First off if you see any images that don't look like they belong, that is because my server has a wierd habit of sending the wrong image when it gets loaded down. View the image alone, and use SHIFT+REFRESH to view the correct image. Project Redwood has been living in the modding forum as a design thread, and thanks to the people who helped with their ideas on the design ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Project Redwood The design plan: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Goal of this project: My main computer, my daily driver, has always been a frankenstein of parts, mods and half-done ideas. Currently my main PC is a coolermaster with a single cathode, a cheap watercooling kit, and looks very standard. This project has been a dream of mine for a while. I wanted to create a PC using high quality materials, and I wanted to get away from just plastic and metal. This PC has to be dead silent, yet able to play games and do design. So it has to be super-fast as far as the actual computer components. I wanted to go for a retro, yet futuristic approach. I looked at images of retro and old radios to get ideas for the general design. I am using solid-state touch sensative function keys for the front panel (no moving parts). I wanted it also to be excecutive looking, basicly to look good sitting on a desk. With that I needed to make the PC as small as possible. The last goal was to make the PC as wireless as possible. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The outside dimensions are: 35cm W x 29cm D x 14.5cm H 13.7" W x 11.4" D x 5.7" H The inside dimensions are: 29cm W x 26cm D x 13.5cm H 11.4" W x 10.2" D x 5.3" H ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/version3/04.jpg http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/version3/05.jpg Before I could design the outside of the case I had to first model all the components inside the case. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Further design plans can be seen here: http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/version3/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This system will be fully loaded. Here are the specs: AMD Athlon 64 4000+ (will get a Fx-57 when it's out)* ATI Radeon X850 XT 512MB version* ATI Radeon Express 200 Chipset Shuttle Motherboard* 1GB Kingston HyperX DDR533* Pioneer Slim-line Slot-Load Dual Layer 8X DVD Burner 120GB Hitachi Baracuda Harddrive 240-watt Shuttle PSU (Yes it can handle it)* HWLabs Black Ice Micro II (2x80mm Radiator)* Two 80mm Red Anodized fans C-Systems CSP-MAG 12volt Pump* Matrix Orbital USB LCD* Logitech diNovo wireless (Receiver inside PC)* 17" Shuttle LCD monitor* Custom waterblocks for CPU and GPU Touch sensative front panel buttons (www.qprox.com) Touch sensative dial (iPod style) *The items marked are sponsored. Thanks to: AMD, ATI, Shuttle, Logitech, Kingston, HWLabs, C-Systems and Matrix Orbital .
woah! when i first saw that circular thingy i though "how bout using it for operating lcd like apples click wheel" now i read the text and i see that you are gonna go that way, arent you? will be watchin this one regularly
This project has gone through a few revisions already. Version 1.0 was built specificly for an event. You can see it here: http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/shuttle/index.htm Along with version 1.0, I modified a Keyboard, Mousepad, and LCD Screen. ---------------------------------------------------------- The Keyboard: The keyboard set is a Logitech diNovo I choose the non-bluetooth version as it better for gaming, has less security risk, and works even in the BIOS. ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Keyboard/05.jpg I bought a bunch of African Padauk wood Veneer. This is real wood, and is 0.5mm thick. ---------------------------------------------------------- The veneer was applied to the keyboard using thin double-sided tape. The edges and function key holes were finished off with a dremel and sand paper. http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Keyboard/10.jpg ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Keyboard/13.jpg The keypad was slightly harder as it has a LCD screen built in. ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Keyboard/16.jpg http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Keyboard/15.jpg The keyboard and keypad were coated in Envirotex Lite. A two-part pour on expoxy, which give it a smooth, glossy, and protective finish. ---------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Keyboard/20.jpg
The monitor I will be using is a Shuttle XP17 AR http://global.shuttle.com/Product/Accessories/XP17_TempAR.asp This is an 8ms 17" LCD Screen and is very bright. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/lcd/02.jpg First the monitor was taken apart, and the front glass removed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wood veneeer was cut and applied to the front. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/lcd/07.jpg http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/lcd/08.jpg The function icons were laser-etched back into the wood. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/lcd/09.jpg The wood was then coated three times with Envirotex. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Shuttle LCD comes with a back-lit shuttle logo. I was able to keep this feature.
The mousepad The mousepad started it's life as a sheet of African Padauk. This wood is EXPENSIVE, at $6.60 per sq/ft for 1/4" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Mousepad/02.jpg http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Mousepad/03.jpg The mousepad was laser-etched and cut out of the wood. The symbol on the mouse pad is the AMD crop circle from the Athlon 64 Launch event. (Used with permission) More info on that here: http://www.circlemakers.org/mysteriousmarkings.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Mousepad/06.jpg The edges were rounded smooth using a dremel. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Mousepad/07.jpg http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Mousepad/08.jpg The entire surface was sanded smooth. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the left is the actual mouse pad, on the right is my 3D Rendered plan. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Mousepad/11.jpg http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Mousepad/10.jpg The entire mousepad was also coated in envirotex. This left it with again, a glossy finish. But it was too glossy, even for the MX1000's laser eye. So the entire pad was sanded using Mona Lisa Superfilm. A micro-sized grit sand paper. It left the pad with a hazy, yet still glossy finish, that the mouse can track. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- I may re-build the entire mousepad, excluding the etch and envirotex lite, as the pad is much darker then the keyboard and LCD. And the wood sand's smooth enough to be used on it's own.
http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Woodwork/02.jpg The actual case is starting it's life as a huge 2" thick piece of Paduak. This single piece was $65, taking the total cost of all the wood to $145. I need only 3cm of the 2" to achive the curve on the case. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Woodwork/03.jpg First the wood was rough cut into the required size of blocks. I did this at my Dad's shop. He has a shop-smith which is awsome to work with. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I laser etched my design plans into the wood. This was more to confirm my plans, as the marking will be removed in the next step. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Woodwork/06.jpg Back at my Dad's shop to drill and shape the wood. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- In order to achive the curve on the wood, I first used a table saw to cut a stair-step pattern into the wood. This was VERY time consuming, and took 8 hours for all the hardwood. You can also see the drilled holes that will become the various features. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- If course, on the very last piece, on the second to last cut, the table on the saw dropped 1/8" and caused the saw to cut too deep into the wood. It was not a total loss, but it will take a LOT more sanding to remove the extra material. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.zapwizard.com/projects/wood/Woodwork/09.jpg I was able to get one piece of wood shaped that night.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zap the wood-worker. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- It took about an hour per piece to sand down the curves. The belt on the sander started breaking on the last piece, but it was kind enough to leave me 2" of belt width to finish with before totaly breaking. Also note the duct-taped up vacuum setup. African Padauk saw dust is VERY fine, and also iritates your lungs. It is not supposed to be toxic however. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have already started to jig-saw the needed in-between cuts, but that is also very time consuming. I spent an hour cutting three of the air holes on tuesday. I should finish the rest this weekend.
yet another great project zap! I just love the dial idea is it going to look like an old telephone or are you going to put a piece of wood over it? keep up the modding dude
Why Paduak wood? It's got great color, looks to be very workable, but it is very, very expensive. What about something less expensive... ...like marble?
The dial will be solid state (behind the wood), if you have used an iPod you will get how it works. I am having to design both the circuit and software for the dial from scratch. I have the circuit for the rest of the faceplate done. I ended on choosing Padauk due mostly to it's natural color. I have done quite a bit of wood working before, but I always hated staining wood, it just never looks natural to me. So far is has been a dream to work with, it sands very well and is very strong. Another reason I choose this wood, which you can't see unless you view it in real-life is that it shimmers under light, as you view it from different angles the grain changes from light to dark. (The same effect as polished metal or CD disk does under light) I would also argue that the amount of extra I paid for the wood, I would have spent on tools, stains, sand paper, and other things to shine up a cheaper wood.
Gotta love those Shuttle power supplies. I've seen one of them run a desktop with two hard drives and two CD-rom drives without sweating. That is one sweet looking system. If it looks as good at the end as it does now, you'll probably get a front-page reference. If it ends up as good as I think it will, you'll set the standard for wooden cases for a very long time, like ORAC^3 did for clear cases.
wow looking real nice another amazing mod from the Zap love the 3D renders... looks like the real thing
Nice project. (as we were expecting of you) But would the blank coat being strong enough to prevent scratching with the mouse on the mousepad?