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Thread: The TIP-3000

  1. #31
    Paradox Sausage DaveW's Avatar
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    Default Re: Integration Project: Stage 1

    Worklog Time!

    LOL lovin the solder sucker. did you get that in a Real Robots kit? Cos i got one just like it.
    Heh...yes. It's my brothers but i've stolen it.

    one thing a can ad is that it would be nice if you could stealth the hinge
    I wanted to stealth it, but it would have been so difficult-i eventually decided, why not make a feature out of it? I'm hoping it will look sweet when it's all finished up.

    So it's a disaster again. I mever checked that the Zalman Power Flower would sit nice with the rest of my hardware. It doesn't. Damn.


    And I re-attached the backplates to my cards: as you can see here. It's not a great photo, they'll look better when installed.


    That's all for now. I'm off to get some real modding done.

    -Dave
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Ideas are just knowledge soaked in alcohol.
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Did I just get in a Volvo? Volvo's don't have guns!

  2. #32
    Paradox Sausage DaveW's Avatar
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    Default Re: Integration Project: Stage 1

    I've ordered in a new Zinc-coated Zalman fan. I think that will be interesting as it will go with the brushed aluminium. I'm prepared to paint the rest of the surfaces soon, and i'm getting there with the fan grilles too.

    In fact, i'm going to go and work on it now.

    For fixing the ruined trace, use a piece of solid wire (copper preferably) bent to the shape of ruined trace and solder in place. If need be tac it down with superglue when you are done.

    To clean the soldering iron, heat it up and clean with steel wool, touch some solder to it, then wipe it on a wet sponge before and after _every_ solder you make. This will ensure clean solid solders that look good and will last. Remember if it is not shiny it will not last.
    Thanks for the advice-i need a bit of help with soldering to be honest! I've got a damn PIC board to build, and how i'll do it, i don't know.

    -Dave
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Ideas are just knowledge soaked in alcohol.
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Did I just get in a Volvo? Volvo's don't have guns!

  3. #33
    Paradox Sausage DaveW's Avatar
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    Default Re: Integration Project: Stage 1

    Worklog Time!

    I don't want to let the photos build up and build up, so i'll post these and be done with it.

    I installed the little bit of plexi into the top of the case, and then attached it to the frame. Some hot glue did the trick very nicely. I picked up 24 sticks of hot glue for £2 (about $3.50) the other day (Thanks Dad) and i'll probably be using that to install all of the windows and stuff.




    Then, i installed the hardware just to be certain that everything will fit. Let me assure you that these photos don't do this case justice. I never in my wildest dreams thought that it would look this cool when i put it together. I can't wait to finish this off-if the rest comes out looking like this, it's going to be amazing.






    That's all for now. I'll be working on a one-off project so watch the project worklogs for that appearing maybe tonight or tommorow.

    -Dave
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Ideas are just knowledge soaked in alcohol.
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Did I just get in a Volvo? Volvo's don't have guns!

  4. #34
    Paradox Sausage DaveW's Avatar
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    Default Re: Integration Project: Stage 1

    Don't try usin the hot glue on painted metal surfaces with any flex in them - it just doesn't hold - well it didnt on the case I built for my son a year or so ago....
    It's really thick steel, so that won't be going anywhere-but the side panel isn't so tough, so that might be an issue then. Thanks for the heads up-i'll use Epoxy Resin when i attach that.

    now this is nice! just love.. i'm talikng with my parents now.. they say it's cool! i asked them if i could paint my case orange dad sayd he'll try to get some cans (for free).. don't trust his speed tho but still! amazing looks.. which do justice for themselves!
    I appreciate that! Thanks very much. It's going to look great when my new fan arrives (Thursday) and when i've fixed the wiring.

    I'm on track here to get this finished for Thursday. From Thursday onwards, I hope everything I do is what the software pros call 'perfective maintenance'.

    In other words...the electronics. Dum-dum-dum.

    -Dave
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Ideas are just knowledge soaked in alcohol.
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Did I just get in a Volvo? Volvo's don't have guns!

  5. #35
    Paradox Sausage DaveW's Avatar
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    Default Re: Integration Project: Stage 1

    Talk Time!

    I'm behind Schedule. So sue me.

    I've been working on another mod altogether-and i've completed it in 2 days time. It's the replacement for the pink computer that i posted earlier, and i'm making a beginner's worklog for it so you can see how i did it-it's already run into 4 and a half pages of text and 165 photographs (including a movie) so i'm going to need to chop bits off.

    Still not sure what to do with it, I'll probably host a copy here, maybe send a copy to CustomPC magazine and see if they want to print it. The more exposure i get for my mods, the more likely I'll be able to get companies interested in what I do.

    I know that may seem over-ambitious, but i've been communicating with a certain company and let's just say that my next mod might be a lot more interesting than even i had anticipated...watch this space! I've not let you down yet, have i?

    Anyway, on to the mod!

    Worklog Time!

    So. Where did i leave you off? I've now painted all of the panels. The paint job isn't great: I'm having trouble with clearcoat. If anyone wants to give me pointers on how to improve my technique in this department, they will be more than welcome.




    I also managed to finish (mostly) the fan grilles, which actually don't look so bad.


    The new Zalman Fan arrived. If anyone's interested in the old one, i'm willing to let it go for about £25, a huge price drop on a brand new Zalman Fata1ty.


    I started working on the left side panel. It's a sort of diorama of sorts-it's supposed to be sort of what people would expect to see in a computer, which is usually quite far away from what's actually inside. I'm trying to go back to my childhood, before i knew what a resistor and a capacitor was-when i tried to steal peeks inside the VCR through the air grill to see what sort of cool stuff was inside. I want the side panel of the computer to be a little glimpse of that crazy dream.

    I don't even know if that makes sense, so on with the pictures. Here's me testing the lights. I can run 2 lights of the same transformer, so I've got a red and a white light to make it look more interesting.


    My dad also spied this in a bargain bin, and decided to get it for me. I stared at it for a short while, before i realised exactly what i wanted to do with it.


    Here's a pic of the things that I'm putting in the frame.


    First up, the ports at the side? They had to go. They blocked the light and were too tall. I tried de-soldering them, but that didn't work. So i dremelled them off. Which was fun. I then re-tried the stuff out.


    So here's the current layout. I'm removing the top from that HD, but I've left it on to keep the dust out. I removed the transformer from it's casing and sat it inside-it takes up less room and adds to the appeal.

    Then i tested it out with my other cut parts-shock horror! I miss-measured the plastic. I thought i had more left. I'm going to go out and get a new sheet tomorrow, i just hope there's some left. Plexi is hard enough to find, but Orange plexi...


    So for a feature, i decided to turn the processor upside down, and then install the flashing LED's in the middle. But this would mean...drilling a hole in Processor! Dum-dum-dum! Man, is this fun!




    I wasn't done with creating features yet. I wanted it more interesting. So I've cannibalized an old PSU and used the wires to make an interesting sort of switchboard thing out of the PCI array.


    And i installed the LEDs. I used Humbrol Poly Cement for this: It should do the trick nicely, although the stuff doesn't half stink. Much easier than epoxy or hot glue though. You can see i also found a bit of mesh and shoved it in the RAM slot: but I'm not happy with that at all. I'll be trying to find another interesting feature for in there, although i don't want another light feature. I was thinking something along the lines of a copper coil.


    Any suggestions about what to put on this old mobo to make it look more interesting will be appreciated. I've got a heap of old optical drives here and I'm probably going to use the eyes for something interesting, but the RAM slots are begging to be made into some kind of feature. I only have 35mm of clearance in total, so it would have to be small.

    Well, i kept my end of the bargain, a worklog by Thursday. I want to get this done soon though, so expect more worklogs from me soon.

    Over and out for now.

    -Dave
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Ideas are just knowledge soaked in alcohol.
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Did I just get in a Volvo? Volvo's don't have guns!

  6. #36
    Paradox Sausage DaveW's Avatar
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    Default Re: Integration Project: Stage 1

    Worklog Time!

    I've not got much done recently-but i have finished the etching on the side panel. I wanted to come up with something computery-sounding but not computery to put on the side. Lack of imagination produced TIP-3000. So i guess that's this computers name, when it's done-the TIP. Great...

    Anyway. After some experimentation with plexi, i discovered 3 interesting things.


    1) Prior to my previous beliefs, Plexi can take the force of a rivet without cracking, warping, or otherwise deforming.
    2) I'm not much good at etching.
    3) writing backwards is really hard!

    Here's my practice piece.


    I printed out the GIMP-modified logo and stuck it on with some spray-tack. Then, i used a scalpel to outline the lines i wanted to etch. Then, i went into the cellar and used the dremel with a flexishaft to etch in the logo.


    Finally, i peeled off the backing, and viola. Overall, i'm happy enough with the outcome. It's my first realy etch, after all, so it came out pretty well considering.


    Anyway, i'm hoping now to simply assemble things and that's me. As you can see above, i've mostly finished the feature on the side panel: Everything's glued intp place. For the RAM slots i eventually stripped some copper wires and put them through some hollow perspex tubing, which I glued into place.

    Vacuum tubes with lights would be sweet, but i doubt there's room for them in there, and anyway, that's going to come later with any luck .

    On a side note, i'm worried about the weight of the case-everything is over to the right hand side, and there's nothing on the left hand side to counteract it. I realised it was right-heavy when the case fell over when I was trying to position it. (Here's a hint. When you wax your desk, wait a while before you put your computer up there. It's slippier than it looks.) I just hope that with everything installed it's not an issue, because if it is, there's not really all that much I can so about it apart from putting weights on the left hand side.

    Any suggestions about countering the weight would be appreciated, and i'll get some better photos up when i can find the missing latch for my tripod. Can't take photos of plexi etchings without long exposures, and i'm not touching that without some support from a tripod.

    Over and out.

    -Dave
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Ideas are just knowledge soaked in alcohol.
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Did I just get in a Volvo? Volvo's don't have guns!

  7. #37
    Paradox Sausage DaveW's Avatar
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    Default Re: Integration Project: Stage 1

    Worklog Time!

    It's always good to polish off your metal parts before you use them. I used Silvo, a product that's fairly common in Britain but I'm not certain about America. I rubbed it on and then buffed it away with a polishing cloth.

    This photo shows the difference between a polished and an unpolished piece of diamond plate. As you can see, the difference it makes is well worth the effort.


    I got the electrics working as well, and tested it with a tester PSU that i modified. I'll need to actually do a proper mod so i can test these things properly, without twisting bits of wire around each other. My dad came up with this idea to raise the lighting, so i suppose I'd better give him credit. This only proves that Lego is, in fact, the greatest achievement of mankind.


    So i finished the diorama...


    ...and stuck on the glass with hot glue. It's pretty rigid and strong, so i hope it holds. It should.


    Then i loaded up the side panel. The good news is that the weight doesn't appear to be an issue. The bad news is that there's a tiny gap between the top of the panel and my own panel that I don't particularly like. Well, it's something to remember for next time at least.




    Then i got to work on the right hand panel. I made an etching, and glued that on with the 'put books on it' method of glueing, tried and tested by housewives the world over. The other part of the plastic was slightly too large-so it will need cut down in the morning. I've used a knife to score the area that needs to be removed.




    And finally, I leave you with a preview of the front end.


    Not long to go now. Only a couple of days, with any luck-When i get this running, i'll post some of the other worklogs that i've written too.

    Thanks for the feedback, watch this space!

    -Dave
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Ideas are just knowledge soaked in alcohol.
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Did I just get in a Volvo? Volvo's don't have guns!

  8. #38
    Paradox Sausage DaveW's Avatar
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    Default Re: Integration Project: Stage 1

    I'm worried that the side panel will cover up my lovely insides, but meh. I tested out the rest of the lighting circuits today, they looks pretty cool.

    Think it will come together nicely! I also plugged in one of my meters to the HDD line on my other box, to see what happens. It's a cool effect but the needle moves too fast. A capacitor would probably slow that down for a nice effect. Time will tell.

    Thanks for the feedback guys, you keep me going.

    -Dave
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Ideas are just knowledge soaked in alcohol.
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Did I just get in a Volvo? Volvo's don't have guns!

  9. #39
    Paradox Sausage DaveW's Avatar
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    Default Re: Integration Project: Stage 1

    Well, i plugged one in and tested the signal with my multimeter. It seems to send out a very low voltage pulse. I was hoping it would be a 5volt signal, but it's not-so i'm messing around with other ideas at the moment.

    How long have you worked on this project for and how long do you think it will take from now to finish? Keep up the great work!
    I've been working on this for maybe 6 months now, and i'm hoping to have it finsihed in the next couple of days. Today would be great but i'm not being optimistic after the "thusday" incident of a few posts previous.

    -Dave
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Ideas are just knowledge soaked in alcohol.
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Did I just get in a Volvo? Volvo's don't have guns!

  10. #40
    Paradox Sausage DaveW's Avatar
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    Default Re: Integration Project: Stage 1

    Worklog Time!

    Well...it's done. I don't think there's much else i can say. hopefully these Pics will speak for themselves. You can leave feedback in the worklog if you like. I'd appreciate knowing what you think of the case, the design, the worklog, etc.

    Just on a side note, currently, the two needle dials are still not hooked up to anything. I have everything prepared to install the final piece, but i can't find a shop that sells the correct parts. When i've found it, i'll install them and maybe post a movie of the whole thing working. As far as future updates are concerned, they're possible, but who knows? I quite like it the way it is now.

    Changing from my normal method, click these pics will let you see a high-res version of the image. As most of you can't be bothered with that, i've shrunk them down to 640*480 so you can see them without that hastle.
















    I'd like to thank some folks at the end here:

    Kimberley, for having the patience to give me the space I needed to do this. My Dad, for lending me most of his tools, and for his constant support. Euan and Cheryl, for keeping me company during the boring parts (like filing) and for their help. I'd like to thank Jon, although he isn't around anymore, his support at the start of this project kept me going. Chris from Maplin, thanks for your help with the electronics. Finally, Howarth Switchgear, for helping me to find the right materials, and offering me good prices.

    Finally, thanks to everyone who left me feedback, gave me ideas, and supported me during the creation of this mod. TBCS Rules!


    -Dave out!
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Ideas are just knowledge soaked in alcohol.
    Quote Originally Posted by jdbnsn
    Did I just get in a Volvo? Volvo's don't have guns!

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