Scratch Build – In Progress Positronic Brain - Project completed. Photo gallery.

Welcome all of you.

Today I'm starting the work on a new project. The main theme will be positronic brain. Work will therefore refer to the Sci-Fi climate of the early twentieth century. However, the establishment will be very loose, since I do not use steel, wires, and "lights", but again wood, copper and glass.

Sponsor of the work will be

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The first purchases - that is what I intend to use:

Positronic brain in all its glory -

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And a distiller. I'm going to fill it up with two different liquids, and also plan to use it as a part of the water cooling system.

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If I can do the first fitting today, then tomorrow I will try to present the initial draft of the work.

 

Love those plasma balls. Love your distiller idea. I think its going to be interresting.

 

Intriguing. I love the Condenser though needs the colored liquid through the spiral and water or a something with a light tint in the outer part.

SO this will be kind of steampunk esk?

 

I don't think so. I just use materials similar to steampunk style. But IMHO It's different.

....

Today I spent several hours in the workshop cutting, sawing and milling. I had to make a few elements.
I've started with housing the plasma ball. To be able to embed it, it was necessary to mill a channel around the mounting hole. Last year I did a stator to mount a simple manual milling machine.



Thanks to that I can mill a simple shapes using a template.



As a result, I've got the channel around the hole.



Now I could embed the mesh. This is the first element of a Faraday cage in which it will place the balls. Of course it is hard to trim the mesh. But I've left it to specialists and bought something ready ... kitchen strainer A little paint, and here is the effect.





In a next step I've used a bandsaw.



I set it at 45 degrees and cut the mysterious shapes.



I will describe how to use them in the next episode.

 

I hope you will have some sort of shielding between that plasma lamp and your PC components.... they put out quite a bit of static electricity when they are turned on.

 

And EMI interference. My desk globe messes with my monitor something fierce. My black light desk lamp is OK. The globe is on an end table well away from PC now.

 

Yes. I know about that problems. But my tests have proved, that Faraday cage is the answer. CRT monitor is kind of similar. High voltage tube and electronic in the same place.
Of course I won't be sure, before final test

 

When I saw the words 'Faraday cage' I knew you were on the right track.
I'm a little disappointed it's not going to be a real positronic brain. The distiller looks like it will make an interesting res. Put something UV reactive in the cooling coil.

 

What if he got a real brain? In a jar full of formaldehyde? With the eyes still attached?
This is giving me creepy ideas! Wonder if the local morgue would agree that modding counts as "may be used for scientific purposes"

 

CREEPY thought you have!!!

 

what about animal brain?
go to your local butchers and get some

 

Small update.

Last few days and probably a next few will take me glueing all parts. This time I'm using beech wood. Its very fine structure would not dominate the whole case.

Below the front part.







Here you can see a CD-bay.



These elements will be used for installation of plasma balls on the right and left side of the case.

 

Today I've sanded previously glued parts. Using an angle grinder and coarse sandpaper was a very good idea. I'm surprised myself how fast it went.



Of course I use the large disc sander. Similar to the one below, but with the wheel of 45 cm. Made myself of course



Thanks to that, shaping of such a curve is a breeze. Here are glued three elements.



And pictures bellow presents a initial outline of the front of my case:

 

That's a lot of lumber in the faceplate. Any guesses on the final weight yet?

 

if it all goes pete tong, you can always use it as an aircraft chock, looks good though

 

Yes. I'm sure it looks B I G. It will be 70 cm width. I can not say how much it will weight. There are so many factors, that I can't predict. LCD panel, liquid cooling ....

 

Positronic Brain – update 22.02.2011

Today, further progress of the work. I continue glueing and sanding.
Here are the photos of the right side before and after treatment.









The central module has already gained the upper part of the cover.





Just a little experiment with copper wire incrustation. In the channel I've pasted copper wire and sanded it to the plane.
How do you like something like that? I am thinking of using it in some places.

 

Positronic Brain – update 24.02.2011

Finally I've received a package with Lenovo ThinkCentre M58. It is a Ultra Small Form Factor version. I must admit that I was surprised to see Core 2 Duo inserted in such a little thing

In order not to be groundless:









Now I can perform the appropriate fit and fixes of my case.

 

Today I came back with the monitor to the mod. 22" should be enough, but I wonder whether or not to use the secondary screen.

And so is the general outline of the computer.



Over the weekend, all of the parts glued together.



And this involved the use of large quantities of carpentry clamps.



At the same time I slowly modify the shape of the rear.



I'm going to settle the monitor on a shoulder.





And now I'm going to use the only advantage of beech wood - flexibility.



And I have no confidence, that I'll achieve the desired effect.

 

I spend last few hours sanding wood. I'm trying to give the case desired shape.















I've also disassembled the LCD