Intel NUC Case Competition Voting

ToOoOoOobular by Craig Kendrick (Cheapskate)

Project Log: Here
A word from Craig...For inspiration on what to design for this contest, I wandered the jungle-like wasteland that is my garage for most of a day. I searched for something to incorporate into the design in many stashes of scrap when I found a large aluminium pipe. That pipe was too nasty to use, but it did remind me I had some very nice stainless steel tube. A basic concept formed in my tiny brain: What would a little computer mounted to a huge hinge look like? I thought it needed a bit more, so the plan of having everything look black until it was powered up was added.

Like Waynio, I wanted the look of black brushed aluminium without the hassle of taking the parts to a shop. My plan was to evenly sand Plexiglas and give it some kind of oily treatment. A simple dose of furniture polish gave me the perfect lustre.


I wanted to get the project together quickly, and many of the parts were cut before the NUC components arrived. I wanted as much time as possible to hammer out the LED wiring. It turns out I needed the extra time, and it probably looked like there was some hammering done by the time I was finished. My design had transparent layers sandwiched between layers of opaque black. I cut holes and channels to get the LEDs into those transparent layers. The effect was not as dramatic as I had wished for, but I was limited to using the USB header for power. There was also some limits to the amount of wires I could add in such a tiny space.


My initial plan also called for a small touchscreen device. I thought this system would be great for music storage and it's perfect for a touchscreen jukebox. Sadly, the days when you could bully Windows into doing what you wanted it to are ending. My attempt to use 8 with only the touchscreen attached proved very frustrating.


I was pleased with the overall results, but it was a reminder that I've been away from the software side of things for far too long. While the system was completely silent even with a fan, I've started drawing up a passive-cooled version using the same motherboard.
...because that would be fun to try.:D

I'd like to thank Intel and bit-tech again for giving me a chance to build this. It was a fun learning experience, and continues to be fun.

Vesper by Alex Banks (Maki role)
Project Log: Here

A word from Alex... Vesper was a really exciting and challenging project for me. The design itself is very CAD heavy, with the main sections all being 3D printed. This meant that measuring and modelling accuracy were paramount, else nothing would fit together! I wanted to ensure that the style was both bold and fresh, all the while being soft enough to fit a more period setting and making full use of the capabilities of 3D printing.

Working at this scale was a lot of fun and a huge departure from my previous project in a Phantom 820. I also got to experiment with techniques like veneer usage, and wood finishes that are all but alien to me.

Overall I'm very pleased with how it came out, and rather surprised how similar it is to some of the initial concept renders! I've learnt a lot and got to know a load of fantastic people along the way.




That's it for the Intel NUC case competition. We'll be back with Mod of the Month and more modding features soon and don't forget to vote for your favourite case in our forum.