Mod of the Month April 2011

Usonian by slipperyskip

Project Log: Here
Barely a month goes by when our very own woodwork genius slipperyskip isn't in the throes of making another world-class project. He's no stranger to bit-tech's modding competitions either, with a long list of nominations and even a Mod of the Year 2010 podium position for his Level Eleven project. This time, he's building another case enclosure, and if Usonian is anything like his last effort, Mission, which won Mod of the Month in August 2009, then we're in for a treat.


The project began in February, and has now reached a stage that deserves a mention in MOTM. As usual, everything is neat and tidy in slipperyskip's work log, and he makes the process of using wood in a PC mod look incredibly easy. A no-nonsense attitude and regular doses of tree-derived eye candy always makes a project a joy to watch. The early steps showed the various sections of the frame coming together, being built around a Cooler Master CM 690 Advanced II at first.


The enclosure stretches way above the top of the case, but we can already get an idea of the Usonian architecture-inspired design with its clean lines and simple details. As is usually the case with slipperyskip's projects, it's well worth taking a look at his project log for more details about how the case came together.


The case looks fantastic as a whole, but a close-up reveals just some of the intricate details slipperyskip works into his projects, usually involving the use of different woods or dyes. For Usonian, Cherokee Red is being used to add a bit of colour.


Skipping forward a few weeks, the project is really living up to its name and is proudly displaying a cover for the power switch and ports, as well as some striking details on the front panel. Despite looking nearly finished as an enclosure, there's still a huge amount of work to do, such as adding panels derived from art glass windows and a large front grille.

Don't forget that you can vote for more than one project in MOTM now, so head over to our forum if you'd like one of those votes to go to slipperyskip.

That's all for this month! We'll be back next month with another edition of Mod of the Month, and six new projects that will all be vying for your votes.