TRIBALOVERKILL's Project: "Blackout"

Hey,... I'm new here. I came across this site and saw some people I know along with thier worklogs from another site. So I thought I would post my worklog here too. My original worklog is very long so I'm only going to copy and paste my post that have pictures in them so everything might sound broken up. Once I start posting regularly it will all make sence. Enjoy.

Start date: 01/01/05

Ok,... I added some photos of my stuff. I taped the case off and it's pretty much ready to be marked. But,... I still have some planning I want to do first. I dont really want to rush, even though I am a bit ancy to get this project done. I have a copy of Half-Life 2 laying on my desk calling out my name Enjoy.

 

Ok,... I got my Criticool Waterplant reservoir. It's very cool looking, no doubt. I definately have plans for it. It comes with 4 ports, 2 of which I dont need,... but do There are 2 of which I don't need for circulation but I do need for my temperature probe and the othr I am going to use for an UV LED. The reservoir came with 3 1/2 OD fittings and 2 end caps to block off the 2 extra ports if not needed. Well,... the 2 end caps are actually perfect for the insertion of a dallas 1-wire temperarute probe and a 5mm LED! It's goign to lok so pro when it done. Here are some pictures of the reservoir,...




Here you can see some slight imperfections Not that bad though,... it will end up being covered up anyways.


Here is two shots of of where I might put the pumps and radiators,... I will probably put them just where they are seeing that space is limited. I kind of like where they are. I'll show you guyz what I have in mind for the reservoir placement later. Pictures,...

 

I got a sheet of UV green acrylic!!! Sweet! It got a 4' x 8' sheet too!

 

I went to Home Depot and bought alot of stuff needed for my project. I got a huge 3/4" x 4' x 8' partical board that I had then cut in half for me. I am going to use that for my work surface. I also got sheet metal that I will use for the radiator shroud and for covering up the mobo and the back of my drives. I got 1/4" acrylic for my windows too. I had or am having some trouble with getting clamps for my hoses. I found the clamps that have a small screw at the top but the rings are to small for the hoses. I want the small screws instead of the big ones. I found these 2 clamps at Home Depot that have the small screw with a big enough ring but thats all they had. I only found 3 at Loews. They said they dont know where I got them from, they can't find them. So,... I have 5 and need like 11 more Anyways,... I installed the blocks and the hoses to connect the three blocks to see how they would fit and to see how much room they would take up. They take up more room then I thought. I have a find another place to put my reservoir because of it. Not a problem though. Here are some pictures,...

 

Here are some more pictures of my progress,...

My work area,...


My work table. I made this table just for this project. See the 2 x 3's bolted to the underside of the table,... I'm going to bend some sheet metal over the table and those 2 x 3's and use that are for bending acrylic.


Side panel half taped off,...


Side panel ready for markings,...


Marked with rounded corners,...


My snack,...


Window cut out,...


Rounded corner,...


Some of the tape peeling up,... not good, but not a problem.


Panel ready for filing,...


I sandwiched the panel between some 2 x 8's to and some long clamps to get it to stand striaght up and to cut down on vibration while filing.

 

Here are some pictures right before I screwed up the 1/4" acrylic.





Hobbes,... I have the 1/4" bit too. The collar on the bit is to low from the the bit cuts. So, if I was to run the collar along the edge of the acrylic I'm cutting(which is actually what I want), it wont round the edge enough. I need to lower the bit a little more to get a good round edge but if I do that the collar wont be touching the edge of the acrylic I am cutting. Thats why I had ran the collar along the other window. Now,... because I had to run the collar on the other window I needed a small space between the two windows so that the bit didnt cut the window that the collar is running along. I got some 1/8", I'm just going ot use that instead. I think it will be better anyways.

 

Some progress!!! Thank you god!!! I finished the windows!!! But,... a problem with the tint arose. There are alot fo bubbles around the edges. It's from the acrylic being so flexible. What is happening is that the acrylic is bowing out where the bolts are holding to the windows up to the side panel. I tried loosening them a bit but no cigar. What I am going to do is buy some of the adhesive tint. That should solve my problem easily. Here are some pictures,...

My waiste Theres like 2 - 3 attempts in there. I was cutting the two windows together so for every one mistake there was two. Oh well.


The two completed windows,... I taped them together this time around. It worked VERY well.


Here's the side panel after center punching one of the marks where a bolt will be.


One of my lovely rounded corners,...


Another rounded corner,...


One of the side panels complete and ready for a window,...


Ok,... here they are,... drum roll!



With a little uv something inside. The uv stuff will be much brighter once I have all 100 uv LEDs installed. Right now I am using two little uv flashlights. the overall look of it though will be dimmed like this though. This is exactly what I want. It's so HOT!





So what do you guyz think so far?

 

Ok! NOW I FINISHED THE WINDOWS!!! I went back to my acrylic shop, E&T Plastics and bought see through smoke colored acrylic, basically,... tinted acrylic. It cost me $56 for a 4' x 8' sheet. I just got done a bit ago with them. They are flawless! No deformities what so ever! No bubbles and there never will be! I love this stuff! I am going to use some more of it to make my radiator housing so that it matches the case. I still have the UV green acrylic too that I am going to use. Here are some pictures,...

Here's one side with a uv green fan lit up inside,...


UV green fan up close,...


Same fan farther away,...


From the side you can see how dark it gets when there is hardly anything lit up inside.


Ther other side of the computer along with the other window,...


Through the window but out in the open,...


The other side of the window,...

 

Ok,... here are some pictures. Not alot of progress because I spent alot of time trying to figure out how to build these housings. Well here are the pictures,...

Here are some pictures of the brackets I made and soldered to the radiators. Simple copper pipe that I had cut down to about a 1/4" each. Easy.




Here are the pictures of what is going to be my side panels for my radiator housings. I am using the scrap aluminum from when I cut out my windows for the case side panels. I taped them together so they could be cut together.





Heres a drawing I made to give you guyz an idea of what I am trying to accomplish with the radiator housings. IT is incomplete though. I left out the canopy that will protect the radiator cooling fins and hide them too. Maybe later I will make another drawing to show you what I mean.

 

Ok,... here are some more pictures. I jhust got down filing the radiator side panels. I still have to cut out windows for them.



Now check this out,... I was throwing around the idea of making the edges of all my side panels look like whats in the picture. They would all be jagged, serrated, and aluminum looking as in the picture except the edges for the side panels will be saned reall nice too. what do you think? Should I just leave the edges alone? I like it. I think it will clash nice with all the aluminum bolts that are holding up the windows.


Also,... I was going to name the case "Black Ice" but I decided not too, I think. I am not sure. So,... I need some suggestions for you guyz. I need something that is some what approriate to the cases design, even the case isnt done. But I am sure you guyz have a good idea of what it is goign to look like finished. So let me know and if I like it, I will use it! Post away,...

 

Here are some new pictures,...

A diagram I had drawn to help figure out how to bend 1/8" aluminum. After each bend I gain 1/16". I need to subract it from everything after each bend.


Here's the free aluminum cut to size,... Thanks Chris



Here are the bends I made,... the bends are dead on but the dimensions are off.



Here you can see that I'm about an 1/8" off.


But here you can see the bends are right on,...

 

It works! About time too! Check it out,...

Heres a shot of my bending rig that I just got done assembling today. I thought this up last night at work and then went shopping as soon as I got off, LOL.


You probably already know how I do it just from looking at these pics. Now,... these vise are somewhat,... crappy. They are ok but the pipe vise on these vises are crooked. I tried filing them straight but they are just way to crooked. Maybe I should of spent the extra $30 each and got the best model they had,......... NAH. So, instead of using the pipe vise portion of the vises,... I just rest the pipes where you see them now. They line up straight when clamped and I cant complain about that.


Heres a shot of a scrap piece clamped and already bent. I didnt use any heat.


Heres a side shot,... see the right angel aluminum? Thats how I know where the pipe is going to bend the aluminum.


Another shot from under,...


See the bend line,... the bend starts right after that line! Not a 16th or an 8th before and after, RIGHT AFTER.


Another shot of that bend line,... also you might be able to see where the pipe actaully squished the aluminum to much. I have to ease off the vise a bit.


Here you can see the radius line and the right angle that gets lined up with it.


So far it works very well. There is one thing I have to take care of and that would be to add a stopper or something to keep the work under the pipe from moving back while pulling forward to make the bend. No biggie. Tell me what you think.

 

OH MY GOD I FINISHED THE PRCATICE SHELL!!! IT'S PERFECT TOO!!! Look,...

This is after the first bend,...



Setting up for the second mark for the second bend,...



Clamped and ready to get bent


Bent,...


ALL FINSHED!!! Look how good it came out!!! SWEET!




I am now ready for the real aluminum. I am not going to to start that today and maybe not tomorrow either,... I have lots of drinking and clubbin to do alcoholic:. Till then!

 

The first housing shell is bent!!! Oh yea! Tell me what you think!








I have 3 sheets total that can be used to make these housing shells. I am making these shells slightly smaller then the side panels so that I can sand down the side panels flush with the shell. I think I will bend all 3 of them and then pick out the 2 best shells. This shell is about 97% accurate. While bending,... one side of each bend was slightly off. I dont know why. I had to pound those sides into shape. I am thinking that maybe it my bending pipes. I am going to get new ones before I start the other 2 shells. Anyways,... it's all good!

 

Just got finished with the second shell,...

My new bending bars,...


Cleaning up the edges trying to make sure I dont file to much in one spot. I need the edge as straight as possible.



Clamped and ready for the first bend.


After the the first bend,...



The second shell along with teh first shell.



The second shell is I think slightly larger, I think. The shells have no form so it hard to tell. But I do know there is a slight difference bewteen the two. Thats ok though seeing that I am not trying to split hairs here. The one thing that I might have to do is make new sie panels for these shells. I should of made the shells first and then made the side panels after. It would of been easier that way plus the side panels could be filed down to fit the shells perfectly. I think the side panels I have now are a tiny bit to small. Like I said before I think. Its hard to tell but I am pushing more towards YES, they are a bit to small. I have to make a third shell now. I want to see how that one comes out. The second shell was alot easier to make this time. I didnt have any problems with any sides of the bends having a slight bow to them. So I think the second one is more accurate, I think. Once I have the third made I will choose from the three the two I will use.

 

Ok,... I finished the third shell and here is what I got,...

Heres one side of shells 2 and 3 side by side,... you see how perfect they fit together. Thats what I am looking for.


Here the other side of 2 and 3.


Here are some aerial shot of 2 and 3. You see how they fit together? they look like one big shell.



Now heres shell 1 with shell 3,... explains itself. I knew shell 1 was messed up from the begining. I think it was because of the bending pipes.




Anyways,... I have to clean up these shells, trim the slack off that is. Then after that it will be time to make the new side panels. Till then,... OH and gruntman,... thanks for making me a sticky. Never been a sticky before *FEELS SPECIAL :=: *

 

Today was very repetitious But it all paid off Check it out,...

Here I am marking and cutting off my brackets,... 16 total


All of the brackets ready for drilling,...


Center punch for accuracy


Brackets installed to side panel,...



But,... it's kind of snug


I have to drill out the bolt holes a bit so I can adjust the brackets just a bit to relieve the shell. Just a bit though, the shell has to be forced into this position because right now it's slightly bowed from bending. My brackets are off by a hair. In the morning when I get home from work I will fix that and start the other panel. So far so good.

 

More pics and progress!!! I have to go to bed now but as soon as I get to work I will type out some comments.

Drilling holes through a side panel with a bracket.


Cutting off bolt slack,... just thought of something,... I still have to install a window for each side panel. Those bolts are going to be to short now, crap.


Housings almost complete.





My new fans. These suckers are nasty!

 

More pics,... and a VIDEO! I made a quick video of all 6 of my YS-Tech fans running. Pretty loud. Anyways,... today I got alot down but not,... I had cut out the holes for the radiators, what a pain.




The video.
http://images.gruntville.com/casegallery/albums/tribaloverkill/YS_Tech_Fans.wmv

 

I did some work today even though Im suppose to be spending time with my gurl,... shes sick though so she dont care. I got the radiators mounted inside the housings. Here are the pics,...