Project Stealthlow

[waynio]

This is too awesome! attention to detail is unbelievable and the level of skill + sheer number of tools is pure awesome!

Thanks mate, yeah the tools have been building up over the time I've been into making cases, could still use much more if I had the money , started off with just a couple of basics just glad I have access to a garage to do this stuff .

The inlayed alu is better than the pyramid in my opinion (although I'm not 100% sure where these are going).

I am still of the opinion that even without the tabs and the copper stays you have enough copper. I do like the copper vents, but personally I'd stop there with the copper otherwise you will detract from those highlights.

They'd have been for the tabs instead of too much copper by a single chunky bar of copper, it's with quite a few saying the full length bars look better, but still I think I'll re-do the tabs that stretch across the case with something more fitting & make my mind up from there , thanks for the honest opinion John appreciated .

 

[waynio]

Don't get me wrong, I think what you have done is a-m-a-zing! I do like the inlayed alu on its own, but I am still concerned that more copper will detract from the feature copper you already have. I guess I will have to reserve judgement until you replace the tabs...

Looking forward to that!

Thanks man, yeah I've recognised too much copper & it doesn't look to good, it's proving to be a difficult ballance to get the ratio spot on .

 

[waynio]

Well rested & back on form, shame my tools aren't :duh: decided to give the copper bars another shot but with a strip of alu in the middle like in the concept pics I shown earlier, got 1 of the copper strips straightened back out.

Here I am getting the centre of the copper bar aligned with alu flat bars clamped in place to stop it moving around, I did clamp extra bars on top to hold it in place properly vertically too but it made it so the copper couldn't slide through, anyway it all went wrong because of the crappy drill table moving up or the chuck letting the mill bit move down & ended up milling all the way through the flipping piece grrrr, think I'll accept I can't mill good with a cheap drill press now .

The main problem is getting the correct depth when doing this, takes ages to set the depth & for it to stay there, I tightened it all up good & proper but still just wasn't enough, mills are way too expensive for me so next best in line is a router.

But I can safely say the full length copper pieces will not happen on this, I tried with what I've got & failed so I'll keep working on tabs & reserve the copper for something else.

Just taking a quick time out to post this, then I'm getting back onto it .

 

[waynio]

Wow that looks very labour intensive. Full marks for trying it though!

I agree that this isn't the way to go, but don't you have a stop on your drill? That way you couldn't go too deep.

I don't use the plunge when doing this so have to set the height manually by getting it spot on & then tightening it up, looks like the mill bit came down a touch while doing it so it's a no go .

Didn't get to do any more on it today, garage got taken over , but was sunny again so took a couple extra pictures , also flipped the copper mesh around & think it's more fitting with tiny countersinks so matches the other front vents better, so will need to make a new eject button hole.

 

[waynio]

I've said it before and I will say it again. Incredible craftsmanship! Really impressed how you have kept going with this. I would have got bored/distracted many moons ago.

Thanks ch3333z lol yeah I've been seeing some awesome games get released & would have really liked to get stuck into a few but I'm keeping that as 1 of the motivators so I can play them in a sweet new case but I think I'm going to have to ignore AMD & intel & nvidias offerings of awesomeness on the next wave of tech I really could have held out to see what AMD are bringing but I may feel ok if it doesn't do a lot better than sandy bridge but if it does oh dear lol.

I even passed up on the steam sale last christmas so I could put the money towards a new rig to put in this lol but yeah I should have held out on the tech, D'oh , but at least I'll have a smooth transition putting an up & running rig into it .

 

[waynio]

Ouch!

The photos in the sun really tone down the copper, making the tabs much more pleasant, although my eye is still drawn to them which I think is undesirable. I think partially this is down to the colour, but partly it's the shape. I wonder what a triangle, or better still perhaps something curved to match the rest of the design. Perhaps some S shapes?

You might be able to do the same for the cross bars, although that might be a nightmare to get the right shape. I wonder if they could be replaced by something transparent such as another piece of perspex?

Having said all that, what you have done is truly amazing and inspiring.

Thanks John, I can seeing it taking a while before I figure out something that looks good & functions good with the window clamp so it's gonna be a whole new PITA chapter of the project .

Fantastic job you've done!

My own constructive crit: I quite like the colour contrast myself kinda steampunk, but I'm admittedly not a fan of either the tabs or the shape of the vents. If it were me I would have had a single large vent above the optical bay slot (fan behind it sucking air in) and left the rest of the curve unbroken. With the tabs, and the bars, I think it's the fact they clash with the sweeping vertical lines of the front/sides of the case by being so obviously horizontal. My 2 cents.

Thanks Somnambulist yeah it's not gonna be a quick solution making it spot on, I am confident it'll get there but when I'm not sure at all .

Gonna have to drill & bung a thread insert into the clamping piece inside the fretsaw, it will not tighten up so the blade is very slack so it's only any good for thin or soft materials & even then can pop out quite easy so I'll need to find out the thread size so I can maybe even make my own, the blade keeps popping out when cutting thicker metal, so irritating.

Made a few tabs out of 5mm acrylic but prefer the copper so wasn't able to make a few with the fretsaw & my hacksaw died a bit ago which just leaves the jigsaw or manual fretsaw as an option lol grrr, manual fretsaw the blades keep breaking very easily (I must just lack technique on using it like any new tool) just not as good as a powered one for me, with the powered one I could effortlessly cut how I wanted on the line & I just can't with a manual one without a heap of practice.

Finally got around to re-painting the pci/io piece with the far better copper spray & think that's the best news in this update lol.

And here is the vent meshes showing what it looks like with the small copper tabs & acrylic tabs but while I don't prefer the look of the full stretch tabs I just can't ignore they do what's needed which is to keep the panels at the same level all along the full length, they will be re-made so they haven't got the un-needed extra countersunk hole, might even thin them down in the middle so they don't stand out as much.

There is however another way to keep it so the window is held in place nicely & that would be to add a couple more tabs just below the vents but it would put the spacing out a bit.

Or even JB weld the internal tabs in place & just go & do full length tabs so it's easier to install & remove a full length tab.

I'm getting way too indecisive about what I'm doing regarding the tabs, it's just not fun modding, would have probably completed this by now if I chose to pass on the full length strips.

I'm sure the sudden increase of heat isn't helping neither, I tend to mod best in the cold, keeps me more alert & not slouchy, been 1 of those days where I'm lingering in the garage thinking what on earth should I do .

 

[waynio]

I'm not keen on using adhesives but might make an exception this time.

Had a thought & it might be a good one or bad , since seeing JB weld getting used a bit lately, I wonder if it's possible & what would happen if I layered strips of 1mm alu & 1mm copper on top of each other if it would stay firm when removing the main curve bars & avoiding the need to use bolts, could give it a very clean look or it could just fall apart when removed, I just don't know, there is a bit of force in the window & the curve bars which is a part of what keeps it all strong so layering up while it's in this form maybe it could make it keep the form when removed, either that or the adhesive on the stuck on bits would just crack & pop off lol & I'd be gutted I'd put a strip of 1mm alu on the inside too.

I do think if the adhesive is up to the challenge it could work well but could use a little feedback if you think it could do it, I checked out with google to see how strong it is compared to welding & some say it's about 30% of the strength of the material while welding is just as strong & the 30% is only when the material is prepped properly, I wouldn't be able to smother it on neither, wouldn't want it to squeeze out making a mess so just enough to let it get stuck well, I'm thinking for the top layer it would be a minimal strip of the adhesive to stop it making a mess.

If that was to work well I'd be able to remove the whole lot as 1 piece by unbolting at the top rear & bottom front, but that would be putting a lot of faith into the strength of the adhesive though.

What do you guys think? is JB weld good enough for this?.

 

[waynio]

Not used JB weld but have used Liquid metal, a very similar product and found it to be very strong. it's essentially like a bathroom sealant in application so you have to make sure you use the right amount or just tape over the area where potential ooze could go. Failing that just wipe any ooze off before it sets.

I'm also not a fan of adhesives, as they are pretty final but sometimes you have to use the tool at hand.

by the way, I like the copper paint. Is it is as nice as it looks on photos.

I'll probably try that & JB weld to see which does the job best, I'll run a couple of tests to see if it would pop off when released from the tension, those big dispenser tubes I think I'd put some on a palette & use it from there, always seem to squeeze way to much out when using those lol & of course I'd scratch up all the surfaces that will be stuck down for a better grip .

I'll see about the paint when I go over to check it out but it sure looked way better than it did was very impressed with how it looked quite like polished copper, does need a really smooth surface for that though.

So while I wait for a few bits to arrive I'll start on the fan cable system, most the upper ones will need extending, all will need sleeving, then routing & hiding, then I think it's just a matter of getting the fan mount bars painted & getting the full tabs done & I think it will be complete & ready for putting hardware inside it woo hoo .

 

[waynio]

Thinking a good strong silicone might be the solution for mounting the strips .

PCI/IO in better copper paint, plastikote brilliant metallic copper, not a perfect match but not far off at all & as you can see got a bunch of bolt heads painted in the process of protecting the threads .

With it installed back into the case & some close ups.

Now, time to work on the hdd cage platform fan wire stash pass through gaps & the little copper bar in the picture is for the optical tray .

Took a break to get something to eat & get the log up to speed after posting this I’ll get back to a big filing session .

And thought it looked pretty cool on it's side so took a couple extra pictures lol .

 

[waynio]

that case is epic

Are you going to leave it two tone? Looks good imo

edit: free shipping y0!

Cheers mate, yeah I decided to keep it raw metal & only paint bits that I had to use body filler on my local anodising place doesn't acknowledge emails if they did it would have been black externals & copper internals but I've grown used to the idea of keeping it raw & like it .

The beast has been leveled!! lol

Looks strangely unsettling seeing it laying down - looks vulnerable, or injured

Stand it up again, it's making me sad lol

Lol here we go with the rise of the beast then, was just resting .

Continued until 01:20 AM so I'll have to get a router for future mods it was a silly amount of filing to be done & didn't have my thinking cap on as I should have drilled it a bit to make it a little easier .

Wow for something so simple sure took a lot of energy to do lol, sweat pouring off me too so had to get a cold one which made doing it less dull .

So now the cartoon mouse holes are done for the fan cables so I can work on the extending & then sleeving of the fans while I wait for a couple more things to arrive for a couple of extra touches, super close to the finish now I think also used the disc sander to shave a bit off the hdd slide mounts so the cages go in & out a little easier .

All back together .

Not sure if I mentioned it earlier but I ordered a 1mm sheet of copper for doing the full legth tabs + ordered a mirror polished stainless steel sheet, just enough to cover the 2nd level for less than a tenner woo hoo .

 

[waynio]

The attention to detail in this build astonishes me every time I come back to it!!

Look forward to seeing the new full length tabs
(technically they can't still be tabs if they're over 3ft long can they? More like rails? What d'you reckon?)

Things change & I think up an alternative better than originally intended .
Could call them clamp bars , they are only 25mm wide & might make them slimmer if I can, the current little tabs are 30mm wide.
Thanks mate .

Since I'm gonna be waiting for the extra material I started thinking about how the alu fan mount bars needed body filler to fix the miss drilled holes & knew they needed painting, don't really want any paint in this other than the pci/io piece so started coming up with alternatives & this seemed a good design, the idea was to use 2 for each fan & the slot would close up with a bolt & the 2nd half area had a helicoil installed to clamp the fan secure & then mount to the mobo panel.

But didn't work out, my filing wasn't quite good enough to get a perfect 5mm slot to where I wanted it, so the slot that the corners of the fans went into had about 1.5mm space, tried using washers but it just wasn't good looking enough, was either a poor idea or just bad filing lol.

But decided to cut 1 of the sides of the slot off & just use a lock nut on the other side, it was solid & perfect when installed in the case in all fan mount locations, so it only needs the 1 bit to fix each fan to the case, doesn't matter what orientation it is it's that strong but the front fans are a little too close to the window for my liking now so wouldn't work too well with the vents so I'll have to come up with a use for the unneeded holes & make new ones but only for the 2 front fans, the rest are ok but all the spare holes will have a good use, got some nice ideas brewing .

This first 1 I'll consider as a prototype test piece & I'll make nicer ones for the final version now that I know how they need to be, I especially like the way it looks like the fans are just floating when viewed from some angles but it really is great on how solidly in place they are when installed .

Next update will be either getting 4 of these made or fan cable extending & sleeving, I'll try to combine the 2 so could be a few days until the next.

 

[waynio]

Still looking good mate. The time and effort you are putting into this is just unreal.
Keep it going

Thanks Gary, unreal indeed I am sooooo knackered need a good long sleep to recharge .

 

[waynio]

Looks awesome, I certainly cldnt make it xD Hope it all goes to plan.

Cheers Evoss, wow feels like a long time since I made an update & this 1 is a tiny one lol but still, things should start moving forward again real soon & it is close to the end of this project .

Hey all I've not been slacking just stepped out of mod world for a mo to do a lot of contemplating & research as I come into a little money & intend to use it well plus I'm down on a couple of tools, sure I could do it the hard way & have a crazy hefty filing session & be flat out knackered for a few days but that doesn't help me go to the garage with a smile so can't be arsed to be honest lol, scroll saw made me a little bit lazy .

INCOMING BLAH ALERT SKIP PAST IF CAN'T BE BOTHERED, off on a ramble again hehe .

---SKIP THIS BIT IF NOT INTERESTED, IT'S MOSTLY ABOUT ME GETTING A LITTLE MONEY OUT OF THE BLUE & ME THINKING OF WHAT TO DO WITH IT BUT A PREMIUM SCROLL SAW & OTHER TOOLS ARE HIGHLY TEMPTING---
Sorry for the shouting caps

Been a little bit pickled the past week doing loads of research on what to spend some money on which is why I've not been posting & done very little modding.

Nearly a week ago I got news I was getting given a little money & it threw me right off course with this project as I totally wasn't expecting anything & I've been drooling over some things for a long time that were just out of reach cost wise until now & started window net shopping like crazy & looking into forums & just about everywhere to get clued up on things, it's £1000 & I usually have to save up for quite a while to raise that amount but all the same I don't want to blow it on meaningless crap.

Invest in some nice new tools which will get used each year or maybe twice a year or more if I do any bits for other people for pc cases or other, got my eye on a premium scroll saw that has a massive 762mm throat with easy change blades & no vibration (this scroll saw is an epic tool for cutting & would be capable of doing some amazingly detailed large work which could have handled doing the side panels & back panel of Stealthlow nicely with wickedly detailed patterns if I wanted ) a better full height drill press & a router & other bits & bobs & maybe more materials to make another case, sure seems the most fun & longer life span .

Or a DSLR camera & save the rest, I checked out heaps of reviews to see how good I could get with the money & came to the conclusion that a canon eos 550d with normal lens & possibly a cheaper macro lens & ok tripod would be a pretty good choice but this would swallow up the money leaving me with a great camera set but same old budget tools some being nice & reliable & some very much not, I'd say my main reliable tools is my hand power drill, jigsaw, disc sander, bench grinder & files could possibly get the good camera & the premium scroll saw but would be flat broke on the little but nice windfall.

I think this bit falls into the meaningless crap section lol, sure it's awesome tech gear right now but it will be very out dated pretty fast.
The upcoming Samsung 27" 1080p 120hz monitor with built in 3d vision even though I only want this monitor for it's size & refresh rate & picture colour quality, the 120gb corsair ssd I've been drooling over since I found out about it lol & could buy a couple of ok tools with the rest but no premium scroll saw but this would be a bit like burning money really spending it all on tech that would soon outdate lol where with a excellent scroll saw I'll still be making things with it in 10 years if I'm still healthy, think it's a life time tool if looked after.

Holiday but I see that just as much a waste of dough as going on a bender lol even though I'm about 17 years overdue a break from Manchester so it would probably do me a lot of good but can definitely think of better uses for the money than that, in my minds eye that flipping awesome scroll saw is floating at the top of the list very clearly.

I think the tools option is the wisest & most productive although I'll not be able to capture my mods in super nice quality pictures, so instead just as good as they currently are which actually mustn't be as bad as I thought since the shots I took were accepted for publication on Air Cube in Custom PC so that was a really nice vote of confidence from all the awesome people at bit-tech & Custom PC , I look at some others with really nice photography either pro or near pro standard & it would be nice to match that so yeah I'm a bit frustrated on what to go for lol, I also know dslr cameras can get to really ridiculas prices but I guess those types of cameras are serious pro cameras or simply people with too much money in fact some prices look very very scary to me in DSLR land lol.

Computer tech moves on fast so isn't such a priority with me not being able to afford a yearly full upgrade & a high quality scroll saw to me would be better than a laser cutter but without the engraving perk, I doubt I could get both the scroll saw & camera with a G but wow I can already vision some of the stuff I could make with a scroll saw like that & it's superior to Stealthlow, I've had a little taste of what a low end scroll saw can do & I'm definitely hooked on how much better it is for cutting than any other tool I've used I've found how bad they are at the low end & was busy looking for anything bad being said about the particular scroll saw & couldn't find anything negative about it only nothing but how seriously good it is & read heaps from all over the internet for a couple of days, same with the camera.

Milling aluminium with a router which all points in the direction of DO NOT TRY TO ROUTE ALUMINIUM but seen others do it here so I'm a bit puzzled on that one, apparently it's extremely dangerous & can see why after seeing how fast those things spin, I came across some that said they use a speed tweaker type gadget to slow it down more than the lowest speed by default or there are palm routers that seem good but quite fiddly in setting up, think I prefer the less hassle plunge routers or could be wrong on this & the palm type would be the way to go for me on this.

---END OF BLAH BLAH --- & ultimately I think my mind is already made up about getting the scroll saw :hehe:.

Oh & update time but it's a really tiny one & I did this a good few days ago, been highly distracted since & still need a new hack saw to make the fan holders lol so I've hit a slow patch again because of potential new options available.

Had to do this 20mm strip of copper with the jigsaw so had to clamp it up as good as possible with a 10mm gap in the work bench, cutting thin sheet metal is a reminder why I used to not like using a jigsaw as it mangles the metal up very easily, so having tried a scroll saw even though it was for a short time I can easily say that's the way to go for thin sheet metal, & that cheap scroll saw I bought had the shortest life span of any tool I ever used, my own fault though really, should have looked up some tensioning videos lol but nonetheless it was a bad scroll saw as I couldn't properly use pin less blades on it.

It was a bit of a struggle cutting a 20mm strip of 1mm copper with an overpowering jigsaw so I'm dreading doing a 10mm strip of 1mm alu with the jigsaw lol pretty sure it would mangle it up bad, this is another piece the super duper scroll saw could manage no sweat, not even sure why I'm holding out on ordering it but I seem to be but only because it's rather expensive, since my 2nd case I've enjoyed putting detailed fret work into panels but only during the past couple of months realised how awesome scroll saws actually are.

Very insignificant update since I've not been posting the past week but oh well thats 2 less strips to cut lol .

 

[waynio]

I've got awesome scroll saw imprinted on my mind after considering all the great possibilities of things I could make I'll go for that & try to make the most out of the kodak easyshare z950 for a while longer .

Heres a little bit on the scroll saw I'm looking at .

Basic stats, few pictures & test cutting video of Excalibur EX-30 Scroll Saw £530 .

The video was of the 21" version which is the same machine but just less throat depth & £40 difference.

• Arm tilts 45° left and right, tilting the blade, not the table keeping the table level for better control & more accurate work

• 762mm Throat capacity

• 50mm Cutting thickness capacity

• Large 358 x 825mm table surface

• Quick blade changes with finger operated blade clamps, no tools required

• Easy access speed and tension controls

• Organized blade storage on base

• Onboard dust blower

• Can use 150mm lengths of 1/4" bandsaw blade, ideal for cutting thicker materials.

Only trouble I see if I got this beast of a tool is I'm not sure I could call modding a hobby or an obsession or even just a passion I suppose some have hobbys that cost a lot to support & even compared to fishing enthusiasts this would be cheap I guess lol or some buy expensive clothes I buy no frills yeah, many ways to look at it that help rationalise the purchase & it should last a very long time if I look after it well which I will .

----------------
Ah, was going to buy it today or tomorrow but I think I'll save it until I get this case completed & had a proper chance to get relaxed so I can decide if I should go for it or not.

 

[waynio]

It does indeed look like an amazing tool that would be great fun to use, but I am not sure what you would use it for, apart from some fancy vent covers.

I am not an expert in any of this but it strikes me that what you really needed for this project would be some way to make materials stay in the curvy shapes you are making. I am guessing this would involve heat but I don't really know if any of this is practical.

Yeah vents are just scratching the surface of what would be possible with one of those , even in a short time the ideas flowing through my mind would allow for some very interesting features.

You have a good point about the curving window though but curving acrylic once done once successfully stays in the mind for future refference so should be much easier for doing this again, not easy but doable without wasting materials & to be honest I made it a hell of a lot more difficult with being so ridiculasly ambitious to make it so the curved window was flush with the the alu curve bars , just made it insanely more difficult to do so the thing I learnt from doing it like I did is don't bother trying to have flush fit curvy windows, instead do it so it isn't flush & I won't have such a hard time but this is the special mark 1 version .

But flush windows on flat panels, easy peasy well it is in comparison .

Fancy shapes aren't highly practical really, often it just makes for bad design but great looks but I think I may have achieved the good looks part with the functionality with this design, sure it's tall for an air cooled case but it's 390mm deep & 235mm wide which is a nice small foot print really, smaller than average ATX cases & space for big tower air coolers & more than enough wire space behind the mobo tray to make it all super neat.

That has some SERIOUS potential!!

For the record: it CAN still be a 'hobby', if I were to indulge myself, I could spend more than double that money on a new guitar

I just needed a good time out to think it through properly & yeah I'm quite sure I can put a tool like that to very very good use, once I get that I doubt I'll ever see the need for laser cuts again & I'll be able to just get on with doing good cases & other things, so I'll get it ordered tomorrow .

Also the mirror polished stainless steel came yesterday & hopefully I'll be able to cut it as I want, it's 0.5mm thick sheet so hopefully it's manageable for cutting, peeled a tiny bit back & woooo it looks good just hope it isn't a nightmare to drill & cut.

So hopefully if the tool arrives this week I'll be able to get straight back onto this & get it finished off .

 

[waynio]

I totally agree that your main problem has been having the curved window flush. I wonder if it would have been possible to have a thinner lip on the acryllic that could sit behind the edges of the window frame. I realise that this would be a weak point, and would not resist too much force so you still might need to form the acryllic, although perhaps with less precision.

Anyway I can tell you are going to enjoy using the tool and it will be very interesting to see what you do with it. New tools are great, but I do have a difficult time justifying buying them for the amount that I would use them.

Yes that's something I'll have to try out at some point, would be by far a better way of doing it other than the fact that I'd have to use thicker acrylic which would be harder to curve well lol can't win .

And yes deciding if I should get that tool was very difficult but as long as I do stuff regular it would have been a worthy purchase so I'll not only do cases but other things too .

This thing is looking epic! Can't wait to see it finished!

Stoner81.

Thanks Stoner .

Wow I actually went through with purchasing the scroll saw lol, thought long & hard about if I'd put it to good enough use & feel quite comfortable that I will but it did feel crazy spending that much on a tool.

My dad & bro think I'm crazy for buying a tool like that unless I was making money from it lol but I can't look at it like that but if I get good enough where I could make some good stuff for others I'd probably be up for it eventually but I'll let my project logs show of what I can do with it there are many many many things I could make once I get up to speed on good scroll work.

Might even re-make the bottom front panel as I cut that with a knackered scroll saw when the blade was extremely loose & was the bulkier pinned bladed type.

It could come this week or early next week, it weighs about 50kg .

 

[waynio]

50kg?? Your new saw weighs as much as I do. Incidentally, for the acrylic, instead of having a milled down strip at each edge to slot under the frame, would it be possible to bevel each edge at 45 degrees on the front of the acrylic and on the back of the metal? Theoretically I'd imagine it would be sturdier than a thin strip as lots of the force would be transmitted through the thicker section on the inside of the bevel. Would probably depend on the thickness of the acrylic though.

Hehe .

Great & simple solution I think that could work, and would be absolutely doable with the new tool, but would have to be on a mark 2 version though or even a mark 1 this one is a beta really if I was to do this again it would be quite a bit nicer on the details.
Cheers for that Phenomenologica .

I think this is a good idea as there would be no weak point. Both ideas would only constrain the convex curves, unless you changed the bevel to be the opposite way. With eIther the slot or the bevel you would have to come up with an easy way to remove the panel for access.

Indeed, I never really got around to thinking of this as a solution for it & it seems a good one .

 

[waynio]

Waynio

Buy the Scroll saw my friend.

You've earned it and you deserve it.

You will get years of enjoyment from it

It's been sat in my living room since Thursday cheers mate .

I was having another time out to think about what else to get, the scroll saw came on Thursday & wow it is massive so can't put it in the garage unless I make a custom sturdy table, designed 2 versions, first 1 is high quality using aluminium & wood with heavy duty casters on, 2nd option is all 25mm thick MDF with casters on so about £120 cheaper than the alu version coming in at a healthy £40 for a strong custom table with storage sheves.

I found I could buy a decent milling table with a clamp set & mod it to a good drill press to have an ok mill for £320 for the mill table, clamps & better drill press but ultimately passed on it.

Would have liked to gone for an ok router, passed.

Chopsaw, passed.

Bandsaw, passed.

LOL

Camera, hmmm - I spent days & days getting clued up about what's available to the £470 I had left over but also had about £300 of my own money aside lol modding actually saves me from blowing my money .

So yeah I researched lots days & nights & ended up nearly going for a new canon eos 550d & basic lens but then I looked further into lenses & was very very wowed by what a good lens could do for a cheaper camera, I ended up seeing a combination of a canon eos 350d & a really nice macro lens that could do both normal pictures in fantastic quality & ultra close up insect shots in amazing detail so I thought hmmm maybe I should go for a camera a few steps above the 350d & get that lens so that's what I did .

Camlink TPPRO28B http://www.camlink.eu.com/products/tripods/professional/TPPRO28B.html tripod 2nd hand £35 my current one was a budget one & has a knackered head & 2/3 knackered legs .
Canon EOS 1000D http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/Digital_SLR/EOS_1000D/ perfect condition 2nd hand £250 I missed out on 1 for the same price that had the basic lens.
Sigma 70mm f2.8 EX DG MACRO canon fit lens http://www.sigmaphoto.com/shop/70mm-f28-ex-dg-macro-sigma new with 3 years warranty £350
All based in UK & not Hong Kong .

£635 total I know I could have got a new 550d for £35 less but I spent some time looking into my options a lot & honestly the results that lens gave to virtually any camera seems the better option plus it's my first dabble in dslr cameras & really looking forward to taking some amazing shots with this set .

For a good macro shot I want to find a massive clump of baby spiders in the garden somewhere & get an uber closeup shot, would look sooooo crazy & theres a big ass spider in the garage that likes to eat birds lol joking but it is a big one & I've seen it eat a wasp so it's my little body guard in the garage proper little beast of a house spider lol .

Anyway nice scrollsaw & good camera set was 2 hard to get items for me, most of the other tools I could have got aren't too difficult for me to save up for so it's good to get 2 big ones off the list .

But still I won't be surprised if people think I'm mad for going for that camera instead of a 550d but like I said I've compared them & while the 550d does indeed take awesome detailed pictures & has good high def video I mainly want great pictures & in a few years I could just upgrade the camera body & bung this really awesome lens on it I sure would love to see the quality of this lens paired with a 550d or better though wow .

 

[waynio]

A few random sneaky peek pictures of the scroll saw with Stealthlow next to it for size comparison there was a wood blade already in but not properly fixed into the bottom holder, so with the case lay down the throat is as deep as the height of the case wow I'll be able to do some good stuff with this.

And this shot shows how it is bolted to a plank of wood

Here is the first design for a table for it.

Here is the 2nd nice & cheap one .

I won't be making a table for it until I get Stealthlow completed .

 

[waynio]

I'm starting to think that 'stealthlow' isn't such a good name for this build any more... I think maybe more like 'bling-in-yo-face' might be more suiting

That saw looks immense!! Can't wait to see it in action!

Lol yeah, first I found I couldn't get it anodised black, then I find I need clamps to hold it together at same levels, but the stealth part of the name wasn't based on it's looks but was on it's noise & the flow it still flows air & curves .

Table on wheels? you planning to do a Tour de UK with it it will be going all over your workshop without brakes

Heh oh yeah 2 of the wheels would have brakes on .

First DSLR camera play Canon EOS 1000D with Sigma 70mm f2.8 EX DG MACRO.

Did all these without a tripod, still waiting for it, the extra weight of the heavier camera & lens really helps keep it steady though & managed to do these .

First impressions after a pretty decent play with it, it's flipping amazing macro close ups nice & easy, longer distance image quality really nice, shooting my pc case in crystal clear quality though takes a bit of effort as I can't take the picture close to it for a full view of the case I have to step back about 3 metres, maybe a little more but overall this lens is sweet but you may see less of the full case except for the odd occasion or the final shoot .