Scratch Build Project: Extreme Air - Updated: 16th October, Better Final Pics + News

[Zero_Limits]

First of all… the name of this thread might not be the final name, I am trying to think of something better, suggestions are welcome.

Being the crazy guy that I am I decided not long ago to do a case mod for our countries biggest LAN again this year. Last year I started my Project Far Cry with about 100 days to go and worked like a mad man down to the last day and actually a day after the event started, so many will probably call me crazy for even attempting my next mod. This year I wasn’t actually going to do a mod, but again about 100 days out from the event I decided seeing I won last year I must defend my title so the plans begun.

So about 100 days to go and I had just started planning. I have been a busy boy over the last few months so the plans have taken a long time to complete. Now I am finally ready to start building with just 36 days till xLAN!

After last year even I think I am a little mad for attempting to build in 36 days. I am pretty sure I can do it though. I have a new job now and am working from 7am to about 2pm so have a bit of time in the afternoons to get work done, I also no longer work Saturdays so have a full day to work there. So that gives me a bit more time then last year. The other and main difference that will help me get this done on time is the plan, last year I worked from a basic plan so there was a lot of building and rebuilding and adding and taking out.

Anyway, that’s enough boring stories about last years mod and how little time I have to do this years. So here is what you all want to see… Pictures.





I know I know you are thinking EWWWWWWWWWWW!!!! So was I, this was my first attempt at drawing up a concept I had.





Hopefully now you guys are thinking mmmm that looks a lot better… that’s pretty sweet... but I wasn’t happy with this one, think it looks to much like a TV with some pipes sticking out. So onto Version 3…








Yeah this is the final version, I promise!... Mainly because there is no time to design, I must build!

Most of you are probable still thinking WTF when you look at it. So I will explain the main concept. OMFGWTF Insane air cooling is the theme for this years mod. The two tubes coming from the back of the case will house some little brushless motors used on model airplanes. They will be spinning 2 blade model air plane propellers that are about 10” (250mm) diameter at about 10,000rpm. The second part of this idea is to take care of one of the problems with big LAN parties… heat. As most of us know it gets pretty hot at these events. My solution, the two smaller tubes coming from the case will duct some of the excess air (there will be lots) off the props and through to the front to act like air conditioning in a car.

Thoughts, Ideas, suggestions, comments anything is welcome, just don’t tell me its crap or ill go insane after the number of hours I have spent drawing this up.

[Darkened]

The design looks quite good, but damn that thing is going to be loud

I'll surely be following this especially if you're going to realize this in such a small amount of time.

Now go modding.

Darkened

[derbaum]

10000 rpm ? even on a noisy Lan the people would throw rocks at you.
but great idea anyway. design is cool 2.

[Mankz]

Why not buy some proper 25cm fans that spin at under 1000 rpm, they still move shed-loads of air!

[rowin4kicks]

i agree with darkened this looks like it is gonna be a great mod!

[fungry]

wow... this thing is gonna be real nice.

10krpm :O

[Dira]

3...2...1...Lift off!

This will be interesting. I agree with that 10krpm will be to loud. Atleast you should be able to controll them down to like 1k :P So you can atleast sit next to it :P

[jokkos]

this will definitely blow people away

maybe you should consider slower and quieter fans, but the overall design is sweet...I dig the airconditioning plan

[yakyb]

Is that a pro engineer drawing? looks awesome i do like the last one the best

[B[x]]

I like the design but I've got a few questions.
I know you said that the larger tubes will house 10" fans so that gives us an idea of scale but would it be possible to give approximate dimensions of the case?
How do you plan on constructing it, fiberglass?
Any idea on what size monitor you're going to use?

Thanks.

[Zero_Limits]

Thanks for all the comments guys! To answer a few questions…

Yeah I could just use standard 250mm computer fans, but where’s the fun in that So that angry LAN people don’t throw rocks and I can sit next to the case the motors will be on ESC’s (electronic speed controllers) controlled by either a servo tester or a computer servo controller so the rpm of the fans will be adjustable to under 1000 rpm.

The drawing was done by me in a program called Rhino 3D. As you can probably tell by the drawing its not really 100% complete, there are a few bits that needed to be trimmed and a couple of details which aren’t added which I will be doing. At the moment building is more important then pretty drawings.

Size of the case… BIG. In the picture the screen is a 24” wide screen. If I can save enough and hopefully get a sponsor to help out that’s what it will be. If not it will be a 20”. At the widest point the case is about 700mm wide, just over 460mm deep and 460mm high not including the screen, which adds about another 20mm to the height.

Correct, it will be constructed using fibreglass and a little bit of carbon fibre in a few places where it needs extra strength because I have some scraps I can use. The plan is to shape it up out of blue styro foam and then fibreglass over the out size, after that it’s the hours of filling and sanding to make it nice and smooth. I would have liked to create moulds, which would avoid the last step of filling and sanding but time and money are a bit limited.

As for the motors, I’m not to sure yet, probably about a speed 400 size brushless motor, I will post a link to what I decide to order later in the day. I may have to go to a standard fan if I have any issues with the magnets in the motors effecting things.

[x06jsp]

thats gunna be one huge loud machine!! at least you will be able to tame it!! lol good luck with it!

[ottzen]

now THIS is gonna be interesting!
I'm relly keen on those modelplane-propellers

//ottzen (subscribed)

[Zero_Limits]

Finally I get round to doing an update. Spent most of the weekend with my girlfriend but still managed to get a bit of work done on the case. So here is what’s been done…

Started out by sticking some patterns that I printed out onto some 4.75mm MDF so I could make some templates to shape foam.



Very roughly cut out to make them easier to move around.



Final cut and sanded.



Next I used some 5min epoxy to stick them to the foam. I only used a little as I want to take the MDF template off again later. You cant see by the pic but there is another MDF template on the other side of the foam which is exactly the same.



Cut and ready for sanding….



All done



Man I hate sanding! Sadly this was a tiny amount of sanding compared to what I have coming up.



Now I needed a few more bits similar.



Rough cut.



A few more… Later I found that I actually needed two more, don’t ask me what I was thinking when I left out two. I had just come in from the computer to check how many I needed and still managed to get it wrong.



All ready for some sanding.



Firs off I wanted to make sure the bottom surface was nice and smooth, flat and square. To do this I stuck it between a couple of bits of wood with nice straight edges, lined it all up then sanded till I was touching the edges.





All nice and smooth.



Stuck them between the two templates I cut out earlier.



This is the same template I used to cut out the first bits but with the screen mount part cut off.



A while later and a tired arm I had this.



Sadly I still had this to go. You can see here where I have used a hacksaw blade to take off the bulk of what needed to be removed.



A while later again and with an even more tired arm I had this.





With it next to the first part I cut out it makes up half the centre part of the case.



That’s all for now, more once I have done more work. Questions, comments and suggestions are always appreciated.

Thanks Guys!

[Dean MF]

Wow! Great work so far! I cant wait to see how this turns out. I take my hat off to you for going through all this trouble for a case.

[x06jsp]

looking good keep it coming!!!

[B[x]]

What did you use to cut the foam? I've cut styrofoam before using two templates on either side of the foam (like you) and a metal wire with a current running through it. However, the styrofoam I used was a lower grade than what you seem to be using.

[Zero_Limits]

Thanks for the kind words people. I am just about to go back out to the garage and do some more work on the case so there should be another update later on tonight.

I just used a hacksaw and lots of sanding to shape the foam. Hot wire would have been much easier but I havnt been able to get any nichrome wire which is best for hot wire. I think mum might kill me if I pull the toaster apart :P

I did use a smaller hot wire cutter that i have for doing the inner part of the center pices but unfortunatly the wire broke before I could use it on anything else. Wouldn't have been long enough for the outer parts anyway.

[x06jsp]

cant wait for the up date keep it coming

[rowin4kicks]

wow it your fibreglass work is as good as your foam work then your gonna end up with one heck of a case!