Scratch Build – In Progress Lignum Cube - FINISHED

final pics: http://forums.bit-tech.net/showpost.php?p=3488201&postcount=33

Hi

I finally started new project, I hope you'll like it
This time I think I'm going to write a little more, since I have quite a lot of thoughts about this build.
I'm going to do something I have never seen in any worklog - I'm gonna post animated gifs

Introduction
My previous build ReactorMod was cool, but what looks nice isn't always practical and it doesn't really suit my desk. This time I wanted to make a case that would be neat so I could put it on my desk.

Structure
I wanted this case to be as small as possible, but it has to fit ATX motherboards. It's not a big deal to build a tiny case for a tiny motherboard. After many excogitations and considering avaible for me tools and materials I've decided that the best dimensions would be 360 x 270 x 190 mm.
I divided the case into two 'floors'. The upper one will be basically only for motherboard, lower floor would hold PSU, pump, 240mmm radiator, reservoir and hdds.

Materials
Since I want the case to be neat I decided that aluminium and wood would do the job. So the front and rear of the case will be made out of plywood. Sides and the top of the case will be bent from one piece of 2mm thick aluminium sheet.

Decided to make the cover first, so I coud adjust front and rear panels to fit it perfectly.
I needed to nicely cut 910mm of aluminium and I only own a 20cm long guillotine. So I headed over to a workshop of a friend of mine.

That's my 2 mm thick aluminium sheet.


That's what I call awesome machine! It was made in 1957 and still runs perfect. And I bet it will run smoothly for next 60 years.


Once I got the sheet cut it was time to fold it. 160 tons pressure, made in 1971.


On the left side of the pic you can see the folded cover. Now I cut sheet for the bottom of the case, which doesn't need folding.


Back at home. That's how the cover went out.


Having the cover made I could got down to the front and rear of the case. I ordered plywood cut in correct dimensions. It's 9mm thick


Wanted the case and plywood to fit nicely so I had to mill it a little. My milling machine doesn't have so big range of motion so I had to improvise. That's mine WS15 bench drill.


Filled out the edges.


I think it went out pretty well.


That's how it looks like temporarily assembled with a beer can to see the dimensions.


That's all for now, hope you like it and sorry for any mistakes


Sponsors
I'd like to thank the following companies:

for providing DEUS M1 550W power supply unit



for providing SSD Premier Pro SP900 128GB

and XPG 2x4Gb PC3-12800

 

Looks like a promising start. That's the kind of equipment they build the shop around instead of having it installed.

 

Thanks! Hope you won't be disappointed with the outcome

To safe some time I decided to use a mobo tray from my old case.




And it's out in 3 pieces.


Went on a quick shopping. Bought 4 meters of square aluminium rod.


Firstly I cut the rear panel a little.


Scribed lines on the rear panel and cut it the same way I did eariler.








Assembled.


Then it was time to make some kind of fastenings that will be attached to the front and rear of the case.
Firstly I cut it from a 10mm square aluminium rod and evened it out on a lathe. Then just some drilling and M4 rifling.



I needed 10 of them. I'm quite glad with the outcome.






Now needed to make the rods that will go along the case.


Evening out.


Here goes a gif where I make a countersink for ISO912 bolt.


Rifling.


That's my cats reaction... Think he was not impressed.


In the next update I will be making the mobo tray and the case will be ready for assembling

 

That's a short update this time, but I'm quite far with building the case. Only a matter of time when I post it, should be soon.

Having the mobo tray I could start modyfing it.
That's a place where a alu rod will be.


I needed to make a six of them in both parts of the tray.




Test fitting.


Ready for riveting.




Done.





Except that I recorded unboxing of EK RESX3 250. That's my first movie and it's in Polish so I'm sure you won't understand a word I believe it's the first Polish video about water cooling gear.

 

Loving the GIF's, even if the cat doesn't. Great way of presenting pics.

 

OK, I sat here watching that lathe .gif forever thinking, "Man, he sure is making a lot of those..."

Love the motherboard tray fix.

 

Thanks! It seems that everyone like these gifs

Basically, the case itself is now made. Have to make vets and a window but this has to wait until I decide what hardware I'll be using.

Had to cut the bottom sheet a little.


Then I quickly drilled holes to mount the sheet.


Ready to mount!



These pics were shot with my old hardware just to check how it fits. Final placement of stuff like PSU or radiator might be different.







I also recorded a movie where I assembly the case, there are English subtitles, I made my best and hope you will understand them
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyi-ZOez4OQ

 

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!! DADS ABUSING ME AGAIN!!!


GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!!!!!

THATS IT!!! I SAID ONE MORE TIME AND THE DOG BUYS THE FARM....HERE FIDO!!!!

 

I feel like saying you cant hold square stock in a 3 jaw chuck but you sure showed me lol

Any ways it looks really good seems like something i should keep an eye on

Also what is that shear you are using in the vise is it diy?

 

Looking good so far! car does not look impressed though

 

yeah, basically you can't do this but it doesn't really matter if you're only evening the edges

I don't really know about the shear because it's probably older than me I'd have to ask my father about it, but I don't think it's home made.

It's been a while since last update beacuse I was looking for a new hardware.
Decided to buy: i5 3570k, asus p8p67 evo and sapphire 7950 OC.

Wanted to introduce you the first sponsor:

Silentium PC provided DEUS M1 550W psu.










Motherboard.
I was going to buy a p8p67 PRO, but I picked up a great bargain and bought EVO version quite cheap.


Those boards are almost the same, the most visible difference is that third heat sink beside pci-e socket.


I was curious if it actually cools something, since I didn't notice anything under it while looking on the back of the board.


It turned out there's only one tiny part underneath. I don't know what it does but I'm pretty sure that it's in the same place in PRO version without a heat sink.


So I think that additional heat sink is only for the thrill of it Well played Asus, well played...


3570k in da house Seller says it made 4,6Ghz @1,3V and he didn't want to go further because of his lame cooler. We'll see what I can do with it.

 

Just received delivery from ADATA, which kindly decided to support me with SSD and RAM.

SSD Premier Pro SP900 128GB


XPG 2x4Gb PC3-12800


I could be starting up the computer right now if there weren't any trouble with the video card. I bought Sapphire HD7950 but it was bugged, I returned it to the seller and I'm just sitting there waiting for my money

 

I love the gifs for showing the work itself. Amazing stuff!

 

Loved the .gif:s the moment I saw them. They really help set the log apart and bring it alive

 

Any updates on this soon? I really like the work you have done combining the wood and Alum!!!

 

Sorry guys for keeping you waiting, there was quite a long break, but don't you think that I haven't done anything



EK Water Blocks decided to sponsor me again with their awesome water cooling gear. List of the items I got from them is really long. It's i.a. video card full-cover, mosfet block, radiators, reservoir , tubing, fittings and so on.

Here's a quick unboxing of EKWB stuff. It's in Polish. I can only wonder how strange that language might sound for you.

[video=youtube;9AKbPjK2qto]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AKbPjK2qto[/video]

The last sponsor is a bit-tech.pl which provided sweet sleveed cables.







OK so when I finally collected everything I needed I could get to work.

I have spent a whole day passionately beding the acrylic pipes. As I expected it's not a piece of cake. The bending itself is not that hard, but it's getting more interesting when a pipe has to bend in like four different directions.






Video card will be mounted horizontally by using a pci-e riser. Before I could bend the pipes to connect it, I had to attach it to the case. Drilled holes in a backplate.





And made a fixing from a aluminium channel bar.





of course I will change the screws, I just had them at hand at the moment.


The channel will be mounted to the front of the case.




Video card mounted


I know the back of the case is messed up, but the idea changed and I will make a completely new one.


The mainboard is also temporarily mounted. I quickly bent a steel sheet so I can mount everything and see how to make the pipes. When the pipes are done I will make a new mobo tray from 1mm thick aluminium




Two EKWB Xt 240mm rads are mounted on the sides of the case. Between them I put a D5 pump and a power supply. I'm also going to put there three 2,5" HDDs and a slot-in dvd.

The rads are connected in parallel.


The loop will be connected as below:
pump -> rads (in parallel) ->res-> mosfet block -> video card-> cpu -> pump

I have never seen a water cooling loop connected as mine. I will not use three-way adapters. A pump top that I got from EKWB has two outlets and I decided to use both of them. The coolant will flow from those 2 outlets to rads, and then from rads to reservoir where it will mix. Then to water blocks and to the pump.

I do realise that there migh be different flow in both radiators, but I don't think that's a problem at all.


Was looking for a credible test rads in series vs in parallel but I didn't find any.
Hope you like it, more to come soon.

 

awesome gifs!

 

While I was mounting the water block on the mainboard I thought to myself that it looks kinda...naked without that third heat sink. So I cut the heatpipe and mounted it


The case is so small that I'll probably have to make custom cables, so I started with a pump.


And that's how I connected 2 ssd's and a hdd.


Here's new version of the lower part of the loop, used a 3-way bronze adapter I made earlier.


All tubes are bent and ready for mounting.


After a long while I finally connected the whole loop, but I need to finish few things in the case before I fill it.










Thanks for watching and please tell me what you think

 

ups, sorry for double post, my internet connection gone crazy

 

Loving the short bent pipes everywhere and the horizontal mounted gfx card. The short pipe from there to the cpu. Looks great.