Project Metaversa: LCD goodness (small update 17/07/05)

I'll take it!

 

Excellent work on the fan grills, I never thought there would be a good use for TT grills.

 

looking great, nice idea with the foam gasket between rad/fan
im gonna have to give that a shot

 

SWEET SWEET SWEET SWEET SWEET!!!

That looks real nice mate

I have an Aquatube arriving next week as well as an AquaDrive for my 10k Raptor I can understand the attraction to the aquatube

Just a couple of questions, im using a 1/2" tubing so will I need to adjust the holes in the aquatube? Say if I wanted to put two in the bottom of the res, how would you have it so the barb screws in? Also why does the side of the res have 3 holes and are there anyway to block them securely if none are being used?

Lots of questions but it would be a great help if you can help me out.

Love the rad/fan/pump/shroud thing going on there, superb thinking.

 

nexxxo where are you dude? Can you tell me how you polished your aquatube plate like that? Im considering doing the same to mine as it will look mint with my chrome cage.

 

Haven't read this one for a while, but I wish I had! Man that aquatube looks good! Can't wait for the next installment, keep it up!

 

I was on holiday in London, in fact . OK to your questions:

1. The aquatube has three holes in the side, two for the barbs (in and out) and one center hole to accomodate the optional res lighting (consisting of a transparent plastic screw plug which holds a LED. This set is sold separately). If you don't wish to light the res (but I cannot think why you wouldn't...) the tube comes with a metal plug you screw in instead. If you don't use any of the side barb holes, you have to plug all three. Where you would get one extra plug? Perhaps Pug (Wizard Designs) can help you out.

2. To accomodate two 1/2" barbs, you have to drill two holes (about 11mm --you'll have to measure your barb thread diameter and check) using a bench press drill. Then use a tap and die set to thread them to 1/2" BSP thread. These are not cheap tools, but there is no shortcuts or making do here, I'm afraid. You may have to find a workshop where you can borrow the use of their tools. I approached my local university.

By the way, the Aquadrive is a nice piece of kit but there is no way you can convert it to 1/2" (although you can fit 1/2" connectors, the channels inside will still be 6mm wide so you will be stuck with that restriction in your system... ).

The Aquatube plate was sanded by putting it flat on a sheet of sanding paper (silicon carbide), and moving in small circular movements for say, ten minutes, exerting almost no pressure. Start at 240 grit and work up to 400, 800, 1000 and 1200 grit until your arm hurts like hell. Finally, get out your stainless steel polishing cream (e.g. Peek, comes in a tube and looks a bit like light blue toothpaste) and your dremel with a narrow polishing wheel. Add only a pea-sized dab of paste to the plate, spread out evenly with your finger and polish away at 5000 rpm or so. Result!

 

Cheers for your responses.

What is the advantage of getting it polished your way rather than getting it zinc'd?

Also I will ask pug for the extra plugs for the sides as I would like to have a decent flowrate in the system. Not sure where I can get hold of a drill press though as I have just left school

I havent got a dremel so im not sure how I would go about polishing it your way. Im going to have a normal grill for my rad and ill have chrome beading around the edge.

Dont you think I should get the plate zinc'd because the rest of the cage will be too and it will match nicely.

Oh and I was going to get a light for the res but it was quite expensive and didnt have the colour i wanted. How would I go about making my own one for it? Maybe plant it in a rubber bung?

Also do you know any places that will have taps to thread the holes?

Sorry for all the questions again.

 

I suppose that if you get the rest of your case zinc'ed, it makes sense to do the plate as well. Otherwise polishing is just a simpler solution, and has good results.

About the res light: you will have to buy the set to get the transparent plastic plug, I'm afraid. This is bespoke made by Aqua-Computer, and not available anywhere else. The LED comes loose (you have to glue it in yourself), so you can, if you want, insert any 5mm LED you want with the colour of your choice (even bi-colour of RGB ones!). It costs, I know, but a leak is one thing you don't want in your system. Certain corners can't be cut!

The cheapest tap and die set I've come across is from Maplins, for about £23,--. This is a bargain, considering how expensive these things get... But for what you want to do you NEED the bench press drill (again, certain corners...!). I suggest you just call your local University metal workshop and start begging! They'll have a drill and taps. Otherwise try a commercial workshop (garage?). I've done the same and found that if you remain polite and persist, people generally will help you out.

and, you really, really need a Dremel (or similar from, say, Black & Decker) if you want to do modding. Indispensible, dude!

 

the thing a modder values most is a dremel, and a drill press, wait... the 2 things a modder values most are a dremel and a drill press, and bandsaw... damn... the THREE things a modder values most are a dremel a drill press and and a bandsaw, and a radial arm saw.... screw it

 

So obviously you mean the five most important things, including a drill or screwdriver, right?

 

Ok I will try for places to get it drilled and taped. As for dremel, they are quite expensive and ive been fine without it (power drill and file > dremel) Serious though, I would like one but im broke now, and after my parents just bought a half mill pound house I dont think they'd be too pleased with me spending this money for something that isnt going to be used often.

Ill talk to pug about that led screw thingy.

 

I might have missed something here, but what is the flow switch for?

 

he could ahve it hooked up so the motherboard shuts the PC off, just like if the CPU fan died

 

Those aswell as many others

 

That's right, bard: the flow switch is to monitor flow. If the pump fails, the switch is to turn the power LED from blue to red and to tell the mobo to initiate shutdown. That's the plan, anyway...

Meanwhile Scopedog made me aware of some really nice hose clamps for the main "artery" going from the res to the pump inlet:



These come from Pi-thon who manufacture hose and pipe clamps for all sorts of engine bay applications in car and motorcycle customization. Visit and drool. I want some. I want some now.

Finally I ordered the 20" TFT monitor for this system: A Dell 2000FP.



"What?" I hear you cry. "Are you made of money?". Well, no. Dell has a habit of selling surplus stock on to the market, at cost. You can pick one of these babies up at eBay UK for £699,-- (at the eBay shop called: MM Trading). For a 20" TFT (and a darn good one, actually) that's an utter bargain. I'll be living off beans on toast for the rest of the year, however...

 

gimme a saw, a shovel, and a hammer and I can fix or make anything!

 

Don't no where to start, posted with interest.

Your an insperation to us all

 

You remember me mentioning the 5" LCD screen? OK, today I've been fitting it. This includes the anti-glare protective screen, and the several bits of finnicky PCB that are screwed to the back.



First I took the screen apart, inc. the metal mounting strips (useless in this particular case) and the two PCBs. Unfortunately I have no pics of that (forgot, oops) but here's one helpfully provided by another modder, from a project :here:



You can see how it comes apart...

First ths acrylic protective screen. This needs to be mounted to the case, but over the LCD screen itself. The whole lot needs to make a seamless fit with the front bezel. Clearance between bezel and case itself is 16mm; this means that with an acrylic screen of 2mm thickness, the standoffs need to be 14mm exactly. Can such a thing be found?



Of course it can! Maplins (UK) sells chrome plated brass standoffs, 14mm long, for M3 screws, for a tiny 69 pence for a pack of ten. Combined with some M3 x 8mm countersunk socket screws, these will mount the screen...



So after a lot of measuring and tweaking, here are all the holes drilled: 4 x 3mm for the acrylic screen; 4 x 3 mm for the LCD screen; 4 x 2mm for one PCB, and 2 x 3 mm for the tertiary PCB (this is the narrow strip on the side to which connect power and video --these were added later)... As you can see, the screen goes in the floppy bay. The cooling array partly takes up the floppy bay anyway, and I felt the location was logical.



The standoffs screwed in place (at the back I used M3 x 10 mm buttonhead socket screws)...



The screen screwed in place. This was done with M3 screws also. Note that the screen is only 13mm deep, so I had to raise it on 4 x two M3 washers at each screw point, to make the surface of the screen meet the acrylic screen. Not absolutely necessary, but I don't want dust wandering under there freely-- and it reduces visibility slightly.



... And here is the whole lot in place, with the anti-glare screen mounted:



... and here's the back. Note that the secondary PCB is screwed in with M2 socket screws (and some isolation tape is stuck under where the PCB meets the metal case, just to be sure, even though there are no tracks or components there), and the tertiary PCB also has some of those handy standoffs, to keep it clear from the secondary screen...



So does it fit? Here's the front bezel snapped in place. Note that seamless fit between acrylic screen and bezel edge... That's lovely to see...



Front of the case:



And with the cooling array back in place. No crowding there. Good thing, because that screen can get a bit warm and needs some space to breathe...



So that's how I've been spending my day!

 

Is all I can say really. Excellent once again, wish I had your skillz.