Armed with a load of EVA foam and loads of yellow paint, PC modder extraordinaire Dewayne Carel constructed this SpongeBob SquarePants gaming PC, which was commissioned by Arabian Prince from NWA, who’s apparently an enormous SpongeBob fan.
Due to our quickly rising PC constructing Fb web page, we’ve seen many customized gaming PCs, from mods primarily based on present case designs to scratch PC builds. You may even submit yours for consideration proper right here. Right here we chat to Dewayne about how he constructed this PC.
: How did this SpongeBob challenge come about?
It was EVGA that wished this challenge – the corporate wished to do one thing particular for one in all its companions, Arabian Prince from the rap group NWA, who is a large SpongeBob fan. He even confirmed as much as the disclosing of the case mod –not realizing what it was about or that it was for him – in SpongeBob sneakers, pants, and shirt.
How did you propose and design this construct?
I checked out tonnes of photographs on the web of SpongeBob, and it grew to become obvious that the EVGA DG-77 case I’d been given and SpongeBob had been principally the identical form. Some would say ‘Now that’s good luck!’ Possibly, however I knew I needed to create a case mod the place folks’s reactions wouldn’t be: ‘All you needed to do was paint a case yellow’– sure, you understand who you’re. I wanted to go to the subsequent stage to create a PC that didn’t appear like it was a weekend challenge.
As soon as once more, I headed off to the Web in the hunt for some inspirational photographs of SpongeBob. I used to be, in fact, capable of finding an infinite provide of photographs. This was nice to get the colors and particulars wanted – close-ups of his eyes, mouth, nostril, sneakers, and sure, his pants.
Nonetheless, in many of the photographs, he was both standing or working, and I knew this wouldn’t work – how would I steadiness a totally loaded PC on toothpick legs with out some kind of help? Then it hit me – he could possibly be sitting down together with his legs sticking straight out.
With that imaginative and prescient in my thoughts, I shortly labored out the design with pencil and paper, which is my regular manner of visualizing my concepts. This plan was excellent – his ft would lengthen out and his arms could be to his facet together with his palms flat, making it appear like he was sitting and holding himself up.
The face of SpongeBob was the make-or-break characteristic of the entire construct. If it didn’t appear like him then I’d as effectively simply scrap the entire case mod and save myself from the modding neighborhood’s feedback. I spent many hours on the design – understanding how large to make his eyes, for instance, in addition to the scale of his mouth and the way it curves – his smile is a primary recognizable characteristic, and the underside and high of his mouth protrudes out to kind lips. I needed to get his nostril proper too.
You wanted to ship this PC to your buyer after you’d completed it. How did this have an effect on the construct course of?
The SpongeBob mod had to have the ability to be shipped, which meant it needed to match into some kind of field or case. That wasn’t going to be simple with two legs and huge sneakers protruding from his physique by round 12in, his arms on both sides and, most significantly, his nostril, which was going to be at the very least 3.5-4in lengthy and proper in the course of one facet of the case mod.
You wanted to have the ability to reattach these components to the case in the precise spots, they wanted to be safe and, most significantly, they needed to nonetheless appear like a part of the general design. Trying round my modding store, I noticed some 0.25in-diameter magnets, which I’d used earlier than.
I assumed I might embed the small magnets into the EVA foam I’d used on the case (extra on that later), after which glue a small/skinny piece of metallic to the flat components of the legs, arms and nostril, which might match as much as the place the magnets had been positioned.
How did you make that case appear like SpongeBob’s head?
I wished to make it possible for SpongeBob seemed like he’d walked out of the present after which sat down on a desk. It needed to look actual, with recessed holes and notches, in addition to sponge-like really feel. I wanted to create that sponge look and impact, however the machine additionally had to have the ability to face up to being shipped, moved round, and brought aside for upkeep and future upgrades.
Earlier than this case mod, I had been watching folks making Cosplay props and outfits, and thought it will be one thing enjoyable to do, as I get pleasure from creating stuff. That’s when it hit me that I might use the identical EVA foam they used for this challenge. This foam is rugged and dense, and it’s additionally simple to carve and form into any form you need. After some measurements and brainstorming, I ordered some completely different thicknesses and sizes of EVA foam.
The bigger items of EVA foam had been for the precise physique of SpongeBob – they’re glued to all of the facet panels and the entrance of the case. The EVA foam was 0.5in thick, and I figured I might double up the froth to offer me the 2 completely different ranges of depth that I wanted for the transition from SpongeBob’s physique to his pants, and that I might carve holes and sculpt the perimeters to create the sponge results.
After getting all the froth connected to the case with some heavy-duty spray glue, I made certain that it seemed pretty seamless, in order that it seemed like one enormous piece of froth. I then needed to work on the design of his eyes, nostril, mouth, arms, palms, legs and sneakers to make it possible for they had been in proportion to his physique. Utilizing a pencil, paper and a grease pencil I drew immediately onto the EVA foam. After many revisions and changes, I discovered a glance that I favored.
The facet panels for this case had been held on by thumbscrews that went by way of the panels themselves. I didn’t need any screws to be seen, as they might break the look, so I made certain the carved holes within the ‘sponge’ could be positioned the place the screws went by way of the panels. I carved out the holes in several shapes to verify they seemed like random holes within the sponge.
To cowl the screws, I minimize some skinny sheet metallic into the shapes of the holes across the screws. I then glued EVA foam over them, and left a small tab that could possibly be used to tug off the concealment covers. I then embedded some small magnets into the thick foam and the detachable concealment covers for the screws.
How did you go about making the arms, legs, and sneakers?
SpongeBob wears some fairly large, old-style sneakers with a really distinctive look. There’s an enormous, rounded finish on the entrance of the shoe, and a really small, slender half for his legs. How within the heck was I going to make these with out them weighing an excessive amount of?
I searched on the Web and located a yoga block that was constructed from, you guessed it, EVA foam – after I minimize it in half, it was the proper measurement for carving out two sneakers. It took a few hours for the primary shoe to come back to life from the block foam, however it seemed nice, so I hammered out the second in much less time.
Within the photographs I’d seen on-line, it appeared that SpongeBob’s legs and arms had been the identical diameter. After a fast rummage by way of some leftover modding provides, I discovered a piece of 0.75in PVC pipe, which was precisely the proper diameter to be in proportion to the general design. I found out the lengths I wanted for the legs and arms and continued with the construct.
To complete off his legs, I wanted to make the ‘pants’ half that might come off his physique and connect to his PVC pipe legs. I minimize some strips of EVA foam, rolled them, glued them and put an finish piece on either side – one to connect to the case by way of the magnet setup, and one for his leg to undergo. I then made a gap within the high of one of many sneakers, inserted the leg piece and SpongeBob now had at the very least one accomplished leg.
Switching over to the arms, I figured I’d use the identical concepts and supplies because the legs. Nonetheless, I didn’t wish to attempt to carve the palms out of EVA blocks.
I first thought I might create them out of clay, however I quickly tossed out that concept, as it will be relatively heavy and simple to interrupt. I wished a fabric that might give me the identical texture and look as the remainder of the SpongeBob’s physique.
I checked to see if there was a ‘clay-like’ materials like EVA foam, and there was! I knew this foam would wish some kind of help inside it, so I designed and 3D-printed a bone-like skeleton round which I might mildew the clay.
How did you create the little particulars, comparable to SpongeBob’s eyes and nostril?
For SpongeBob’s face, I connected some lengthy skinny strips of EVA foam to make the raised parts of his mouth, after which used a few of the clay foam to fill in the remainder of the form.
I then proceeded to sand down and form it to the ultimate look. In the meantime, his eyes needed to be massive, barely rounded and easy. I do know I couldn’t get the precise look with the froth, so I designed them in SketchUp and 3D-printed them. I then utilized a skinny layer of Bondo on them and sanded it to a easy end.
Then there’s the nostril, which you may assume was simple – it’s form of spherical and some inches lengthy. However once more, it’s a really distinctive characteristic that needed to be proper to make his face look excellent. I in all probability spent as a lot time getting the nostril to look proper as I spent carving out each sneakers.
As soon as I received the looks I wished, it was time to see if a single magnet would maintain the nostril in place with out it falling off. I positioned one magnet into the froth on the case and connected a small piece of sheet metallic to the flat a part of the bottom of the nostril – it labored completely.
What paints did you employ to get these hanging colours?
An enormous mountain to climb was getting the precise colour of yellow. If the yellow was too gentle, SpongeBob would look washed out and pale. If it was too darkish, he would appear like he was dwelling in a cave as a substitute of a pineapple.
I went to a few my native {hardware} shops and, like a miracle, I discovered a yellow colour that I assumed could be excellent, so I purchased one can. After doing a couple of check sprays, I made up my mind that it was the proper colour of yellow for SpongeBob, so I went again to the ironmongery store for a couple of extra cans.
With the precise shade of yellow in hand, I painted your entire case in and out with the yellow paint. This was completed in order that any uncovered components of the case weren’t lined with the froth would match, and provides it a seamless look. SpongeBob’s garments had been simply primary pink, white, brown and black colours, thank goodness.
How does the airflow system work with all that stable materials surrounding the case?
That was the identical query I requested myself all through the construct course of. I knew that including about an inch of froth to the surface of the case would defeat the conduction course of that usually occurs with a case. I first made certain that any of the unique airflow design was stored intact as a lot as doable and labored round it.
Any hidden areas with air intakes, comparable to the underside of the case and backside of the entrance bezel, received particular remedy – I enlarged present holes and added extra holes to be able to enhance the airflow. I used to be fairly happy with my stress testing, because it confirmed the temperatures had been just a few levels above these of a inventory setup.
How lengthy did it take you to finish this construct, from begin to end?
The precise construct time was round 80 hours or extra, however the time devoted to the design, studying the best way to work with unfamiliar supplies and so forth went well beyond 120 hours.
Are you utterly proud of the top consequence, or do you want you’d completed a few of it otherwise looking back?
I’ll admit that I used to be stunned that it got here out in addition to it did! All by way of the construct, I hoped that it will all come collectively and never look horrible. The top consequence actually impressed me after I was completed.
SpongeBob SquarePants PC specs
- CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K
- GPU: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti XC Extremely
- Case: EVGA DG-77
- Storage: Intel Optane SSD 9
- Reminiscence: 16GB Viper 3200MHz DDR4
- Motherboard: EVGA Z390 FTW
- PSU: 800W EVGA
- Cooling: EVGA 280mm AIO liquid cooler
That is some sensible modeling work, Dewayne – you’ll be able to nearly consider he’d be capable to play slightly tune together with his nostril! The truth that you’ve made a PC appear like SpongeBob is already a cracking achievement, however the truth that it was purchased by one of many guys from NWA is simply the icing on the cake – wonderful.
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