I've never come across a piece of acrylic that actually was the size it's supposed to be. .25" sheets are more like .22" in reality, and yet they are sold as 1/4" lol.
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I've never come across a piece of acrylic that actually was the size it's supposed to be. .25" sheets are more like .22" in reality, and yet they are sold as 1/4" lol.
Suppose 0.1mm out is very very good then :D:up:.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boddaker
Update :banana:.
Razzed through doing the fan holes & sanded the fans down just enough so they fit in the holders, the fan holders still require a bit more work & then sticking them together, then the fans can slide in & out.
although they arent quite right. it still looks good :)
Thanks mate, I think once I have them stuck together I'll sand them down again so they all blend together seamlessly, the exhaustion has caught up with me though & just woke up from a 14 hour sleep lol :eek::D.Quote:
Originally Posted by DonT-FeaR
Update
A day just doesn't feel complete to me without making some progress & an update while creating something lol.
Decided to change the hdd cages a little for more air flow & this will make it less work too ;).
Cut out & marked the extra hdd cage piece I messed up the other day from the new sheet of 3mm aluminium, so I have some spare if anything else goes wrong on the smaller parts, still only have 1 shot at the mobo tray & side panels though so I'll have to be extremely careful doing those :).
Woke up too late in the day to be using noisy tools but had a very long 14 hours sleep so I'll be up all night & all tomorrow so I'll try to get the hdd cages, hdd stand & fan holders completed tomorrow but can do some drilling as that's not noisy.
So here is the hdd cage pieces ready for drilling.
And drilled, still need to use this nice stepless cone drill bit so I can get a nicely rounded ends & so I can use the reciprocating saw on it, then file & sand.
And a quick test of the hdd mount holes, had to let them acclimatize to the warmer room, condensation aplenty :D.
Also with my brain not freezing up in the garage & being well rested I've had a chance to figure out how I'll make the multi layer curved front/top pieces & in theory it works excellent & is pretty simple to be honest so that's 1 less thing to be concerned about ;), I think the bulk of the hard work will be making the side panels.
looking very good. cant wait to see more
Thanks mate :):up:.Quote:
Originally Posted by DonT-FeaR
The supercharge from the long sleep wore off by the time I was able to get busy today but still got a bit more done today, took just over 3 hours to do these.
And thought why not do a step by step picture update for a change.
Piece ready for drilling with big enough drill bit to let the saw inside.
Start & end points in.
Clamp & cut.
The finished cut with selection of files.
After the coarse file.
After medium file.
After round file.
After rough sanding unwanted marks off.
Another test fit.
Not sure if the reciprocating saw needs a new blade or because it was a hard piece to clamp properly but the cuts took ages & left a nasty mark on the pieces so I used the disc sander to level it all off so they just need wet sanding now.
:up: very nice will look awesome once cleaned up
And anodised black :D but that won't be until all of it's complete. Thanks mate :up:Quote:
Originally Posted by DonT-FeaR
Sheesh, very insignificant update here considering the time spent on it today :facepalm:.
Took all day to sand the hdd cage bits.
I have learnt not to use the reciprocating saw without good masking tape on to protect the surface & never to use the disc sander on surfaces, edges are fine but definitely not surfaces, creates way too much work & as you can see on the piece at the top it left quite a big scrape, I did wet sand them but when I cleaned all the crap off the water must have had a bad reaction with the aluminium & left blotchy stains so I dry sanded them with 240 grit.
I'm not happy with these to call them finished so I'll have to put another day into these pieces, all the inside edges are good though so at least I did something good on it today lol :).
Actually I just put them together & they don't look as bad as I thought they were lol, sure they could use a little more sanding especially the one with the scar from the disc sander but yeah, not as bad as I first thought :).
LOL :banana:, I don't know why but I felt like doing a little more so I cut all the rest of the bars for the lower part to rough size so they just need sanding down to precise size, then drilling & tapping, wanted to use the disc sander but was a tad too loud for 10pm :D.
Sheet I don't like tapping aluminium, managed 1 side for the angle bar & managed 1 of 2 taps on the other side, the 2nd tap the bolt just slips in & out, it's a very hit & miss thing for me & is prooving a real PITA on these hdd cages, I might use a high quality adhesive if it irritates me too much, but if I do I can say bye bye to anodising :(.
Anyway I think I'm at a point where I should step away from it until I get my sleep pattern straight & to relax a bit, turn off machine mode & become human again :D & so I don't have to worry about a noise curfew lol :D. 3 days max & I'll get get my sleep pattern straight & get the needed materials for making some jigs too.
The mounting hole on the side of the HDD is tapped and will hold that bolt just fine. Who's gonna know?:whistler:Quote:
Originally Posted by Waynio
I've never had any problems with tapping aluminum as long as I lubricate the tap with some engine oil.
:D, yeah they are fine, but the base plate is seperate from the side plates so need to mount an angle piece to join the 2, I've got a solution now though, it came straight after posting lol, typical :facepalm:.Quote:
Originally Posted by mDust
It's always been a thing I've dreaded as it's always been a hit & miss task for me, I think I have it completely sorted now though :santa:.Quote:
Originally Posted by x88x
Not an update, but a nice break through for me.
LOL, I just got an idea for drilling & tapping straight after saying I was going to have a little break.
I have used a cordless power drill before for doing some tapping but some how forgot about the success it was if done carefully, I also realised when using the drill press I didn't have the drill bit in far enough for it to drill exactly where I want.
So I thought I'd have a little practice/test with my usual 10/10 test to make sure something works :D, this time I made it 11/11 & they all came out absolutely perfect, so no need for a time out woo hoo :D, was really thinking I'm screwed when it comes to drilling even on a drill press, d'oh :facepalm:.
Only downside to this is now I can drill precisely where I want so none of this 0.5mm out annoyance I've been getting because of the drill bit not hitting the bullseye, so yeah I might remake the 4 hdd pieces, luckily the bases are spot on but the holes for the hdd mounts only just connect & is a struggle getting them to work right so I may re do these pieces, shame but I want perfection on all the function of this build :devcool:.
I tried doing these simple angle connections 3 times now & still not happy with the results & 1 more muck up & I'll run out of spare angle bar, I think it's the low grade of the aluminium sheet, when I tapped the bars which is a high grade quality the taps were perfect & strong, not so with the sheet So I'm going to skip trying to tap them again & use adhesive, I'll be sure to run some strength tests before I do though ;). I'll buy the adhesive tomorrow along with materials for making some jigs.
It kind of looks fairly acceptable but really it's gotta be better than how it is, a big part of the design is easy maintenance & if kept like this it could be a slight PITA maintenance :P.
Also came across a sweet way of painting aluminium in Darth Beavis's new lan rig which I'll be doing & keep the metal visible like anodising & it's simply candy paint straight onto the aluminium & clear coated so this is what I'll be doing for finishing & can do a good colour coordination this way too.
What if you ran the screws the other way (ie, tapping the angle bar) or used rivets?
Looking good!
As a former journeyman machinist I may have a tip for drilling and tapping for you.:think:
If you are not using a "center drill" before drilling the holes then make your mark and punch them so a regular drill bit will follow the mark.
Make sure you are using the correct drill size for the tap. Not just something close.
You can use a cordless drill to tap the holes but set the clutch at a low number to keep from breaking the tap off.
Also, try to use a 3 fluted tap instead of a 4 fluted one. The less flutes you have the stronger the tap. There are also "spiral" taps that are awesome but you may want to use them with a drill press to insure they go straight in.
Hope this helps.:glasses:
I've thought about doing that & probably will :up: but not rivets, wouldn't work.Quote:
Originally Posted by x88x
Thanks BS :up: I looked into getting a center drill but I'm really put off ordering bits with christmas delivery being very unreliable, I do use the correct drill size for the tap, for the m3 tap I'm using I drill a 2.5mm hole & is spot on, I really should get myself a good machine tap bit but again christmas delivery being unreliable unless I can pick express delivery which the ones on ebay are not making available :facepalm:.Quote:
Originally Posted by BS Mods
I found for drilling & hitting the bullseye putting the drill bit as far in as I can & it doesn't bend to the side when contacting the aluminium so can drill spot on now so as long as I mark up completely accurate then it's good so I must pay more attention to my marking :glasses:.
LOL I did a mock put together to remind myself it is progressing dispite the hold up on a couple of simple pieces :D, the corner square bars aren't to precise size just yet, was like making a tower of cards :D.
Another tip for getting exact holes with small bits is to use a center-punch to mark the spot first. That makes a small, pointy depression that the bit can go into.
Thanks mate :up:, I have got a center punch set but only use it when using a normal drill, the problem was the drill bit was bending when coming into contact with the aluminium so all what was needed was to put the drill bit in as far as I could so only a bit of the drill was poking out & it's hitting the target perfect consistently now :up:.
My sleep pattern is a mess & not been making much progress the past few days so I'm staying up all night & day to fix this & I'll use the time to make some good progress so I hope to have a real update tomorrow night :).
OK I stayed up all night so I could make some progress & managed to make some woo hoo :D.
Filed a bevel on each of the fan holder pieces that come into contact with the fan blades because of having to slim the fan frames down by 0.5mm, these pieces still need a good bit of filing & sanding on them, then sticking together.
Then slimmed down all the bars to precise size & done another mock fit.
Then added the angle bars to the 2nd hdd cage so the hdd cages have turned out quite acceptable to be honest.
Marked up the bottom panel & 2nd panel for fixing the square bars to the 2nd panel, but first I tried doing the tapping with power drill thinking I've done it before & was ok, well the tap snapped first try lol, had to cut another piece & get it to precise size, switched to doing the tapping manual & very careful, did ok for 2 of them, then another one snapped, cheap taps, then another, then went to try a new tap & found it was the wrong pitch size so the screws didn't screw all the way in properly lol, so I'm left with a 2 legged panel until I can get a new tap which I just ordered a few, cheap taps again because they were the only ebay seller that offered express delivery, it's the only sure way to get deliveries on ebay at this time of year.
The ones I tapped successfully are very good, solid & perfectly in place wooooo :D.
So not much done but any progress is progress + I'll have my sleep pattern fixed after today even if it is temporary :).
Just ordered a couple of milling bits, 1 for doing small cutouts & 1 so I can use nut rivets with a flange mounted flush no I don't have a mill, just a drill press, there was 1 more thing I was completely unsure about how to do, the bar slots for the fan mounts on the motherboard tray, so I'll be sure to get some practice in on doing what I want to do before actually doing it :D.
It's a far fetched idea milling on a drill press but it might work :) I guess people who do milling will probably say nooooo idiot but I enjoy a bit of trial & error ;).
this is quality fabrication :) this is the stuff that i love
Thanks mate, glad you like :banana:.Quote:
Originally Posted by DonT-FeaR
Got the fan holder pieces all stuck together & is a very very strong bond & since they are all together now I decided I'm going to make it so I can slip any standard 120mm fan in these holders as originally intended, none of this sanding down a fan frame nonsense, imagine the hassle of a simple fan change lol, also they all need a hefty sanding session to make them all blend together, unsure if I'll go for a polished finish or frosted finish.
Also I took over my desk fan to waft the nasty fumes well away from me this time, only problem with using a fan in below 0c temperatures is my hands were getting frozen lol, but thats way better than feeling awful from fumes :up:.
I'm thinking enermax apolish fans would look amazing in these holders especially if I frost the edges & would also serve as the power light so if I use a vandal switch which is highly likely because I just really like them :D I could use the LED bit as hdd activity, not bothering with reset switches anymore & for power light I'll just use case lighting from now & onwards :).
My bro would like some quiet case fans so I think I'll give him the 3 sanded fans for christmas hehe :santa:.
This may help you a lot...Quote:
Originally Posted by Waynio
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...pf_rd_i=507846
Looks a good idea for small panels & bars but not the big motherboard tray panel that I'll be working on, I have some experimenting to do with the milling bits before I have a go on an actual piece for this project.
Thanks for pointing out such a tool though BS, really does seem worth considering for working on bars :up: +rep.
:( Can't seem to find 1 in uk, shipping was sky high from usa naturally for a heavy item.
Awesome, the new taps came today & I didn't waste no time turning the 2 legged plate into the foundation base, so that's the first & second level fully attached & 2 of the square bars for the hdd platform, this is really starting to feel like good progress.
Done a couple of dummy fixes to show the hdd cages how they will be once fixed & with the front/top flat bars & front low piece loosely fitted, just couldn't be bothered doing more in the freeze today I'd end up naturally getting a cold :P.
Think I'll finish these off tomorrow.
Ahhh, got past a fiddly time consuming bit, the hdd cage mount clamps & still managing to avoid adhesives completely except for the acrylic adhesive, all the metal work so far has been countersunk bolts & tapping :), finished this bit at 11pm & was a rather chilly -5c.
What you are seeing is 4mm sheet, then 19mm square bar, hdd cages inbetween slim 3mm pieces & another 3mm piece on top that overlaps the hdd cage base & meets up with the angle bar of the cage, it's such a good fit that I might leave the extra clamp I was going to make for the front & back of the cages as it takes a little force to make the cages slide out.
Nice work. I love the sliding HDD trays. :D Once it's done this thing is gonna be like a tank...all that solid bar. :eek:
Thanks mate :) tank indeed, just weighed it for a laugh & it comes in a tiny bit under 10 lbs already lol :D.
pish. you've got 5 or 10 pounds to go before yours weighs as much as mine. :D
Looks like some nice metalwork - I've been a little afraid to delve into metal, not knowing much about it (except it's vulnerability to a hacksaw + determination).
Oh, I think he'll make it. :D This is only, what, they bottom 1/4 or so?Quote:
Originally Posted by artoodeeto
LOL...man...just one bit of advice then. Put wheels on that thing...or grease the heck out of the underside before you move it LOL :)
Did I mention mine isn't metal? ;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by artoodeeto
Quote:
Originally Posted by x88x
LOL Yeah the base will be the heaviest part & will weigh a lot more filled with HDD's & a PSU above it :eek: :D, I want to make or buy some chunky case feet so I can easily pick it up from underneath so not to potentially damage the threads of the little m3 screws that go into the corner square bars.Quote:
Originally Posted by artoodeeto
Wish I bought the lathe when I was thinking about it a while ago, could be making some sweet additions to this by now, particulary with case feet, 3 main tools I could do with having a lathe, router & scrollsaw, then I think the only limit would be my imagination.
Also when it comes to either painting or anodising this I'll engrave codes to the unseen areas so I know how to put it back together lol :D.
That, my friend, is a REALLY good idea. :up: It's so easy to think, oh I'll remember how it all goes together, only to discover once it's disassembled that it just looks like a big ol' pile of parts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Waynio
:D Had to be done, gonna be sooo many parts with unique mounting hole positions so will save me heaps of messing about :up:.Quote:
Originally Posted by artoodeeto
:( I'm a bit down, the fan holders just aren't gonna happen, the thickness of the sheet was 4.9mm not 5mm & I never knew until after I made the holders that cast acrylic sheet varies in thickness, this made the slot for the fans shrink by 0.5mm I tried filing & finger sanding to make the gap bigger but failed making a dogs dinner out of it so no striped lit up parts now, I sure don't fancy spending another £50 to replace the acrylic & rebuild, I'd sooner put that towards a scroll saw so I'm gonna time out & think about an alternative, actually I'm really disappointed with acrylic now after finding this fact out the hard way, sure it's fine for single layered tasks but for layered stuff that requires absolute precision it really isn't good if you don't know about this lack of precision in the material, however if you know about the varying thickness & plan according to that fact then it's not all bad & workable so I'll know for the next encounter I have with acrylic, also I messed up by not making jigs for while I stuck the holders together so they became rather wonky & required heaps of sanding to blend them seamlessly, done the sanding on 1 of them but wasn't happy with the result, they were supposed to be perfect fit & like I said, dogs dinner lol, so it's time to forget about the first big hicup & focus on an alternative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPWaQKuqENU
I wrote this a few hours ago, was tired & hungry, since had a meal, awesome far better alternative ideas already brewing :yellow_green: :D so there will be a surprise in this log after all :D, I might let the silly season pass through until I get started back up though & enjoy a bit of that GTX 580 goodness while it's still a beast ;), so over & out until January :bunny:.
i love this project
+ vento weighs close to 15 kilos
