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Thread: Project Stealthlow

  1. #51
    Now making cases for the heck of it =) Waynio's Avatar
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    Default Re: Project Stealthlow

    Actually I just put them together & they don't look as bad as I thought they were lol, sure they could use a little more sanding especially the one with the scar from the disc sander but yeah, not as bad as I first thought .




  2. #52
    Now making cases for the heck of it =) Waynio's Avatar
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    Default Re: Project Stealthlow

    LOL , I don't know why but I felt like doing a little more so I cut all the rest of the bars for the lower part to rough size so they just need sanding down to precise size, then drilling & tapping, wanted to use the disc sander but was a tad too loud for 10pm .




  3. #53
    Now making cases for the heck of it =) Waynio's Avatar
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    Default Re: Project Stealthlow

    Sheet I don't like tapping aluminium, managed 1 side for the angle bar & managed 1 of 2 taps on the other side, the 2nd tap the bolt just slips in & out, it's a very hit & miss thing for me & is prooving a real PITA on these hdd cages, I might use a high quality adhesive if it irritates me too much, but if I do I can say bye bye to anodising .

    Anyway I think I'm at a point where I should step away from it until I get my sleep pattern straight & to relax a bit, turn off machine mode & become human again & so I don't have to worry about a noise curfew lol . 3 days max & I'll get get my sleep pattern straight & get the needed materials for making some jigs too.

  4. #54
    Mentally Underclocked mDust's Avatar
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    Default Re: Project Stealthlow

    Quote Originally Posted by Waynio View Post
    Sheet I don't like tapping aluminium, managed 1 side for the angle bar & managed 1 of 2 taps on the other side, the 2nd tap the bolt just slips in & out, it's a very hit & miss thing for me & is prooving a real PITA on these hdd cages, I might use a high quality adhesive if it irritates me too much, but if I do I can say bye bye to anodising .

    Anyway I think I'm at a point where I should step away from it until I get my sleep pattern straight & to relax a bit, turn off machine mode & become human again & so I don't have to worry about a noise curfew lol . 3 days max & I'll get get my sleep pattern straight & get the needed materials for making some jigs too.
    The mounting hole on the side of the HDD is tapped and will hold that bolt just fine. Who's gonna know?
    I'll procrastinate tomorrow.

  5. #55
    Will YOU be ready when the zombies rise? x88x's Avatar
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    Default Re: Project Stealthlow

    I've never had any problems with tapping aluminum as long as I lubricate the tap with some engine oil.
    That we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours, and this we should do freely and generously.
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  6. #56
    Now making cases for the heck of it =) Waynio's Avatar
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    Default Re: Project Stealthlow

    Quote Originally Posted by mDust View Post
    The mounting hole on the side of the HDD is tapped and will hold that bolt just fine. Who's gonna know?
    , yeah they are fine, but the base plate is seperate from the side plates so need to mount an angle piece to join the 2, I've got a solution now though, it came straight after posting lol, typical .

    Quote Originally Posted by x88x View Post
    I've never had any problems with tapping aluminum as long as I lubricate the tap with some engine oil.
    It's always been a thing I've dreaded as it's always been a hit & miss task for me, I think I have it completely sorted now though .

    Not an update, but a nice break through for me.

    LOL, I just got an idea for drilling & tapping straight after saying I was going to have a little break.

    I have used a cordless power drill before for doing some tapping but some how forgot about the success it was if done carefully, I also realised when using the drill press I didn't have the drill bit in far enough for it to drill exactly where I want.

    So I thought I'd have a little practice/test with my usual 10/10 test to make sure something works , this time I made it 11/11 & they all came out absolutely perfect, so no need for a time out woo hoo , was really thinking I'm screwed when it comes to drilling even on a drill press, d'oh .





    Only downside to this is now I can drill precisely where I want so none of this 0.5mm out annoyance I've been getting because of the drill bit not hitting the bullseye, so yeah I might remake the 4 hdd pieces, luckily the bases are spot on but the holes for the hdd mounts only just connect & is a struggle getting them to work right so I may re do these pieces, shame but I want perfection on all the function of this build .

  7. #57
    Now making cases for the heck of it =) Waynio's Avatar
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    Default Re: Project Stealthlow

    I tried doing these simple angle connections 3 times now & still not happy with the results & 1 more muck up & I'll run out of spare angle bar, I think it's the low grade of the aluminium sheet, when I tapped the bars which is a high grade quality the taps were perfect & strong, not so with the sheet So I'm going to skip trying to tap them again & use adhesive, I'll be sure to run some strength tests before I do though . I'll buy the adhesive tomorrow along with materials for making some jigs.



    It kind of looks fairly acceptable but really it's gotta be better than how it is, a big part of the design is easy maintenance & if kept like this it could be a slight PITA maintenance .

    Also came across a sweet way of painting aluminium in Darth Beavis's new lan rig which I'll be doing & keep the metal visible like anodising & it's simply candy paint straight onto the aluminium & clear coated so this is what I'll be doing for finishing & can do a good colour coordination this way too.

  8. #58
    Will YOU be ready when the zombies rise? x88x's Avatar
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    Default Re: Project Stealthlow

    What if you ran the screws the other way (ie, tapping the angle bar) or used rivets?
    That we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours, and this we should do freely and generously.
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  9. #59
    Overclocked BS Mods's Avatar
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    Default Re: Project Stealthlow

    Looking good!

    As a former journeyman machinist I may have a tip for drilling and tapping for you.

    If you are not using a "center drill" before drilling the holes then make your mark and punch them so a regular drill bit will follow the mark.

    Make sure you are using the correct drill size for the tap. Not just something close.

    You can use a cordless drill to tap the holes but set the clutch at a low number to keep from breaking the tap off.

    Also, try to use a 3 fluted tap instead of a 4 fluted one. The less flutes you have the stronger the tap. There are also "spiral" taps that are awesome but you may want to use them with a drill press to insure they go straight in.

    Hope this helps.
    Life is tough, it's even tougher when you're stupid. - John Wayne

  10. #60
    Now making cases for the heck of it =) Waynio's Avatar
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    Default Re: Project Stealthlow

    Quote Originally Posted by x88x View Post
    What if you ran the screws the other way (ie, tapping the angle bar) or used rivets?
    I've thought about doing that & probably will but not rivets, wouldn't work.

    Quote Originally Posted by BS Mods View Post
    Looking good!

    As a former journeyman machinist I may have a tip for drilling and tapping for you.

    If you are not using a "center drill" before drilling the holes then make your mark and punch them so a regular drill bit will follow the mark.

    Make sure you are using the correct drill size for the tap. Not just something close.

    You can use a cordless drill to tap the holes but set the clutch at a low number to keep from breaking the tap off.

    Also, try to use a 3 fluted tap instead of a 4 fluted one. The less flutes you have the stronger the tap. There are also "spiral" taps that are awesome but you may want to use them with a drill press to insure they go straight in.

    Hope this helps.
    Thanks BS I looked into getting a center drill but I'm really put off ordering bits with christmas delivery being very unreliable, I do use the correct drill size for the tap, for the m3 tap I'm using I drill a 2.5mm hole & is spot on, I really should get myself a good machine tap bit but again christmas delivery being unreliable unless I can pick express delivery which the ones on ebay are not making available .

    I found for drilling & hitting the bullseye putting the drill bit as far in as I can & it doesn't bend to the side when contacting the aluminium so can drill spot on now so as long as I mark up completely accurate then it's good so I must pay more attention to my marking .

    LOL I did a mock put together to remind myself it is progressing dispite the hold up on a couple of simple pieces , the corner square bars aren't to precise size just yet, was like making a tower of cards .






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