Need a part, any ideas?

[The Modfather]

I need a part that looks roughly like this (my render of it)

http://www.infinity-customs.com/part1.jpg

Basically a half round chrome pipe with flanges that have holes to mount it to a side panel with bolts. Dimensions, roughly 4" long by 1" wide by 3/4" tall.

Any suggestions where I could get something like this or how I could make something to do what this would do? I need to hide some wiring on the exterior of a case and want to run it rhough something that could be mounted to the case and look halfway decent.

[DaveW]

Try getting it made? I got the panels for my case made by a small company, and was pleasantly surprised by the cost/value ratio they offered.

-Dave

[xmastree]

What kind of size? And do you want the ends open or closed? How much wire is going to be in it?
Presumably the wiring starts and finishes inside the case? The mountings may look nicer if they're inside, depending on the theme of course. If it's all nuts, bolts and industrial then you want them showing.

[The Modfather]

Open ends...

Basically what I have are two CCFL type tubes on the outside of the case panel. They're really not CCFL's, they're sort of this light that moves inside the tube, looks like multi-colored plasma. I've never seen tubes like this before or since, I just lucked into finding these things. Anyway, using them inside a case just seemed to be a shame, waste that cool effect, so I mounted them on the outside.

So basically now I've got two CCFL like lights on the panel, horizontally. I'd like to perhaps have something like a clear half tube that covers from the front of the panel to the back over both of them and then use chrome vinyl decals to cover the areas I don't want to see. That'd be ideal. So basically, where could I find some clear tubes cut in half that are the length of a case panel? Any ideas?

[jdbnsn]

What I would do is one of two things. Easy option: buy a length of pipe suitable for your design (you can get PVC, copper, or any other material for that matter) and paint it to your liking. Or if you want pretty, shiny metal you might need to go to a machine shop and buy a length of aluminum pipe. Then just cut two straight lines along it's length and remove the section alowing for small pieces to bend into tabs (see diagram). Otherwise you could make it out of one flat sheet of aluminum or other material and bend it around a pipe to make your shape, but the first way would probably come ot looking nicer. Just a couple of ideas. Below is a drawing of what I mean:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f395/jdbnsn/misc/scan0002.jpg

[jdbnsn]

Oh, if you wanted clear tube that is easy too, just buy a length of clear plexi, make the cuts, and bend the tabs by heating them and slowly bending them out.

[xmastree]

I know the lights you mean. Local comp shop has them.
I guess you just want to protect them, since they're external.

Know what I think would look good? A series of chrome half-rings round them.

Pop down to your local office supplies and buy a bunch of these rings (http://inkandstuff2.co.uk/images/ac70003.jpg) then separate the halves and drill the case so that they can be pushed through and held on the inside with epoxy or something, leaving about 40% of the ring outside (or 80% of half of it).

[crazybillybob]

off the top of my head I'd say get a 2" DIA gas pipe cut it in half, then have the tabs welded on (there is a welding shop near you that would do this in like 5mins for cheap....just drop by and ask) then have it cromed (that will cost you)...Look in the phone book for cromers or do a google search for one.

or you could do it Tribal style, get a thin ish sheet of aluminum (16guage) and bend it around a 2" gas pipe, then cut the extra of the edges, just leaving the tabs. then you can buff it to a sweet shine......Makes this the cheaper way too.


Good Luck,
Crazybillybob


for Alum. check Lowes, home despot or the like look in there hardware/fastener section..they sell it in sheets. The rolled stuf for roofs and gutters is too thin for you.

[The Modfather]

I posted what I did in the other forum. I opted for the PVC route, it was the easiest to get ahold of but damn am I clogged up with PVC dust now. I couldn't find my goggles so it's in my eyes, I stupidly opened my mouth and it got in my mouth, ugh! That was nasty. :)

Unfortunately I never seem to have my camera on me when I'm working on stuff so I don't have any pics of the "stages" but, the pic is in the other forum. Um, here's a smaller version of the pic.

http://www.infinity-customs.com/stage5_rightside1sm.jpg

The light looks somehow different in the pic than it does in person, probably because it moves around a lot and the camera just gets one second of it, so it looks like some kind of bottled lightning in the photos. But in person it's like, rea colorful and looks like electrified water or something. :)