Lean and Green - modular dual PC scratch build

[waynio]

Looks really good

Thanks Staffy.

Extra bits came in.

Chrome dice.

Marble.
Razer Lachesis pulse light on the mouse.

Alarm clock LED.

Standby light on TV.

This power button will be awesome.

 

[waynio]

You have completely and utterly lost your mind (in a good way)

You now building a pedestal for it?

I would not be surprised if i come back in 2 weeks’ time and your building a roof for the thing

LOL cheers Craterloads, yes I'll be making a matching super strong pedestal for it also.
It was looking around at retail & seeing cheap weak pedestals for expensive asking prices that made me get my modding cap on for making one.

I dont know what it is but i don't the look of the case in the drawings but love the look of it in the actual photos
I shal certainly be keeping an eyes on this

I know mate, I've been recommended to use a render program but it's a touch on the expensive side for my liking but would make my models look as good as the real thing if not better, might save so much each month to put towards buying it, I know it would be worth it as it's a common thing for people not seeing a nice rig in it's plain sketchup form, cheers Greavesy.

Should hopefully be able to go at this regular again after such a good session, started 21:30PM last night & called it a day today at about 16:00 (took plenty of quick breaks) so feel I've got a good bit of my drive back to really get this back on now, lesson learnt, don't slack off during a project even if good things like marble power buttons do come to mind & with that in mind it's worth thinking of taking a month off a project midway though if it's a big project.


Curve panels for the gamer rig now ready & waiting to be bent & curved, yes I checked all the oval holes to make sure they work right & they do, if anything they might need bevelling slightly when it's curved to give a near seamless look or as close as I can get to that, I'll make an exaggerated tighter version of the curve for a curving jig to form it perfect which I'll do when I get some mdf.

PSU box section panels with 92mm grill & straight air though, also did a little filing to do the rough cut outside edges since it was late to keep the noise down, these parts still need an angle bar job doing on them & I'm thinking of trying the popular file it with a square file to fold it over to reduce the number of parts.

I somehow skipped taking a picture of the 140mm custom frame piece in progress but caught a couple of the 92mm fan, I stuck the templates directly to the aluminium because of lifting problems & they totally remained held down this way, hassle to clean off but worth it to be able to see what I'm cutting properly.

By this time it was ok to use the noisy disc sander to finish off all the external edges to the lines.

So now getting higher & moving into the gamer mobo area & started using an aluminium flat bar for a drill guide, easier to see the alignment & don't need a deep one for normal panels, this method is far more accurate than my drill press.

Feels like the land of good progress within 24 hours.

There are still a bunch of decorative panels to make for the HTPC I'm not exactly looking forward to cutting & the pci/io pieces which should be nice & easy with the saw & many more bits to do but next session I'll try to finish off the fan frames, got 4 more 2mm pieces for the 2 120mm fans to make & then 8 1mm ones, might do the rods for the frames also & make a few spares for in case I screw up drilling any.

I'll also try to get the power switch mechanism designed, ordered some of the needed bits, couple of Lian Li cable replacement kits, I like having writing on the plugs for what the cables are for & the switch will do fine for this, only thing I'll need to order is springs unless I can recycle some from some old battery taking device.

BTW I know, brightness a step or 2 or even 3 too high in the shots.

 

[waynio]

Had last minute thoughts about the HTPC detail panels just as I was about to enter the workshop yesterday evening, so took to tweaking the design instead of more workshop progress all night until just a couple hours ago, one thing led to another & another & another & glad I did because the pattern didn't quite flow perfectly just like the gamer pattern panels didn't until I noticed it clearly when I took to cutting them, I've made it so it will be easier to do & better looking by using some contrast & extra layers.

New plan for the high detail panels is 2 1mm panels & colour them differently & use washers in-between to make up the extra 1mm.

Some old vs new pics, I love this contrast, looks different from every angle & can look crazy if using a bright hot colour on the inside edges.

Old

New

Old

New

Now rather than let my sleep pattern get screwed up I'll get back in the workshop & continue until the evening.

 

[waynio]

Absolutely brilliant the whole way through!

Thanks MonsterMoshi, appreciated.

With some wanting to see this start coming together I measured everything relevant for the HTPC again to see how things are going because when I did the loose fit it a bit ago the height was a little off but all the parts I made was spot on, turns out it was the psu & optical making it 2.1mm higher than it should be.

So had some troubleshooting to do, I made the psu level 86mm for a perfect fit, with the stock grill it's 87.8mm, no good, bye bye stock grill.

Not certain if the optical drive will be a problem but probably will be, it's 41.3mm instead of 41mm, the optical level has 41mm space but I might get away with it but it will be a ultra tight squeeze, but if not I'll have to sand the panel above the optical to give it that tiny bit of extra space so it can slide in/out easier, think I'll do this anyway to not put needless strain on the threads.

I fixed the design & applied a partial template to the bottom 2 levels which bring air in for the psu to make the hole be in the right place & removed the psu fan grill & tested some 1mm material in place of it & it will work so I made a replacement, same grill design as the others & I'll paint it matte black.

I would have been busy busy a heck of a lot lately getting all the other panels done or giving it a very good shot to but instead was in a pickle of what to do to fix some bits that needed fixing, absolutely knackered already but I'll continue tomorrow refreshed.

Moving into 1mm cutting time & wow it's a heck of a change of pace, I have to be very careful because it cuts heaps faster.

Also turns out I need 5mm rods & 2mm, I can't get 2mm alu rods but can get 2mm craft wire but it comes on coils so I'll have to straighten it out perfectly.

Got some milling needs doing so I'll drill the heck out of the plate & finish off with files, the scraps of the 10mm plate have been really useful & got quite a bit.

 

[waynio]

Wayne, not sure if its any use, but this place seems to stock 2mm alu rod... http://www.homecrafts.co.uk/products-Aluminium-Modelling-Rod_M079.htm

Yeah, craft wire is the only one I can find for 2mm & it's in coils so will need some work to get it perfectly straight, guess that's what I'll have to do.

I have some 3mm rods but they are too big.

Thanks Diggsy, while on topic about it here is a good place also http://wires.co.uk/index.html they even do sterling sliver & gold plated but lol it's way too expensive for an ok length of 2mm, think if I had too much money I'd go for it though.

 

[waynio]

That link I gave you lists at £5.99. Is that any use?

EDIT - doh, of course that has to be a roll, would love to see a 20m long rod being delivered to your door

I've had 5 meter bars delivered which was pretty bad, had to cut them in half on the stairs, 20 meters would cause pile ups on the dual carriage way lol.

How long do the 2mm rods need to be?...

Knitting needles?

I'll more than likely go for the coiled stuff Diggsy, want these slim rods polished for an extra kick of eye candy so might go for chrome plated 2mm craft wire.
Thanks again though mate.

With mostly hanging out on modding forums I'm catching some American English & often using it instead of English English lmao.

 

[waynio]

For some reason I decided to do the last 4 2mm fan assembly panels instead of the front panels, I held off doing them until I come up with a better way to stick the templates so they wouldn't come loose & flap about while cutting, stick them directly to the aluminium, had to re do the sticker sheets since the ones I done earlier & stuck was very bubbled up & useless, here is this batch tacked together before I cut them with the scalpel.

Only downside to this is it is more hassle to remove the sticker, have to scrape it off with finger nails & then rub paint thinner on & it cleans up perfectly, thank you Craig for the 2nd opinion on that.

This what they look like after cleaning them with paint thinners.

All the 2mm fan frame panels to make 2x 140mm fans, 2x 120mm fans & a 92mm fan, got the same amount to do in 1mm now & 16x 19mm rods to cut, file, sand, drill, tap & file before I can assemble them together & then use the drum sander to really clean up all the edges.

The PSU fan grill, I primed, wet sanded & coated matte black earlier today with spray cans, thought I'd show it as it is before I sand the internal edges to see if people think I should or not, it would highlight the pattern more with the contrast when seen at angles.

Now I'll do the detail panels, tomorrow.

 

[waynio]

Just made the ATX mobo tray & it's spot on, the slot at the top which is the point where the slide in/out function of the tray will secure in place, tested mounting a GPU in both pci express slots & the mobo slots are perfect, yay.

And here is the motherboard that needs a clown honker nose power button to go with it.

I may as well get making both the pci/io pieces today, be a few less technical pieces to make, only placed this retail one on it to see it lines up right.

 

[waynio]

So many cut outs but get on with it, the distance of cutting is very similar as the gamer side panel but in a very compressed small area & in 1mm aluminium so it's quicker to cut but still takes ages with having to be really careful to not deform the heck out of the material or miss-cut it, drill holes 1mm & 2mm.

Now get on with it.

9 hours through the night.

Cleaning with thinners gets it clean but also adds bits in the sharp corner gaps so need a tooth brush to get all the bits out after cleaning, not done in this picture.

One down, one to go & some more bits.

I'm taking a break, knew these pieces would take some effort & I still need to design the switch mechanism but it's already there in my head, just need to turn the vision into a working design & then make it.

Next time you see these pieces I hope to have them put together as 1 super duper panel With functioning marble switch.

 

[waynio]

Since doing the high detail 1mm panel the other day I slacked off until last night & got rather busy.

Completing the 2nd high detail panel took about 5 hours this time, wasn't messing about or taking any breaks but this whole session represents 1AM to 1PM & it all holds together as 1 piece, still need to make the switch box to support the marble properly but that's all for this front piece other than cleaning up.

What was done...
Made the 2nd detail panel, filed & sanded the edges of the 10mm piece to be rounded, sanded the inside of the 10mm piece so the 3mm panel I cut out would fit in, took ages making it fit in, cut the back panel with basic circle, to align them perfectly for drilling mounting holes I simply took my time aligning them together right & clamped a piece of plate alu to it to give a good surface clamp & just done random mounting holes in the corners & tapped the 10mm panel & used 8mm countersunk screws from the inside with a bunch of 1mm thick washers to create gaps between the panels.

I really like this piece.

But guttedly I just noticed the 3mm panel placed inside the 10mm panel isn't aligned correctly due to making the hole bigger so it would fit in so I'll need to remake the 10mm piece & the 3mm piece. Oh well, worth redoing I believe.

The heck with it I'll see if I have the spare 10mm & if I have I'll do it now.

 

[waynio]

Figured a good solution for the hiccup, cut where the red lines are.

To be honest I was going to have the inset 3mm panel a bit further in rather than just plugged in the end so I think I'll cut where the red lines are & make 1 more panel like the faulty one but without the extra details but give the inside edge a bevel all around simply making it even more awesome, filling the gaps & having the ring where it should be.

I have options now.

 

[waynio]

That marbley thing is going to look totally awesome when you light it up in that mate.

Yeah, can't wait to get the switch made up for it I'll get it designed now.

Traced around the insides of the 10mm panel shape so I can make a blank perfect fit panel before I complete the fix, ready for continuing now.

Think I'll do all the set in pieces like this now, more straight forward.

 

[waynio]

Your attention to detail is absolutely breathtaking, this is a real labour of love for you eh?

The marble thing is amazing.

Thanks Rids, I do love modding/creating, just been getting deeper & deeper into it & perfectionism starts creeping into it, I'm not as bad as some on that but not far off & probably be there by the time this is complete.

Seen other modders using alternative things for power buttons & when I seen those marbles I seen really good possibilities.

ust read your log. Amazing work.

Thanks doyll, appreciated.

Fixing that 3mm panel so it aligned properly for the marble power button was difficult, the difficult part of it was getting the template stuck in the precise needed spot.

Anyway any other inset pieces don't need such strict alignment thank goodness so everything from here should be a bit more straight forward.

 

[waynio]

Got some prepping done for cutting the 4 HTPC side contrast panels & made a little start on them, once they are cut & cleaned up they are ready to mount, I also worked the fixing of the layers before cutting them because I really wouldn't fancy trying to drill these frail panels once they are cut, then have 6 smaller 3mm detail inset panels to make.

Drilled access holes on both ends so I can work it better, kinda like a beat'em'up game where your used to playing on 1 particular side, can do both but seem to find it more familiar once you get used to following the cut line, the countersunk mounting holes in the corners didn't quite align properly to the panel I tapped so countersunk a little further so it gives a touch of wiggle room to align properly.

Probably the most boring update of the log but I'm just posting this now so it is known progress is still rolling but I had a couple days off due to lacking energy & focus so been recovering, very important to do that when not feeling on form else I'd screw something up.

I intend to get back into it now that I just have a big cutting session ahead I need to focus on, no idea how long these will take but they are only 1mm thick & cut easy but I do need to be careful to not mangle them up, that's the difficult part.

And today I'm 12,775 days old.

 

[waynio]

Sorry for being out of it since my birthday, I got plastered & I some how woke up in Hawaii & looked like there was a beach party been going on so had to find my way home by sneaking onto aeroplanes & going to random countries until things looked familiar & then a long walk home.

Nah, steam sale took up a bunch of my time & I joined facebook & quit facebook it was squeezing the enthusiasm out of me so had to quit it.
I then decided I've been dossing too much & had to get moving forward again.

Previously on Waynio has an update to show...

It was a boring update.

Now...

Yes, another boring update, 1 down 3 to go of these.

But...

reikmaharg2 on bit-tech creator of Silent fibreglass PC & Blue Horizon offered help on making a super duper light mod called the Spindicator & made the complicated part for me.

I've got my soldering kit & LED's ordered & should have them soon.

Here is a video of it in action.

 

[waynio]

That is going to look awesome

Should do, chers Diggsy.

Hey Waynio that Spindicator reminds me of the LED sequencer I made for fans last year, the major difference being I used discrete components and reikmaharg2 used a micro controller to achieve a similar effect. My circuit had a dimming effect like the one in PCBHeaven video too.

I haven't thought about hooking it up to the HDD LED as a timer source before.

Liking the progress you are making with the scratch build though and wonder if a spinning LED would spoil the look?

I checked out your version, brilliant modding mate, I'm convinced there is a market for that kind of stuff, why not make a few & work out a price to sell them at, those fan mods you done are just brilliant mate, they kinda look like Catherine wheels in slow motion.
Cheers Tealc.

Everytime i come back you are just cutting things and cutting things!

By god be done all ready

Although ive probably missed it, what kind of hardware you putting into the beast?

Cheers Craterloads.
Awful lot of cutting to be done on this lol.
Unless I go pestering manufacturers or shops for sponsor love I'll probably be using the system parts I'm currently using but the HTPC is already covered, it would be nice to put nice parts in this when it's ready for loading hardware into it though.
The pedestal would allow me to do high end water cooling too if I decided to do water cooling & could support massive rads, couple reservoirs & a couple pumps but watercooling still isn't my thing really so would only use that if using toasty gear.

Got the secondary layer cut & fixed the 2 together to the 3mm panel with washers in between them, here is a bunch of pics of it because I won't post any more updates until the other side is done.

Enjoy the wavy line trippage. (been told they make peoples eyes go funny )

 

[waynio]

God damnit, major jealously here.

Sorry mate but thanks for commenting.

some very lovely metal work there, i have a mild fetish for fine metal work haha

Cheers Jamsames, man I can't wait to start putting all the pieces together, hopefully not too far off now I hope.

Thanks mate.

There probably is a market for this sort of thing but it won't be in analog electronics like I did as the amount of work and parts involved would make the cost of the item very high. A microcontroller version like the one you have cuts the part count dramatically and while the microcontroller costs a few quid each it would save massively in time populating the board and save massively in the fault finding time, although faults and time would be much reduced if the board were a proper etched PCB as they are easier to solder to without making mistakes.

Just look at the difference betwen your board and my board. Ok mine drives 18 LEDs while yours drives 12 but all the stuff I have on my board is done electronically by the microcontroller. Mine sort of fakes PWM control too, and that's what most of the board is doing. The small chip and the two larger chips are what does the sequencing, the other components then are mainly dimming the LEDs If I were to make a board with PWM controllers for each LED like in your circuit it would be three times the size.

I really should get into microcontrollers as they seem so versatile. Once you program a chip you can mount it on a board and it can chug away running the same code for a very long time.

The parts cost £10 or £12 for Keir so I just had to pay for that & the postage, I offered to do him a grill whenever he wants to return the favor.

Be interesting to see what someone like you could come up with your own awesome mods using microcontrollers, you was already way ahead of that spindicator but by a different method.



Another update.

I seem to be making nice progress again.

Got the last 2 of 4 internal dual layer panels cut & cleaned overnight, they just need sanding to remove any scratches, I'm happy with them.

Wonder if I can keep this up every day, hope so.

 

[waynio]

Made some more progress.

Before I could go & make the inset panels for the stand sides I had to smooth the 10mm panels now or leave them rough so been smoothing the inside edges for the best part of Sunday, still needs more perfecting on the smoothing particularly in the corners where the drum sander couldn't reach but the bulk of it is done & should be insignificant what will be removed later to affect the fit of the inset panels, nice & smooth all over the internal edges though but not a uniform finish in the corners, I'll sort that at a later time but they are now ready for making the inset panels.

Drum sander all the way would have taken too long & probably burn my drill out so got the files out & took the bulk of the teeth marks out so all the edges just needed a final smoothing with the drum sander & a bit of sandpaper on a file.

I hope to get right back onto this later on Monday.

 

[waynio]

bet this is going to weigh a ton when its finished! looking cracking though!

Yeah, think it will weigh a fair bit but I do intend to put it on a good diet by adding basic patterns on plain panels that retain the strength to reduce the weight, could end up surprisingly light if I do it well, cheers Jamsames.

More progress.

With finding how some things still need that bit of manual touch on marking from the front detail marble panel, I did the same on the templates for the inset pieces to make life a touch easier.

Used some decent scrap 3mm & roughly cut them out, roughly because I knew I'd need to file to make a perfect fit for them all.

Whole lot of file, check, file, check etc.

Until yay they all fit perfect.

Pop them all out & drill start holes.

I got 2 of the panels patterns cut out but I really needed a rest which I'm going to have now, back was aching like crazy so gonna have a little nap & then get back onto it.

 

[waynio]

Finished cutting the 3mm inset panels & would have done this update at 8PM but I passed out while sorting through the pictures & woke up at 2AM lol.

Scraped the templates off & then cleaned off the glue with paint thinners & scrubbed with a brush in hot soapy water & dried.

Slotted them all into their homes, they slip in nicely & then push them so they go in fully with a little added pressure.

Then thought let's see what they look like with the other side panel bits.

Then thought why the heck not clean up the table to do another loose fit of the HTPC & stand.

Now I can work on the power button design, once that is designed I can complete the Spindicator also, the most significant cut work to be done now is completing the custom fans & I might re make any acrylic bits because the adhesive was well past it's best so any flat pieces stuck together could be done much better, edge to surface bits are fine though & I got some new tensol 12.

I think because I left most if not all fixing together points out of the early design I'll go freestyle on that & use a good adhesive so parts stay exactly where I want them to & then drill so everything goes together perfectly & then remove the adhesive so I'll have to use one I know is strong but can be separated with the right methods, araldite rapid steel I've used before & is strong for something like that & it just requires heating with a heat gun & slide a razor between the joints & it does the trick.