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Scratch Build – In Progress Erector Set WaterPlant - Aug 17: All operational!

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by dacust, 12 Mar 2007.

  1. dacust

    dacust What's a Dremel?

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    It'll be the only custom made metal in the project because of the hole size requirements. Micro toggle switches for most of the lights. The pump switch will be a lighted automotive type bat handle toggle. Green panel mount indicator LEDs. No gauges. I thought of making a pair of nixie tube temp gauges. I may add that later.

    [​IMG]

    There will be quite a lit of switches.
    • Main power (to power-on wire on ATX plug)
    • Pump (lighted bat-handle)
    • Clearance light for tower (Another bat-handle)
    • LED light sticks (4 sets)
    • LED light stick mode select (momentary push button)
    • Operations shack interior light
    • other light groups (4 sets)
    • Indicator LEDs for most of the above
    The volume is partly for versitility of lighting, but mostly because I think a busy control panel fits the theme. The whole thing will be about 4x6 inches with 2 bat handles, 12 small toggles, 4 momentaries and 10 indicator LEDs. So, 28 different items.

    Here's the layout. Top row is LEDs, 2nd are toggles, 3rd LEDs, 4th toggles, 5th momentaries.
    [​IMG]


    Arranged like this:
    [​IMG]
    So no toggles in rows next to each other, rows of LEDs in between to give easy clearance for the toggles.
     
    Last edited: 26 Apr 2007
  2. ComputerKing

    ComputerKing <img src="http://forums.bit-tech.net/images/smilie

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    hey how you made those !! I mean the template , the labels and layout ?

    I need to know :D thanks
     
  3. DarkLord7854

    DarkLord7854 What's a Dremel?

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    Conngrats on the front page entry!

    Love the switches though aren't the big UV ones (least they look UV) going to stand out?

    The layout will be sweet though :D

    What kind of button you going to use for the power?


    (Thought just hit me.. how are you going to manage moving that whole thing around and stuff later? :hehe: )
     
  4. dacust

    dacust What's a Dremel?

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    Thanks! I like the way Brett wrote it up. He picked up on the fun of it and had fun in the article. I think it's really funny that he put in the dig I threw at Nick.
    The large switches aren't UV, they are lit up. As for the power, it'll just be one of the micro-toggles. And, yes, the large red switches will stand out, but I think it'll look good. One large switch is for the pump, which is the most important part. The other one is for the clearance light, kinda as a joke that it's really important as well.
    It actually is only about 18" x 12" and is quite sturdy. I grab the radiator with one had and the other end under the platform and I can carry it easily. It can be turned on any side and things stay in place just fine. It's actually easy to move. And since the tubing is attached with those quick-release fittings, there will be no tubes or power cords sticking out while moving.

    The PowerPlant PC will be a little bigger, probably 18" square, but I don't think it will be as tall.
     
  5. DarkLord7854

    DarkLord7854 What's a Dremel?

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    Oohh, nice!

    Hurry with the next update :p
     
  6. The_Beast

    The_Beast I like wood ಠ_ಠ

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    I like the way you have put this project together, the control panel sounds like it will be cool, the res. looks great

    Did you ever think of building a whole case from Erector's???
     
  7. ezland00

    ezland00 What's a Dremel?

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    Looking good! cool stuff :)
     
  8. dacust

    dacust What's a Dremel?

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    You're referring to the Erector Set PowerPlant PC in my sig. :D I already bought an additional 5 antique Erector sets for the materials.
    Thanks! I'm having fun.
     
  9. dacust

    dacust What's a Dremel?

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    Woops, I missed this post! Sorry, Computerking.

    The template was done in OpenOffice Draw. Poorly done, if you look close. The dots aren't perfectly in line. The snap-to put them at the edge, so I turned it off and just quickly put them close. Then opened in Gimp to rotate and save as .jpg. I'll re-do this before using it to drill holes.

    The layout at the bottom was done in OpenOffice Calc. Then into Paint to crop and save as bmp. I did bmp because the detail was so small that a jpg got fuzzy and a gif didn't support all the colors. Probably should have done a gif, but there ya go.
     
  10. dacust

    dacust What's a Dremel?

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    Woops.
     
    Last edited: 27 Apr 2007
  11. ComputerKing

    ComputerKing <img src="http://forums.bit-tech.net/images/smilie

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    Ohh Brother . thanks :D Never Mind that you missed my post ! :D

    ohh you are right they not in line , I will try openoffice draw and calc and see what will happen !! this will look nice better than hand layout !

    thanks a lot brother and keep this nice project up !! I'm following this for update !

    good luck and take care
     
  12. TapperSwe

    TapperSwe What's a Dremel?

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    Congrats on the frontpage.
    Im looking forward to see the result of the custom made control panel.
     
  13. dacust

    dacust What's a Dremel?

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    I worked on it a little more in OpenOffice Draw.
    [​IMG]

    I moved the lines to make crosshairs for allignment.
    Zoomed in 300% to fine tune the allignment.
    Figured out you have to export to save as bitmap or jpg, not save-as.

    Looks much better now. And I can use gimp to scale it just right to use as an actual drilling template (after I put a dot in the middle of the red blocks for the bat-handle switches).
     
  14. dacust

    dacust What's a Dremel?

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    Basic Stamp 2 controller for lights

    I started the light controlling system finally.

    I am using a Basic Stamp 2.
    [​IMG]
    This currently has 3 circuits.
    1. Red LED and top resistor - this is the clearance light. It is on .25s, off .25s, on 1.5s off 2.5s. So, it looks like a signal light.
    2. Yellow LED and second resistor - this is for the operations shack. It randomly flickers off, about once a minute, to simulate a bulb going bad.
    3. 2 resistors on left, transistor and jumpers - his triggers the UV LED light sticks to change modes.
    When the UV light are powered on, they start in a rotation through all the patterns. That's not what I want. To get what I want, I have to push a momentary switch 7 times. 5 sets of light sticks means 35 button presses. No way. The controller can do it in 1/3 of a second.

    I'll be adding 4 more circuits for the other 4 light sticks, and then, for the other 10 controls, I have some ideas. I actually may need another BS2 to do all I want. This is getting WAY out of control... TWO computers just to control the lights? :D

    It sounds like too much, but it will not really be that busy. The 5 light stick circuits are actually to make them STOP blinking. You'll just have to wait and see the end result.
     
  15. DarkLord7854

    DarkLord7854 What's a Dremel?

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    *waits eagerly*
     
  16. dacust

    dacust What's a Dremel?

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    Basic Stamp 2 light controller - MOVIE

    Here's a 15 second movie (4MB) of the lights in action.

    Since power was already running to the controller, the lights are already blinking. At about 4 seconds is when I restarted the program, that's when the UV lights are set to the solid on mode. The yellow LED is set to flicker more often so you can catch it in 15 seconds, but it will be set for a random time up to a minute. The finished program will take into account the time for the flicker so the red LED won't pause that 1/2 second while the flicker happens. The red LED should be very steady.

    Basically, watch it once just watching the red LED, then once watching the yellow. In 15 seconds it just goes too quick to get the feel for both on the same run.
     
  17. DarkLord7854

    DarkLord7854 What's a Dremel?

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    *cough*

    Updates? :D
     
  18. dacust

    dacust What's a Dremel?

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    Hehe. Keep on me. I need it.

    I haven't had much time for it lately, but also I've been thinking how I want to mount the control panel, and until that's decided there's not much I can do. Like I said before, I think I want to make the back the front, but then how do I mount the control panel and LCD? 'Tis a puzzlement.

    Meanwhile, I've ordered some more Basic Stamp stuff. Which brings up the next change: I may rip out the LED light sticks and put in individual computer-controlled LEDs. Not sure. Also, I think I may build my own fan controller, as the Hardcano is really designed for measuring air temp. It's lowest setting for upping the fan RPM is something like 114 F. I think it'd work better to have something that reads the ambient air temp and then checks to see how much higher the water temp is to decide fan speed.

    I've run the system for about 20 hours total, and still no leaks so in that respect, it's ready.

    Give me a week or two and I'll be back on it.
     
  19. DarkLord7854

    DarkLord7854 What's a Dremel?

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    Hmm.. What if you put the control panel on an that can pivot and be moved up and down, extended and retracted? and that folds up neatly into the middle of the case when not needed?
     
  20. widmod

    widmod Minimodder

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    update?
     

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