Our last correspondence came from Dominic’s email submission to our Logo competition:

Name of image : Max Payne
Name of applicant(sending photo): Dominic

“Apologies for the meagre file size but you said larger images could clog your mailbox :o)”

- Dominic

From All of us at Power Optionz

Our Deep heart condolences to the families, friends and all members of the Tbreak community. For the tragic loss of our members Kevin, Dominic.

________________________________________________



Modding Safely

Safety first

In support of the growing mod community, introducing a new article that people find useful was at first tedious. However after going through several sample articles I’ve decided to start with the very basics in modding – “Safety”. I have tried to compile an all round article to prevent accidents and encourage correct work/mod habits. Hopefully this guide will eventually be resourced in starting as a mod newbie. I hope to look back at this guide and revise it as I hear from our mod community. Drop me a line if you have any thoughts to improve this article.

Here we go:

General pointers

• Operating tools
• Protective wear
• Sense of common sense
• Cleanliness
• Strain
• Environment
• Ergonomics
• First Aid

Find adequate space

Let’s start with a common sense of space. Any modification that you plan to do starts in clean ample space. Having adequate room to work on a PC is considered a necessity to avoid accidents. Any mods you would be doing require a fair share of cutting/ polishing etc. Living with your mother in law in a 2 bedroom apartment does not make adequate space. If you are in a squeeze as most of us are, then modding at a friend’s garage might seem a better option.

Make use of the correct tools

Finding the right tools for the job is half the adventure, make sure you know which does what and how of each tool before switching it on. Mods usually involve a fair amount of cutting and drilling, make sure you exercise caution while handling power tools. A good start is to go through the manuals and keep them handy for reference. There are many statistics for disabling injuries due to misuse or error in handling power tools safely.

For startup the basics in protective wear are recommended:

Good quality eye protection (I can’t remember the number of times high RPM broken dremel bits flew at my goggles!) you can find a good pair at your local hardware store, but you can’t find a new pair of eyes anywhere nearby.

Proper footwear, this would help protect fragile feet from sharp objects and from dropping heavy items to damage your fingers. Sneakers can do, but a steel toe pair of boots is even safer.

For the truly challenged, you can buy a set of workers overalls; you can use these whenever you start any modding projects, recommended in painting mods.

A paint mask is a must in painting projects; don’t sacrifice for a cheap buy since these will protect you from chemical odors coming off paint. Paints use many toxic chemicals that may harm your health, make sure that you learn how to handle paints safely.

A well ventilated area for painting is a must, try not to paint indoors and always take a break when painting for long periods of time.

Sense of common sense

It helps to plan a mod ahead of getting to the actual implementation stage. Make use of a sketch pad, decide what to do and plan, plan then execute. Make use of common sense in working your mod project, find out the type of material you are working with. Metals come in a variety of types and finishes, plastics too. So make sure you do your homework ahead.

Keep it clean

Clean up and re-arrange any loose wiring that may obstruct the way. Make sure that kids are safe from electrical contacts, PC’s consume heavy power that may cause injury if mishandled. Cable ties and straps can help make things much neater and safer for all.

Double check the power rating on a power supply BEFORE turning it on. (There’s plenty of stories from many friends about losing that state of the art $$$ power supply due to incorrect voltage settings). A surge protector can save your equipment from sudden spikes in power load or fuses, it should come in as a priority to save equipment.

Learn the basics in first aid; you never know when it may come in handy. Keeping a fire extinguisher at reach and learning the when where and how to use it is also a plus. After all a spark is all it takes to start a fire.

Happy and “Safe” Modding