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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. Mino

    Mino Ganzerli Mino

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    Here you have my little contribute :

    neon without the plastic tube :
    [​IMG]

    neon sandwiched between plexy, mirror , stainless steel grid and plexy :
    [​IMG]

    final effect with my really old system :
    [​IMG]

    Hope this can help you :)
     
  2. plasticFAB

    plasticFAB dont lose your fingers

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    nice job!...we use a doubble stick masking tape - FRESH TAPE every time. you can leave a little more *meat* if you want i got up to 1/4'' anything more than 1/2'' and the bit wants to grab. you are doing the *ghetto bullnose* that bit is a round over so it wil only do half when you reverse it the meats gone for the bearing- so set it up with a fence take off the bearing and washers(they dig into the material). then set it up.waaa-la the *ghetto round over* they sell round over bits but they eat your temp. up and you have less room for error on them. work with large pieces then trim them down with the saw by back cutting them.
     
  3. plasticFAB

    plasticFAB dont lose your fingers

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    is that a wood bit?
     
  4. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Thanks for that Helpful Contribution, Mino! That looks sweet. Do you have supports holding the layer above the ccfl neons?

    Can you tell me what brand /number the masking tape is? And what do you mean by leave a little more *meat*? (Hey... Hey... no meat jokes, E.E.L and the rest of you pervs!) :nono: And what's back cutting?

    Yup! Well, this is one I ground down the edges of in an experiment. :geek: :D
     
  5. headala

    headala What's a Dremel?

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    Still looking great. I know you've had some setbacks with the plexi, but you're really helping out a lot of other folks (Like me) who are learning along with you by watching. So keep it up!

    I think the router method is getting better and better, especially the roundover piece. Great work!

    Did you try masonry bits? I have some cheapos that came with my drill but I've never tried them on plexi.
     
  6. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Thanks Headala! I haven't tried the masonry bit (yet). I'd love to see what that would do. I think I've got an old one of those around. I think they may suffer the same exit effect as the glass carbide ones due to the shape of the end of the scraping blade.

    PS, sorry for the lack of substantive updates recently... I've been distracted with a few things, like getting Microsoft certified, and falling heavily into Fallout3. :D Plus I've got a few other things going on, and somehow developed somewhat of a social life... :D :geek: I've got the update for drill bits almost done, but just have to upload the videos... and for some reason youtube uploads are not working well for me.
     
    Last edited: 9 Feb 2009
  7. Mino

    Mino Ganzerli Mino

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    I've used long screws (m4) with domed nuts to have a sort of "feet" for the plexy and ccfl panel.
    This solution allow me to hase some space (about 4mm) to run the cable hidden from view, but I've never used this feature ;-)
    Anyway,even I use wood drill bits, I know that Modsquad have special drill bits for plexy, I remember this items in his old mod, try to ask him who is the reseller...
     
  8. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Feb 11 - Bits n Vidz!


    Ah, cool Mino! There are a few places to get the bits, so if I really can't make one work, I could find some easily (tap plastics, online retailers)... but they're somewhat expensive and I'm a cheap DIY-kinda guy. :dremel:

    So... finally an update of substance... well, kinda... but it's got videos! :D

    Feb 11 - Bits and Vids!

    I apologize in advance for the lack of focus and extreme closeups in the below pics.

    It sure is tricky to photograph bit tips under a fluorescent light with my camera (that and plexi!)

    [​IMG]
    The one on the left is unmodified, the middle one is the first one I modified, and the biggest one, on the right, is the last one modified.

    [​IMG]
    A little farther away helps the focus. That’s the piece that I drilled through for practice. I did a little router profile practice on it as well. :D

    [​IMG]
    From the side, you can see the “tip angle”. The linked doc @ TAP that javerh provided (http://www.tapplastics.com/uploads/pdf/Tech Data-Drilling.pdf) says standard bits are 118-130deg, and for acrylic should be ground to 60-90deg

    “Tip angles on standard drill bits are commonly
    118°-130°. This point angle must be ground to
    60°-90°. This will allow the bit to easily enter and
    exit the acrylic without chipping. Larger tip angles
    commonly cause cracking and blow out as the bit
    exits the sheet. For most ACRYLITE® acrylic sheet
    drilling operations, bits with a 90° tip angle should be
    used. A bit with a 90° tip angle will generate smaller
    chips which are easier to evacuate, reducing melting
    and improving hole quality. Care must be taken at
    the points of entry and exit. Generally, bits with a
    90° tip angle are recommended. Bits with 60° tip
    angles are also used, especially for holes with
    diameters of 1/2" and greater.”

    A pic showing the face surface of the cutting edge. Note that the trio has been flipped, so the one on the far right is unmodified.
    [​IMG]
    The TAP brochure sez
    “The cutting edge must be ground “flat” to a 0-4° rake
    angle. This cutting edge will scrape the acrylic, not
    gouge it.”

    With the carbide bit:
    [​IMG]


    Ze Vidz!


    After some work with windows movie maker and trial and tribulation with YouTube’s Upload process (I ended up using the plugin uploader, which worked & showed progress indicators via percent) I’ve uploaded for public viewing, some videos (5 so far!) of me drilling…:nono: with a couple different bits, the glass carbide tipped and the smaller modified bit.
    I’ve already got some router and tablesaw footage partially edited for time and content, so more tooltime videos will be coming along. ;)
    WARNING
    This is graphically boring content to some… it may not be suitable for some readers… remember… you only have a certain amount of minutes to your life, and you don’t get ‘em back! Choose wisely what you do with them! :D

    ALSO - you may want to turn down your speakers/headphones... loud tool noises coming your way!

    Setting up the plexi sandwich on the drill press:

    The press table has a plywood piece in the underside of the table to aid in clamping, and I’ve left the sanding jig plywood (with its largish hole centered under the bit) on top. There’s one bar-type clamp to hold the plexi in its aligned position.

    Ok, so you really wanted to just see the drilling, right? Screw the safety precautions and equipment, just put a hole in that sucker, right? OK!

    As you can see from the notes in the vid and from the end result, there were some issues with that drilling! End result was a hole clogged with melted plexi scrapings which couldn’t allow a rivet pin to poke through.

    Here’s the first Modded Bit.

    Worked out pretty well.


    A second attempt with the modded bit:

    That went well! Sorry for the bright and blurry video. I liked the spraying method here…

    And the last Modded bit drilling, with the technique pretty much nailed:
     
    Last edited: 12 Feb 2009
  9. Javerh

    Javerh Topiary Golem

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    Look at that plastic fly! I'm going to have to try grinding the bits too when I get to that. When are we going to see these new bits in action?

    You seem to be using the nozzle of the syringe a lot trying to clean the swarf away. May I suggest using an old toothbrush held in the syringe hand.
     
  10. Mino

    Mino Ganzerli Mino

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    I need to bring out the belt sander to change the inclination of my drill bits :)
    Tnx for the vidz and for the suggestion!
     
  11. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Thanks Guys!
    What do you think about the vidz? Any suggestions for improvements?
     
  12. skullen

    skullen Minimodder

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    Looking good :thumb:
     
  13. Javerh

    Javerh Topiary Golem

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    Perhaps you should mount the camera higher so the bright background doesn't disturb so much?
     
  14. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Thanks for the comments!
    I should get the light source shaded/blocked a bit to avoid the glare. Camera positioning could help too.


    I should have some workshop time this weekend, so hope to have more progress pics for you. Maybe some polished plexi, maybe some partial assembly.... still need to do the electronics/power bus, which I've been putting off. Maybe I'll do that instead.
     
  15. plasticFAB

    plasticFAB dont lose your fingers

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    they make bits special for plastic-we sell them...im just throwing that out here..lol..but you got the right idea for a clear hole heat is the enemy so i use two things-well one thing. briliantize plasic cleaner its has a silica stuff that polishes a little. use that squezer thingto fill the hole and a shotglass to dip your bit-to cool it. that case looks dope. are you gonna name it?
     
  16. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Thanks, plasticFAB! I was just thinking of a name earlier, actually, since I was trying to imagine a nice namebadge and wanted to be sure I could fit it! :lol: I'm probably going to just stick with Modyssey, removing the Experimental.

    BTW, I'm just taking a break from drilling in the garage, and it appears that normal bits (listed on my kit as titanium covered HSS (high speed steel)) seem to drill pretty cleanly, more so than the carbide tipped ones or the ones I modded! Especially if I keep it lubed and am really conscious of the exit depth.... Updates with pics later this evening!
     
    Last edited: 16 Feb 2009
  17. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Feb 15th – The Goldilocks Update

    Feb 15th – The Goldilocks Update

    Today I spent some time with more case and plexi work. I’ve decided to locate the 6 LEDs for each fan controller on a vertical line along the side of the optical drive cage. Before I started drilling there was a little prepwork to do. I laid out some masking tape, marked up a line midway between the edges and the driverail stops, and measured out equidistant points (1/4in) to be the mounting holes.
    [​IMG]

    I went through my scrap wood pile so I could have a solid backing piece behind the flimsy cage wall. Then, I took a small nail and ‘punched’ the alignment hole to help me start drilling.
    [​IMG]

    I made pilotholes by drilling out each hole with a fairly small bit.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    After all 12 had been drilled, I went back over it with a 3/16 (5mm) bit. That left a bunch of edges needed to be filed so I cleaned that up some as well.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    I’m not that happy with the un-aligned holes.

    Next I laid out the pearl sheet (the bottom layer) in its place, taped it up so it covered the holes tightly, and marked their position with a pencil. I took it off the case and brought it to the workmate along with my scrap wood for backing. I clamped it down and drilled small pilot holes with the cordless drill and a normal drill bit (the HSS ones mentioned before.) I swapped in a larger carbide tipped one and drilled the first couple holes with no problem. The 3rd hole drilling disintegrated the dividing plexi between it and the 2nd hole. :wallbash:. I realized, however, after this that I’d been using the ¼ carbide bit for the first 3 holes :grr:, so I switched to the smaller (3/16) carbide bit and drilled out the rest uneventfully.
    No pics of this process, but here’s the end result:
    [​IMG]

    It was only after I brought the case upstairs for cleaning and test fitting that I realized that the OD cage wall holes were too small to let the LED slide in. I must have used the wrong bit… or the metal’s too rough. :sigh: Actually… since the pearl plexi holes are somewhat tight, and unaligned exactly with the edges of the OD cage hole I’ll see if I can get away with just some file work with the circular needle file.

    I also did some practice drilling with the remaining plexi from the loom piece that got shattered. This time I worked my way up in stages!

    I started with 2 small pilot holes with the HSS bit. First though, I had to get the 2 pieces stuck together. I threaded my bolt in, and chopped off the mangled pieces with the scroll saw. A layer of painters tape wrapped around it gave me my marking space, so I laid out 2 spots, somewhat centered.

    I used the drill press for this, but didn’t have a nice clamping method, just holding it by hand. After the first round of drilling the tape holding the layers together was soggy and coming off, so I used a couple clamps to press the faces together, right over the hole I was drilling.
    I switched to my modded 3/16 bit to try another hole. That sent up a nice cloud of smoke, even with all the water and the pilot hole so I backed off of that idea, and used a regular bit. I worked it up to the 1/4 bit, but that still wasn’t large enough, and hadn’t even touched the top clear layer.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    That was as big as it got in all my sets of normal bits so I looked around at what was left. The forstner bits seemed like a bad idea, the spade bit was too big, the masonry bit looked like it wanted to hurt my plexi (I know, I said I’d try it out… I will… I promise!) There in the corner of the drawer I found another option… a really big, normal-looking bit. Sure it was caked in oil and gunk, but a little spritz of WD40 and some wiping and it looked good to go… and it was! I was really careful here: drill press on slowest speed possible, lots of water, really shallow drilling strokes between wettings, very, very slowly exiting... And it worked!
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    After that lunch and logging break, I went back to the garage and went to work on the LED holes with the file. Soon, I was happy with the fit.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  18. Attila

    Attila still thinking....

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    Drilling lots of holes, close together in any kind of regular pattern straight line or other
    is very difficult. I generally steer clear of it and try another solution. However if
    you use a template it's possible to get a passable result, for instance a piece of stainless
    mesh is good as the material is very hard and tends to hold the drill bit within the limits
    of the hole size. You can get stainless mesh in various hole sizes, Clamp it down and drill away.
    I'm not saying you can't do it "freehand" but it's not easy and in many cases you only get
    one shot at it.
     
    ModMinded likes this.
  19. ModMinded

    ModMinded Are you throwing that away?

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    Hey oldnewby, thanks for the comment!
    That mesh/template idea is a good one. (+rep for the idea!) I was thinking of trying to set up a jig for the drill press like I did with the sanding drum, so there's a fence to run one edge along... it would be good for the small loom pieces, or smaller pieces of plexi.
    I'm just hoping it's less glaring when it's all together and colored by another layer of green plexi. :)
     
  20. Attila

    Attila still thinking....

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    Oh., I forgot to say, "You need a proper hole punch". ;)
     
    Last edited: 16 Feb 2009

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