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

what kind of blade did you use on the plexi? i have used a table saw with not alot of teeth (approx 24) on the blade and it took alot of chips out of the plexi...

i have recently bought a new blade with 80 teeth.. but a new blade will be no good if i am feeding the plex to fast or to slow...

so basicly what kind of blade did u use and how fast was the feed rate?

 

Well Speedfan does have the CPU as 53degrees in that picture, its just the cores are warmer.
I dont remember why they seems different, but I know Speedfan is using different sensors. I guess since they are both under 65degrees they are fine. Wait for someone mor knowledgeable on these program to come along.

Nice to see that my info helped. I had this problem a while back even with the OCZ cooler since it uses the same style retention mechanism. It works well enough to keep my E6300@3.33ghz at about 65degrees.

 

I don't use SpeedFan, CoreTemp is much better for CPU temps IMO.

 

Hey Spenc, I'd just changed the blade yesterday before making those cuts from a bigger and lesser toothed blade to one with I think 80TPI. I'd bought it cheaply ($10) and I think it says for Plywood. I'll take some pics when I get home this evening. My feed rate wasn't very slow, nor was it fast. Not very helpful, eh? I don't think slowness will hurt you. I had chipping on the old blade that came with the saw (I got it used) no matter the speed since it had an uneven kerf.

I think it's fine, too, as you said they're both under 65, but with one of them showing just under 65, I get nervous about blowing up my new pride and joy.
I really don't like that retention method... So much force and pressure on the mobo.

It just doesn't seem right that the temp is off so much. 10 degrees difference. Consistently... loaded or unloaded Maybe it's how it runs in Vista, or just needs an update?

Why do you like coretemp more? What features make it more attractive to you?

I started a thread on this topic in the Tech Support forum, we'll see what else people recommend. RealTemp I've heard of as a good alternative as it shows distance to TJmax (not the discount clothing store!)

 

You need to come up with a holding jig that can slide in two of the grooves in your router table.
The tricky bit will be finding a way to hold the part in the jig. Making the leg height adjustable would be easy too.
I hate the the bumps you get routing too. A router is so versatile, yet 99% of the stuff you can get for one is designed for cutting planks.

 

Unfortunately, I have to return the router table tonight or tomorrow. Library is open until 8:30 tonight, so it gives me a couple more hours to play with it. It will be available again (or I may be able to renew it if no one's reserved it :crossfingers so I can see if I can work out a jig.

I'm thinking what I really need to do is make a couple lexan type inserts that I could then insert into a plywood base as a make my own router table.

You're right Cheaps, it seems like everything is for edge work with the router. I saw a cool video on using one to set up mortise and tenons, which I'd like to use down the road.

 

saw blades

Spenc, this is for you:
Here's the new blade... It's a 200 tooth blade, and says its good for thin materials inc plastics.

the kerf:


What it replaced:

(New one is much better!)

 

Plexi update

Before I returned the router table, I did a little more work with it.
First however, I found my duct tape!


That's one layer of duct tape on top of the previous layers (2) of painters tape, and 1 of electrical tape.

Headala,
This is for you... a pic of the router edge (ogee?) on a much more suitable piece:


I also did the HD cover piece, since I'm redoing that one.


Sure is hard to get a good pic of the edge:


I did three edges (the little notch part was left over from my by hand work, too hard to get the router to fit in there.


Lastly, the 5.25 drive bay rail accents:

 

Man that is looking cool.

As an answer to your question I like CoreTemp better cos it is a no thrills program. It reads the temp, can show the DeltaT temp, it logs it and it shows up on my G15 screen. Simple and effective.

 

Thanks!
That sounds like what a good program should do! I'll have to dl it and try it out. I've been getting some good replies to this question on the Tech Support thread as well if others are interested in this.

 

Drive bay accents are very cool

Most cases have most of the interior neglected, receiving nothing but a coat of paint

 

Thanks mvagusta, I'm overcompensating since I'm not really planning on doing much to the exterior!

I was just staring at the case some more, and thinking of how/what I'm mounting. The 5.25 bay accents will be easy, since there're screw holes in the cage. (I'd like to use some nice & shiny acorn nuts on the interior of the cage, 2 per rail, but those little *******s are expensive, last I checked at Ace.)

The HD bay will be somewhat trickier as there're no built in screw holes. I could always drill a few holes! I may end up using some of the same 3M doublesided tape I used to stick the plexi on the router templates. It's clear, strong, and sticks well, and comes off without a hassle. Plus I get to avoid further scratching of my not so pristine interior paint job!

I've also been toying with the idea of making these single pieces into layered pieces, similar to those I made in my first plexi experiments. (If you can't remember that far back, check this post or this one.) And of course lighting them up... That was basically the original plan (using them as wire looms), but I'd figured on much fewer. Now though, I'm thinking it would be a cool feature to have wires run through layers at each level (though it would wreak havoc on expanding the case drive hardware in the future... But I can let the future take care of itself.)

The 5.25 drive bay will be visible through the inner plexi shroud piece, so it might be cool to have some lights and especially layered pieces visible through it. Course that means more LED ordering, and more electronics circuits (or at the minimum, more CCFLs, though I think i'm going to avoid those) wiring and sleeving and managing it all to boot!

What do you guys think? Comments and ideas always welcome.
Everytime I look at the case, I go deeper into the rabbit hole!


EDIT - Pics for an idea:




Sorry for the blurry images, but this was just a quick pic for idea sharing.

 

That's a good idea. After Bloo I decided I'd never build another 3 1/4 " bay again. I realized my retention system would work well if I just mounted the drives on a single sheet, and one latch bracket size was all I needed.
I forgot you were borrowing the tools.

 

Thanks Cheaps (I assume you're referring to the layered pieces on the side, or just having some accents there?)
I kinda like just the single flat piece of plex. It glows nicely.

Since I don't run a lot of HDs, having the 3.5 bays is pretty redundant for me as well. I moved my new rig into another case, and just used 2x 5.25 bays, 1 for the optical drive, and another for a HD on an adapter. I modded it a little by making the drive rails fit on the adapter, but didn't take any pics. I could remove the 3.5 cage in this case without suffering, but then I'd have to change the plexi shroud... dangit, more ideas!

 

A mod is not finished, even if you think so

 

I imagine that's quite true, though I'm nowhere near the stage I'd consider finished with this... then as you said, I'll probably come back with some new ideas for it...

 

Who's a tool?

Not much on the Lexa since last update, but I have been improving my tooling!
First off, I got a broken cordless drill off freecycle, and found that the problem was a stuck chuck... I wasn't able to unstick it, but was able to take it off and replaced it with a keyless 1/2" chuck... so score! Now for about $30 and a little time, I've got a 14.4v Black & Decker cordless drill with battery and charger!


While I was at ACE picking up the jacobs chuck, I got a few new screws.
These screws were used for "Ghetto Router Table V0.01"




Yeah, I know... those screws need to be recessed, but that was what was handy in terms of wood for the moment.
Took the bottom base ring thing off the router, used it as a template for the piece of plywood, marked and drilled the holes, stuck the screws through, and clamped it down. Turned the router on with the 1/4 flush cut bit in and rotated the router's depth adjustment till it cut through the top. And Bob's your uncle! (Do you Brits really say that, or is that a stereotype I get from crappy mass media?)

Actually, I'm scared to use this as is really. This bit is the bit I got from HF as part of a set, not the nice bearing bits I'd borrowed from the library along with the table. I wouldn't be able to use my template with it at all, and would need to set up a nice fence/jig system and a properly countersunk insert (maybe a couple with different size holes for the different bits I want to use.) But really, I need to think about getting some bits with bears, at least a flush edge like I had borrowed and used for the accent pieces. Trouble is, they're pretty expensive. It was about $22 at ACE when I checked it out.

It was more of a proof of concept, anyways... hence the v0.01... I want to keep my fingers!

I'm going to use the sewing table's on/off clutch switch for this with a minor modification or two.




Since the clutch/variable speed motor part wasn't included in the table, and the end of the cord was chopped off, I'm just gonna replace it with the end of an extension cord, and use it for the simple on/off function. Should be easy to do (not even needing to be soldered and heatshrunk as I'd figured if you check the pic), and this way I don't have to reach under the table to engage the trigger lock on the router.

 

Nice switch mod.

 

BIG PRODUCTIVE DAY UPDATE

Nice Idea, I think you mean... I haven't done it yet! It will be nice and SAFE once I do it... Just don't have an extension cord to tear apart at this point. I'm looking out for one tho...

BIG PRODUCTIVE DAY UPDATE:
So today being Saturday and pretty nice weather I did a bunch of stuff. Wanna see it? Here I go...

BE WARNED>>> SHOCKING IMAGES >>> NSFMWLTSTTP (Not Safe For Modders Who Like To Stick To The Plan) (I've been in the garage all day, so bear with the loopiness, if you will.)

First off, I went to the Temescal Tool Library and got the router table and some bits back out. I have them until tuesday, and have monday off from work, so I wanted to be pretty productive.

Drive Accent update
I cut a bunch of clear and neon green strips using the table saw, and took them down to size using the same template I detailed earlier. Then I glued the strips together into plexi sandwiches (capillary method, skipped the face gluing despite these being inside and relatively unseen.)

In Progress:

(Those are all of the small clamps I own.)

Semi-Finished:


Semi-In Place:


(note, they won't be stuck together like that, that's showing the opposite side piece)

So, an interesting thing happened as I was making these... The pieces I cut out today from the template were a little bigger than the originals, and don't fit into the slot. You can see how there's one layer on each piece that is a little thinner than the others. On the bottom layers, it's slid into the rail mount, so it might not be as obvious. I'm a little irritated by that. The idea of templates is easily replicable exact pieces!

Another thing I'm (re)thinking about with these is that they may not have enough surface area for the loom purpose. My original idea was to drill holes through (along the plane) and have a top removable/screwable layer to hold wires in. This would work for pretty thin wire groups (maybe 4 in a tight bundle, tops) but not the thicker bundles I was thinking of. It will still work, especially if I add another layer on top. (I'm thinking clear, though maybe not as thick as that middle piece...) What do you think?

Case Surgery... again:
I cut off a few more metal pieces that were annoying me.
(BTW, this is another good example of why its best to paint AFTER figuring out all your wiring/accessories,etc...) Luckily, I wasn't very happy with the paint job anyhow...)

Overview:


I cut off the lip that was on the side of the 5.25 drive tray, and sanded down the cutoff location to even it out and take off some of the sharpness. (Used the GRT and it's reinforced cutoff wheel, and then a sandpaper drum, and grinding stone)



This will help with the placement of the cover pieces for the shroud.

Additionally, I ground down this odd piece of folded over metal that serves no purpose that I can see. I guess it's folded over to allow for smooth cable running from the front fan, but it gets in the way of my HDD Cover, so it's gotta go!


And so it went...

Plexi Shroud Bending:
I finally bent the little lip of the plexi shroud cover like I've been talking about (to myself mostly.)
I scored the paper covering, and removed the plexi from 1/8 up of the bend target on both sides in prep, and spent a good amount of time trying to align everything to make sure it would bend straight and not skewed off to the side.
I used my heat gun on a low 850F, passing it back and forth across the line, at first pretty quickly, then slower. I used the same form to bend over as I did for the main bend, with a thick board clamped above the bend line to help absorb excess heat, but then in the middle switched to a more 90deg form. I pressed down periodically with another board to see if it was getting flexible, and once it started to bend, I applied pressure and held it at the bend position.

In position:

(sorry for the glare, that plexi is shiny!)

And a better view:


You can see that its not really at 90deg, and is a little long. I was planning on it being long and having to trim some off on the end, so I'm not unhappy. I think if I take 1/8 off or so, it will be aligned nicely, both with the 5.25 bay side, and the top of the HDD cover. If the bend is still an issue, I may reheat and rebend a little. I've read that's not advisable, however, due to the possibility that the heating cooling reheating sycle may make it more brittle and easier to break. I don't have any more of this thickness in a suitable dimension for another shroud cover, so I don't want to crack it.

Speaking of the HDD cover...

HDD bay cover - NEED YOUR INPUT

notice anything?


How about now? I'm sure you've noticed it is hard for me to reliably get good clear pics of plexi


Ah, finally got a clear picture! Now you get it?

Yep, you guessed it... I'm thinking of a redesign of the HD bay cover. I scored some thicker neon green which is the perfect dimension to fit right in the HD Bay Opening, and screw closed. However, I'm thinking it would be cooler to have a front opaque piece. so there's just a nice line of the UV green. (That whole face of shiny UV green is a little much.) I've cut to size 2options: a really thin black sheet, and a slightly thicker but still thin Pearl effect sheet.
I like that Pearl look. Black may be more in tune with the rest of the mod scheme (exterior paint is all black.) I could even cut a piece of the thin UV green I have left and just screw it on top (no face gluing for now... just drill tap and screw) That way the interior drive accents and cable management would be visible to non-modders, but it wouldn't allow me to have that line look. I could always cut a window or two in the top layer to show off the interior of the drive cage later if I wanted.

Of course, I could just make all three and swap them out when I feel I need a change!
I'm really curious to know what you readers have to suggest on this.

And just cause I'd feel like I was cheating you without giving you the play by play of the creation of these pieces... the Modyssey continues:
I used the table saw to achieve some straight lines of all the pieces. I cut very roughly to size, going oversize by a 1/4in or so. I was going to use the original pieces as templates and just draw and cut, but there were a few imperfections in terms of 90deg angles and being flush to the floor and wall, so I just started over.
I've been having trouble cutting straight lines with the scroll saw, so I used a file for a lot of the work:

Here's me filing out the bottom section of the UV green layer:

I had to do this to relieve the rivet and mounting hardware of the bay.
I'd first marked the rivet positions roughly, then took the GRT diamond engraving bit (thickest cylinder) to cut away location for the rivets. Once I was sure they were in the right place, I widened and deepend them a bit. Next I marked the location of the hardware that protruded from teh floor and marked a line to remove. Clamped it down with the metal bar, and filed until I hit metal! Simple and pretty quick. I'd started with the sanding drum, but was getting dips and waves in the removal. The file quickly removed the material, and did it with nice flat lines.




Once I had the bottom layer done, I found that I had to do a little relieving on the upper layers as well.
I did the 2 upper layers at the same time by taping them together, and once I'd gotten appropriate reference points and triplechecked the alignment, I ended up taping the 3 layers together to do some filing down of the excess over hangs and uneven edges:



Here is the new one compared to the previous bottom layer.

I did a MUCH better job this time, both in times of accuracy and in terms of workmanship, if I do say so myself. ats self on back, stops self from copping a feel:

That's pretty much all I can type at this point... I think I've been sitting here writing this for an hour (not to mention that that's pretty much all I did today, too!

 

that is some nice work on th HDD cover!! i have to agree that having just the sheet of uv green may be a bit over powering... im having the same probs with my mod coz i feel that the colour is too bright and will have to be dulled down a bit.

its like what my art teacher used to say "your eyes should flow around the object in an even manner and not become focused on one single part"