Project: FC

[Drum Thumper]

FC? What the hell is that?

I promise, as soon as I buy the majority of the parts and do the mockup, it will be revealed. This is going to be one of those quick and dirty builds, for two reasons: #1; it is relatively simple, even with it being a scratch build and #2; I needed to have this done. Like in three months ago done.

Every build has a purpose, and this one is no different. Some are art, others are functional, and occasionally others still are both.

I can tell you this, constant reader: this is going to be a replica of a prop from a very popular movie from the 1980s. And yes, there is a correlation between this mod and Frankenstripe, albeit a rather minuscule one. I can't give away said correlation because it would make the theme painfully obvious.

So, what can I tell you about this build? I can tell you that it will be a low power file/print server. I can also tell you that the "box" will be 11 inches by 14 inches. There will be some LED work involved, along with a simple circuit to replicate what happened in the movie with this prop. With my filing cabinet server project dead, I need something a bit more dedicated than my current setup, which is an external drive hooked up to my kitchen PC. Yes, it is functional, but a nightmare to manage.

Specs:

Motherboard: Jetway JNF77 mini ITX board (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813153134&cm_re=mini_itx-_-13-153-134-_-Product)

RAM: G.SKILL 2 gig DDR2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231109&cm_re=ddr2_667_2gb-_-20-231-109-_-Product)

I've got the power supply already, and this box will be running a *nix distro (undecided as to what yet).

Got a $50 gift card to Home Depot, so I'll get the parts I need to build the enclosure tomorrow.

[Trace]

Good luck!
Can't wait to see progress.
FC? Functional Computer?

[Drum Thumper]

Good luck!
Can't wait to see progress.
FC? Functional Computer?

Good guess, but no. I did a bit of research while Christmas dinner was cooking and this will end up with a bit more hardware than I originally thought--to get the LEDs to work the way I need them to I will have to have not only a 555 chip but also an bit more beefier IC chip. No biggie there, I've been itching to bust out the soldering iron and do something with it.

Well, off to peruse some auto parts e-stores. I need some more "parts", shall we say.

[OvRiDe]

My lips are sealed! :twisted: But I will say .. its going to be SWEEEET!!

[jdbnsn]

Good guess, but no.

Well give us a hint at least...

[billygoat333]

is it a model Ford Contour?
:D

[Drum Thumper]

is it a model Ford Contour?
:D

No, but it can be used in a certain stainless steel car that is no longer in production.

[jdbnsn]

woot! It's a flux capacitor!

[Oneslowz28]

and I have had my custom user title for months now and no one has noticed. Can't wait to see the build.

[nevermind1534]

and I have had my custom user title for months now and no one has noticed. Can't wait to see the build.
You mean 1.21 jiggawatts?

[Drum Thumper]

You mean 1.21 jiggawatts?

Yeah, what he said. And let me tell you, once this baby hits 88 mph, you're going to see some serious ****.

[Trace]

So this is a back to the future delorean build?

[Drum Thumper]

Just the Flux Capacitor. A bit of research revealed that the enclosure is a bit pricier than I originally expected. $75 to $100 to be precise. So, in the true form of modding, I'll be building this out of everyone's favorite material--1/2" MDF.

There's an added bonus of taking this route as well--I can make the box a bit deeper than the original to compensate for hiding a computer in the bottom.

With that said, I purchased the Lexan for the window tonight, the molding will be en route from Frozen CPU tomorrow (ordered last night), and I'll make it a point to get back down to Home Depot a bit later this week and get the MDF, braces, hinges, and latches, along with any other cool toys I may be able to find.

I should also make it a point to get to Radio Shack for the 555 and the IC chip needed according to this schematic (http://www.rookscastle.com/tutorials/bttf-003-3.jpg). Side Note: that website has some other pretty cool builds as well, and quite a few arcade cabs too!

And finally, I'm in the market for some amber LEDs. Worst case scenario, I'll buy from ledshoppe, but I don't need 100 of them. just 9.

[Oneslowz28]

this is going to be good