Monitor MOD

[Spacehonkey]

I'm sure a few of you guys have seen this monitor mod before:
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/RedLiteMonitor.jpg
I would like to use a similar techinque with the led lite panel but make it more costume then a boring square panel. My problem is when he took apart the monitor he installed a new metal frame on the back of the monitor.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/MonitorFrame.jpg
I would like to know if anyone can tell me what kind of frame that is and if I can adjust it to fit my monitor. The monitor he used is a Samtron 51S 15"
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Samtron51S.jpg
and my monitor is a ViewSonic Q19WB-2 Black 19".
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Monitor.jpg

[Durrthock]

You could!
All you have to do is get a bigger piece of plexi and space the leds out further
Idk how he wired them though but you could.

[Spacehonkey]

I get that part. I'm talking about the metal frame for the back on the monitor.

[Ichbin]

A lot of stuff like that is custo built.

You could try building your own frame.

[Spacehonkey]

Now that's a whole different world for me but I guess if I want to take this seriously I have to jump in the deep end and see if I can swim. I know nothing about metal fabrication. Anyone have any advice or pointers?

[Ichbin]

1st thing about anything involving fabrication.

take your bloody time.

What kind of tools are you packing also? Some things off the top of my head are (of course) dremel, a vise, rivet gun, drill, annnnd of ccourse i have to say this...

A hammer ^.^


Instead of diving RIGHT into the deep end. Get some practice in. Get a feel for the metal, and how the tools deal with it. Practice cutting the metal, and making bends.

If your still in highschool, goto your autoshop class (If you have one) and ask for some spare sheet metal. Scraps or something.

[Spacehonkey]

Well I'm way past high school my friend. I do have a dremel, drill and of course a hammer. I've been think about buying some tools but not really sure what I should spend my money on DeWalt, Black & Decker, Craftsman and the sort. I'm currently in the USMC. So until I purchase the tools I need I can get them from friends or use at the hobby shop on base.

I was planning on getting some spare material like you suggested and play around with it a bit to get a feel for it. I just wasn't planning on making a metal frame for a monitor for my first mod.

I think I need to get my plans completely thought out and written down, maybe modeled out on that sketchup program.

[sirkillalot617]

If you want I can post you a link to the worklog of the guy that made that screen

EDit Im sorry but it appears there website has been subspended

[Ichbin]

lol, (Wasnt sure, you get a lot of highschoolers as well on this board).

Cool, least you can get your equipment somewhere lol.

Yea, with any mod, its REALLY good to either freehand sketch design it, or use a 3d program to help you out.

You dont want to be going with a mod, that 3/4 the way through you say "Im not really diggin this".

EDIT :
Look around at some of the custom fabricated cases. Look at Crimson skys worklogs (Mainly Nighthawk), look at Tribaloverkills' worklogs, and really, just take note of any of the worklogs for tips and tricks within the forum. Its a wealth of knowledge.

[Spacehonkey]

Yeah I've been looking around this site and saw all the great worklogs posted here thought I would give it a go. I was playing around in sketch last night. Man the program going to take me a minute to get the hang of it. It'll be a while before I can post any pix of my idea for the monitor mod on here though.

Oh yeah by the way I already have the link to the original red led monitor mod.

[Ichbin]

cool man, can't wait to see the designs

[Spacehonkey]

got quick ? since this is my first mod should I use my new flat screen that I just bought or my old CRT spectrum 7Glr?
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Monitor7glr.gif

[Ichbin]

hrmm, ...good question... I guess its more whatever you feel comfertable using.

If you use the flat screen and bugger it up, well, you blasted a lot of money.

If you use the CRT and you dont screw it up, then you have poorer visual.

sooo...it's really if you feel comfertable hacking up your flatscreen.

If you do plan on opening up the CRT monitor....BE SURE THAT YOU HAVENT PLUGGED IN MONITOR for like....2 days. The capacitors in a monitor hold enough charge to fry a small cat.

So yea. My suggestion would to use the flatscreen, but practice a bit with working with your materials first.

[SgtM]

Spacehonkey, welcome aboard and Semper Fi.

Sketchup can be kinda confusing at first if you've never used a 3d modeling program before. There are some video tutorials at sketchup.com that helped me quite a bit when I was first learning to use it. Are you at CamPen or Miramar? Either way, there are hobby shops at CamPen and MCRD that you could take full advantage of with all the tools you'll need. Best of all, there are some guys on this board with some killer metal skills that will be more than helpful if you get in a bind. Have fun with the mod, and keep us updated.

[Spacehonkey]

I'm stationed on Camp Pen. Well it looks like I won't be able to the complete mod I wanted yet to because the wife doesn't trust my skills yet. So I'll just stick to the basic red led square panel and metal frame on the monitor, which isn’t a bad idea. After I get more comfortable with all the fabrication and proof to the little wife that I can do it I'll try to do my original plan.

Oh by the way my original plan was to have the red led panel like the 1st pix I posted but have the edges in a more organic shape. I planed on using a snake skeleton slithering through the panel and around the exposed cables in the back, other scrap pieces to fill in the negative space on the front of the panel, use human skeleton hands holding the monitor up and of course a lot of bondo. I wanted to make a skeleton type of monitor a lot like the alien mouse featured on the tutorial page.

Oh yeah I did try the alien mouse it turned out pretty cool except for the final paint job. I’ve never been any good at painting. Thought I would post it on here just to show you guys what a rookie I am at modding. I was also thinking about replacing the red scroll wheel with a clear one and wiring in a red led to light it up.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/mouseside.gifhttp://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/mousetop.gif

[SgtM]

That mouse looks cool man. What part of Pendleton are you on? I was at Horno (53 area) for 3 years.

Here's my mouse mod. Check the link in the sig for the rest.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/sgtm_usmc/USMC%20case/DSCF2035.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f186/sgtm_usmc/USMC%20case/DSCF2056.jpg

[Spacehonkey]

Ah you were a grunt. Well you probably think I'm nasty since I've been with the wing for going on 9 years now. I work on the avionics systems on Hueys and Cobras.

Got another ? for you Pros. I tried to take apart my flat screen but the plastic case won't give. I removed all the screws and the mount attached to it.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Monitorback.jpg
There is this little hole with a lock symbol on it, I'm guessing this case is locked into place (never heard of that before).
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/MonitorKey.jpg

Do I need some special tool to unlock the case or what? I just don't want to crack the case by doing something stupid.

[Ichbin]

Dremel comes in handy at this stage, you could always drill it out or something.

ummm, it might be a latch or something (like on most plastic things, a lip to "hold" together)

Try sticking a small screwdriver in it, and poke around. Im pretty sure its not a direct hole to the board in it.
If you cant find anything to work with to get it unlatched...Dremel it.

[SgtM]

No nasties allowed in the Corps. Together, we all make it function as the well oiled machine that it it. Actually, I was an 0121.. tried to pick the MOS away from the grunts. No luck, I was stuck with grunt units my whole enlistment.

As far as the lock goes, it looks to me like you might be able to get a small screwdriver in there, and try and work it around to pry the plastic off. I've never taken apart an LCD (still have CRT monitors) so I don't know for sure.

[Spacehonkey]

I'm definitely a rookie at this stuff. Well I figured out my original problem about the metal frame.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/MonitorFrame.jpg
All the parts are already there. I took my monitor apart and all the metal parts are just hidden under the plastic case. So all I need to do now is what is stated in the tutorial but just change a few measurements.
http://metku.net/index.html?path=mods/transtft/index_eng
Thx for all the help guys. I ordered the parts I need on the web last night and I'll go to Home Depot and buy the Lexan and Acrylic I need in a couple of days.

[SgtM]

Dude, instead of paying HD or Lowes prices, check around with some auto glass places. You'll get it much cheaper (in my experience anyway).

[Bucko]

Or try a glazier. I get my perspex through a local one quite cheap. They even cut to size if need be.

[Spacehonkey]

I never really thought of those 2 places thx I'll call around and see who has the better deal.

[Redundant]

There is this little hole with a lock symbol on it, I'm guessing this case is locked into place (never heard of that before).
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/4579/monitorkeyfc4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Do I need some special tool to unlock the case or what? I just don't want to crack the case by doing something stupid.
Just so you know, that's a Kensington lock where you can put a bicycle-type lock in it to secure it to your desk. Usually only companies use it to prevent theft. You should see the same things on the side or back of all laptops.

[Spacehonkey]

I'm starting to get the hang of SketchUp. Here's what I want to do to my monitor.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/MonitorjaggedmetalframeFRONT.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/MonitorjaggedmetalframeBACK.jpg
I would like your opinion on the design. Should I leave it simple like this or add some more to it?

Also are there any problems that I might run into do this?

If I only put one LED on the left and right of the monitor will I run into problems light up some of the edges?

[Ichbin]

unless your bolting it to a desk, its gonna be top heavy.

[Spacehonkey]

Well I haven't thought to much about the base it will be attached to. I guess it will be a wide flat plate big enough to balance the weight of the monitor.

[Nick_Black]

(I'm not shure how heavy your monitor is) but if it's light enough, you can make that (spinal chord?) from a gooseneck (mechanical, not real) so you have full adjustment capabilaties, but yeah, you should consider the base, it's better to have something that works, than something that looks cool, once you know it works, than you can make it look cool (at least, that's what I do...)

hope this helps

Nick_Black

[Nagoshi]

You could mod something with your base. Considering you're going with something that contain bones, you could use your imagination and do something in the same themes.

I dont know if the bones siding the screen are supposed to be hands or the thoracic cage (how do we spell that?), but you could go with a thoracic cage or some boney legs instead of a plain metal/pleci/plastic base. :)

[Spacehonkey]

Ok good ideas.

Yes the bones on the side are suppose to be hands. I plan on using some realistic human skeleton hands attached to the forearms and a human skeleton spinal cord that I'll buy of the net. I just used basic shapes in SketchUp to represent the basic shape of the bones to get the idea across.

As for the base I'll have to put some ideas together. Right off the bat I was thinking something like the ALIEN MOUSE theme for the base. You know some bones placed on the base with some bondo. Maybe that's where I can use a snake skeleton.

[Nagoshi]

Nice idea... bony alien desktop :)

Have you thought about any ideas related to the base of the screen yet?

[Spacehonkey]

Yeah I was in SketchUp earlier designing a base. So far I got a thick plate curved on the top with a snake skeleton. I was thinking about putting some other small animal skeletons around the sides of it and then cover the entire base with bondo and paint. I was thinking about adding some details like the Alien Case Mod that Paul did. I just wish I knew where he got those little horse shoe craps, bones and plates that he put on the sides of the case. Let me guess at his skill level he probably made them from scratch. Hopefully I’ll have some more pix up if I get some more time to play around in SketchUp.

[Spacehonkey]

I've got some more SketchUp pix for you guys to pick apart. I appreciate the suggestions you guys have made so far. Are there anymore problems I might encounter on this project?
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Front.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Angle.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Side.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Back.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Top.jpg

[Spacehonkey]

Well I'm at the point now were I want to go down to the nearest hardware store and buy a crap load of tools for my 1st computer modding project. I thought I should get your guys advice on what I should spend my hard earned money on 1st. Plus I need to convince the wife that I can't live without these tools.

I saw these at Sears.com and was wondering if I should get them. I know I have to make some custom cuts on the acrylic panels and drill some precise holes. So I thought these tools would be good for the price, $99 each.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/BandSaw.jpghttp://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/DrillPress.jpg
You can read the specs on the band saw here, http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=SEARS&pid=00921400000, and the specs on the drill press here, http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=SEARS&pid=00921900000,


The other ? I've got is about the bits I'm guessing I need to buy some HSS (high-speed steel) bits. Like the ones I have posted below.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/102bits.jpg
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Power+Tool+Accessories&pid=00964440000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Drill+Bits&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/90bits.jpg
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Power+Tool+Accessories&pid=00964090000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Drill+Bits&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

Is there anything else I need to be aware of when purchase tools to cut and modify acrylic, plastic and metal? Is there a special type of saw blade type I need for the band saw?

[tybrenis]

You'll need a metal blade to cut acrylic on your bandsaw without cracking and chipping it.

[jdbnsn]

Wow, this is an ambitious project! Can't believe I haven't seen it until now. For the tools, if you can affors both then go for it. If you need precise holes drilled you really need a drill press but you can probably get away with cutting plexi with hand tools if you take your time. And I agree with Tybrenis about the metal blade, I have tried both wood and metal and wood blades made rough cuts. Good luck with your project, the design looks great!
-quick anatomy gripe-that is a vertebral column, the spinal cord is the chewy strands of nerves that run through it ;)

[mellojoe]

I think it looks awesome. Go for it.

[Spacehonkey]

How thick should my acrylic panel be? I've heard that 1/8 is to thick.

I plan on hollowing out the center of the vertebral column to insert a gooseneck to make the monitor adjustable. Anyone know of a good gooseneck, going to a lamp or materials I can use to make one, strong enough to support the weight of the monitor?



-quick anatomy gripe-that is a vertebral column, the spinal cord is the chewy strands of nerves that run through it ;)Thx for the correction. Guess I should of paid more attention in biology class when I was a kid.

[Airbozo]

SpaceHonkey, check around, But I am pretty sure there is a fully equipped shop on base you can use for free (there used to be a couple of them). Otherwise check with some co-workers (mechanics or fabricators, not sure what they are called in the corps), to see if they can get you access to their shops. They will have just about any tool you need including a metal brake(bender).

[Spacehonkey]

I know there's a wood shop here on base. I'll make a call tomorrow and see if they can also handle metal and plastic. If they do that will allow me to get a feel for the tools I need and I'll know exactly what I need whenever I finally go out and purchase them.

[Ticien]

You could probably find a regular ol' desklamp at just about any department store that would have a gooseneck on it you could use. Some of the ones I've seen are pretty thick and seem as though they could support way more than just the lamp head. Im looking at your design and a flatpanel monitor minus all the random plastic shouldnt be TOO heavy, plus you have the hands to help distribute the weight so it isnt just resting on 1 point...just make sure that you dont make it too long as of course the shorter the gooseneck is, the more weight it should be able to hold without buckling.

[Airbozo]

For the goose neck, try a music store. I am looking at a mic stand that has a flexible goosneck on it. They also make adjustable ones for percussion instruments that will hold a lot of weight.

This is a mic stand;
http://www.music123.com/Product/Product.aspx?SKU=28920

I am looking for a model that would support more weight right now...

[Spacehonkey]

For the goose neck, try a music store. I am looking at a mic stand that has a flexible goosneck on it. They also make adjustable ones for percussion instruments that will hold a lot of weight.

This is a mic stand;
http://www.music123.com/Product/Product.aspx?SKU=28920

Awesome idea! I never thought about a mic stand extention. I'll go check out the local music store this weekend. If they don't have any I'll probably buy one off the link you provided.

Thx again for the idea. +rep

[XcOM]

that lock symbol is to secure the monitor to a desk, it has nothing to do with the case not comming off, my monitor was stuck, a few i have opened have been stuck. they just need forcing, with all the heat they recive, sometimes they get stuck.

and btw, i wouldn't open a CRT unless: A)it has been unpluged for the last two months, and B)you were confedent working with HUGE ammounts of power.

eitherway, i recommend TFT/LCD,
Good luck

[Airbozo]

....
and btw, i wouldn't open a CRT unless: A)it has been unpluged for the last two months, and B)you were confedent working with HUGE ammounts of power.
...
Good luck

As far as crt's go, I have pulled a crt out of our warehouse that had not been powered on for over a year. There was still a charge on the wire that leads to the top of the tube! (the thick high voltage wire usually red (for DON"T TOUCH!)).

When I was fixing TV's (many moons ago at my Dad's shop), I would attach a thick wire to ground, then to a large screwdriver, then slip the screwdriver under the rubber grommet connected to the high voltage wire and short/bleed out the voltage. Just keep your hands out of the way! Once that is done, the high voltage wire can be removed by pinching it together. BTW in some systems as much as 27kv travel through that wire! I watched one day as my dad touched one of those wires (it was cracked in the area he touched), and saw a spark jump from the top of his ass crack to a heater register over an inch away! It left a scar... (yes tv repairmen also suffer from plumbers crack!)

[Spacehonkey]

As far as crt's go....and saw a spark jump from the top of his ass crack to a heater register over an inch away! It left a scar.

:eek:OK you convinced me not to play around with my CRT monitor:eek:

I got the go ahead from the wife:) . So I'm ordering all the parts I need for the mod sometime this week (after I pay the bills off). The only catch she gave me was that I have to buy another monitor and mod that one. I might have to wait until next pay day to buy the other monitor:(.

Man I wish I could get started on the project already but I guess one of the most important traits a modder can have is patience.

Whenever I get the parts in I'll post some pix of the pieces before I tear into them.

[Spacehonkey]

I know my original plans call for a snake skeleton laying on top of the base of the monitor but that might change for a couple of reasons.

First reason is my wife keeps asking what the hell does a snake have to do with human skeleton hands and a back bone. I just thought it looked cool as hell. What do you guys think?

Second reason is the only snake skeletons I can find for sale are REAL snake skeletons for about $50. I would rather work with a fake skeleton because I think the real thing would be to brittle to work with. Also the snake is already glued into position and I'm afraid when I go to rearrange it the way I want it'll just fall apart in my hands.

Third reason is the snake it way to long for the base I wanted to use. If I go with the snake then I'll either have to make the base bigger or take out some of the snake skeleton to fit onto the base.

I thought about replacing it with some plastic dinosaur skeletons but I'm not sure if that would flow with the look as well as a snake would. I've added some pix of the snake I was thinking of using along with the possible dinosaurs I might use instead.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Snake.jpghttp://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Velo.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Stego.jpghttp://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Tricera-1.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/TRex.jpg
I'm not sure about the dinosaur skeletons because they look a little to cheap but I guess that's what you get for $15-$25. I found some with a lot more detail but the price jumps up to $150-$400.

Does anyone have any ideas on what I would look good on the base on the monitor?

[jdbnsn]

I agree that the snake bones don't really fit but I think your design looks great so far. Is there an underlying theme of sorts? If it's just bones, you could go for anatomic design and bring the spine down into hip bones which can be arranged accurately and still provide support.

[Spacehonkey]

Is there an underlying theme of sorts? If it's just bones, you could go for anatomic design and bring the spine down into hip bones which can be arranged accurately and still provide support.


There really isn't a theme beside a basic skeleton one. These are the skeleton bones that I've already purchased. I'm just waiting for them to be delivered.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/BackBone.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Arms.jpg

I like the idea of using the pelvis as the base especially since the back bone that I bought comes already attached to the pelvis bone. Not sure how I would stabilize it though.

[jdbnsn]

The support would not be able to come directly from the pelvic bones, rather the goose-neck you are running through the vertebre could attach to a frame/base which extends down behind the sacrum and then angles forward to construct a platform. On this platform you could model it any which way to conceal the support frame and display the pelvis. This may help the overall design look a little less top-heavy.

[Spacehonkey]

Well I guess I'm going to have to play around in SketchUp for a eye appealing design and then of course compare that to the when the real thing comes in and see exactly how strong the gooseneck is and at what angle I'll have to have the back bone at. Thx for the idea jdbnsn +rep.

[Ticien]

you could plant a human skull on the base, it would add to the aesthetics and give you an excuse to make the base a bit bigger if its too heavy in the front...although having a skull stare at you while you use your pc might be creepy

[Spacehonkey]

you could plant a human skull on the base, it would add to the aesthetics and give you an excuse to make the base a bit bigger if its too heavy in the front...


I'm not so sure about putting a skull below the the hands and back bone. I was thinking about having a skull peek over the top of the monitor through the acrylic panel straight at you and making his eyes glow with some leds. When I did a quick mockup with pen and paper it just doesn't look right from any other angel expect when you look directly straight at it. Plus I'm trying to stay away from it looking like a full skeleton is holding the monitor up.

So far I'm thinking about just curving the spine like a C and using a wire frame like jdbnsn suggested around the pelvic bone. I might have to place the pelvic bone in a stone base to make it look as if it was dug up and coming out of the ground like a fossil. That would also give it some stability.

[Spacehonkey]

Here's a quick mod with the pelvic bone as a base. Tell me what you think compared to the snake base I posted earlier.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/PelvicBasefront.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/PelvicBaseangel.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/PelvicBaseside.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/PelvicBaseback.jpg

[Spacehonkey]

I've got yet another idea for my mod.

I know some people have mentioned including a skull somewhere in my design but it just didn't fell/look right. It wasn't the fact of using a skull in my design, I'd like to, but it was the placement of it that bothered me until now. It came to me last night when I was trying to fall asleep. What about a hologram on the screen itself? I would like to have a hologram image of a skull on a clear sheet and place in between the acrylic panel and the screen. I wouldn't want it to be a strong bright image but subtle. I would like it so you can see the skull when the screen is dark but subtle enough so when the monitor is in use the hologram disappears or isn't as noticeable. Since this forum is full of a wide variety of highly skilled people of a wide range of ages and professions I thought I might be able to get some help with my latest idea.

This one is good but needs to be bigger.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/skull_1_.jpg
This next one is a good size maybe just a little bigger but I don't like the glasses.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/skull1.jpg
Can a hologram be printed on a clear sheet?

Would I need to have a light on the hologram itself to make it appear or would normal ambient light be enough?

[SgtM]

Diggin the design man. The hologram idea is wicked too. +rep

[Spacehonkey]

Diggin the design man. The hologram idea is wicked too. +rep

If I can make this mod come out like I have planned then you'll be blown away by what I have intended for the case that will complement this monitor.:banana:

[FPMachine]

They have holograms like that for mobile phones. actually when there is a backlight to it. (phone is on) the image is faint but when it is off the image if very visable. If you could take what they have done and adapt it you would have a very fine thing.

[Spacehonkey]

I've been searching about the web and can't really find a company that would make a hologram pix of a life size skull with a transparent background. Never thought about the cell phone decals maybe I'll search around for those and try and get in touch with the manufacturer. Now the hunt is on!!!

[Spacehonkey]

They have holograms like that for mobile phones. actually when there is a backlight to it. (phone is on) the image is faint but when it is off the image if very visable. If you could take what they have done and adapt it you would have a very fine thing.

I found an example of what FBMachine was talking about.

http://www.holofactory.com/mobile_phone_hologram.gif

[Crimson Sky]

This mod is really a killer idea. I love anything with bones and skulls!! Are you going to weather the bones and do a realistic appearance? I agree, leave the skull out of it. More interesting without.

my mouse pad (no hijack intended):

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/misc/painting/skullpad.jpg







+5 reps (FYI, admins take or give 5 at a time)

[Spacehonkey]

Are you going to weather the bones and do a realistic appearance? I agree, leave the skull out of it. More interesting without.

Are you suggestion leaving the hologram out as well or just the physical skull?

I do plan on weathering the bones like your mouse pad but I still have a lot of practice to do before I can get it as realistic as you did. I've already read your book and luckily you used your skull mouse pad as the example in the chapter about painting. So I'll try and duplicate that paint job to the best of my ability. Hopefully I'll have all the parts I need in a couple of weeks so I can finally start getting my hands dirty.

[Crimson Sky]

Yeah I meant the plastic skull, glad you nixed it. about the hologram, I like! i don't have any suggestions though... :(

[Spacehonkey]

Yeah I'm having a problem trying to get a life size skull printed on a transparent sheet. :( I'm not even sure this is within reach for me.

I've e-mailed a few hologram and cell phone companies. So far no response but of course it's only been a day. I might try and see if there are any retailers locally and visit them this weekend. I really like the hologram idea and I think it'll complete my design. I'll still do the mod as planned but I'll always have that feeling that the job just isn't right without it. I guess that's something I might have to deal with. Ahhhh, every modders dream, the stuff I could build with an infinite amount of money, supplies, tools and resources. :think:

This question goes out to everyone out there who's taking the time to read this post.
Any suggestions on where else I might find the type of hologram I need?

[Spacehonkey]

In the spirit of these DIY forums, I must venture the question:

Have you thought of maybe making this hologram yourself?

I know there is software out there to print 3d holograms, and even if you didn't have a decent printer, you could take it to somewhere like OfficeMax and have them print it out on their badass printers.

I have looked into some hologram kits. So far I found one that is around $150 but it looks like it can only take pictures of small items like a toy car. I did find a site that has a tutorial on how to make your own kit. The problem with doing it yourself is the low level of picture quality. In my readings I've discovered that you need to have the laser basically vibration free to get the best picture. Before I ventured into build a hologram or purchasing a kit myself I wanted to find out if a professional company could do it at a reasonable price. Also I haven't figured out if the cell phone holograms are just normal holograms printed on transparent sheets or something specify designed to make the image disappear when light is shined on it.

[Spacehonkey]

You have got to read this e-mail I just received.

This is the e-mail I sent out to one of the hologram companies:

I would like to know if you can print a human skull on a transparent sheet. I need the sheet to be roughly 22"x16" but the skull to be life size. I would also like to know if the hologram will react to light like the small hologram you can put on a cell phone. The idea is to have the skull be visible when the light is off but barely noticeable when the light is turned on. Thank you for your time and for any information you can give me.

This is the e-mail I received in response:
Thanks for your interest. There are too numerous issues with your question to get into without knowing financial viability. First and most important would be the illumination issue - holograms WORK ON LIGHT so having a light on it is CRUCIAL to make it work - without light they do not show up, period. The key would be to make it illuminate from a different light angle than other light - so for instance you would create the image to illuminate by a light source below the image and then when other room lighting comes on the lower light would go off so the hologram image would in effect disappear.

Again, without getting into logistics or even the type of hologram you would need (depending on many factors such as environmental etc), you would be looking at least $10,000 to do something at that size and possibly noticeably more - so that will help determine if it is even worth further discussion. Let me know, and again thank you for your interest,

Did you catch that $10,000+:eek: :eek: :eek: That can't be right.

[Spacehonkey]

If I ever get the hologram idea off the ground my monitor should look something like this when the screen is turned off.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Hologram.jpg

[Spacehonkey]

I found this while looking for printable decal sheets:
http://www.paper-paper.com/holo-magnetic.html

Thx for the find. ;)

I just e-mailed them to see if the sheets are transparent. Now all I have to do is wait for a response.

[Ticien]

that is insane...I know ive seen holograms you put up on the wall bigger than a monitor for sale for a LOT less than 10 grand...I was really hoping to see a skull here, I am a skull fan...since the plastic skull idea got nixed I am really glad to see this, hope you can find one...it will look killer

[Spacehonkey]

I found this while looking for printable decal sheets:
http://www.paper-paper.com/holo-magnetic.html

Well I already got a response from these guys. Lets just say things aren't looking good. Here was his response.:?

I don't know of anyone in the world that makes the product you need.
Sorry

Steve

I did e-mail the company that quoted me the $10,000 and they responsed with a explaination of why it would cost that much.

Sorry but that is the reality.

1. Those small holos that you bought in the store (retailed originally for
$14.95 then eventually down to a couple bucks and never more than $0.20 cost from the DuPont factory) EACH cost in the area of $5,000 to setup (for the original master image - sort of like the negative but way more
complilcated) - they were only inexpensive when tens or hundreds of thousands of them were made.

2. You don't want one of those little guys but one that is huge by comparison, much larger than even the DuPont film was every made and requiring way more laser power to create.

3. When you made your "cell phone image comparison", I thought of this
example:
A cell phone costs anywhere from $20 to a few hundred dollars to purchase - lets take a Motorola for instance. Now imagine contacting Motorolla and saying "I want a cell phone, but I want it the size of a football, and by the way it has to ring at night but not during the day" and I only need one piece. How much would THAT cost?

Hope this gives you some idea of what you are asking - custom hologrpahy is highly complex, costly material intensive, and time consuming. I responded to this out of courtesy and appreciation for your interest in holography.

Best,

Peter

Now I understand the high price. I think the only way I'll be able to do the hologram is if I completely DIY. I now it won't come out as perfect as I would want it to be but what the hell it'll be a learning experience and who knows maybe just maybe it'll turn out better than I think. Now I've got to do some more research on building a holo kit.:glasses: Keep your fingers crossed

[Spacehonkey]

I put a hold on the hologram research for right now. I'll probably look more into building a home hologram kit after the rest of the mod is completed. It can be my finishing touch on it. I don't want to get to wrapped up in the hologram idea and have the rest of the project fall to the way side.

:) Now for some good news. I finally received the skeleton bones I'll be using for the mod. Also I made some brackets that I'll need to mount the acrylic panel and the larger speakers to the monitor. I'll post some pix when I get all the parts I that I need to complete the project which shouldn't be that long, maybe a couple of weeks. Then I'll be able to let my actions speak louder then my words.:p

[Commando]

Wicked mod.

+ Rep for your sketchup skills. I still get frustrated as hell with sketchup and I've been doing graphic art stuff for a while.


Hope this gives you some idea of what you are asking - custom hologrpahy is highly complex, costly material intensive, and time consuming. I responded to this out of courtesy and appreciation for your interest in holography.

Best,

Peter

+ Rep to Peter the Hologram guy. It's funny as hell how cool random people can be when you show interest in their company.

I remember Oakley giving me and a group of my friends a ton of stuff, expensive stuff, one time before a deployment.

Keep up the killer project. You've got me thinkin about that monitor mod thing with the plexiglass, that's a wicked cool idea.

[Spacehonkey]

+ Rep for your sketchup skills. I still get frustrated as hell with sketchup and I've been doing graphic art stuff for a while.

I can't take all the credit for the SketchUp model. I downloaded the pelvic bone from a skeleton model I found in the 3D SketchUp Warehouse. I figured I could probably build it up myself but why take all that time making a model of something that has already been done, like the pelvic bone. I would rather spend my free time thinking of ways to improve my design. So again I didn't build the pelvic bone but I did do everything else you see in the pix of my project. I just thought I would let you guys know that before you give me credit for someone else's hard work.

[Spacehonkey]

Update: Today the local music store gets their shipment in and I should be able to pick up my 19" chrome mic gooseneck for the backbone.:banana: Also the wife gave me the go ahead to start ripping into the LCD monitor we have and she'll just go back to using the old CRT monitor until we buy a new LCD one for her.

Now let me go down the list to see if I'll have everything I need.

LCD monitor - check
Backbone - check
L & R Skeleton Arms - check
Larger speaker w/brackets - check
Acrylic panel - check
6 Alan screws/nuts for Acrylic panel - check
Acrylic panel brackets - check
Backbone/monitor bracket - check
Red LEDs - check
Electrical wiring - check
Cable sleeves & heatshrink - check
Dremel - check
Bucket of bondo - check
Gooseneck - in the mail (had to order a new stronger one)
Cutting tool for acrylic panel - still looking for someone with a band saw
Skull hologram - still researching if it's even possible

I also still need to get a large enough nut to secure the gooseneck to the monitor mount. I think that's all I need for this project.

Is there anything I forgot on my list that you guys think I should have?

[fuzzyfuzion]

Love the idea, I would just be worried about the hologram affecting the viewing screen while in use (mainley coz I use darker settings and some games do tend to get kinda dark). What about on like an anti glare screen? You could probley mod that to work on your design (which is very awesom). And as far as the hologram, and this is just an idea so please don't shoot me for it, what about car window tint? I have done some cool stuff and aml planning a "mirrored" in the light and "transluent" in the dark case mod with it. Just a thought.

[Spacehonkey]

...And as far as the hologram, and this is just an idea so please don't shoot me for it, what about car window tint? I have done some cool stuff and aml planning a "mirrored" in the light and "transluent" in the dark case mod with it. Just a thought.

Don't worry I won't shoot you, YET!!!:D I'm not sure what you mean. Could you explain more? I'm completely open to new way to get the similar affect that the holograms would have.

[fuzzyfuzion]

Well, in a nut shell, youre putting an image in your screen, and it will be there 24/7. The best way I can think to describe what I mean would be burn in on the monitor. You'd have a constant ghost image. It is after all a sticker or something like that, but it seemes to me it's still gonna be an image on the screen. Could look totaly awesom and not be a problem. But it also could be annoying as @%*#. So hence the sugestion for anti glare screen or something along those lines. It would be removable. Once again, I could be so far off base with this it's not funny, but I do know I have some minor scratches on my monitor and they have a habit of getting in the way.

[Spacehonkey]

...You'd have a constant ghost image... Could look totaly awesom and not be a problem. But it also could be annoying as @%*#. So hence the sugestion for anti glare screen or something along those lines. It would be removable.

I have taken the possibility of the ghost image to be annoying for some people in to account but I thought I would give it a shot to see how bad it would be but since I've hit a brick wall on the hologram side for right now I think your idea of a anti glare screen is an AWESOME idea. I could try and paint a skull on there and see how it looks.

By the way fuzzyfuzion I know you're new to the forum so let me be the first if you haven't received one yet for the great idea about using a glare screen. +REP

[fuzzyfuzion]

:banana: Awesom:banana: Thanx man. If you can't take the criticism of an idea, why tell anyone at all ? Most everything is always a work in progress.

[Spacehonkey]

I got a question for the the MODERATORs out there. First off this thread initially started out asking a simple question about a metal frame for a LCD monitor but now has morphed into a detailed step by step brainstorming thread about my Monitor Mod.

Now I would like to know since I'm actually about to take the gloves off and get my hands dirty with this project should I start another thread in the Mod Walk - Work in progress thread section or should this thread moved there or should I just keep posting here like a mad man?

[Spacehonkey]

What do you guys think of using these screws to hold the acrylic panel on to the front of the monitor?

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/skullscrews.jpg

[danthegeek]

They look pretty good. The only thing I would worry about is "adding to much." I say try them and if they look like crap trow in some plain screws and use them for the case...

[Spacehonkey]

Well I was playing around with the gooseneck to see if it could hold the weight on the monitor. Nope to weak.:( So I drove around town and found another music supply store and they carried a rubber type of gooseneck. This type is strong as hell but they only had a 16" and 10" that would be 26" way to long for what I need. So I searched the web and found a 20" rubber gooseneck and a stand to attach it to and help to stabilize the base. Hopefully this will work.


rubber goosenck
http://www.activemusician.com/item--MC.R20

stand
http://www.activemusician.com/item--MC.DS-5E

[jdbnsn]

I don't think those screws would look very good in your overall scheme even though they fit the theme. I agree with danthegeek that they would be "adding too much", you have a very unique and creative theme going here and it's difficult sometimes when in the creative process to know when to draw the line, but I'd say draw before the screws. That gooseneck looks good, have you tested a similar model with weight bearing, keep in mind it must support the weight of the screen which will likely have some leverage added if it sticks out in the front, and it must hold for long periods of time. That base doesn't look sufficient to me, it only has a 6" diameter base and weighs only 3lbs. You would likely get better support if you built your own base with some form of extensions (feet) in the front to protect against falling forward. If you really wanted to keep with the skeletal form, you actually could incorporate two femurs from the acetabular hip joints extending forward and out at about a 45 degree angle and saw them off about midway through their length.

[Spacehonkey]

Thumbscrews-
I thought about it too and the skull thumbscrews would be over doing it. So I'll just stick with the alan screws.

Gooseneck-
I'll need to have the monitor put together with the hands and acrylic panel so I'll be able to test the strength of gooseneck out proper. If the 20" isn't strong enough I thought about joining smaller ones together since the shorter goosenecks are stiffer.

Base-
As for the base I'm just using the stand for a starter piece. I'll expand on it more but I'll also have to wait until I have all the pieces together so I can have a better idea of how big the base needs to be. I'm going to add bondo to the base to make it look like the pelvic bone is coming out of a rock so I could just add some weights and cover it with the bondo if I need too.

The idea to use the femur bones isn't a bad idea but I'm using the femurs for my case mod. I want to have the same theme of the skeleton monitor but not use the same bones for it. My overall idea is to have a complete skeleton computer setup and if you were to take the pieces apart you would have a complete skeleton. I'll be posting more on my case mod in the near future on a new thread.

[Spacehonkey]

All the parts I need for my mod finally came in. I'll start putting everything together this weekend. I'll post more pix as everything comes together.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/MonitorParts.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Allbones.jpghttp://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/GooseneckStandA.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Monitor.jpg

[jdbnsn]

This is gonna be so cool!

[Crimson Sky]

^^ Yah what he said!

Would be really cool to simulate Orthopedic Pins (http://www.pemed.com/surgery/implants/implants.htm)instead of those skull thumbscrews. Check out the kick ass hardware on that site. You could probably fashion similar looking hardware with aluminum stock and a few rifler files.

EDIT: Hell I'll turn some cool looking bolts for you on my new lathe--just come up with some ideas.

http://www.medicaldesign.com/Content/Issue/3065/Weighing02-00.jpg

I have several of these suckas (http://www.pemed.com/surgery/implants/synspa2.jpg)in my ankle from a motorcycle accident.

[Commando]

Dude,

That is so strong... You've got bones, bondo, and a Dremel. You have now officially made it to the stage of total uber modder. +Rep There is no turning back now.

[Scotty]

Thats some crazy as Sh** +rep

[Canadian Eh?]

Whoah This is gonna be cool! Bones, Can't go wrong!
(Don't Break a leg!)(<If you get my drift)

[Spacehonkey]

Would be really cool to simulate Orthopedic Pins (http://www.pemed.com/surgery/implants/implants.htm)instead of those skull thumbscrews. Check out the kick ass hardware on that site. You could probably fashion similar looking hardware with aluminum stock and a few rifler files.

EDIT: Hell I'll turn some cool looking bolts for you on my new lathe--just come up with some ideas.

Very cool idea about using orthopedic pins.:up: I would never of thought of that. I'll look on the website and see if I can come up with anything. Thx for the great idea, that'll add some great detail to the project.

EDIT: I could use orthopedic pins for my BareBone Case (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7461) mod too. By the way C.S. did you receive the e-mail I sent you about the heart pump idea?

[Crimson Sky]

Yeah I got that PM about the heart model. Not sure what effect you want with it--explain

If I were to make a heart model that inflates and deflates slightly, I'd cast it in rubber and fashion a simple slow-moving cam/motor assembly that sucks and pumps air.

[Spacehonkey]

Would be really cool to simulate Orthopedic Pins...could probably fashion similar looking hardware with aluminum stock and a few rifler files.

EDIT: Hell I'll turn some cool looking bolts for you on my new lathe--just come up with some ideas.

I have several of these suckas (http://www.pemed.com/surgery/implants/synspa2.jpg)in my ankle from a motorcycle accident.

Well I've come up with some ways to use some Orthopedic Pins & Parts. I can use the same kind of brackets that Crimson Sky has in his ankle for the acrylic panel and speaker brackets.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/synspa2.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/BracketPanel.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/BracketSpeaker.jpg

Also instead of boring looking alan screws I could use a smaller replica of these T-shape handles or this hip part to secure the panel and brackets.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/T-shape-B.jpghttp://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/T-shape.jpg
I really like this hip piece used as a screw but I'm not sure how hard it would be to make.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/austinmoore-prosthesis.jpg

[Spacehonkey]

Well this is all that I got down this weekend. I broke the backbone down to separate pieces and tagged them so I won't get confused when I try to put it back together again, no Humpte Dumpte here.:)

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/VerbraTagged.jpg

Then I took a closer look at each part and noticed that since I bought a 4th quality grade skeleton they didn't clean it up very well after they took it out of their mold. So I had to brake out the dremel and clean the pieces up myself.
Here are some before and after shots. You can still see some of the lines from the mold but it isn't as noticeable as before.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Verbrabeforecleanup.jpg http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Verbraaftercleanup.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/ClearVerbrabeforecleanup.jpg http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/ClearVerbraaftercleanup.jpg

[DaveW]

This is gonna be good. :)

-Dave

[Crimson Sky]

I'm gonna turn a miniature version of this right now on the lathe to see what i can do. :)

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/T-shape-B.jpg

[Crimson Sky]

Well here's the one that I whipped up--I made it like a little thumbscrew :) First thing I ever made on the Unimat.


http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/misc/ortho_screw.jpg



How many do ya need? ;)

[DaveW]

That's sweet Crimson! You the man!

-Dave

[jdbnsn]

That looks great! Very fitting for this mod, nice craftsmanship!

[Spacehonkey]

Well here's the one that I whipped up--I made it like a little thumbscrew :) First thing I ever made on the Unimat.


http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/misc/ortho_screw.jpg



How many do ya need? ;)

BAD ASS!!! I'd say you mastered the Unimat on your first try. Well I need 4 to hold the acrylic panel on and 2 with the screw part cut off to cover the LED lights on the acrylic panel. So that would be 6 total. I don't see anywhere else to use them, do you? I don't think I could say this enough, Man you do good work and fast too.

EDIT: I'll pay for the material and the S&H just let me know what you need.

[Crimson Sky]

I need to get calipers before I can duplicate 6 of them--the materials cost pennies so don't worry about it. Explain what you mean by "cover the LED lights"

[Spacehonkey]

Explain what you mean by "cover the LED lights"

I wanted to cover the LED with the head of a screw or something as a way to hide it. I saw it done on the orginal mod where I got the idea to start my own.

I know it's hard to see but you can barely make out that the LED has a alan screw head over it.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/RedLiteMonitor.jpg

Here is a better angel from my sketchUp design.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/AlanHead-LED.jpg

[Crimson Sky]

I see... its a cover to hide the LED while it edge-lights the acrylic.

[Spacehonkey]

I see... its a cover to hide the LED while it edge-lights the acrylic.

Bullseye!:D
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/800px-Bullseye.jpg

[Eclecticos]

Boooo Yaaaa.. ..

[OvRiDe]

Well here's the one that I whipped up--I made it like a little thumbscrew :) First thing I ever made on the Unimat.
http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/misc/ortho_screw.jpg


Sorry to threadjack.. But I would love to see a little mini log on the milling of those parts, if you get a chance. I think it would be very interesting to see.

Awsome project! I have alway liked the mod you are basing this one off of. Way to take it to the next level!

[Spacehonkey]

Well I went and replaced the old speakers with some bigger ones. Here are some before and after shots. I used the skull thumbscrews just to see how they looked. If something better comes along I replace them. I also cover the wiring.

Old Speakers
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/OldSpeakers-2.jpg

New Speakers
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/NewSpeakers-2.jpg

Old Speakers from a different angle
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/OldSpeakers.jpg

New Speakers from a different angle
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/NewSpeakers-1.jpg

Closeup of New Speakers
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/NewSpeakerCloseup-1.jpg

Closeup of Skull Thumbscrews
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/NewSpeakerCloseup-2.jpg

[Crimson Sky]

Maybe you can retrofit some kind of cool aluminum fan grill for those speakers...maybe a decent looking chrome skull fan grill? 80mm should fit.

[Spacehonkey]

Well here they are. I think the first one looks the best but the last one isn't bad either.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Fan%20Grills/SkullGrill-5.jpg http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Fan%20Grills/SkullGrill-6.jpg http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Fan%20Grills/SkullGrill-1.jpg http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Fan%20Grills/SkullGrill-3.jpg http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Fan%20Grills/SkullGrill-7.gif
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Fan%20Grills/SkullGrill.jpg

EDIT: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that yet again Crimson Sky has come up with another brilliant idea. I bet you get tired of hearing that Crimson Sky. :D

[Crimson Sky]

lol shaddup. Hey you can always use modder's mesh or sumthin. That last skull looks best..more abstract. I don't think it would be overkill to have skull grills, but I could be wrong...Might be weird looking to have them facing the same direction tho.


Gah..maybe its too cheesey. Plain mesh might be better?

[Spacehonkey]

...Might be weird looking to have them facing the same direction tho.

Gah..maybe its too cheesey. Plain mesh might be better?

I could always flip one of the grills then they would be facing opposite directions. I'll play around in SketchUp and see what I come up with.

[Spacehonkey]

Here you go. A quick idea of how it'll look.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Fan%20Grills/SkullSpeakersback-1.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Fan%20Grills/SkullSpeakersangle-1.jpg

I like it. Now I need to get some sleep before the wife wakes up and gets all pissed off at me that I'm still playing around on the computer.

[Crimson Sky]

If the skull grills are die cut, most likely the back of it will be burred and the metal unfinished. You can always take a sander to both fan grills and paint them white, so the sides are identical. Sketchup looks great! Those grills will look cool with some mesh behind it too, like in the illustration :)

[Eclecticos]

Here you go. A quick idea of how it'll look.


Now thats going to look Kewl :up:
Great Design! Ill be checking up on this one.
Keep us updated!

[Spacehonkey]

If the skull grills are die cut, most likely the back of it will be burred and the metal unfinished. Those grills will look cool with some mesh behind it too, like in the illustration :)

I just ordered 2 skull grills they should arrive in a couple of days. They are laser cut and come with a mesh backing.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Fan%20Grills/SkullFanAd.jpg

[Crimson Sky]

Sorry to threadjack.. But I would love to see a little mini log on the milling of those parts, if you get a chance. I think it would be very interesting to see.


Done and done (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?p=90784#post90784) :)

[Spacehonkey]

Done and done (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?p=90784#post90784) :)

All I can say is now I know why you have your Rep count turned off because you would of probably blown it up with all your green boxes.:D

[Crimson Sky]

hey spacehonkey, when you get a chance, can you render that thumbscrew I made in sketchup? I have an idea for the LED covers I want to show you. Please make the file available (or email it to me) here and I'll modify it and post pics. For the rounded ends of the T-handle, just make a tube and attach a dome on each side, unless you have mastered rounded ends already. ;).

edit: Dont add the threaded part, I'll need to add that after I customize it.

[Spacehonkey]

hey spacehonkey, when you get a chance, can you render that thumbscrew I made in sketchup? I have an idea for the LED covers I want to show you. Please make the file available (or email it to me) here and I'll modify it and post pics. For the rounded ends of the T-handle, just make a tube and attach a dome on each side, unless you have mastered rounded ends already. ;).

edit: Dont add the threaded part, I'll need to add that after I customize it.

No problem. When I get off work today I'll see what I can do. By the way I was playing around in SketchUp and I think I might have the whole rounded ends thing figured out. If you want you can send me the measurements and I'll make it to scale.

[Crimson Sky]

Cool...but the size is up to you--add it to your monitor model after you make it and see what looks best. The ones I made already are just prototypes, and of different size.

[Spacehonkey]

OK Crimson, I just finished the T-handle screw in SketchUp. I'm not sure how to e-mail the sketchup file to you though.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/T-Shape3DwithReal.jpg

[Crimson Sky]

Cool I got it. :)

[Spacehonkey]

I did a test run with the gooseneck and the monitor. The gooseneck by itself isn't strong enough to support the weight of the monitor. So I replaced the old thin wire that was running through the backbone with thicker 16 gauge wire to see if that will help support the weight of the monitor.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Pelvis001.jpg http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Pelvis003.jpg

Before I can give it a true test though I have take the center wire out and replace it with the gooseneck then put the backbone back together again. The problem I have with that is not all the pieces are that same size so I'll have to cut away some of the bone to make the gap bigger (smaller pieces) and on others I have to drill a large hole where the center wire was going through it (larger pieces). Maybe the picture will explain what I mean better.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Exampleofdifferentverbra.jpg

I don't think I'll get a chance to work on this until next week though. :(

[Crimson Sky]

I thought that the weight might be a problem...Have you considered wrapping or even braiding multiple strands of wire instead to create a strong coil running thrugh the vertebrae?

[Spacehonkey]

I thought that the weight might be a problem...Have you considered wrapping or even braiding multiple strands of wire instead to create a strong coil running thrugh the vertebrae?

I never thought about that. A buddy of mine at work also suggested replacing one of the middle pieces with a strong joint and have the top and bottom piece have a steal rod going through it. There are a couple different ways to try this I might try your braided wire first since it shouldn't require curving into the vertebrae.

[Crimson Sky]

braiding with two or even three wires might just be the answer for flexibility and rigidity. Simply wrapping the wire around a core would be less effective since it will tend to uncoil slightly went bent.

You will probably need a braided core of at least 3/4"-1" to support the monitor. One idea is to go to Lowes or Home Despot and get 1/4" flexible copper tubing used for water lines for refridgerator ice makers. I would bundle 3 of these together and start braiding with either jacketed copper wire or bare wire (both stranded)until it can support the weight. You can then cover the braid with black split loom tubing and start stacking the vertebrae

[mellojoe]

Jebuz, Crimson, you know everything. That is an awesome idea. :)

You've done one or two of these before, huh? ;)

[Crimson Sky]

Jebuz, Crimson, you know everything. That is an awesome idea. :)

You've done one or two of these before, huh? ;)


Actually its all theory. :think: It may not be strong enough. We are talking of at least 8-10 lbs of dead hanging weight to support---and thats just the monitor without the mods attached.. :eek:

[Crimson Sky]

Or you can splurge and get one of THESE (http://www.mobilevideozone.com/product_view.aspx?product_ID=977A5E59-7510-4175-97A4-F1B7FD1E30C3). Made for use in cars/trucks. I bet they come apart as well for modding. Also has the proper VESA mounting bracket

[Spacehonkey]

Sorry for the long wait on my response. I just got back from my short trip to Vegas, no I didn't win big.

I'll try braiding the 16 gauge wire that I have together and see how much they can handle tomorrow morning. I took a quick look at the LCD gooseneck that Crimson suggested. I can't tell if the end pieces come off. If they don't then that might be a huge problem with trying to route it through the vertebrae. Oh and I'm trying to get the whole thing to be able to support about 14 pounds. I think with the monitor, acrylic panel and skeletons hands should weigh just under 13-15 pounds.

[Wannabeamodder]

Hi man I have been watching this project and I think it's going to be near impossible to make the backbone support that mutch weight and still be flexible.
Maybe you should go with a steel rod up to about the 4th vertabrae from the top then divise a pivioting hinge type joint to adjust the tilt.

Just a thought.
Or you could attch legs to the pelvis cross them and bring them up so the weight is resting on the knees.

Then you could add arms with the hands resting on the desk holding your keyboard.

Add a mean looking skull and the monitor will look like it's in the skeleton's chest.

Love the work so far and great sketchup work +rep for that.
Charles

[Crimson Sky]

Wannabe is prolly right....While I know the goosenecks for laptops and LCD's can hold a good amount of weight, (about 15lbs) it will be fun to see if he can do the same with a DIY version. ;) You can always get aluminum rod and articulate it in several sections using bolts and lock washers--can even hide the bolts with the vertabrae, just drill a hole in the side of it so you can get an allen wrench inside. I can probably even mill the joints on the Unimat if you want--with enough sections, you can bend the spine in some cool S curves. Actually..I'd really like to do that!!!

[Spacehonkey]

Wannabeamodder - thx for all the input.:up: You have some great ideas and the more I play around with the gooseneck and the vertebrae I do believe I might have to go with something similar to the joint idea. I don't however want to add the skull and move the hand position. I will be using a skull on my case mod and even though they will have the same theme I don't want to have to much of a redundancy of skeleton parts. I also want to have the look of the hands holding the monitor, I really don't want to budge on that section of the mod. Your idea about attaching legs to the pelvic bone and having them angle up to help support the monitor is also a good one but since that would take up the entire desk space, even more than a CRT monitor I think I'll give the joints on the vertebrae idea a try first.

Crimson Sky - I would like to hear more about the Unimat joint idea. I think it would be better to try the joint idea first then if for whatever reason it doesn't workout I could continue on with the gooseneck. I think your idea would require less overall drilling of the vertebrae and would be easier to cover up. Plus I just want to see more of your work on the Unimat.:D

[Wannabeamodder]

I didn't mean to seem like I was trying to change your idea I was just throwing some things
against the wall to see if they stick.:D
I love the look of this mod and I hope you can figure out how to make it work.
If anyone can make some articulating joints for the backbone Crimson can!

I was thinking what if you had a joint that looked like a miniature wine glass with a glass on one end and a ball on the other end of the stem that would fit perfectly into another glass (Not made of glass of course) but metal vessel on one end and rubber ball on the other end when inserted it would make a ball and socket joint.

Kinda like this.
http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/9878/backbonejoint2nf4.jpg


Don't know if this is fesible especially as you get to the smaller vertabrae.
And it may not work at all.

Just a thought.
Charles

[Spacehonkey]

I didn't mean to seem like I was trying to change your idea I was just throwing some things
against the wall to see if they stick.:D

I didn't think you were trying to change my idea. I think you were just providing some information on possible problems I might come across and also giving a solution to it. That's one of the main reasons I posted this thread about my mod on here. So people such as yourself can help me make my idea better. Two heads are better than one.:D

I like your wine glass/ball link but I'm not sure it that would be stiff enough to support 15 lbs.

[Spacehonkey]

I got my fan grills in yesterday but I wasn't able to put them on because they are a little to big. I'll have to trim them down a little. My wife forgot the digital camera at her brother's house today so I wasn't able to take any pix to show you what I need to do. I did however play around in photoshop so you guys can get an idea.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Fan%20Grills/SkullFanCut-1.jpg

The problem is that the grill has a chrome finish on it so when I go to cut the posts off and round off the edges on the back side of the grill that is going to be used on the right side speaker it will scratch and dull the finish.

How do I prevent my alterations from ruining the chrome finish look of the grill?

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

heres a simple solution..... get rid of all of the chrome.... get it nice and smoothly ground clean.... and polish the FK outa it lolz

[Wannabeamodder]

Maybe you could use some black pvc pipe with a notch cut in it on the top and bottom to acomodate the brackets just big enough to slide over the speakers.Then you could glue the grill to the pvc and it would look like the little skull screws are holding it on it would also hide the back of the speakers.

Charles

[Spacehonkey]

Maybe you could use some black pvc pipe with a notch cut in it on the top and bottom to acomodate the brackets just big enough to slide over the speakers.Then you could glue the grill to the pvc and it would look like the little skull screws are holding it on it would also hide the back of the speakers.

Charles

I like the look of the exposed back part of the speakers plus I think using some PVC pipe would make it look white trash. Please don't stop with the ideas though not all of them can be gems.

[Wannabeamodder]

LMAO that was a getting ready to leave for work at 5AM idea.:banana:
Too bad it stunk!

In my mind it looked ok but that was at 5AM I see now what look your going for perhaps you can use another grill with 2 of the brackets cut off and all the center cut out then mount the skull grill with all the brackets cut off on to the center of that grill.


Charles

[DaveW]

This is fast turning into those must-see worklogs that every modder knows about. I'm really looking forward to seeing this one develop!

-Dave

[Spacehonkey]

I don't have a problem mounting the bracket to the speaker. I can just file a little on the top and bottom of the grill and then sandwich it between the the speaker bracket and the skull thumbscrew. I wouldn't even need to really clean that portion up since it'll be covered up by the thumbscrew. I just need to find a way to file down the posts on the grill and do as little damage to the chrome finish.

[Airbozo]

...white trash....


Hehe Basura Blanco...


Great work on this Space Honkey! Been a while since I gave you some rep, but you deserve it for this one.

[Crimson Sky]

I'd need to get a length of alum rod I'm guessing at least 3/4". I would also need to get myself some milling bits--slot cutter and end cutters. Very simple tongue & groove design would work best...ball sockets would not have the friction to hold the weight :)

[chaksq]

I haven't posted in here yet although I have been folowing it. +rep for all the great work you do.

[Spacehonkey]

***WARNING***WARNING***WARNING***
------------------------------------------------------------BROWN NOSING ABOUT TO COMMENCE------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------Small children divert your eyes----------------------------------------------------------------

I'd like to take this opportunity to say I really appreciate all your help Crimson Sky. You're definitely helping me bring my idea to the next level. I just can't believe how down to earth you are and willing to take the time out of your busy schedule to help someone new to modding like myself. OK, OK ass kissing session over, you can bring the kids back in the room now:D

How did the T-handle sketchup file work for you? Was it useful for you?

I thought about the chrome skull grill and I think the only thing I can do is what CHIMAERA suggested.


heres a simple solution..... get rid of all of the chrome.... get it nice and smoothly ground clean.... and polish the FK outa it lolz

Also instead of cutting the posts off I was thinking of just bending them back and using them to help hold the grill against the speaker.

[Crimson Sky]

How did the T-handle sketchup file work for you? Was it useful for you? [/COLOR]

I thought about the chrome skull grill and I think the only thing I can do is what CHIMAERA suggested.



Also instead of cutting the posts off I was thinking of just bending them back and using them to help hold the grill against the speaker.

LoL...no problem man. When I see people take initiative with their projects, it's my pleasure to help. It will also give me a chance to practice milling and shaping. I will have to make one of those T Handles with a hex bit on the end, so you can use it to adjust and tighten the screws on the joints...how cool would that be? ;)

yes the sketchup drawing is great, I havent had time to mess with it. My idea to hide your LEDs is to make a T handle with a nub of acrylic stock on the end so you can use acrylic cement and glue it to the frame in front of the LED. (does that make sense to anyone?)I'll also thread that nub so the T handle screws off in case you have to transport this monitor to a LAN party or sumthin.

the 3/4" round alum bar is about $5 per foot from www.allmetalsinc.com (http://www.allmetalsinc.com). Thats pretty cheap. Figure out how much stock we'll need for the length you want on the spine. Also figure out how MANY joints you need to get it to the shape you want based on the overall length.

[Spacehonkey]

the 3/4" round alum bar is about $5 per foot from www.allmetalsinc.com (http://www.allmetalsinc.com). Thats pretty cheap. Figure out how much stock we'll need for the length you want on the spine. Also figure out how MANY joints you need to get it to the shape you want based on the overall length.

Well the rod that was holding the pieces together originally measures 22" and I think 3 joints should work maybe a fourth just for backup.

[Crimson Sky]

Hmm..at 22" I'm thinking more like 5 or even 6 so it can make a smooth curve...thoughts?

Remember that the center of the LCD's gravity has to be relative to the base, unless you plan on clamping this to a desk--

[Spacehonkey]

Yeah your probably right about using 6 joints. I would be able to create a smoother curve if I placed one every 3-4 inches.

I was going to put about 15-20 lbs of weight in the base to help with the weight of the LCD. Since I'm going to use bondo to make it look like the pelvic bone was dug out of the ground like a fossil I can cover the weight with bondo and create more of a flat stable bottom. Or if the joints work go enough then curve the spine forward to have the pelvic bone rest right below if not a little forward of the screen to help balance out the weight of the LCD.

[Spacehonkey]

yes the sketchup drawing is great, I havent had time to mess with it. My idea to hide your LEDs is to make a T handle with a nub of acrylic stock on the end so you can use acrylic cement and glue it to the frame in front of the LED. (does that make sense to anyone?)I'll also thread that nub so the T handle screws off in case you have to transport this monitor to a LAN party or sumthin.

I measured the acrylic panels thinkness, it's 3/16 inches thick. I thought you should know this to help you out when you put the threads on the T-handle. I like the whole idea of being able to unscrew the T-handle off if I ever need to move the monitor around. I'll wait to drill the holes until I get the handles so I don't make the mistake of drilling to big of a hole.

[Crimson Sky]

here is what I thought you meant--the black acrylic nub hides the end of the LED that is inserted into the clear edge-lighted frame. am I far off?

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/misc/tscrew.jpg

[Spacehonkey]

Well I never thought about using a black acrylic nub. I was just thinking about permitly attaching the two handles directly to the panel over the LED. I never thought about the problems that would cause whenever I tried to transport the monitor around. I see the benefits of using the black nub now and would like to use them. The nub would be attached to the monitor panel and the T-handle will screw into the nub so I could remove it if necessary. The only question I have is when you build the other four T-handles will they have a black nub on them as well? I would just like all six handles to be identical.

Change of topic - How did you get the red glow effect on the square panel in SketchUp?

[Crimson Sky]

Well I never thought about using a black acrylic nub. I was just thinking about permitly attaching the two handles directly to the panel over the LED. I never thought about the problems that would cause whenever I tried to transport the monitor around. I see the benefits of using the black nub now and would like to use them. The nub would be attached to the monitor panel and the T-handle will screw into the nub so I could remove it if necessary. The only question I have is when you build the other four T-handles will they have a black nub on them as well? I would just like all six handles to be identical.

Change of topic - How did you get the red glow effect on the square panel in SketchUp?

I guess I could make acrylic washers that match the LED nubs for the ends of tyhe T Handles. sure just give me MORE WORK ;)

i did the glow in photoshop.

[Spacehonkey]

I guess I could make acrylic washers that match the LED nubs for the ends of tyhe T Handles. sure just give me MORE WORK ;)

i did the glow in photoshop.

Well you know the old saying give them an inch and they'll ask for a yard :p I'll take whatever you can give me.

[Crimson Sky]

I need to find a good deal on HSS (high speed steel) milling cutters. I saw some on amazon, I'll have to get those soon.

[Spacehonkey]

That's cool. Well I can't really go any further with the backbone until I get the joints that Crimson Sky is lucky making for me. That don't mean the project is on hold though. I've been playing around with the skull grills for the rear speakers. Since I really like the chrome look I don't think I'm going to dull it up. Since I'm not going to dull the chrome up I'm not going to flip the right grill around so that one skull is facing left and the other is facing right like I originally wanted because the flipped one won't have the same rounded edges like the left one does and that just won't look right to me. So the grills will both be facing to the left (does that make sense for some reason my description seems to be confusing me). Also with the added thickness of the the grill and the mess the skull thumbscrews are not long enough to secure to the brackets I've made. So I'll either have to use boring old alan screws or I'm going to have to make new brackets slightly altered so the skull thumbscrews will work. The bad news is I'm not sure when I'll have another chance to get into the metal shop at work and make new ones. The four posts that are on the grill that you're suppose to use to secure it to a fan I want to bend back about 120 degrees to make them out of sight and also help secure the grill to the speaker. Since I've never played around with chrome parts before. I have a question.

If I try and bend them back will that crack or chip the chrome?

[b4i7]

I need to find a good deal on HSS (high speed steel) milling cutters. I saw some on amazon, I'll have to get those soon.

most of the tools my shop ordered...we ordered from a MCS catalog...i think is the name of the company

[Spacehonkey]

One of my buddies at work made a cool suggestion for my monitor. He suggested instead of using a acrylic panel over the LCD screen I should use a 2 way mirror. I did some research just now and found a good example of what it'll look like on this LINK (http://www.hiddentelevision.com/). I haven't been able to get onto E-bay since I'm at work but I was told that there are some for sale for cheap. Since I've run into a brick wall with the whole skull hologram I think this would be a great substitute.

[jdbnsn]

It's a novel idea, but I don't know if it fits your theme all too well. I think if you get too much going on in the monitor scheme it may look overdone, what you have so far looks pretty damn cool to me, but that's just my opinion of course as it's your project and you doing a fantastic job so far.

[Spacehonkey]

It's a novel idea, but I don't know if it fits your theme all too well. I think if you get too much going on in the monitor scheme it may look overdone, what you have so far looks pretty damn cool to me, but that's just my opinion of course as it's your project and you doing a fantastic job so far.

I totally agree with you. I'm going to stick with my orginal plan and use the acrylic panel with LEDs but I was thinking about making another panel using the 2 way mirror for comparsion after I've completed the mod.

[Spacehonkey]

I got off work a little early today so I thought I would try and finish up the acrylic panel portion of the mod. Remember this is the first time I've ever done most of this kind of stuff so any pointers would be appreciated.

Well I went down to the hobby shop located here on base. They only deal with wood so I just said what the hell and used there tools anyways. The smaller band saw used for precise cuts was down so I had to use the only other one they had, it was huge, but after a quick little lesson on how to use it I was off and running. I made all the cuts I could with the band saw then I moved onto the jigsaw. Yes I said jigsaw :eek:, I know one of the worst things you could use when trying to cut acrylic panels but I had no other choice. Well I finished up the rest of the cuts and then I made two small holes with the drill press for the LEDs. I then paid the man for the use of the tools, which was only $3.25 for the whole day, awesome price :up:. I decided to do the finishing touches back at the house since the wife was calling me asking me where I was, I snuck out of the house while her and the kids were sleeping :D, she thought I went to Lowe's, Home Depot or Radio Shack to spend the rest of our money some crazy new idea I had.

Well back a the house I broke out the files, sandpaper, dremel and propane soldering iron/blow torch. I first started smoothing the rough cuts with the files then moved onto the final sanding with 150 and 350 grade sandpaper by hand and used the dremel in the tight spots. I finished the whole thing with a flame polish with the mini blow torch. I did practice a little on some of the scrap pieces I cut off earlier in the day just to learn the best distance to hold the flame from the edge and how long you can hold the flame on the acrylic before it starts to bubble and burn. Here are some pix of the whole process.

This is the original design I made in SketchUp blown up to actual size.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/PaperOutline.jpg

I used a sharpie on the acrylic panel to trace the outline of where I needed to make my cuts.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/AcrlylicOutline.jpg


This is the cut panel after the trip to the hobby shop but before I sanded it down.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/CutPanel.jpg

Here is a close up of the rough cut the band saw and the jigsaw left.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/RoughCut.jpg

This is after I sanded the edges and completed it with a fire polish.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/FireFinish.jpg

I also tried out the LEDs on the panel and they work great. I took some pix of the edge lite up all red but since my camera sucks at taking pix in the dark they didn't come out clear but trust me it looks cool:banana:.

Well that's about it for today. I might be able to work on the speaker brackets and grills next week. I'll post pix when there done.

[Ichbin]

yay you started it! looking sick mate!

[Eclecticos]

I also tried out the LEDs on the panel and they work great. I took some pix of the edge lite up all red but since my camera sucks at taking pix in the dark they didn't come out clear

I know exactly what you mean. I ended up having to put mine on the top of my file cabinet to hold it straight, otherwise its all blurry.

[Spacehonkey]

Thought I would post these pix up of some possible ideas for the backbone that Crimson Sky might like to use for reference if he hasn't already designed a swivel joint yet.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/swiveljoint.jpghttp://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/swiveljoint2.jpghttp://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/swiveljoint3.jpg

[Eclecticos]

I found something out in my shop, When I saw it i thought of your mod.
Its a height adjustment stand.

Not sure if it exactly what you looking for.

[Spacehonkey]

Eclecticos - thx for the offer but I'm not sure if I'll be able to use that in this mod.

[Eclecticos]

I just figured it would be a sturdy base. . you could attach the metal wings to the inside of the hips. The adjust arm could brace the backbone. Its not a smooth Height adjust. . moves up. . down . .locks in place.

Just thought it may help.

This is what I was looking at. Says Albion on it.
Link (http://www.albioninc.com/)

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3568/p1670321oj2.jpg

I apologize if I disturbed your worklog. P r o c e e d :D

[Spacehonkey]

Just thought it may help.

I apologize if I disturbed your worklog. P r o c e e d :D

You can disturbe my worklog all you want with helpful ideas like this. Like I said before if 2 heads are better than one just imagine what 200 heads could come up with. With the additional pix you provided on your last post I see that it could be used for a very useful stand but I think I want the pelvic bone base to be completly stationary and to have only the joints that are built into the backbone to be movable. Plus I plan on using bondo to fill in the open space in the pelvic bone along with covering up the stand. And I don't want to sound ungrateful because I am but I just think your stand could be better suited for another mod somewhere down the road and thanks again for the offer.

[Spacehonkey]

Sorry for no updates on my Mod lately but I received some bad news from my family a couple weeks ago, so I had to fly back home. Then the day after I got back I had to go out on an exercise in the field for 2 weeks. Now that I'm back at Camp Pen you would think I could go back to my normal schedule right, wrong. I was requested by name for a new position at work and now I have a month to learn the ins and outs before I go out on the MEU and run it all by myself. Damn the stress!!!

I'll try my best to do as much as possible if not finish the project before I get sent on the MEU. I've also been waiting to hear back from Crimson Sky about the joints for the backbone. I know he's been busy with the fair and his camping trip, so there's no real rush on that portion of the mod yet. I'll try and work on the brackets for the speakers this week if I can get into the metal shop at work. Plus I might start looking at working on the hands and forearms too.

Sorry again, but sometimes modding has to be put on the back burner when the rest of your life is falling apart.

[decilling]

:banana:

[Spacehonkey]

Small Update time. I finally had some time to work on my monitor again. Well I couldn't make the new smaller brackets I wanted to for the speakers because they kept braking so I had to use the first ones I made. I won't be able to use the skull thumbscrews with these brackets because the screw post on the thumbscrews are to short so I had to use boring old Alan screws. Here are a few before and after pix of the speaker portion of my mod.

Before Skull Fan Grills installed.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/NewSpeakers-2.jpg

After Skull Fan Grills installed.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/NewSpeakerswithgrill-1.jpg

Now for a little close-up.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/NewSpeakerCloseupwithgrill.jpg

No the grill isn't scratched up I just didn't have a lint free handy to wipe it now real good before I took some pix. I think it turned out pretty sweet. Thx Crimson Sky for the idea.

Well now I'm off to go test out some ideas on the skeleton hands. I'll post pix when I'm done with that portion as well.

[Crimson Sky]

That looks very very nice...We need to talk offline regarding the design for the armature, PM me with contact info when you get a chance, and I'll make time to discuss. Sweet!

[Spacehonkey]

Well I spent most of my free time wisely this week, I hope. First off I had to sand down the excess plastic on the hand bones from the molds. Then I played around with the skeleton hands and tried to position the fingers the way I have them in the sketchup model but the way it was originally wired was to loose so the finger bones and the wrist were to limb. Yes my skeleton hand has a limb wrist, Ha I said it before you could :lick:. So I went and found some 18 gauge wire at Home Depot that I could use to replace the weaker wire already in the hand. So I replaced the wire and secured it in place by supergluing the ends of the wire at the fingertips and wrist. I then used a little paint to cover the ends. No I'm not done with painting them I just did this for starters. I haven't filled in the holes on the fingers where the spring webbing was but I will later this weekend. After everything dried I tested it out and the fingers and wrist are stiff enough to position in any way I see fit. Also I don't see as much of the wire as before. Still wish I could think of something to cover up the little you still see though. As always here are some before and after pix. Enjoy.

Full Shot (before)
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Hands/Oldwirehand-1.jpg

Close Up (before)
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Hands/Oldwirehand-3.jpg

Hinge for wrist (before)
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Hands/Oldwirehand-2.jpg

Full Shot, fingers spread (after)
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Hands/NewWireHand-3.jpg

Close Up, fingers spread (after)
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Hands/NewWireHand-4.jpg

Full Shot, fingers curled (after)
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Hands/NewWireHand-8.jpg

Close Up, fingers spread (after)
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Hands/NewWireHand-7.jpg

Full Shot side (after)
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Hands/NewWireHand-9.jpg

Close Up side (after)
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Hands/NewWireHand-10.jpg

[Wannabeamodder]

You really improved the look of the hands! As for the little bit of wire that is still showing
Perhaps a coating of clay or bondo to the wire to give it texture (unless that would impead movement of the hand) then some paint matching the bone color should fix that.
Nice work!

Charles

[Commando]

Wow, this mod is coming along awesome.

Great work. If this is one of your first mods, your stuff is only going to be phenomenal later on. Another +rep to help you catch me. I think you should be way past me in the little green box dept with work like that.

[Spacehonkey]

I think you should be way past me in the little green box dept with work like that.

I think you deserve every rep box you have for your talent in airbrushing. The hard part for me, is what comes natural to you, will be trying to airbrush the bones to make them look weathered. I completely suck at painting but I've read all your tutorials on airbrushing and read Paul's book and paid close attention to the airbrushing section. I still have to go out and buy an airbrushing kit. I'm kind of nervous about painting it and jacking it up since I've never airbrushed anything before but this whole modding thing is completely new to me so I might as well become familiar with airbrushing so I can round out my skills as a respectable modder.

[Tale Gunner]

I think you deserve every rep box you have for your talent in airbrushing. The hard part for me, is what comes natural to you, will be trying to airbrush the bones to make them look weathered. I completely suck at painting but I've read all your tutorials on airbrushing and read Paul's book and paid close attention to the airbrushing section. I still have to go out and buy an airbrushing kit. I'm kind of nervous about painting it and jacking it up since I've never airbrushed anything before but this whole modding thing is completely new to me so I might as well become familiar with airbrushing so I can round out my skills as a respectable modder.

Nice work for both of you. +rep for both

[Spacehonkey]

Well I got bored & decided to ghetto rig the parts I have complete for the project. I put the acrylic panel on the monitor with a couple of screws I had & wired the backbone & the hands onto the rear mounting bracket. I hung the monitor on some rope to help support the weight since the backbone isn't completely ready yet & I had to pull the lower part of the monitor forward with some other rope to straighten it out. There will be more on the pelvic base to help balance it, like some more weight & a rock like texture using bondo. The same rock like look will be on the back of the monitor where the backbone & the arms meet. Plus I haven't added the LED lights or the monitor buttons yet. I just did this for now to help gave me a good rough idea to see if my measurements were right & how the final project will turn out. Yes like always I took some pix for you guys to OOOH & AAAH about.

Front View
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Monitor%20Rough/Front.jpg

Side View
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Monitor%20Rough/Side.jpg

Back View
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Monitor%20Rough/Back.jpg

Well that's it for now, especially since my Dremel crapped out on me. Hopefully more will follow soon.

[jdbnsn]

Hey, that looks great man! The hands really look like they are holding that thing, I love it!

[SgtM]

Lookin sweet man! + rep

[Andr0m3da]

By far one of the most impressing mods I've ever seen so far. The concept it's self is pretty much spectacular.

+rep

[BerticusPryme]

Beautiful simply freakin beautiful. +rep on this

[Tale Gunner]

Nice work. I plan to mod my monitor as soon as I finish the case. that could be some time.......:santa:

[Spacehonkey]

Nice work. I plan to mod my monitor as soon as I finish the case. that could be some time.......:santa:

Well whenever you get around to it I would certainly like to see what you come up with. I'm just surprised there aren't a lot more monitor mods out there already.

[Tale Gunner]

Well whenever you get around to it I would certainly like to see what you come up with. I'm just surprised there aren't a lot more monitor mods out there already.

I am designing mine to go with the Cherry wood case I'm building.:banana:

[Szin]

I think this idea is great, im not a modder, only planing to get startet, but as all n00bs, i have a big load of ideas and no limit as i am not sure what can and can not be done.

But...

When you have done this mod, then maybe 'light' it up with a small red LED in the fingertips? or would that desturb the screen?

just a thought.. :)

GJ so far. :D

[Spacehonkey]

When you have done this mod, then maybe 'light' it up with a small red LED in the fingertips? or would that desturb the screen?

just a thought.. :)

GJ so far. :D

I'm guessing you didn't look at the begining of this thread because lighting up the panel with some LEDs is what started this whole project in the first place and then it morphed into what it is now.

This pix of someone else's mod gave me the idea to do my own take on the idea.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/RedLiteMonitor.jpg

The LED panel incorporated into my own mod.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/PelvicBaseangel.jpg

Here is a better angel of the LEDs from my sketchUp design.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/AlanHead-LED.jpg

[Szin]

I did, maybe i didn't explain it clearly enough.. :D - My though was if you put a small red LED in each finger on the hands, and if / or would that disturb the screen, if you had small LED's glowing through the plexi..

Evil claws look..? :bunny:

[Spacehonkey]

I did, maybe i didn't explain it clearly enough.. :D - My though was if you put a small red LED in each finger on the hands, and if / or would that disturb the screen, if you had small LED's glowing through the plexi..

Evil claws look..? :bunny:

Oh I got ya. I think that would be overkill on the LEDs though.

[Spacehonkey]

Have you had the chance to start on any of this yet, honk0rz? :bunny:

-J

:? What do you mean?
Are you talking about lighting up the panel?

[Spacehonkey]

I meant the screen and the acryllic...
-J

Yes I finished the panel and I tested it out with some LEDs and it looked pretty cool but when I tried to take some pix they came out all blurry. I might try and take some more pix this weekend and post them up for you guys.

[Spacehonkey]

Speaking about the panel once I looked at the pix I took of it all put together I had some ideas :think: that might make it look better. I thought the panel is to big and dwarfs the rest of the monitor so I should make another one a little smaller. Also I thought about paint the grey/silver monitor frame a flat black so it would make more of a contrast between it and the bones. I also scaled down the hands to a more realistic size. I played around in SketchUp again to give you guys a better idea of what I was thinking about. Here are some pix before the changes and after.

Before & After Front
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/SilverBlackfront.jpg

Before & After Back
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/SilverBlackback.jpg

Before & After Side
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/SilverBlackside.jpg

Before & After Angel
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/SilverBlackangel.jpg

What do you guys think?

Which looks better?

It wouldn't take that long to make the changes. Plus I basically at a stand still under I work out the joints for the backbone anyways.

EDIT: One more thing. By scaling down the size of the panel it'll make it a little lighter.

[Spacehonkey]

I like the after really.. It makes all the details a little more subtle. Subtle is good!

I want to use your framing ideas for my LCD for nemotank.. I hope that is OK. I will be watching anxiously when you post pics on how you mounted it up.

-J

I really like the changes too. :up:

I have no problem with you taking some of my ideas and making it work for your mod. Hell I would take that as one hell of a complement.:D

[Spacehonkey]

Lol your typos crack me up dude! :bunny: :up:

You 'da bomb-diggity, bro :D

-J

Oops, did that in a hurry. Guess I should go back and correct that one.

Oh yeah by the way if you guys hadn't figured it out I'm dyslexic (I had to look the spelling up on the one) and can't spell to save my life.

[Wannabeamodder]

That's looking sweet! Great sketchup work dude + rep for that.:)


Charles

[The boy 4rm oz]

This is an awesome mod! I wan't one lol. :)

[slytherock]

Oh yeah by the way if you guys hadn't figured it out I'm dyslexic (I had to look the spelling up on the one) and can't spell to save my life.

Who need good spelling when you have thoses skills? Your work is freakly nice :up:

[Spacehonkey]

Well I tried to take some more pix of the panel with the LEDs. The pix came out OK, I guess. I tried mixing up the LEDs to see what effect it would have. I use a blue LED on the left and a red LED on the right. I didn't like how the blue turned out, it looks a little to weak. Well herre are the pix and remember some of these are a little blurry but that's the best I could do with my camera.

Without a flash
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/IM003670.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/IM003672.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/IM003676.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/IM003677.jpg

With a flash
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/IM003681.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/IM003682.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/IM003683.jpg

I'll be covering the top of the LEDs with a screw head or something so you won't be able to actually see it from a front view. Plus by covering it up it won't look like two eyes are watching you.

That's it for now. If I have some time this weekend I'm going to shrink down the size of the acrylic panel.

[jdbnsn]

Have you considered trying white LED's? They look great in some cases.

[Spacehonkey]

I just tried some white ones and they didn't light up as bright as the red does. Here are some pix of the white LEDs.

No Flash
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/IM003689.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/IM003687.jpg

With Flash
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/IM003691.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/IM003692.jpg

[slytherock]

Definitly go red... Turn out a lot better.

[alphastryk]

Definitly go red... Turn out a lot better.

yeah, the red looked by far the best...

[The boy 4rm oz]

The red looks better. It may just be easier to go for two mini CCFL's, may have better light coverage, and be brighter.

[Spacehonkey]

It may just be easier to go for two mini CCFL's, may have better light coverage, and be brighter.

I think CCFL would be to bright and would look more like this.

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/2153/21604608mt8.jpg

Remember, I'm going for a lighting affect not as strong, like this.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/RedLiteMonitor.jpg

It would also be easier to blend in the LED, resistor and wiring into the mod instead of the CCFL.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Yeah I guess your right, what about EL cable? You would get the same effect but you would see the strips in the day. They also faid over time.
http://www.pccasegear.com/prod144.htm

[Spacehonkey]

Update time. :D

I made the acrylic panel smaller and painted the metal frame on the monitor all black. Here are some pix.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Black%20frame/lightofffront.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Black%20frame/backfront.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Black%20frame/backangle.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Black%20frame/Redfront.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Black%20frame/RedAngle.jpg

That's it for now.

[slytherock]

Still a really impressive mod. Can't wait fr more updates: I need more :)

+rep

[jdbnsn]

Haha! That looks great man! Kept to the original concept quite well also, this is going to turn out to be the ultimate monitor mod of all time!

Jon

[Spacehonkey]

...ultimate monitor mod of all time!

Thx for the compliment but I wouldn't go that far.:D

Oh yeah by the way I'm debating on spending some of my free time this weekend working on my monitor or going to see Transformers. Hopefully I'll have time to do both.

[b4i7]

clone yourself...so you can do both ...at the same time!

[Spacehonkey]

clone yourself...so you can do both ...at the same time!

But then who gets to play with the wife.:rolleyes:

[slytherock]

But then who gets to play with the wife.:rolleyes:

That's my worst fear: I may be able to steal my own gf :alien:

[b4i7]

leave your clone to work on the moniter and go see the movie yourself

or bring your dremel with you...

[Spacehonkey]

Well since I'm waiting on C.S. to contact me I've been brainstorming and thought of a possible solution to my problem with supporting the weight of the monitor with the backbone. A friend at worked suggested using some small metal plates from a model kit.

Girders & Gears (http://www.girdersandgears.com/parts-store.html)
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Girdersbracket.jpg

I'm not sure of the exact measurements but it just might work. I'm also not sure of the strength of the plates they might be to thin to be any good. I made up some more SketchUp models to show you how I play on using them.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/bracketwithscrew.jpg

I just place the plates in the middle of each vertebrae and then drill a small hole on the side of it so I can gain access to the alan screw so I can loosen/tighten it at needed.

[Cagedconnerman]

wow, thats a great idea...I think they should be strong enough, especially if you use sets of 2 and 3, rather than 1 and 2. +rep btw

[Spacehonkey]

Well I just put an order in for the plates. I wasn't sure which ones would work best so I order a bunch of the 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 hole plates.

I've also been thinking about a better way to access the monitor buttons. I saw the Steampunk monitor and really liked what they did with the buttons.

front view
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Steampunkfrontview.jpg

bottom view
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/spacehonkey/Computer%20Mod/Parts/Steampunkbottomview.jpg

I might play around and see what I can come up with.

Finishing up on the project is going to be a slow process from here on out. I'm currently on the MEU now and now my free time is very limited but I promise I'll try my best to keep up on this project.

[The boy 4rm oz]

That looks cool.

[Crimson Sky]

As it turns out, my little Unimat lathe will not have the torque or the height adjustment to make the arm for the monitor--3/4" alum is just too much for it to handle. I'll help with another design idea if you like. :(

[Blade]

Just As a suggestion, why don't you try fiber optic cable instead of leds to get that red color?

[Jim Beam]

for your backbone you might try a copper water heater pipe they have a some flex and pretty sturdy. Also you could use some pipe collars for the spine shape part like thesehttp://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/113/gfx/large/shcollar2l.gif

[Spacehonkey]

Just As a suggestion, why don't you try fiber optic cable instead of leds to get that red color?

I haven't played around enough with fiber cable to know how I would be able to do that. :think: Wouldn't the light only shine straight out of the end of the cable and at a very low level? If you could explain how I might get the same effects with fiber cable as the LEDs and it sounds practical I might give if it a shot.


for your backbone you might try a copper water heater pipe they have a some flex and pretty sturdy. Also you could use some pipe collars for the spine shape part like thesehttp://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/113/gfx/large/shcollar2l.gif

Are you suggesting I replace the human spine with metal parts that would resemble a spine? All though that's a good idea I'm trying to stick with the look of a real human skeleton and not a terminator like metal frame style. Or are you suggesting I put the copper pipe and collar inside the spine skeleton? Sorry if I misunderstood.

These are both interesting ideas and I would like for you guys to elaborate more on them if you could so I could get a better understanding of what you mean.

[Jim Beam]

sorry I should have elaborated more I was just suggesting it as a base for you to build the spine on no as a finished product just thought it might be a solid flexable base for you to build off of.

you might be able to do it with side glow fiber optic cable but usually you need a substantial light generator for that. LED's set-up as a double pump may be enough on the short run such as 3 feet or so. Double Pump is when you light the fiber from both ends. Depending on the size of the fibre the bend radius is limited to 2" for the smaller stuff

[b4i7]

As it turns out, my little Unimat lathe will not have the torque or the height adjustment to make the arm for the monitor--3/4" alum is just too much for it to handle. I'll help with another design idea if you like. :(


if you need that size...send me the sketches and i can prolly whip them out for you

[jegerjon]

w00t :O Just saw this project, and OMG there's some nice work going on! +rep and 5 starts from me :O

[Spacehonkey]

Well I got back a few days ago from a small work-up for the boat and my shipment from Girders & Gears was waiting on me :) . Earlier tonight I screwed about 5 of the plates together so I could give it a little test run. Unfortunately like I thought whenever I put some weight on it the plates give out :mad:. I've tried to tighten the screw as hard as possible with no success. The surfaces of the plates, screw and nut are to smooth and just have nothing to grip onto when enough weight is applied.

This adjustable backbone seems to be the hardest thing on this mod :think:. I don't have any experience, or tools for that matter, with metal fabrication so I think that's why this part is so difficult for me. I've tried all my ideas, that I'm able to make at home, with no success. I'm not giving up though. The last thing I want is to put a steel bar in the backbone and not have it be able to adjust position.

I would like to hear some ideas from you guys. I don't care how insane it might sound, your idea might just start a chain reaction. One idea on top of another and another each improving the last. I just need one that works.

Oh yeah by the way if I haven't mentioned it before thanks to all of you who have being keeping up on this thread and putting in your 2 cents here and there and making this mod a hundred times better than if I did it on my own. It's nice to know that my interest in modding is shared with people across the globe. OK, sucking up over back to modding.

[Eclecticos]

I Figure you could use one of these desk mount LCD Arms Here. (http://www.ergoindemand.com/lcd_monitor_arms.htm)

[Jim Beam]

thier kind of pricey but I found these on mcmaster carrhttp://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/113/gfx/large/1258ac1l.gif

10 degree locking increments

thier kind of big as well but if you could built them into a joint and press the bone to activate the it could work well for you

[Mach]

Would locking washers help?

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXMZL9&P=FR

If not, try ram mounts

www.ram-mounts.com

[Spacehonkey]

Would locking washers help?

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXMZL9&P=FR

Yeah I tried that too, but it didn't help at all.

[jdbnsn]

How about using multiple strands of very heavy wire (maybe copper?) and clamp them together at each end to prevent sliding, then run them through a tube or the spinal canal to construct and firm support. Or maybe even a shower hose with lead melted with, but it would be hella heavy.

[Spacehonkey]

How about using multiple strands of very heavy wire (maybe copper?) and clamp them together at each end to prevent sliding, then run them through a tube or the spinal canal to construct and firm support. Or maybe even a shower hose with lead melted with, but it would be hella heavy.

That sounds like an easy idea to test out. If I can get my hands on some heavy duty wire I'll try that out sometime soon.

[Bucko]

sorry to go off topic, but I just wanted to wish you a happy three point oh.

[Spacehonkey]

sorry to go off topic, but I just wanted to wish you a happy three point oh.


Thanks man, I just woke up and you are actually the first to wish me that.

EDIT: On the drive to work I realized of coarse you would be the 1st to wish me a happy 30. You live downunder so your something like 16 hours ahead of us yanks.

[jdbnsn]

I just noticed it was your birthday, Have a happy one!

[Scotty]

yea have a good one :)








Then get back to modding you lazy ass :p

[jdbnsn]

Woohoo! You've been cast!

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/jdbnsn/8-25-07/draft8small.jpg (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com)

[Wannabeamodder]

I was at the hardware store today and saw this:
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/4470/copperlinedl8.jpg
It is a 3/4 inch flexible copper water heater line.
I was trying to bend it and it did not bend easily I wondered if one could place a cpvc water line inside it and then it would be even more rigid yet it should still bend.

Not sure if it could support the weight of the monitor but I would try it if I was you unless of course you already have.
Of couse the nuts would have to go but you could sweat solder two or three of these together.

Charles

[Spacehonkey]

Sorry I've been offline for awhile. Sorry for the delays. :(

I'll look into some more ways that I might be able to get the spine working this weekend, I hope.

Wannabeamodder did you find that piece in the plumbing section or what?

Do you think I might be able to find that at a Lowe's or HomeDepot?

[Wannabeamodder]

No Minty you are absoulutely right! That's exactly where I found it and it was at a Lowes.

Hope it helps.

Charles

[Spacehonkey]

I'm really sorry but I'm shipping out this Sunday and I won't be able to work on the Monitor until I return sometime after May '08. I haven't had a lot of free time to do anything on my project for the last couple of months. I've been real busy with work and also trying to spend as much time with the family as I can. I was looking forward to finishing it before I left especially after I saw the front page first ModCast Episode, which I think is cool as hell, but other more important thing had to be taken care of first.

Well I do promise this the Monitor Mod is not dead and I will continue when I return, along with my other side projects. Again I am really sorry for the huge delay on this project. I know many people out there including myself can't wait to see the final product.

I will return and complete what I started this I swear.

[The boy 4rm oz]

What a shame, good luck mate, see you when you get back :).

[SgtM]

We'll be waiting. Take care and be safe.

Semper Fidelis.

[jdbnsn]

I will return and complete what I started this I swear.

I'm holding you to that. We'll miss you while you're away, but we'll all be here and wishing you the best. I expect you to report back to duty in May 08' SIR!
Take care buddy,

Jon

[Luke122]

Getting close to May!

[985323]

its almost june!

EDIT: oop's sorry im a bit too busy to notice that it is june

[The boy 4rm oz]

It is June.

[Spacehonkey]

Sorry guys, they extended us for 30 days so I just got back on the 2nd of June. I'm finally on dry land and I plan on staying here for a while. I go on leave (vacation) next week for a month so I'll have plenty of time to get some work done on the monitor and hopefully finish it up. Hopefully while I was away my kids or wife didn't brake any of my stuff. Plus I still need to look around the website and check out all the new updates to the site and the projects.

[jdbnsn]

YEAH!!! Welcome home dude, very glad to see you made it back safely.