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

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by ModMinded, 24 Oct 2008.

  1. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Jan 20th update

    Jan 20th Update:
    Wasn't that inauguration something?

    Not a lotta work for me today, but a bunch of cleaning and some test assembly and teaser candy shots. New update has no new parts, just putting them together to see what they look like kinda, and imagine and mark the cut lines/attachment points.

    Its late, and I'm tired so I'll wax quietly.

    Case Test Fit:
    Shroud Out:
    [​IMG]
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    Side View:
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    Inside Corner
    [​IMG]
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    (can you see the pearl sandwich?)

    Front Drive Bay:
    [​IMG]
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    [​IMG]
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    Top Down:
    [​IMG]

    Changed cathode since it was weak and relocated PSU ccfl to drive cage

    Pearl:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    The First Panel:
    [​IMG]
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    [​IMG]

    Post #301 :clap:
     
    Last edited: 21 Jan 2009
  2. InferiorPlanets

    InferiorPlanets Worshiping the SilverStonehenge™

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    What Is In The Works
    That I Will Have To Subscribe
    To In The Future?

    Ok, enough of the haiku s**t...

    Feel free to PM and bounce some ideas off of me...I got plenty of great middle-of-the night-mod-ideas that I won't be using in my upcoming mod. Maybe they'll help/work/you can improve on.

    Don't know how many times I've jerked awake in the middle of the night & woke my wife:

    Wife- "Huh? Nightmare? PTSD?"
    Me- "Nah baby, this kick-ass mod idea..."
    Wife- "Then shut the hell up and go back to sleep!"

    :eyebrow:
     
  3. headala

    headala What's a Dremel?

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    Hey, thanks for doing that. I have just the same idea for my new mod: maybe two layers of plexi and then router the edge at an angle. I think it would look hawt if done right.
     
  4. headala

    headala What's a Dremel?

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    Wow, I think those actually turned out quite nice!

    I think the whole thing is quite nice and fun. I'm especially impressed how you've managed to keep your plexi from getting too scratched up. Mine always gets 'hazy' with scratches, especially when I'm working with both alu and plexi and have alu shavings everywhere. :wallbash:
     
    Last edited: 21 Jan 2009
  5. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Damn modding made me late for work this am... overslept... well hit the snooze button and must have turned off the alarm the next time cause I woke up way past due! :duh:

    IP you wanted details on next steps, and what's left, so I wanna get that out there. Ideas are always appreciated, even if not implemented! :D

    Here's a quick list, off the top of my sleep-deprived brain:
    Case Physical stuff:
    -Cut and polish shroud cover. If you look at the pics above you'll see 2 diff orientations for the cover. I'd like to have it go over the big divider bend, so that stays as an edge as seen in the later pics.
    --I'm also thinking of making it into 2 pieces (to make it easier to assemble/disassemble) in the case), with an overhanging piece that acts as a badge/logo as well as a cover for the split. Some engraving/letting/graphics needs to take place
    -Cut down big divider bend edges and sand and polish. Might have to cut more passthroughs for cables/CCFL
    -Final cuts to shape HDD covers (windows) and sand and polish
    -Plexi accent pieces/looms - shaping, drilling, mounting, polishing, decisions on layout.
    --possibly make card backs/covers from plex.
    --possibly make mobo tray
    -Nuts and bolts acquisition

    Lighting & Wiring:
    CCFL - Inverter holder and placement, rewiring, sleeving, locating
    LEDs - holder and placement, rewiring, sleeving, locating
    Electronics - Terminal strip/powerbus/circuit board - design, holder and placement, rewiring, sleeving, locating
    DIY Fan Controller mounting location and leds
    PSU Sleeving -


    Case
    Repaint interior (maybe V2 in June when it's painting weather)
    Exterior paint (see above)
    new window - engraving? Logo?
     
  6. spenc259

    spenc259 in the build stage!!!

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    wow that is some list you have there MM!! its always the little things i forget about!
     
  7. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Hey thanks headala! No worries, mate! I'm loving the router and the flexibility the bits allow on edging. I'm interested in getting a little mini router attachment for a dremel and seeing what it can do. Re 2 layer idea - Just don't face glue your 2 layers like I did, unless you like the random glue pattern. :lol:

    lol, there's def more to do... The electronics are the biggest after the plexi accent finishing, along with the placement and management of leds and psu wires.
    And I'm sure that I've forgetten lotsa things...
    -oh yeah - figure out how to use the rubber fan mounts I got
    -Can't forget washing the case out
    -maybe get/apply more of the c channel.
    -possibly remake and retap the HD covers...

    (As you can see, I'm waking up... some coffee and food has helped out.... Oh yeah, for my fellow Korean waygook, Inferior Planets... I chowed down on some kimbab and ChocoPies! mmmm yummy)
     
  8. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    OG Style

    Jan 21 Update:

    So the original plan was UV Green exterior HD cover with the white backing. I thought I'd take a few pics of that look, see if I liked it better than previous looks.
    It tones down the brightness to have the opaque white backing. I liked being able to see through it into the drive cage, so windows may have to be incorporated, or another thin Green exterior plate needs to be made to replace the pearl and black.

    With White HDD Backing Plate:
    [​IMG]
    (from across the room) :baby:

    [​IMG]
    Edges:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Conclusion:
    White Case really muffled HDD cage glow with Green outer layer.
    I liked being able to see inside the cage. Will have to window the outer layer of pearl (or try it with the black to see the effect in the dark.

    Your thoughts & personal preferences?

    Also did some test drilling on the ODB drive rails for mounting hardware with my press.
    The only bolts long enough (in my possession) are too thick for the drive holes.
    I'd like to get some acorn nuts and long thin bolts. Smallest tap I have tho is 6/32 which should be small enough I think. Will have to get some bolts to test with.

    Hole Drillin':
    Using these bits has some pros and cons:
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    Didn't cut deep enough to go all the way through, so had to remove the clear plate to continue the hole.
    [​IMG]
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    [​IMG]
    -Chipping around exit/built up layer inside shaft
    [​IMG]
    I wasn't able to get clear pic of the melted plexi bits inside the hole. So a regular bit was used to clear it out.

    +cuts smoothly, scrapes surface away.
    +Good for drilling edgewise w/o cracking
    -Leaves excess pointy recess (needs other drill bit to even it up)
    -Can get melty (as above) in deep holes.
    +Great for through-holes through sheets.
    +Cheap for a set of different sizes
     
    Last edited: 22 Jan 2009
  9. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    stoopid me
     
    Last edited: 22 Jan 2009
  10. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    NZXT Lexa -Experimental Modyssey - Jan 21 - OG in the Case

    Edit- WTF
    Was trying to edit the first post to update title and links... and submission came to the end... Name looks like it changed tho... Sorry for the diversion, back to regularly scheduled programming soon.
     
    Last edited: 22 Jan 2009
  11. InferiorPlanets

    InferiorPlanets Worshiping the SilverStonehenge™

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    Heh heh, we're having some Samgyupsal for dinner tonight, including the little bowls of sesame oil and salt. I'm building the family one of those tables with the grill in the middle when we get home. Don't you just love cooking your own food at the table? Gonna miss that (again) when I'm back in the States (again).

    MM, have you tried out the flexible led strips (example here) to light the plexi? I'm planning on using something like that along with "laser led" spotlights in my project. It may be a viable alternative to your ccfl. Not a big fan of a ccfl and it's inverter taking up space in my previous builds. Then again, I've never tried the 100% led route either.

    Oh, and if you ever want to do a mod for a flight sim rig, I scored some pretty cool gear last week. They updated the flight simulators and tossed the old control panels which I am now in custody of. UH-60, CH-47, and maybe even a C-12 panel thrown in there. Some great back-lit stuff that looks damn close to the real deal. I'm sick of my job, but I'll miss the benefits!

    Sugosayo Hongnim!:thumb:
     
  12. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    mmm, now you got my taste buds remembering that sesame oil and salt on that grilled pork...damn.
    I haven't tried the LED strips, though I have been thinking of making a few series of 3s to locate. I like the diffuseness of the light from a CCFL as opposed to LEDs, but the glare and limitations of the inverter weigh strongly against it. That, and the size of these 12inchers. Small ones like TB40 got would go great in the drivebay.

    Sweet, control panels! I love instrumentation panels. Get me one! (edit- wait... let me clear out some garage space for it.) :D That would be a sick pc right there. Make a mod that looks like a jet nose with the control panel on one side... or a bunch of touch sensitive LCDs and a dual pc setup (how wide is it.)... it'd be like a bang and olufson CD player, but military plane style.
     
    Last edited: 22 Jan 2009
  13. InferiorPlanets

    InferiorPlanets Worshiping the SilverStonehenge™

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    I'll snap you some pics this weekend & you can have your pick...well, as long as you clear out some garage space. I think you may like them. I have quite a few...got the "what the hell did you bring home from work THIS TIME" speech from the better half when I walked through the door with them. Heh, with the shear ammount of Tygothane tubing I replace on some of the birds I work on, I'm thinking about all of the water-cooler folks on here and have to sya "do you know what the street-value of that roll of tubing is?!?". :naughty:

    Cheers Bro, I'll bust out some chopsticks for you for dinner. Think "missing man formation", or boots backwards in the stirrups...for the Samgyupsal that you're missing! :hehe:
     
  14. Cheapskate

    Cheapskate Insane? or just stupid?

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    Drill wet! Go to the dollar store and buy a squirt gun. -Especially if you are using a masonry bit.
    You also might want to clamp the little parts down for drilling. The bit likes to pull them up right as it pushes through the bottom. That's part of where the chipping comes from.

    I also want to see the stockpile of aviation parts. I remember you said you had rotor gear too.
     
  15. E.E.L. Ambiense

    E.E.L. Ambiense Acrylic Heretic

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    Yes, drilling wet or with a light oil will cut down on crystallizing the edges of the drilled hole. If you really want to get perfect results, you can buy acrylic bits or modify normal bits with a dremel/rotary tool and a sanding disc to take the edge off the cutting edges of the bit, creating an 'acrylic bit' and drilling medium to slow. If done correctly, continuous spiral ribbons of acrylic shavings will emerge from the flutes in the bit, telling you that you have a crack and chip-free cut. Works like a charm! The normal bits or even masonry bits have more pitch than acrylic bits, so they tend to take off too much material with each rotation, which causes chipping with the acrylic.

    I love the bright colored acrylic, man! :)
     
  16. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Thanks for the tips. I've been clamping down one end, and holding the other near the bit. I don't think this is a masonry bit (the one with the little arrowhead on it.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_bit I'm not sure what it is though... :D Labeled as glass/tile drill, I believe. It makes sense though on the exit hole chipping as you were saying.

    Thanks EEL. Thanks for the post and the tips. Can you direct me more to a good source of info on modifying the drills? I'd been thinking of doing that with some of my bits (I've got some dupes and some cheap ones) but wasn't sure what edge to grind down, what angle to grind to, and what preferred method (file, grinding wheel, etc.) Any tips along that route would be helpful.
     
  17. jhanlon303

    jhanlon303 The Keeper of History

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    ModMinded likes this.
  18. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Sweet link, just what I need! (sorry for the google laziness) So I just need to dull that little edge, eh? More experiments to come then... :rubs hands gleefully: :geek:
     
    Last edited: 22 Jan 2009
  19. E.E.L. Ambiense

    E.E.L. Ambiense Acrylic Heretic

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    NP, man! That's what we're all here for.

    Edit:

    John beat me to it, lol.
     
  20. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Lol... those old guys can be deceptively quick on the draw...
    You mean you're not here for the sexi plexi?

    Late last night, I realized I had another thing to add to the To Do list:
    - Fabricate uv green i/o shield

    @john - I'm trying out your tip on photocopying/scanning boards. :thumb:
     

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