Merry Christmas! No update but thought you might like to see a side project.
Merry Christmas! No update but thought you might like to see a side project.
I outta just +rep every post you have in this thread now....
Having issues adding Rep with the touchscreen. So just imagine that I actually +rep-ed you.
Sorry for the massive necro but what ever happened to this project/Mach as i would really love to see more of his work and the completion of this work of art
Oh and i am a MASSIVE Bioshock fan hence the necro of this thread in particular.
Everything starts and ends somewhere. I can't speak to this mod's end so let's talk about where it started....an origins update if you will. As is obvious by now, this mod finds its origin in Bioshock, more specifically in the Hephaestus workshops. If you don't know the game, the best artisans in the world worked there building the undersea city of Rapture.
In the story, Andrew Ryan hired the best craftsmen to build his city using his vast wealth. So the question is, what would they build and how would they make their mark on what they built? Maybe something like this....
The CPU and the NB water blocks are complete including the mounting hardware and engraving.
For reference, this is what the blocks looked like before engraving.
The engraving includes the Ryan Industries logo, sunburst, and the workshop where it might have been made.
The logo is one found in the Art of Bioshock book. The engravings were done using a vinyl resist, weeded using laser etching, and then sand blasted.
The mounting hardware screw heads were 3D printed out of stainless steel power infused with bronze. I found out how hard stainless is to drill using my drill press. I was able to drill them but I over heated them and lost the color on the ones I tried.
If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer. The hammer in this instance was a mini-lathe...drilled like butter. The holes were needed to clear the springs and the screws. The screws are threaded brass rod attached to the handles using silver solder.
Here's the NB prototype. The engraving on the right was sand blasted; the one on the left was done with a mini end mill. I thought I had a better solution instead of sand blasting or acid etching for a deeper engraving.
The sunburst design is repeated on different parts of the mod. Here's the fan cover with a similar design
The final block was sandblasted instead of engraved. I was working with a local shop to do the engraving trying to catch up between business trips. The operator wasn't paying attention and crashed the head into the top. I wound up milling the incomplete engraving off using Techshop's Tormach mill, then soldering the divot using brass color match solder. Rinse and repeat on vinyl, laser, and sand blast. Not as deep as I wanted but its done right.
Its too bad because the mill engraving looks amazing.
Very deep and precise.
The reservoir on the back of the case also got the engraving treatment.
At least the knob did via sand blasting.
Filled in with black enamel.
I wasn't happy with how the meter was mounted. It stuck too far into the case and didn't look right.
I re-did the mount and added a flange with the paint patina. Again the reference to Hephaestus but this time, a different wokshop - Hephaetus Electrical Works.
From the front, note the same logo and Hephaetus reference.
Flush mounting on the inside with the meter and LED wires sleeved.
And that's the progress to date. I'm working on the nixie's off and on but not so much that I'd call it "progress".
So what have I been doing instead of modding? Working mostly so the spare time is at a premium. I've had a job change or two since the last update.
What spare time I've had in the last year went to building a new workshop, and I fell down the rabbit hole of Austin Techshop. That's where I'm using the laser cutters, mills, and lathes. On the plus side, I now have access to a wide range of tools that I never had before.
The downside is that the projects have multiplied. I'm not sure when this will reach an end. I'd like to promise it will be soon but time flies as the saying goes. Looking at the date stamps on the photos, I've got no idea where its flown. I do stop by from time to time to check out the state of modding. TBCS was my own modding origin so I'll be back when I have something else to show.
Simply amazing!
So nice to see more progress on this project
Keep up the good work Mach and look forward to your other projects if and when you post them here
Its so good to hear from you Mach, and I am so glad to see this project had not been scrapped. I have always admired your attention to the little details, and this mod is just chocked full of them. Thanks for the update!
Mach!!! I have missed following your cryptic and mesmerizing mods! BG is looking amazing, thanks for sharing!
-Jon
Good to hear you're still working on this! This mod is so incredible that I, for one, don't mind waiting as patiently as I can for more updates. Take your time, the results speak for themselves!
TheMainMan
Yeah! Progress! Great to see more work on this. Can't wait to see it finished.