Funnel

[XcOM]

Welcome all,

Ok, Basic information:
To increase air flow to my hard drives on my server I shall be constructing a casing for the hard drive and fan. You may now skip forward to planning.

More detailed information:
My server is a Intel Pentium III 800MHz, 256MB RAM, cd-rom and 3 hard drives that store all my data (not including my O/S drive)

the server was built into a custom case (well, a desk) and the data drives are in the open, the fan I am using does not provide sufficient cooling as most of the air flow goes to waist, therefore I am designing and creating the funnel type casing to direct the air flow to the hard drives as there getting very hot.

Planning:
This is the most important part, as many people will say, "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail"

My basic plan is to create a funnel type casing around my hard drives to direct air flow.

I will create a cardboard template, the use expanding foam to create a smooth uniformed shape to fiberglass.

P.S. Sorry for the poor picture quality, i am using my phone to take the pictures as my digital camara is a bit nackered at the moment.
Designing:
I began by taking mesurements of everything, then I drew a design, as you can see below the basic outline of it, this is the design of the cardboard template.

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9805/image000014xe.jpg

Now the supplys that i will be using
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4112/image000027ky.jpg

The first cut,
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/915/image000033gy.jpg
now at this point i started mesuring everything, than after the first cut i found a fatal error in my designing, i had cut in from the end in the hope i could cheat and use the flaps rather than bending the cardboard, this way i could get a pefect bend.

But i managed to recover and you will see that a bit later,

My pr0 tools im using:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7351/image000059gy.jpg

Any way, in the next post, back to the matter in hand.

[XcOM]

Welcome Back

No my plan as you can see in the first picture is to have the funnel surround the hard drives, the shrink upto the 120MM fan at the top, oh, i forgot to tell you the dimentions, there 31CM Wide, 17CM Deap and 13CM tall.

To create this funnel type design i will be constructing the template in two halfs, the bottom half will surround the drives, then shrink up, and the top half will be the neck, i will be constructing out of expandable foam, this way i can get a nice design.

Now then, the next part was to fix the error i caused, i cut the flaps, as you can see in the picture below,
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/8427/image000092qj.jpg

then i used this as a template to cut the other half, now a good tip here, you will never get an exact copy by drawing round this type of cardboard, so your better off making a dot to dot picture by placing dots on the cardboard, then joing them up with a ruler, this is a more accurate way.

next i cut two addons which would make the funnel effect,
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/3651/image000112sk.jpg

then i distracting by my bunnys playing:
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/3780/image000126vr.jpg

But, back to the matter at hand, next i taped it all together, this is a picture of it standing up before taping, just so you can see what i mean,
http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/881/image000159jx.jpg

I going to use expandable foam becuase i can round it a bit more to make it look nicer.

The only problem i have got to work around is how to remove the template and foam once it has been completed, oh, i forgot to mention, i am going to be adding some internal walls to spread the air to the drives easier, i was thinking at one poing to screw the drives into the funnel.
Ok, i've got nothing to do till wednesday now, as i haven't any money till then, then i will get some expanding foam, and a fibreglass kit.

Until then, have fun and play safe kiddies. Peace out

P.S. I assume this is the correct place to put this.

[Shikimaru]

interesting, looking foreward to more

[XcOM]

i got the expanding foam and paints today, but due to billes i might not get the fibreglass until tomorrow or at latest next week.

But either way i will foam my model tomorrow, then shape it the next day.

Now, later dude/Dudettes

[crazybillybob]

Make sure that you seal the foam very well with epoxy or multiple heavy clear coat. If not when you lay the glass, the foam will absorb the resin. and you'll have one big chunk of really hard foam. Other then that you seem to have a good plan.


Good Luck!
Crazybillybob


Don't forget saftey....and you want to keep the resin away from the bunnies....the Toxic vapors might not be so good for those little guys (they have very fast metabalisums so toxins effect them faster then you!)

[XcOM]

today i foamed it, and i think i may need something like modeling clay as i used the entire can and i have some HUGE air pockets, and modelling clay will be easier to glass as i can just fire and glaze to give a nice finish to glass over, or i can just seal the clay with something, or i mightr just fill the air holes.

I will think of something.

[XcOM]

ANNOUNCEMENT:

This project has been scraped.

My server died the otherday, so im building a new server, and due to lack of funds im just putting this one in a case, like a good boy.

Feel free to delete this thread.

Sorry guys