Scratch Build Project: Mecha

[Samaya]

I have started a new project and am calling it Mecha.

The idea is to have a new box for my new hardware that I will buy in about 6 months. I want to put the best hardware I can afford in when the case is ready. So some things like cable routing will be done last.

I designed a frame for everything to be fitted on


Nice and sturdy

The case itself will look like this

Box OFF


Box ON


At first I thought I should have a DVD drive in there but I don't use a drive that much and I will just get a portable USB DVD writer at some stage

So this is what the idea is I have for the case



Last week I started with the aluminium bars for the frame. They are 12.7mm square bar.
I cut all the pieces for the frame


And while cutting off a small piece from the aluminium, that small piece fell on the floor and I stepped on it by accident. The aluminium burnt through my little toe's skin and even got to a bit of muscle. I was saying very many inappropriate words at that time. (And yes, I have BIG feet )


Lesson:
Don't work in the workshop when not wearing any shoes

[Samaya]

Today I got the frame back from the welders and it came out very well.

Sorry for the bad quality (I only had my cellphone with me)


A close up of the welds


Now I will need to get rid of those bulges and then order aluminium sheets for the outside and some inside things. I am going to start on the electronics first though. I am building a custom controller for the fans, servo's and display.

Enjoy and cheers,

S

[Samaya]

Originally Posted by Yemerich

That's interesting... How did you got the aluminun soldered?

Nice project btw, lets see how it will turn out

I had it welded at a company close to where I work. And the guy there used a TIG welder to do it.

[Samaya]

Originally Posted by that_du^de

intresting shape,this should be a good one!also like the renders.about the welding, it may have been done with a tig welder but that weld is called a fused weld(no rod used) and that will give you big problems after you grind it back flush as the weld is just sitting on the surface and hasent penetrated due to no rod being used so after grinding it back you are left with little to no strenth at all.if a welding rod was used you will have the "stack of dimes on there side effect" and penetration to give you more strenth after being ground back,but i wouldent advise grinding alu after welding as all you are doing is removing strenth. when a weld is done(good!) you have changed the structure and grain of the material,and the top of the weld is part of the strenth.did you pay good money to have this welded? if you did then i would take it back and tell them you dident pay good money for sub-standerd welding and you want it done properly! with full penetration this time.sorry to be the bringer of doom and gloom but i would hate to see you make this and pick it up and it all falls apart due to crap welding.by trade im a alu welder so if i can help mate just ask

that_du^de

Thanks for the advise. I am going to slap that guy. I did pay for it to be done - the equivalent of $35 to be exact... I'll be taking it back to the guy (who is a fitter and turner by trade) and ask him to redo the mess he made.

[Samaya]

Originally Posted by Virtblue

Pretty awesome shape, are the side pods going to be retractable?

Yip, going to control them with servo's. I just need to get servo's and then make a push pull hinge for it.

[Samaya]

Originally Posted by RabidCicada

I certainly like your frame shape. And I like the idea for the final design in your 3d model. The transformation idea is awesome.

If you need help programming and doing AVR 168 micro stuff (to actuate the moving parts) let me know. I've been messign with stuff. I've done servo control code and am currently messing with AVR's Bitcloud Zigbee stuff using the AVR Raven platform.

I have the programmers etc.

ATMEL RULES!!!!

Thanks for your offer - I appreciate it. I use Atmel for my own projects as well. Haven't done much with the Raven or on Servo control but I have made a bunch of other projects for work and such. I like the Mega328 and have started learning AVR32 UC3.

[Samaya]

Today is a sad day . I am going to disasemble my first ever scratch build and recycle some of the parts to go into my new build.

On the right is Behemoth (Blue with brushed aluminium)


I will be using some the aluminium and definitly those VERY expensive Bulgin buttons. This case held together for nearly 6 years. It was not the prettiest box on the plot but it was definitly the BIGGEST and easiest to access... Dual supplies - one for the hardware and one for the fans and lighting. A first rate P4 2.8GHz and a 5700 ultra was in there at the time.

Good time, good times.

[Samaya]

Update!!!

I finished wrecking Behemoth and started work on the frame.

Took me about 15 minutes to do this. I could save a bunch of stuff and very little infact got trashed


Trashed stuff


Anyway.

I started filing down the bulges on the frame and it came out pretty decent. LUCKILY it seems the welds were done properly. I am not going to remove the bulges on the inside of the frame though - just in case I am wrong.


Now I am going to measure out the panels and see How I am going to run the cables and so on.

[Samaya]

I am going to start on the electronics. While I wait for my aluminium sheeting order to arrive.

BTW does anyone know what primer I should use on aluminium so I can paint the case?

[Samaya]

I finally got some really awesome LED's today. Osram Golden Dragon plus. These things are VERY bright. I am only going to need 3 per side panel at probably half the brightness it can go.

Here it is off


Here it is on. The white you see is because my camera cannot process the brightness and this at half the brightness it can do.


This is how nice the light distribution is - even with a big white flash going off. So as you can see, these LED's are bright


Then I also got these guys. 12 of them. FOR FREE!!! 3kg Servo's



I am busy sorting out the electronics and will do some stuff during the week. Will update in the near future

Cheers,

S

[Samaya]

UPDATE WHOOP WHOOP!!!

Ok its actually not that great of an update BUT I did something and it wants to be shown...

I was pondering the lost couple of weeks how exactly I was going to make the side panels with their pods. This past Monday I decided to just get 0.9mm thick aluminium plate and bend it till it fitted the panel and then solder the things together. I ran my idea by a good friend and mechanical engineer (he's busy with a doctorate in mechanical engineering so I think he knows what he is talking about) and he advised me against this. Basically the flux that would be needed to weld the pieces together melts at a higher temperature than aluminium will. This will then cause the alu to buckle because it is so thin - BIG PROBLEM... They need to be flat and pretty and awesome. SOOOOO I have decided that I will rather get "L" shape aluminium pieces, bend those to the shape I want and then bolt/screw the pieces in place. It will be a bit more work but I think it will be for the best.

And then today I needed to test this theoretical design idea and this is exactly what I did. I used an old piece I ripped out of behemoth for the task. It is also much thicker than what I want to use.


I will need to invest in a proper mitre saw. I do not like how this came out.


At least the angles were correct and wasn't that difficult to achieve. I will have to fit a "holding" piece over each corner to keep it at the right angle.


This is ol' rusty trusty that I used to bend the alu - I got it for a bargain (free!!!)


Cheers,

S

[Samaya]

Look what I got...

All $100 worth...

I can only start working on it over the weekend though . Will try to mark out everything in the meantime. Can't wait

[Samaya]

I have started masking all those panels.

Done 3 sofar in this pic


And then I ran out of tape

Done masking


Not done masking


Some good news I suppose is that everything is oversized as opposed to not-going-to-fit-and-needs-replacement size

I'll start some cutting over the weekend and hopefully have a WAAAAAYYYYYY more interesting post to make

[Samaya]

I started marking the panels last week already - to cut them obviously. But it is taking VERY long. A panel is done every 4 hours or so because it is checked about seven times and then checked against similar panels and then fixed where I made mistakes. So if these cuts are not "right" well then I'll have to redo my education - from grade 1...

[Samaya]

Ok so marking is going well. I finished marking the side panels. Then I found that the first side I marked has a fault and is marked 3mm too long because of some angle being 1' degree out I have to redo those 2. And then in other news... I found that my frame is 10mm LONGER than what my dimensions say it should be I wish I could have welded the frame myself. O well I'll just add the extra length to my panels. Luckily I bought the aluminium longer than was required.

All the side panels marked. I still need to do the pods


Small mock-up of how the panels will be fitted.


I hope to start cutting over the weekend - really hope to...

[Samaya]

So finally I can say UPDATE!!! I actually did some cutting of a SINGLE panel. I couldn't finish it but I got very far with it. Took me 3.5 hours to just do this little bit - This is going to be a looooooooonng build.

On with the show
First cuts - nice and straight with a Jig saw



Finished cutting


It still fits


Tapping 11 holes is not much fun.


At least I made sure the holes align with the tapped ones... (this time )


And fitted to the frame with all the scratches...


So now I still need to cut the small corners off, file down to the required width and then sand it down so there are no more scratches. Then I'll start on the next couple of panels. I do have another home project that is constantly interrupting this mod (My fish tank cabinet need doors and the stand with my daughters birds on needs to be sanded (again) and painted). I am also waiting for my screws that I ordered to arrive.

Sorry if the updates are not frequent enough I am trying to get to the mod more.

Enjoy,

S

[Samaya]

Ok I managed to upload SOME pic.

This is my setup for cutting the aluminium. Pity my Jigsaw is old and makes the blade bend side ways, otherwise you would have seen a perfectly straigth line...


4 sides done


Quick mock up


That edge is looking mighty fine


And done


OMW this piece is thin. It bends so easily... But I have a plan, a big bright plan that is going to cost wifey money (which I supply ) I also finished off the edges of the thick piece and marked the place where the hole's would be, but I broke a drill bit off in the thick alu and need to get that out first - so no pics of that until I fix it

Let me know what you think,

S

[Samaya]

I think I'll try a 1mm thick bit to drill into the 1.5mm broken bit and see if I can extract it that way or I could just leave it there and drill a hole next to it. I'll just be more careful next time

[Samaya]

I think you're right. I'll leave it there and just make a new hole next to it. The panel will cover it in anyway.

[Samaya]

Another day of idea testing...

I had a bit of time to implement some ideas that came to me.

Firstly I want to use M2 screws to fix the sides to the frame. That way it would be easier to cover them when I paint the case (Less area)


Then I did this tester. I thought it would look great with a see through red coloured perspex (will need to polish it though) with some miniature led's lighting it up.


I still need to cut the rest of the panels but that will have to wait as my little girl is turning 4 this weekend and we have to celebrate that

But after the celebration I will be looking forward to an 11 day holiday from the 22nd. I can't WAIT for that holiday