Thanks guys, I'm finally starting to get proud of this build.
Update 13 - Another Panel
I got a fair amount of work in the last few days. I wanted to have this update ready for last night, but I had to compete in a video competition and didn't get home until quite late.
Anyway, the first order of business for me was to attach the switches I have to the frame:
I used epoxy. I also glued the panel supports in for the last time, I have a plan for them.
I also want two fans to go on the plexi side panel. Well I made one hole for now, because I have to see how much room I have with my hardware mounted. I used a big drill like circle cutter to make a 120mm hole in the plexi:
A few mistakes, but a fan guard can cover those up.
I then drilled four more holes, for each screw, and mounted the fan:
This fan is going to physically sit right above the CPU, and will be pulling air in.
The next order of business for me was to make the other side panel.
First I mapped out the cuts and bends that needed doing on the side of some sheet aluminum:
You may not be able to make sense of it, but I can.
I then made all the cuts with an angle grinder:
It probably makes sense now.
And then bent the sides in over the black lines, to reinforce this panel:
And now I have another panel.
Well this panel needs some corner supports so I cut out three triangles of steel:
Yay I love triangles.
And used a LOT of epoxy to stick them in place:
A lot of clamps to.
And then a test fit of the panel:
The panel arches out in the center, which is a good thing. It means I only need to put screws to hold the panel in place at the center, and it will stay there.
So I drilled some holes and, since I lack a tool to thread holes, glues some bolts behind the holes:
This is my first attempt, with superglue.
But the superglue didn't hold. Neither did epoxy. So I used some bonding putty and surrounded the bold with them, which held them perfectly to the frame.
Anyway, I mounted the side panel to the frame with two bolts:
Yes, it looks good.
And here's a picture of the other side panel, now with a fan:
Looks pretty good to me. Also I mentioned that I was gluing the supports on for the last time. That's because I drilled holes though them and the frame, and bolted them in place. you can see all the bolts in the previous picture.
So now I need to get some fan guards for the side panel, and the top panel fans.
Also, since I have everything I need to build for the frame built, I shall move my computer system over to it tomorrow, and give it a test run.
After I have my system in I'll make some actual buttons for the switches using some of the black plexi. Then I'll give the reverse side panel a nice paint job. Then I should be done.
To Do
- Make power and reset buttons
- Paint panels
- Make last fan hole in side panel
- Get fan guards
Thanks once again for reading.
Cheers