Scratch Build – Complete ⭐ Lonherz Kernel 2.0

QUICK VIDEO PREVIEW OF THE KERNEL 2.0 (in particular all the animations and the moving parts! length: 3 min.)




VIDEO OF ALL THE FEATURES EXPLAINED OF THE KERNEL 2.0 (length: 18 min.)

NOTE: the video has english subtitles, that can be activated from the youtube interface





Hi all!

10 years ago I built from scratch a case called Lonherz Kernel (I started the project in 2005 and finished in 2008). After finishing it I didn't worked anymore on this project for 10 years, but some months ago I wanted to restyle and modify my old mod to create a new version. So I decided to start the Lonherz Kernel 2.0 project.

The case is Tron-themed, in particular referring to the Tron 2.0 videogame (published in 2003).
It is made mainly of transparent polycarbonate for the walls and the internal structure, and stainless steel for the base. I handmade every component of the case structure, in particular I engraved by hand some Tron-themed drawings on the transparent pieces, and the engravings are enlighted with a lot of individually addressable LED strips.

The case size is quite big (it is about 95x45cm, and 60cm high), and the shape is very particular: it is designed to host the PC monitor inside the encumbrance of the case, obtaining a single block that includes the whole computer and the monitor.

The shape of the case is the union of two pyramid sections: a taller and narrower one, placed to the left of the screen, and a lower and wider one placed behind the screen.

In addition to the computer hardware, inside the case there are some other unusual devices: a videoprojector, an Arduino board, touch and proximity sensors and a mechanically moved "Prankster Bit" (it is a weapon from Tron 2.0).



Since I have never posted here the project log of the first version of my case, I thought it was better to post everything now as a single project log that starts from 2005 and arrives until today (to better understand how I done many parts of the current version, I must show how I made them in the first version).


PS: I'm sorry that the first photos of the project log have a very bad quality, but they were made with a cell phone in 2005!
I promise that the quality of the photos will improve during the project log

 

FINAL PHOTOS OF THE KERNEL 2.0

This is a first selection of the final pics (in the next posts, there are ALL the pics )

 

And these are all the pics, divided by lighting state:


The powered off PC:











Powered on PC, but with light in the room:

 

Default state 1:

- mostly blue

- infection effect that fades from blue to green on the hard disks

- Arduino ring with two rotating red pixel trails

- two yellow pixel trails that run around the base

- projector animation: blue electronic circuit

- proximity sensor "charging" effect: blue->green->yellow->red











Default state 2:

- mostly blue

- infection effect that fades from blue to green on the hard disks

- Pulsating blue Arduino ring

- Blue base perimeter

- projector animation: Tron disc

- proximity sensor "charging" effect: blue->green->yellow->red



In this state I like the reflection of the projected Tron disc on the room's wall behind the case (and the disc is animated, in the video it can be seen in movement).

 

Blue state:

- all blue

- projector animation: Tron themed lines

- proximity sensor "charging" effect: blue->green->yellow->red











Green states:

- all green

- Arduino ring with 1-3 rotating green pixel trails

- projector animation: scrolling code, or Matrix-style falling code

- proximity sensor "charging" effect: green->white

 

Red state:

- all pulsating red (alarm-style)

- Arduino ring with 1 rotating red pixel trail, like an alarm signal

- projector animation: flashing red alarm signal

- proximity sensor "charging" effect: "incandescent" effect, red->yellow->white











Desert state:

- all orange

- projector animation: desert with rolling tumbleweeds











Colourful states:

- lighting with constant fluid color hue cycling on all the led strips

 

PROJECT LOG:


So, let's start from the beginning in 2005



Purchasing the polycarbonate


All started from here...
I went to buy the polycarbonate: I took a panel of 2.05 * 1.15 m :




This is a draft of the outer chassis:




And these are the pieces that I should cut from the panel:








Beginning the making of touch sensors’ circuit


This is the making of touch sensors' circuit:
(For the making of this circuit I must do special thanks to Axeman for his help)

I ordered 8 qt110 (the chips that control touch sensors):



(there are only 7 switches because I toasted one while I was soldering it )


First purchases (resistors, capacitors, two integrated 74ls06 (which reverses the signals from QT110, for the relays), 6 relays and a new soldering iron)




Begin soldering:




This is the first touch sensor (the sensor is the red cable rolled)



Then I mounted the other chips:









Other purchases: some LEDs, another relay and some mini-switches ...




I used mini-switches to make a little change to the original circuit (the blue line that I added on this circuit). With these switches, now I can select the chips' behaviour: button or switch




So, here i have completed the first step of the touch sensors' circuit:









Cutting the polycarbonate panel


Other purchases:



Starting from left:
- Small panel of very thin stainless steel
- Black & decker rt650
- Some clamps
- Carbon paper
- blades with large teeth for the electric saw
- Dremel accessories
- 3 steel bars
- Drawing tools
- Stainless steel base of the case (2.5 mm thick)
- Sanding paper and polish
- White rubber feet
- Box for screws
- 160 bolts
- 160 washers
- 80 closed-head bolts
- wooden bar 2.4 m long (2.4 m is about the diagonal of polycarbonate panel)






I drew the shape of some pieces in the film:



...And I began to cut the first cm with the dremel.







Then I started cutting with an electric saw:









Making the structural joints


These are the structural joints of the case. They are made from pieces of steel bar and they keep walls of the chassis fixed together.




I folded the bar's pieces using two long iron pipes:



More joints:

 

Polishing edges of the panels


Polishing edges of the panels:

Raw edge:


The first step with the dremel:


The other tools:


Sanding with this sequence of sanding papers: 120, 240, 600, 1000


Some flaws in the sanding:


To smooth these flaws I use this "wool" cylinder:


Now the edge is flawed and ruined again, so I repeat the use of sanding papers, from 240 to 1000


Now the edge is sufficiently smooth to finish with the polishing paste.


The edge polished


And finally the last polishing with toothpaste to achieve the final transparency:




UPDATE: These are a lot of steps, but they must be done only for a very damaged edge (like these edges cut with a manual electric saw). For an edge cut with more precise tools (for example an industrial circular saw) these steps are enough:
- sanding paper 240
- sanding paper 600
- polishing paste
- toothpaste

 

Assembling the outer chassis


Now I began to mount the outer chassis, using the joints that i have made above.

I took some measures...



Mounting the panels with tape:


Once that I have taken measures, I needed holes on the top of the tower, for mounting the joints:


The roof of the tower is mounted:












And now, the part of case placed behind monitor.

A special joint:



Then I fixed the top at the end of the right panel (the panel without protective film):


And then the panels of the left tower, using the special joint:


Then I taken other measures, I made some holes, etc...
I mounted the two parallelogram shaped panels:


Two details of the transparent panel:








I started to mount the chassis on the stainless steel base, always using the same joints.

I began mounting the tower:

 

I've made other joints (and I fixed them on the base)



I Began to mount these panels:



I had to shorten this joint:


I begin to mount the panels of the section placed behind the screen:








And here I mounted the last panel (the one without white film):




Here you should see that there is a small gap between the base and the panels:




And this is the completed outer chassis:




Some better photos of the outer chassis:

 

Making the touch sensors


I have done a test with sensors:
I took a rounded floppy cable broken and I took a single wire, then I removed the plastic sleeve from the wire, and I took a single copper fiber, to use it as sensor:



I rolled the single wire around a polycarbonate bar, and I welded it to the circuit, then I temporarily fixed the bar behind a panel:



...and everything worked! (the wire must be very thin to work properly behind 5mm of polycarbonate, and this is the thinnest wire that I have found in my home)




To fix the wire to the bar, I must heat the wire near the edge of the bar with a soldering iron.

Here I'm pushing the hot wire in the edge of the bar: heat melts the surface of polycarbonate and the wire fits in the edge. After this, the wire is fixed within the bar.



A finished sensor:






For a mistake, I have ruined the bar, so i have to restart from scratch:

So, I cut the bar, then I polished its edges and I drill the holes:





Then I have adjusted the joints for the sensor bar:




Then I restarted to fix the wires in the bar, with the same method said above:




Done! Now I must build a "chassis for the circuit".

 

Making the sensor circuit chassis


This is a first draft of the circuit chassis:





Then I built it:




I cut the pieces:







These are the two raw panels:

 

Engraving the sensor circuit chassis


I did a test with a rounded-tip engraving tool of the dremel.

The drawing (the knife is for compare the size):


The engraving:


The illuminated engraving:






I draw on paper the engraving (under the paper there is a carbon copy sheet):




I made the drawing... (trying to follow the style of some environments of Tron 2.0)



The drawing imprinted on the protective film:



The first pass of the engraving (this method require two steps: a first pass with the protective film, and a second pass without the film to refine the engraving):



I remove the remaining film:



The engraving enlighted (this is only the first pass, so the engraving is a bit raw):








I polished the edges of the engraved panel:








Then I have done the second pass of the engraving, to refine every single groove:










I made the drawing for the lower panel of the circuit chassis:




And a preview of this drawing on the structure:













Engraving the lower panel:





Finished the first pass:




Then i proceed with the second pass:




A comparison between raw grooves of the first pass (top in 1st photo, right in 2nd one) and refined grooves of the second pass (bottom in 1st photo, left in 2nd one):

 

The finished panel:





A mounting test:





And a test with the circuit inside:







Some lighting tests:




Can you start to see some Tron 2.0 atmosphere?

 

Starting the motherboard structure


After some measures I traced the first lines for the support of the motherboard:




in this photo I did a test to see how much space to leave on the panel to fold it:











Taken all the appropriate measures I started to cut the panel:






The raw panel cut:





I begin to draw the lines of the left edge (some are oblique to 60 degrees):




I start to cut them...





The panel cut:




















Then I polished the edges:




I mark the position of the holes for the motherboard (both atx and microatx)




The position of all the holes:




I begin to drill the holes:




Done:

 

Mounting the circuit chassis in the case


I bought another titanium drill tip after damaging my old one, then I mounted the circuit encasing in the case:












and here it is placed in its position:

 

Wow! «Coppermine»?

 

Thanks!

Ahah that pentium 3 motherboard was already broken in 2005, I used it as a dummy motherboard

 

Bending the motherboard structure


and now the troubles begin...

at this point I should have had to bend a side of the panel, but I couldn't do it and I got hurt in the various attempts.

First I have done a mild attempt

...failed:




then I used a little more strength...




result: failed (and a broken cutting board)




then I used more and more strong methods:



...failed


after this attempt, with a broken board and a crushed and bleeding finger, I used another bigger chopping board!



...failed


result: polycarbonate that did not bend at all, and some scratches in the bending area:










But finally I have won my battle against the polycarbonate!

How I have done:


first I put it in a vice with a robust wood board, then I went on the board with my full weight, to obtain a first bending.




then, given the first bending, I placed the panel in the gap of a wood planer (about 1 ton of weight), which has been stronger than the chopping board!




the wood planer:




I fit the panel in the wood planer:




the locked panel:




the wood board on the panel:





Then I and my father went both on a wood beam placed on the panel, and our weight combined has done the magic!

and finally the bended panel!










Then I mounted a dummy motherboard on the structure (the paper sheet simulates the 24.4cm width of a full-atx motherboard):




...and I placed the dummy components in the case (the box of the camera should be a dummy 2 hdd structure, and the mysterious component under the shirt is... the mysterious component )

 

Hard disk structure


At this point I start to build the last of the components of the basic structure: the hard disk structure:








When i bent the shaped panel I broke it!



At this point, I must find another way to keep the 3 pieces together







And this is the other way: I have flipped upside down the lateral panels, and I have fixed them to te top panel with some bolts











And now, the slides for the hard disks.

I cut the pieces:














I assemble the pieces together:



In the last image you can see that the slides below are closer to each other than the ones above.
This is because the hdd structure must be trapezoidal like the rest of the case!






The slides are as long as the hdd, so you can insert and extract it like a drawer: