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Scratch Build – In Progress Unidyne

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by slipperyskip, 21 Jun 2009.

  1. Bad_cancer

    Bad_cancer Mauritius? 2nd speck east of africa

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    positively captivating!! (sorry its your avatar, makes me wanna talk like that.)
     
  2. BlackWhizz

    BlackWhizz What's a Dremel?

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    +3
     
  3. slipperyskip

    slipperyskip Member

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    Thanks all for the kind words.

    [​IMG]

    For the I/O plate I start with the ports that "stick out". Basically, drill small holes and finish the opening with sharp hobby files. The thickness of the aluminum can make a huge difference in the amount of effort required to do this.




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    The remainder of the motherboard ports are drilled and filed. The power jack, power switch and fan blower exhaust all get their respective holes. The plate is held onto the motherboard by the tiny studs that are used to screw in plug retainers. There are six of them located on either side of the three D-type connectors.




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    Voluntary_Pariah likes this.
  4. AnG3L

    AnG3L Ultimate Modder

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    +1 man that is awesome!!!!!!!!!
     
  5. slipperyskip

    slipperyskip Member

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    Thanks AnG3L.


    [​IMG]

    The objective now is to get the project up onto a stand in order to help with the painting. A hole is bored into the lug for the stand pole to fit into.




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    This huge washer will be used in the lug detail.




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    Another detail is this hex head PVC plug I got from the local hardware store. I'll cut most of it off leaving only the hex head.




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    Glued together and "draft" sprayed to check the look.




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    The result is a faux detail to give the look of a pivot bolt. These pieces are actually just glued to the surface of the lug.




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    First of many, many coats of industrial aluminum spray paint. This is the stuff that contains actual aluminum paste in the paint formula. There is lots of sanding going on between coats to eliminate any clue that the underlying surface is actually wood.




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    A never before seen photo. I hand painted all the recesses with flat black paint. Under normal lighting you will not see this kind of detail. This was a trick I learned while I was working at Disney. The trick is to never shine a light down directly into it like in this photo. The logo is a temporary test fitting.




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    I bought this cast iron microphone stand at a local music store. I liked It because it has an art deco look to it and it was cheap. One issue was the scale of the pole. It just didn't have the diameter to match the project's scale.




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    The solution was this chrome kitchen sink drain pipe extension with beauty piece. Also shown here is a 10-24 threaded steel rod, fender washer and wing nut.




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    The drain pipe extension will fit over the original microphone stand pole. To align all this I bored an additional stepped concentric hole into the lug.




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    The threaded steel rod is inserted through the lug and fastened into the inside of the equipment compartment.




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    The chrome extension tube and beauty piece are slipped over the rod and inserted into the lug.




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    The original stand pole is Dremeled off at the proper height and inserted into the tube/rod/lug concoction. A wing nut with a fender washer is used to tighten up the whole mess. This pinched together all of the components. Don't you just love wing nuts? I'll take every opportunity to use them.




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    Result.
     
    Last edited: 23 Jun 2009
  6. DaveVader

    DaveVader Fast Action Response Team

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    wow ...
     
  7. Bad_cancer

    Bad_cancer Mauritius? 2nd speck east of africa

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    /\ I concur, positively spiffing old chap!
     
  8. MIGUI

    MIGUI What's a Dremel?

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    Great work slipperyskip. :thumb:
     
  9. .Fatality.

    .Fatality. What's a Dremel?

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    nice wood work!

    awsome lidle case!
    elvis love it :D!
     
  10. slipperyskip

    slipperyskip Member

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    Thanks for the comments guys! I appreciate them. :thumb:

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    To achieve the illusion of a single cable microphone I threaded all the cables through a large piece of heatshrink. What made this work was my quick-disconnect thin VGA cable.




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    I printed out the Shure corporate logo on some of my laser waterslide decal paper and applied it to the appropriate spot.




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    Money shot.




    The Unidyne was very controversial when I built it. It provoked a lot of discussion about such things as using wood for a case material. Critics, and there were many, claimed it wasn't a case mod (that tired old argument) and that the Unidyne shouldn't be allowed to compete in case mod contests.

    People would use the word "normal" a lot when discussing it. "It doesn't look normal", "It doesn't use a normal hard drive" and "It doesn't use a normal power supply". Blah blah. They requested that I post benchmarks and chastised it for not being able to play the latest video games. This was all very entertaining.

    The case mod community had been mostly short-sighted and closed-minded about new ideas and true innovation. Tower case with a hole blown out of the side and pretty lights. Yawn. Some of us have challenged the idea of "normal". Others continue to lean on their credit card skilz.

    The Unidyne continues to be my big middle finger to all my critics, most of whom have never created anything more colorful than the turd they flushed this morning.

    Cheers to all and thanks for looking!
     
    The boy 4rm oz likes this.
  11. alpaca

    alpaca llama eats dremel

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    mine had absolutely more colors than your mod (as far as i can tell, it has only black and alu, mine was brown, red, a bit of green and a bit of white), but that has maybe something to do with the tree kinds of pizza i ate last night:D. i will not provide more details:nono:.

    hereby i do not imply by any way i am such a 'critic' and do not love this design. and as it is clearly not intended as a nightlight, a room heater or a gaming rig, is it a server? or a internet-browsing microphone? oh no: a jukebox:rock:!
     
  12. Boddaker

    Boddaker Still hangin around

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    A turd that colorful might be worth a call to the European Institute of Fecal Standards and Measurements in Zurich.
     
  13. slipperyskip

    slipperyskip Member

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    It's best to keep our most important institutes in neutral countries. :D

    @ alpaca The definition of colorful I'm using here is "full of variety or interest" not "having striking colors".

    Used properly in a sentence: I challenge you to build something more colorful, or something at all.

    Sorry mate, I couldn't help myself. j/k
     
  14. Trance

    Trance Two steps forward, one step back

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    Amazing case, you have really have captured the classic design and produced something special.
     
  15. brinkz0r

    brinkz0r Minimodder

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    I have seen this casemod (yes I call it that way, some call it a case build, you're still making a custom case for you hardware, that's casemodding) around quite a few times, but I'm glad I finally found the worklog. So I'm glad you took the effort to post it, it's a great case :thumb:
     
  16. Carpet3

    Carpet3 Minimodder

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    Looks awesome. never seen it before though i dont think.
     
  17. The boy 4rm oz

    The boy 4rm oz Project: Elegant-Li

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    I love the final product. Realistic colour, excellent idea and execution and not to mention a beautiful result. +rep
     
  18. Bad_cancer

    Bad_cancer Mauritius? 2nd speck east of africa

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    very nice work, i think that anything new is welcome, who cares if it doesn't play crysis, thats not the point is it? the point is building something original and something you like. it doesn't have to be a uber powerful pc to be a mod. whats wrong with modding a download box?

    this all reminds me of art (i do consider modding as a form of industrial art), when something new appears, no one likes it, and if it isn't as complex as a renaissance painting, there is no effort in it.

    People who can't do anything with their hands are probably always the first critics. Just like movie critics.

    Its easy to criticize but the real question is: Can you do even a 1/4 of what you are criticizing?

    With that ends my rant,

    peace


    Oh and i love all your work, really original!
     
  19. DonT-FeaR

    DonT-FeaR I know what a fk'n Dremel is ok.:D

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    i like it alot :)
     
  20. sethnmalice

    sethnmalice What's a Dremel?

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    Some one needs to invent a new word that puts this into a category amongst case modders, case builders and such, because this doesn't fall into any specific category, it falls into all of them ever so briefly.

    Much like the ART DECO period of its time, maybe MOD DECO it should be appropriately called.
    Because it leans more towards artistic impression than 'modding a case' which it isn't and we all know its not, as we look in awe at the artistry of what has been produced/reproduced.

    I'm not having a go at case modders either, each person brings something new and interesting to the Modding Universe we all live in.
     

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