Hardware choices
The PC itself is a fairly conventional high-end,
all-purpose build centred on an AMD Ryzen 9
3900X and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. As
such, the main hardware considerations were
to do with the extra features that would need
to be incorporated into the design, such as the
flip-out screen and the candle.
I also worked with several sponsors for this
case who provided much of the hardware.Perhaps most important, in terms of design,
was the use of a Cooler Master Cosmos
C700M case. Although it’s heavily modified,
you can just make out the underlying
structure inside this build, and its swing-out
doors are integral to the design.
Thanks also to Cooler Master for the
V1300 Platinum power supply, Thermaltake
for many of the water-cooling components
and Asus for the ROG RTX 2080 Strix
graphics card and ROG Crosshair VIII Formula
motherboard. I also work for Caseking who
provided me with several other little bits and
pieces such as speakers and PCBs.Let the torture begin ...
The Cooler Master Cosmos C700M is a
pocket-sized case, at least by my standards,
so I had to make adjustments to enlarge it. I
built a double-floored wooden base to give
the build more height – first because I knewI wanted the four inquisitor lamps on each
corner and also to allow room for a monitor
that pops out of the base.
The base also enhanced the shape and
size of the cage-like form I was aiming for. A
set of turned feet were attached to the base
to raise her even further.
Each corner has custom-made lanterns
that are clad in gemstones and look like they’re
made from real wrought iron. In fact, they used
to be beer bottles and are now lit up with a
flickering effect that moves in time with sound.The flip-out monitor is concealed until a spike
on the side of the case is moved. The monitor
then slides out and up. When closed, you see
the altar that holds the confession candle
under the reservoir.
I cut open both side panels of the case
in order to show off the insides of the PC.
Around the whole case and attached to each
hinged side panel, I then built cages that would
represent the fearsome spiked doors that
sealed the fate of the people who entered the
iron maiden.
Each side of the cage was built from at least
80 small pieces of wood. These had to be cut
very accurately to keep the two sides uniform
and create the precise angled shape.
The whole cage was also painstakingly
covered with Worbla. This is a type of
thermoplastic sheeting that can be used to
provide a tough, organic-looking covering to
sculptures or, in this case, PC mods. This took
hours of finger-burning labour, to clad the
cages in such a way that, once painted and
dry-brushed, it would look like a wrought iron
contraption from a blacksmith. Studs and gems
even found their way onto it because, like I said,
this is to be the most beautiful iron maiden ever.
I also incorporated some occult
symbols, such as a pentagram, behind the
motherboard tray. This added further to
the evil theme and helped to cover up all
the wires behind it. The panel includes one
opening for a fan and another removable
section that provides access to an SSD.
On the other side of the PC, to add further
to the Spanish gold theme, I created a design
for a golden doubloon, which sits on top of the
CPU waterblock. The memory waterblockalso has a gold ingot design and the graphics
card backplate is covered in an ornate
wrought iron pattern, finished in more gold.
All these gold elements used the same
technique to achieve the right weathered gold
effect. I used a water-based gold acrylic paint
and, while this was still wet, I pipetted drops
of teak wood stain on top.
This part of the mod took around two
weeks of patient work, but the effect worked
out great. After the water evaporated, it left
the pigments clutching irregularly to theA Cosmos C700M sits at the heart of the mod The face started as a polystyrene headphone holderFEATURE / EXTREME CUSTOMISATION
The cage doors were created from dozens of small
pieces of wood covered in WorblaTHE FLIP-OUT MONITOR IS CONCEALED UNTIL
A SPIKE ON THE SIDE OF THE CASE IS MOVED.
THE MONITOR THEN SLIDES OUT AND UPHardware choices
The PC itself is a fairly conventional high-end,
all-purpose build centred on an AMD Ryzen 9
3900X and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. As
such, the main hardware considerations were
to do with the extra features that would need
to be incorporated into the design, such as the
flip-out screen and the candle.
I also worked with several sponsors for this
casewhoprovidedmuchofthehardware.
Perhaps most important, in terms of design,
was the use of a Cooler Master Cosmos
C700M case. Although it’s heavily modified,
you can just make out the underlying
structure inside this build, and its swing-out
doors are integral to the design.
Thanks also to Cooler Master for the
V1300 Platinum power supply, Thermaltake
for many of the water-cooling components
andAsusfortheROGRTX 2080 Strix
graphicscardandROGCrosshairVIIIFormula
motherboard.I alsoworkforCasekingwho
providedmewithseveralotherlittlebitsand
piecessuchasspeakersandPCBs.Letthetorturebegin...
TheCoolerMasterCosmosC700Mis a
pocket-sizedcase,atleastbymystandards,
soI hadtomakeadjustmentstoenlargeit.I
builta double-flooredwoodenbasetogive
thebuildmoreheight– firstbecauseI knewI wantedthefourinquisitorlampsoneach
corner and also to allow room for a monitor
that pops out of the base.
The base also enhanced the shape and
size of the cage-like form I was aiming for. A
set of turned feet were attached to the base
to raise her even further.
Each corner has custom-made lanterns
that are clad in gemstones and look like they’re
made from real wrought iron. In fact, they used
to be beer bottles and are now lit up with a
flickering effect that moves in time with sound.The flip-out monitor is concealed until a spike
on the side of the case is moved. The monitor
then slides out and up. When closed, you see
the altar that holds the confession candle
under the reservoir.
I cut open both side panels of the case
in order to show off the insides of the PC.
Around the whole case and attached to each
hinged side panel, I then built cages that would
represent the fearsome spiked doors that
sealed the fate of the people who entered the
iron maiden.
Each side of the cage was built from at least
80 small pieces of wood. These had to be cut
very accurately to keep the two sides uniform
and create the precise angled shape.
The whole cage was also painstakingly
covered with Worbla. This is a type of
thermoplastic sheeting that can be used to
provide a tough, organic-looking covering to
sculptures or, in this case, PC mods. This took
hours of finger-burning labour, to clad the
cages in such a way that, once painted and
dry-brushed, it would look like a wrought iron
contraption from a blacksmith. Studs and gems
even found their way onto it because, like I said,
thisis tobethemostbeautifulironmaidenever.
I alsoincorporatedsomeoccult
symbols,suchasa pentagram,behindthe
motherboardtray.Thisaddedfurtherto
theevilthemeandhelpedtocoverupall
thewiresbehindit.Thepanelincludesone
openingfora fanandanotherremovable
sectionthatprovidesaccesstoanSSD.
OntheothersideofthePC,toaddfurther
totheSpanishgoldtheme,I createda design
fora goldendoubloon,whichsitsontopofthe
CPUwaterblock.Thememorywaterblockalsohasa goldingotdesignandthegraphics
card backplate is covered in an ornate
wrought iron pattern, finished in more gold.
All these gold elements used the same
technique to achieve the right weathered gold
effect. I used a water-based gold acrylic paint
and, while this was still wet, I pipetted drops
of teak wood stain on top.
This part of the mod took around two
weeks of patient work, but the effect worked
out great. After the water evaporated, it left
the pigments clutching irregularly to theA Cosmos C700M sits at the heart of the mod The face started as a polystyrene headphone holder
FEATURE / EXTREME CUSTOMISATION
The cage doors were created from dozens of small
pieces of wood covered in Worbla
THE FLIP-OUT MONITOR IS CONCEALED UNTIL
A SPIKE ON THE SIDE OF THE CASE IS MOVED.
THE MONITOR THEN SLIDES OUT AND UP