.::Project War Machine::.

KikBox

What is War Machine?
Sometimes the best way to explain the mood of a piece is to create a back story. Imagine the Nazis found a mystical piece of ancient Roman war machinery. Imagine they cleaned and repaired it by adding panels of sleek shiny black to those areas that had been ravaged by time. Maybe they hoped it would help them win the war. Whatever, you get the idea...

The design
War Machine will be an amalgamation of styles from a few sources. The idea is to create a case that appears menacing and yet stylish. Light in weight but very heavy in mood and appearance. A case that mixes elements of organic looking cast iron power with sleek polished features.

I am focusing on what I hope will be a nice balance of mods and finishing. I imagine this case being what you might get if you mixed the Roman Empire at its peak with that of Nazi Germany 1942. Hard to imagine? Well, maybe it will begin to make more sense as the project progresses.

Not only will this case contain a mix of styles but also a mix of finishes. I will be using powder coating techniques as well as faux finishing techniques to create an interesting mix of rustic hammered metal and smooth polished metal.

For a long time I have been fascinated with the Roman Empire. As a kid I read a great book about the ancient general Hannibal who led an army made up of many nations over the Alps to take on the Romans on their own turf. At the end he faced the same bitter defeat that so many who opposed the Romans shared but he had some stunning victories along the way. That book started my interest in all things Roman. The fighting style, the culture, their society and technology.

Another thing that I found interesting was how the Nazi party of WWII modeled much of their imagery after that of the Roman Empire. Bold colors in black and red, vertical banners, use of the eagle in their emblems...I could go on and on. This project is, in part, about that contrast. So let’s get down to it.

The canvas
I am starting with a Lian Li v1000. The things I like about this case are almost too numerous to mention. I love the shape and construction. The panels alone are very unique and I have big plans for them that I have not seen done by anyone else before. I also like the overall shape of the box. It has a very "machine age" look to it. Anyone who has seen metropolis will know what I am getting at.





Parts and Mods
In order to get the look I want I need to make it appear as though an ancient artifact has been enhanced with new technology (well, 1940's military technology that is). I am going to achieve this by adding some parts and also doing some cutting.

Each panel will feature a custom logo. I created the War Machine logo to try and capture the stark military feel of the Roman and German empires all at once. Thus the eagle they have in common with the addition of a gear to help promote the mechanical power component I am after. Matching logos will be cut in each panel to create large windows about 18" wide. I will also be adding mesh, acrylic and lettering to these panels to get the final product. I won't give everything away at this point but the graphic below will give you an idea.



The outside panels will have a shiny spit & polish finish done in high gloss powder coat. Inspired by the high shine of German Jack Boots. The center or main part of the case will be treated to look like cast iron.

I will also be adding a set of case handles reminiscent of those found on an old ammo case and some other very cool super secret parts that I have recovered from dusty bins in surplus stores.

That's enough for now. The panel cutting will start this week and then I will reveal my design mockups for the window build.

zus

That is going to be beautiful

WhiteBoy88

Here we go again.....
Another mod that makes XFN collectively drool on keyboards.....

oNe8

This sounds cool but I have a question are you going to be putting the logo as an engraving on a window like this(pretend the light grey is the plexi):


or is the logo going to be a cut out of the side or is the logo just going to be sprayed on the case.

KikBox

WOW...even did a mock up of the case. Well if you must know, the logo will be cut into the panel leaving a hole. The window will be placed on the outside of the case and will be cut to exactly match the shape of the panel. The Acrylic panel will be cut from 1/4" clear cast acrylic and will be bolted in place at each corner.





There is also text included on the logo but that will be etched on the acrylic or attached as a silver etch appliqué. When the whole thing is sandwiched together it will look like the logo version below.



In addition the windows will be backed with mesh painted red. I will be using modder's mesh with round holes and apply red paint to act as a nice backdrop and provide some color contrast on the design.

KikBox

As I mention previously, this mod is mix of images from Ancient Rome, the Nazi Empire and the Machine Age ideas of the 1940's and 50's. Here is an image of the emblem that the Nationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrkorps (NSKK) used during WWII. You can see the angular wings and the eagle head in profile. The unit was responsible for training army drivers. Various units of the german military used the same eagle symbol but in different ways.





Here is a version of the eagle used by the Roman empire to instill fear and respect in the common man.



A little something found in my research from About.com, "It was kept at a lighted altar at night, and both it and the ground on which it stood were considered sacred. The various legions had a short poem that indicates its importance:

Battle lost, Eagle lost
Eagle lost, honor lost
Honor lost, all lost"

I think that's sort of cool.

MDSarcasm

This looks really awesome...so what are you building it for?

KikBox

I am building this case for xoxide.com. I believe it's going to be for sale on the site eventually but I am not sure exactly when. My goal is to have it finished by August 21st.

A101Sugar

awesome!!!!! That is going to come out excellent.. I love it.

oNe8

Ive seen alot of Nazi stuff but not an equal amount of rome, what if you somehow found a way to incorperate one of the badges on a shield that has spears behind it. Sorry I didn't do a mock up of that design.

MDSarcasm

I have an Idea: I cant name it, but theres a certain kind of glass thats used in buildings, its not meant to be seethru, and its so tough you can walk on it...but it looks really good light up, maybe a cutout of it, with the metal for the white parts of it, and it looks great with some cathlodes.

KikBox

Worry not! I have been talking a lot about the panels cuts but the rest of the case will have a more rustic feel. There will not be any direct reference to the nazi's or rome but it was a good way to illustrate the feel I am going for.

wolan9004

man i love this project especially that it is about the nazis and the romans i cant wait till its done

Airmack

this case is going to be pimp, i can see it now...

love the german eagle thing.

Blazin Trav

I might be willing to buy this one actually... if it is less than $400.

Mousey

I like the idea of a shiny outside on the lian li, but overall I'm not very convinced of the design. I probably will be later on during the mod when I see more of the work, but so far, I'm actually not impressed O_o.

KikBox

Well, with any luck you will be more impressed as the design unfolds. Right now I am still trying to aquire all the parts I need to start the project.

NortHWizarD

If I can be of help... you know how to find me :)

~NortH~

mechem

grats on the first xoxide sale... this should be tight.

Modders mesh FTW

and I would consider adding a "tank gun tube" on the top. This is just my own personal idea. But what if say you had this green or metal tube on the top modified to look like a tank cannon. then put the start button in it, so like you have this tube on top which turns on your pc. and glows red/green w/e from within.

jasonlitka

There is zero chance of that happening. $400 was below out cost for the last mod and we're expecting this one to be even more detailed and in-depth.