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Case Mod - In Progress Project: Orange Monster, 2006-07-26; Front shroud support 2025-02-08

Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by Darkened, 26 Jul 2006.

  1. siliconfanatic

    siliconfanatic Johny-come-Lately

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    Didn't we all? :lol:
     
  2. Darkened

    Darkened Minimodder

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    I'm still here guys, working on the Monster on and off :hehe:

    In a matter of fact I probably would have enough progress photos for an update, but they are all over the place. Meaning that it would be hard to get a coherent update out of them. I still might make an "odds & ends" update, but I'll have to check the photographic material before that happens.

    The reason behind all of this is that I run into a bit of an issue a while back. The issue is generally called: "a chronic lack of monetary assets". It's a bit of a snowball-effect since I need a PSU, which prohibits me from finishing the wiring blocks and also hinders a few other parts I need to fabricate.

    It isn't all bad news though, I found some work (started a few weeks back), so the funding should get better quite soon. The obvious trade-off is of course having less time for modding, but I think I can figure it out soon enough :)

    To all old and new followers of this thread, thank you for your continuing support and what can I say besides, stay tuned for more!

    Darkened
     
  3. Cruelinios

    Cruelinios EvE Addict

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    Did you make the feet / legs?
     
  4. Darkened

    Darkened Minimodder

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    Hey Cruelinios, the feet were indeed fabricated by me. More on those, click here.

    First sawed from a 20mm thick aluminum "board", sanded with a belt sander and polished to near mirror finish.

    Darkened
     
  5. siliconfanatic

    siliconfanatic Johny-come-Lately

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    *flails*

    STATUS UPDATE WOOO!
     
  6. mnpctech

    mnpctech bit-tech sponsor

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    yeees, I recall those... soo sexay


    btw, this project started when I moved into my workshop, ahhh the smell of fresh paint..
     
  7. siliconfanatic

    siliconfanatic Johny-come-Lately

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    Sweet skies ABOVE! :eeek:
     
  8. dannyj94

    dannyj94 Former 3XS System Builder

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    Following this is crazy, Looking forward to the rest of this one :D
     
  9. Cheapskate

    Cheapskate Insane? or just stupid?

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    :lol: Someone go bump Franklin's log for a change.
    Good to know you found work. It's hard to find an outlet under the overpass. They make me leave my Malt Liquor Bull at the library entrance too.
     
  10. mnpctech

    mnpctech bit-tech sponsor

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    BUMP!!


    <--- "Worklog Archaeologist"
     
  11. kim

    kim hardware addict

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    epic build it was, ... thought there was an update p 66 :grin:...there were none but I enjoyed watching it again
     
  12. Cheapskate

    Cheapskate Insane? or just stupid?

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    :lol: On second thought, I'll bump it for you.
     
  13. Darkened

    Darkened Minimodder

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    Thank you for the bump Cheapskate, I'll return after my holiday is over and there might even be some progress at that point :worried:

    Darkened
     
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  14. Darkened

    Darkened Minimodder

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    The good, the bad and (mostly) the ugly

    [​IMG]

    Time, Dr.Freeman? Is it really that time again?

    This thing has been on my mind constantly and for the past few years the calling to finish the project has become quite loud.

    I've named this update "The good, the bad and (mostly) the ugly" for a reason. I need to play some catch-up with past indiscretions. I've had so many versions of parts over the years and not so good ideas, which have left the case a bit mangled.

    [​IMG]

    Case in point are the side panels. I tried at some point to "think outside the computer case" and decided that it would be a good idea to mount 6mm. thick acrylic panels to both side panels and drill a bunch of holes to the nice anodized aluminum panels.

    [​IMG]

    On top of that, the holes were tapped with M4 threads, but I don't know if I used an actual 4mm drill bit to drill the holes instead of the correct 3,2mm, but some of the threads stripped out. First thought was to add nuts to the other side of the panel, which led to another bad decision:

    [​IMG]

    Let's grind a damn "relief cut" into the rails, because the holes lined up with the rail edges :wallbash:

    [​IMG]

    There are a few of those cuts on each rail, which doesn't make me happy, but luckily I have a solution for them.

    [​IMG]

    At some stage I decided to make the installation "cleaner", ditched the nuts, shortened the bolts and epoxied them on...another wallbash emoji is in order :wallbash:

    [​IMG]

    A lovely crater left behind and the epoxy has yellowed quite a bit.

    [​IMG]

    A bit of a sacrilege to mount a Festool centrotec bit in a Bosch, but here we go...

    [​IMG]

    I started with the back corner which is the least visible and countersunk the hole checking the size and orientation constantly.

    [​IMG]

    I got a black M4 countersunk screw to sit flush. But seeing as the color match isn't really even in the ballpark, I'll have to cold blue/blacken/paint the screws so I might as well countersink the other holes a bit less and avoid the silver ring (which I also need to fix now).

    [​IMG]

    A quick & dirty black marker test to see how far we are and it's not bad (I've got two flashes & softboxes and the photo was taken with a macro lens, so in normal conditions the screw blends in better).

    So I'll countersink the holes a bit less and grind down the screw heads on a diamond stone to perhaps create a "brushed" look as well. And then move onto some sort of method to blacken the screws to match the panel better.

    Let's see how many Bit-tech OG:s I can awaken :hehe:

    Darkened
     
    Last edited: 8 Feb 2025 at 20:30
  15. perplekks45

    perplekks45 LIKE AN ANIMAL!

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    Holy thread revival, Batman!

    Good to see this project is back. Can't wait to see what you have in store for us.
     
  16. Darkened

    Darkened Minimodder

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    Good to see you again as well. My goal is to get this project done whatever it takes :worried:
     
  17. Cheapskate

    Cheapskate Insane? or just stupid?

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    That's the happiest I've ever been to see someone seat a screw. :D I'm hoping you stick around a bit this time. You only managed to dislodge Perplekks from his hibernation cave so far.
    - :lol: The top of the page started in 2014. I see many more revisions in your future. Hard line plumbing is all the rage now. The old pvc tube gums up your blocks and stuff.
     
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  18. Darkened

    Darkened Minimodder

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    That's good to hear @Cheapskate and the idea is to actually stick around. And again, welcome back @perplekks45 :thumb:

    It's awesome to see "a few familiar faces" still around since I was pretty much expecting an empty echo chamber (which wouldn't have stopped me from posting).

    This is still way more familiar way to go about things than for example Youtube, but I've been thinking about that side as well.

    I'm cooking up the next post as I'm writing this, so let's get to page 67, because 2014 is just plain embarassing :eyebrow:
     
  19. Darkened

    Darkened Minimodder

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    A quick design & render in Fusion 360 of a screw grinding block to be 3D-printed and fitted with M4 thread inserts:

    [​IMG]

    I need to get those screw heads ground down and try to replicate the side panel anodized aluminum scratch pattern on the screw heads. So this is my solution for now combined with different grit Atoma diamond stones, so let's see if that'll work...
     
    Last edited: 14 Jan 2025
    Cheapskate likes this.
  20. Darkened

    Darkened Minimodder

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    Sidepanel situation

    Let's address the situation with the sidepanels so we can move onto something more interesting...

    [​IMG]

    So this is the front panel I made years and years ago. Otherwise pretty nice, but there are a plethora of issues. The screw holes, the scuffmarks and a good dent in the lower right corner, which I only noticed once I got the parts cleaned. Don't know what happened there, but it's not good.

    [​IMG]

    I boosted the exposure/shadows a bit to show the issues more clearly. Some scratches and I can't remember what I did to get those darker marks, but they are all over the panel. Probably some sort of adhesive removal wheel on a rotary tool (the part was covered with masking tape for way too long).

    [​IMG]

    More scratches and I might have tried buffing compound to get rid of the black "stains" and instead I got hazy spots :wallbash:

    [​IMG]

    The final nail to the coffin was this pretty nasty dent/scratch and bend to the lower portion of the panel. And truth be told, these issues were in part something that kind of bummed me out with the build, but there was luckily a saving grace here.

    [​IMG]

    A brand new original Lian Li windowed side panel in black I managed to snag from a clearance sale a few years back. As you see, I've never actually given up on the project and it's been simmering away on the background.

    [​IMG]

    What's even better, the old front side panel had "unmolested" rails, so let's slap them on the back sidepanel.

    [​IMG]

    There they are installed. And yes, the damn holes are still there, but I placed an order with MDPC-X yesterday, which might come into aid with those. So the side panel situation is now at a standstill for a while until I get the shipment in.

    Off to fiddle with more interesting bits :eyebrow:
     
    Last edited: 8 Feb 2025 at 20:31
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