Project: Hard Lined - update 6-18-2006

Very nice work with the copper pipe. It is good to see that I am not the only one who has contemplated that idea. As for whether or not to paint the pipes, I think that will be dependent on the color scheme of the case. Obviously, shiny copper looks great, but if you can't see it when the case is completed, it might be a waste of time.

My personal opinion is to polish them up and clear coat them.

I look forward to seeing how the radiator shroud comes out.

MatrixOps

 

Tiny tiny update.

You take a pice of this.

Sorry, the blue thing is my sleve.

I brocke the handle on my saw but it didnt stop me from finishing.


You end up with this.


Then some work with this.


You end up with this.


Now anyone care to guess what im making?

ill give you guys a clue. It has something to do with the gassers from the 60's.

Now I have to go to home depot to pick up some glue.

 

The theme of the case will be gold and black, like the last great msucle car. The 76trans am. The tubes are going to be majorly visible as I am hard lining all the way to the blocks.

PS: anyone care to guess as what im making with my latest update?

 

It looks like some sort of part off an engine from what i've looked at quickly on google. Maybe part of the air intake or part of the exhaust so it might be a vent for a fan?

 

Yup your rite on the money. It will be an air scoop kinda like the ones on old hot rods. But insted of taking air in it will exaust air, should make the pc look like its got a big v8 in it.

 

Well sort of an update. I have been thinking of wat to do with the front. So I went to home depot tonite for insipiration. I walked around for about one hour to check out all the ahrdware. I then walked in the hardware section for the third time and these handles cought my eye. Its a pro pack of 10 handles for 20bux. Versus the 3.83 per handle separatly. The thing that cought my eye is the way they were packaged. At the moment I had a flash in my mind.

So withought further ado here is the pics.


The 10pack handles. See how they are araged? Reminds me of the old chevy grills from the 40's.

After some mocking up this is what I came up with.

The bottom will be reworked and 4 nicer switches will be placed there.

Side view.


I think it would look even better if I bondoed the side holes dont you think?

Then I realised that I have to cut the alu under the handles to make it fit the finish better and put mesh curved on the handles.

Anyway. Here is the bottom view.


So what do you guys think?

Does anyone have any ideas? Also should I leve the handles alone or polish them to a high gloss if doable?

Any imput would be great before I start cutting on this thing.

Discuss

 

Like how it's coming on, definately fill the holes on either side of the handles on the front.

 

Original, i havent seen anyone use handles as grills

 

Yea those handles look good. It really depends on what you are doing with the case to determine the finish on the handles. If you are going for the muscle car look and want them to look like a grill I would put a high polish on them.

 

Ill experiment with one of the handles if it can be polished. And yes im going for the muscle car look. But more like a gasser fuzed with a modern trans am paint scheme and 1940's grill.

Its like a willys freak I supose.

Oh and thanks for the input guys. I apreciate it.

 

Well tonite I did some work on the front switches. I am quite happy on how they turned out. I bought a cuple of thick undustrial washers from home depot and polished them with my dremel. They now look like chrome.



The switches are from allelectronics and were a very resonable. THey dont look like mutch but I like them very mutch.

Notice ontop the grill. Well part of it.
I am going to fill the side holes and posibly cut out under the handles to make it look better.
Here is a photochop of the side holes filled in.

Not very good photochop but it was 10seconds with the clone stamp.

Other acesories I bought. Including 4 soft rubber feet to isolate any vibration of the case. And a electric switch to enable and disable buttons. I am thinking about having it enable and disable both power and reset button via relay.


This is how she looks now with the shineh stuff on.


The best shot I could take of the switches and the polished up washers.


The washers were polished by mounting on a bolt and spun on my drill for a fiew minutes while running a sanding spunge on them to get rid of the dimples from the casting proces. And then I laped them with 1500grid wetsand paper. After that I used my dremel polishing tool and some compund (green crap dont know exactly what it is) to bring a chrome like shine. They look very good in real life too bad my camera skills are crap and my lighting sucks.

Almost forgot to ask. Do you guys think I should cut under the handles and posibly put a mesh on or leave the holes there?


Discuss

 

I really like the handle idea ... I would defintly fill the holes on the sides of them ... and then I would just cut out the middle secetion ... no reason to have the wholes because from the looks of it the handles will block any fingers from accidently hitting the fans. So no reason for mesh either.

I didn't read all of your project but if you are going to leave them chrome I would make some other things chrome also to make them stick out less.

 

I think im going to polish the handles and the knobs for the rheo and led holders so they shine like chrome. Should look very interesting with a nice glossy black paint.

 

OK we have an update

I painted the res. But I did not clear coat it yet as the paint is going to cure overnite.

The res cap however has been clear coated but not polished yet.

The main tubes have been sanded and polished but the industrial look has been kept.

Here are the images.







A shot of the cap


And the tubes.




Thats it for the moment. Im working on sanding and painting the rear panel. It should be painted and clear coated by tomorrow nite.

Discuss

 

Update. More to follow.

 

The res is really cool!

 

grazie

 

Project name has changed to hard lined.


on another note
Another update. I am going to make the fan exausts look like a gt40's intake manifold.

Here are some pics

I have one alredy and I am going to buy 7 more of these babies.




Here is the res finished and ready for polish in a cuple of days.





Another minor update.

 

thats a great idea for the temp probes, how are u hooking them up to your computer thow? and i love the copper piping very inspiring

 

Wow

-pipes look clean and sleek
-handles on the front are just dead sexy

Another great project. Cant wait to see this thing finnished but the progress so far is great!