Scratch Build – In Progress Ringo's la ultima [11-03-07 update]

That is a good question, I only use the optical drive for installing the system, watch a few movies or playing games. Most of the time i didn't need it. I think wont search for it.

But I also think, that you are right. Without an optical drive it is much easier to design ha cool front.

If I watch the first picture of my last post, I think the case looks like a bee.

 

Bee-ngo's La Ultima?

 

That would be a posible new name

Ok in the last few days I start cut out the plates for the new reservoir. I use the bandsaw. After that I have start milling the plate. For that I have to mount it on the rotary table.

After i milled the plates I made some new mounting rings for the sealing.

I need 4 plates and rings, but I have to make a fifth part because I made something wrong. One of the problems was to fix the parts accurate.

The next pictures show the new parts.





In the next few days I will to cut the tubes and then I will see, which parts from the old reservoir will fit in the new one. I also have to grind the acrylic plates to the right shape.

But I also have a little problem, the design of the whole case isn't finished yet. The current ideas are good but not good enough.

So far that is my favorite design, it looks a little bit nasty

The second one looks more smooth, I also like it, but it is hard to design the missing parts, like the power supply box.


I will make some new quick sketches

 

Or you can use a slot in drive and just have a small line on the front or somewhere else to hide it away. Just a thought

Anyway wonderful milling work Wish I have even a percent of you skills in that department or even the equipment to start learning I want to be able to make things like this Hope they have it on the University I hope I will get accepted too

 

Thanks a lot, the slot in optical drive will be a good option.

I have to drill holes in the plate to mount it together. After that I started grinded the edges of the plates. I have mount it together to get the same outer shape for all four plates.
The hole has a diameter of 8mm and it will be 80mm deep. I'm using compressed air to cool the acrylic.





After that I will start grinding, first I used grain 80 for the rough work, after that I will use grain 240 and 400 to get a smooth surface. For the grinding work I will use a big belt grinder and a small one. For the small one I have to order some new abrasive belts with grain 400.





I will also use some rasps for the edges.


Then I make a short test part. I want to cover the thread of the screws, which I use to mount the reservoir.


Mount in a plate with the right thickness.



I also make a cover for a counter sunk screw.


I also think about it to use them for the whole case instead of washers.

If you want I can present the production of the cover bush.

 

Holy moly!

 

That. I'm not really sure what else to say!

 

Thanks.

In the last few day I clear up the stack.

Now I have planed the next step. I have to make new columns, because I decides to use the old acrylic axis. For me it is easier to make new columns, then the axis. To drill a deep hole in the acrylic is a hard challenge.

On the back side of the reservoir I will make a grill, I also think about it to illuminate it. So I will need special columns on the back side to mount the grill on it. These columns will be made out of a few parts. On the 3D sketches you will see the the grill and the columns. On the exploded view you can the the different parts.

 

I start turning the column, for the column mounting parts and the the column insert I need a screw tap M16x1,0 but I didn't get it. Tomorrow I will make the rest of the columns.

 

Sweet - keep them pictures coming.

 

That looks AMAZING!!!

 

Thank you.

Today I got the screw tap. So I decided to make the the next mounting part. While I'm cutting the thread I got some trouble. The cutting was realy hard. I have to make a recess after 10 mm of the inner thread in the columns. After i made the recess the assembly of the mounting part works fine. The next few pictures shows the column with the screw cover.

 

BoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyohBoyoh.....

 

Thanks.

I start with the insert of the column, but this one will be throwaway, beceause it has some little mistakes. The next steps will be to make the notch for the grill plates and drill holes for the illumination. With this part I try to assemble the column and it works fine. The next update with parts will be around Easter. The last pictures show some tool, who i use.

 

Starting to really question how all this is going to sit together - these columns are still "just something that will hold the bottom and top plates of the res together, right?

In any way, can you explain why there are grooves in the axis that goes into the columns?

 

He's up to something. It's just that none of us can figure it out.

...but, d*mn, it's going to be awesome!

 

And then i tryid to figure out what the he!! you are up to

 

Thanks, ok I will try to explain it.

I will use the columns to fit the top and bottom plate of the reservoir. On one side of the reservori i will make a grill between these two columns. The first question was. How can i mount some metal plates?. I Think smooth columns are looking better than some one with a few notches. I got a idea to make this inner axis. I will use it as a spacer for the plates. I will mill a notch along the axis of the outer column. Then I can fit in the metal plates between this to columsn. The grove is necesary to put in the metal plates for the grill.
A additonal idea is to illumante the grill. But I will not see some cables on the reservoir.

 

Ok, thanks for the explanation.

So, here's an idea for illuminating the grill.

See http://www.gratisimage.dk/image-25CF_4DA1F1D2.jpg

Explanation:

Make the grill layered - one very thin (0.5, 0.8 or maybe 1.0 mm.) aluminium layer on top, one 3 or 5 mm. layer of clear acrylic in the middle, and then another thin aluminium layer at the bottom. Cut the columns into pieces that don't run all the way through each fin of the grill, but maybe only like 33% through - this will leave app. 33% space in the middle of each fin where the column sits - now, go strip a CCFL tupe. Simply crack it open, take out the tube and isolate it using clear tape. I got a video guide explaining how to do that...

Put the stripped CCFL tube INSIDE the column and let it run through all fins. In that way, the fins will be illuminated from within and you won't see a single wire anywhere.

Now, you might think "OK, but how do I put pressure on this thing from top and bottom, to make it seal the top and bottom of the res?".
Well, you could cut a thread in each bit of the column that extends into the fins and make a corresponding thread in each fin, thereby being able to screw each fin tightly together with each part of the column.

Sure, it's not easy at all, but I think it could look AWESOME.

Please, feel free to PM me directly if you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about here.

Oh, and remember to sand the edges of the acrylic to make the light spread.

 

Thanks for your approach.

I think that is also a good solution to make it layerd. I think your solutions is a little bit easier to make, because i will need some small parts. Then I will mount the single parts together to the column.

My soltion is only a little bit different to yours. I will use led to illuminate the parts. I maked a short test part with a simple tube. The test was successful. I will show it if I finished the missing parts.