ZapWizard's LAN PC -Custom Ammo PC -Completed Jan 18 '04

^^ I'm guessing to get a static image, I think he said the LEDs were moved farther away from the fan, that way the fiber optics wouldn't stay lit up as they go around the fan. Then he said it would take 3 LEDs.

L J

 

Oh greatest ZapWizard, master of electrons...

What about getting a very air-permeable material.. [ open cell foam? ] and cutting it into shape? It'll let air through, because that's what they use on those clip-on filter things, and it'll stop some light because... well, it's foam

One thing I wonder is if you could strobe the LEDs behind the fan or get a green strobe behind the fan anyway, I had a white strobe blinking through a 120mm fan in my Mac and it made an awesome effect of a slow-spinning but huge warehouse exhaust fan.

Still lovin' the project, btw.

 

Looks like a lot of work but still looks good. A little more simple approach I thought of would be to use Electro-luminescence film. You could cut it to any shape and place it in a narrow tube behind or in front of the fan. Behind it would give that projector look. The fins of your design on this film should be twisted in the shape of the fan blades to cut air restriction down. Behind the fan, your trained eye should not see the difference (illusion). Vortex style like the inserts you buy for your carburetor on your car to in prove gas mileage. Make slits with a knife and super glue the fins of your design in the sides of the narrow tube. You can even make your atomic logo on the case light up too.

Like this:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/johnsreb/EL image.jpg


(I change the image to a link, sry -ZapWizard)

 

Well after a little re-design I came up with a simple solution.
First I sanded the fiber optics in order for them to catch and defuse light from behind the fan.
(Painting the fan would not work with light behind the fan)

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From the front you really can't tell the fibers are even there.
It looks like just a normal fan.
(remember this is an exaust fan, so this will be the front)
I do plan on totaly removing the plastic legs, and replacing them with clear plexi, so that they don't interfere with the image.

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Now the easiest way to create the atomic logo is to simply hot-glue three LEDs together, and solder them in parallel

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I then soldered them to a PCB board.
I can adjust each LED a little, and the entire LED assembly at much as I want.

For now I soldered the wires in-line with the fans.
I will change this when installed, as I don't want the LEDs dimming when the fan is slowed down.

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The LEDs sit just above the fan.

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Lit up they create an awsomly bright image on the back side.

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A view of the back clearly shows the atomic symbol

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From the front the fibers catch the light and create the image perfectly.

This is exactly what I first imagined the mod to look like.

 

Cool, I knew you'd come through.

 

Damn, thats a very inventive idea there Zap.

 

very nice wont it take up a lot of space in the case tho??

 

Really nice Zap! but one question:
How do you make something
that looks like a Thunder-bolt with your solution.

I`m just asking..

 

2 leds offset by a little bit pointing in opposite directions? Might not look the best but I guess you could play around with it.

 

Not a bad idea. Thx

 

The fan and assembly is only 1.5" tall, so that is not much extra space. Much less then the 6 inches needed for a projected image.

You would have to use the projection method to create that kind of symbol.
I am sure that with the right optics and lenses, the projection method could be compressed down a little.

 

You never cease to amaze me Zap. Brilliant work again! Projecting a larage radiation sign on the ceiling above your case would be the ultimate!

-cLoWn

 

I tell you what would be great Zap, If you cut out the radiation part in the radiation sticker on the top of your case and put the projector behind that. It would make a great lit up sign and a seemless becon of light projected onto the ceiling. It's probably not possible to fit the 2inch wire spool underneath the top side of the case unfortunatly but if you can think of a way to slim it down a bit....

 

[wayne's world]
Excellent!
[/wayne's world]

 

man you never cease to amaze me.....

Edited for a large signature -ZapWizard

 

Awesome work Zap, I agree, projecting the radiation symbol onto the celing would be very cool

 

More fun fan stuff!



Ok I replaced the four plastic legs on the fan with three peices of plexi.
The wires were then painted black.

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A close-up shot of the fan mounted behind the grill.
The LEDs are also now wired directly to +12volts.

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An angle shot show the fan in operation.

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From the front of the PC you can clearly see atomic logo.
Of course in the dark effect is even better.

 

Damn, I was going to suggest that you do just that.

 

Good job zap, looks alot better then that other thing you did. With out the fibres, can you still see the image? Also (this would ahve taken more room but...) you could have just put a sheet of plexi behind the fan, frosted the radioactive logo on that, lit it from the sides or behind, then when the fan runs, because of the speed, you can see through it. Or used a clear fan had it not been clear enough.

Still good work though

 

Umm green soda. The fan still needs to be a fan. Blocking it with a sheet of plexi won't do much good. That's why using those thin plexi cylinders works well.