Project: Clockwork

[overmark]

Great work, just read the worklog and subscribed.

[startreking]

The fresh copper kinda looks out of place, maybe torching the grill too?

The gears look great!

[jdbnsn]

Any more progress on this bad boy?

[blueonblack]

Apologies on the delay, but I've been rethinking the project and have been in a redesign phase. I've decided to hang the hard drives externally on the right side of the case and utiliize my motherboard's two eSATA ports. I'm planning to install them in aluminum hard drive silencer/cooler enclosures and mount them outside on the right side panel, probably wrap copper tubing around them.

This frees up a lot of room inside and I don't think I need the wooden drive tower any more. I'm planning to make a new one out of copper pipe since it will only be holding the two optical drives. Although this means remaking the front panel, since the drive spacing will be different, it frees up a lot of room inside for cool stuff.

I've also been frowning over the whole geartrain and have some ideas that could make it a lot better.

Sooooo... any more progress, yes. You just can't see it yet. The next pics should be of the new geartrain, working on parts on that, plus I have to learn how to paint like Slamaa.

[The boy 4rm oz]

I like the e-SATA idea, good thinking.

[blueonblack]

Since I decided to mount my hard drives externally, it opened up a lot of room inside the case, and I decided that I don't need the large wooden drive tower any more, just for the two optical drives. So, to free up even more room for cool stuff to look at (and to keep this thread alive), I built a new cage out of copper pipe.

Once it's soldered together it will be held in place with a bolt through the front panel on each side and two through the bottom also. I plan to run all of the wires inside the case, data and power, through copper pipe also, so no wires should be visible at all when I'm done. The drives, fans, PSU and motherboard tray will be getting a corroded look, probably a bronze/black combination. I bought an airbrush today and will be experimenting with paint colors. Still waiting on the last parts for the new geartrain, hope to have pics of that next, but I'll want to have the paint process down before I post those.

Not sure what I'm gonna do about this copper, it's way too shiny for the overall look of the case. I'll experiment with heat and maybe some of that patina solution and see what I can do.

That's it for now. It's not dead, just slow.

[The boy 4rm oz]

Shame your not using the original wooden drive bays, they looked very good. With that said I must say I love the copper pipe drive rack, goes very well with the mod.

Is it me or did you make it a little too tall? It looks as if the drives have to slant down a little to fit in their slots.

[blueonblack]

No, you're right, the two long uprights are just a hair too long, I've got to trim them a bit before soldering. Good eye!

As the for wooden drive bay, thanks and I agree on the appearance, but when I'm done it will look *much* better. I'm going to have to buy a couple more motors.

[Mach]

Great work! I really like this project.

For the shiny copper, you could try liver of sulphur. It will deepen the brown of the copper and give it more visual depth. http://metalloarts.com/hammered-copper-counters/

[blueonblack]

"Liver of sulphur", eh? Interesting already, I'll have to research that, thanks very much and +rep.