PCFormat Forum Archive

Dude! That looks insane. :jawdrop:

Slimline DVD drive or slot loader?

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:The only place a DVD drive belongs is in the trash can

So tell me, when you want to install things?

Prime wrote:

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:The only place a DVD drive belongs is in the trash can

So tell me, when you want to install things?

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:I'd ditch the DVD drive if I were you. How often do you ACTUALLY use it? I took mine out about 6 moths ago, and I've only ever needed it about 3 or 4 times since, and in that situation, I just copy whatever it is I need to write or read over the network to/from another PC.

You see I have to have a drive BUT any of these will do:

http://www.kalahari.net/electronics/Sam ... 20251.aspx
http://www.kalahari.net/electronics/Sam ... 20250.aspx
http://www.kalahari.net/electronics/MSI ... 23352.aspx

I wouldn't have minded doing a slot load on one of the bottom panels but I am not willing to pay nearly R2000 for the awesomeness of slot loading...

I would rather spend that type of money on something like water cooling kit (Not that I am going to)

I got the frame - cost me R250 for the welding. I have to say, it was worth welding it. This frame will hold an Elephant! I am super pumped to get this case under way bbuuuuttt I can't now. I need more money or a sponsor for the aluminium and perspex. So while I can start working on the electronics what I really want to do is go and work in my garage and fit the panels and smooth the edges and polish the plexi and so on and so forth...

The frame - sorry for the bad quality pix


The welds


Now I need to flatten those bumps.

wow bro looks like its gona be hectic! and +1 for the welding... you will never pick up problems that way... got the assurance that your frame will hold its shape! least we know that when the end of the world comes in 2012, your pc would have survived to show the technical brilliance of our human race.... hahahahaha!

job well done samaya! keen to see your progress....

I have filed down those bulges and the frame is looking good.



I am now going to plan the panel layout.

Cheers,

S

I finally got some really awesome LED's today. Osram Golden Dragon plus. These things are VERY bright. I am only going to need 3 per side panel at probably half the brightness it can go.

Here it is off


Here it is on. The white you see is because my camera cannot process the brightness and this at half the brightness it can do.


This is how nice the light distribution is - even with a big white flash going off. So as you can see, these LED's are bright


Then I also got these guys. 12 of them. FOR FREE!!! 3kg Servo's



I am busy sorting out the electronics and will do some stuff during the week. Will update in the near future

Cheers,

S

Awesome! Looking good, can't wait for more!

Prime wrote:

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:The only place a DVD drive belongs is in the trash can

So tell me, when you want to install things?

How often do you install stuff from a disc? I can't even remember the last time I did that. Everything I ever need to install I have in digital format.

Hats off to all case-modders...

those led's look potent bro... can't wait to be like u guys one day... ill get there... looking foward to seeing what u gona do with all those electronics....

UPDATE WHOOP WHOOP!!!

Ok its actually not that great of an update BUT I did something and it wants to be shown...

I was pondering the lost couple of weeks how exactly I was going to make the side panels with their pods. This past Monday I decided to just get 0.9mm thick aluminium plate and bend it till it fitted the panel and then solder the things together. I ran my idea by a good friend and mechanical engineer (he's busy with a doctorate in mechanical engineering so I think he knows what he is talking about) and he advised me against this. Basically the flux that would be needed to weld the pieces together melts at a higher temperature than aluminium will. This will then cause the alu to buckle because it is so thin - BIG PROBLEM... They need to be flat and pretty and awesome. SOOOOO I have decided that I will rather get "L" shape aluminium pieces, bend those to the shape I want and then bolt/screw the pieces in place. It will be a bit more work but I think it will be for the best.

And then today I needed to test this theoretical design idea and this is exactly what I did. I used an old piece I ripped out of behemoth for the task. It is also much thicker than what I want to use.


I will need to invest in a proper mitre saw. I do not like how this came out.


At least the angles were correct and wasn't that difficult to achieve. I will have to fit a "holding" piece over each corner to keep it at the right angle.


This is ol' rusty trusty that I used to bend the alu - I got it for a bargain (free!!! )

First bend came out nicely

Those vices are (virtually) indestructible, we've got 2 in the garage.

Hey, I see a floppy drive stepper motor.

Prime wrote:...
Hey, I see a floppy drive stepper motor.

Ja I ripped it out of some OLD stuff I collected over the years and finally over December threw away.

Look what I got...

All R700 worth...

Awesome. I LOVE getting new alu like that. I'm actually going to pick up a whole batch of the stuff tomorrow too. Looking forward to it

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:Awesome. I LOVE getting new alu like that. I'm actually going to pick up a whole batch of the stuff tomorrow too. Looking forward to it

hehe missed by a dae lol


I have started masking all those panels. It is taking longer than I thought...

Done 3 sofar in this pic


And then I ran out of tape

Done masking


Not done masking


Some good news I suppose is that everything is oversized as opposed to not-going-to-fit-and-needs-replacement size

I'll start some cutting over the weekend and hopefully have a WAAAAAYYYYYY more interesting post to make

All looking very grand!

I started marking the panels last week already - to cut them obviously. But it is taking VERY long. a panel is done every 4 hours or so because it is checked about seven times and then checked against similar panels and then fixed where I made mistakes. So if these cuts are not "right" well then I'll have to redo my education - from grade 1...

Dude, how did all that Alu cost you so much? What thickness is it? And where did you buy it?

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:Dude, how did all that Alu cost you so much? What thickness is it? And where did you buy it?

Are you saying it was expensive?
I'd thought that was cheap...

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:Dude, how did all that Alu cost you so much?

Well they cut it for me and I assume it is slightly more expensive. BUT its easier to work with smaller pieces.
The Frame cost R400. That is the alu bar (R150) + welding(R250).
The Alu you saw is not all there is. I didn't show the U-channel (6x1m lengths) and 2 different sized "L" shape lengths (5x1m lengths and 4x1.5m lengths). Everything excluding the Frame = R450
So ALL in all R600 (I made a mistake - can't count ) excluding the welding

Project sofar: R850 and I have a frame to show for it...

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:What thickness is it?

Thins are 0.9mm (And they bend SOOOOO easily - will have to be careful)
Thicks are 4.5mm (I tried I can't bend this = good)
Bars are 12.7mm (I sat on the frame -> me = 132kg)
Angles are 1.6mm (My secret for its usage)
u-channel 1.6mm (My secret for its usage)

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:And where did you buy it?

NFM

I still need to get:
etching primer (R130/can),
Dark grey paint (R???),
Red perspex (R???),
Hardware to put in the box (R8.5k),
Time to do the mod (R∞),
Screws m2 + m3 (R80 for 150),
m2 Tap(R120),
a Mitre saw (R200),
PC Board for my controller of Servo's, fans, PC interface and some yet to be thought of other stuff (R800),
Components on this PCB (R FREE!!!),
Cable sleeving (R???),
LED's for lighting (R FREE - samples).

So anyone willing to sponsor hardware?

Ok so marking is going well. I finished marking the side panels. Then I found that the first side I marked has a fault and is marked 3mm too long because of some angle being 1' degree out I have to redo those 2. And then in other news... I found that my frame is 10mm LONGER than what my dimensions say it should be I wish I could have welded the frame myself. O well I'll just add the extra length to my panels. Luckily I bought the aluminium longer than was required.

All the side panels marked. I still need to do the pods


Small mock-up of how the panels will be fitted.


I hope to start cutting over the weekend - really hope to...

Looking good. Can't wait for you to start!

DAE_JA_VOO wrote:Looking good. Can't wait for you to start!

Can't wait for me to start either

At first I was like:


Now I'm like: