Looking great. That is such a nice design.
Since your countersink went dull you can also use a drill bit that is about twice the size of the hole. Just use it gently or by hand even.
Also, clean up that work area!! :)
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Looking great. That is such a nice design.
Since your countersink went dull you can also use a drill bit that is about twice the size of the hole. Just use it gently or by hand even.
Also, clean up that work area!! :)
OK. I am now lurking (cough cough) this worklog.
Have I given you enough rep yet?
jk
*Apparently I have.
Very nice indeed. As far as attaching it to the mobo if theres no flex in the mobo tray or back panel there's no reason at all. Most cases just aren't built this well. :D
Thanks BS :):up:, I've ordered a new countersink bit & yeah it's about time I cleaned & tidied the garage :D.Quote:
Originally Posted by BS Mods
hehe Thanks AmEv :):up:.Quote:
Originally Posted by AmEv
LOL thanks msmrx57 :):up:.Quote:
Originally Posted by msmrx57
:D A bit that I think every diy modder fears getting wrong when making the mobo mounts is done & correct so with me not being a drinker or anything I'll post a load of pics instead lol :D.
So, I put the case on it's side with the io shield in.
Took my last pc & placed it in the case.
Held it up enough to have the io bits fit inside the shield & drawn along the edge & with the edge being drawn I could remove the io shield.
Then line the board up to the line & poke a marker through to get the exact mounting positions, then spot drilled, then drilled, then tried tapping but the tap fell straight through :(, so I either used the wrong drill bit or drilled it badly so I went back to the trusty brass inserts & made the hole 4mm & whacked them in :D.
Then put the standoffs in.
Tadaaa & wooooo hooooooo :D.
Now all I need to do is drill & file the expansion slots in the mobo panel.
Also I pre-drilled the positions for the fan mount bars.
Wow, I finally got around to reading through the last few pages, and I am impressed. I don't think I've rep'd you for this in a while, so here ya go. :P
I'm glad you get the IO/PCI mask/frame/whatever sorted out, it looks awesome, and much more in the theme of the case than a wimpy steel shell one would have. :D
:banana: Thanks 88 :):up: but wow it would be soo much nicer to have access to CNC for that pci/io piece could have been done so much faster but I'll have some basic templates to make the process much quicker when I have a go in the future :up:, by the way the solid pci piece cost about £20 so is £10 less than a standard one :):up:.Quote:
Originally Posted by x88x
Huge. 0.0
LOL yeah it is a bit :facepalm::D.Quote:
Originally Posted by AmEv
Just ordered a 10mm counterbore which I'll need to mod the pilot for m3 size for the fan mount bars so they fit snug inside the positions :):up:.
i fcan't believe you would let somethig as nasty as that heatsink anywhere close to that sexy ass case.
Ah but that will make the new parts look all the more better :D :P.Quote:
Originally Posted by xr4man
Thanks xr4man :):up:.
Looks good! Part of scratch building that has kept me from trying is the mobo standoffs. You just made that seem a whole lot easier than I imagined!
Also, just wanted to make sure you're using a tiny bit of oil when drilling and countersinking. It's hard to believe the difference it makes.
Great job!
Thanks mate it can be overly complicated or simple & went the simple route :D.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMainMan
Yeah I only just started using a lube when drilling, tapping & sinking & yeah it makes a big difference lol :up:.
Just got the countersink & counterbore bits but the counterbore wasn't what I was expecting (the pilot was the size I needed but the cutting bit was way too big) so that won't be used & the countersink bit is garbage & might need to remake the back panel, the sink it made is nowhere near as smooth as the ones I did with my other bit so need to get same type of countersink as my last which means sometime next week before more progress :( just hope I can get away with not needing to do a new back panel.
Was going to leave the project alone for a few days after finding my new countersink bit was crap (it said it is for metal but I highly doubt this & knew I needed a new one, ordered the same type as my last & decided to do the slots for the expansion cards on the mobo tray.
I also have a solution for the badly done countersinks on the back, not massively ideal but it'll work :).
The upside down hdd cage, but since found a source for left angle sata cables but I'll just have to hope that 600mm is long enough, should be :D.
Marked, drilled & started using a manual fretsaw to make the expansion slots.
Just needs filing.
Filed & brushed both sides of the mobo panel as it was looking pretty shabby & put back in the case.
:)
Had a real lazy day & just tested the pci expansion cards line up correct & phew they do :).
Now just need to make some kind of easy maintenance clamping piece for holding cards in place :think:.
Here is my first idea for holding the expansion cards in place, it would be made from solid aluminium bar with brass inserts that are screwed in from the rear panel, a hefty amount of filing again though lol :D but the theory works for me & might even look ok :).
That looks stylish.
For more ideas, take a look at ModCron's case.
Thanks AmEv, just checked out your project, it has potential & is a strangely awesome case for an older one, never seen an older case like it :):up:.Quote:
Originally Posted by AmEv
LOL Tried that clamping block idea but couldn't seem to get the needed pressure on it while clamping, kind of a 3 or 4 handed job :D so then I tried using 6mm flat bars a piece above & below the expansion slots with a theaded insert in the ends which I have to admit is doable but might not look so good & it would still require a fiddly install which goes against the ease of use, so I ordered a lian-li part hehe, one of those toolless pci clamp things but thats just going in the spares box now but I might study it & make my own some time :D.
The reason I didn't want to add the usual threaded holes is a 5 stack of alu wasn't the original plan so there could be issues with expanding & loss of form, maybe it would be possible to drill & tap it if held in a vice but I'm not sure it's a good idea.
I'd heartily recomend not making your own pci/io piece based on a standard one after this lol, at least I know this for sure now :D but then again this was my first time, making something fairly complex & the first time is always a bit of a nightmare when you only have a rough idea of what to do so if you do have a go at making your own be prepared for muckups :P.
Anyway I thought why the heck not just have a try at holding firm in the vice with a clamp, drilling, tapping, helicoils, now things didn't go correct with the pci/io mobo standoffs, I'd say I'm about 2mm away from where it should be but it all still works as it should so everythings ok :).
Nice technical markings ready & spot drilled lol :P.
Tapping
Helicoils in & done :).
Ohhhhhh Shheeeeeeet :eek: but will be fixed up when I get around to doing the body filling ;).
Works awesome but yeah some body filler work to get this piece spot on :).
And this shot shows how it's probably 2mm away from where it should be, oh well at least it all works as it should :).
Got all the fan mount bars to the same sizes & made the notches so they are all the same & match up correct, spot drilled the mounting end, drilled, tapped, helicoiled. tried out, just need to add the fan mounting holes & countersinks as I intend to use regular black fan screws but still waiting for the countersink bit.
I'll get the mounting holes ready for when the countersink bit gets here.
Wow! This kind of work just really inspires me to start doing some mods! + rep! :banana:
Nicely done. Have you tried running a fan strapped into one of those brackets yet? With it just being mounted on one end, I would worry about vibration...but then that might just be my brain telling me it needs to be overbuilt 10x over. :P
:) Thanks Xhenthius glad it's inspiring for you :banana:.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xhenthius
Not yet but the bars are solid thanks to the helicoils, they let me tighten the bolts up fully so I believe it'll be fine thanks 88 :).Quote:
Originally Posted by x88x
The drilling which should have been simple went wrong so I've body filled the holes & I'll smooth it off so it's a perfect blend, then paint the fan bars & use scotch mounting tape for the fans, really wanted to avoid stuff like body filler on this but if I can hide the hiccup really well I won't mind since it was quite a mission making the fan bars :D.
Ok so as I said I some how miss drilled the front fan mount bars so had to fill them with body filler, done 1 filling a good thick cover then filed & sanded down, then done another light layer to get a perfect fill & sanded to 600 grit so is ready for painting, then installed them back in the case, put thin strips of scotch mounting tape on the corners of the fans & stuck on & took a bunch more pics, & there is 320mm space for expansion cards & my tripod needs fixing up as it's getting wonky.
Whats up next, who knows that acrylic has to be done at some point & the psu vents & wire management holes need putting in but have no idea what I'll do next :D.
Well, whatever it is, I'm looking forward to it. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Waynio
:D Thanks 88 :):up:.Quote:
Originally Posted by x88x
Ah I think it may be the right time to work out where to put wire pass through holes & a guide for how to lay the cables out, I'm not doing a load of single wire pass throughs as seen in some other neat cable jobs I'll instead make big enough holes for the connectors to get through & make a good fitting cover that untightens a little so I can lift it up whenever I need to change things, I also want to include a way to have a wire mess hidden but accessible & functional under the hdd cages as there is some space for extras there.
Is it possible to make diy sata cables or open them up to extend them, anyone know about this? I found left angle sata cables but might need to mod the length to get it just perfect.
Well, on with theshowflow! +r
I saw a brief tutorial on modifying SATA cables a while ago...I'll see if I can find it again.
:D Cheers AmEv :up:.Quote:
Originally Posted by AmEv
Thanks 88 :):up: I measured the furthest hdd position to the furthest sata port in the layout I want to do & it comes to 615mm so I should be fine with the left angle sata cables I ordered, also John on bit-tech pointed me in the direction of a tutorial for going diy on sata cables :).Quote:
Originally Posted by x88x
Got all the filling work done on the pci piece which has presented yet another new thing, rounded edges where I done the filling lol so yep that means I'll have to dedicate a bit more time to making the rounded edges consistant for the slots, anyway it took 3 layers of filling before I got a finish I can live with so just need to round the edges & paint then this piece is completed.
Showing it with the lian-li black vented pci brackets I bought & I feel this is going to look sweet once finished.
This one?Quote:
Originally Posted by x88x
Love the vented slots on the PCI backplate. Keep up the great work!
Yup, that one. :D I couldn't find it, thanks.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMainMan
This is the tut Diggsy passed over to me, looks a good guide but thanks 88 & TheMainMan appreciate the help m8s :):up:, the lian-li slots were nice & cheap so thought why the heck not :D.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMainMan
I still need to figure out if I'm going to add a regular rear fan as I remember slightly regretting adding one to the air cube with the cpu cooler being in push/pull config so I have a tough decision on whether I should add a fan or cut out a spawling grill from the pci area to the spot where there is usually a fan, tough call but there is always the fan just above the io spot which would probably do the job fine, I'll take a bit more time to decide :up:.
Pulling away to make the rounded edge I accidentally put in consistent.
Cut a little piece of wood to use as a sanding block to make the task much better & easier.
Made the edges 100% square & gave the edges that show a smoothed rounded edge, so now thank goodness this piece is ready for painting at last :).
I was thinking of body filling all the lines where the plates connect to each other but don't feel the need to be honest because a: it will consume another day & b: it might end up a mess but I suppose I could use a filler primer which would be much easier & probably better.
And apologies for posting updates the minute I finish for the day even with fairly insignificant updates, hope it's not boring or irritating anyone lol.
Looking good. I can't wait to see it with paint!
As for filling the lines, personally I think I would leave them the way they are. I think they add to the overall aesthetic.
Bah! That's what worklogs are for! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Waynio
Thanks 88 :):up: yeah I think I'll skip filling the lines, I think I came out with the boring comment because the pci piece took so long to complete & was starting to bore me lol :D.Quote:
Originally Posted by x88x
New jigsaw in action & the LED light helps big time, much smoother jigsaw than any I used before & didn't even need to clamp up like usual, yep it's a gooden for £30 :).
PCI/IO cutout done.
PCI piece Attached.
Working on the 2nd level, never took any pics of the way I figured where the sata cables need to go through, this circle cutter scares the bleep outa me so I hide behind a big board in case it flys off :D.
Took ages to cut it out but got there.
Smoothed everything off & brushed both sides.
Wire management holes & need to file a small section away from the optical angle bar.
Only cut out the pci/io area on the back panel as I'm gonna ponda on what to do with the rest of it.
Very hard to see it but the hole is in perfect alignment with the psu fan & will catch the excess air flow from the hdd fans.
Thought this comment was an exaggeration til I saw the picture. LoL But awesome work, man! Wonder what you're gonna do next. :think:Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayniothis circle cutter scares the bleep outa me so I hide behind a big board in case it flys off :D.
The thought of the cutting bit loosening & shooting off makes me use the board it would give an awesomly bad injury if that ever happened.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xhenthius
:D Even I don't know, need to think up a fitting grill design :) thanks Xhenthius :up:.
Great progress on this. :up:
...also, on a completely unrelated note...is that a picture of an '80's Honda CM series motorcycle I see?
Back in high school we have shop work once a week. Every time I have to use the lathe or milling machine I had to triple check if the cutting bit was tightly locked. I used to imagine the bit getting loose and all too. LoLQuote:
Originally Posted by Waynio
Thanks 88 :):up:, I think it's a honda goldwing, when doing air cube my dads bikes got covered in crap & had a mammoth task of cleaning them afterwards lol so I covered them up fully this time :D.Quote:
Originally Posted by x88x
LoL ultra fast spinning sharp things are scary for sure :D.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xhenthius
Here is how I aligned the mounting holes for the psu, cotton bud sticks cut off ends, pressed into the mounting holes, put a blob of paint on & press against the back panel & pull away, spot drill, drill then countersink.
There was 2 unwanted holes back from when I tried a clamping system for the pci cards so I used a custom circle hex graph to try & align it correct but failed on that & then failed on not using a small drill bit at first & instead used 1 that was a tad too big so silly me went & drilled big holes to remove the botched area then took a break cursing like a gooden & generally feeling down thinking I'd have to order a new sheet or an iffy repair lol, even considered cutting out the entire bad area & trying to fit another cut to precise size & fitting inside the bad area & filling the edge.
Took a few hours to spot drill all these.
Anyway similar thing happened when I was doing the back panel mesh on the air cube so thought screw it I'll give it a shot & the following was 100% freestyle :D but is to be continued tomorrow as it was getting a bit late.
If after tomorrow I can't make it good I'll give in & get a new sheet.
