Scratch Build – In Progress Project: Blue Horizon - "MOTY" Nominee

Thanks , this silver doesn't seem to have the finger print problem, however its quite soft, which makes it easy it put dints into it. I might try using some clear coats to make it abit tougher.

I realised today that I had forgotten to cut out sections at the top of the back panel to allow the roof to fit over argh . So I very carefully cut out the corners using my new dremel tool:







Unfortunately my finger nail caught a bit of the paint:



I have sanded that area to remove the dint in the paint, and sprayed the panel again, but I'm gonna have to wait another 24hr for it to set. Also thoughs cut out corners will be hidden once the roof is fitted, thats why I haven't smoothed them out.

 

Very very nice work mate. Loving it, I can't wait to see the finished result.

With the corners you've just cut, I would finish them off like they will be on display. That is the mantra of a custom car builder in the US and I think its a really good thing to work by. Also, with the silver paint you chipped, did you re-spray the entire length of that piece or just around where you chipped, just asking as the paint looks "metallic" and they usually need entire sections re-sprayed to keep the "speckle" effect the same.

 

Thanks nat83c , I've sanded the corners down a little and yeah I had to respray the whole panel to get the finish to match.

In the mean time while I'm sorting the paint out, the CNC machine is slowly getting peiced back together since it was moved to this new workshop:





All it needs now is a 110v transformer for the machine itself.


I have also made the G code for both the front and top peices using Cambam:





While I wait for the transformer which should be here by thursday I've started making the HDD cage. Heres the first stage:

Cutting out the panels using a Jigsaw:



Heres they are after filing and sanding:

 

I WANT ONE



a cnc mill that is

Looking good.

 

You low down dirty ........ LOL Would love to learn that stuff. G-code and CNC's

 

lol , Its actually quite simple to make the g-code from a Google Sketchup file. All you do is export the sketchup to a 3DS file, then open it in Cambam, then all you do is create a 3D profile, change the settings to the specs of your CNC then simply generate the g-code.

 

What about tool paths and the like, um.... suppose you need to have different cuts with different size end mills. Does the software (Cambam) make those steps easy to set up? Hope I'm making a little sense here I've got a bunch of youTube tutorials on G-code but they cure my insomnia. ZZZzzzz LOL

 

Cambam generates the toolpath for you, once you've entered all the specs of your cnc like mill size, type e.t.c. The toolpath on mine is that mass of blue lines. I think cambam is just for more simple shapes like mine which don't require different end mills, as I've only seen the option to generate a path using a single tool.

Heres a good tutorial, it show how you enter the setting and create the toolpath. Just ignore the bit at the start where the video shows how to scale.


I was hoping to have some pics of the finished HDD cage today but I've had some difficultly in making my design strong enough, so I'm currently designing a new HDD cage.

 

Holy sheet.

Wow all round awesomeness & not a rivet or bolt in sight , I love the pci expansion solution, being a modder who likes to make it all from scratch but has some tool limitations I really really like what you are doing, this has MOTM written on it lol , has it been on motm yet? because you can practically count on my vote riekmaharg2 .

+rep + 5 star + subscribed

 

OMG and HOLY SHIZ NIZ

this build is awsome....talk about an aluminium overdose.. but its so cool

keep it up man

 

Thanks Waynio & Infiniti , nice work with the giant smiley . Nope it hasn't been on MOTM yet, hopefully they will wait abit longer as I've got quite a few ideas for improving the look of the case. I'm also going to paint certain parts that will go on the inside of the case, to break up the mass of aluminium.


Heres a little status update:

Currently I've just changed the design of the HDD bays, so that now I'm going to make it out of 2mm aluminium bent into a U shape, instead of my original idea of welding a box together. I have sent the details of the peice to the metal benders and hopefully in a week or two I should have that peice ready. The sections of the case which I painted are waiting for a Pro to finish the final colour layer and maybe a clear coat. And the CNC machine is almost rebuilt, I just need to find the wood cutting router that fits on the CNC's moving arms.


So while I'm waiting for all the above I've started making some of the support blocks which hold the roof and top sides of the case.

The first stage was to cut out 19mm bar using the bandsaw:



I then milled each end down to make them perfectly flat:





I then milled out the little ledge which the top of the case will sit on:



I next milled out the slope which will arrow wires to fit between the top of the case and this support block:



Heres the result:



I then repeated these steps to make the next block. Then after lots of sanding heres the first blocks completed:







The DVD/CD bay panel also arrived today from Chilled PC:

 

Nice job there buddy! It seems that this is going to be a very nice and clean build!

 

Thanks AnG3L

Heres the next support blocks:



The two on the right are going to be polished and the one on the left is going to be sanded.

Sorry about the small update, I've been rather busy these last few days.

 

Just read this from the beginning, very nice case, that paint really shines after the second coat

Looking forwards to seeing the final product.

 

Thanks Mattmc91 , the next update will be tomorrow, and as I'm now at college again updates will only be on monday, thursday, and the weekend from now on.

 

Heres the next update:

I've got two of the support blocks welded together on the Tig:



I then milled the weld so its level with the rest of the block:





Then after hours of sanding and polishing heres the final result:







I've only polished two sides as the rest will not be visible.


I also milled out another block using the same techniques as before:





I've also learned how to operate the CNC, and I'm thinking of using moulding wax to make my sandcasting mould, because I'm gonna need 4 moulds and the wax can be melted down and re-machined after I've used it.

 

Wow that looks amazing. That's some real bit-tech porn there.

 

you don't ever disappoint m8, sweet shine

 

I should learn how to tig weld, makes for some sweet possibilities , awesome seamless joint on the underside of the lovely poished bar, real nice work riekmaharg2 .

Doh, correction, it's the topside .

 

She's naked ... and purrrty! nice