Bärsärkar-gång

[Mach]

Thanks for the kind words guys! It works both ways. Yours and other mods keeping me coming back, albeit in lurk mode. And don't worry I haven't gone MIA. Just juggling a few too many things. Between work, my much over due Novint mod, and fishing season, I'm still edging this one forward. I've been trying to backlog a decent update for you (in part because I'm running out of back story ). I know, I know pics or it didn't happen. So here, just until I get the update done.

[blueonblack]

See? Instant inspiration. Humbling at times, but inspiration nonetheless.

Thanks!

(Translated: Wow, that is awesome!)

[Mach]

Thanks for the comments folks and for your patience. Work/life have slowed my progress but I've got an update for you.

Conspiracy theorists believe that Dr Suchong's focus on marine life was influenced by Fontaine Pharmaceuticals, a CIA sub-contractor with an early connection to Operation Paperclip. CEO Frank Fontaine, a self made millionaire and entrepreneur, made his fortune with a fleet of Atlantic fishing vessels and fish processing plants dotted along the US east coast. A convenient cover for his wartime smuggling of weapons, contraband, and after the war, German scientists. His payment appears to have been millions of dollars in CIA research funding. The link between Suchong and Fontaine is suspected, in part, because both disappeared days apart in 1948. At the time, foul play was assumed by investigators but never proven. Suchong was reported to have surfaced again in 1957 at the University of Reykjavik in Iceland.

Given the direction of Dr Suchong's experiments, what secrets did he unlock?

-----

Remember the analog meter? The idea is that it will be used to show hard drive activity, temperature, fan speed, pump speed, etc. A couple of mods are in order…

If you recall this is what the gauge looked like disassembled. I tried using a more up-to-date meter in place of the old mechanism but it didn't look as good. Luckily, I watched ebay auctions for a few months and found one that was similar. Jewel made these meters to have interchangeable mechanisms, so I was able to swap in the "new" mechanism and back in business.

While I was modding it, I added a new mounting arm. While the old was cool looking, running the wires through it was a little tight.

A little solder led to something a little wider

This is hard silver solder. It is much tougher and almost invisible.

The back of the meter was designed so that you could wire directly on the positive and negative posts. External wires won't do though. A little modding is necessary.

I had this picture kicking around in my idea file because I liked the deco design. It’s a good thing…

Because it gave me the idea for this

A little muriatic acid and peroxide etching later

Holes drilled and filed to size

Back to the brass shell bag for bezel material

A lot of brass for a little bezel, no?

With a piece of acid green plexi in place

Bezel soldered in place. Got carried away with the flux.

Screws in place and a wiring test. Wiring for what you might ask? The obvious is the wires for the meter and the light for the back of the meter. It also needs a switch that you see in the center and lights for the inside.

Those lights are BlinkM MiniM's. They are "smart" RGB leds that can run light scripts stand alone or be controlled by an Arduino. They are very cool bits of kit made by some very geeky and nice folks. The larger versions will feature in another update. These will be used to signal what's being displayed blue=water temp, green=hd activity, etc

The space to work them in is a little tight though. Concerns about them shorting out was mitgated by an excess of hot glue. Anyone figured a good way to apply hot glue without it looking a mess?

For the switch, I was surfing around allelectronics.com ( a great place to get cheap electronic components) and found these microswitches. The little glint of yellow looked like brass which gave me an idea. A few tries at soldering a 0-80 screw

and I had a threaded switch.

The switch, mounted on the back, changes what is shown on the meter. The resistor is for the smd led scavenged from the led microswitches used for the front bezel.

To keep with the hex socket screw theme, I drilled and tapped a screw head to fit the stud.

This is the original meter face which has a nice deco design and reflective paint.

A little 3M relective tape and some adhesive vellum paper.

Here's the new meter face. If your familiar with Bioshock, you might recognize some of text and logo.

While looking for reflective tape, I found this tape which is glow in the dark made for fishing lures. Someone might be able to use if for their project. Always looking for new material

When I soldered the casing, I lost the awesome chipped and peeling paint. So I'll put the paint back with some self etching primer, black spray paint, and air brush.

A drinking straw with half round notch cut out.

Placed on the end of the spray nozzle and taped in place.

From spray paint to air brush paint. It does fizz a lot though so you have to leave it out-gas for awhile.

Masked off for painting

First primer coat

Close up. I love an airbrush, so precise.

Black coat

Once it cures, I'll sand the high points on the back so that the brass shows through but that's another update.

Thanks for looking and many thanks to my sponsors!

Bitspower

Galaxy

HardwareLabs

[SXRguyinMA]

nice work! it's coming along very nicely!

[billygoat333]

beautiful work sir. your attention to detail is inspiring.

[Mach]

Thanks guys! It's getting there.

[x88x]

Wow...simply...wow. I'm floored by your work, as always. +rep

[msmrx57]

So........ What's next? Making you own mobo? Absolutely outstanding work.

[Cheron]

Details... details... and more Details, I love this build!!!

[Mach]

Thanks gentlemen! No, no plans for a motherboard scratch build. I bit off quite enough with this one.

Getting there...