Case Mod NZXT Lexa -Experimental Modyssey - June 5 - new CCFL, lighting question

[ModMinded]

Howdy! Been a little while since the last update, not much major to report.
I got my PPC order in, right on time as promised:

A bunch of yellow heatshrink, some UV blue 3 pin headers and pins, and 2 varieties of C Channel.

This stuff is great! The translucent stuff is a little stiffer than the black rubber, but both are way smaller and more flexible than the stuff I'd bought from the auto store.

I decided to go with the black:



Just for comparison, here's what it looked like before:

(much better, eh?)

PPCs had some other stuff with the slits on the side that would have been even more flexible I imagine, but I just didn't want the slitted look.

In other news, I've burned out my first LED playing with resistances (or not, in this case). There's been some plexi cutting and a few aborted attempts at template making, for use with my still unborn router table, but nothing I'm particularly pleased with or worth showing to you guys.

[The boy 4rm oz]

That new "C" channel looks much better than the original stuff.

[ModMinded]

Originally Posted by The boy 4rm oz

That new "C" channel looks much better than the original stuff.

yep, indeed it does. I have a couple other places to cover up... I'll try out the translucent stuff there.

[plasticFAB]

decent bend..i should have shown you how to bend..(remind me to show you everything i know) i dont use a mold like thatthats like a 2 inch radius, w use a 90 that gives us a 1/2 radius outside and 1/4 inside..measuring the bend to the inside of the bend*1/8'' material - 8'' bend - mark at 7 7/8'' then mark 1/4'' each side of the line so 1/2'' together |__LLI_____| thats the area you heat take a knife score ther paper peel it away get two blocks tape them down so you dont heat a wide area only the 1/2'' to heat, go slow you only need to heat one side then put it against a 90 and let it cool..waaala..your not bending plastic your molding it because your used a form to get the shape its much harder to do by hand...can be done with boing hot water also..its dione in a over and they heat it up and drop it on the mold and vaccum it down. i showed you the oven. fab is working niow also so i can see the lasers working next time..the usaly run all day..im working on this huge order for cheveron im starting im so over charging them..hahahaaaa

[ModMinded]

Originally Posted by plasticFAB

decent bend..i should have shown you how to bend..(remind me to show you everything i know) i dont use a mold like thatthats like a 2 inch radius, w use a 90 that gives us a 1/2 radius outside and 1/4 inside..measuring the bend to the inside of the bend*1/8'' material - 8'' bend - mark at 7 7/8'' then mark 1/4'' each side of the line so 1/2'' together |__LLI_____| thats the area you heat take a knife score ther paper peel it away get two blocks tape them down so you dont heat a wide area only the 1/2'' to heat, go slow you only need to heat one side then put it against a 90 and let it cool..waaala..your not bending plastic your molding it because your used a form to get the shape its much harder to do by hand...can be done with boing hot water also..its dione in a over and they heat it up and drop it on the mold and vaccum it down. i showed you the oven. fab is working niow also so i can see the lasers working next time..the usaly run all day..im working on this huge order for cheveron im starting im so over charging them..hahahaaaa

Lol! I've love to learn everything you know and can teach me, but you'll have to be patient... I've got a lot to learn. I wonder if your boss would let me use your shop... that would be SWEET, you guys have great equipment. I've been trying to make stuff that will allow me to get those pro results with minimum expenditure. A router table is key to making it somewhat easier I think.

RE: the bend, thanks! I wanted a gentle curve, and that countertop piece was at hand. My first bending attempt on a 90 angle (board edge) got me a kinda pinched looking curve (its somewhere in this log) but I'm pretty pleased with this one. Good tips on the blocks to absorb the heat around the bend radius. The form idea is good. My understanding of the heating of one side is that you want to heat the INSIDE of the bend, right?

I'm already dreaming of future builds made almost of all plexi.... but I'll have to finish this one first and not get too distracted. My notebook is filling up with alternate ideas.

[plasticFAB]

the boss woud never allow you to use the tools. but maybe we can trade skills. i can make the parts you need (nothing to big) i need help with my computer issues.. btw what do you do for a living? yea the measurment is to the inside of the bend (took me a while to get that) you need to heat bolth sides but the outside more because it has to strech more. heating to much will give you that pinched look. we have the c channel also in clear varying sizes (chrome/gold trim).

[ModMinded]

Originally Posted by plasticFAB

the boss woud never allow you to use the tools. but maybe we can trade skills. i can make the parts you need (nothing to big) i need help with my computer issues.. btw what do you do for a living? yea the measurment is to the inside of the bend (took me a while to get that) you need to heat bolth sides but the outside more because it has to strech more. heating to much will give you that pinched look. we have the c channel also in clear varying sizes (chrome/gold trim).

At this point, most of the joy (and ) is in the making it myself aspect. I'm a DIY kinda guy. I'm just building for myself at this point, but if I were ever to need to produce more that I need for myself, then I will definitely hit you up. Local folks, you have a friend in the Plastics Business, hit up plasticFAB via PM if you want a quote for all your plastic needs. (Let's keep in non-commercial in here. (unless someone wants to sponser me )
Is the C channel rubber or plexi? Flexible? How about a link?

I hope to have some good updates for you this weekend, not that I've been doing much this week.

[Cheapskate]

Hey plasticFAB, Did anyone say 'Welcome to Bit-Tech'?
Welcome to Bit-Tech!!
Thanks for the boiling tip. The one thing that's kept me from large-scale thermoforming was the fumes that I would get if I used an oven.
I can drop the material in a crawfish boiler still clamped in the mold without it charring.

[jhanlon303]

Originally Posted by Cheapskate

/snip
I can drop the material in a crawfish boiler still clamped in the mold without it charring.

I'm coming to your house !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

john

[ModMinded]

Originally Posted by Cheapskate

Hey plasticFAB, Did anyone say 'Welcome to Bit-Tech'?
Welcome to Bit-Tech!!
Thanks for the boiling tip. The one thing that's kept me from large-scale thermoforming was the fumes that I would get if I used an oven.
I can drop the material in a crawfish boiler still clamped in the mold without it charring.

I'm curious how that would work. I can't imagine how you would get the plex to assume the mold form without removing it and reattaching to the mold anyways?

I remember catching crawfish as a young'un... all I had to do was still my bare foot down there in the pond and wait for one to clamp on and pull him up...

OK, just kidding. I did catch 'em as a youngster, but no toes were involved. And I never ate 'em...

Man, Cheapskate's got specialized tools for everything!

[InferiorPlanets]

Gotta say I'm with John on this one....mmmmmmm. As soon as I saw "crawfish" I was hungry. You don't know what you're missing ModMinded!

I'm putting the plan together now: I get out of the "evil government contractor" game, and fly back to the States, hit LAX (I got my distance down now MM) and drive 2 hours to get MM, fly to Denver and go kidnap John, a side-trip to Vegas and then on to Texas to Cheap's place for crawfish and possibly some waterblocks.

Don't know where my wife, son, and dog will be for all of this....but I'm sure they'll be in good hands with the airlines.

[ModMinded]

Originally Posted by InferiorPlanets

Gotta say I'm with John on this one....mmmmmmm. As soon as I saw "crawfish" I was hungry. You don't know what you're missing ModMinded!

I'm putting the plan together now: I get out of the "evil government contractor" game, and fly back to the States, hit LAX (I got my distance down now MM) and drive 2 hours to get MM, fly to Denver and go kidnap John, a side-trip to Vegas and then on to Texas to Cheap's place for crawfish and possibly some waterblocks.

Don't know where my wife, son, and dog will be for all of this....but I'm sure they'll be in good hands with the airlines.

LOL
Still gotta work on that distance, IP.... 2 hrs won't get you halfway here, unless you're taking one of those top secret "contractor" vehicles.

Never been big on seafood (or pondfood), and definitely not something where I have to crack open the exoskeleton while it's beady little eyes stare accusingly at me... call me squeamish, call me a hypocrite, but to each their own...

Small, mini, micro update:
Almost done with sleeving the front panel:


The observant may notice the little white wire on the firewire connector is just dangling loose... I tried sleeving without taking of the connector, and twisted off the wire there, breaking it off from the pin. Never fear, the soldering iron will save me.

[tranc3]

Looking good i like the yellows and blues. wish i had the Patience to sleeve things right. I just stuff them out of sight instead

[InferiorPlanets]

(In my ever authoritative, never-works-on-the-wife Army voice) Clip those zip-ties, you!

I know that you suffer from the same OCD as me, so clip those zip-tie tails (as if you weren't going to already ) and cut them flush with a one-sided razor blade....(just the helicopter mechanic in me who has scars from zip-ties)

You could use a double-sided razor blade, but the bloodstains are a bit hard to clean up.

Ok MM, I'm still a bit off in the distance thing...but you've been to Korea & know for a FACT that a Korean cab-driver could get me there from LAX in LESS than 2 hours! ...usually on 2 wheels at about 200 MPH... in traffic!

Take care Bro!

[ModMinded]

Originally Posted by tranc3

Looking good i like the yellows and blues. wish i had the Patience to sleeve things right. I just stuff them out of sight instead

Thanks Tranc3, and welcome to the log!
It's funny that you mention that, as most of that sleeving will be hidden and never seen. It'll be our little secret!

[ModMinded]

Originally Posted by InferiorPlanets

(In my ever authoritative, never-works-on-the-wife Army voice) Clip those zip-ties, you!

I know that you suffer from the same OCD as me, so clip those zip-tie tails (as if you weren't going to already ) and cut them flush with a one-sided razor blade....(just the helicopter mechanic in me who has scars from zip-ties)

You could use a double-sided razor blade, but the bloodstains are a bit hard to clean up.

Ok MM, I'm still a bit off in the distance thing...but you've been to Korea & know for a FACT that a Korean cab-driver could get me there from LAX in LESS than 2 hours! ...usually on 2 wheels at about 200 MPH... in traffic!

Take care Bro!

Hey IP, Must've missed your post... yep, I'm gonna clip em. What you saw there was just a manifestation of the OCD tendencies... I wanted to bundle em neatly for the photo and storage. Final result will be nicely trimmed, sans bloodstains.

Yeah, I was gonna say something about you picking up Korean driving habits....

Ok, gotta fix the pics situation, be back later.

[tranc3]

Was gonna say "hm photobucket good job" but i see your already on top of things. Hope you get em back soon so i can gander at the eye candy!

[Cheapskate]

I'll be honest. I hate the little buggers too, but the propane burners are common around here. When people move out, they always leave one in the garage. I have a big-*ss iron BBQ smoker at one of our houses that has become a permanent fixture.

[ModMinded]

Originally Posted by tranc3

Was gonna say "hm photobucket good job" but i see your already on top of things. Hope you get em back soon so i can gander at the eye candy!

Yeah, I think I'm gonna just go for the upgrade to photobucket pro... seems easiest (and cheapest in terms of time & energy needed to get this log right.)

Thanks to all you readers for exceeding my bandwidth, you *******s! (just kidding!)

[ModMinded]

Originally Posted by Cheapskate

I'll be honest. I hate the little buggers too, but the propane burners are common around here. When people move out, they always leave one in the garage. I have a big-*ss iron BBQ smoker at one of our houses that has become a permanent fixture.

It's good to finally have a use for something you've had laying around isn't it! Still not sure how dipping in the boiling water with a form would work, but I can imagine dipping it in until it's pliable, and then pulling it out (carefully) and putting it on the form you want. If you try it out Cheaps, let us know.