Project Stealthlow

[waynio]

third image looks quite dystopian ^^

You've got quite a beard going on in that fourth photo

Heh

Was a nice getting to know the camera session, now I should get the saw setup in the cellar so I can get on with the case .

 

[waynio]

Waynio... can I ask to steal your clock photo (the first one) - something about it really appeals to me and I have a crap camera.

same here, any chance of a 1920x1080 of it, would quite like it as my desktop wallpaper

+1 to that - would love a full-fat version of that one

Ok here ya go.

Just hover over the picture & then over zoom & then original size, right click & save image .
http://s433.photobucket.com/albums/qq59/waynio_2008/?action=view&current=IMG_0292a.jpg
I sorted it for 1920 but the height I didn't mess with think it's 1920x1220 but is good for desktop usage .

 

[waynio]

thanks very much
my new desktop

Is that 1 of those huge res screens if it is I could up the full res version .

 

[waynio]

I don't feel like such a tool for asking now! Cheers Waynio

Heh NP mate .

nah, it's 1920 x 1080, looks real nice though mate, thanks for that

Didn't expect anyone to want 1 of these for a wallpaper cheers.

Got the scroll saw temporarily set up & ready for action in the cellar at long last, still ned to make a custom table for it's permanent usage, had a first go on it earlier & I love it so nice & easy changing blades & no vibrations at all on slow speed which is what I'll mostly be using for metal & acrylic & the tripod arrived today so took a bunch of pictures of the case & I think I'll manage to keep this lens as a primary lens , finally started to resize the pictures for easier uploading but I'll keep the original raw full res images backed up.

In extreme close up this shows why I was considering flipping it to the other side quite a few of the countersinking went very un-smooth.

Also I seemed to have got up to speed on taking shots without the need of taking multiple shots so that little practice play the other day really helped .

Tomorrow I start on the full length clamp strips .

 

[waynio]

I think you made some great choices on your purchases mate I've been following you quietly since the beginning but now in the final stages i'd like to say you've done an insipiring job Makes me want to get back to my DIY when I get home!
I actually was going to ask if I could steal the clock photo too! If I come into some money or a new job soon - I think i'd have to take a look at that camera.
I cant wait to see what you pull off with that saw ^^

Stealthlow is so close now most of us are on the edge of our seats to see how it (he/she?) looks in all its glory

Lush.

Thanks mate I'll do my best til it's completion I'd say it's mostly the lens that's helping capture it so well, I seen how it performs on a canon eos 350d & the quality was high on that & those can be grabbed quite cheap 2nd hand but the lens is a bit on the expensive side but I'd say well worth it .

Really digging that 2nd photo, your new camera is doing the Stealthlow build justice!

Yeah that is a good one , I'll have to be a bit more choosey with what I upload rather than just a stack of shots cheers mate.

Still looking fantastic m8. One of the best projects on here and something truly unique. Well done and keep up the great work!

Thanks w3bbo will do.

Back in action at last

Got all the strips cut to size on the new scroll saw these are 1 metre strips, 25mm x 1mm alu, 20mm x 1mm copper, 10mm x 1mm alu, just need to add bevels on all the edges.

 

[waynio]

Amazing workmanship its a pleasure to follow this thread.

Thanks mate, it's good to get this rolling again .

Here is an alternative grill I designed & made today, the copper mess is sorted now I flipped it over & countersunk deep but did it on a slight angle & they all went nice & smooth, got a tip from PabloFunky & he meant something else but it worked lol .

Soooo glad to get this moving again .

 

[waynio]

That look really cool.

(Plus Yay the thread is moving again )

Thanks mate & yeah it's good to get this rolling again .

This thread is jammed full of so much win it's going to explode soon!!!

The new copper grill looks perfect mate - awesome work with the countersinking, plus the double grill cover/guard looks awesome! Really nice touch!

Cheers mate, it won't be a tripple layer grill though, decided against it.

Still good as always

Thanks mate .

It's really nice not needing to sand the cut edges, they are quite smooth to touch even, just the face of the pieces that need sanding to take any rough stuff off.

Main problem with the tripple layer is it's just over 4mm thick so would complicate things unless I switched the 2.3mm copper mesh for a 1mm copper mesh but it would lack the depth which I like the look of, the shiny copper will be disapearing I'll brush it to tone it down a bit too shiny lol.

But yeah the new grill does keep in tune with the side panels, was just aiming for something that split 2 ways that works with the case a bit better & to have a little test for the new saw , usually a grill like this would be bad for acoustics but this is something I learnt with my last case yes if you put a fan directly onto a panel with restrictive flow it makes it quite a bit louder but if you add a decent enough spacer it's just like a clear hole so this will be fine.

Anyway I'm off to add bevels to the strips now my bro is finished excercising in there should be a quick job with the disc sander, then I'll brush finish the strips, for mounting the strips I'll use 4 bolts, 1 at the bottom 1/3rd of the way, 2/3rds of the way & 1 at the top, this should keep them in place nicely, all the other internal tabs will be shortened & bolted in place to the main curve bars, decided to keep on avoiding adhesives when possible, I just don't have absolute faith in adhesive for structoral things especially this with it having forces going on although adhesives can be brilliant to hold stuff together while you drill, tap & use bolts, once this full clamp tab is done it should be plain sailing from there .

 

[waynio]

Wow, just had an epic session to make up for my bro hogging the garage so just carried on until 3:30 AM lol rather than running back & forth to the house I had a couple of beers & would have gone all night if I needed to to get these strips done .

I need to get an extra memory card for my kodak or an alternative lens that can take pics at a closer range, the kodak has enough room for 6 or 7 pictures with it's internal memory.

Anyway, the good stuff I straightened the strips & marked all the edges so I know they get a perfect bevel.

Gave them all a bevel.

Then took all the rough stuff off with a file as it was quicker & then gave a good sanding with 240 grit & then brushed them & also brushed the front panel.

Here I just used clamps to hold the strips in place while I drilled the mounting holes, just 1 at the top & 1 at the bottom & tapped the alu curve bar & added helicoils.

Before I called it a day I decided to add the extra holes on the copper front panel mesh so there were no blank spots behind the grill but on my last hole the drill whacked the panel right out of shape & it was double clamped tightly so not sure why this happened, but it was still hot from all the drilling & countersinking so I whacked away with a mallet against the flat piece on the vice, got it to a straightened out form but man it was way out of shape, thought I'd definitely need to redo it .

By the way thank you voigts for suggesting full length tab strips, they are awesome & thanks to everyone else for keep on reminding me they were the way to go .

Need 4 hands for installing the copper curved vents so left them out for this shoot & the strip tabs still need trimming down on both ends & the internal tabs need shortening a bit but that is a tiny task compared to what I just done .

And wow I forgot to name the pictures lol.

Now onto the good shots or as good as can be when it's the middle of the night .

Hmmm the front panel caught a few scratches which I'll sort out & the strips will need re brushing because of the clamps.

 

[waynio]

Wow that looks sooooo much better like that

Doesn't it just thanks mate .

That looks a million and one times better mate!! I love it!!

Cheers mate .

Looking really really good now. Just make those inner tabs hidden out of view and it'll be perfect!

Great work.

Cheers Diggsy & yes that's something I could be doing right now actually with the saw being quiet in operation , I found I was audible last night when I got these strips installed & had some drilling & grinding to do, so along with the scroll saw table I'm going to make I'll also make the garage sound proofed so I can create whenever I feel up for it my sleep pattern often flipps upsaide down so I'm missing out on being able to progress as much as I'd like to.

Amazing

Cheers mate .

wow that looks immense!

thanks ch3333z.

Awesome, that looks so much better!

Thank you Somnambulist.

Looking like a piece of art!

But it's got a great function too thanks mate.

Really like the latest development photos - it looks so much more elegant.

The smooth uninterrupted lines at the front tie in with the side of the case – it's looking nicely balanced.

I’m still in total awe of your time and dedication – superb.

Thanks Plec, because of the bevels I put on the stips it doesn't lose the flush look which I was worried it would but it all looks more seamless now, I'm not sure about the front vent meshes now though, theres a chance I might leave them empty but if not then I'll probably be best to stick the meshes to the internal tabs for easier installation (currently need 2 sets of hands to install them loosely which isn't ideal) might even make new ones with having the saw now .

 

[waynio]

I'm glad you said that, as I don't really think they add anything to the design. In fact if I was to be honest I think they just don't look that good at all. Perhaps another variation could be done now that you have the scroll saw, maybe even using a different coloured plexi for the pieces so that they don't stand out too much, but it looks great as it is anyway, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Can't wait to see the finished product full of kit, it's been a great read thus far

True they look half arsed after the latest additions lol, theres a good chance I'll leave them plain holes but that's not 100% yet , cheers Diggsy.

Thought I was in the clear with hiccups :facepalm:.

I'll try to keep this short but ended up going on & on & on like usual lol .

The front copper mesh grill got more damaged than I thought when I drilled the final hole which is why it wouldn't sit flush to the acrylic, it bulges out by 1mm.

Tried whacking it into better shape at the time & then again today & seems nice & flat but not perfectly flat & it needs to be.

Decided I really like the copper mesh grill panel & going to alu for this front detail just would have been a come down for this, so ordered a 250x250mm x 2mm sheet & just in case I have more probs a 250x250mm x 1mm sheet so I can re-make it, but this time i'm going to go overkill with the clamping , thought I did before with 2 G clamps nice & tight but I guess not, really couldn't believe it when it completely deformed, really should have taken a picture, it was so twisted out of shape I instantly thought well that's that then but was using the kodak with it's internal memory with room for 6 or 7 shots.

I tried the original blank 3mm alu panel I made in the early stages of this project & it still fits perfect so at least the form of the case is still good, was getting worried it lost form some how .

I'll be a bit busy tomorrow but if I get chance & I'm up for it I'll get something done even if it's just finishing off the strips & then I'll have to use gloves so I don't get dirt or grease on them, the more the copper gets handled the duller it gets & the strips have already started showing clear dulling signs , so I ordered some brass lacquer for it to keep it's fresh look after I give it a re-brush & clean .

The little copper vents are staying out of the build , they just don't look good after seeing them with the strips & they'd be quite restrictive for air flow so laters to them , I'll either leave the vents open or if I can think up something good enough I'll make something else but the edges got a good wet sanding so are near polished so theres a good chance I'll leave them as they are.

Just when I thought I was getting into some solid progress lol.

 

[waynio]

Hmmm, I started filing the excess edges off the ends of the strips & left side went fine, right side I got impatient filing 1 way & went both ways & with the 10mm x 1mm alu strips being uber flexible it pulled back & detatched from the case so was knackered, then I went & made another 10mm x 1mm strip & drilled in the same spots where the original had them & when I installed it it had a good bit of baggy flex so really not good, my disc sander seems like it's past it's best but I need to open it up to see what's wrong it spins well but it's making a ton of extra noise & vibrates heavily so needs opening & looking to see whats wrong, some of the case screws had come very loose so I'm guessing it's something similar inside the machine, hopefully it's fixable.

Only way I'll get these alu strips done now is if I use button head bolts as countersinking these extremely flexible strips just makes them even more so, so yeah I'll re-make the 10mm alu strips tomorrow & get them on with button head bolts for a better connection .

Anyway heres some shots of the case with correct length strips & shortened internal tabs.

And because it was doing my head in I needed to see it in a fuller form so re-brushed the left panel & put the side windows in too .

The bottom front grill I'm using a tripple layer of alu until the copper arrives.

 

[waynio]

I really like those copper strips down the sides. This case is looking nothing short of amazing

Thanks mate .

looks dead sexy and it would almost reminds me of old style radios with the front fan hole. Massive congratulations on the effort.

A few have said this, the whole art deco thing wasn't even intended, just turned out to be a similar style some how, didn't even know what art deco was when I designed this but when many were saying it's very art deco I looked it up & yeah it's a nice style so just rolled with it cheers Duesix .

Fixed the disc sander which is a relief & re-made both the slim strips & underneath the slim strips I added 4 extra bolts on each side to hold it all down nicer so the slim strips are held in with just 2 button head bolts so the bottom front panel is held in better also now .

Back on track now I think after mucking up the other slim alu strips but I don't know what's going on with the copper delivery.

 

[waynio]

Haven't posted here for a while now but have been following religiously. Keep up the great work!

Thanks Judgeneo will do .

waynio, when are you finally going to put some hardware in it!

LOL I'm just glad the GTX 580 is still a nice performer got hooked on that Alice madness returns the past few days & it trashed my sleep pattern but back together again now & made a little more quality progress earlier but no pictures yet so I'll have a proper update later & to properly answer your question it should be done within a week & thats givng me a lot of slack to do it by .

Pure Skill! I love it dude, youve got talent!

One question, how much does it weigh? lol

Thanks mate, I'll have to weigh it but it sure isn't a light case so will be pretty heavy when it's fully loaded, hdd's add a lot of weight to a case but I'll weigh it as empty & loaded, I'll even throw in the cost of the materials used, not the material that didn't get used because if I was to make another there would be no faulty pieces, it's how it is once I've made something I just know how to do it all correctly so goes infinitely smoother .

Hmmmm a bit of gaming when close to the end of a mod isn't a very good idea anyway I'm straight again so I'll try hard to get something or a lot done this weekend, already made the polished floor panel for the 2nd level & wasn't so bad to cut the stainless steel with the scroll saw but it was only 0.5mm lol, got everything I need to complete this now, but I need more satinising mops to give everything a final brushing but everything else I should be able to complete this weekend woo hoo, I originally bought a couple of each grit & like the coarse grit best as it leaves a nice deep brush finish so I ordered 4 more of those earlier .

But yeah if I dedicate properly I could have it all done this weekend & then when the mops come I just disassemble it all & give a nice fresh brushing, clean the acrylic pieces & put it all together again & finally put the sandy bridge rig inside it woo hoo .

 

[waynio]

Ok some pictures of where it's at with added stainless steel mirror polished 2nd floor installed & everything fits perfect incuding the ssd mount & made sure the psu is still mountable & is .

I had a go at doing the optical tray cover but the blades I have aren't adequate to do what I wanted to do, they are great for sheet materials but I tried going through 12mm diameter copper rod & it just takes ages, did cut all the way through it though but also wanted to split the rod down the middle to use a half circle on the tray but yeah it would have overworked the scroll saw for such a small part so need different blades for that really, it's doable but would take hours & hours & don't fancy risking burning out the new saw it is possible to use bandsaw blades cut up for this scroll saw though so I'll do that for pieces like this & it should breeze through it & much thicker material .

So I think up next I'll make the 4 fan mount stumps as they'll require a hefty amount of filing work .

 

[waynio]

Really looks the part now, so glad you got rid of the rods going across. Awesome

Cheers Diggsy .

Got all the fan mount stubs made & installed, did 1 of them wrong so just re made it .

So close to finished .

 

[waynio]

I say again,

And I say cheers Shayper .

Took a few pictures with some nice daylight & with the side panel off .

Also the curved acrylic piece looks good on most shots & to the eye but some shots I took it shows how messed up the surface of the acrylic is so a question for you all, how do I get it restored to perfection? .

And ordered a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS standard lens so I can take certain shots that I just can't with this macro lens, the macro lens really is awesome but also really need a normal lens so I don't have to be so far away from what I'm shooting & can't afford the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG I really wanted so went for the nice & cheap 1 but it's meant to be good image quality anyway just low build quality.

Also I said I had all I need to complete the case but that isn't true since I decided to do the fan wire work properly so I'm gonna have to wait for soldering gear & supplies to arrive but hopefully they won't take long to arrive (not ordered yet but it's the weekend so have chance to decide before buying), I could wire twist & heatshrink like I used to do which is probably as good as soldering but I dunno, what you guys think, get the soldering gear or twist & shrink? .

 

[waynio]

Did a test run of the installed fans running & woo hoo no vibrations at all, 1 of the fans has a faint wobble but isn't causing any vibrations with them being solidly secured but it's all genuinely silent, I had to stick my head inside the case to be able to hear them running lol so it will definitely live up to it's stealth part of the name & the air flow goes as expected , just hope it can cope with the overclock I have on it, it's only just above a faint breeze going through the case so should be ok just about, people think those Fractal Design Define R3 cases are quiet, I've built a rig for my bro with 1 & they aren't so quiet but this is silent as if it's a passively cooled rig so if anything is going to make any noise on this it will be the gtx 580 really can't believe how silent it is, if there were no spinning fans or lights you couldn't tell it was on .

Also done a little smoke test so I could see the flow working correct & it does although the bottom front fan is cutting it fine, ideally it needs pulling 10mm further into the case so it flows that little bit better, either that or add a seperator piece between the 2 front fans.

 

[waynio]

So. Much. Win.

Cheers mate .

So I found the acrylic cover prevented the lower fan from catching air properly, so I added extra ventage this introduced a bit more fine scratches but I found a solution for it & already ordered it so all the scratches will be removed & the acrylic will be restored back to perfect .

These last 2 shots I took in sniper position without tripod .

And in case anyones wondering why the alu strips aren't perfectly in the middle they can move a little side to side so not a problem .

 

[waynio]

No it won't! It's about 8ft tall and ****ing shiny!!! lol

The F117 wasn't chrome plated now was it!

Yep, someone had to go there eh lmao .

 

[waynio]

And it was always going to be me wasn't it!

Seriously though this build is truly inspiring!!

If you weren't going for such a unique design you could probably have a more conventional case design built within a couple of days couldn't you

You should come up with a saleable design for ultimate water cooling with room inside for some MAHOOSIVE rads and plenty of cable management etc... We can all see your skills and the built quality you produce - I think you'd make a mint doing that mate!
(if you had time of course!)

Thanks mate but I'd rather leave talking about making cases for sale until after I'm done making this so I stay focused to get it done ASAP I'll be happy to return to talking about it after though .

LOL A good old winge about the corsair cables being crap & it forced me to do something with the 3mm copper rods but not entirely sure I'll stick with this although it immediately tidied the wires up nicely but the dark tint makes it hide almost completely so either I'm on to something ok with the copper spiral rods that needs more work or I should just go with the MDPCX cable clips .

The black wire I bought was useless & snaps easy when tightened so couldn't do what I intended with the copper wire supports so did spirals instead .

Also I wouldn't mind making a right angle ATX power connector to keep the wires out of the way from the front fan (I seen such a technique done by Chiller so it's possible).

Before the copper.

Copper installed to tidy up.

Thoughts? possibly on to an ok thing with the copper rod or not .