Scratch Build – In Progress Whaler's Heading, CM Modding Contest 2011 entry (4/25 Lighting test...)

We got home Tuesday, and this is amalgamated progress until then.



Reassembling my 470 for live testing with the setup...



My snortful helper here was keeping up with the shroud.

Now, for this next bit, I had to twist some arms. But...



A pair of something new!



My pumps on a set of MCR-Drive radiators. They combine rad, res and pump top/mount. Great for small space setups.



The reservoir end-these are sized to reach just as far down as a 25mm fan as well-making a very solid piece when fully assembled.



The second fillport, this will become important.



I'm about to do very, very bad and unexplainable things to this power supply. Well, unexplainable unless you know this board's secret.



Also, curse you 135mm fan.



And it's finally taking shape! More to come, of course, but all my calculations were correct.

I'm still recovering from major surgery on Friday, but I get something done each day. Tomorrow should see first cuts if all goes well.

 

The board dwarfs a 3x120?!?!? +rep for grinding off the pump mount lugs. I hate those things.
Your munchkin looked a little pissed about the fan shroud. "This is not warm, soft, or fuzzy! *humph!*"
Take it slow. We don't want to break you.

 

The board dwarfs 2 3x120s. Big board.

 

WOW, big board, coming along very well, I like it! What's the secret in the xfx board?

 

Recovery goes on, as does this case log. In fact...



Motherboard tray-plywood edition. 15 holes for standoffs and a hole for SATA routing.



The edges are profiled to ease routing, and the chunks will not be visible once the board is mounted-nor will this hole!



Mid-sanding...



Sanded and ready to go...



Stained ebony to match the case...



And standoffs installed. We're not done with this yet, but it'll be set aside for a bit while I work on another important part of the setup.



The chipset bare, with that stupid bubblegum paste on it. I really hate that stuff. Time to get rid of it.



This should do it...



nForce Professional 3600 MCP-brings back memories...



An one in sepia, befitting the age of this part.



Now testing clearance...



Clearance looks fine but the block's seen better days...



Screws and o-ring removed...



And it's bathtime in CLR. Even though the label says no brass or copper.



That side looks better...



Much better!



Cleaned, polished and reassembled. Shiny.



The block itself (Mips NF4 SLI chipset block, for those wondering.)



And a final vanity shot.

Today's progress is yet to begin, but I have a busy day on the docket here too. I really need to find that jigsaw...

 

Been a rough day, so no cuts, but some real progress anyway.

The handles on a sea chest are properly called beckets, and I needed a set if I was to make this anywhere near accurate, I'd need a set of my own. I just so happen to be handy with rope.

My snorty accomplice, however, was not up to the task. He tuckered out on me early.



Pressing on, the beckets start with axles, as modeled by Snort. They then have the rest of the handle built up by knotwork. Now, I don't have 6+ months to spend making 100% authentic beckets, so I improvised.



Running crown sinnets make up the sides of the becket. The axle is a pair of monkey fist knots with the interposing line doubled and then whipped.





Both sides done, now for the middle...



A larger crown sinnet, and the ends are whipped to hide the tie knots and give the becket a finished look. It's not perfect, but it's fast and looks pretty close to the original.



Cat break. You can also see my arthritic right hand clawing up on me. Before anyone says it, I know I'm skinny. I'm also pretty ill, so it comes with the territory.



And both beckets are ready for installation. That will probably come soon as I can find wood proper to use to attach them with.

More tomorrow, weather and God willing...

 

20 Years from now, that kid will be wondering about the collection of baby pictures with random objects.
The last pic set I saw like that was on a gun trader forum. The poster had a pic of a baby and a gun. -"Wife says I can only keep one."

 

This update is short, for reasons TBA after the update.



Soft white pine, ready for gluing/clamping...



Setting up...



And one becket stay filed to shape. It's not 100% perfect, but little would have been on a hastily made chest to get a sailor out to sea-he would have bought a chest with rope beckets and made his own knotwork ones himself on his own time over the up to three years at sea.

Why only one? Why so late? Well, yesterday Asher decided to have an episode of turning blue, so we're back in the hospital for a short stay. I may still get some modding done in and around it (we all need something to occupy our minds from time to time) but he should be home in a few days.

I'm almost able to go a full day without painkillers after having surgery a week ago. I consider that progress. Call it what you will.

Safe sailing until I get back, and if not, I'll see you in Fiddler's Green.

 

I'd say the kid is lazy!

Gonna follow this, seems like overkill which is right up my alley!

 

Agreed, if he's slacking I'd have him thrown off the team straight away

 

We're all back home, safe, happy and snorting. Was a simple BPD attack. Scary but manageable.

And with no further ado...



Both stays shaped properly...



and stained to match...



And black blobs on sticks...



New jigsaw!



The top hole cut, as well as most of the back done.



All right, it's chemistry lesson time. Fastest way to increase surface area on a waterblock using only household chemicals is...



First, water to passivate the reaction...



First we pour in ammonia to cover, plus a bit-not much, a millimeter or two over the top of the blocks.



Next, household peroxide. Trust me, this will be fun.



The solution starts to bubble...



Really going now...



Almost there...



And passivated out. Notice the blocks are darker?



And the base on #3 shows before on the left and after on the right. For comparison I disassembled my MIPS block.



One cleat on...



Remember our black blobs? They're plugs for countersunk holes. Just adds some completion in there.



The other side on...



And plugs in place.



The motherboard tray fits well enough...



As do the radiators. The tray needs to have some trimmed off the front though... Also, notice the PSU? There's only 12v wires. The board actually converts its own 5v and 3.3v onboard. Nifty, no?



Starting to come together...



And initial test fitment of the hard drive cage. It works well where it is, just needs to be trimmed down some. That'll get done in the next few days, so I can transfer off my info from my i7 machine, DBAN the drives ( I always do it, it just makes for cleaner installs from one OS to the other) and start assembling in the case.

Large update, but it's finally coming together now.

 

All right, back with more.

Sorry it's been a few days, we get a 5GB/month cap out where we live. We already made it for the month, so I had to borrow the library.

With no further ado...



Cutting corian for waterblock tops...



Drilled for screws...



Base mounted...



Pegs test fitting...



And it works. Yes, it's missing inlet/outlet. That comes in a bit.



More on my mounting there...



Two...



Three...



And all four mounted to the board. Picked up new screws today to mount the block tops to the bases with, so the pegs will fit more uniformly.



And mocked up with the chipset block. It's coming together, slowly but surely.



Legs for the monster...



Mounted-the hole in the base is one big intake. It intakes from the bottom and should exhaust from the rear when I finish that part up.



Tops drilled and tapped. Told you I would...



A pause to mock some things up...



If I run it this way, all fans are motherboard controlled...



And my top window-a 13x19 slab of 1/2" acrylic. In other words, coffee table material.

Well, today the weather isn't cooperating, but I should have more to show in a day or so. Up next is cutting and fitting the corian for the top, scrimshawing it and the block tops, and waiting on my fittings, tubing, VGA block, and lighting to come in. It's all tested, and it works just fine. Also, I have to figure out where to stuff my 2 1TB HDDs. Not as big an issue as it sounds, though. I think I already have the perfect place.

Remember, red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.

 

Somehow those corian blocks make me crave for white chocolate with nuts.

 

Subbed. I can almost smell that wooden chest.
Remember a dust filter for the huge intake hole in the bottom - you got a cat and all...

 

Gonna subscribe to this, I already get a epic feel. Hope you' health get better!

 

This is coming out awesome Kayin.

Great to see modding which isn't just individually sleeved cables...

[/RANT]

 

All right, I'm finally back, after a cracked bone in my arm and FTP wrangling-there is no rest for the wicked...



If you want your sleeving to look like rope, then you need rope. Or bricklayer's twine, as is the case here.



And it's on pretty tight, as you can see here.



The power supply, sleeved in twine. You'll notice the molex and sata connectors are sleeved as though they are knots...



More detail on that.



All the PSU leads whipped together to ease handling under the tray...



Rough cut to accept the motherboard tray and show how the interior is setup.



Giving the radiator the same treatment...



Test fitting as I go...



And more test fitting...



A mock-up of the view through the window...



And aging the beckets and sleeving. On a whaling vessel, all rope would have been tarred, and therefore all of this is coated with wood stain in a color approximating pine tar.



Without flash showing more of the true color, as well as showing the parts the stain wouldn't reach, just like a regular one.



Radiator sleeving coated...



The other side coated...



The PSU cables coated...



A scrimshawed water block, ready for leak testing...

And while I have a good bit more progress, I'll let this ride for a bit for an update. I may upload more later today.

 

This is insane. Really refreshing!

 

Awe, i am in it.

Absolutely loving the nautical details, especially the rope sleeving which is just genius!

Hope everything non-modding related keeps on the up for you

 

wow, how long did it take to sleeve all that? And how do you keep it from sliding around? (the mason string on the wires)