--- r e f l e X i o n --- [Archive] - TBCS Community Forums

Xion X2

11-27-2009, 11:04 PM

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/3559/dsc07650001copy.jpg (http://img515.imageshack.us/i/dsc07650001copy.jpg/)

(Actual shot of side panel above)

To start, the name of the project is pronounced the same as "reflection," just with an X, instead. I came up with the project name based on a particular theme that I had in mind and then thought, “You know, what would really set it off is to spell it a little different, and hey, my name fits perfectly!”

To get the wheels turning, I designed a logo and custom graphic specifically for this project that captures part of my vision for it. The theme is galaxies and the reflection of light. I have always been fascinated by the stars, and with a little help from a buddy of mine, the theme was born. With this, I believe I have some unique concepts in mind that will give this project both life and a personality. Some of these concepts, which I feel are unique and have not seen done before, I will not be sharing until the later stages in the project. But I promise to keep this worklog interesting and will try to provide updates regularly. In addition, I want this worklog to be a two-way exchange. All constructive feedback and ideas are more than welcome as that’s how we learn.

I'll briefly state my objective with this latest build before I get into the meat of the project.

My objective: To build a machine that pulses with life and personality and that exudes excellence.

My personal belief is that the ceiling of creativity in this hobby hasn't even been approached yet. My intention is to show a PC's artistic possibilities, to give it a name and a likeness. An identity, if you will. To accomplish this, I plan to inject some of my ideas, have them blend with a particular theme, and then to execute that theme through precise and risky modding. I believe that both can be accomplished, so my goal is to build a machine that's both edgy and refined.

So without further delay, I give you:

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/2537/reflexion.jpg (http://img121.imageshack.us/i/reflexion.jpg/)

__________________________________________________ _____________

Sponsored by:

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2091/mnpctechworklogbanner.jpg (http://www.mnpctech.com)

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/4554/dangerdenheader.jpg (http://www.dangerden.com)

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/3686/lamptronlogo.jpg (http://www.lamptron.com)

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/6363/newlogos.jpg (www.performance-pcs.com)

Chassis: Cooler Master Cosmos S
Side Panel: Custom Waterjet
Front Panel: Custom Waterjet
Interior: "Zero Gravity Chamber" (custom SSD and pump mounting device)

Hardware:
Intel i7 950
Foxconn Flaming Blade X58 (may change)
ATI HD5970 CrossfireX (4 GPUs)
SSD Raid0 x 4 (OCZ Vertex SSD x 4)
Corsair HX1000W PSU

Cooling:
Dual MCP350 Swiftech H20 system, dual-loop design
Swiftech MCR220 x 2
XSPC Reservoir DDC Top x 2
DangerDen Waterblocks (CPU, Chipset, GPUs)
Coolant: Fezer Clear (UV), Fezer Black (UV)
Tubing: 7/16" Tygon
Fittings: BP Rotary, DangerDen Compression

Xion X2

11-27-2009, 11:05 PM

Apologies in advance, but this project has been going on for two months, so I'm going to move over all the work as best I can. There may be a few consecutive posts until I can bring everything up to date. Thanks.

Xion X2

11-27-2009, 11:12 PM

The side panel was a custom design made in 3dsMax and is composed of around 350 vertices. It was a work in progress with over 80 hours of design time in order to get the perspective and smoothness of the image to a level that would look as if it was professionally manufactured, which I hope it does.

Below are some photos taken of the waterjetting in action, along with the finished product.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/5108/cpu21copy.jpg (http://img228.imageshack.us/i/cpu21copy.jpg/)

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/6500/cpu41copy.jpg (http://img228.imageshack.us/i/cpu41copy.jpg/)

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4593/cpu51copy.jpg (http://img228.imageshack.us/i/cpu51copy.jpg/)

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9231/dsc07790001.jpg (http://img228.imageshack.us/i/dsc07790001.jpg/)

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/2753/dsc07750001copy.jpg (http://img228.imageshack.us/i/dsc07750001copy.jpg/)

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9868/dsc07880001copy.jpg (http://img228.imageshack.us/i/dsc07880001copy.jpg/)

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3559/dsc07650001copy.jpg (http://img228.imageshack.us/i/dsc07650001copy.jpg/)

Xion X2

11-27-2009, 11:30 PM

So with the exterior down, I began work on the interior by modeling different possibilities in Max.

I needed to see if I could be successful in blending two themes together. A space theme, as the galaxy image on the side panel shows, and reflective qualities. As you can see below, backing the side panel graphic is an acrylic mirror:

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/7379/dsc09660001copy.jpg (http://img301.imageshack.us/i/dsc09660001copy.jpg/)

In general, it can be tricky when you're trying to carry more than one theme, but in this case, I believed that it could be done. In fact, I believed that adding the mirroring quality to the theme would add some "sexiness" to the overall design of the build.

Given the reflecting quality that I wanted to carry through to the end as well, I decided to design the interior around both a space theme and a reflective quality.

In various builds that I've seen, I've always hated looking at the drive cage. So I wanted to remove it completely and install something attractive in its place (I can do this since I'll be using external optical drives and lightweight SSDs.)

Along the way, I began to term this custom device the "Zero Gravity Chamber." In my mind, it would house dual water pumps, 4 solid state drives and the PSU. I would remove the stock mount for the PSU and mount it towards the opposite end of the case (front) for two reasons. One - to clean up the overall look of the build, and two - to make room for a second radiator to be installed in the bottom of the case.

Enough blabbing; here is what I mean:

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/3667/reflexioncase101809.jpg (http://img301.imageshack.us/i/reflexioncase101809.jpg/)

The custom structure (Zero-G chamber) would have two shelves inside to hold the pumps/res in a vertical alignment, giving it a reflective property.

The inside of the chamber:

Xion X2

11-27-2009, 11:39 PM

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/7651/insidepumpmountupper.jpg

So the idea was to drill 4 holes in the chamber. Two exit holes for the pumps and two return holes, one for each res.

Somewhere along the way I figured, "You know, instead of just building a custom mount for the SSDs that can't be seen, I should show them off with an effect that fits the overall theme of the build.

This is when I came up with idea of "Zero Gravity" for the drives.

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/6333/zeog11copy.jpg

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/1199/zeog12copy.jpg

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2623/zeog6copy.jpg

The idea, as may be obvious, was to give the drives a weightless appearance as if they are suspended in mid-air, like out in space. I would accomplish this by mounting the drives to a piece of plexiglass that was cut to size so that it was hidden behind the chamber windows.

With windows cut in the chamber to an exact size, if the plexi was large enough so as not to see the edges from the outside, then the drives would appear on a perfectly transparent background, thus giving them a weightless appearance.

Trace

11-27-2009, 11:40 PM

This is a very cool project!
And some very nice renders.

Also, Welcome to TBCS, we hope you enjoy your stay.

Xion X2

11-27-2009, 11:48 PM

So then I went to work on the Zero-G drive concept.

First step was to figure out a neat way to cut the plexiglass to size. I ended up using the least likely tool of all, a sheet metal brake.

I didn't have much luck cutting the plexi with either a jigsaw or a hacksaw with fine-toothed blades, but with a brake, I could simply score the plexi along the straight-edge steel brace and bend right at the score/seam for a perfectly straight and smooth cut.

Some shots of the plexi cutting.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/7124/dsc08240001.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/6982/dsc08260001.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/8127/dsc08300001.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4176/dsc08310001.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/5559/dsc08330001.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/2893/dsc08690001.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/6248/dsc08730001.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/6350/dsc08590001.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9741/dsc08670001.jpg

Xion X2

11-27-2009, 11:59 PM

This is a very cool project!
And some very nice renders.

Also, Welcome to TBCS, we hope you enjoy your stay.

Thanks for that warm welcome, Trace. Glad to be here. :)

I just discovered this place a few days ago.. had trouble finding it as it wasn't coming up in a search engine. Hard to believe it took me so long to find such a great community of creative minds.

I usually frequent XtremeSystems and bit-tech. I'll have to spend more and more time over here, though, as I've been very impressed by the projects that I've seen this way.

Trace

11-28-2009, 12:02 AM

The projects, the people, the community here are all great.

Xion X2

11-28-2009, 12:03 AM

So the next step was to trial mount the drives to the plexiglass. I found drilling through the plexi to be a little tricky at first but soon figured out how to keep it from cracking.

Here's the effect on a spare piece of plexi that was used for testing.

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/5184/dsc09930001copy.jpg

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/7057/dsc09910001copy.jpg

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/687/dsc09950001copy.jpg

The full-size plexi windows have been cut and are ready to be drilled. There will be two mounting brackets attached to the plexi, one for mounting the part to the shelf and one for mounting it above the chamber window to brace it for stability. The brackets have already been cut and filed; they just need to be drilled.

More on that later.

SXRguyinMA

11-28-2009, 12:44 AM

nice progress, lookin good! and welcome :D

Locum51

11-28-2009, 08:18 AM

Welcome to TBCS!
I can't wait to see more!!!
This worklog is getting more epic as i read on! :D

Loki

11-28-2009, 10:12 AM

Welcome dude!!
Nice renders and a very good idea for a thematic mod :D

Xion X2

11-28-2009, 10:23 AM

nice progress, lookin good! and welcome :D

Welcome to TBCS!
I can't wait to see more!!!
This worklog is getting more epic as i read on! :D

Welcome dude!!
Nice renders and a very good idea for a thematic mod :D

Thanks, everyone!

I've been so busy lately that I haven't had much of a chance to check out too many other projects around here. Think I'll do that right now. :)

Xion X2

11-28-2009, 04:56 PM

At this time, I'm excited to introduce my new sponsor for refleXion, MNPCTech.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2091/mnpctechworklogbanner.jpg (http://www.mnpctech.com)

I've been a fan of Bill's work for a while, particularly his rad grills, and he's been kind enough to supply me with two of his amazing new Billet 240 aluminum rad grills (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=540&products_id=26520), along with some other small items that will be very useful in shaping refleXion into its final form.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/9633/mnpctechrotating240bk02.jpg (http://img81.imageshack.us/i/mnpctechrotating240bk02.jpg/)

The smooth shaped vents on the Billet 240s (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=540&products_id=26520) are great and will definitely mesh well with this build, but what makes them even better is you can actually rotate the vents against the grill in any direction that you like.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/7987/mnpctechrotating240bk03.jpg (http://img81.imageshack.us/i/mnpctechrotating240bk03.jpg/)
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/7953/mnpctechrotating240bk04.jpg (http://img502.imageshack.us/i/mnpctechrotating240bk04.jpg/)

I plan to orient them diagonally on top and on bottom, with opposing angles, to fit the reflective theme of my build. I will be creating custom radboxes to mount them on both the top and bottom interior of the case. There's also a silver aluminum version (http://www.mnpctech.com/240_Radiator_Grill_BlackIce_Feser_Swiftech_Thermoc hill.html)of the Billet 240 that comes in a nice machined finish. I thought the black would look better in my case than the silver, although the silver looks quite nice as well.

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/1182/240radiatorgrillaluminu.jpg (http://img690.imageshack.us/i/240radiatorgrillaluminu.jpg/)

In addition to MNPCTech's awesome rad grills, a number of other items will be very helpful in completing this build.

U-Channel molding (http://www.mnpctech.com/UChannel.html) for dressing up those radial cuts on the radbox.
http://www.mnpctech.com/Uchannel1.jpg

Vandal Resistant Power Switch (http://www.mnpctech.com/Vandal_Resistant_Switch.html) as I'll be replacing the stock switch and top casing.
http://www.mnpctech.com/bulgin.lamptron.anti.vandal.resitant.switch.mnpcte ch.com2.jpg

Acoustical soundproof foam (http://www.mnpctech.com/Acoustical_Foam_Sheets_PC.html) to install under both pumps in the Zero Gravity Chamber.
http://www.mnpctech.com/acoustical_pack_foam_pc_soundproofing_grey_sheets1 .jpg

3-pin Wire Extension Kit (http://www.mnpctech.com/3pinfanextension.html) for extending fan wires.
http://www.mnpctech.com/3pin_fan_extension_casemod_computer.jpg

Fan Silencing Grommets (http://www.mnpctech.com/FanGrommet.html) to reduce vibration noise of the fans.
http://www.mnpctech.com/GrommetWb1.jpg

And some nice Socket Screws (http://www.mnpctech.com/M4_radiator_grill_screws.html) for a professional looking attachment on the rad grills.
http://www.mnpctech.com/M4_16mm_silver_screws_radiator_grills_watercooling _mnpctech.jpg

Thanks to Bill for his wonderful work and for helping sponsor this project!

More to come soon on the Zero-G drives.

OvRiDe

11-28-2009, 05:19 PM

Welcome to TBCS! I love modded Cosmos' so I will be anxiously watching.

Waterjet cuts look great, and I like the pattern as well.

Congratz on the sponsor.

Xion X2

11-29-2009, 02:13 PM

Welcome to TBCS! I love modded Cosmos' so I will be anxiously watching.

Waterjet cuts look great, and I like the pattern as well.

Congratz on the sponsor.

Thanks, OvRiDe!

mDust

11-29-2009, 03:49 PM

p0Pe

11-29-2009, 04:30 PM

glad to see you over here xion:) welcome!

Xion X2

11-29-2009, 07:46 PM

The water-jetting is very nice. Where did you have it done? Also, .max files are acceptable for that?
I like the whole anti-gravity chamber idea and the floating SSDs...I hope to float all the internals in my project. Hopefully it will look this good.:)
And welcome to TBCS.

Thanks, man. The waterjet was done by ADCUT in Aberdeen, NC. Mike Dixon runs the place.

glad to see you over here xion:) welcome!

Thanks, p0pe. :)

Fittings arrived this weekend. Believe it or not, this is not all of them.

For now, it's only rotary love.

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/4411/dsc10050001copy.jpg
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9003/dsc10480001copy.jpg
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/3963/dsc10390001copy.jpg
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/6127/dsc10320001copy.jpg
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/807/dsc10140001copy.jpg
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/9629/dsc10470001copy.jpg
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/2530/dsc10350001copy.jpg

billygoat333

12-01-2009, 05:05 AM

love the idea for the zero grav SSDs. very cool! :)

Mach

12-01-2009, 04:05 PM

Wow, very cool Xion! Really enjoying this! Congrats on the sponsor!

Luke122

12-01-2009, 04:30 PM

Welcome to TBCS! This project is looking great so far! Can't wait for more updates!

Xion X2

12-01-2009, 07:52 PM

love the idea for the zero grav SSDs. very cool! :)

Wow, very cool Xion! Really enjoying this! Congrats on the sponsor!

Welcome to TBCS! This project is looking great so far! Can't wait for more updates!

Thanks, everyone! :)

It's time for an update on the Zero Gravity Chamber. ;)

Here I'm marking off the bends for the chamber shell.

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/3574/dsc10840001copy.jpg

No turning back now... we're about to bend this thing for good.

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/4816/dsc10870001copy.jpg

I clamped through the windows here. I figured since they were hollowed out that it'd be the weakest point when the opposing force was applied to the brake. It worked pretty well.

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/2999/dsc10940001copy.jpg

Clamped down at a 1/2" bend and ready to go. This will be the back bend of the chamber that will be drilled and mounted to the inner case frame.

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/8366/dsc10990001copy.jpg

The first bend turned out very well.

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/1507/dsc11100001copy.jpg

Positioning for the second bend.

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/6321/dsc11110001copy.jpg

Bending upright. This will be the chamber side that shows the Zero Gravity drives.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/9716/dsc11120001copy.jpg

She's really starting to take shape now.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/8315/dsc11170001copy.jpg

The fourth and final bend. We now have our finished Zero Gravity Chamber shell. :)

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/3285/dsc11350001copy.jpg

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/4696/dsc11370001copy.jpg

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/8728/dsc11660001copy.jpg

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/2968/dsc11230001copy.jpg

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/5240/dsc11420001copy.jpg

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/5295/dsc11570001copy.jpg

Teaser. ;)

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7293/dsc11610001copy.jpg

I hope to have the shelves installed by middle of the week and the zero G drive mounts shortly after. I had expected to finish the drive mounts first, but to ensure the plexi window mount is the exact height it needs to be to center the drives in the window, I thought it was best to install the shelves first.

Thanks for checking in!

Remy

12-02-2009, 04:55 PM

Welcome Xion. this mod is looking fantastic. Love the floating SSDs. What kind of rig did you use to make those bends? Those came out very clean; nice and straight.

+rep worthy. Keep it up

Remy

Xion X2

12-02-2009, 10:17 PM

Welcome Xion. this mod is looking fantastic. Love the floating SSDs. What kind of rig did you use to make those bends? Those came out very clean; nice and straight.

+rep worthy. Keep it up

Remy

Thanks, Remy! Much appreciated. :)

For the bending, I used a steel sheet metal brake, 30" in width. Capable of bending up to 18 gauge steel.

It's worked well for aluminum in the vicinity of 1/16" to 1/8" thus far. The one caveat is it needs a solid mount to attain the leverage for the bend. So if you're like me and don't have a spare workbench to bolt it down to, you can get away with steel clamps. I use two steel C-clamps and clamp the brake at the bolt patterns to my Workmate 450. :)

Remy

12-03-2009, 12:55 AM

Thanks for the info. I was actually thinking of building one from some 2x4s and a heavy duty piano hinge. Seems simple enough. Anyhow, can't wait to see more. The mod's looking great.

Xion X2

12-03-2009, 03:15 AM

Xion X2

12-03-2009, 03:19 AM

Small update, guys.

I was able to get the shelves bent and installed so that I could test mount the pumps. The windows fit the XSPC res tops perfectly.

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/4007/dsc12260001copy.jpg

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/7119/dsc11910001copy.jpg

CanaBalistic

12-03-2009, 03:30 AM

Thats some beautifull work man. I think i might need to subscribe to this thread.

Xion X2

12-03-2009, 10:09 PM

Thats some beautifull work man. I think i might need to subscribe to this thread.

Thanks!

Here are a few more pictures taken from last night.

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/2741/dsc12280001copy.jpg

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/554/dsc11890001copy.jpg

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/7575/dsc12120001copy.jpg

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/4116/dsc12180001copy.jpg

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/4940/dsc12080001copy.jpg

slytherock

12-04-2009, 12:19 AM

Xion X2

12-04-2009, 02:13 AM

Wow; great job so far. Not only the project is cool and fun, but your work is really clean. Your pics are well taken and well instructed.

I haven't been spoken much lately (still watching the forum at least 4 times/week) but this project catch my eyes. Cant wait to see more of this. Great job so far. :up:

Thank you for the kind words, sly! Much appreciated. :)

There's much more to come, so stay tuned. In fact, what I feel is the central 'WOW' factor has not been revealed yet and, I believe, will tie the entire theme together with a fine seam. This will not surface for another few weeks at least, but it is coming.

Another update should be coming soon. In the interim, here are some more hardware pics that I hope you'll enjoy. :)

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/2040/reflexion40.jpg

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/433/reflexion25.jpg

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/6885/reflexion24.jpg

mDust

12-04-2009, 03:29 AM

OH MAN! You'd better be faking that pile of SSDs! :D

(I want those.)

I'd probably do something stupid with 'em though...like make a 6 drive raid 0...:twisted:

Professional much?

Airbozo

12-04-2009, 02:49 PM

Thanks for the info. I was actually thinking of building one from some 2x4s and a heavy duty piano hinge. Seems simple enough. Anyhow, can't wait to see more. The mod's looking great.

FYI: I have made my own brake with 2x4's and a piano hinge, but due to the rounded edge of the 2x4's and the fact they were construction grade pine (soft), it did not work very well. I could never get as clean of lines as Xion has achieved with his brake. Mine were either crooked or rounded.

Xion, Thanks for sharing this worklog. You have done some really nice work here. Can't wait to see what's next!

Love the zero G drive bay.

msmrx57

12-04-2009, 11:31 PM

FYI: I have made my own brake with 2x4's and a piano hinge, but due to the rounded edge of the 2x4's and the fact they were construction grade pine (soft), it did not work very well. I could never get as clean of lines as Xion has achieved with his brake. Mine were either crooked or rounded.

A couple of pieces of 1" or larger angle iron should give a nice edge. Just a thought.

Very nice work so far! + REP and definitely following this.

Xion X2

12-05-2009, 12:47 AM

OH MAN! You'd better be faking that pile of SSDs! :D

(I want those.)

I'd probably do something stupid with 'em though...like make a 6 drive raid 0...:twisted:

Professional much?

I'll have to settle for a RAID0 x 4 configuration for now as two of those SSDs are in my renderbox. :)

FYI: I have made my own brake with 2x4's and a piano hinge, but due to the rounded edge of the 2x4's and the fact they were construction grade pine (soft), it did not work very well. I could never get as clean of lines as Xion has achieved with his brake. Mine were either crooked or rounded.

Xion, Thanks for sharing this worklog. You have done some really nice work here. Can't wait to see what's next!

Love the zero G drive bay.

Thanks, Airbozo.. I appreciate the kind words. :)

Yeah, some bends will definitely test the brake, so it's better that it's made of steel than wood. Some of the smaller bends like the 1/2" bends on the back required more work since you had less leverage.

A couple of pieces of 1" or larger angle iron should give a nice edge. Just a thought.

Very nice work so far! + REP and definitely following this.

Thanks for the +REP, msmrx. I'm glad that you're enjoying the project. :)

Much more to come later. Until then, here are a few more hardware pics.

I'll be running the HK 3.0 for my CPU block.

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/232/reflexion53.jpg

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/2246/reflexion51.jpg

refleXion will be running two GTX 275s in an SLI configuration. These are special edition GTXs with 1792MB of VRAM apiece. :)

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/313/reflexion10.jpg

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/967/reflexion8.jpg

Xion X2

12-06-2009, 04:29 AM

My new radiators came in, two MCR220s by Swiftech. These will be replacing the XSPC RX240s because they're thinner and will fit on the inside of the case. The profile of the RX240 was too fat and was hanging over the motherboard when installed inside the case.

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/4807/dsc00200001copy.jpg

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/6500/dsc00150001copy.jpg

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/8131/dsc00260001copy.jpg

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2678/dsc00010001copy.jpg

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/2457/dsc00140001copy.jpg

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/1466/dsc00020001copy.jpg

One will be set on each loop.

Loop 1 = CPU, NB
Loop 2 = GPU1, GPU2

:thumb:

p0Pe

12-06-2009, 01:17 PM

nice rads! personally i prefer hwlabs but thoose are also nice:D
bitspower always equals win;)

Loki

12-06-2009, 02:36 PM

What kind of camera are you using to take those incredible pics?

chaksq

12-06-2009, 06:13 PM

This is greatness! The floating SSDs are great.

985323

12-07-2009, 04:26 PM

Ive been following this from the start over on bt but its great to see you over here.
Love the fittings!

Will

Xion X2

12-10-2009, 12:59 AM

nice rads! personally i prefer hwlabs but thoose are also nice:D
bitspower always equals win;)
Thanks. :) The MCR220s are very low profile and will allow me to install both inside the case. And yeah, the BP fittings are beautiful if I may say so. I wanted to get the "Shining Silver" because of their reflective qualities.

What kind of camera are you using to take those incredible pics?

Thanks, Loki! I'm using a Nikon D40 w/ 35mm 1.8 Nikkor lens.

This is greatness! The floating SSDs are great.

Thanks, chaksq! The SSDs are one of my favorite ideas thus far. I think that effect could turn out really well.

Ive been following this from the start over on bt but its great to see you over here.
Love the fittings!

Will

Thanks, Will! I appreciate the warm welcome. :)

Sorry for the lack of updates as of late. Some things I am waiting on, and some work I cannot do in my current residence (practically anything to do with fabrication since I live in a small apartment building.) I plan on making some progress over the weekend as I'll have a workshop available to me.

Thanks to everyone for all the kind words of support--means a lot.

Xion X2

12-11-2009, 11:25 PM

HD5870 #1 of 2 showed up today. :D

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/9108/dsc00980001copy.jpg

They showed up in stock on newegg for about half an hour, and I decided to go ahead and pull the trigger on one while my 275s are on auction. The only ones they had in stock were the PowerColor variety. It comes with a two year manufacturer warranty, which is more than enough. I'll never keep the card for that long.

Came with a free copy of DIRT 2! :D

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/3821/dsc01010001.jpg

I can't wait to play this on my Eyefinity setup. ;)

Let's take a look at the fastest single GPU out on the market...

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/2407/dsc01330001copy.jpg

I really like the new design that ATI went with this round. It was time for them to ditch the old school look of the exposed PCB in favor of full length cooler.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8317/dsc01220001copy.jpg
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/2240/dsc01100001copy.jpg
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/5346/dsc01070001copy.jpg
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/993/dsc01300001copy.jpg
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/4817/dsc01260001copy.jpg
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/9485/dsc01320001copy.jpg
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/7503/dsc01180001copy.jpg

Now.. time to stretch her legs with a few games tonight before I head back to my dad's tomorrow to do more work on that Zero-G chamber...

jdbnsn

12-13-2009, 12:32 PM

You're going to love that video card, I'm running the same thing and it's a beast!

Xion X2

12-17-2009, 08:02 PM

A quick update, guys. I may be announcing another BIG sponsor for this project very soon.

:)

Airbozo

12-17-2009, 08:05 PM

You're going to love that video card, I'm running the same thing and it's a beast!

So, I want to know where to find one of those 5870's. Everyone seems to be out of stock. I found ONE at Fry's and that was for a customer's build. Now I am trying to find a 5890 for myself and no-one seems to have one. Not our distribution channel not New egg.

BTW I am loving this build!

Trace

12-17-2009, 08:11 PM

You'll be wanting the 5970 not the 5890 as there is no such thing AFAIK

Airbozo

12-17-2009, 08:14 PM

You'll be wanting the 5970 not the 5890 as there is no such thing AFAIK

Woops, mistype, you are correct!

The 5970 it is!

jdbnsn

12-17-2009, 09:36 PM

As for 5800 ATI cards availability, you basically have to get lucky or sit on Newegg and refresh all day. I stopped in once or twice a day for about a weeks and a half and just luckily landed when a few were in stock. But as soon as I finished my order they were gone again.

Xion X2

12-21-2009, 02:22 AM

So I'm not at the point that I wanted to be right now, but I'm still hard at work on completing the Zero-G chamber and have a small update to share.

I'm afraid that my lack of experience in fabrication is what's holding things up at this point. That, and my crazy brain that keeps coming up with new ideas. The latest challenge has been getting the shelves into the chamber so that I can test the drive and pump mounts.

To begin, I need to state that the design of the Zero Gravity Chamber has changed a little. The reason for this is because I've decided to spotlight it in this build by making the front panel of the case retractable--allowing one to see inside the chamber even after it's installed in the case. I'll have more cad drawings on this later to better illustrate the idea, but for now, just picture the front panel as a door that swings open allowing open access to the Zero-G chamber.

Since I've decided to spotlight the chamber internals, I wanted to make them more attractive/innovative. And to do this, I believe that plexiglass will do the trick a lot better than metal shelving. It will also, from certain angles, give off the appearance that the components are weightless--even when looking at them from inside the chamber (I have photos below to illustrate what I mean.) In addition to using plexiglass for the shelving and drive mounts, I've decided to light the inside of the chamber with a softbox. This will give it a nice, even glow effect on the inside and help highlight the components.

A quick personal note -- Sometimes I wish that all these crazy ideas in my head would automatically materialize. Because the building part is much, MUCH more difficult. I know this, and I don't want to get too carried away with design changes so that I'm stuck in an endless circle (like a galaxy vortex?), but I'm pouring my heart and soul into this build and don't want to have any regrets later.

So if you made it through all that babbling, here are some updated CAD drawings to illustrate the new effects.

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/416/zg18copy.jpg

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/6407/zg19copy.jpg

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/125/zg21copy.jpg

http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/9046/zg23copy.jpg

The entire inside will be made of plexiglass--at least that's the idea. I plan to experiment with some different adhesives such as epoxy to see how clean a bond I can make with the plexi, because I don't want something that's going to be messy since I'll be showing it off.

I don't know yet how well this is going to work; I may end up going back to metal shelves or metal brackets, or both. But I'm going to try this and see how well it works.

Here are some actual shots of the effect it will have on the pumps using a shelf of plexi that's been cut to size:

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/9928/dsc01660001copy.jpg

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/475/dsc01720001copy.jpg

You should be able to see through the shelves into the very bottom of the chamber. And at the bottom, I plan to add an additional effect later.

I'm afraid that's all I have for now. I was hoping to have a little more to share by this point, but I'll continue work and will hopefully have the chamber finished soon.

Thanks for checking in!

Xion X2

12-28-2009, 08:21 PM

Great news, everyone! When I say that I'm excited to announce my next sponsor, it's a serious understatement.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/3607/eklogo11.jpg (http://www.ekwaterblocks.com)

EK Waterblocks has agreed to help sponsor r e f l e X i o n! More details to come later on the blocks that I'll be using, but r e f l e X i o n will be running blocks from EK exclusively for the CPU, chipset and GPUs.

Eddy is a very skilled craftsman, and I've been a fan of his work for quite a while. My first purchase was a full cover block for an 8800GTX SLI setup on H20 that I built around two years ago. Since then, I've been a big fan of his work and am extremely excited to have my project associated with his wonderful products.

Thanks, Eddy, for your generosity in helping this project come to life!

Waynio

12-29-2009, 06:00 AM

rithunder916

12-29-2009, 12:34 PM

If your looking to glue two pieces of plexi together, then Nothing beats WeldOn. I use #2 all the time, and i have used #4. As long as you keep the bubbles out of the joint, it will be seamless and offer great clarity.

Mike

Xion X2

12-30-2009, 04:07 PM

Outstanding presentation Xion, I could learn a thing or 2 from a clean worklog like this I tend to stray and waffle on a bit like now :), what applications are needed to do renders like that & easy to follow tutorials to look into?, they are jaw droppingly awesome :eek:, maybe too much to learn, I'm only on to google sketchup to get a precise idea of how it should work with heaps of room for improvement lol.

I like the floating ssd's idea, man this rig is going to be totally bad a$$ with the uber tech going into it :D.

I think once I start work I'll be saving for a Canon EOS 40D, a quality camera makes a big difference in showing the greatness of a mod, my current cheapo one takes poor pictures that picks up loads of noise in dark areas and lacks detail.

I totally related to the 1st bend you made not being sure if it'll work well :D, I have the same brake as you :) very useful piece it is too was 1 of the 1st tools I bought getting into fabrication.

Gaming and spending most of what I have on it is really holding my modding back thou, I recently bought a ps3 and a stack of games, an extra £150 and I could have got the Canon EOS 40D or bought enough aluminium, a quality air brush, a range of colours & extras to do many new cases, doh!, but to be honest I really enjoy gaming & modding 50/50 so dems da breaks :).

Subscribed & +rep :).

ps TBCS is my no1 favourite modding site, so much talent in 1 place :banana:.

Thank you very much for the kind words. :)

For the renders, I use Autodesk 3dsMax 2009. It took me a few weeks to learn it through following video tutorials and lessons.

When you purchase your camera equipment (if you decide to,) keep in mind that it doesn't take the most expensive camera to put out good pictures. I'm using a Nikon D40 for everything that you see which is the cheapest DSLR that Nikon makes. The only alteration I've made to it is purchasing a 35mm 1.8 Nikkor lens which cost me an extra $180 or so. It was recommended to me as a good upgrade lens from the original kit.

Taking good photos is mostly about lighting and lens. Of course, you also need to spend some time learning the basics of shutter speed/ISO as well, and get yourself some good light like a small softbox or two.

If your looking to glue two pieces of plexi together, then Nothing beats WeldOn. I use #2 all the time, and i have used #4. As long as you keep the bubbles out of the joint, it will be seamless and offer great clarity.

Mike
Thanks for that suggestion, Mike. I've recently purchased Weld-on #3 and 4 for welding the plexi pieces as it's been recommended to me through several outlets. Just have to wait for it to come in the mail.

Xion X2

01-01-2010, 09:26 PM

Alright, an update.

I have FINALLY resolved the leveling problem with the shelves in the Zero-G Chamber. It's been driving me crazy, because if the shelves aren't level then the whole effect is ruined since both the pumps and the drives are visible from the outside and are supported by the shelves.

With the help of KG's suggestion about using legs to support the shelves, I had Home Depot slice me up some 2x4 for that purpose, and it's made things a lot easier.

First, the revised shelves. You'll notice that they're no longer a single piece of aluminum. I've redesigned them to include 3 pieces, two L brackets and a plexi shelf.

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/8290/dsc01950001copy.jpg

The plexi will be screwed down into the brackets from the top. It'll mount to the brackets like this:

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3606/dsc01960001copy.jpg

I ran out and picked up this little guy, who was sorely needed:

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/3411/dsc01890001copy.jpg

I had no levels that were small enough to fit inside the piece that I was working with, so I picked him up for the job. I ended up removing the square as it was just getting in the way.

Then, the blocks and clamps:

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/971/dsc01870001copy.jpg

The blocks are very useful, as they allow me not only to hold the shelf brackets in place under the lip but also provide tension so that I can adjust the brackets in small increments to ensure they're level.

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/3959/dsc01990001copy.jpg

Here's me adjusting the shelf in small increments. Having the tension from the clamp was very helpful!

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/4157/dsc02050001copy.jpg

My new best friend (I call him Lil' Lvl) will help me ensure my parts aren't all crooked!

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/989/dsc02000001copy.jpg

For a straight-on view I can look through the windows.

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/1240/dsc02010001copy.jpg

Bubble in the center, so I know that I'm good.

So by this time, " Lil' " is telling me both of my brackets are level, but the final test will be to see if the entire shelf sits level once it's sitting on the brackets.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/2016/dsc02120001copy.jpg

Awww yeah. That's it. :D

Now, while the brackets were clamped in place, it was time to mark the screwholes. They'll never be as accurate any other way.

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/2057/dsc02140001copy.jpg

It's maddening to think that all these steps were to mark one lousy dot. :rolleyes: Well.. I guess that would be 4 lousy dots then wouldn't it? Still doesn't ease the pain much.

(To be continued.. in next post.)

Xion X2

01-01-2010, 09:27 PM

Like always, I'll use a drill punch to mark the holes.

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/6521/dsc02220001copy.jpg

Then drill away..

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/5494/dsc02230001copy.jpg

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/3563/dsc02180001copy.jpg

After drilling all holes, I riveted the brackets into the frame.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/4758/dsc02280001copy.jpg

And now, the final test. Are they level with the shelf sitting on them? *guuuuulp*

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/9245/dsc02290001copy.jpg

Ouch. That's just not good en.....

Kidding. ;)

I am picky, but I'm not going to get all wound up over that little variance. I'm happy with that.

I then checked the edges to make sure that the shelf lined up nicely with the edge of the brackets.

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/7402/dsc02310001copy.jpg

That looks good, too. Let's look at it from an overhead view.

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/2750/dsc02330001copy.jpg

Check out the floating effect. Let's put something a little more relevant down there, though.

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/8553/dsc02340001copy.jpg

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/6311/dsc02350001copy.jpg

I like. :yepp:

That's it for tonight. What'll be cool is to see the top shelf which I should have installed tomorrow. Then you'll get to see the layout of what the pumps look like with the new interior weightless effect when they're mounted one above each other.

Xion X2

01-03-2010, 11:43 PM

Alright, bear with me here as I have to show off my new toy with you guys.

Personally, this is the first time that I've either owned or operated a drill press, and I have to say that this thing kicks serious ass. It's so precise, smooth and quick compared to having to tap and drill by hand.

It came boxed in pieces, so I spent some time today in assembly mode. This was the base and table assembly laid out.

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/9467/dsc02450001.jpg

And the head assembly.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/5066/dsc025100011.jpg

While reading through the manual, I saw that there were varying speeds that you could set depending on what material and thickness it was that you were working with. By removing the hood of the head assembly, I saw the pulley and belt system.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/5565/dsc02570001.jpg

The belt was attached to the middle pulley, and the label recommended the first pulley for drilling through thin aluminum at an operating speed of 3050 RPM.

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/5904/dsc02600001.jpg

The belt is loosened by a tension bolt located toward the back of the head assembly (boy do my fingers look long in this pic..)

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/2880/dsc02580001.jpg

The tension bolt provides slack in the belt so that it can be moved from pulley to pulley.

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/4522/dsc02610001.jpg

And now, I've finished moving the belt to the top pulleys. This will cause the spindle to spin at an increase from 1390 > 3050 RPM.

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4463/dsc02630001.jpg

There, all set. She's tuned and ready to go.

A close up of the damage seeker.

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4227/dsc02960001.jpg

And now for the coolest part. The laser-sighting for ultra-precision.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/7422/dsc02650001.jpg

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7489/dsc02660001.jpg

(Don't worry about the lack of clamps as I was only sighting the laser.)

It has dual lasers that can each be adjusted individually to form an intersection at the drill point.

I'll have some action shots of the work I'm doing on the Zero-G chamber and shelves later on tonight or by tomorrow morning. So far, the press has been extremely helpful. I don't know if it was my hand drill or the type of aluminum I'm working with or what, but I was getting a lot of drifting in the bit even after punching my holes and buying new bits. So I figured instead of buying a new hand drill I'd get this, and it's made things a lot easier.

Xion X2

01-04-2010, 03:59 AM

Project Update

The ongoing...

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/416/zg18copy.jpg

So, continuing on this long and winding journey of finishing up this complex piece, I have some live action shots of some drilling action on the Zero-G Chamber. I had previously hand-drilled the bottom 4 holes for the bottom shelf, so that left me with the top four holes for the top shelf plus the top two mounting brackets. All of these have been drilled now, so in the next day or two I should be able to show what the pumps look like mounted both on the top and bottom of the chamber.

I'm laser sighting here and almost ready to drill one of the top two holes on the pump side which the shelves will mount through.

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/5896/dsc02790001copy.jpg

Since the chamber shell has already been bent, it was necessary to support the pump side from underneath for a steady drilling surface. For support, I just used some spare 2x4 blocks that I had laying around and two flat metal brackets. The brackets gave me just the extra 1/4" that I needed.

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/4518/dsc02800001copy.jpg

I used clamps whenever I could, but this piece was too thick, so I made sure to hold it firmly to the table and use very light pressure on the press. I'm still wallowing in kgtiger's horror story of his co-workers who've ripped their scalps off with this thing (my hair is short, though, so maybe I'm safe on that one. And I do trim my armpits every once in awhile to keep from looking sasquatch. Okay. Maybe that last bit was too much information.)

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/1603/dsc02720001copy.jpg

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1797/dsc02840001copy.jpg

Spot-on with the laser. I've found it to be really helpful thus far. You can always plunge your bit down to test your drillpoint, but the laser saves you a lot of time by being able to sight on the fly.

Next up were the shelf brackets. The bottom two had been drilled by hand to mount the shelf to the chamber. Next was to drill the top two holes that will be used for screwing down into the plexi shelf.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7251/dsc03020001copy.jpg

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/9958/dsc03050001copy.jpg

I'm loving the precision of this press. And it's not just precise but it's quick. Very quick. I can drill a hole in about 1/10th the time that I can by hand. I don't know what grade aluminum this stuff is, but it was giving my cheap hand drill fits. Not so with this bad boy.

It was necessary to stagger the holes in the brackets so that the mounting points don't intersect one another. Two holes were drilled on each end. One for screwing the plexi shelf in, one for mounting to the side wall of the Zero-G chamber.

http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/7268/dsc03100001copy.jpg

That's all for tonight. I'd say at this point that the Zero-G Chamber is about 80% complete. I'm waiting on some Weld-on #3 to get here so that I can experiment with welding some plexi together. That should arrive this week.

Thanks for following,

X

Couch3ater

01-04-2010, 04:17 PM

mDust

01-05-2010, 12:23 AM

Yes, this project is epic. The quality of the design, workmanship, and work-log all come together to make it so.

What model press is that?

Xion X2

01-07-2010, 01:36 AM

Absolutely loving this build. And for the record: totally jealous of that drill press. Seeing as how I'm just a youngling, I can't afford such an expensive toy... OH DAAAAD... Hehehe

But seriously, I'll be looking forward to seeing the finished product. Can't wait. ^_^

Thanks, Couch.. I'm glad you're enjoying the build. :)

Can't convey how much I love the drill press.. it's already shaved so much time off the project. And it gives you peace of mind knowing that every drillpoint will be perfect as long as you're cautious in your measurements beforehand.

Yes, this project is epic. The quality of the design, workmanship, and work-log all come together to make it so.

What model press is that?

Thanks, mDust. :)

Not sure on the model, but I'll check it for you. I picked it up at Home Depot; it was the only press that they carried in the store.

Update - Zero G Chamber

Greetings, fellow enthusiasts. I've made some more progress on the Zero Gravity Chamber. All the shelf brackets have been installed and all mounting holes have been drilled for the shelves.

Here's where it stands. With both shelves installed:

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/3907/dsc03170001copy.jpg

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/2364/dsc03140001copy.jpg

And now, with both pumps sitting on the shelves:

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/5995/dsc03300001copy.jpg

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/4673/dsc03410001copy.jpg

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/6630/dsc03440001copy.jpg

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/1379/dsc03450001copy.jpg

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/9066/dsc03470001copy.jpg

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4417/dsc03530001copy.jpg

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/4738/dsc03540001copy.jpg

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/5173/dsc03560001copy.jpg

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/3003/dsc03600001copy.jpg

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1038/dsc03610001copy.jpg

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/5550/dsc03650001copy.jpg

The next step planned is to drill the mounting holes into the shelves for both pumps and brackets and then to complete the SSD mounts.

p0Pe

01-07-2010, 12:05 PM

i am loving the progress!!! they turned out better than i expected

craigr1982

01-07-2010, 01:35 PM

fantastic work so mate :)

subbed !

Xion X2

01-07-2010, 03:25 PM

Much appreciated, guys. Thanks. :)

Couch3ater

01-07-2010, 04:08 PM

LOVE the pump location. Seriously, I'm considering stealing some of your ideas and see if I can't recreate them. Hahaha, well... Perhaps tweak. Not steal. ^_^

Xion X2

01-07-2010, 11:06 PM

LOVE the pump location. Seriously, I'm considering stealing some of your ideas and see if I can't recreate them. Hahaha, well... Perhaps tweak. Not steal. ^_^

Ok, but at least give me time to finish her first. :D

Right now, I'm experimenting with ways of bonding plexi. My weld-on came in this week, along with a syringe and hypodermic needle for application.

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/6397/dsc03720001copy.jpg
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6597/dsc03730001copy.jpg

This stuff is supposed to react fast, so it shouldn't be long before I can see how clean and strong a bond it will make. If it works well, I should be able to build the entire SSD mount, brackets included, out of plexi to enhance the weightless theme.

Locum51

01-08-2010, 12:25 AM

One Word ---> EPIC!!!!

Xion X2

01-08-2010, 07:33 PM

Greetings, TBCS. An update to the project that has changed its course a little.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/4554/dangerdenheader.jpg (http://www.dangerden.com)

Dangerden will now be sponsoring me with their waterblocks for the CPU, chipset and GPUs.

EK and I will continue on in our best interests with no ill feelings. The change in sponsorship has nothing to do with EK, their products or their customer service as they are all excellent, and I appreciate their willingness to help support the project. This was a business decision based largely on finances. Dangerden was able to provide me with a significantly better sponsorship deal, and so I have decided to partner with them on r e f l e X i o n.

Dangerden will be supplying me with the following--

The MC-TDX block for my i7 CPU:
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/3781/cpur.jpg

2x DD5970 GPU full cover blocks:
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/5240/gpus.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/5240/gpus.jpg

The MP-X58 chipset block:
http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/7589/chipsu.jpg

1/2 x 5/8" compression fittings:
http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/9343/fittings.jpg

I've used Dangerden products for several years. My first Dangerden product I had when I built my first watercooled system a few years ago that ran two 8800GTX's in SLI. BFGTech used Dangerden as their waterblock outfitter for their "watercooled edition" block, and it performed excellently. I'm expecting the same of their latest products and cannot wait to get them in my system and under some H20.

A special thanks to Dangerden for their support on this project!

Couch3ater

01-09-2010, 01:34 AM

Grats on the new sponsor!

On another note: If you're using the weld-on to bond two faces of plexi together, sometimes you'll be left with an almost bubbly "in-between", if you will, as is the case with many a bonding solvent. I'm sure with the right amount you can get what you're looking for; just speaking from what I've noticed and past experiences.

Xion X2

01-09-2010, 12:21 PM

Couch3ater

01-09-2010, 12:27 PM

I see. Well, in that case, very nice! ^_^

Xion X2

01-10-2010, 04:18 AM

Project Update: Building the Zero Gravity Drives

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/8881/zeog7copy.jpg

So, I've been pondering the idea that I originally had for the Zero Gravity Drives (weightless SSDs) and I just wasn't happy with all those metal brackets that were attached to them as seen in the above render. The original idea was fine because it was based on a closed system, meaning the observer could only see the exterior of the chamber or what showed through the four windows. This would hide them. But then.. yep, you guessed it. My brain got going again, and I thought to myself, "what would be awesome is if I showcased the inside and somehow made it look like all the components inside it were floating."

To me, that would continue to enhance the theme of the build.

So, how would I accomplish this? Well, immediately two things came to mind. 1) Magnets and 2) Glass.

"1" seemed slightly dangerous considering we're dealing with electronic components that store data on them. As a buddy of mine said to me when I had this crazy idea, magnetism can sometimes be a mystery, and I wanted none of that. So, the obvious was option #2. Plexiglass.

I then went to sketch out my new idea in 3dsMax and redo some of the earlier renders. And this is what I came up with:

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/8523/revisedzerog1copy.jpg
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4782/revisedzerog2copy.jpg
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/2024/revisedzerog5copy.jpg

As you can see, I've redesigned the mount for the SSDs. Instead of bulky metal brackets sticking out on both top and bottom, I have them mounting directly to a large pane of plexi which will run directly down the center of the chamber. The plexi pane will be notched to fit snugly into the shelves and then will be secured with Weld-on.

Here are some more shots:

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/6564/revisedzerog7copy.jpg
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/5157/revisedzerog8copy.jpg
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/5789/revisedzerog10copy.jpg
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/6069/revisedzerog11copy.jpg
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/1412/revisedzerog12copy.jpg

I think that it looks MUCH better and hope you'll agree. Should look much cleaner and fit the theme much better.

For the drives, the mounting mechanism will be the same. They will simply screw through the plexi pane. The pane will be supported by the two shelves which are held in place by small L brackets that are mounted to the inside chamber walls.

So, then I went to work on creating notches to fit this new piece. For the job, I broke out my RotoZip again, but this time, after the last experience with the infamous knotty plywood, I decided to use aluminum angles to give me a straighter edge (Thanks, Charles!)

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/4465/dsc03740001copy.jpg

By clamping the aluminum angles in place at the width of the jig guide, I can hold the RotoZip firmly in place while routing so that it won't drift.

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/5473/dsc03770001copy.jpg
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/1281/dsc03760001copy.jpg

That was just a test piece to see how well the cutting bit I was using would perform. It turned out to be a little too large for what I need, so I'll be heading to the Depot tomorrow for a smaller bit.

Thanks for checking in.

-X

msmrx57

01-10-2010, 02:22 PM

OOOOOOOOOO......... This is gonna look kewl as all get out! Can't wait to see it.

SXRguyinMA

01-10-2010, 09:39 PM

go really slow when you cut, even though the roto zip is steady, the bit will still wander on its own. I had the same issue when I was using a spiral bit to cut my plexi

billygoat333

01-11-2010, 01:19 AM

thats a good idea with the clamped alum angle! I will have to steal that idea in the future :P

Xion X2

01-11-2010, 08:48 AM

OOOOOOOOOO......... This is gonna look kewl as all get out! Can't wait to see it.

Thanks, msmrx57. :)

go really slow when you cut, even though the roto zip is steady, the bit will still wander on its own. I had the same issue when I was using a spiral bit to cut my plexi

Yep, the RZ is powerful, which is the reason I used the clamped aluminum angles as shown in the pics. These are clamped firmly against the edge guide on the RZ to keep it from wandering. It's worked well and has allowed me to cut in a straight line.

thats a good idea with the clamped alum angle! I will have to steal that idea in the future :P

Thanks!

I'll hopefully be picking up some 1/8" perspex today to continue working on that vertical plexi pane. The smallest cutting bit that I've been able to find is 1/8", and the only plexi that I have is .093" in thickness, which won't work because it's not thick enough to provide a snug fit after the notches are cut in. The cutting bit and the perspex thickness must be the same size for a snug fit.

As long as I can find this today (I have a local glass shop that I source for this,) then I see no problem in having the chamber finished by middle to end of this week.

Cheron

01-14-2010, 12:19 PM

I really love your Idea of zero grav. and your eye for perfection

Xion X2

01-18-2010, 02:31 AM

Ask me why I'm happy. :D

I'm happy because I'm beginning to see the finish line. It's been a trying past two months designing, fabricating and then re-designing and re-fabricating (are either of those words?) this part, but now I'm entering the final stages, and I can see it being completed within the next few days.

I'm extremely excited about how it's all starting to look and am looking forward to share it with you all. I really feel that it meshes with the theme extremely well.

Just to review, this was where I had last left off with it. The redesign of the center glass panel which would serve in place of the prior metal L-brackets:

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/2024/revisedzerog5copy.jpg

So, let's get started.

At my workbench a few days ago. Here, I was lining up possible drillpoints for the drives. I wanted them spaced far enough apart so they would be distinct objects and appear as if they were floating independently of each other.

First test mount.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/3310/dsc03950001.jpg

Hmm, that was too close. Let's move it down a little.

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/6431/dsc03970001.jpg

Much better. This will be a nice fit in the side window. The space between the drives is 3/4".

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/6097/dsc03980001.jpg

They'll be centered in the windows an inch off the top and bottom.

Ok, so now that I knew the spacing, I laid out all measurements on my center glass panel to mark the drillpoints.

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/6510/dsc04040001.jpg

The large blue piece to the left is the center panel w/ protective blue covering. The two pieces to the right are the two shelves. Due to the redesign of the chamber, I had to cut two more shelves. I'll explain why a little later.

On the press and drilling the holes. There were eight holes in total to drill, two for each SSD. The holes are 1/8".

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2031/dsc04060001.jpg

And.. all the holes are now drilled.

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/3569/dsc04090001.jpg

Time to peel off the protective layer to see how clean they came out.

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/5743/dsc04140001.jpg

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/5259/dsc04150001.jpg

A beautiful, clear piece of perspex (needs some cleaning, though.)

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/9202/dsc04270001.jpg

That looks better. To attach the SSDs to the perspex, I'll use a small allen wrench and 4/32 MDPC screws. The screws that I picked up from Nils were perfect for this. They were just the right size, and plus they're black, so they blend in perfectly with the drives. :)

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/9403/dsc04480001.jpg

I'll break out my surgical gloves to avoid fingerprints. Regardless, I think I must've Windexed this piece about 37 times over the past few days.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/2011/dsc045000011.jpg

Attaching the first SSD.

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/4217/dsc045100011.jpg

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/1128/dsc04540001.jpg

Looking good so far. Time for the next one.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/4902/dsc04600001.jpg

And the next.

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/376/dsc04630001.jpg

(Continued in next post.)

Xion X2

01-18-2010, 02:32 AM

A view from the front. The effect is starting to manifest.

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/5688/dsc04710001.jpg

All four drives attached.

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/995/dsc04720001.jpg

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/9752/dsc04760001.jpg

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/873/dsc04790001.jpg

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/8266/dsc04880001.jpg

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/1030/dsc04920001.jpg

And now... FINALLY... the near-completed Zero Gravity Chamber!

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/5525/dsc05090001.jpg

Here you can see the bottom compartment for the PSU.

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/482/dsc05110001.jpg

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/2223/dsc05170001.jpg

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/6386/dsc05190001.jpg

Some close-ups of the drives.

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/3897/dsc05280001.jpg

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/9550/dsc05290001.jpg

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/4217/dsc05350001.jpg

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/1284/dsc05460001.jpg

Of course, this will all look nicer once it's powdercoated. The plan is to powdercoat the entire interior in "Starlight Black" (http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w292/marcus000/Powdercoating/IMG_0902.jpg) so as to give the effect that you're looking into space. Both the interior and the exterior of the chamber, as well as the rest of the interior of the case frame, will be painted this color.

Next on the agenda is to notch the shelves in place with the centerpiece and then weld them in place with solvent cement. Then, the Zero-G Chamber is officially finished, and it's onto the next stage of the project.

Lighting. :)

billygoat333

01-18-2010, 03:20 AM

wow this thing is looking effin siiiick!!

Mark_Hardware

01-18-2010, 09:21 PM

Fantasic work man! Your attention to detail is awesome. Can't wait to see the finished product!

DonT-FeaR

01-19-2010, 04:00 AM

/\ completely agree

Xion X2

01-19-2010, 08:25 PM

Thanks, guys. Much appreciated. :)

Much more to come.

Xion X2

01-20-2010, 02:39 AM

Waterblocks came in from DangerDen yesterday. Had a chance to snap a few photos tonight. I'm even more impressed with the blocks in person. They have a nice futuristic look which I think will go great with this build. Thanks to DangerDen again for their wonderful support on this project. :up:

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/7471/dsc05780001.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/422/dsc05880001.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/1845/dsc05900001.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/2336/dsc06000001.jpg

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1724/dsc06080001.jpg

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/4198/dsc06120001.jpg

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/7514/dsc06250001.jpg

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/4320/dsc06300001.jpg

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1867/dsc06360001.jpg

mDust

01-20-2010, 02:57 PM

x88x

01-20-2010, 07:23 PM

Heheh, nice. I love the look of DD blocks; almost my entire loop is their stuff, actually.

Xion X2

01-20-2010, 08:44 PM

/cry...you have all the hardware I currently want.

This project is amazing. Not only does it look cool as ********, but it has the hardware to back it up. I'm going to go set up a charity organization just in case you have any plans of donating this to charity...:D

mDust, after this build is finished, you may see ME accepting charity donations as it's costing me a pretty penny--even with the sponsors. :D

Heheh, nice. I love the look of DD blocks; almost my entire loop is their stuff, actually.

Thanks, x88x.

Appreciate the responses, guys. Another update to follow shortly as I've obtained a new sponsor for the project.

:up:

Xion X2

01-20-2010, 08:46 PM

At this time, I'd like to provide a brief summary of r e f l e X i o n , show a glimpse of what the next steps are, and then I will introduce my third sponsor for the project.

First of all, thank you to everyone who has participated in r e f l e X i o n to this point by posting many encouraging and flattering comments here about the work that has been done thus far. I read each and every comment that's posted at each of my logs and try to respond on a person-by-person basis, because your comments are both encouraging and entertaining, and I appreciate anyone who takes the time to post and +rep to let me know they're enjoying the build or to offer suggestions. These comments greatly help and sometimes are the difference in motivating me to go forward--especially during times when you've hit a brick wall with your fabrication or design. So thanks to each and every one of you here at TBCS. :thumb:

Design and Build

To this point, everyone has seen the first two stages of the project: Design and Build. I designed the Galaxy side panel with 3dsMax, an autocad program. A freehand drawing of the galaxy image was first done by my friend, Mark (a part-time artist), which I then imported into 3dsMax and made several modifications to. The design time once in 3dsMax was around 80 hours, and the drawing is composed of over 300 individual vertices that were used to create the circular, orbiting rings from a 3-D perspective. Here's a shot of the image editing in action:

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/9343/vertexcity2.jpg

After that, I had the finished 3dsMax drawing file cut into a clean side panel at a waterjet shop about two hours from my home. You've probably seen it a hundred times by now as I'm quite proud of it. :D

Next, I began designing the "Zero Gravity Chamber," also in 3dsMax.

Concept:
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/2024/revisedzerog5copy.jpg

Reality:
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/2223/dsc05170001.jpg

This part I have fabricated myself except for the windows which were carved with the same waterjet that did my side panel. It is now close to completion.. just a little more polishing and fab work need to be done, and then it will go off to be powdercoated with the rest of the case frame.

So now, it's time to move into the next key stage of the project, which is:

Project Stage III: Lighting

And with that, I would like to introduce my next key sponsor for r e f l e X i o n, Lamptron.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/3686/lamptronlogo.jpg (http://www.lamptron.com)

Lamptron contacted me a few weeks ago about partnering on r e f l e X i o n. I let them know that it was perfect timing on their part as I was just about to start creating the lighting scheme behind it.

Lighting is a priority in this build, as I will be using it to give r e f l e X i o n its identity. There are three distinct lighting techniques which will be used. Lamptron will be assisting me with two of those, while I will be both designing and fabricating the other myself. In the coming weeks, I'll be revealing the specific items that Lamptron will be sponsoring me for and the lighting techniques we have decided on.

A special thanks to Lamptron for joining the team. I look forward to working with them in the coming weeks.

:thumb:

x88x

01-20-2010, 09:32 PM

Congrats on the new sponsor! They make some awesome stuff; I'm looking forward to seeing how you incorporate it into r e f l e X i o n.

Xion X2

01-23-2010, 02:32 AM

Congrats on the new sponsor! They make some awesome stuff; I'm looking forward to seeing how you incorporate it into r e f l e X i o n.

Thanks, bud. :up:

Xion X2

01-23-2010, 02:33 AM

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6266/dsc06670001.jpg

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/6490/dsc06630001.jpg

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/144/dsc06680001.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/9960/dsc06720001.jpg

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/680/dsc06660001.jpg

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/5570/dsc06690001.jpg

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/1383/dsc06770001.jpg

DonT-FeaR

01-23-2010, 07:09 AM

Waynio

01-23-2010, 11:14 AM

Congrats on the sponsor mate :banana:, I always try to buy lamptron illuminated switches, could do with buying a range of them even while I'm not modding as they can be hard to get sometimes in uk, I'm too shy and would feel cheeky asking manufacturers to sponsor me, I remember the thread of how to get sponsors but I also only want to put the parts I want in my cases, would be saaaweet to get some good sponsors though lol :).

And hooooly shmoke, the big guns :D, 2x 5970, seriously bad a$$ graphics power going into this, I would expect you will be able to play ANY game on tripple vision at max res & settings with this setup, Wow, drool :D.

Xion X2

01-23-2010, 10:03 PM

Thanks, Waynio. :)

Just a short update for now.

I picked up some edge trim tonight at my local Auto Zone. This will help dress the rough edges on the perspex.

I wasted an hour at Lowe's Hardware store looking for some kind of edge trim or U-channel molding that would fit 1/8" perspex but, once again, the hardware stores in my area are a big...

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/499/floppyfail.jpg

... when it comes to anything but the most mainstream home improvement items.

So, I'm using automotive trim that I was able to find at a local Auto Zone near my house.

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/3697/dsc06830001.jpg

It's a nice, snug fit on the perspex, and it has a thin line of adhesive down the groove so that the edges will stick.

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/6791/dsc06840001.jpg

Beginning to dress the edges of the middle piece:

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/2593/dsc06850001.jpg

I'm leaving a little overhang so as to have a smooth join in the corners. After the corners are fitted, I'll cut the excess trim for a smooth join.

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/1650/dsc06860001.jpg

chaksq

01-24-2010, 11:59 AM

This build is INCREDIBLE. The ideas you have are awesome. Serious props for actually working on your ideas.

Xion X2

01-24-2010, 12:42 PM

This build is INCREDIBLE. The ideas you have are awesome. Serious props for actually working on your ideas.

Thanks, chaksq! :up:

Xion X2

01-30-2010, 02:46 AM

A short update for tonight, guys. My blocks are back from nickel plating, and I'm happy to say that things went really well. I've spent tonight polishing them to get them in top shape so that I can take some photos tomorrow in my studio.

Here are a few preview shots of the copper now plated electroless nickel:

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/8339/dsc06980001.jpg

The matte finish on the front of the GPU blocks has a cool effect when plated. Has kind of a metallic silver look now. The back of the blocks are very shiny and smooth.

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/2224/dsc06990001.jpg

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/8513/dsc07010001.jpg

I'll have some better shots tomorrow of the blocks and some polishing action. In addition, I'm working on a mid-build project video which is about half-way complete right now. Should have it finished within a week if all goes well.

Thanks again to DangerDen not just for their partnership in r e f l e X i o n but for allowing me to tweak their product to fit the theme of this build a little better.

Thanks, everyone!

DonT-FeaR

01-31-2010, 04:13 AM

ohh shiny :P

Xion X2

01-31-2010, 05:18 AM

Well as promised, here are some more shots of the DangerDen "Nickel" versions of the CPU and 5970 blocks. Hope you enjoy!

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/340/dsc07290001.jpg
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/5927/dsc07640001.jpg
http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/4200/dsc07740001.jpg
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/7683/dsc07670001.jpg
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4138/dsc07830001.jpg
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/3999/dsc07840001.jpg
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/2654/dsc07870001.jpg
http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/9791/dsc07920001.jpg
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/9651/dsc07930001.jpg
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/260/dsc08000001.jpg
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/6897/dsc08050001.jpg
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/841/dsc08350001.jpg
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/641/dsc08360001.jpg
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/2977/dsc08370001.jpg
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/9035/dsc08400001.jpg

mDust

01-31-2010, 06:44 PM

With the exception of saying that I'm speechless, I'm speechless.

Waynio

02-01-2010, 05:19 AM

Wow, your really going all out on this :), don't think I've ever seen someone get their waterblocks plated, again, wow :).

Xion X2

02-02-2010, 02:31 PM

With the exception of saying that I'm speechless, I'm speechless.
Thanks, mDust. :)

Wow, your really going all out on this :), don't think I've ever seen someone get their waterblocks plated, again, wow :).

Thanks, Waynio!

Should have another update soon showing both 5970s w/ the blocks installed and on the motherboard.

sloppyc

02-02-2010, 07:17 PM

This is insane. Awesome. Makes me embarassed to display my own creations, ha.

Xion X2

02-03-2010, 03:13 AM

This is insane. Awesome. Makes me embarassed to display my own creations, ha.

Thanks, sloppyc! :up:

5970s get water!!!

So right now I'm working on getting the blocks on the 5970s. I'm pleased with how easy it is to get these DangerDen blocks on. And it's also nice to see the stock backplate coming of use as it offers some opposing force and keeps the PCB from bowing from the pressure of the waterblock. That's been a concern of mine in the past in using full cover blocks, but the backplate keeps the PCB relatively straight.

I don't have both blocks on yet but thought I would share some of the progress thus far.

The workshop (if you can call it that. More like a studio/kitchen/workbench):

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/6843/dsc09040001.jpg (http://img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc09040001.jpg)

Yes, that IS tubing. I am actually going to watercool this thing.. for you guys who have been waiting around forever waiting on some H20 shots. :D

Removing all the screws to undo the backplate..

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4000/dsc09050001.jpg (http://img188.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc09050001.jpg)

Luckily, there weren't too many of them. I've taken some HSFs off that had a screw for every day of the month. The 5900, besides the two GPU brackets, had fewer than most cards I've seen. And the new aluminum heat sink is extremely light compared to the copper slabs of the past.

Backplate is off.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/1299/dsc09180001.jpg (http://img171.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc09180001.jpg)

One piece off, one to go. Time to remove the heatsink and fan.

This can't be done without removing the two GPU brackets (I call them GPU brackets.. I don't know what the technical terminology is for them) on the back of the PCB:

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/3471/dsc09190001.jpg (http://img269.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc09190001.jpg)

Those come off pretty easily. Each bracket is held in by four small screws, so eight in total.

Aaaannnnndddd... she's off!

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/8139/dsc09200001.jpg (http://img188.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc09200001.jpg)

Let's get that big, bulky, archaic air cooler out of the way and make room for something that's a little more efficient and a lot better looking.

But.. wait. The ever-annoying stage of having to remove all the old, mashed-up thermal paste before applying the waterblock. Ugh.

Luckily, I have Arctic remover and purifier to do the job. :up:

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/5629/dsc09220001.jpg (http://img188.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc09220001.jpg)

And a box of professional, hi-grade Q-tips. No, I'm not joking.. I'm dead serious as they do make them.

*snicker*

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/9093/dsc09250001.jpg (http://img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc09250001.jpg)

Ahhhh. Much better. I love a nice, clean, sexy graphics chip (or two :D .)

And now, the best part. After popping a few screws in we get to see our new baby all dressed to impress.

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/7482/dsc09450001.jpg (http://img641.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc09450001.jpg)

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/4905/dsc09850001.jpg (http://img14.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc09850001.jpg)

Isn't she a beaut? ;) I'm really loving the nickel plating.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/5544/dsc09870001.jpg (http://img171.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc09870001.jpg)

Reflection. :)

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/7038/dsc09980001.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc09980001.jpg)

We'll throw our little MC-TDX buddy in to join the tube party.

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/8971/dsc10090001.jpg (http://img269.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10090001.jpg)

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/2973/dsc10210001.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10210001.jpg)

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/6497/dsc10190001.jpg (http://img188.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10190001.jpg)

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/7793/dsc10230001.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10230001.jpg)

That's all for now! Tomorrow, I hope to have some shots of the motherboard with both cards fitted and maybe some other blocks to begin experimenting with tube routing.

Thanks for reading! :thumb:

Trace

02-03-2010, 03:34 AM

Oh baby! Those are sexy!

x88x

02-03-2010, 03:28 PM

Preeety :D

I do really love the look of the nickel plated blocks; so shiny :D

Xion X2

02-04-2010, 02:05 AM

Thanks, guys! Here's a teaser shot.

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/2972/dsc10240001.jpg (http://img33.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10240001.jpg)

mDust

02-04-2010, 02:10 PM

There's no excuse for how great this is looking.

Trace

02-04-2010, 02:14 PM

This is an amazing build. I'm almost speechless it's so beautiful.

Xion X2

02-05-2010, 01:49 AM

There's no excuse for how great this is looking.

This is an amazing build. I'm almost speechless it's so beautiful.

Thanks, guys. :up:

Didn't get a chance to do much today. I had to take one of the GPU blocks off because, when looking at the map again, I saw I missed a few spots where some thermal pads should've gone. Can't risk anything with these cards as they cost a fortune.

But now, all blocks are assembled and ready to go. This weekend, I'll be providing more insight into the layout of the entire structure and components.

Trace

02-05-2010, 01:50 AM

I'll be waiting!

notsure

02-05-2010, 08:24 PM

Wow...what else can one say but simply WOW....this build is truely amazing...

Datech

02-05-2010, 10:02 PM

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/slaveofconvention/banners/features/theweeklyspotlight/worklog.png (http://thebestcasescenario.com)

Xion X2

02-06-2010, 02:38 AM

Wow...what else can one say but simply WOW....this build is truely amazing...
notsure, you have the best handle I've seen yet. I loved Idiocracy. Thanks for the props.

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/slaveofconvention/banners/features/theweeklyspotlight/worklog.png (http://thebestcasescenario.com)
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/4531/modoftheweektbcs.jpg (http://img46.imageshack.us/i/modoftheweektbcs.jpg/)

That's superb news, Datech. Thanks! And thanks to all who voted for me!

:D

Trace

02-06-2010, 02:44 AM

Let me be the first to congratulate you! Congrats!

Xion X2

02-06-2010, 03:17 AM

Let me be the first to congratulate you! Congrats!

Thanks, Trace! It's quite fitting that you're the first (besides Datech, obviously,) to congratulate me since you were the first to post to my project log!

Thanks for following along and for offering your many encouraging words of support!

I'm working on a short update that I'll be posting in the next half hour.

Trace

02-06-2010, 03:27 AM

I'm waiting for it!

Xion X2

02-06-2010, 03:58 AM

Just a short update for tonight, guys.

I've began work on the motherboard. Just small aesthetic things for now, and then over the weekend I'll be installing all the components in the case for a brief period to have a better idea of how the wiring and tubing will look.

I've been hesitant to show any pictures of the motherboard, because the end product will look quite different than it does now. This is a fantastic motherboard. It's the Foxconn "Flaming Blade" X58. It's the most polished mainboard that I've ever owned which is why I'm keeping it for this build, even though there's a lot of red on it that I'll be changing to black to blend in better with my color scheme. I'll provide updates on how I'll be doing that later, but for now just know that all the different colors that you see on the board will be just one or two colors when everything is complete.

I began the aesthetic changes by polishing all aluminum brackets/boxes on the motherboard.

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/1581/dsc10740001.jpg (http://img197.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10740001.jpg)

I used my dremel and polishing wheels again to do this as it makes such an easy job of polishing anything. Why do this? Because I've seen how nice metal can look when polished vs. unpolished, and because I want there to be no compromises with this build. I'm a believer in fine-tuning every last detail because I believe it puts a nice signature on an item. So while I don't plan to spend the next year or two eyeballing every little thing through an electron microscope, you will see me be very meticulous about cosmetics and taking my time when you probably want to slap me and just wish I would skip on ahead to the next stage.

Here you can visually see the difference between a polished bracket/box and an unpolished bracket/box:

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/1200/dsc10800001.jpg (http://img641.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10800001.jpg)

The capacitors will either be painted or sanded down (perhaps both) so there's no red showing. They'll either be silver or black. The stock red northbridge/mosfet cooler will be coming off in the next day or two and be replaced with waterblocks/heatsinks that fit the color scheme of the build better.

Now for something that will probably be a little more interesting.

Here are a few nice shots of the beautiful rad grills that I received from MNPCTech. I'll be building two custom radboxes for the two Swiftech 240s that are going into refleXion, and these grills will be bolted on top of the fans and the radbox.

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/9251/dsc10710001.jpg (http://img641.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10710001.jpg)

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/1441/dsc10630001.jpg (http://img197.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10630001.jpg)

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/5780/dsc10530001.jpg (http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10530001.jpg)

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/8199/dsc10520001.jpg (http://img638.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10520001.jpg)

I've thanked Bill about 10 times for these already, but I'll thank him again. MNPCTech was the first to show faith and support in this build while a few other companies I've done business with for years wouldn't even dignify me with a response (even a "no, sorry" would've been fine.) So thanks again to MNPCTech for their faithful support. :thumb:

Thanks, guys!

SXRguyinMA

02-06-2010, 09:09 AM

looking good!

cellsite60

02-07-2010, 09:01 AM

Gratz on the weekly spotlight, well deserved on this awesome build !!!

Waynio

02-07-2010, 01:48 PM

MNPCT do some awesome modding bits, congrats getting them to sponsor you :), I learned some good tips from bills video tutorials particulary how to use a dremal properly and the fact he said if you can do good circles, particulary small ones you could do any design.
Congrats on the weekly spotlight :).
Wow, even polishing parts on the actual motherboard, all these little features will add up to greatness when it all comes together, keep it up mate :) :up:.

Xion X2

02-07-2010, 03:20 PM

looking good!

Thanks, SXR!

Gratz on the weekly spotlight, well deserved on this awesome build !!!

Thanks very much, cellsite!

MNPCT do some awesome modding bits, congrats getting them to sponsor you :), I learned some good tips from bills video tutorials particulary how to use a dremal properly and the fact he said if you can do good circles, particulary small ones you could do any design.
Congrats on the weekly spotlight :).
Wow, even polishing parts on the actual motherboard, all these little features will add up to greatness when it all comes together, keep it up mate :) :up:.

Thanks, Waynio! Bill is a Jedi-Master as far as I'm concerned. His skill over the workbench is unmatched by most that I've seen in this hobby.

And now I'd like to announce another big sponsor who's come on board to partner with me on refleXion. :)

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/6363/newlogos.jpg (www.performance-pcs.com)

PPCs will be sponsoring me with three of their nickel-plated RAM waterblocks, the RAM-33:

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/6569/ram3301.jpg (http://img36.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ram3301.jpg)

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/4351/ram3302.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ram3302.jpg)

The staggered inlet/outlet design of these allow you to stack as many of them together as you like:

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7375/ram3303.jpg (http://img3.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ram3303.jpg)

Each one has a carved path for the coolant to travel so that it comes in contact with every memory chip.

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=59_294&products_id=25760

Given the mirror-like finish of these, they should go great in refleXion and help keep my three DDR-3 sticks nice and cool. Aside from that, they just look great and fit the theme well.

Thanks to Performance-PCs for their support in helping mold refleXion into its final form!

Xion X2

02-07-2010, 11:25 PM

Hey, guys. Another short update.

So, still looking at making the mobo as neat as possible.

First, I began removing all the red connectors from the board that could be removed easily.

I began with the floppy connector. What high-end board needs a floppy connector these days, anyway?

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/258/dsc10970001.jpg (http://img689.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10970001.jpg)

Then, the USB connectors. I'll be replacing these with black ones.

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/8126/dsc10990001.jpg (http://img692.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10990001.jpg)

These were both easy and just slid right off. Just be careful with the floppy, if you attempt this, because the pins can bend easily. The USB pins were more sturdy.

Here's a shot of the board with the connectors removed.

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/627/dsc11010001.jpg (http://img191.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11010001.jpg)

Looking better, already.

Now for the good part. :)

I've found an easy, safe solution for clean capacitors. I've found that polishing them with a metal polish and polishing cloth works great for taking off the ugly ink/paint to give you a clean, painted look.

Check out the difference.

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/1954/dsc11030001.jpg (http://img200.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11030001.jpg)

And now, with 3 polished.

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5695/dsc11050001.jpg (http://img29.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11050001.jpg)

Slowly but surely, we're getting rid of all the red.

3 caps down.. only 55 to go! :eek:

Yes, there are 58 caps on the board. Luckily, the polish makes quick work of them. Takes less than 5 minutes for each one. But if you multiply that by 58, I could be spending almost five hours just polishing caps.

Xion X2

02-08-2010, 01:39 AM

Here it is, guys. Even better than painted caps are mirrored caps:

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/6751/dsc11080001.jpg (http://img704.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11080001.jpg)

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/293/dsc11190001.jpg (http://img35.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11190001.jpg)

I've taken things a bit further to get down to the pure aluminum surface under the paint with the same aluminum polish but using my dremel and a soft polishing wheel, instead. You just have to be careful not to apply much pressure and be aware of the other components/circuitries that are in the area.

This looks so much better than that ugly red paint and should go great with my theme. :up:

Now I just have to figure out a way to rid the board of those red connectors. I plan to practice on some junk mobos to see if I can remove them successfully without breaking anything and replace them with new connectors that better mesh with my color scheme, like a black.

x88x

02-08-2010, 09:49 AM

TheMainMan

02-08-2010, 03:55 PM

Man, I could have sworn I had subscribed to this thread early but I guess I must have encountered either a browser error or an error in my memory. Unbelievable work you're doing here, I'd never realized that the USB and IDE connectors could be removed easily. The ZGC is unreal in the execution and I think there's a pool of drool on my desk from the TWO 5970s and those gorgeous waterblocks. Keep up the phenomenal work!

el_magnifico

02-08-2010, 06:12 PM

You could tell this guy's a pro....look at how clean his workshop is! even his watch is scratch-free!!! oh....great mod, man!!! +rep!

Xion X2

02-09-2010, 02:16 AM

Very nice work with the caps; I love the new mirrored look. It should be theoretically possible to swap out the RAM slots...though without a hot air soldering station, it'll be quite difficult, I would think.

Thanks, x88x. The more I research, the less and less it looks feasible for me to remove either the DIMMs or the PCI-e slots. The PCI-e slot has 164 pins under the 16x slots.

So now, it seems I'm down to either painting them or finding some way to fabricate pieces that will fit over them and still look neat while doing it. If any of you have any ideas, please let me know. I'm stewing on this one right now.

Man, I could have sworn I had subscribed to this thread early but I guess I must have encountered either a browser error or an error in my memory. Unbelievable work you're doing here, I'd never realized that the USB and IDE connectors could be removed easily. The ZGC is unreal in the execution and I think there's a pool of drool on my desk from the TWO 5970s and those gorgeous waterblocks. Keep up the phenomenal work!

Thanks very much, Main!

You could tell this guy's a pro....look at how clean his workshop is! even his watch is scratch-free!!! oh....great mod, man!!! +rep!

I'm afraid there's a hair scratch or two on the face of the watch. :D

Thanks!

Datech

02-09-2010, 03:56 PM

With the precision you've shown throughout this mod I doubt painting the connectors will prove a daunting task. You know the drill, get some of the quick drying acrylic paint, a small brush, breathing exercises and another couple of hours and it will be superb.

Couch3ater

02-09-2010, 04:23 PM

Later congrats on the new sponsor! Hahaha, been awhile. College applications and what not. Absolutely love the polished caps. Looks sweet. ^_^ Can't wait to see this beauty together.

x88x

02-09-2010, 05:28 PM

Xion X2

02-10-2010, 03:11 AM

Hey, guys! This sure is a sexy motherboard that's sitting here beside me. All the caps are now polished, and it looks like my mobo is wearing jewelry. :D

It really does make a difference. Very pleased with the look... now to make sure that she still works! :eek:

But.. I'm confident she does. I'll test her out tomorrow just to confirm, but I was very careful.

Onto your comments!

With the precision you've shown throughout this mod I doubt painting the connectors will prove a daunting task. You know the drill, get some of the quick drying acrylic paint, a small brush, breathing exercises and another couple of hours and it will be superb.

Thanks, Datech. :up: I think I'm just a little wary because my last time out with paint was a disaster. But this is much easier work than what I attempted before, and I'm hoping that my skills have improved a little sense then.

Later congrats on the new sponsor! Hahaha, been awhile. College applications and what not. Absolutely love the polished caps. Looks sweet. ^_^ Can't wait to see this beauty together.

Welcome back, Couch! Glad to see that you're still around and enjoying the build. :up: Thanks as always for the compliments!

You might also want to lightly sand all the surfaces, especially the large, smooth parts.

Yep, I was thinking the same thing. :)

I'll upload some pictures of the mobo tomorrow to show off the caps and the polished CPU socket. :D

Thanks, everyone!

Xion X2

02-11-2010, 01:42 AM

Bling-bling.

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/8135/dsc11260001.jpg (http://img40.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11260001.jpg)

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/5417/dsc11370001.jpg (http://img189.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11370001.jpg)

MMMmmm. Polished caps and CPU socket. This took a while and a lot of care, but I think that it turned out very well. There are still a couple that I can't get to so easily that I'll have to polish by hand. I used my dremel and a polishing wheel for most of the work on these, along with some aluminum polish.

A few more shots.

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/1411/dsc11320001.jpg (http://img704.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11320001.jpg)

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/5863/dsc11380001.jpg (http://img534.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11380001.jpg)

The polish goes on in a paste, then dries. So when buffing it off it created a lot of dust. So I used a combination of compressed air, paper towels and isopropyl alcohol to clean off all the excess from the PCB.

Tonight I picked up some painting supplies, as I'll be tackling those red connectors in the next day or two.

http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/2457/dsc11390001bg.jpg (http://img713.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11390001bg.jpg)

I'll cover the pcb with that plastic sheeting and tape it all down with masking tape before spraying.

I couldn't believe my luck, but I found some spray paint made for acrylic and plastic, with no sanding or priming required! :)

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/5436/dsc11400001.jpg (http://img40.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11400001.jpg)

Music to my ears.

More to come.

Datech

02-11-2010, 01:50 AM

That Krylon stuff has worked well for me, but it still doesn't hurt to sand it just a little.

x88x

02-11-2010, 01:50 AM

Looks very nice so far. One thing I would caution you on while painting though. Since you're spraying it, make sure you put something in the slots to protect the contacts from the paint. If they get painted over, you'll just have a very expensive, shiny paperweight.

Waynio

02-11-2010, 01:59 PM

There is no way I would do this, I need my warranties to be functional, I'm not loaded, it 's why I don't mod my psu's or mod my monitor, if I was loaded or the parts were near end of warranty or got them 2nd hand I'd go for it like you are doing, but not with expensive shiny new hardware so the only +rep I could do for the shiny caps and painted slots would be for being loaded and being able to do this lol :D:up:.

Xion X2

02-11-2010, 02:07 PM

That Krylon stuff has worked well for me, but it still doesn't hurt to sand it just a little.

Yeah. I'm going to test it tonight on some spare connectors that I have laying around and may try one sanded and one not sanded. The highest grit paper I have is 1000 (I may have some 1500 but I'll have to look,) and I want these to have a smooth texture in appearance.

Looks very nice so far. One thing I would caution you on while painting though. Since you're spraying it, make sure you put something in the slots to protect the contacts from the paint. If they get painted over, you'll just have a very expensive, shiny paperweight.

Yep, I'm using masking tape over the pins so as not to paint them. But thanks for the warning.

There is no way I would do this, I need my warranties to be functional, I'm not loaded, it 's why I don't mod my psu's or mod my monitor, if I was loaded or the parts were near end of warranty or got them 2nd hand I'd go for it like you are doing, but not with expensive shiny new hardware so the only +rep I could do for the shiny caps and painted slots would be for being loaded and being able to do this lol :D:up:.

Ah c'mon, Waynio. Give me the +rep for no compromises. :D

There will be no stickers, bar codes, brand labels or ugly ink anywhere in refleXion. It just can't be that way.

Waynio

02-11-2010, 02:17 PM

Ah c'mon, Waynio. Give me the +rep for no compromises. :D

There will be no stickers, bar codes, brand labels or ugly ink anywhere in refleXion. It just can't be that way.

:D True :up:. I know I'd do the same if I was well off enough :).

Couch3ater

02-11-2010, 04:09 PM

Lol, even as you're taking a "no holds barred" kind of approach, I certainly wouldn't have the stones to do it. >_< Good on ya' mate.

LiTHiUM0XiD3

02-11-2010, 04:49 PM

lol if ur gunna sit down and take sooo much time polishing cap i would suggest lappin ur cpu :)

lookin good

diluzio91

02-11-2010, 07:38 PM

lol if ur gunna sit down and take sooo much time polishing cap i would suggest lappin ur cpu :)

lookin good

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOO

lol... thats just scary...

Xion X2

02-12-2010, 04:05 AM

lol if ur gunna sit down and take sooo much time polishing cap i would suggest lappin ur cpu :)

lookin good

Too late to lap the CPU, I'm afraid. The CPU block would also have to be lapped, and I just had it nickel plated. So if I lap it now it will ruin the nickel finish on the base.

Painting is going so-so thus far. I have my eye on an all black eVGA board that I may go with if I can't get this Foxconn looking the way that I want it to.

Aside from painting, I've began reassembling the case with the Zero Gravity Chamber installed to see how everything looks. Luckily, everything is fitting pretty exact to the original measurements that were taken when I was constructing the chamber. Huge sigh of relief on that one.

I took several shots tonight of the assembly in action. This one turned out the best. Hope you enjoy.

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/5653/dsc11800001.jpg (http://img85.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11800001.jpg)

Datech

02-12-2010, 11:58 AM

Have you thought about finding screw plugs to fill the holes on the SSD's that face the windows?

Xion X2

02-12-2010, 01:08 PM

Have you thought about finding screw plugs to fill the holes on the SSD's that face the windows?

I'm experimenting with a few different ideas at the moment. Set screws, rubber inserts, etc.

Any ideas?

SXRguyinMA

02-12-2010, 01:36 PM

a tad of body filler, sand it down, tape off the top and bottom and paint it black? it'd make it look like theres not even a hole there :D

Datech

02-12-2010, 02:03 PM

I would prefer rubber inserts over filling it, that way you can use that side again if need be.

Xion X2

02-12-2010, 02:30 PM

Both good ideas, thanks. Although I've leaned towards not using body filler for the reason Datech mentioned in that it'd allow me to use those holes again if I ever needed them.

I've had difficulty finding rubber inserts that small, though.

x88x

02-12-2010, 02:37 PM

Maybe black nylon screws with the heads chopped off? You could always drill out the center and reverse them out later if you want them out.

Waynio

02-12-2010, 06:09 PM

Xion I had a long sleep so my thoughts are as clear as can be :).
I think someone mentioned this on your bit-tech log for getting your memory and expansion slots black, a permanent black marker, it would be the safest option, it is what I would do if I wanted them black, you could even test it out on 1 of the pieces you removed where it wouldn't be seen just to see what you think, worth a try.

I think spraying a motherboard could be too risky unless you do a 100% awesome job of masking around and filling the slots so nothing gets in, I suppose you could use thin rolls of blue tack lay over the slots, I think it is doable if you really take care to cover everything except the bits that you want painting.

Oh yeah & I wouldn't worry about the mounting holes as all drives have them and they will look cool enough with them looking as if they are floating :up:.

Xion X2

02-13-2010, 02:00 AM

Maybe black nylon screws with the heads chopped off? You could always drill out the center and reverse them out later if you want them out.

I've tried this method already, actually, on another SSD that the screws got stripped in. It's not exactly easy to back the screws out on these, so I'm hesitant about inserting any screws in there like this.

Xion I had a long sleep so my thoughts are as clear as can be :).
I think someone mentioned this on your bit-tech log for getting your memory and expansion slots black, a permanent black marker, it would be the safest option, it is what I would do if I wanted them black, you could even test it out on 1 of the pieces you removed where it wouldn't be seen just to see what you think, worth a try.

I think spraying a motherboard could be too risky unless you do a 100% awesome job of masking around and filling the slots so nothing gets in, I suppose you could use thin rolls of blue tack lay over the slots, I think it is doable if you really take care to cover everything except the bits that you want painting.

Oh yeah & I wouldn't worry about the mounting holes as all drives have them and they will look cool enough with them looking as if they are floating :up:.

Hey, Waynio. Thanks for the suggestion, bud, but I'm afraid that I've already tried that with a sharpie (permanent blank ink) and it hasn't worked out too well. It's just not thick enough and leaves spots where the red still shows through along with 'brush strokes' that make the connectors look messy.

I've decided to try and sell this board and replace it with an all black eVGA, so if anyone is interested in it for 120$ shipped within the U.S., let me know. I'll ship it internationally for $145.

Jake2k

02-13-2010, 05:28 PM

Xion X2

02-14-2010, 12:55 AM

I've been reading through this worklog all day... on my phone haha, I liked it so much that I put up with slow loads and a very tiny screen. Ill def. Be keeping an eye on this and must compliment you on your attention to detail.

EDIT: As a fellow photog(and D40 user) I must ask, what have you been lighting with? Seems like a softbox but in some of the reflections it looks like you could just be using a white bed sheet as a flash diffuser or maybe thats just the bg, either way great photos!

Thank you for the kind feedback, Jake. :)

I have two softboxes for lighting. I've been shooting for around 6 months now, and I've found lately that I prefer a more dramatic look with my photos instead of all the glare that I get from both boxes lit. So most of the shots lately have been with one softbox on its lowest, or next to lowest, output. Each one has 4 bulbs that are individually lit.

Xion X2

02-16-2010, 04:25 AM

Teaser.

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/7641/dsc12130001.jpg (http://img511.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12130001.jpg)

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/6651/dsc12110001.jpg (http://img715.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12110001.jpg)

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3922/dsc11950001.jpg (http://img195.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc11950001.jpg)

TheMainMan

02-16-2010, 12:32 PM

Damn, now I have to clean the drool out of my keyboard again! Starting to see more and more reflexions evident throughout. +rep

Xion X2

02-16-2010, 11:40 PM

Thanks, Main!

Still waiting on the next round of parts to arrive. This is what I'll be receiving:

- eVGA X58 SLI LE motherboard
- EK X58 SLI LE black acetal mosfet/NB/SB chipset block
- 2x Cross-SLI GPU fittings for parallel flow
- New thermal pads for Koolance ram blocks
- 6-32 Black oxide set screws for SSD holes

And, most importantly, I FINALLY, after four months into this project, have a workspace! Today I reserved a 10x20ft. storage unit with electrical for all the fab work that's left to do on refleXion. This will help speed the project along (much needed, right!?) so that it should be completed soon.

Couch3ater

02-17-2010, 04:50 PM

-- Babble. Drool. --

'Nuff said. Very nice. Still impressed, as per usual. =D

diluzio91

02-17-2010, 07:30 PM

amazing... just amazing... if you're looking for a way to make those holes look nice you could use these, they are beautiful. From the other components i would probably assume that it wouldnt be a big issue for you for the shipping cost

http://en.mdpc-x.com/mdpc-mounting/screws/unc-6-32-screws-black-oxide-button-head.htm

x88x

02-17-2010, 10:21 PM

Hmm, I hadn't thought of button heads...maybe you could even fill in the holes in the heads with a soft plastic that you could scrape out if/when you want to take them out?

Xion X2; if you're in the US, boltdepot.com is great (and cheaper, I think..at least in shipping).

SXRguyinMA

02-17-2010, 10:31 PM

mcmaster carr is nice too :up:

billygoat333

02-18-2010, 02:32 AM

this case = pure computer sex.

Xion X2

02-18-2010, 12:02 PM

-- Babble. Drool. --

'Nuff said. Very nice. Still impressed, as per usual. =D

Thanks, Couch! :up:

amazing... just amazing... if you're looking for a way to make those holes look nice you could use these, they are beautiful. From the other components i would probably assume that it wouldnt be a big issue for you for the shipping cost

http://en.mdpc-x.com/mdpc-mounting/screws/unc-6-32-screws-black-oxide-button-head.htm

Hey, diluzio! Thank you for the very kind compliments!

Yeah, I have some of those MDPC button-head screws that you linked. And while they look great, even the smallest they have are a little too long to screw down flush into the SSD holes, so they stick out a little on the sides. I could try cutting them with a bolt cutter, but I have some set screws on the way that I'm going to try first.

But yeah, you're on the right track as I've thought of that myself. :)

Hmm, I hadn't thought of button heads...maybe you could even fill in the holes in the heads with a soft plastic that you could scrape out if/when you want to take them out?

Xion X2; if you're in the US, boltdepot.com is great (and cheaper, I think..at least in shipping).

x88x, do you have any examples of this "soft plastic" that you mentioned? It'd help me to have a visual.

I'll check out boltdepot.com. Thanks.

mcmaster carr is nice too :up:

Yeah, they are. Their prices just seem to be a little steep.

this case = pure computer sex.

Thanks, billygoat! That's just the look I'm going for.

Short update-- I'm in the process of moving all of my tools into a local storage unit that I've just rented out as my new workspace as there remains some fab work to be done before refleXion is ready to go off to paint. So this will help speed things along. I have almost all the parts now that are going into refleXion. The EK chipset/mosfet block should arrive today, and I'll snap a few pics so that everyone can see how it looks on the board.

x88x

02-18-2010, 12:25 PM

x88x, do you have any examples of this "soft plastic" that you mentioned? It'd help me to have a visual.

Hmm, tbh I didn't really have anything specific in mind; maybe a small dab of hotglue sanded flush? Or maybe a soft modeling clay? I know Crayola Modeling Magic sets rather soft; that might actually be useful for just filling the screw hole straight; fill the hole with it, let it set, then use two pins to 'unscrew' it?

mDust

02-18-2010, 08:20 PM

+rep...for that motherboard alone. Don't let that go to waste.

EDIT: Oh jeez, I gotta spread it around first. I'll get ya later.

Xion X2

02-19-2010, 04:01 AM

Hmm, tbh I didn't really have anything specific in mind; maybe a small dab of hotglue sanded flush? Or maybe a soft modeling clay? I know Crayola Modeling Magic sets rather soft; that might actually be useful for just filling the screw hole straight; fill the hole with it, let it set, then use two pins to 'unscrew' it?

We'll see. I have some small set screws on the way to try first, and if these don't work then I may look into some kind of a body filler. Thanks.

+rep...for that motherboard alone. Don't let that go to waste.

EDIT: Oh jeez, I gotta spread it around first. I'll get ya later.

Thanks, mDust. :)

Shots from the studio. The new motherboard and full chipset block have arrived--

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4497/dsc12190001.jpg (http://img9.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12190001.jpg)
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/8055/dsc12250001.jpg (http://img64.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12250001.jpg)
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/9223/dsc12280001.jpg (http://img16.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12280001.jpg)
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/6506/dsc12390001.jpg (http://img687.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12390001.jpg)

An added, unexpected benefit from this new board is that not only does it match my color scheme a lot better because of the mostly black connectors, but the few connectors on the board that are a grayish silver match these DangerDen nickel-plated blocks almost perfectly. :)

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/92/dsc12590001.jpg (http://img685.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12590001.jpg)
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/2787/dsc12640001.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12640001.jpg)

You may notice that I've removed the stickers from the SSDs to give them a cleaner look. I also have some 6-32 set screws on the way to fill those holes on the sides (thanks again for the suggestion, KG.)

In addition, the Zero Gravity Chamber center panel window that they're mounted to has been framed in black to dress up the piece by hiding the rough edges of the perspex.

The EK full cover chipset block for the eVGA X58 SLI LE in nickel/acetal. This thing is beautiful.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/198/dsc12690001.jpg (http://img16.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12690001.jpg)
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/7449/dsc12720001.jpg (http://img687.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12720001.jpg)
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/3937/dsc12750001.jpg (http://img687.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12750001.jpg)
http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/3031/dsc12850001.jpg (http://img685.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12850001.jpg)
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/8525/dsc12880001.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12880001.jpg)
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/1074/dsc12950001.jpg (http://img198.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12950001.jpg)
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4484/dsc12960001.jpg (http://img195.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12960001.jpg)

Very fine craftsmanship, Eddy. :up:

The block's not installed yet because I first need to test this eVGA board and make sure it's not DOA.

More to come into the weekend.

x88x

02-19-2010, 01:41 PM

Very nice, I love the look of the new MBB. That is gonna fit your look much better than the Foxconn did. :D

Couch3ater

02-19-2010, 04:06 PM

... I've said it before, and I'll say it again... -- Babble. Drool. --

Hahaha, still love the mod mate. The nickel is lookin pretty sleek.

Jake2k

02-19-2010, 05:14 PM

Holy hell that's nice, I assume your gonna polish the caps on this board as well?

StyleCore

02-21-2010, 10:18 PM

I only wish I could do this. This is the nicest computer I have ever seen, I love the floating SSDs and the water cooling. Like I said, I could only dream about doing something this crazy.

Xion X2

02-21-2010, 10:42 PM

Very nice, I love the look of the new MBB. That is gonna fit your look much better than the Foxconn did. :D

Indeed it does, x88x. The color scheme matches perfectly now. ;)

... I've said it before, and I'll say it again... -- Babble. Drool. --

Hahaha, still love the mod mate. The nickel is lookin pretty sleek.

Thanks, Couch! :)

Holy hell that's nice, I assume your gonna polish the caps on this board as well?

You know, I've been thinking about it and am just not sure at this point. If you look at the 5970s, they have the same colored caps. And I just can't bring myself to polish those since it would void the warranty on 1200$ worth of GPUs. :P

So I haven't decided for certain yet whether to polish the caps on this eVGA board or not. May wait until all the watercooling parts are on it and then decide. That way I can see how it all looks together.

I only wish I could do this. This is the nicest computer I have ever seen, I love the floating SSDs and the water cooling. Like I said, I could only dream about doing something this crazy.

Wow, thank you very much, StyleCore. That's a great compliment. I'm very glad that you're enjoying the build that much.

There is a lot more to come. There's much that still hasn't been revealed.

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/8168/dsc124200011.jpg (http://img638.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc124200011.jpg)

Made a lot of progress on the build today. :)

So today was my first day in my new workshop! Yeah, yeah.. it's nothing really that special. Concrete walls, a single light bulb with a string attached hanging from the ceiling (that's why I bought that new double-head 1000w Halogen monster that you see in the above picture there.) Probably rats scurrying somewhere about behind the concrete walls.

But hey, it's 10x20 ft, gives me plenty of room, and I have a heavy metal garage band just a few doors down from me so I never have to wear headphones. :lol:

But seriously, today was great. For the first time since I began refleXion--which is now about 4 months ago--I had both the space and privacy I need to really push this thing ahead and into the home stretch. I've fallen so behind on my fab work, and now it's time to bring all that up to speed so refleXion can go off to paint and start looking a little sexier than the scratched up aluminum it's wearing now.

So, we begin by taking a look at the motherboard tray. As you can see here below, in its current state it looks quite ugly. It has a bent side and is overlaying part of the pump windows on the Zero Gravity Chamber. Two big no-nos for this build. I want that back side looking clean even though it won't be seen a lot of the time.

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6379/dsc12040001.jpg (http://img138.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12040001.jpg)

Yuck, right? It gets even worse. You can see here that not only is it covering part of the pump windows, but it's angled in and pushing the Zero-G Chamber lop-sided.

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/6686/dsc120500011.jpg (http://img29.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc120500011.jpg)

So, this thing is getting hacked today. If you look at where my fingers are resting, this is where we'll cut--right along that bend.
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/629/dsc12060001.jpg (http://img29.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12060001.jpg)

If you look just to the right of my fingers in that above picture, you'll see a threaded screwhole. Not the ones for standoffs but to the left of them. There are three of these running vertical along the Zero-G Chamber. Perfect. After we cut this piece, we'll drill matching holes into the Zero Gravity Chamber to mount it to. This will both look clean and provide more stability for that motherboard tray.

This isn't a flat piece, so finding the right tool to cut on it was tricky. A jig won't work, because the edge guide has nothing flat to sit on. Neither will a circular saw.

Well, I've been waiting to put this dremel of mine to good use (other than polishing nickel as before) so it looks as if it's time for it to sweat a little.

Here you'll see that I'm lining it up along that bend. We'll cut this piece lengthwise along that bend to give us a smooth, flush fit against the Zero G Chamber.

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/7364/dsc12070001.jpg (http://img697.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12070001.jpg)

To cut, I'm using the heavy duty quick fit metal grinding wheel. Such a big name for something so small (actually, I just made that up.. I think. I don't remember what it's called, exactly.)

Here we go.

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1064/dsc120800011.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc120800011.jpg)

It's doing a great job so far. This began kicking up some metal dust, so I strapped on my 3M multi-purpose respirator. Don't wanna be breathing this stuff. Sorry, I don't have a pic of it, and you're probably better off not seeing it on me. My face is scary enough without a bio mask.

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/3271/dsc12090001.jpg (http://img29.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12090001.jpg)

Still doing a great job but that grinding wheel is vanishing right before my eyes. I have a feeling that most of the dust I'm seeing around me is this thing practically vaporizing before my very eyes.

And here, off we go.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/4760/dsc121100011.jpg (http://img132.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc121100011.jpg)

This actually worked better than I thought it would. It was the perfect tool for the job since this was thin aluminum that I was working with.

To get this nice and smooth, though, we'll hit it with a file.

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1271/dsc12120001.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12120001.jpg)

And.. after about 15 minutes of filing this is how it looks afterward. A nice even cut.

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/2544/dsc12140001.jpg (http://img413.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12140001.jpg)

Running my fingers along it, it still felt a little rough and sharp--even after 15 minutes of filing. So I broke out my new toy, a Black and Decker multi-purpose sander.

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/6895/dsc121900011.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc121900011.jpg)

This thing is slick. It has 4 quick attachments for different uses. An orbital, a mouse, a flat belt and... well, the other escapes me at the moment. Trust me though, it's cool.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/3937/dsc12160001.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12160001.jpg)

I slapped the orbital attachment on it, and this really got the edges nice and smooth.

So, let's fit her and see how she looks.

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/4972/dsc122200011.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc122200011.jpg)

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/5691/dsc12230001.jpg (http://img690.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12230001.jpg)

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/1069/dsc12240001.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12240001.jpg)

I'm liking that a lot. Looks much better.

(To be continued.)

Xion X2

02-21-2010, 11:18 PM

Framework - Part II

Next item on the agenda was to tackle those corner supports.

To provide some history, the drive cages were removed from the Cosmos so as to make room for the Zero Gravity Chamber. However, when doing so, the corner supports for the frame were lost in the process.

So then I was faced with the task of either making some from scratch or modifying the drive cage. And.. you guessed it. I've never passed up the chance to rip up some metal.

Here in this pic you'll see the right side of the drive cage that was removed. You can see how there's no room for it in the frame, and I wouldn't want it in there, anyway. I removed it because I hated how it looked in there to begin with. But it served an important job which was to provide support for the corners of the frame.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/613/dsc12270001.jpg (http://img28.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12270001.jpg)

So.. don't panic when you see this below, but one night when I was bored and sitting in my small apartment and stewing about not having any workspace, I took a pair of aluminum sheers to one side of the drive cage--more out of frustration than anything else.

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/5793/dsc122800011.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc122800011.jpg)

So.. yeah.. now it's obviously time to clean this piece up...

And we're back to Date with a Dremel, the sequel.

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/448/dsc12290001.jpg (http://img193.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12290001.jpg)

And my poor metal wheel grinder has just about had it.

She's going...

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3271/dsc123000011.jpg (http://img69.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc123000011.jpg)

Going...

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/4117/dsc123100011.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc123100011.jpg)

And then gone (see, you don't even see it. I think it went up in a cloud of dust around me.)

Good thing I'm restocked.

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/128/dsc12320001.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12320001.jpg)

Now we've finished cutting that corner off the drive cage that'll be used for the corner support on one side.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/743/dsc12350001.jpg (http://img69.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12350001.jpg)

And here I am fitting it on the frame, to illustrate.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/892/dsc12380001.jpg (http://img94.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12380001.jpg)

Another thing these pieces do is hold part of the front case facing in place. You can see all the notches/clips that fit together.

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/9139/dsc12400001.jpg (http://img717.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12400001.jpg)

So, it was important to save this piece. It would've been a pain to build it from scratch again.

Now the other side. This side had yet to be demolished by the aluminum shears.

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/6854/dsc12440001.jpg (http://img717.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12440001.jpg)

And, we'll go ahead and prepare for the inevitable...

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/5620/dsc12450001.jpg (http://img94.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12450001.jpg)

And, off she goes.

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/5334/dsc12460001.jpg (http://img715.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12460001.jpg)

Here's a nice shot of the piece that we're keeping for the corner support.

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/2013/dsc12480001.jpg (http://img29.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12480001.jpg)

And here are both corner supports fitted back onto the frame.

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/3536/dsc125100011.jpg (http://img96.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc125100011.jpg)
http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/2253/dsc12550001.jpg (http://img716.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12550001.jpg)

More to come in the next few days. :wave:

Jake2k

02-22-2010, 12:02 AM

Sweet! I remember those damn cutting discs back when I modded xboxs, I hated them haha.

x88x

02-22-2010, 02:28 AM

Looking good; I never thought of using an orbital sander for smoothing cut edges...hmm. For metalwork in a small apartment, I find that the bathtub works nicely...though if I had a girlfriend/wife/etc, that might be a different story. :P

Something you've probably noticed; you'll run through those 'heavy duty' cutting discs a lot faster than the fibreglass reinforced ones. They're more expensive, but for me, not having to change them as frequently and being able to get them for the quick-change attachment makes it worth it to use the fibreglass ones.

Xion X2

02-23-2010, 11:32 AM

Sweet! I remember those damn cutting discs back when I modded xboxs, I hated them haha.

Thanks, Jake. They do a great job; it's just a pain to swap them out every time when they wear out.

Looking good; I never thought of using an orbital sander for smoothing cut edges...hmm. For metalwork in a small apartment, I find that the bathtub works nicely...though if I had a girlfriend/wife/etc, that might be a different story. :P

Something you've probably noticed; you'll run through those 'heavy duty' cutting discs a lot faster than the fibreglass reinforced ones. They're more expensive, but for me, not having to change them as frequently and being able to get them for the quick-change attachment makes it worth it to use the fibreglass ones.

Thanks for the tip on the fiberglass discs. The quick-change and longevity is worth the extra cost. :up:

x88x

02-23-2010, 01:20 PM

The quick-change and longevity is worth the extra cost.

Yup; just make sure you get the right ones, since they make different thicknesses/compositions for cutting plastic, metal, and a couple other different varieties. Weirdly, they only do that for the quick-change discs, not the normal fibreglass discs.. I think the metal ones are a courser weave and thicker than the plastic ones. Another benefit of the quick-change discs is that you can actually get slightly more life out of them than the normal fibreglass discs. They're OD is slightly larger, though obviously their ID is also larger, but you can actually use it closer to the end of the disc. Plus, if you're cutting in awkward positions, the centre of the quick-change discs is a lot stronger (larger surface, metal sleeving), so it's a lot harder to snap the disc off the shaft. :facepalm:

Xion X2

02-24-2010, 12:43 AM

So last we left off we had worked on that motherboard tray and the corner supports for the frame.

Here she sits under her new work light, a daylight flourescent with two bright bulbs. Waiting to be attended to.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/3636/dsc126400011.jpg (http://img196.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc126400011.jpg)

But wait. Those corner supports aren't done quite yet.

Let me preface this next part with saying this. I imagine there are two camps out there. Those who think I'm a ridiculous perfectionist and those who probably appreciate my attention to detail. Well, the reason I'm so picky is because, when I began this build, I said to myself that no matter what lengths I had to go to, the finished product would look professional as if built by a case manufacturer. That was and still is a key objective of mine with refleXion, so this next piece you're about to see is a direct result of that drive.

Here's a close up of the corner support. Notice running along the bottom that there is a rough lip that's left over from the dremel cut:

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/6892/dsc12660001.jpg (http://img692.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12660001.jpg)

This lip will not be seen easily as it will be behind the front of the frame. But for one who would look closely after the case is complete, they would see this:

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/4959/dsc13010001.jpg (http://img717.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13010001.jpg)

See how the lip, being a rough cut, doesn't allow the corner support to sit flush with the frame of the Zero G Chamber? These two pieces will be bolted together, so I'd like as clean a join as possible.

So, time to break out the dremel again to grind these supports down. I'll be grinding off that lip that's keeping the pieces from sitting flush against one another.

Let's get the dremel ready.

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/802/dsc12700001.jpg (http://img651.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12700001.jpg)

And away we go.

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/2559/dsc127400011.jpg (http://img683.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc127400011.jpg)

Ok, stopping point. Look where my finger is resting. To the left we haven't touched yet. To the right, we've hit with the grinding wheel. See the difference?

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/5405/dsc12770001.jpg (http://img692.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12770001.jpg)

But.. wow.. these things go about as fast as the cutting discs. After just grinding half the corner support, look at what's happened to our wheel.

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/2411/dsc128500011.jpg (http://img682.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc128500011.jpg)

Not good. Definitely need something stronger.

It was at that moment that I was reminded of my first job out of high school. To put it plainly, it sucked. I worked in a warehouse doing some pretty hard labor. The company I worked for built huge carpet carousels, and one of my tasks was to grind hundreds of galvanized piping day after day with a small handheld grinder to prep it for welding. And then I thought, you know, I didn't do that stuff with one of these hollowed out, cheaply made grinding/sanding wheels. What I used was a diamond-cut steel bit. So there has to be something better out there for this job. And hopefully Dremel makes it.

Time for a trip to Home Depot. And when I got there, I found just what I was looking for. A large multi-purpose grinding/sanding kit.

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/7385/dsc12840001.jpg (http://img62.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12840001.jpg)

That's what I need. Grinding stones.

Let's give them a whirl. I'll try this one out first.

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/3027/dsc12860001.jpg (http://img651.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12860001.jpg)

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/2219/dsc12870001.jpg (http://img651.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12870001.jpg)

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/1064/dsc12930001.jpg (http://img268.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12930001.jpg)

Ahhh yeah, now we're getting somewhere. This is looking good, but it's left some rough edges that need to be treated with the file.

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/1217/dsc129400011.jpg (http://img682.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc129400011.jpg)

You love me in my ninja work gloves.

Take a look at the two corner pieces now. Notice the difference.

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/3929/dsc129500011.jpg (http://img682.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc129500011.jpg)

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/9020/dsc12970001.jpg (http://img534.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12970001.jpg)

And now, look how well this new corner piece joins to the frame as compared to before we hit it with the grinder.

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/3271/dsc12990001.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12990001.jpg)

Looking a lot better. :yepp:

More to come tomorrow.

Xion X2

02-24-2010, 01:01 AM

A sneak peek into the next update.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/7857/distress.jpg (http://img268.imageshack.us/my.php?image=distress.jpg)

:cool:

SXRguyinMA

02-24-2010, 11:17 AM

http://www.postwhore.biz/albums/userpics/10082/popcorn.gif
http://www.postwhore.biz/albums/userpics/10082/rockon.gif

Couch3ater

02-24-2010, 11:48 AM

LOL, PLEXI RUN AND HIDE! Hahahaha, and as for the attention to detail; I would fall into the latter category. Absolutely LOVE your attention to detail. Keep up the good work.

Of topic: I'll have to go pick me up one of those grinding kits. >_>

x88x

02-24-2010, 03:26 PM

Love it. :D

Also, yeah, grinding stones are your friend. ;) TBH, I probably would have ended up doing a lot of that with a hand file though...I'm kinda a control freak with that stuff sometimes. :P

Xion X2

02-26-2010, 02:27 AM

http://www.postwhore.biz/albums/userpics/10082/popcorn.gif
http://www.postwhore.biz/albums/userpics/10082/rockon.gif

Thanks man.

LOL, PLEXI RUN AND HIDE! Hahahaha, and as for the attention to detail; I would fall into the latter category. Absolutely LOVE your attention to detail. Keep up the good work.

Of topic: I'll have to go pick me up one of those grinding kits. >_>

Thanks, Couch. :)

Love it. :D

Also, yeah, grinding stones are your friend. ;) TBH, I probably would have ended up doing a lot of that with a hand file though...I'm kinda a control freak with that stuff sometimes. :P

Thanks, x88x. I started out with files, but it was taking waaaaaay too long.

Project Update --

Ok, these hands are ready to go back to work.

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/7272/dsc13200001.jpg (http://img200.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13200001.jpg)

But.. wait. Forgot something important.

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/1903/dsc132100011.jpg (http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc132100011.jpg)

Entering Ninja Mode...

Ready for anything... ready even for a tool that'd be in my hands for the first time.

The Skilsaw. I found her on sale for 24.99$ at Home Depot. A real steal, I thought.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/8159/dsc13120001.jpg (http://img196.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13120001.jpg)

Okaayyy.. depth adjustment looks good.

This is actually the first time I'm using one of these. It's probably etched in my memory as the tool I remember seeing my father use the most as I was growing up (I'm in my early thirties if any of you were wondering.) So I was anxious to get the feel of it by cutting some 1/4" plexi.

Oh, sorry.. I almost forgot to explain why we're breaking out the Skilsaw in the first place.

Tonight, I'm doing some more work on the Zero-G Chamber. Notice the bottom shelf in this picture. It's buckling a little down the middle with the SSD shelf resting on it.

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/6889/dsc132400011.jpg (http://img718.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc132400011.jpg)

To remedy this, I planned to experiment with some thicker plexi just for that bottom shelf. Instead of 1/8" I would try 1/4". This stuff is too thick to cut/break with my bending brake, so I needed a way to cut it. And after doing some research, it seemed like a circular saw was the way to go.

For blades, I'm using 140 tooth 7 1/4" Avanti made for cutting plastics and plywood. You'll notice the teeth are shorter than what you often see on your standard sawblades.

Set-up complete. Shelf length and width marked with the sharpie. We'll be cutting along that black rectangle shown in the bottom right of the plexi sheet. And to ensure a straight cut, we'll use an aluminum angle for a straight edge.

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/6858/dsc13270001.jpg (http://img651.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13270001.jpg)

Earplugs in, safety glasses on.

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/3087/dsc13300001.jpg (http://img718.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13300001.jpg)

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/9277/dsc13290001.jpg (http://img716.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13290001.jpg)

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/3351/dsc13320001.jpg (http://img72.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13320001.jpg)

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/4375/dsc13330001.jpg (http://img716.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13330001.jpg)

Pretty good results. The 140 tooth blades gave me a nice smooth cut. Any jagged edges you see is just the protective paper over the plexi. The cut surface is smooth to the touch. It'll need to be sanded and polished.. maybe dressed with some edge trim. We'll experiment with that later.

Here's how it looks in the frame.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/2561/dsc13350001.jpg (http://img696.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13350001.jpg)

The shelf no longer buckles. Yeah, my side panel's gotten some dust and dirt on it from sitting in the shop with all these tools. It's ok.. I'll clean it up with some windex and an air duster later.

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/2418/dsc13420001.jpg (http://img444.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13420001.jpg)

Looking pretty good. Still more work to be done on the chamber. I'm still not happy with the edges of the perspex, but I'll save that for another day.

For now, I'll introduce you to my latest workshop investment.

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/399/dsc13500001.jpg (http://img62.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13500001.jpg)

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/971/dsc13530001.jpg (http://img696.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13530001.jpg)

After seeing all the magic that callen has been able to create with his routing table, I just couldn't resist. They had the Ryobi table and router down at the Depot for 99$, and I couldn't pass it up. It's just a small table, but for the work I'm doing it should suit me just fine. I spent much of tonight just assembling it, but I'll be giving it some play in the next few days. It will have some important work to do on the Zero-G Chamber.

That's all for now. Thanks again for following the making of refleXion.

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/1715/dsc13190001.jpg (http://img72.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13190001.jpg)

x88x

02-26-2010, 03:07 AM

Nice. Gotta love new tools.

I actually got my circular saw for free out of a dumpster. Some contractor had cut the cord and decided to just toss it. 30 seconds of soldering later, and I had a fully functional circular saw. :D

Xion X2

02-28-2010, 04:01 AM

Xion X2

02-28-2010, 04:09 AM

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/1903/dsc132100011.jpg (http://img696.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc132100011.jpg)

(Crysis reference)

It was time to play with the new routing table. Here I'm running just a spare piece of plexi through it to test. I'm routing through with my trusty Bosch upspiral straight bit. It's the same one that I used in my RotoZip.

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3340/dsc13580001.jpg (http://img413.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13580001.jpg)

You can't beat the smooth, clean finish this bit leaves behind. Just look how smooth it carves out the plexi (the cut on the top right.)

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/8402/dsc13610001.jpg (http://img535.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13610001.jpg)

I bought a standard straight bit by SKIL, but it doesn't even compare to this upspiral. It wasn't carving clean.. it was causing the plexi to foam and melt around the edges. So I took it out and threw in the Bosch upspiral, and all is well again. :up:

So what are we doing tonight.. well, we're doing a little rework. I know, I know.. no one likes to do things over, especially me. But as goes this project, so goes a good part of my time, money and.. well, life, basically. I've invested a lot into this work, so if an opportunity presents itself to make a part of it better, then I will.

In the last update, I showed how the bottom shelf in the Zero Gravity Chamber was buckling a little due to the weight of the SSD shelf. We were able to remedy that by making that bottom shelf out of 1/4" plexi instead of the 1/8" that was used originally. In addition, the original mount for the SSD shelf was very simplistic and rather ineffective. It was a straight join with weld-on, and while it will hold okay, there are more effective ways to bond two shelves together.

So tonight, we're going to explore a better way of joining the Zero-G shelves together by cutting and routing some 1/4" plexi to replace the 1/8" plexi that's currently in the chamber.

Here I am marking the SSD shelf location.

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/3563/dsc13640001.jpg (http://img535.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13640001.jpg)

Where you see the shelf rest, we'll be routing a groove out in that bottom shelf for it to fit snug in. Here, I'll show.

Lined up on the routing table.

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9215/dsc13660001.jpg (http://img35.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13660001.jpg)

I've set my depth at 1/8". Remember that we're not carving through the shelf but just routing a groove out for our SSD shelf to fit snug in.

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/6411/dsc13690001.jpg (http://img638.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13690001.jpg)

The depth of the rip fence on this table is too shallow, so I had to remove it and replace it with an aluminum angle positioned far enough back to route a little more than 3 inches into the shelf.

Here's the end product. A nice, clean straight groove cut into our shelf.

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/3124/dsc13700001.jpg (http://img534.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13700001.jpg)

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/1305/dsc13710001.jpg (http://img72.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13710001.jpg)

That turned out really well and was a lot easier than setting up a straight edge and cutting with the RotoZip. Having a bench just allows you better leverage, along with square cuts.

So, now it was time to cut a new SSD shelf in 1/4" plexi to replace the 1/8" piece. Time to crank up the new toy.

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/1372/dsc13780001.jpg (http://img35.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13780001.jpg)

My new Ryobi table saw with 30 in. adjustable width to the right of the blade.

I moved it into the back corner of my shop next to the routing table.

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/6884/dsc13810001.jpg (http://img35.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13810001.jpg)

It was fun using a handsaw to cut this stuff until it became difficult to make square cuts even with a straight edge. The Skilsaw kept getting hung in the plexi which would cause it to drift a little.

I admire anyone who has both the patience and skill to use hand tools for everything, but my philosophy is if there's a better, quicker, more precise way to do something, then that's the way I'm going. And this table saw will save me a lot of headaches and a lot of time. I'm doing a lot of work with plexi in this build and will in future builds as well.

The thing I noticed immediately with the table saw was how simple it was to square off a piece of material. Two of the four sides of my plexi sheet were not square because of the Skilsaw drifting, and I was able to correct that in a matter of minutes.

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/6581/dsc13870001.jpg (http://img534.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13870001.jpg)

Ok, the first test... how well can it cut through not just plexi but tougher material, like solid state drives...

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/6190/dsc13890001.jpg (http://img696.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13890001.jpg)

Anyone want to take a guess?

:)

I'd have to be out of my freaking mind and then some, obviously.

No, what I'm doing here is measuring off that SSD shelf, because I'm going to cut the new shelf to the same exact size.

Lining up the cut with the miter fence.

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/350/dsc13900001.jpg (http://img121.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13900001.jpg)

We'll be cutting right along that line for our shelf width.

And away we go.

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/6015/dsc13930001.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13930001.jpg)

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/246/dsc13960001.jpg (http://img534.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13960001.jpg)

WWWEEEEAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR....

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/2314/dsc13970001.jpg (http://img121.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc13970001.jpg)

Notice that I'm feeding the blade while standing to the right and out of the kickback path. I've heard this is the smart thing to do...

And after what seems like far too easy a job, we're through. Here you can see the nice, clean cut it gives us. I'm using 180 tooth 10" Irwin blades made for plastic and plywood.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7813/dsc14060001.jpg (http://img20.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14060001.jpg)

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/6207/dsc14070001.jpg (http://img62.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14070001.jpg)

Ok, retrieving our shelf that we had routed the groove in before...

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/9978/dsc14110001.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14110001.jpg)

And we'll slide the new SSD shelf down in that groove..

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/310/dsc14080001.jpg (http://img203.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14080001.jpg)

Voila.

We'll secure the two pieces with weld-on. This should give us a cleaner and more secure bond than just bonding two flat pieces together.. especially with the more sturdy 1/4" plexi. :yepp:

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/5179/dsc14130001.jpg (http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14130001.jpg)

And, using our old SSD shelf as a template, we'll mark the drillholes for the new shelf...

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/1484/dsc14180001.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14180001.jpg)

And those will be drilled shortly.

Thanks for reading; that's it for tonight. Time for me to clean up some of this plexi dust before I get caught in a blizzard.

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/8660/dsc14190001.jpg (http://img59.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14190001.jpg)

x88x

02-28-2010, 04:44 AM

Heheh, congrats on the new tools. It always makes things easier when you have the right tools for the job. :D

Xion X2

03-03-2010, 04:18 AM

Thanks, x88x. Things are a lot more fun now. ;)

I'm posting some previously unreleased shots of the build. One of them has hidden meaning.

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/1517/dsc117500011.jpg (http://img63.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc117500011.jpg)
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/8510/dsc10430001.jpg (http://img535.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10430001.jpg)
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/167/dsc10280001.jpg (http://img38.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10280001.jpg)

diluzio91

03-03-2010, 11:01 AM

Man... every time i see an update on this thread i feel like a kid in a candy store watching a Disney movie...

x88x

03-03-2010, 05:28 PM

Shiny. ....dang it, now you have me obsessing over what the hidden meaning is... :P

mofo

03-03-2010, 06:05 PM

Tinted window? or that one way mirrored film applique?
Curious. Very Curious.

Edit: I looked again and noticed in the bottom pic the tubing is being reflected, quite clearly. Do I win?
Edit, Edit: I do not win, the first post of his clearly states he is using a mirrored acrylic, so the mirroring is not new :(

SXRguyinMA

03-03-2010, 06:07 PM

maybe something to do with the tubing? maybe he got hosed on something :D lol

diluzio91

03-03-2010, 06:15 PM

I have $5 that says the computer comes to life at night and cleans the house!

artoodeeto

03-03-2010, 07:20 PM

the side of his case resembles a whirlpool or a galaxy. If it's a whirlpool, that's indicative of 2 things. 1 - washing machines. 2- drains. this is clearly NOT a washing machine (...or IS it....). So that leaves #2, drains. I think it symbolizes the amount of money that's gone down the drain on this project. Yep. :D
Unless the side of the case is a galaxy, in which case I'd say that it, along with the clearly visible "zero g" drive bays, provides a space theme, and the tube is (obviously) a wormhole reference. So really, the hidden meaning is Stargate. Yep. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it, no matter how ludicrous. heheheeheee :)

ok ok...I *did* notice that the coiled tube does seem to resemble a bit the design on the side of the case. But I doubt that's what he's talking about.

Waynio

03-04-2010, 12:22 PM

Coming along steadily :up:.
Like the routing table :), a tool I would like to get at some point, quite a lot of nice progress since I last checked in, new all black slot motherboard too :) nickel plated motherboard block too, going to be one heck of a sweet rig this bud :), keep it up :up:.

You & many others have inspired me to take note of the quality of pictures & have got around to getting an ok camera :), it's not a dslr but it's got full manual controls and picture quality is far better than my last, even going to make a soft light box for future projects, but going to be concentrating on airbrushing for the meantime, finishing has always been my weak point so is my number 1 modding priority now :).

Xion X2

03-05-2010, 05:28 AM

Ok, guys. The 'hidden meaning' had to do with the side panel, so here's the deal with it. :)

I believe the time has arrived to reveal the secret behind the side panel of refleXion.

When at first, it appeared as acrylic. Then, I revealed that it was actually a mirrored acrylic piece. Now, here is the next revelation:

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/3586/dsc10420001.jpg (http://img714.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc10420001.jpg)

The side panel window, instead of being a mirror, is actually two-way mirror perspex. It's the same stuff that's used in security cameras. When lit from behind, it becomes transparent so that you can see through it.

Notice in the above photo that at the left corner where the softbox is sitting behind it, it is perfectly transparent. Then, as you move to the right and out of the path of light, it becomes a mirror again.

:)

Xion X2

03-05-2010, 05:29 AM

So I've been getting in a lot of practice with the router table. This is quickly becoming my favorite tool (I know, I say that with every purchase, but it's true!)

What I'm attempting now is to recess cut the Zero-G shelves that the pumps rest on. The reason I'm doing this is because, after going with 1/4" plexi in place of 1/8", the pumps now sit 1/8" higher and do not line up properly in the windows. You'll see what I mean shortly.

First step was to draw an outline of the pump base on a test plexi shelf that was cut to scale at 1/4" thickness. Then, I'll recess cut it with the router 1/8" which was the thickness of the perspex in the original design of the Zero-G Chamber.

The place you'll want to pay attention to is on the left (there are a few cuts on this piece. Like I said, it was used for testing, so please ignore them.) It's outlined with the sharpie. I'm using a standard board as a straight edge on the right so that I can cut a straight line downward on that left side.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/1724/dsc14340001.jpg (http://img28.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14340001.jpg)

This is how it looks all cleared out. There are some rough grooves in there, but those will come out once we start sanding it down.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/6859/dsc14360001.jpg (http://img268.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14360001.jpg)

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/9457/dsc14400001.jpg (http://img198.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14400001.jpg)

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/9673/dsc14410001.jpg (http://img31.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14410001.jpg)

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/7096/dsc14420001.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14420001.jpg)

I'll hit it with my power sander first and use the mouse/detail end attachment.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/2236/dsc14430001.jpg (http://img28.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14430001.jpg)

This is how it looked afterward.

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/9665/dsc14440001.jpg (http://img30.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14440001.jpg)

Now we go through the torturous process of sanding this down back to opaque (I really need a torch..)

But first, this is how it will look. You can see that the base of the pump now rests in that 1/8" recess cut.

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/8075/dsc14450001.jpg (http://img31.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14450001.jpg)

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9481/dsc14470001.jpg (http://img268.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14470001.jpg)

Now to the sanding...

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/5192/dsc14520001.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14520001.jpg)

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/398/dsc14530001.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14530001.jpg)

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/4850/dsc14540001.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14540001.jpg)

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2767/dsc14550001.jpg (http://img198.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14550001.jpg)

My fingers feel like they're about to fall off at this point. 2000 grit below (forgot to include it on the photo)--

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/8871/dsc14560001.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14560001.jpg)

Still not perfectly opaque, so we'll have to keep working with it. I'll pick up a torch and some Brasso or another abrasive tomorrow as the sanding is taking forever.

For now, this is how it will look mounted in the Zero-G Chamber. The recess cut as shown through the pump window--

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/6425/dsc14570001.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14570001.jpg)

And now with the pump seated in it.

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/3198/dsc14590001.jpg (http://img191.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14590001.jpg)

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/6937/dsc14660001.jpg (http://img697.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14660001.jpg)

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/116/dsc14680001.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14680001.jpg)

The bottom pump resting on top of the 1/4" shelf. This will need to be recessed as well. You can see the top of the pump base is showing through the window a little, and I only want the res top showing--

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/9939/dsc14630001.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14630001.jpg)

Now onto another piece.

I've been experimenting with my unibits and this plexi. I'm really happy at the clean circular cuts they make. I plan to use pass-thrus on the middle plexi shelf. Why? Difficult to explain at this point, but to put it short, the tubing, when routing back into the chamber, has to make its way back over to the pumps which are on the other side of that plexiglass shelf.

I've probably confused you, but it'll become clear shortly.

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/9552/dsc14740001.jpg (http://img638.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14740001.jpg)

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/6810/dsc14800001.jpg (http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14800001.jpg)

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/7114/dsc14810001.jpg (http://img402.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14810001.jpg)

That's all for now. Thanks for checking in. :up:

cellsite60

03-05-2010, 05:31 AM

WOW this is awesome !!!

artoodeeto

03-05-2010, 01:59 PM

wow. amazing work, as I'm coming to expect from you. I like the 2-way perspex, I didn't pick up on that at all in the older photos, but when you point it out it's more evident. I'm harboring something of a hope to be able to see this in person someday :)

incidentally, is that the pump w/reservoir on top that danger den is selling now? About how big is it? I might be doing something similar for my own build and I'm trying to figure out what will physically fit in there.

x88x

03-05-2010, 02:07 PM

Very nice work. I love what you've been doing with the router table. :D One tip you might want to try for the second piece, if you're jumping straight from 150 to 600 grit, that might be the source of some of the scratches. If you use 300 or 400 or so inbetween, it shouldn't leave any scratches that higher grit cannot get at.

msmrx57

03-05-2010, 03:06 PM

HOLY CARP!!! This just keeps getting cooler and cooler. Loving it. It's easy to love a router table because you can do so much with them. You attention to detail is top notch for sure. :up:

Very nice work. I love what you've been doing with the router table. :D One tip you might want to try for the second piece, if you're jumping straight from 150 to 600 grit, that might be the source of some of the scratches. If you use 300 or 400 or so inbetween, it shouldn't leave any scratches that higher grit cannot get at.

I agree 100%. You should use every grit in progression because it keeps the scratches more consistent. So then the finer grits don't take as much to get a smooth finish.

Waynio

03-05-2010, 03:35 PM

Very nice, the router table looks the way to go for working with plexi, sweet work Xion :up:.
Is it possible to use a router with a specific bit for aluminium?.

Starlite KNight

03-05-2010, 03:35 PM

I don't know much about security cameras but at lot of rooms have that two-way mirror stuff. At least in 24 anyway. :D

Also, I think you mean transparent, not opaque.

Maybe you can find a reuleaux triangle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuleaux_triangle) bit or sander for the recess:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Rouleaux_triangle_Animation.gif

Xion X2

03-05-2010, 11:34 PM

Hey guys!

WOW this is awesome !!!

Thanks, cellsite60! :)

wow. amazing work, as I'm coming to expect from you. I like the 2-way perspex, I didn't pick up on that at all in the older photos, but when you point it out it's more evident. I'm harboring something of a hope to be able to see this in person someday :)

incidentally, is that the pump w/reservoir on top that danger den is selling now? About how big is it? I might be doing something similar for my own build and I'm trying to figure out what will physically fit in there.

Thank you, artoodeeto. I really appreciate the kind words. :)

The pump/res combo is the swiftech MCP350 with XSPC res top. Here are the dimensions.

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/6729/reflexionbuild62.jpg

The pump base is about .8".

Very nice work. I love what you've been doing with the router table. :D One tip you might want to try for the second piece, if you're jumping straight from 150 to 600 grit, that might be the source of some of the scratches. If you use 300 or 400 or so inbetween, it shouldn't leave any scratches that higher grit cannot get at.

Yeah, that's a good point. I didn't have anything with me that was between 150 - 600, so it probably didn't help.

Thanks! :up:

HOLY CARP!!! This just keeps getting cooler and cooler. Loving it. It's easy to love a router table because you can do so much with them. You attention to detail is top notch for sure. :up:

Thanks! The router table really is awesome. Such a useful tool. I'm already thinking up a hundred different things that I could do with it on my next build and a few things that I could do with this one.

Very nice, the router table looks the way to go for working with plexi, sweet work Xion :up:.
Is it possible to use a router with a specific bit for aluminium?.

Thanks, Waynio!

Yes, they will work with aluminum just fine. In fact, the bit that you've seen me cut the plexi with is the same that I use for cutting aluminum with. It's a bosch upspiral 1/4" shank carbide tip. I used it in my RotoZip before. Works great for both plexi and aluminum. :up:

Xion X2

03-08-2010, 12:15 AM

*Phew*. I'm tired. :D

Been spending a lot of hours in the shop lately.

First, some more fun with the unibits. I have a few different ones, and they all seem to cut different into this plexi. The fatter one has a better cut and gives me edges that are as smooth as a baby's behind. The skinnier ones with more depth leave a little roughness behind to sand away.

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/5747/dsc14820001.jpg (http://img42.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14820001.jpg)
http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/3680/dsc14850001.jpg (http://img682.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14850001.jpg)
http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/2923/dsc14880001.jpg (http://img203.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14880001.jpg)
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6133/dsc14890001.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc14890001.jpg)

I'll have some pictures of the actual Zero Gravity shelves drilled with these in the next update.

Pieces laid out for cutting. I'll be cutting two 22.5 x 8" panels, one for the roof of the case and one for the floor.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/7575/dsc15220001.jpg (http://img8.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15220001.jpg)

Out comes the trusty (?) jigsaw.

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/5720/dsc15260001.jpg (http://img97.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15260001.jpg)
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/1445/dsc15270001.jpg (http://img121.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15270001.jpg)
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5168/dsc15310001.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15310001.jpg)
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/9177/dsc15320001.jpg (http://img8.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15320001.jpg)

So the jig cuts came out "ok" as they always do and were filed down. And one of these pieces served for the new floor in my case to cover those ugly vents. Remember this?

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/108/reflexionbuild8.jpg

Now, with the improved look.

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/358/dsc15450001.jpg (http://img121.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15450001.jpg)

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/5569/dsc15470001.jpg (http://img203.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15470001.jpg)

And into the Zero-G Chamber.

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1437/dsc15490001.jpg (http://img51.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15490001.jpg)

I'll be cutting vents in this new floor only where they are needed.

*Takes a breather and a swig of bottled water*

Ok.. then I went to work on the roof of the case.

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/4734/dsc15510001.jpg (http://img40.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15510001.jpg)

Ugly mesh vents.. and more than are needed...

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/5221/dsc15520001.jpg (http://img715.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15520001.jpg)

Out you come, ugly mesh vents. Mr. Dremel, get to work.

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/5185/dsc15570001.jpg (http://img684.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15570001.jpg)
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/9791/dsc15590001.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15590001.jpg)

That's looking better. And since I hate jigsaws (I guess hate would be a strong word, but I dislike them for their inaccurate nature) I will clear these out with the routing table, instead.

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/5752/dsc15620001.jpg (http://img51.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15620001.jpg)

Important safety tip: Whenever placing your piece on your routing table, always make sure that you are holding it securely as above before flipping the switch. That bit will grab into it easily and fling it across your table if you don't.

And at all times, if not using a miter guide, make sure you are holding the piece securely with both hands to minimize kickback and keep your hands and fingers as far away from the bit as possible.

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/7340/dsc15630001.jpg (http://img715.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15630001.jpg)

Clearing out the right side.

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/1873/dsc15650001.jpg (http://img138.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15650001.jpg)

A very clean cut, even before filing.

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/331/dsc15690001.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15690001.jpg)

Now for the other side.

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/8172/dsc15710001.jpg (http://img718.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc15710001.jpg)

And the short sides.

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/2867/dsc00020001.jpg (http://img121.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00020001.jpg)

And then we have the completed piece.

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/5287/reflexionzagpss.jpg (http://img706.imageshack.us/my.php?image=reflexionzagpss.jpg)

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/7866/dsc00130001.jpg (http://img684.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00130001.jpg)
http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/4439/dsc00140001.jpg (http://img714.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00140001.jpg)
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/7953/dsc00180001.jpg (http://img33.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00180001.jpg)

The new piece for the roof will overlay from the inside. Since the Cosmos has a shell, you won't be able to see the top/outside roof of the frame, but I wanted it to look nice, anyway.

Both the floor and roof will have to be cut in certain places for the shell to fit back on properly. But.. let's save that one for another day, shall we!?

Well I think that's about enough for now. Thanks again for following the making of refleXion.

:up:

TheMainMan

03-08-2010, 12:46 AM

x88x

03-08-2010, 01:10 AM

Wow, I'm increasingly jealous of that routing table. :P I was envisioning long hours of grinding and filing...and you get a great straight line so (relatively) effortlessly.

Bad luck with that new saw blade. Maybe you just need a finer toothed blade?

Xion X2

03-09-2010, 02:39 AM

Wow, I can't get enough of this build! The different ways you put the router table to work are amazing, especially as it seems to be incredibly accurate compared to most other methods. I'll be putting that high on my list of tools to get once I have a workspace. Looking forward to the end result, keep up the good work!

Thanks, Main. I really appreciate the feedback. :)

Wow, I'm increasingly jealous of that routing table. :P I was envisioning long hours of grinding and filing...and you get a great straight line so (relatively) effortlessly.

Bad luck with that new saw blade. Maybe you just need a finer toothed blade?

Actually, I was having a blonde moment. I put the blade on backwards. :facepalm:

I know that many of you are probably tiring of shop pictures, so I put a short collage together of previously unreleased shots. refleXion has been in the works for awhile, but I'm doing my best to ensure that the long wait will be worth it.. both for me and for those who have followed the project since its inception.

-Michael

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/7027/dsc07070001.jpg (http://img130.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc07070001.jpg)
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/7746/dsc04800001.jpg (http://img694.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc04800001.jpg)
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/300/dsc07220001.jpg (http://img130.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc07220001.jpg)
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/3361/dsc07760001.jpg (http://img130.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc07760001.jpg)
http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/8212/dsc12050001.jpg (http://img708.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc12050001.jpg)
http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/9650/dsc09060001.jpg (http://img708.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc09060001.jpg)

x88x

03-09-2010, 08:56 PM

Ooooh, pretty. Especially that second to last shot, with everything inside. It really pulls the look together beautifully. :D

Xion X2

03-24-2010, 12:35 AM

Some new photos of all the blocks on the new board. I've been held up waiting on some raw materials to get here. I ordered some Lexan for a new idea that I'm hoping to incorporate into the build. More to share on this soon.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/4378/dsc00620001.jpg (http://img87.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00620001.jpg)

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/9300/dsc00680001.jpg (http://img338.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00680001.jpg)

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/78/dsc00720001.jpg (http://img689.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00720001.jpg)

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/9545/dsc00750001.jpg (http://img338.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00750001.jpg)

http://img532.imageshack.us/img532/9804/dsc00830001k.jpg (http://img532.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00830001k.jpg)

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/906/dsc00850001.jpg (http://img689.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00850001.jpg)

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/9614/dsc00900001.jpg (http://img263.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00900001.jpg)

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/925/dsc01040001.jpg (http://img696.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01040001.jpg)

http://img532.imageshack.us/img532/8360/dsc01080001.jpg (http://img532.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01080001.jpg)

http://img532.imageshack.us/img532/3720/dsc01120001.jpg (http://img532.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01120001.jpg)

x88x

03-24-2010, 12:44 AM

Nice. I love the solid (nickel?) SLI connectors.

Xion X2

03-26-2010, 02:00 AM

Nice. I love the solid (nickel?) SLI connectors.

Thanks, me too. :)

Ok guys, you will soon see refleXion in motion in full HD video. I'm finishing up some film tonight of the full board layout with all the waterblocks as you saw in the pictures and will hopefully have this online for your viewing pleasure either tomorrow or Saturday.

Here's a 720p shot from the video scaled down in size to 1000x.

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7096/buildvideo1000x.jpg (http://img214.imageshack.us/my.php?image=buildvideo1000x.jpg)

burntheland

03-26-2010, 01:43 PM

So being a rookie to the forum i just stumbled on this thread thanks to the feature. And I now have to say that if I get fired for reading for the last hour and a half and not working I can safely blame you as the cause! This build is absolutely mesmerizing! Your attention to detail reminds me of myself, however, I unfortunately don't have the means or an impatient partner to deal with. Mad props on this build though for sure.....I'm pretty sure I puked in my mouth a few times because this thing is so sick/buck nasty! I love it.....and as much as I can't wait to see the build finished...I hope it takes you at least another five months. (Purely for the stake of aesthetics) It's ALL in the details! Rock on man!

Xion X2

03-28-2010, 12:59 AM

Xion X2

03-28-2010, 01:00 AM

http://vimeo.com/10476537

Enjoy,

Michael

msmrx57

03-28-2010, 07:14 AM

Very nice video! 8) +rep for that and an awesome build. :up:

Xion X2

03-30-2010, 12:13 AM

Very nice video! 8) +rep for that and an awesome build. :up:

Thanks for the rep. ;)

So now I'm going to share with you what I've been working on for the past two weeks.

Often when modding, you feel as if you've encroached on a new idea, but being able to put it into practice isn't as easy as it often seems it will be. So when you're able to make something work as you've imagined it, it brings a special sense of content. ;)

I present to you a new way of shelving Lexan and Plexi, the Dovetail.

This is an ancient practice, actually, but I have never seen it done on plastics or glass before. It's often used as a method of bonding two pieces of wood together and is used in dressers and desks commonly. But could I get it to work on Lexan.. could I get it to look clean and bond securely without adhesive. That was the question and was my goal. I wanted to discover a way of bonding two or more pieces of Lexan together without using adhesive such as Weld-on or epoxy. That's fine for many, but I just don't like using adhesives on glass because it always leaves a residue behind that's visible to the eye.

For those who aren't familiar, this is what is called a "Dado" or half of a sliding dovetail--

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/4595/dsc00380001.jpg (http://img689.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00380001.jpg)

In the most basic terms, it's an angled groove that serves as a keyhole of sorts for an adjacent piece to slide in and bond. Here's how it bonds together--

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/2729/dsc00410001.jpg (http://img689.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00410001.jpg)
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/3849/dsc00490001.jpg (http://img171.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00490001.jpg)

Notice how, when cut accurately, it bonds nice and clean. A perfect fit--like a key into a keyhole. And it's a snug fit.. no adhesive of any sort needed as long as you cut the key or what is technically called the "Tenon" correctly.

To cut the dovetails, I use dovetail bit at 4mm depth--

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/4248/dsc00320001.jpg (http://img710.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00320001.jpg)

But-- you've seen how it looks on wood already, so let's view it on glass.

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/9193/dsc01440001.jpg (http://img689.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01440001.jpg)

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/301/dsc01590001.jpg (http://img638.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01590001.jpg)

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/5225/dsc01600001.jpg (http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01600001.jpg)

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/3386/dsc01620001.jpg (http://img714.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01620001.jpg)

You can see how I can hold it, and it hangs firmly in place. In fact, chances are you could not force it apart with your bare hands; it would take a rubber mallet to separate these two pieces.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2894/dsc01650001.jpg (http://img171.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01650001.jpg)

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/9953/dsc01670001.jpg (http://img714.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01670001.jpg)

The edges of this Lexan had not been sanded since these were just used as test pieces. To sand out the saw marks, I use my power sander--

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/3572/dsc01430001.jpg (http://img638.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01430001.jpg)

--and to get the finer imperfections out I sand by hand with 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000 grit and then finally aluminum/metal polish to get to perfect transparency like on the flat side of the glass/Lexan.

More to come in the next update on this. I'll show the actual shelves which will be going into the Zero-G Chamber being fit together by this method.

Thanks for checking in.

x88x

03-30-2010, 01:05 AM

8D That...is awesome. I never would have thought to try a dovetail with plexi, +rep I'm definitely looking forward to seeing a sanded fit. :D

mDust

03-30-2010, 01:09 AM

Awesome! I was considering joining acrylic sheets by slotting them (tongue and groove) before welding them. I hadn't really considered a dovetail though. I wonder if it's 'oil tight' without welding?:whistler: I might add that to my to-do list of experiments.

Xion X2

03-30-2010, 01:53 AM

Thanks, guys.

mDust--it's very tight. I had to tap the pieces together with a rubber mallet. I didn't want there to be any wobble whatsoever, yet at the same time I was careful not to make the join tight enough to crack the Lexan.

The only way I can dislodge the pieces is to stand on one with my foot and pull up on the other. And even that takes some force.

Some may view this as a simple discovery, but I'm very excited about it. This will give me the perfect clean look that I'm going for with the transparency effect of the Zero-G Chamber. :D

burntheland

03-30-2010, 09:42 AM

Yeah that's going to turn out nicely. Is there a way to cut a dovetail as shown without a router?

Xion X2

03-30-2010, 09:49 AM

Yeah that's going to turn out nicely. Is there a way to cut a dovetail as shown without a router?

No, I think that a router is necessary for this.

burntheland

03-30-2010, 10:20 AM

BLAST! Anybody got a router for sale? Maybe for 100 bucks? lol

Airbozo

03-30-2010, 11:07 AM

No, I think that a router is necessary for this.

I used to work with a guy that could cut "perfect" dovetails with a handsaw. He also made hinges with only hand tools. He had almost 30 years experience and learned the wood working trade from his grandpa. One of a kind woodworker.

I absolutely love the dovetail idea! It really works for this build.

Keep the great work coming!

Xion X2

03-30-2010, 11:31 AM

I used to work with a guy that could cut "perfect" dovetails with a handsaw. He also made hinges with only hand tools. He had almost 30 years experience and learned the wood working trade from his grandpa. One of a kind woodworker.

I absolutely love the dovetail idea! It really works for this build.

Keep the great work coming!

Master craftsmen can often create workarounds.

I'm far from a master craftsman and need a decent set of tools to do it. :D

I can see a handsaw being able to work with larger pieces, but it could be really tough with something this small. The dados are only 3/8" in diameter, so they're quite small.

Thanks for the compliments.

Airbozo

03-30-2010, 11:50 AM

Master craftsmen can often create workarounds.

I'm far from a master craftsman and need a decent set of tools to do it. :D

I can see a handsaw being able to work with larger pieces, but it could be really tough with something this small. The dados are only 3/8" in diameter, so they're quite small.

Thanks for the compliments.

I wish I could have learned more from my friend. He is retired now but creates lots of wonderful items for friends and family.

For me working with plexi is always more difficult than wood. Plexi shows more mistakes.

For the edges, have you looked into "flaming" them? I have not tried it, but have seen a tutorial where a guy uses the flaming trick and the edge looks like smooth glass. I will find the links if you are interested.

BTW: I like all the nice comments you are getting on OCN too.

Xion X2

03-30-2010, 12:35 PM

I wish I could have learned more from my friend. He is retired now but creates lots of wonderful items for friends and family.

For me working with plexi is always more difficult than wood. Plexi shows more mistakes.

For the edges, have you looked into "flaming" them? I have not tried it, but have seen a tutorial where a guy uses the flaming trick and the edge looks like smooth glass. I will find the links if you are interested.

BTW: I like all the nice comments you are getting on OCN too.

I'd be very interested in seeing that video if you could find it. :up:

I've tried some flame polishing but haven't had a lot of luck thus far. It's possible that I just haven't perfected the technique yet.

OCN is a great group. Those guys are very supportive. Great group here as well.. just not as much traffic.

Starlite KNight

03-30-2010, 03:46 PM

burntheland

03-30-2010, 03:53 PM

Good info Starlite KNight +rep

msmrx57

03-30-2010, 09:04 PM

I used t owork in a sign shop and we did flame edge on some plexi signs, the best advice is use some scraps and practice. :banghead: The smother that the edge is the easier it is. It's a combination of the right flame/heat and distance from the plexi combined with keeping the flame moving. With pratice it gets pretty easy to get consitant results. From the attention to detail that you've shown, it shouldn't be a problem for you. :up:

SXRguyinMA

03-30-2010, 10:14 PM

I used the tried and true sand then buff with dremel and novus plastic polish method :D

Okele

03-31-2010, 01:00 PM

Ive been following this build for months, anyway question on the dovetail with the lexan. Would the dovetail also work as a seal to prevent leaks? like from mineral oil and such?

burntheland

03-31-2010, 01:23 PM

Ive been following this build for months, anyway question on the dovetail with the lexan. Would the dovetail also work as a seal to prevent leaks? like from mineral oil and such?

From a wood working perspective.....yes, but only to be trusted with a sealant or gasket. Adjoining materials being flush do not always account for an "air-tight" seal. It is always recommended that you use a sealant or gasket when building any type of structure that is made to hold water or be air-tight. Besides, when working with computers all it takes is one drop of water to ruin the whole project. Granted mineral oil is a different monster in comparison to water, and plexi is a different monster in comparison to wood...but I would just assume play it safe when it comes to any types of liquids.

If someone has done the dovetail alone to seal liquid I would love to see how you went about it.

Xion X2

03-31-2010, 06:14 PM

I think I remember my Father flaming acrylic stuff when I worked at his place a couple of summers. He works at the company that makes the bakery cabinets for places like Horny Tim's.

I found some info on flaming edges:

http://www.eplastics.com/Plastic/Plexiglass_Edge_Polishing_Charges has some warnings but you won't be silk screening. lol

http://www.ehow.com/how_5075416_polish-plexiglas-edge.html Another short page.

Thanks, Starlite. I'll check those out. :up:

I used t owork in a sign shop and we did flame edge on some plexi signs, the best advice is use some scraps and practice. :banghead: The smother that the edge is the easier it is. It's a combination of the right flame/heat and distance from the plexi combined with keeping the flame moving. With pratice it gets pretty easy to get consitant results. From the attention to detail that you've shown, it shouldn't be a problem for you. :up:

Yep, best to smooth the edge first.

I used the tried and true sand then buff with dremel and novus plastic polish method :D

That's the second time I've heard of the Novus polish, so I'll have to pick some up.

Ive been following this build for months, anyway question on the dovetail with the lexan. Would the dovetail also work as a seal to prevent leaks? like from mineral oil and such?

From a wood working perspective.....yes, but only to be trusted with a sealant or gasket. Adjoining materials being flush do not always account for an "air-tight" seal. It is always recommended that you use a sealant or gasket when building any type of structure that is made to hold water or be air-tight. Besides, when working with computers all it takes is one drop of water to ruin the whole project. Granted mineral oil is a different monster in comparison to water, and plexi is a different monster in comparison to wood...but I would just assume play it safe when it comes to any types of liquids.

If someone has done the dovetail alone to seal liquid I would love to see how you went about it.

Good info. :up: