HDCNC by LoKi

Hi there!

I started this project because I need a "Heavy Duty CNC" (HDCNC) controller case for my cnc :D

This case is meant to go outside the house, in the workshop.. and it won't have any hanging cables, exept for the power cord and the 3 control cables :)

I start with this old printer server case (Weights 24 Kilos):

This keypad is useless.. it will be replaced later. and i'll keep the LCD for future projects :D

Backside of the front:

Keypad plaquette:

I needed to make a new mothertray because the server one wasn't an ATX.

Finished piece:

Already on the road, I've made a tray for the cnc controller:

Motherboard on its place:

As you can see, the motherboard back is pointing upwards, this is because I need all the cables to stay inside the case.

Bays with the CNC controller and cnc power supply:

The top view of the case, I think I'm going to put a window in there, so I can check on the controller cooler.

I needed a new keypad to control the machine movements (Up down, X and Y axis, Run program, pause program, etc) so i decided yo go for it :D

20 cm cables with their terminals:

Milled plastic:

In place terminals:

secoond plastic layer and Run & Emergency stop buttons:

In place buttons:

Semi-assembled keypad:

The ideas for this case are also:
15" LCD display on the side.
NO keyboard, NO mouse
a nice paintwork :D
filtered airflow
side and upper window for constant hardware check.. don't forget there will be some high tension stuff around there XD

All for now, thanks for watching :D

Well so how does the keypad work?

I disassembled a keyboard and found the PCB

And had to follow all this circuit:

to came up with a simple scheme of wich pins I needed to interconect to press the desired keys:

... soldering the cables to the PCB is going to be a hard work... any ideas to simplify that? XD

When I finish the keypad, i'm going to plot in some hard plastic sheet the buttons so it can look like a pro one :D
Here's a simple scheme of that:

Wow! This is going to be a cool project! I can't wait to see this all together and running, promise me "live-action-milling" video!

-Jon

UPDATES:
Well, it finally arrived...

LCD panel for the right side!

Testing:

Tet with the CNC controller:

The window on the left side cutted out:

Upper window and starting the LCD mounting:

LCD mounting cutting finished (:facepalm: a really thick steel sheet):

bendings done with some sweet tools :P :

LCD fitting test:

Don't be allarmed by the untidiness of the cutting, I still hace to put some alluminium bars to rectify the sides and give the mod kinda this look:

I have to keep on the interior modifications to make the LCD fit in with the PSU, the CNC electronics, etc.. so stay tuned!!

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Originally Posted by Loki

UPDATES:
Well, it finally arrived...

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Ha! You wish!!!

cool project! I wish I knew more about CNC stuff lol

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Why's my girlfriend in my house? Hahaha, very nice. Looking forward to seeing more. I've always wanted to do a case like this, just never had the time or money. -.-;

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Originally Posted by jdbnsn

Ha! You wish!!!

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yeah... actually it was more like this

lol

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Originally Posted by billygoat333

cool project! I wish I knew more about CNC stuff lol

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Thanks! it's really easy to learn, I learned everything from web tutorials :)

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Originally Posted by Couch3ater

Why's my girlfriend in my house? Hahaha, very nice. Looking forward to seeing more. I've always wanted to do a case like this, just never had the time or money. -.-;

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LOL, is she there because you invited her?
Time is a must-have... I work in an office so I have less time to mod in the week...
The total ammount of money that I spented in this case untill now is about USD360, so its not that much :D

Where are my manners.. I haven't introduced my CNC mill, here it is

Thanks for the feedback!

Hahaha, HAI HAI CNC MACHINE! Lol, and in all seriousness, the actual girlfriend didn't find my joke funny. =[

Sad face. Lol

Window frame :D
Angle saw in hand, I cutted all the pieces for the window frame, it lacks some adjustement and the "Heavy duty" effect (You'll see :whistler:)

6m alluminium bar

Almost everything cutted out and presented:

Almost there!!!

Looking good!

Looking VERY good!

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Originally Posted by Trace

Looking good!

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Originally Posted by Luke122

Looking VERY good!

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Thank you guys, I'm doing my best :)


More to go!!

LCD display frame and the plexi (With its protective film)

The PSU tray, no longer will ve an horizontal PSU, cause of the room needed for the LCD

New psu tray from white plexi:

I drilled some holes for the "Heavy duty" look:

After i put it all together, It'll be painted with this "Hammered" color:

5 metes of white tubing for the PSU, in this store :eek:

I pasted the frame to the side pannel with plastic welding, and stuffed the unions.

Unions without sanding:

Everything sanded and ready for primer:

Should rust oleum be paying me for this photo? :P haha

A good layer of primer after.. I try to hang the panel from the roof and.... PUMMM!!!

You can see the heavy hit in the corner... enough to brake the plastic welding that wasn't completely dry...
A hard hit for the modder spirit... I'll try to make some holes in the panel and bolt the frame to it..

Stay tuned!!

Things like that make me :(. I know from experience how it can be a major downer, and make you question continuing the project. . .

Keep your head up and keep going! ( I also know it's easier said than done )

Sorry to see your bad luck. Don't let it get you too down this is looking good. :up:

Wow I really like this project. I hope you aren't too setback dropping that panel, I want to see this done. How hard is it to mod the keyboard for the input like that, I want to try that for some reason.

That is rough, I was like FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF when I seen the pic of the dropped panel. Looking nice, Keep it going man!

Arrrrgh, nightmare thing to happen that, but hopefully you can carefully beat it back into shape with a hammer, don't let it get you down, but I know for cirtain the initial reaction would be FFFFFFFFFFFF.

I want to save up and make a cnc mill myself sometime in the future, they are just too much of an awesome tool not to have, maybe I'll make that my next project instead of a case build this year.

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Originally Posted by NightrainSrt4

Keep your head up and keep going! ( I also know it's easier said than done )

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Originally Posted by msmrx57

Don't let it get you too down this is looking good. :up:

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THANK YOU guys for your encouragement, helped me a lot!!

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Originally Posted by chaksq

I hope you aren't too setback dropping that panel, I want to see this done. How hard is it to mod the keyboard for the input like that, I want to try that for some reason.

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It's not very hard... but I ended up using 3 keyboards because I broke the first two :P But old keyboards are free :D I guess the real trick is in thoroughly cleaning the PCB, and using a not-too-hot welder.

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Originally Posted by thorkon

That is rough, I was like FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF when I seen the pic of the dropped panel. Looking nice, Keep it going man!

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Originally Posted by Waynio

Arrrrgh, nightmare thing to happen that, but hopefully you can carefully beat it back into shape with a hammer, don't let it get you down, but I know for cirtain the initial reaction would be FFFFFFFFFFFF.

I want to save up and make a cnc mill myself sometime in the future, they are just too much of an awesome tool not to have, maybe I'll make that my next project instead of a case build this year.

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You two are quite right, it was a massive FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF F :fight::bash:

a CNC mill is an awesome machine, you're right... and a nice project is to make a DIY.. But if you are like me and you can't wait to have one, there are some not so expensive ones in market... Mine costed USD 2600, and it can machine alu with no problems :D

Well, update..
After two days of cursing... I decided to make the window frame again, but this time REALLY HEAVY DUTY!!

Here you can see the holes planned:

These pictures are after putting some screws:

Some primer (Again)
I had no choice other than making the holes that where at the edge with the nibbler

The frame pieces painted with hammered gray:

Out of focus detail of the hammered:

I have to seal the holes that remained from the LCD mounting bending:

I can't stop thinking that this is going to be the hell of a window!!

LOL picture of the week:

I have yo polish the side pannel... some areas are brighter than others..

Stay tuned!!!

Good stuff, looks like the hammered paint gives it a good texture & back on track with the build woo hoo :banana:.

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Originally Posted by Waynio

Good stuff, looks like the hammered paint gives it a good texture & back on track with the build woo hoo :banana:.

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Hell yeah, we are!!!
Now days are rainy ones... so I prefer waiting to make the final paint coats..:think:

Hi there, long time no see :up:

The paint job didn't let me down, so I keep on working :D

The right door:

The right side of the case, showing the 15' LCD on it's place:

Inside view:

With an acrylic pipe like this:

I have made a "Cable holder" out of it, so the VGA cable isn't all messy in the case:

And I plotted an image for the front, it still lacks the frontal USB, pow button, and the trackball (A genius traveller):D

PS: The LCD is holded on it's place by metal tabs, the black tape is only a temporary cover for the high voltage zone.

PS2: sorry for the poor quality of the pics :dead:

AWESOME! I love the video cable holder, a great idea! here's a further idea - if the acrylic is thick enough, drill a couple holes into the edges and stick 5mm LEDs in there to light up the tube. Or use UV, and coat or wrap the cable in something UV-reactive. I don't know how realistic it is to do that, but it'd look really awesome. Keep up the good work!

Thanks Artoo! I'm not going to put any lights on this case, cause it'r going to be in the workshop.. and I want it to look nice from the outside only XD

I can now say... IT'S ALIVE!!

Quik update, we are almost ready to go! I putted the front sheet of plastic on it's place, with the onn-off button and the trackball's holder

Good night!

ALLMOST THERE!!

Note: the aperture between the top and the side of the case will be finished later this week, and then we can call it a mod :D

love the trackball idea! very cool!

O__o

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Originally Posted by billygoat333

love the trackball idea! very cool!

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Thanks! Yeah, It turned up well :D

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Originally Posted by StormRider

O__o

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I'm not shure of what does that face stands for :P But thanks!

O__o = are you kidding me? he built that?!?!.................I want one:santa:

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Originally Posted by StormRider

O__o = are you kidding me? he built that?!?!.................I want one:santa:

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LOL! haha Great then!! Thanks!!!

lol, it was supposed to be O__O'
but I forgot a few keystrikes(I abuse my keyboard):banana:
waiting for the next update with semi-baited breath(since I don't want to suffocate):D

Next update will be this saturday, and it's gonna be

BIG

teaser

Teaser 2.0:

why do you tempt me? why?

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Originally Posted by StormRider

why do you tempt me? why?

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Cause I am evil!

Now some PICS!!!!

(Me venden = For sale)

greetings! (good quality pics soon) XD

Well, final pictures of the mod!!!

Thanks to everyone!!

I'll be doing som CAM soon....

This last week I made the first cutting test, I made a 3x3cm square in alu, of 2 mm prof.

Some pics!

The HDCNC with the CNC:

Taking out the Alu piece:

Will it be good?

Seems good...

It's Good!!!!

I want to give special thanks to my great friends... THE MILLS!!!

:santa: