It fit pretty well so I trimmed the image down.

Then I cut a piece of hectograph paper roughly a quarter inch bigger than the T4 image. I laid it "transfer side down". (hectograph paper is the stuff that tattoo artists use to make your tattoo stencil) I'm sure carbon paper would work just as good, but this is all I had on hand.

I adjusted the T4 logo dead center.

Then I taped it all down so it wouldn't move or slide all around. No, that's not my tiny little hand...

Trace...

TRACE....

I used a straight edge to make sure my lines were perfect...

When you use transfer paper, it makes a perfect impression on whatever surface you're applying it to.

The lines were a little faint, so I traced over it again with red Sharpie.

ANGRY Transformers 4 xbox! I think I need a gold toof! What do you think?

Sitting on the desk with the transfer image in the background with the obligatory can of Monster... (dont ask)

I opened the case so I could get the lid on its own...

Here I pictured both of my Dremels, but I only used the corded one on the right. Word to the wise, please dont buy the $20 cordless Dremel. I bought one, 4 years ago, because I was on a budget. It was fine for what it was BUT the charger doesn't have an indicator letting you know when the battery is finished charging. So, if you under charge your battery, you ruin it. If you over charge your battery, you ruin it. Like I said, this was 4 years ago and maybe I got the economy model... maybe they have changed since then, but I was severely disappointing in that particular product.

I started by drilling a series of holes on the inside of the lines... half done.

After I was dont drilling the entire image, I drug the Dremel from hole to hole "cutting" out the shape.

Using sand paper wrapped around a plastic ruler and a set of files (Walmart, $4.99), I started to smooth down the edges.

Done sanding and filing...

After sanding the inside of the case I measured out and cut a piece of plexi glass (lexan?) to 6.5" x 7.75"

I removed the plastic film from the side that will be facing out. I held it tightly in place while I applied a nice, even bead of HOT GLUE around the entire perimeter of the "window" glass. I left the film on the inside of the glass while I was working so I didn't scratch it or get boogers on it or anything. When I was finished beading the edge, I removed the film completely.

I got a little excited here... I was finished so I just put the xbox 360 back together. The Decepticons eye was sanded and applied to the plexi with hot glue (not pictured).

I have plans for this xbox 360 in the future... What they are, I don't know. This particular 360 has red ringed on me twice in the year and a half that I had it. It was given to me by a good friend. He told me that it was RRoD before he gave it to me and when I plugged it in, it booted fine. My old roommates' brother was messing around with it one day and left it on over night and a good part of the next day and it RRoD. I was pissed. I left it alone for about a month, then it booted again. I added an external hard drive to it and it worked beautifully for the next 6 months or so and RRoD on me in the middle of watching a DVD. I haven't plugged it in since.

I figured since this is just a case mod, why not use the red headed step child of my collection. It might actually work now. 

I may, or may not, use this case in the future for an original xbox mod. I have a few ideas floating around in my head as to what I can do and how I want it to work. Who knows... I might sell it on eBay or auction it off on here in a raffle and donate all of the money to a charity or something. 

As I am sitting here writing this, I'm looking over this 360. There is SO MUCH MORE that I can do. So much more that I WANT to do. Time will tell. Not bad for a 4 hour project huh?

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Transformers 4 case? Transformers 4 case!

This is a little something that I am working on today. 

A complete write-up is in the near future ::wink wink:: Keep a keen eye out for it :)

UPDATE:
I finished this case mod in roughly 4 hours.
I do not have time to do a write-up right now... but I will tomorrow!

Stay tuned!

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Past Projects: The Los Angeles Dodgers Xbox

When my best friend, Kristina, asked me if I could make a custom xbox for her boyfriends birthday, I was like "Uuum... have you seen my Deceptacon xbox? What do you want?". "Los Angeles Dogers, I'll give you $150". "When do you need it?". "Day After Tomorrow..." All I needed to buy for this project was paint, primer and sand paper... I had everything else ready to go.

I started with a regular old, run of the mill softmodded console. She didn't want Media Center, or anything else... Just emulators and roms, so I went with UnleashX.

Since this xbox was in excellent condition, I did not need to sand before priming. I did, however, need to give it a good wipe-down with isoprophyl alcohol to get all of the grease and dirt off.

I primed all of the pieces that needed to be painted, inside and out. I wanted this thing to look like it was actually made by Micro$oft.

I painted the lid, base and button guard blue. I painted the faceplate and DVD bezel white.

This shot is with the shielding, fan and controller ports in place. The contrast of the blue against the chrome is brilliant. Better that that dingy old blackish green.

I masked off the faceplate and DVD bezel, then I gave it a quick shot of blue. While I was at it, I shot the button assembly with white. So far, so good... Then I put the faceplate back together.

Next up was to cut out the "LA" logo from the lid...

I printed out the logo to the apropriate size...

Then I masked the fins and taped the logo down where I thought would be nothing less than perfect.

I cut the logo out, pushing the x-acto knife into the lid a little harder that I normally would to sort of "trace" or "etch" the logo into the lid.

Then I took my novelty, battery powered, Dremel (do not buy one of these, they absolutely suck) and drilled a series of holes around the inside perimeter of the logo on the low setting. After that was complete I kicked it up to the high setting and drug the bit from hole to hole, making sure to keep track of the inside of the "A".

Then I used nail files (dollar store) and my x-acto knife to clean up the edges and make the corners sharp.

After I was satisfied, I took the lid out back to be sprayed with 3 thin coats of white, letting it dry for about 15 minutes between each coat.

I let the final coat dry for about 2 hours. Long enough for me to change the P/E (power / eject) lights from green to blue and wire up all of the indicator lights. (network connected, network activity and HDD (hard drive) activity. I was also able to test the machine to make sure everything was perfect.

After the paint was completely dry, I removed the masking.

Then I cut a piece of "frosted" Lexan (plexi-glass) to back the "LA" logo. I simply hot glued it in place on the under-side of the lid. I attached the inner piece of the "A", again, with hot glue.

Originally I had planned to clear the jewel and light it up with blue LED's. Kristina came by to see where I was at in the project and asked me how long that would take. She needed it sooner than later, so we opted to just paint the jewel blue to match the rest. And the Dodger Xbox was born.

Kristina took Brad to a Dodgers game the next day and brought the xbox with them. When they were getting their coats out of the trunk of the car she asked him to get something from "that box". He opened the box, saw the xbox and, from what I was told, almost fainted. He loved it.

My work here is done...

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