Lean and Green - modular dual PC scratch build

[msmrx57]

Looking awesome as ever!

I don't know about the eyes going trippy from looking at them, but I imagine my eyes would go all trippy staring at the line while cutting them.

[Stonerboy779]

You know its hard to believe this is the first time you have done something like this, I know you have done aluminum scratch builds before but to this insane level of detail no. Still amazed that this is by hand and not cnc milled, keep up the amazing work on this piece of art.

[Waynio]

Looking awesome as ever!

I don't know about the eyes going trippy from looking at them, but I imagine my eyes would go all trippy staring at the line while cutting them.

Cheers msmrx57 some people do struggle operating a scroll saw for long times driving them mad with boredom, I'm just keeping my eye on the goal & it's working, good lighting helps a lot, the daylight bulb I use is perfect for it.

You know its hard to believe this is the first time you have done something like this, I know you have done aluminum scratch builds before but to this insane level of detail no. Still amazed that this is by hand and not cnc milled, keep up the amazing work on this piece of art.

Crazy determination really the real difficult bit was getting my head around the amount of cut work needed doing, too easy to think about can I be bothered doing all that, just have to get stuck into it.


Before I could go & make the inset panels for the stand sides I had to smooth the 10mm panels now or leave them rough so been smoothing the inside edges for the best part of Sunday, still needs more perfecting on the smoothing particularly in the corners where the drum sander couldn't reach but the bulk of it is done & should be insignificant what will be removed later to affect the fit of the inset panels, nice & smooth all over the internal edges though but not a uniform finish in the corners, I'll sort that at a later time but they are now ready for making the inset panels.

Drum sander all the way would have taken too long & probably burn my drill out so got the files out & took the bulk of the teeth marks out so all the edges just needed a final smoothing with the drum sander & a bit of sandpaper on a file.

I hope to get right back onto this later on Monday.

[Stonerboy779]

Do you reckon you would have the patience to work out just how many meters of cuts you have made?

[Waynio]

Do you reckon you would have the patience to work out just how many meters of cuts you have made?

I'll tally it up once it's all done can quickly do it in sketchup, but it wouldn't be accounting for bits that didn't pass quality control, there has been a few.

More progress.

With finding how some things still need that bit of manual touch on marking from the front detail marble panel, I did the same on the templates for the inset pieces to make life a touch easier.

Used some decent scrap 3mm & roughly cut them out, roughly because I knew I'd need to file to make a perfect fit for them all.

Whole lot of file, check, file, check etc.

Until yay they all fit perfect.

Pop them all out & drill start holes.

I got 2 of the panels patterns cut out but I really needed a rest which I'm going to have now, back was aching like crazy so gonna have a little nap & then get back onto it.

[Waynio]

Finished cutting the 3mm inset panels & would have done this update at 8PM but I passed out while sorting through the pictures & woke up at 2AM lol.

Scraped the templates off & then cleaned off the glue with paint thinners & scrubbed with a brush in hot soapy water & dried.

Slotted them all into their homes, they slip in nicely & then push them so they go in fully with a little added pressure.

Then thought let's see what they look like with the other side panel bits.

Then thought why the heck not clean up the table to do another loose fit of the HTPC & stand.

Now I can work on the power button design, once that is designed I can complete the Spindicator also, the most significant cut work to be done now is completing the custom fans & I might re make any acrylic bits because the adhesive was well past it's best so any flat pieces stuck together could be done much better, edge to surface bits are fine though & I got some new tensol 12.

I think because I left most if not all fixing together points out of the early design I'll go freestyle on that & use a good adhesive so parts stay exactly where I want them to & then drill so everything goes together perfectly & then remove the adhesive so I'll have to use one I know is strong but can be separated with the right methods, araldite rapid steel I've used before & is strong for something like that & it just requires heating with a heat gun & slide a razor between the joints & it does the trick.

[AmEv]

Lookin' good!

[Stonerboy779]

Now that you can see it all coming together it is so god damn sexy

[Waynio]

Lookin' good!

Thanks AmEv

Now that you can see it all coming together it is so god damn sexy

Cheers Stonerboy779, once I get this front switch made I will just have to make the back pci/io piece & then fix the HTPC & stand together, can't wait so I'll get pushing on now.

Needed a massive countersink bit to get the marble flush or close to flush to the inset pattern panel, the marble is 38mm but big countersinks at 55mm cost £60 & then another £30 to £70 for a chuck with 20mm capacity & not willing to spend money like that for a rare tasks bit so I filed & drum sanded as a cheap alternative, did the job, now I can design the switch mechanism.

Got the 4mm acrylic rod, got the m4 washers & springs so yes, it's time to work out the design of how this switch works.

More soon.

[Fuganater]

That switch is gonna look sick. Will it be backlit?