Lean and Green - modular dual PC scratch build

[doyll]

The most impressive part is what you do with a very limited amount of equipment! Your accomplishments with a scroll saw, drill press and hand tools is better than what many fully equipped machine shops put out.

Very good work!

 

[waynio]

Massive undertaking... and if you fail we will disavow any knowledge of you or this project.

It is, still quite a bit to do but in a short time, trying to keep a cool head & not rush it.

This is a piece of art. Looks amazing from the design down to the precise implementation.

Super impressed with your creativity and knowledge, and even now it looks fantastic.

I wish you the best of luck with this project, keep going!

Thanks IncognitoX appreciated.

The most impressive part is what you do with a very limited amount of equipment! Your accomplishments with a scroll saw, drill press and hand tools is better than what many fully equipped machine shops put out.

Very good work!

Appreciated doyll
I'm sure if there was any enthusiasts who work in a pro shop they could do some marvels seen some that fit that bill on bit-tech, awesome when people push the limits & beyond of what they can do.

Went to do a session but figured I should design the spindicator electronics case, it's not quite a simple box but it will help to clean up the mass of wires to do with it & will prevent it from having an accidental short & it only just fits into the space by the PSU.

I'll make a start on it along with getting the rods installed, 10mm plates rounded, HDD covers installed, fan completed & get the stand cover installed so I'll be modding all night with an update or 2 tomorrow some time.

 

[doyll]

I'll check it out when I get up tomorrow.

 

[waynio]

I'll check it out when I get up tomorrow.

Well I got a little done lol.

OK I was a little bit too ambitious about what I said I'll do on my previous update but I made some progress.

Got a start on the spindicator electronics casing 3 5mm acrylic sheets.

Stuck together.

Both aluminium covers.

Then made a start on the fan by filing the rods.

1 of them went nicely because I took care doing it, the others I got careless, they work nicely but don't cling to the hoop because of taking too much off so with this one being on full show I'll likely make new ones & use these ones for fans that aren't on full show.

Making the hoop, used whatever I could to get a basic hoop, the strip was too long so had to grind ?mm off bit by bit until...

It finally clicked in place.

Then you align the 2mm panel & work the hoop into it until it sits flush.

Then you put your fan in there or as I done mount the front 1mm panel.

I bent the 2nd set of HDD covers, they are good but making them join to the rod & look good how I designed it is really difficult to do, I tried using the mill bit to flatten a length of the bar so the cover would sit flush but I screwed up, I'll work out a way, an idea has already formed while writing this out & it's a good one but does require a 3rd fabrication of the covers.

But yeah, I couldn't resist chopping up 1 of the aluminium fans to put it in there lol, snipped all the LEDs off it & cut the outer frame off & the fan & 4 plastic legs slid in perfectly.

So I got 1 bit done & 2 other bits semi done, really can't wait to complete the HTPC so I can move over to the gaming rig.

Loving the custom fans, you have to wrestle the hoops into place but when they click in it's just an awesome satisfying moment.

 

[doyll]

Just finished my first cup of coffee.

The fan looks fantastic!

Another example of your great skills proving again it the skills and not the tools that make the difference.

 

[waynio]

Just finished my first cup of coffee.

The fan looks fantastic!

Another example of your great skills proving again it the skills and not the tools that make the difference.

Thanks doyll but really it's a mix of both, you can do quite a bit with very basic tools but you can do better with better ones, I just can't believe I only recently discovered scroll saws, they are awesome for modding & creating things & they don't have to be as expensive as the one I went for, you can pick up budget ones for less than a dremel 2nd hand.

I made today an easier day because I was starting to get worn out lol.

Resumed the spindicator electronics casing by first flattening the edges of the acrylic stack & then some drill milling but I took my time doing it to not strain the press.

After that I countersunk all the mounting holes & then plugged brass inserts with the soldering iron into the middle of the 15mm stack so it could be shared by 2 8mm countersunk screws on both sides.

Then cut the internal piece out. using the copper cooling trick on the blade.

Acrylic piece done.

Then had to countersink a tiny bit more to make them nicely flush fitting screws on the 1mm outer panels, turned out nice.

The electronics this case is for.

I used vinyl on the underside for the electronics in the hope that will be good enough to prevent short circuit, if it isn't though I can paint the solder points with liquid electrical tape or put a layer of electrical tape down.

The Molex plug slots in place really nice, I intentionally left some space around the PCB.

Top cover on & this little case is done.

For the rest of the wires going from this to the spindicator I will make a quick channel case from acrylic & aluminium scraps that keeps all the wires safe from snags & cleans the looks up even though it will only ever be seen during building up but will be nice to know there isn't chance of wire snags.

I might get this HTPC completed some time lol.

 

[waynio]

Had a huge session starting yesterday & finished up at noon today, was well in the mod zone to go on all day but had to go supermarket, it broke my flow, came back ate some food, was just about to get stuck back into this but after setting things up to continue my senses must have dulled rapidly, yawning my head off with sloppy hand eye coordination, made a coffee & a tea for my dad I knocked the full fresh hot cup of tea on my crotch lol, I took it as a clear sign to not continue modding today or I would screw something up badly, luckily I was wearing thick jeans & it stopped me from getting burnt but it looked like I peed myself, oh well.


Getting the rods to exact tight fit, took a while.

Then started taking it all apart to add the mounting holes for the rods & to take some material out so the revised HDD cage covers look better by not showing the ends of the bent covers.

Then a hefty load of drilling & tapping, showing the 5mm rod I drilled & tapped for m3 screws here, this shows how awesome that rod drill helper is being able to do this, pretty amazing DIY tool I think but drilling the longer rods was more difficult, had to use my square to make sure I was drilling square.

Other bits I did but didn't take pictures along the way, was focusing on progressing more.

Rounded the edges of all the 10mm plates, removed the teeth marks on the power switch piece using the new detail sander, took apart the power switch piece a few times to shorten the width so it would fit in with the rods.

The 3mm rods I couldn't do where I did the mounting holes so I'll have to carefully move the 3mm holes forward a touch or buy 2mm rod but it comes on coils so would have to make it perfectly straight so I'm going to try moving the holes forward 0.5mm, as long as I do it with extreme care it should work nicely still.

The rounded edges, 5mm & 10mm rods installed using countersunk screws & grub screws for the level change, good & solid.

I am aiming to get the HTPC done this weekend though & when I say done I mean the main structure completed, not the finishing touches like cable management holes, edge & surface finishing, I'll likely wake up during the night & get back onto it & try to have it done by the end of Sunday so I can start on the gaming rig on Monday.

 

[waynio]

Hey everyone

Would have continued pressing on at superman levels but I got demoted on bit-tech, the place I was making the extra effort for so thought screw it, back to a normal human pace now, why bother if that's what they do for you when you really give it some eh.

 

[doyll]

Sorry about that.

But you haven't been demoted here.

 

[waynio]

Sorry about that.

But you haven't been demoted here.

Cheers doyll.

I didn't quit just because of the rating, that would have been silly, they have competitions that are manipulatable so you lose no matter what you make without manipulating the outcome of votes, competitions are highly unbalanced also with makeshift workshops vs industrial factory methods & then people with top end systems without having to buy it all themselves with being highly sponsored but I managed to accept all that so my thread being demoted there on top of that I just couldn't tolerate any more so I quit the place else it would make me very unhappy posting there, I doubt I'll ever go back there, things need to improve a bit there if I ever do.

I opted out of the competition but got PM from an organiser to make sure I wanted out so I chose to be back in but with the knowledge I still wouldn't do well, so the rating was 1 jab too many before I told them no more.

I'll continue posting everywhere else including here though with this project & future projects.

Updates will continue soon.

 

[doyll]

I know what you mean. See it many places. It's to bad but guess it is what it is.

Look forward to seeing your posts.

 

[waynio]

I know what you mean. See it many places. It's to bad but guess it is what it is.

Look forward to seeing your posts.

Is a shame, would have been happy to continue posting if it wasn't so bad, even people having jabs at front page articles modders do unpaid, that really contributed to me leaving.

But like you say it is what it is, I'll be modding on starting tomorrow.

 

[wissel]

Shame about Bit-Tech (can see your point though and did post earlier) glad your still updating here though - great build.

 

[redfist]

Shame about Bit-Tech (can see your point though and did post earlier) glad your still updating here though - great build.

Read abaout this on the other site, really glad your still here as well!!

Don't let the ******* get you down, you know who the best modder is!

 

[markyboy91]

love the design waiting for an update

 

[Tattysnuc]

Hey everyone

Would have continued pressing on at superman levels but I got demoted on bit-tech, the place I was making the extra effort for so thought screw it, back to a normal human pace now, why bother if that's what they do for you when you really give it some eh.

Thank you for sharing this project with us...

Cheers doyll.

I didn't quit just because of the rating, that would have been silly, they have competitions that are manipulatable so you lose no matter what you make without manipulating the outcome of votes, competitions are highly unbalanced also with makeshift workshops vs industrial factory methods & then people with top end systems without having to buy it all themselves with being highly sponsored but I managed to accept all that so my thread being demoted there on top of that I just couldn't tolerate any more so I quit the place else it would make me very unhappy posting there, I doubt I'll ever go back there, things need to improve a bit there if I ever do.

I opted out of the competition but got PM from an organiser to make sure I wanted out so I chose to be back in but with the knowledge I still wouldn't do well, so the rating was 1 jab too many before I told them no more.

I'll continue posting everywhere else including here though with this project & future projects.

Updates will continue soon.

I don't understand what's gone wrong - would you mind explaining in words of one syllable exactly what cheesed you off with Bit-Tech?

I do understand that this is a project that you have conceived and toiled long and hard over, pouring all of your time into, and for sharing that creative moment with us, I am particularly grateful for.

/non-constructive rant deleted/

 

[doyll]

Thank you for sharing this project with us...

People - please keep the comments constructive, or if you don't like something... keep away! It is people CONTRIBUTING to the forum that makes OCUK's a great place to visit.

Where are you finding negative comments?

I have not noticed any disrespect of waynio here. Maybe I've missed them but if there are any they are few and far between.

@daynio
Patiently waiting for your next update of project.

 

[Tattysnuc]

Where are you finding negative comments?

I have not noticed any disrespect of waynio here. Maybe I've missed them but if there are any they are few and far between.

@daynio
Patiently waiting for your next update of project.

Negatives are over on Bit-tech...

 

[doyll]

Negatives are over on Bit-tech...

Then why are you giving us a lecture about negative comment here??

We are not the guilty parties and have done nothing wrong.

So don't lecture us! Go lecture Bit-tech!

 

[Tattysnuc]

Then why are you giving us a lecture about negative comment here??

We are not the guilty parties and have done nothing wrong.

So don't lecture us! Go lecture Bit-tech!

My opening question was " would you mind explaining in words of one syllable exactly what cheesed you off with Bit-Tech?"

I've scrubbed everything after that. Sorry if this caused offence.