# Planning Project: OSIDIAS (SFF taken to the extreme)



## craigbru (Jul 6, 2009)

*Project: OSIDIAS (SFF taken to the extreme) It begins!*

Hey guys!  I though I'd take the time to repost the planning thread for my next project.  It's been an ongoing thread at bit-tech for several months now, but I thought I'd get you guys in the loop.  I apologize for the cheap copy and paste job I'm about to do.    

I'm also going to repost with everything unedited.  While some things may seem out of context, it's probably the best way to show the evolution of the project.  So, I hope you enjoy it, and I appreciate any comments you might have!

Feb. 6

Hey guys, I'm throwing around ideas for another new case...  I've been sketching up some ideas and wanted a little feedback.  Keep in mind that what you are about to see, is unfinished, and missing some key details.  However, I like the concept, but I want your opinions on how it all fits together.

Okay, here is the core of the case.  It's SFF of course, and it's damn tiny due to efficient space usage.  I'm planning a Asus matx X58, SLI, full size PSU, 4 full size hard drives, pico, and watercooled CPU in this little package.  Due to it's design, it should also run fairly cool.  As of now, I don't plan on deviating much from this except for details like adding mesh, or possibly windows.







I was then inspired by a RED camera cage I saw, and wanted to add a more industrial and sci-fi look to the case.  The following is what I came up with.  Of course it's subject to revision, but wasn't sure how it all fit together.
















Opinions?

Feb. 8

I've been playing around... what do you think of holes?  Or maybe some variation of this?






Okay, one more here.  I added vents to the side panels.  What do you think... too many holes?  They will have mesh behind them, with the exception of the most forward hole, that will have a window...






Feb.10

Well, I didn't have as much time as I had hoped for last night, but I did make a few small revisions.  I made the side window slightly smaller, and added another opening beside it.  Even thought the window is still larger than the rest of the openings, the spacing between them is consistent.  Also, I added matching holes the the 'cage'.  I'm unsure about the abundance of holes now, but I need the airflow.  There will also be mesh behind them, so they won't stand out as much as the vents, for example.  Speaking of mesh, I created some mesh with 1mm holes...  Lol, talk about a CPU killer!  I'll have to revise that...  






Now, this next part is just for Xtra.  He wanted to see the interior arrangement....





















Feb. 14

...and we have a name for this project... It will be OSIDIAS, and I've got to give my wife credit for coming up it. It's sad how much I concentrated on this trivial little detail, but I was convinced that I wanted something completely original. I think I've found it.

Over the last few days I've been making up a parts list. It's amazing how much aluminum will find it's way in to this box. I'm planning on making the outer shell out of a single piece of aluminum. I'll cut all the holes, then bend accordingly. Should be fun, huh? Also, as mentioned earlier, I'm going to braze all the parts together. This will free up any concerns about fastening parts together, and will guarantee a rock solid case. I also like the idea of no exposed fasteners anywhere on the case. This will be a new technique for me, and one that is rarely used in modding in general. I'm sure it's been done, but I can't name a project that incorporates it.

Feb. 16

I managed to get the interior tray about 90% finished over the weekend.  Here is a pic of what I've got so far.  Most of it will be bent out of a single piece, and the rest will be brazed together.






Another updated pic...


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## craigbru (Jul 6, 2009)

Feb. 20

Okay guys, I've been playing around with renders.  Since I'm using ViaCAD, Kerkythea isn't as easy to use as with Sketchup.  I've basically got to export a .dxf, and then import it into SketchUp.  However, when I do, not everything gets exported.  I'm not sure how to fix that yet, but I'll keep playing around with it.  So, the render below is missing a few components...






Feb. 28

Okay, I've got a small update here.  I've added the LCD to the front, and an Aquaero to the right side.  There's also a new reservoir on the rear, but I've got to finish a little tube routing before you see that.











I probably should have added a few comments.  The LCD is capable of rotation and swiveling.  Left, right, up down, and portrait/landscape.

One more thing... I've started to order a few parts...  

One more small update here.  I've finished the interior tubing layout.  Simple and efficient...






Mar. 3

I've got about 90% of the details finished on this case. I'm still tweaking though. Last night I managed to make a little more room for larger fans. Originally I was only planning on 25mm thick fans, now I've got room for my monster San Ace 1011's. This thing might have enough thrust to fly. I've also got to do a little more interior parts placement. The Pico-ITx was originally located on the lower right rear, but I've since added the Aquaero to that location. That means I need to find a new spot for the Pico. I'm also looking for room for a Multiswitch, and USB hubs. I'm also thinking of adding a single SSD to the system for my OS. That would make for a total 5 drives. A SSD for the OS, a pair of Velociraptors in raid 0 for games, a 750gb drive for data and backups, and another 750gb drive for the Pico.

Mar. 5

I've got a quickie ViaCAD render here.  No time for anything prettier, but I thought I'd show you the color scheme I'm likely going to use.  Although my Duality project may be postponed, I loved the colors enough to use them here.  Before settling on the orange, I ran through a rainbow of choices, and came back to this.  It just stands out.  :thumb:






Just a slightly better render...






Mar. 23

Okay, I'm sure you guys are tired of seeing all the lame render pictures in this thread...  I assure you, these are different though.  Dark~3nergy has put his talents to use for me, and created the following...
















Many thanks go out to D~3 for all his time!

Okay, thanks in part to partial inspiration from this thread, I came up with an idea I'm going to expand on.  I've long thought about having fun with transparent LCD's, but redders' thread made me consider it all over again.  So, it was time for a little experiment.  The following is a standard 7" LCD removed from it's housing, and with all backing and polarizing film removed.  What we have here, is what I intend to use as the side panel windows on OSIDIAS.  For lack of a better term, I'll call them active windows.  You can see that as long as there is a light source behind the LCD, dark objects and text is shown through.  Granted, colors would be washed out, but the concept is still sound...











This could be fun!

Apr. 22

It's been awhile since I've posted an update.  So, I figured I'd get you all up to speed on how I've been spending my time.  Project: Hutch will be getting some long overdue attention soon, but in the meantime, I've got some new hardware to play with.  Although I've not started an official log, there have been some parts arrivals for Project OSIDIAS.  

I've got an Asus Rampage GENE II, Intel i7 920, 6GB OCZ Platinum, and a SilverStone DA1000 PSU freshly delivered.  I'll be pairing the new parts with my existing EVGA GTX 260's.  There may be a video card switch in the near future, but I'm using what I already have for the moment.  Also arriving shortly, will be a slot load Blu-ray drive.  All the above parts will be the heart of OSIDIAS, and I'll have a running system long before the project is actually finished.

So, how about a few hardware pics?































As of now, I've got most of my software and games installed.  Although I've only been using the hardware a short while, I can tell you this...  It's the best hardware combination I've ever used.  Everything is rock-solid, and I've not had a single error or glitch in two weeks of a fresh Vista 64 install.  I'm really looking forward to getting the CPU on water and hitting the overclocks.  Stay tuned!

May 11

Just a non-update update here...  In between all of other miscellaneous projects (including current, but not log-updated Project: Hutch), I've been giving OSIDIAS's design a slight tweaking.  One of the benefits of delaying the start of a project, is that it allows new and alternative ideas to come out.  Ideas that may not have been possible if work was already underway.  One of the things I realized, is that I may need to find away to attach all the ribs to the interior of the case.  They will need to slide out with the motherboard tray.  This will require them to be mounted to easily removable frames of their own.  It's not really a big deal, but will require some interior redesign.  I've also found the need to widen the case itself by a single centimeter.  That change alone allowed for the following...

The biggest idea came to me as a sat at my desk listening to the whine of the fan on the Via pico-itx board in the Rogue.  I've got no way to quantify it, but it seems lightly louder than before.  So, I've decided to 'Langer-ize" it.  In Jesse's outstanding Prometheus log, I suggested the possible use of a Cooler Master Aquagate Viva for watercooling the pico.  Well, I'm now taking my own advice.  I've found room for a secondary watercooling loop...  Utilizing the Viva's pump and radiator, as well as some very creative parts placement, will allow me to ramp the insanity up another notch.  Stay tuned for updated sketches...


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## craigbru (Jul 6, 2009)

I've been pretty busy lately, but I thought I'd show you one of my interior revisions.  I've changed the internal supports to something a little stronger, and changed the layout slightly.  In addition, the case is now able to fit most any rad up to 56mm in depth.  Also, I've made room for the second radiator (Aquagate) for cooling the Pico, a 3rd fan over the video cards, and finally room for my Wintsch Labs peltier block.  I've got to draw the block in CAD yet, but it should fit.  Once I get that done I can get the tube routing planned out.  More to come!


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## craigbru (Jul 6, 2009)

Well, that pretty much get everything up to speed here. If you've got any questions about the blanks, post up, and I'll answer them.

Although I had planned on making the case out of aluminum, I'm now looking in to carbon fiber instead... This should prove interesting...


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## craigbru (Jul 6, 2009)

I just can't stop revising...  I was looking at the newly added 70mm radiator, and I got to thinking... It's just not big enough.  Granted it's plenty for the Pico, but what if I ditch the idea of watercooling it, and add another radiator to the main system?  Well, with a few small revisions, I now have room for a X-Flow 240.  Why the X-Flow?  I'll need to relocate the G1/4 fittings, and this rad would allow the most workable solution.  I won't be able to fit 120mm fans on the second radiator, but I'll make sure it does get some air.  Details are to be worked out on that yet...


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## craigbru (Jul 6, 2009)

Here is what I'm planning on using for the case itself.  You can't go wrong with carbon fiber, right?











Since the case will be formed out of a single piece of material, I'll be experimenting with some reverse molding and vacuum bagging techniques.  It's either going to be the coolest thing ever, or a colossal failure.  I can't wait!


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## King Wookie (Jul 6, 2009)

I watch with great anticipation.

Subscribed.


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## MRCL (Jul 6, 2009)

This should be very very interesting. I love project logs!


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## Gzero (Jul 6, 2009)

My worry would be that in the long term, the fans would get clogged with dust, and since it's uber cramped, you might have a hard time cleaning.


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## BrooksyX (Jul 6, 2009)

Looks like a sweet project.

Subscribed!


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## craigbru (Jul 6, 2009)

King Wookie said:


> I watch with great anticipation.
> 
> Subscribed.



Thanks man!



MRCL said:


> This should be very very interesting. I love project logs!



Thank you!  Well, who doesn't love project logs?  



Gzero said:


> My worry would be that in the long term, the fans would get clogged with dust, and since it's uber cramped, you might have a hard time cleaning.



Of course dust is always a concern.  However, this should be much easier to take care of from a maintenance and cleaning standpoint than my last rig...

Project: Rogue











I managed to fit an SLI ATX motherboard in a NZXT Rogue mATX case, along with 5 hard drives, 2 radiators, secondary Pico ITX system, peltier waterblock, and secondary Meanwell 600 watt PSU...  So, cramming stuff in small spaces is kind of my thing.

Before the Rogue, I built a rig based on the SilverStone SG01.






























BrooksyX said:


> Looks like a sweet project.
> 
> Subscribed!




Thank you!


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## Th0rn0 (Jul 6, 2009)

fuck me. Please... You have a really eye for modding. Its beautiful.


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## MKmods (Jul 6, 2009)

Thanks for posting this here (I hate wandering all over to see ur stuff)

+1 on the Carbonfiber (the more you use it the better you get at it so do a few smaller brackets first)

I havent bought from them yet but here is a cool place for different colors of CF
http://compositeenvisions.com/?zenid=02c14d3f93ab4267f412dd64d40c544c


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## Cold Storm (Jul 6, 2009)

Oh man, that stuff looks Sick! All the mods! Your mini cases are.... Drop jaw... Thanks for showing it to us!


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## craigbru (Jul 6, 2009)

Th0rn0 said:


> fuck me. Please... You have a really eye for modding. Its beautiful.



Lol, thanks.



MKmods said:


> Thanks for posting this here (I hate wandering all over to see ur stuff)
> 
> +1 on the Carbonfiber (the more you use it the better you get at it so do a few smaller brackets first)
> 
> ...



Yeah, I am spread about quite a bit.  That's one of the biggest reasons I started hosting my logs on my own site.  Then I go ahead and register for more forums anyway... lol.  I love the feed back though, so it's all worth it.  Plus, I get to meet great people I otherwise wouldn't have.  

Oh, and that site is where I grabbed the CF pics from.  I'll likely get the orange fiber there, and shop around for the other.  I'll find something to practice on, because I intend to do the case shell in a single piece.  I don't think I want to jump right in to that.



Cold Storm said:


> Oh man, that stuff looks Sick! All the mods! Your mini cases are.... Drop jaw... Thanks for showing it to us!



Thank you very much!  I'm just honored that you like them!


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## EnergyFX (Jul 7, 2009)

Awesome!


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## Gzero (Jul 7, 2009)

Side note, I love your case designs, even if they are a little small for my tastes xD

Asus and Coolermaster should take note.

How much does it cost you to put these things together (not including cost of paints and tools)?


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## Mark_Hardware (Jul 7, 2009)

My hat's off to you, my man. You have far more patience than I. I would go nuts trying to fit all that stuff into a small space.


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## craigbru (Jul 7, 2009)

EnergyFX said:


> Awesome!



Thanks mate!



Gzero said:


> Side note, I love your case designs, even if they are a little small for my tastes xD
> 
> Asus and Coolermaster should take note.
> 
> How much does it cost you to put these things together (not including cost of paints and tools)?



I love the challenge of lots of hardware in a small space.  Believe it or not, the Rogue project weighed over 80 pounds.  

The Rogue was definitely my most expensive project, and I didn't keep a hard tally, but it was in the thousands.  There just happened to be a lot of expensive hardware in the case.  OSIDIAS on the other hand, will be cheaper.  It's technically more complex, but I'm able to use some hardware I already have.  Things like reusing the pico itx saves me hundreds already.  I've also managed to secure some great deals on other hardware.  In fact, the priciest parts I've yet to buy, will be the Aquaero VFD and multiswitch, as I'll likely have to purchase from AC and have them shipped over.  No US vendor is currently carrying any.



Mark_Hardware said:


> My hat's off to you, my man. You have far more patience than I. I would go nuts trying to fit all that stuff into a small space.



Planning is where it's at.  In this project tolerances are measured literally in mm.  I've revised the plans so many times, it's amazing.  There's always something to improve.  This is a complete departure from how I approached the Rogue.  That project was planned mostly on the fly.  When I started, it was much simpler, then kept snowballing on me.  Things like the peltier cooling, and pico wheren't even in the original plan.


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## MKmods (Jul 22, 2009)

Ok ur back from vacation, now get back to work


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## craigbru (Jul 22, 2009)

Haha, leave it to you to call me out Mark...  Don't you have some LED's to solder or something?


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## steelkane (Jul 22, 2009)

Sweet looking builds


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## MKmods (Jul 22, 2009)

craigbru said:


> Haha, leave it to you to call me out Mark...  Don't you have some LED's to solder or something?



Im really looking forward to the day we both can attend a LAN and just hang out


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## craigbru (Jul 22, 2009)

steelkane said:


> Sweet looking builds



Thanks man!  



MKmods said:


> Im really looking forward to the day we both can attend a LAN and just hang out



Next year buddy, next year.  I've already told the wife, and she's cool with it as long as there is sunshine for her.  I'm ready for my own project.  Nothing against my slow-in-progress Hutch build, but I need to get more creative, and unfortunately that requires my own fundage.


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## craigbru (Aug 23, 2009)

As the beginning of this project gets closer, I've been receiving a steady stream of parts and materials.  Of those parts and materials, the carbon fiber is probably the most integral.  With it, I'm hoping to take what I hope is a pretty cool concept to begin with, and take it to the next level.  While there are many cases made of aluminum or even wood, a case constructed of carbon fiber is a much rarer occurrence.  Fellow modders Langer, MKmods, jhanlon303, and rendermandan, have all worked with it in some capacity, and I owe them credit for inspiring me to use it here as well.  With that in mind, I went ahead and ordered an orange carbon fiber/kevlar blend.  This particular fiber will be used for the side panels and ribs on OSIDIAS.

So, without further delay...






And one more pic...






More to come!


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## Cold Storm (Aug 23, 2009)

Long time no post!! Glad to see that stuff is coming in man!! really glad! can't wait to see it all come in and off to modding! nice stuff! Looks like what MK was getting for his set up...


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## YinYang.ERROR (Aug 23, 2009)

Wow... that is the best lanbox design I have ever seen.


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## craigbru (Aug 23, 2009)

Cold Storm said:


> Long time no post!! Glad to see that stuff is coming in man!! really glad! can't wait to see it all come in and off to modding! nice stuff! Looks like what MK was getting for his set up...



Lol, yeah, it has been a little while.  Things have been a little hectic around home, but I think I'm finally caught up now.  The carbon fiber should be exactly like what Mark is getting.  He even bought it from the same supplier.



YinYang.ERROR said:


> Wow... that is the best lanbox design I have ever seen.



Thanks man!  That is mighty high praise indeed!


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## Cold Storm (Aug 23, 2009)

craigbru said:


> Lol, yeah, it has been a little while.  Things have been a little hectic around home, but I think I'm finally caught up now.  The carbon fiber should be exactly like what Mark is getting.  He even bought it from the same supplier.



Hey, I'm glad that everything is good now man. Glad to hear it!


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## craigbru (Aug 24, 2009)

Cold Storm said:


> Hey, I'm glad that everything is good now man. Glad to hear it!



I'm actually ready for the cooler weather.  I know some hate the thought of winter, but it's really the best time for me to mod.  It's too freaking cold to do anything else!


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## Cold Storm (Aug 25, 2009)

craigbru said:


> I'm actually ready for the cooler weather.  I know some hate the thought of winter, but it's really the best time for me to mod.  It's too freaking cold to do anything else!



ME, I can spend hours and hours in the work deep freezer working in there... I guess it's because I love being quite.. But I do love the cold weather. TO bad, I live in a Tropical Climate... lol


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## craigbru (Aug 25, 2009)

Now, this is completely off-topic, but how many of you have visited my site lately? Not only is it always updated first, but I posted about an upcoming experiment... I'm getting set up to do live streaming from the workshop. I'm not entirely sure how successful it might be. Heck, it might even be a complete distraction. I thought it sounded like fun though. For now, I'll send out messages via my @craigbru twitter account when I stream. My plan is to be tested and tweaked in time for the beginning of this project. Stay tuned!


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## Cuzza (Aug 26, 2009)

ignorant n00b question, what is the picoITX for? btw yes I have visited your site briefly. it gives me visions of my life descending into an orgy of compulsive modding


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## craigbru (Aug 26, 2009)

Cuzza said:


> ignorant n00b question, what is the picoITX for? btw yes I have visited your site briefly. it gives me visions of my life descending into an orgy of compulsive modding



There's no such thing as an ignorant question man!  

The pico-itx is used as a secondary system. In my last mod, I used it as a dedicated file server.  In OSIDIAS, it will have multiple roles.  It will be a file server, as well as being dedicated to control and monitoring of the main system.  The touch screen on the front belongs to the pico.  Fan speeds, temps, HD space, CPU usage, lighting, and even main system power and shutdown will be controlled and monitored by the pico.

As far as the orgy of compulsive modding... just give in and do it!


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## CyberDruid (Aug 26, 2009)

I gotta get some render experience. Is that Solidworks?


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## craigbru (Aug 26, 2009)

CyberDruid said:


> I gotta get some render experience. Is that Solidworks?



The images were rendered by my friend Dark~3nergy at bit-tech.  To be honest, I don't recall what he used to render them.  I've used Kerkythea and the render engine in Shark FX myself, but I'm pretty noob at it.


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## Cuzza (Aug 26, 2009)

craigbru said:


> The pico-itx is used as a secondary system. In my last mod, I used it as a dedicated file server.  In OSIDIAS, it will have multiple roles.  It will be a file server, as well as being dedicated to control and monitoring of the main system.  The touch screen on the front belongs to the pico.  Fan speeds, temps, HD space, CPU usage, lighting, and even main system power and shutdown will be controlled and monitored by the pico.



Wow, just thinking of trying to set all that stuff up gives me nightmares. How will you network it to the main system? What OS will it run? Do they both run off the same power supply?


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## craigbru (Aug 27, 2009)

Cuzza said:


> Wow, just thinking of trying to set all that stuff up gives me nightmares. How will you network it to the main system? What OS will it run? Do they both run off the same power supply?



It will be networked internally via USB ethernet, and I plan on running Win 7 assuming it plays nice with the Via hardware.  Otherwise it's going to be running good ol' XP as it is now.  It's really a great candidate for Linux, but software compatibility issues arise...  

I'll have an Aqua Computer Aquaero and multiswitch that are handling most of the monitoring and switching duties.  Both systems will be run off the main PSU.  This will allow the watercooling system to run separately of the the main system.


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## Cuzza (Aug 27, 2009)

Hmmm sounds cool, OK I'll take your word for it.

(off topic - sorry) Regarding running XP on the Via board, my Via nano-ITX board is on its way and planning to load up XP initially, anything I need to watch out for, driver issues that you may have had, etc? (see my sega P-log)


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## craigbru (Aug 27, 2009)

Installing XP was pretty straight forward.  I just grabbed the newest drivers from Via's site, and was good to go.  You don't need to go to any other vendor site, so that's convenient.


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## craigbru (Sep 18, 2009)

Despite the lack of 'real' work done on this project, I've still been collecting a steady stream of parts.  One of the most anticipated of these parts arrived in a box from Aqua Computer in Germany.  Inside was the electronic heart of OSIDIAS.  These parts will be responsible for monitoring almost every electrical aspect of the case.  From fan speeds, to temp monitoring, to lighting, and even powering up and down.  Although I've got much detailed planning to do to make this all happen, I'm looking forward to the challenge.

So, what did I get?  Here are all the parts laid out for inspection.







One of the most critical parts, is this Multiswitch.  It is controlled via USB through the Aquasuite software.  This will be the electrical switching station for anything having on/off requirements.  The lighting would be a good example of this.






Next up is the new Aquacover for the DDC pump.  All specs aside, it was just too damn good looking not to throw in the system.






Now we have the new flow sensor and inline temperature sensor.  Both of these parts are very high flow, and low restriction.






And finally, we have a VFD Aquaero.  This is really the brains of the operation.  Everything starts here.  All monitoring and control runs through here and the Aquasuite software via USB.  The Aquaero will be linked to the secondary Via pico-itx system, and a touchscreen LCD.  These components working together will allow seamless and automated system control and monitoring.






One last thing worth mentioning, is the Powerbooster modification made to the Aquaero.  This addition is a special cooling block and a small hardware modification of the Aquaero which will allow you to use a Laing pump on fan channel 1. The other three channels will be able to handle 15W instead of 10W.  This increases the available overall power to 45W.  It's more than enough in my case.  






Now, to go play with some hardware...


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## Cuzza (Sep 18, 2009)

Damn, that stuff looks pricey! But very high quality. I take it with the software evrything is programmable through the multiswitch? Maybe you can have the lights go on when it reaches a certain temperature stuff like that? I like...

BTW, I did what you said and downloaded the VIA drivers, had some issues initially but I think that was to do with service pack installations so I tried again and it all worked the second time, took some messing around to get widescreen res going (had me worried for a while! no widescreen = shit!) but all good in the end. And I am rather surpised just how capable the VIA C7 system is, all round very responsive and great media playback


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## Cold Storm (Sep 18, 2009)

Looking good man! I'm going to have to shoot ya a pm on the multiswitch.

 

Can't wait for it to start coming together.


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## craigbru (Dec 19, 2009)

There's a funny thing that happens when you are planning a project way longer than you had anticipated.  Changes.  Changes happen.  Many changes actually.  Although I've stood by the basic form factor I had first envisioned, things have been in a constantly evolving state.  A tweak here, a tweak there, in the ongoing pursuit of perfection.  Every last detail is being planned and thought out in advance.  Just when I think I've got it nailed, another idea pops in to my head, and I'm revising again.  Now, I can't keep this up forever, and I'll soon have to commit to a design plan, but until that happens I'm going to have a little fun.

So why the rambling intro?  Well, I've got another idea.  This one is slightly more costly, slightly more unique, and way more insane. In fact, this sort of thing wouldn't even have been very economically feasible even a year or two ago.  What sort of thing am I referring to?  UMPC's... Yes, why stop at 2 systems in a single machine, when you can have 3.  Do I have your attention now?

Here's what I'm thinking...  As OSIDIAS stands right now, I've already got a 7" touchscreen on the front.  This screen was to act as the control interface for the pico-itx system, which in turn monitors and controls almost every aspect of the main system.  If I replace that touchscreen with a UMPC linked via a wireless connection to the pico, I can retain the same functionality through software.  The biggest advantage then, is the ability to remove the UMPC and control the system remotely.  On top of that, I've got still got all the original functions of the UMPC itself.  Overkill?  Nah, there's no such thing!  So, stay tuned for updates as the plan gets revised and implemented.  Insanity has reached a new level...

I suppose you want to see the UMPC I plan on using, huh?    






http://www.myviliv.com/eng/product/x70ex.asp


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## craigbru (Jan 15, 2010)

I really need to make an update here!  The Viliv has arrived, and I'll be doing a video review of it shortly.  In the meantime, I've been playing with other ideas.  You see, with the addition of the UMPC for system monitoring, I needed a reliable way to relay information to it.  I have been toying with bluetooth, but have a 2 device limit on networking them.  So, wi-fi was the next obvious choice.  That brought it's own set of issues.  The pico must always be on and networked, the main system may not always be, and the Viliv must also always be networked.  I also want to ensure the Viliv and pico always have internet access.  Not that big of a deal, right?  Well, Samurize needs static IP's for relaying information, and while that is great for home use, what about when I go to a LAN?  The IP's are subject to change, and that would throw everything off.

So, what's the fix?  How do I get static IP's?  The easiest way is to use an access point, in this case, a wireless one.  Everything is wireless capable anyway, so I can assign each adapter it's own IP, and they won't change regardless of where the system goes.  That's where this comes in to play...  It's the smallest AP available.






Okay, with that out of the way, I have 3 devices inside of OSIDIAS that need ethernet connections.  The main system, the pico, and the access point.  That leaves the need for a switch.  This unit from Bytecc is the absolute smallest I could find.  Everything must be internal!






Believe it or not, I've found room for both of those components inside the case without inhibiting airflow...  When I get a chance I'll get some updated pics posted.  Stay tuned!


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## craigbru (Jan 19, 2010)

I had a little time over the weekend, so I thought I'd make something special for everyone that has been following this project.  This is a video walkthrough of OSIDIAS.  It explains how some of the components fit together, and I cover some of the design basics.  Although I've left out a few details, I think you'll understand the project a little better.  Enjoy!

http://www.vimeo.com/8832516


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## Bo$$ (Jan 19, 2010)

very nice


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## craigbru (Jan 19, 2010)

Thanks mate!


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## Thrackan (Jan 20, 2010)

craigbru said:


> It will be networked internally via USB ethernet, and *I plan on running Win 7 assuming it plays nice with the Via hardware.  *Otherwise it's going to be running good ol' XP as it is now.  It's really a great candidate for Linux, but software compatibility issues arise...
> 
> I'll have an Aqua Computer Aquaero and multiswitch that are handling most of the monitoring and switching duties.  Both systems will be run off the main PSU.  This will allow the watercooling system to run separately of the the main system.



I dunno what chipset it is, but my old Jetway VIA C7 board was perfectly supported by win7. Much better than by winXP.

(and yes, this is a sneaky way of saying "subscribed")


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## craigbru (Jan 20, 2010)

Thrackan said:


> I dunno what chipset it is, but my old Jetway VIA C7 board was perfectly supported by win7. Much better than by winXP.
> 
> (and yes, this is a sneaky way of saying "subscribed")



Although this thread isn't that long, I posted that quite some time ago.  I did install W7 on the pico, and it did indeed tun very well.  Amazingly well, as a matter of fact.  I did run in to a few issues with the MIMO touch screen drivers however, and had to revert back to XP.  I've since ditched the MIMO for the Viliv UMPC and it's changed my whole internal network idea.  So, I'll likely switch it back to W7.

(Thanks for subscribing!)


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## Cold Storm (Jan 20, 2010)

Can't wait for the walk threw Craigbru!!


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## craigbru (Jan 20, 2010)

Cold Storm said:


> Can't wait for the walk threw Craigbru!!



Thanks man!  

(You mean this?  http://www.vimeo.com/8832516 )


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## Cold Storm (Jan 20, 2010)

craigbru said:


> Thanks man!
> 
> (You mean this?  http://www.vimeo.com/8832516 )



Lol.. I mean watch it..


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## craigbru (Jan 20, 2010)

Cold Storm said:


> Lol.. I mean watch it..



Lol, alrighty then.


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## craigbru (Feb 6, 2010)

Well, disturbed13 at bit-tech managed to pry an upcoming sponsor out of me...

So, since the surprise is out there, I might as well make the official announcement.  I've been speaking with Ron Rogers of Romaxx CNC, and he's been generous enough to sponsor a HS-1 machine ready to run.  I'll be using the machine on this project, as well as any future projects where applicable.







The HS-1 is a very solid tabletop CNC, and will be able to handle most any job I throw at it.  I wanted to work with Romaxx for several different reasons.  The first of which is the standards by which their machines are built.  There's no doubt they are solid.  The second is the support Romaxx offers after the sale.  They stand by their machines, and are quick to take care of any issues should they arrive.  Lastly, there is a pretty good community of users on the Romaxx forums that are willing to help and share their experience.  All of these things added up to make it an easy decision for me.  

I'll keep everyone updated on the machine's arrival, and I'll certainly post pics as soon as I can!


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 6, 2010)

interesting build so far, subscribed.


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## craigbru (Feb 6, 2010)

Thanks!  I know I've said it several times before, but I really will be starting actual construction soon!


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## Cuzza (Feb 6, 2010)

tabletop CNC? i didn't know such things existed. will have to read up on this


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## craigbru (Feb 10, 2010)

Cuzza said:


> tabletop CNC? i didn't know such things existed. will have to read up on this



Yes, with the Romaxx, it's small enough to be able to fit easily in the workshop, yet be able to handle most anything I throw at it.  I'm trying so hard to be patient while I wait for it to arrive...


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## craigbru (Mar 16, 2010)

Are you guys ready for this?

Well, it's finally arrived!  Thanks to Ron Rogers of Romaxx for making this possible.  What you are about to see is the unboxing of a shiny new HS-1 CNC router.  

This machine is considered a tabletop CNC, and as such, doesn't take up a lot of space.  Since I work primarily in small form factor, this will fit 99% of every need I have.  Even though it's a compact design, this thing arrived to me in a 125 pound box.  105 pounds of that is the machine itself.  If weight is any indicator of strength, then this thing is a beast.  

So, shall we look at a few pics of this thing?

The box...











Let's crack this thing open.  It's definitely well packed, and bolted through the bottom of the crate.









































That's it for now, but I'll follow up once the machine is setup in the shop.  Until then!


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## [I.R.A]_FBi (Mar 16, 2010)

u run it with auto cad or something?


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## craigbru (Mar 16, 2010)

You would design a part in CAD or a similar program.  Then you have to export that drawing to software that can translate it to g-code (machine language) for the toolpathing.  After that the g-code gets run through software that actually translates the g-code and controls the machine.


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## Thrackan (Mar 16, 2010)

Would be great if you could make a little movie clip of the machine working


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## craigbru (Mar 16, 2010)

Thrackan said:


> Would be great if you could make a little movie clip of the machine working



It will have it's own webcam, and I'll live stream it when it's running.  How's that?  

http://losias.net/losias-live/


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## Thrackan (Mar 16, 2010)

Good shit


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## ERazer (Mar 16, 2010)

woot sub


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## Thrackan (Mar 16, 2010)

Btw craig, give a shout here when you start streaming, kay?


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## craigbru (Mar 16, 2010)

ERazer said:


> woot sub







Thrackan said:


> Btw craig, give a shout here when you start streaming, kay?



I'll definitely do that.


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## craigbru (Mar 30, 2010)

While I know everyone is anxiously waiting to see the CNC running, I needed to take care of a few small details first.  One of those details involved a custom misting solution for cutting aluminum.  Why mist?  Well, for the work I have to do it can be just as effective as flood, yet it's so much easier.  I should say it's easier, only if you can find a workable and convenient way to implement it.

I have been doing some research into CNC misting techniques, and most of the options are geared towards commercial applications, and are quite expensive.  I wasn't really willing to spend $300 on something I was convinced I could do myself.  Since I'm a modder, it only made sense to mod a homebrew solution.  Many hours were spent Googling anything that misted, before I came across the mention of using an airbrush as an option.  I tried to find where someone had actually followed through using this method, and came up with nothing.  So, I figured I might as well be the first.  Even if I'm not, I'm hoping my methods and documentation will make it easier for others to find and implement themselves.

Now, before any fabrication could begin, I needed an airbrush and dedicated on-demand compressor.  Amazon came through with this nicely outfitted kit.
















Okay, well, now that I've got the airbrush, I need to find a way to get it mounted to the Romaxx machine.  Since the mister needs to follow the mill bits as they cut through the material, it was obvious that it needed to be attached to some location near the spindle.  It just so happens that there were some unused spindle mounting locations that would be perfect.  So, I just needed to come up with a workable bracket of some kind.  Not only did the bracket have to hold the airbrush securely, but it couldn't interfere with any machine operation whatsoever.  I needed full X, Y, and Z operation with no limits or restrictions.  I broke out the cardboard and started experimenting.  This got me in the ballpark...






Since I was satisfied I had a workable idea, I committed it to metal...






I love bending things, so the newly cut bracket received some attention.






With the cutting of a few well placed slots, and the help of some rubber o-rings, the brush and it's coolant reservoir were attached to the bracket.  I used a simple mounting method for two reasons.  Ease of maintenance, the ability to have flexible mount points should some unforeseen interference occur.  






So, let's get this bracket mounted!  You can see how cleanly it sits in it's location.  It's also easily adjustable for height.











There is plenty of room for travel with no interference.






Now finally, here are a few pics of the machine as assembled and ready to run.
















All that I've got left to do is make sure I'm set for live streaming, and I'm ready to cut.  If I can find a good material hold down solution, I'll give it a go tonight.  (Yes, I'll likely be getting the aluminum top w/ mounting holes soon.)


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## Loosenut (Mar 30, 2010)

Beautiful setup on the mister, can't wait to see it in operation


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## craigbru (Mar 30, 2010)

Thanks!  I've cycled it through a few dry runs without issues, so I'm hoping the real thing is just as effortless.


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## craigbru (Apr 2, 2010)

Hey guys, I did a live streaming test tonight on a dry run.  I was having mic issues that have since been fixed.  I was also experimenting with a dual webcam setup just to test it's feasibility.  I'm not sure what I'll do with a second cam, but as you see, it's certainly possible to use one.  

http://www.livestream.com/losiastechnologies/video?clipId=pla_06b67ff8-9601-4a51-bfd2-6283ae9d8f69


(If you happen to get an irritating overlay on the bottom of the video, just pause and start again, and it should go away.)


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## Cuzza (Apr 9, 2010)

Nice Craig, it's going to look good when you actually do some cutting.


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## Solaris17 (Apr 9, 2010)

dude this cant even be real this is insane. OMG that case in your avatar is beautiful. You should hurry up and make like a billion so by the 20th of this month I can have someone get one for me. Seriously This is amazing work. I hope they go mainstream. I would love to get one for when I do mATX reviews.


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## craigbru (Apr 9, 2010)

Cuzza said:


> Nice Craig, it's going to look good when you actually do some cutting.



Thanks mate!  I've not had time to do cutting, as I've had other things to take care of this week.  I have made a few more purchases for the machine though.  I've just spent way to much money on some Vectric software for it, as well as a new vacuum table that should be arriving soon.




Solaris17 said:


> dude this cant even be real this is insane. OMG that case in your avatar is beautiful. You should hurry up and make like a billion so by the 20th of this month I can have someone get one for me. Seriously This is amazing work. I hope they go mainstream. I would love to get one for when I do mATX reviews.



Thanks man!  Part of the reason it's taken me so long to start, and part of the reason for the machine, is to make this case able to be duplicated.  Anytime hand labor is involved, time goes though the roof.  Some may think it's cheating a little, but hopefully I've paid my dues with past projects.    There are indeed even further changes I could make that would simplify the whole building process, but aren't what I want to do for this first case.  So, we'll see how much labor this ends up being before we talk about mass production.


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## Valenciente (Apr 9, 2010)

I've been following some of your other project logs, and they've all been amazing and truly epic.
This looks no different.

I also truly adore that "tiny" CNC, it looks both wicked and cute!

Subscribed, and looking forward to further progress.


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## craigbru (Apr 10, 2010)

Thanks man!  I've got a small update below...

Okay guys, since I have a habit of never being satisfied... I made a few changes to my CNC router.  After my dry run with the picture in picture webcams, I started thinking about how cool it would be to add one of the cameras near the spindle itself.  I thought it could capture the mill bit working as I machined.  Well, in order to make this happen, I went ahead and got a $10 camera from newegg, and set out to find it a home.  

I knew I had to get it as close to the spindle as possible, yet there could be no interference in the machine operation or safety.  This was a must.  The machine comes first, and these little extras second.  So, as I was poking around with the cam, one thing became clear.  My new mister bracket wasn't going to cooperate.  I could either ditch the idea of a camera, or redesign the bracket.  Well, I chose to make a new bracket.  It is greatly simplified over the other one, but required the flexible metal shaft from a donor lighter.  This shaft was the key to making everything work, as only this, a piece aluminum angle were going to be used in the new design.  After a short while, the new bracket was in place, and I could move on the mounting the camera.  This was even easier.  I just needed a small aluminum triangle and a rubber washer...  I removed the camera's original mount, and attached the aluminum.  I then bolted the bracket to a free hole behind the spindle, and I was in business.  So, shall we get on to a few pics?

Here you can see an overall pic of the machine.  The new mister bracket, and the webcam behind the spindle are visible.







A little closer...











A few more closeups...





















As you can see, there are no clearance issues of any kind.  The machine is still just as easy to maintain, and I don't foresee any issues.  Now all I need to do is get something cut!


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## craigbru (Apr 19, 2010)

I managed to make a few cuts today guys.  I was having a z-axis plunge problem which you will see in the first video in particular.  (I've got videos 2 and 4 linked below).  Apparently it's an occasional problem with Mach 3.  I did manage to get it sorted though, and got all my cutting done.  Take a look!

http://www.livestream.com/losiastechnologies/video?clipId=pla_8804960c-6617-45ac-9489-a1e822fd22be

http://www.livestream.com/losiastechnologies/video?clipId=pla_0aaba4ad-01c2-422b-9d44-c4d584e05332


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## craigbru (Apr 23, 2010)

I came home from work today to find a nice sized box on my front porch.  Inside was one of the last items I needed for setting up my Romaxx CNC machine.  It was a VT6040 vacuum table that I had purchased from ebay seller dcad100.  It measures 24.0”x16.5” x 0.8125", and was the perfect size for my machine.  The vacuum table will allow me to hold parts in place without clamping.  Should I need to clamp things anyway, there are M6 holes on the table that should easily allow this.

So, should we take a look at the table?  Here it is as it arrived to me.






Opening the box revealed a very well packed table.






The table also came with a the necessary tubing for hooking up to a 2" vacuum line.






Also included was a solid rubber mat for blocking off unused holes during vacuuming, and a holed rubber mat that sits below parts that are being cut.  The holed mat not only allows transfer of suction, but will help keep the end mill just above the aluminum table surface.  These should be easily replaceable should the need arise.






The table looks to be of pretty good quality, and is well constructed.






Now finally, here is the table sitting on the machine.  As you can see, it's the perfect size.  All that's left is to get the vacuum lines hooked up, and it's ready for use.  More coming soon!


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## Solaris17 (Apr 23, 2010)

Moar!


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## HammerON (Apr 23, 2010)

Wow this is cool - subscribed


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## xrealm20 (Apr 23, 2010)

subbed! awesome so far!


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## craigbru (Apr 24, 2010)

Solaris17 said:


> Moar!





HammerON said:


> Wow this is cool - subscribed





xrealm20 said:


> subbed! awesome so far!



Thanks guys!  I should have more updates soon.  I'll get the vacuum system figured out this weekend, and should be cutting again next week.


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## papang (Apr 25, 2010)

Ahhh, my loaf of bread, small compact cases with hot hardware!  No wonder you feel at home at Bit-Tech, only the best and most imaginative hob-nob around there. I hope someday to join and rub elbows with the gurus but I will bide my time a bit more till I get my techniques down better to not feel over-powered, hehe. I know a several members there but I will check in only as a visitor till I get my modding "degree".

Hot stuff as far as I have seen here! Kudos!

Cheers and Saludos


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## craigbru (Apr 26, 2010)

papang said:


> Ahhh, my loaf of bread, small compact cases with hot hardware!  No wonder you feel at home at Bit-Tech, only the best and most imaginative hob-nob around there. I hope someday to join and rub elbows with the gurus but I will bide my time a bit more till I get my techniques down better to not feel over-powered, hehe. I know a several members there but I will check in only as a visitor till I get my modding "degree".
> 
> Hot stuff as far as I have seen here! Kudos!
> 
> Cheers and Saludos



Thanks for the kind words!  You shouldn't feel intimidated no matter where you are posting.  There are a great bunch of guys over at b-t, the same as there is here.


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## craigbru (Apr 27, 2010)

I had a little more time tonight, and was able to get the vacuum assembly finished.  As of now, the vacuum table is completely ready to use.  I am pretty happy with the way that things turned out.  It's compact, easy to maintain, and fairly cost effective.  Of course, none of that matters if the table doesn't perform as expected.  Well, I'm happy to report that it performs even better than I had hoped.  I know everyone is anxious to see how it turned out, so let me walk you through the rest of the setup process...

There are really only 3 major components needed in a vacuum table setup.  The first is obviously the table itself which I covered in the last update.  The second is the source of the vacuum itself.  For this, I went to industrial parts supplier Grainger, and picked up a vacuum pump.  I selected a two stage tangential unit capable of 97 CFM and 81.8 Hg vacuum.  There were more powerful units available, but this one was an outstanding deal, and worth taking a chance.  So, let's take a look at the pump...






Now, I should mention that although this is a vacuum pump, it's also a blower by it's inherent design.  Unfortunately the only fitting for attaching a hose is on the blower end.  That meant I had to get a little creative and epoxy a fitting over the vacuum hole.  It was a simple fix, but just one more step I had to take before I could move forward.






Okay, now we've got two of the three major components out of the way.  The third?  Well, that should be easy.  We've got to have tubing connecting the table and the vacuum pump.  This shop vac hose kit offered the perfect solution.











As you can see the shop vac hose was a perfect match for the tubing adapter and splitter that came with the table.






Now all that was left was to route the tubing and hoses, mount the pump, and connect everything together.  As you can see, the whole assembly is pretty clean and simple.  











At this point I was pretty anxious to kick it on and do some testing.  I'll try and get some video of that up in the next day or two, but as I mentioned above, I was very happy with the results.  I could lay a block of wood in the center of the table, and with the pump running, it was surprisingly hard to move laterally.  Keep in mind that this was without blocking off any of the other holes in the table.  Doing so would increase the vacuum significantly.  I'm pretty confident that as long as my feed speeds are appropriate, and my end mills are sharp, nothing is going to move while vacuum is applied.  The only way to know for sure is to actually cut something, and I'll be doing that very soon!


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## HammerON (Apr 27, 2010)

Awesome stuff


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## craigbru (Jun 2, 2010)

Well, here it goes guys.  After more than a year of planning, I've decided to officially to start Project OSIDIAS.  Granted, I still have other projects I'm still working on, but I don't want to delay this any longer.  I can't promise daily updates, but I have a feeling you all will keep motivated to keep my work as updated as possible.

OSIDIAS will take everything I've learned from my Rogue project, and double it, in both scope and ambition.  I've got some pretty unique things I'll be attempting here, and I've got no assurances that everything will work out as I've planned.  That doesn't matter though, as I enjoy the challenges of problem solving on the fly.  Even though at this point, almost every detail of the case is planned, there are still going to be things I decide to change.  However, due to the way the case is designed, there are certain things that must remain set in stone.  The overall exterior of the case and the carbon fiber shell for example.

So, where do we begin?  Well, for those that may not have been following along up until this point, this video gives the best project overview.  If you've got 20 minutes to spare, this should catch you up to speed.

Now, although this is the first official post of the project, I've only got a few pics to show you.  Don't worry, I've got more incoming, but I this should get things started.   

This case will be the first time I move away from aluminum as my primary construction material.  There will still be plenty of it in this case, but I figured it was time for something more exotic.  That's where carbon fiber comes in to the picture.  Actually, carbon fiber, as well as a carbon fiber/kevlar blend.  The carbon fiber will be placed around molds that I'm currently building, and them vacuum bagged.  This is a proven technique for manufacturing, but the first time I'll be attempting it.  There aren't many computer mods made from CF, let alone molded as in what I'm trying, but that's where the fun part comes in!  I've got to give full credit to MKmods for his advice and input regarding working with carbon fiber.  With any luck I'll not end up with a very expensive mess on my hands...

I mentioned having to make the molds, and that's where the following pictures pick up.  Thanks to the help of my Romaxx CNC machine, I was able to accurately cut out a few pieces of the OSIDIAS core.  These pieces will sit in the center, while an aluminum 'clam-shell' sits around it.  After the carbon fiber and vacuum bagging, the idea is to push the center core out, and then remove the shell from the inside.  This will leave a solid CF case, from which I will make the needed cuts.

Here are the blank pieces of MDF ready for the Romaxx CNC.






After the CNC cut...











And finally, I've got a stack of them.






Next up, we've got the core assembly!


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## Cold Storm (Jun 2, 2010)

Woot, woot! Finally getting to it! Can't wait to see more!


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## craigbru (Jun 2, 2010)

Thanks man!


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## Cold Storm (Jun 2, 2010)

Man, what I would give for that Romaxx set up! it made those cuts prefect


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## Chicken Patty (Jun 2, 2010)

This is looking awesome.  More updates!!!


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## craigbru (Jun 2, 2010)

Cold Storm said:


> Man, what I would give for that Romaxx set up! it made those cuts prefect



Yeah, it's a solid little machine.  I'm really looking forward to working with it a lot more!



Chicken Patty said:


> This is looking awesome.  More updates!!!



Haha, thanks!  I'll have another update today.


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## craigbru (Jun 2, 2010)

My last post left off with the cut MDF pieces for the core of the case.  What I needed now was some simple way to fasten those pieces together, while still providing strength.  I went round and round with possibilities until I decided on the following method.  It all started with a trio of 22mm holes courtesy of the Romaxx.  






Thanks to the CNC's accuracy and repeatability, I ended up with 6 pieces just like this.






With the first piece laying down, I tapped 3 sections of PVC pipe into the holes.  The fit was just tight enough that there was no movement once in place, but taps with a hammer could still allow any needed adjustment.






Now finally, here is the assembled core.  It's lightweight, yet very strong.  The PVC pipe not only serves to hold the structure together, it also has a secondary purpose.  Since the carbon fiber will be vacuum bagged, the pipe will allow for pressure equalization between the front and rear of the mold.






With the core done, I'll be moving on to the 2 part aluminum shell that fits around it.  Thanks for reading!


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## Thrackan (Jun 2, 2010)

Good thinking with those pipes! And a very nice start. That machining is absolutely top notch too.


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## craigbru (Jun 2, 2010)

Thrackan said:


> Good thinking with those pipes! And a very nice start. That machining is absolutely top notch too.



I appreciate it, thanks.  That machine is definitely going to save me some time, although there is still going to be quite a bit I'll have to do by hand too.  It's nice to be able to do both.


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## Chicken Patty (Jun 2, 2010)

^^That's just sick, what is that supposed to be again?


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## craigbru (Jun 2, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> ^^That's just sick, what is that supposed to be again?



That last pic is the center of a mold.  There will be an aluminum skin around it, and it serve as the base for wrapping carbon fiber.  The center will push out so I can remove the aluminum skin, and I'll be left with nothing but a shell of carbon fiber.


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## Chicken Patty (Jun 2, 2010)

craigbru said:


> That last pic is the center of a mold.  There will be an aluminum skin around it, and it serve as the base for wrapping carbon fiber.  The center will push out so I can remove the aluminum skin, and I'll be left with nothing but a shell of carbon fiber.



Sounds crazy too!   Awesome stuff bro.


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## HammerON (Jun 3, 2010)

Now that is cool


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## craigbru (Jun 3, 2010)

HammerON said:


> Now that is cool



Thank you!


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## craigbru (Jun 3, 2010)

With the core of the mold done, it's time to get some aluminum wrapped around it.  It's a pretty simple concept, but I need perfect execution.  The aluminum needs to fit the MDF perfectly, as it ultimately will determine the shape of the carbon fiber on top of it.

I'm starting by using some AC Ryan 1mm sheets that I had lying around.  I've had these for quite some time courtesy of the Rogue project's bit-tech Mod of the Month win almost 2 years ago already.  I figured it was time to put them to use. 







One of the newer pieces of equipment in my shop is this metal brake.  I've retired the little 18" unit I had, and moved up in the world.  To say that it's a huge improvement, is understating the obvious.  So, I marked out the aluminum, and slid it in place for the first bend.






A second bend later, and things are looking good!






An additional 4 bends brought me to this. 






A quick test fit, and it was looking pretty good.  Well, good enough to move on to the other side. At least for the moment...






I made the second panel, and after evaluating it's fit, I decided to remake the first one.  Ultimately I just wasn't happy enough with the way it fit the contours of the MDF core.  It couldn't have been more than a single millimeter off in the way that it fit one of the edges, but it was still too much for me.  I sometimes tend to set standards for myself that seem unreasonable, but when something is bugging me, I just can't let it go.  So, the red panel is gone, and it's been replaced with blue and green...






Since I was pretty happy with the fit of the new panels, I now needed to get them marked and cut to fit.  I need perfectly flush mating on the top and bottom joints, and I'll cover that in the next update.


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## codyjansen (Jun 3, 2010)

how can you afford this???


subbed


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## Easy Rhino (Jun 3, 2010)

are you tony stark?


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## HammerON (Jun 3, 2010)

Man am I glad I subscribed to this thread


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## Thrackan (Jun 3, 2010)

Well setting unreasonable standards does dictate you follow them. Nothing worse than getting annoyed again by half a mm when everything is done.


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## Radical_Edward (Jun 3, 2010)

Wow, great looking project, can't wait to see how this turns out.


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## InnocentCriminal (Jun 3, 2010)

I've said it before and I'll say it again... craigbru, you are a modding king amongst men.

\m/

Sub'd!


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## craigbru (Jun 3, 2010)

codyjansen said:


> how can you afford this???
> 
> 
> subbed



I've been accumulating parts and components for over a year.  So, that certainly helps spread out the cost.  At this point, there should be very little left to buy.  



Easy Rhino said:


> are you tony stark?



Lol, I wish.  



HammerON said:


> Man am I glad I subscribed to this thread



Always glad to have you along for the ride man!



Thrackan said:


> Well setting unreasonable standards does dictate you follow them. Nothing worse than getting annoyed again by half a mm when everything is done.



That's true.  Even if I'm the only person on the planet that would know it was off, I just wouldn't be satisfied.  I don't care if it makes for extra work, I've got to please myself first.  Lol, which makes me think this case may very well drive me insane. 



Radical_Edward said:


> Wow, great looking project, can't wait to see how this turns out.



Thanks man!



InnocentCriminal said:


> I've said it before and I'll say it again... craigbru, you are a modding king amongst men.
> 
> \m/
> 
> Sub'd!



Wow, thanks for the mighty high praise.


----------



## Thrackan (Jun 3, 2010)

craigbru said:


> That's true.  Even if I'm the only person on the planet that would know it was off, I just wouldn't be satisfied.  I don't care if it makes for extra work, I've got to please myself first.  Lol, which makes me think this case may very well drive me insane.



Nothing wrong with a little OCD, as long as you can take your time perfecting without getting really annoyed. I've got my own little OCD tics and the torture of not giving in to them far outweighs the annoyance of having to do a couple of things in a certain way.
Actually, I've stopped fighting myself on a couple of those recently and it's greatly enhanced my life 

So lesson 1: don't fight your OCD, especially when it creates nice results


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## craigbru (Jun 3, 2010)

I fully embrace my OCD.  If I compromise, then I'll literally find myself obsessing about what I should have done instead, and never truly move beyond it.  With the material cost I'll have in this, I can't settle for anything less than exactly what I want.


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## Ilden (Jun 3, 2010)

Loving the contour of this case. Great work.


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## craigbru (Jun 3, 2010)

Ilden said:


> Loving the contour of this case. Great work.



Thanks!


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## craigbru (Jun 4, 2010)

Haha, there's nothing like the smell of a warm Dremel on a beautiful Thursday night...  With my last update, I was ready to trim the top of the aluminum shell down to size.  A few minutes of cutting and filing left me with a prefect fit.  It's absolutely straight with no gaps.






Now it was time to do the same thing on the bottom.  I always mark first with either a pencil or fine point Sharpie, and then follow up with tape.  When I cut, I get as close to the tape as possible, then finish up with a file.  I find that it's easier to follow the edge of the tape, than it is any regular line.











Once again, after cutting...






Okay, so what's next?  With the aluminum shell done, I've got to prep for layering on the carbon fiber.  Since I'll have multiple layers basically rolled on the mold, I needed an easy way to apply the CF.  The following method is what I came up with.  I've got a pair of sawhorses and a piece of aluminum channel through the center pipe on the mold.  This will allow me to roll the mold in to any position, yet the square planes of the channel means that it won't roll away when I don't want it to.






Now let's take a look at my box of goodies from Aerospace Composites.  I've got a vacuum generator, check valve, associated vacuum bags, and peel ply.  I'll be using all this to ensure as flawless a finish as possible.






At this point I decided to do a small resin test.  I've seen far to many instances where resin doesn't set, and I want to make sure I've got a workable ratio.  The last thing I need is a mess on my hands.  Up next, the fun part!


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## Cold Storm (Jun 4, 2010)

Looking forward to the test! I'm thinking of doing Carbon Fiber for the fan grills.. maybe even the mobo tray, bay/ssd drive cover.. But, that's my log not yours.. Can't wait to see it!


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## craigbru (Jun 7, 2010)

Cold Storm said:


> Looking forward to the test! I'm thinking of doing Carbon Fiber for the fan grills.. maybe even the mobo tray, bay/ssd drive cover.. But, that's my log not yours.. Can't wait to see it!



Thanks!  I'd love to see anyone else work with CF as well.  It's pretty cool stuff!

Ready guys?  

Well, working with the carbon fiber was an interesting experience.  I got completely prepped and ready to go last night, so that I could start wrapping first thing this morning.  I'll admit to being a bit nervous.  I didn't have any room for error, and with my OCD about having things perfect, the pressure was on.

I woke up this morning, headed to the shop, and cranked up the music.  A little Zune Pass with Breaking Benjamin as the starting point, and things were underway!  What you'll see here is the mold ready to go, with the carbon fiber strips sitting on a tube right behind it.  This would allow me unroll the CF onto the mold with minimal handling.






It was now time to mix up the resin.  I was using a marine grade clear epoxy with a 109 medium hardener.  This stuff has a pot life of about 30 minutes, so there was no time to do anything but get underway.  With the resin mixed I was on the clock.  I slipped on my rubber gloves and hit the mold with a layer of resin from a 4" lint-free roller.  The first layer of CF was on soon after.

I continued wrapping and rolling, taking extra care not to deform or stretch the CF in any way.  I also had to be sure that all the corners had the fiber nestled in them without issues.  I thought I was making good time until I went to apply a little more resin, and the roller started to pull up on the CF.  Crap!  That meant my resin was hardening.  Had it really been 30 minutes already?  Well, it didn't matter.  I couldn't do anymore at this point.  I needed to wrap peel ply around it and get it bagged.  I still had one layer to go, but there was no way I could get it on without causing serious issues.  So, bag it, I did...






I smoothed the bag out a little and left it under vacuum for about 2 hours.






Now, aren't you all excited to see what's next?  Yeah, I am too, but I had to head out of town for the rest of the weekend.  The next update will likely be late Monday or Tuesday night.  

So, overall, the experience wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, but I was cutting it close with the resin cure time.  I also know I'll have a few ridges in the resin from the bagging process, but that's really not an issue right now.  I can sand and add more resin.  In addition, I'll likely go ahead and add the last layer of missing fiber.  I'll update early this week guys!


----------



## Bo$$ (Jun 7, 2010)

ooooh shiney!


----------



## InnocentCriminal (Jun 7, 2010)

\m/ >.< \m/

YEEEAH!


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## Cold Storm (Jun 8, 2010)

Can't wait to see this done! I'm thinking of Carbon Fiber myself!! 

I hope you have a great time out of town.


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## craigbru (Jun 9, 2010)

Bo$$ said:


> ooooh shiney!





InnocentCriminal said:


> \m/ >.< \m/
> 
> YEEEAH!



Thanks as always guys!



Cold Storm said:


> Can't wait to see this done! I'm thinking of Carbon Fiber myself!!
> 
> I hope you have a great time out of town.



Your wait is over!  (And yes, I did have a great time out and about!)

I apologize for not updating last night guys. I've been struggling with a pinched nerve in my neck, and subsequent pain in my right arm. It was really bad yesterday, and I didn't even make it down to the shop. I'll be having an MRI done tomorrow, and likely have a surgery in my future. It sucks, but I'll keep plugging away.  Despite being in a little pain, I'm gonna show you the CF.  What you are looking at is the final layer of fiber needed on the case.  I'll have to lightly sand a few small air bubbles, but otherwise it's cosmetically pretty darn good.  I'm also going to apply one more layer of resin before I remove the mold.  I want to be sure the CF is well protected from damage.  It's a whole lot easier to sand and fix resin than have a blemish in the fiber itself...


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## xBruce88x (Jun 9, 2010)

wow amazing work there.  i wish i could afford just the tools to do this, someday i will.

keep at it! I'll def. give it a 10 in the case mod gallery that's for sure!


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## TIGR (Jun 9, 2010)

Fascinating design and top-notch execution. Subscribed, this is inspiring.


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## HammerON (Jun 9, 2010)

craigbru said:


> Thanks as always guys!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Sorry to hear about your pain. That really sucks

The CF looks freak'n awesome A true piece of art!!!


----------



## craigbru (Jun 9, 2010)

xBruce88x said:


> wow amazing work there.  i wish i could afford just the tools to do this, someday i will.
> 
> keep at it! I'll def. give it a 10 in the case mod gallery that's for sure!



Thanks!  It can be an investment, that's for sure.  I'm lucky enough to have an understanding wife.  It also helps that I've been buying parts for the last year or so.  It's easier to spread out the expenditures that way.



TIGR said:


> Fascinating design and top-notch execution. Subscribed, this is inspiring.



Thanks TIGR!  I'm hoping my execution follows the plan as well as I'd like.  



HammerON said:


> Sorry to hear about your pain. That really sucks
> 
> The CF looks freak'n awesome A true piece of art!!!



Yeah, it does suck, but hopefully I can get that taken care of.  I dread the thought of anything taking away from my modding time.


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## DannibusX (Jun 9, 2010)

Excellent!  That CF is absolutely beautiful.

I hope you feel better soon.  Pain really sucks, and I hope it doesn't take you away from your modding at all.


----------



## craigbru (Jun 10, 2010)

DannibusX said:


> Excellent!  That CF is absolutely beautiful.
> 
> I hope you feel better soon.  Pain really sucks, and I hope it doesn't take you away from your modding at all.



You know, I was just in the shop and I was hoping to get another layer of resin on the case.  Unfortunately I forgot to shut the air conditioning vent last night, and it was too cool to cure as it should.  Things will be fine by tomorrow, but I lost a day of work.  I hate it when that happens...  Anyway, to my point...  It does look good I'll agree.  I was just fondling it.  Is that wrong?  

Thanks though.  I'll manage, but it does suck.


----------



## TIGR (Jun 10, 2010)

craigbru said:


> ....I was just fondling it.  Is that wrong?.



Fondling a fine piece of computing gear may be wrong but it just feels so right.


----------



## HammerON (Jun 10, 2010)

Why yes it does


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## craigbru (Jun 10, 2010)

TIGR said:


> Fondling a fine piece of computing gear may be wrong but it just feels so right.





HammerON said:


> Why yes it does



Lol.  Well, then I need to find a way to earn some more project money.  Maybe I could pimp it out?


----------



## craigbru (Jun 14, 2010)

With the weekend come and gone, it's time I update all of you on my progress.  It's not much, but as always, it's still a step forward.  So, how about we get the case out of the mold?  I designed the mold so that not only would it be reusable, it would be easy to remove.  The first thing I did was to set the case on the workbench, and start tapping the core from one side to the other.












A few more taps...






The core removed.






Now it was a matter of removing the aluminum shell.






It's finally free!  The case is completely removed from the mold.  You can see a few small voids on the interior, but those are a non-issue at this point.  Anything that remains after the exterior holes are cut, will be filled in with resin and leave a smooth surface behind.











Now, I'll add a few comments about the case itself.  It's strong!  In fact, it's shockingly strong.  Sure, everyone knows carbon fiber has excellent strength properties, but until you experience it for yourself, it's a little hard to quantify.  This case has almost no flex or deflection.  I can press on the center of both sides with about all the strength I can muster, and it just barely moves.  It's just that solid.  On top of it's strength, it's also incredibly light.  Also, I'm saving the rest of the surface work until after all the holes are cut.  This thing will be as smooth as glass once completed.  All in all, this was the perfect building material for this case, and I can't wait to start making my first cuts in it.  Stick around for the fun coming up next!


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## GSG-9 (Jun 14, 2010)

It looks very nice so far man!


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## craigbru (Jun 15, 2010)

GSG-9 said:


> It looks very nice so far man!



Thanks mate!  

Time for another update!

Now that the case is out of the mold, I need to get it cut down to size.  I use my trusted tape marking method, and prep the Dremel.  That's really the only practical way to cut the case with it's uneven contours.






The first cut done.  Would you believe that the CF cuts like butter with a reinforced disc?  You can't drop the disc in and do a continuous cut without binding, but it you drop in every centimeter or so, it works very well.











Not only does the fiber cut extremely well, it takes to filing beautifully too.  This pic was taken after filing and a quick bout with a fine grit sand paper.  After cutting, I could finally get a measurement on the actual cross section of the case.  It measures just under 2mm.  That's even better than I thought.











With the first side done, it was time to mark the other side.






All done!  The case now measures the perfect 40.6cm I needed.  Up next, I'll be marking out and cutting all the holes needed in the case.  Until then!


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## Bo$$ (Jun 15, 2010)

nice going how long did all that take?


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## craigbru (Jun 15, 2010)

Bo$$ said:


> nice going how long did all that take?



Thanks.  It took a few hours to make the mold, and a few hours more to wrap and bag.  Cutting only took about an hour or so after the measurements were made.  Since I've been planning this for so long, I'm able to jump right in.  I don't need to spend a lot of time wondering about what to do next.


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## HammerON (Jun 16, 2010)

Nice updates. Thanks for the pics


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## craigbru (Jun 16, 2010)

Well guys, I've got some bad news, my quest for perfection is going to cause a delay in moving in with part of this project... I've decided I'm not happy with a few things.  I don't feel the outer edges are 'sharp' enough.  I think a side effect of the initial multiple layers of CF and the resin hardening too soon, have left things more rounded than I would like.  The only way to fix this is to sand the case down, and add another layer of fiber.  I can't just sand down what I have and resin because I'll have to sand through a little CF to get it flat.  Obviously that will kill the cosmetics.  While most of you think it looks great, it's just something that I've decided will bug me.  I can't put countless hours into it, only to wish I had fixed it.  So, what now?  Well, luckily I still have work to do...  I'll go ahead and start on the side panels.  I've got to order more fiber, and the side panels will allow me to fill the time until it arrives.


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## Thrackan (Jun 16, 2010)

craigbru said:


> Well guys, I've got some bad news, my quest for perfection is going to cause a delay in moving in with part of this project... I've decided I'm not happy with a few things.  I don't feel the outer edges are 'sharp' enough.  I think a side effect of the initial multiple layers of CF and the resin hardening too soon, have left things more rounded than I would like.  The only way to fix this is to sand the case down, and add another layer of fiber.  I can't just sand down what I have and resin because I'll have to sand through a little CF to get it flat.  Obviously that will kill the cosmetics.  While most of you think it looks great, it's just something that I've decided will bug me.  I can't put countless hours into it, only to wish I had fixed it.  So, what now?  Well, luckily I still have work to do...  I'll go ahead and start on the side panels.  I've got to order more fiber, and the side panels will allow me to fill the time until it arrives.



Your sig is so well-placed that for a second here I thought it was a reaction to your message


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## craigbru (Jun 16, 2010)

Thrackan said:


> Your sig is so well-placed that for a second here I thought it was a reaction to your message



Lol, at times it does seem awfully accurate.


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## craigbru (Jun 21, 2010)

Although it's not quite as large an update as you all were expecting, I did manage to get a few things done over the weekend.  A lot of people have questioned why I wanted to bother sanding down the case and adding another layer of fiber.  Well, I've got a few pics that can hopefully show you in more detail why I wasn't happy.  At this point, the case is sanded and ready for it's last layer of CF.  It's nowhere as pretty as it was before the sanding, but that will be remedied soon.  Trust me...    






Now, here is the best way I can show you the before and after examples of the 'rounded' edges I was speaking of.  This should make things pretty clear.  This is a before pic, taken of the excess I cut off of one of the ends...






Now take a look at the after.  You can see there is no more rounded edge, and I'm much happier.






Okay, now with that out of the way, it's time to move on to the side panels.  I'll be working on them until I have more regular CF arrive to finish the case itself.  As you are about to see, making the molds for these panels is a whole lot easier than before.  Two bends and I was golden.  This nice piece of aluminum will be the basis of what is to come.






A few bends later...






Now I've just got to get the CF/Kevlar blend cut to size, and I can get the fiber laid down.  Hopefully tomorrow!


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## TIGR (Jun 21, 2010)

Excellent attention to detail and good work.


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## craigbru (Jun 23, 2010)

Well, I've got a little more work done on the side panels.  I'm using the same molding process as the case, but it's nowhere near as complex this time around.  Here is the Kevlar/carbon fiber blend laid out and ready for marking...  Isn't it pretty?






I've marked out the fiber, and am making my cuts here.  This stuff truly sucks to cut.  Even with a specialty shears, it has a tendency fray and not cut cleanly.  I wouldn't ever attempt this with regular scissors.  I would imagine you would slit your wrists in frustration.  






Now finally, here are 5 layers of fabric freshly removed from the vacuum bag.  I've still got plastic peel ply on it, but that will come off tomorrow.  I'm going to sand a little, and add one more layer of Kevlar.  The same procedure I used on the rest of the case, should get me pretty good results.  The trick will be in finding the perfect piece of fiber for the top layer.  The weave on this blend is very sensitive, much more so than with regular carbon fiber.  Every little flaw or misalignment seems magnified 10 fold.  I'll manage though... or go insane trying!






Tomorrow I'll get the other panel started, and sand this first one.  Then I've got to get an end mill or two ordered for the Romaxx CNC.  I'll be using it to cut out the side panels.  I'll do a few test runs first, since I don't want to screw one of these up.  Mistakes would be costly...


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## Cold Storm (Jun 23, 2010)

It's going to look SICK. Your really making it to where I'm thinking of Carbon Fiber Rad Grills.. Gotta find out where you got your stuff from.

Looking great man, thanks a lot for showing the project here.


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## craigbru (Jun 23, 2010)

Cold Storm said:


> It's going to look SICK. Your really making it to where I'm thinking of Carbon Fiber Rad Grills.. Gotta find out where you got your stuff from.
> 
> Looking great man, thanks a lot for showing the project here.



Thanks mate.  I got the CF from ebay seller elitemotoring, which is actually compositeenvisions.com.  Ironically, most don't seem to have an issue with the ebay side of the business, but I've heard of complications with the web side.


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## craigbru (Jun 26, 2010)

If it weren't for pictures like the following, I'd take the Kevlar/CF blend, and make it disappear...  Yes, it's a royal pain to work with. I knew it would be, but until you are actually working with it and trying to make it do what you want, you have no idea...  
















It doesn't like to cut cleanly, no matter the process.  The Kevlar fibers really have a mind of their own.  I've found that I get the best results if I start cutting with a metal carbide cutting wheel.  That cuts quickly, but not cleanly.  I then followup with a reinforced cutting disk.  This cuts much more cleanly, but it's slow.  I can't take much material off with each pass.  After that, I use a file to straighten the cuts.  Then finally, I finish up with a 320 grit wet/dry sand paper.  This does a decent job of cleaning the edge up, but it takes a light touch.  So, that's one heck of a process for a single cut!  

Time to cut!  I used a yardstick as a straight edge, and followed up with my line taping method.






An hour later I had two sides done...  This is gonna take a while.  Lol.


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## Cold Storm (Jun 26, 2010)

The shots do make it worth wild! But, I bet it was A PITA to get it worked! Thanks for the shots!


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## craigbru (Jun 26, 2010)

Cold Storm said:


> The shots do make it worth wild! But, I bet it was A PITA to get it worked! Thanks for the shots!




Thanks man!  Those pics are why I keep modding on.


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## Cold Storm (Jun 26, 2010)

craigbru said:


> Thanks man!  Those pics are why I keep modding on.



Yeah man, I know what you mean. A mod can get you down, but once you get to a point, take that picture... Boom, your alive again.


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## jrgerryd (Jun 26, 2010)

dude, i really like your work. very nice, you make me fall in love. lol
i wish you could make me one of those for free.


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## craigbru (Jun 28, 2010)

Cold Storm said:


> Yeah man, I know what you mean. A mod can get you down, but once you get to a point, take that picture... Boom, your alive again.



Yes, every once in a while that happens.  There is also a point that you realize that you've wasted hours on something that isn't turning out the way you want it.  You gotta suck it up ans start again.  It's all worth it in the end.



jrgerryd said:


> dude, i really like your work. very nice, you make me fall in love. lol
> i wish you could make me one of those for free.



Lol, thanks.  It would take a _huge_ check for me to even make one of these for money.  How do you put a price tag on a year of planning?


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## Cold Storm (Jun 28, 2010)

craigbru said:


> Yes, every once in a while that happens.  There is also a point that you realize that you've wasted hours on something that isn't turning out the way you want it.  You gotta suck it up ans start again.  It's all worth it in the end.



Yeah, I know that feeling. I've went from straight Normal Mountian Mod's Pen 24 case, to a fully custom done one. It looks like just the "casing" will be the only thing that isn't modded on that thing. I just didn't feel for mine being "like everyone elses".


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## jrgerryd (Jun 30, 2010)

Lol said:
			
		

> huge[/I] check for me to even make one of these for money.  How do you put a price tag on a year of planning?



yeah, i know. i envy you guys who have awesome pc's! how i wish i could have some of what you all have!


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## craigbru (Jul 11, 2010)

Okay guys, I had to make a little time for something unrelated to carbon fiber.  It also has nothing to do with actual modding.  What follows is just an example of why I've said that the planning for the case is only about 95% finished.  Little things like this are always changing and being added.  I live for the little details that some take for granted.

So, what we have here is an integrated heatsink for the water pump.  It also doubles as a vibration proof mount for the pump via grommets.  Once in place, air from the radiator fans will help with the cooling.
































This heatsink will make it's way to my CNC machine in the future.  You can also see that I've changed the interior parts over to carbon fiber.  Creative mold making will be coming!


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## craigbru (Jul 13, 2010)

For anyone that has been following the project details closely, you'll have noticed I've got quite a few holes that need to be cut in the exterior of the case.  Since I tend to try for perfect execution, I needed a very reliable and accurate method of marking those holes out on the case.  I used the following method on the Rogue with great success, and will continue it here.

This is a transparent adhesive sheet used for printing labels.  It's simply a matter of printing out the guidelines, which is made even easier since the entire project was designed in CAD.  If you look closely, you can see an additional guideline extending to the left and right on the lower part of the design.  This will help in placement.






Next was the matter of proper alignment on the case.  While it's pretty easy to place the sheet, I triple checked the measurements since they had to be perfect.






With the adhesive label in place, it was time to add my masking tape guide lines.






Time to break out the Dremel!  I had to take it slow and steady here.  You can't exactly fix any miscuts or slips...  Even so, I managed to make quick work of the carbon fiber, and was soon left with a rough cut.  






After some filing, and sanding, I was left with the finished hole!  My patience paid off, and I was left with a hole that was visually perfect to me.  Now I've only got about 6 more to go.


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## craigbru (Jul 15, 2010)

I did stream live last night guys.  How's that for brave?  If I screwed up, I couldn't hide it.    The 3 newest video's were recorded July 14th and 15th.  You can see me cutting the holes out in the carbon fiber.  There were only a couple times I had any real binding with the Dremel disk, but a firm grip helps keep things under control.

http://www.livestream.com/losiastechnologies

I've only got a few pics here, as the process for each hole doesn't change.  Mark, cut, sand.  It's progress though!

In this pic I had already cut the second hole in the case.  You can see video of that on the livestream link above.  I've also got the hole marked out for the Aquaero.






After cutting, I was left with another pair of holes.  Now only 4 more to go!


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## Thrackan (Jul 15, 2010)

I wonder if there is anyone actually not liking this?


----------



## King Wookie (Jul 15, 2010)

Thrackan said:


> I wonder if there is anyone actually not liking this?



If they do, they are on the wrong forums. Or have zero imagination.


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## HammerON (Jul 16, 2010)

craigbru said:


> I did stream live last night guys.  How's that for brave?  If I screwed up, I couldn't hide it.    The 3 newest video's were recorded July 14th and 15th.  You can see me cutting the holes out in the carbon fiber.  There were only a couple times I had any real binding with the Dremel disk, but a firm grip helps keep things under control.
> 
> http://www.livestream.com/losiastechnologies
> 
> ...



Nice work on those cuts


----------



## craigbru (Jul 16, 2010)

Thanks guys!  I aim to please!



Well, I made a few more holes tonight.  I was also streaming live again, so be sure to check out the Livestream for the newest videos.  (Be sure your volume is turned down a little, as the mic seems to be working a little too well...)

So, let's get this started!  Here you can see the freshly cut hole for trio of 60mm fans that will sit over the video cards.  This makes for 4 holes done, only 3 to go!











At this point I decided to clear up a question or two regarding this case's strength.  I was trying to think of a good way to convey how strong the carbon fiber really is.  You can see with the holes cut out, there really isn't a large amount of supporting material left in the lower part of the case.  Well, I'm telling you that it doesn't matter in the least.  Here you can see my daughters full 103 pounds being supported by the case.  There's nary a flex!  I can guarantee that aluminum would not have fared so well...






With the case still in one piece, it was time to get back to cutting.  For those that were following the planning thread, you'll remember that the windows on the side panels will actually be transparent LCD's.  In order to get them to fit correctly, I've got to get a hole put in each side of the case for the circuit board.  Here I've got the hole all marked out.






The rough cut done!






I'll have more in the coming days, so until then!


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## Chicken Patty (Jul 16, 2010)

ha, great update bro.  I haven't been following this log as much as i wanted to so I've been missing out a bit.  Def. glad you switched over to the Carbon Fiber, thing seems strong!


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## craigbru (Jul 16, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> ha, great update bro.  I haven't been following this log as much as i wanted to so I've been missing out a bit.  Def. glad you switched over to the Carbon Fiber, thing seems strong!



Thanks man!  I appreciate it.  I've been very happy with the CF.  It's beyond strong, relatively easy to work with (once solid), and it has killer cosmetics.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Jul 16, 2010)

craigbru said:


> Thanks man!  I appreciate it.  I've been very happy with the CF.  It's beyond strong, relatively easy to work with (once solid), and it has killer cosmetics.



Yeah, I think if Carbon Fiber is used correctly it looks great.  What I mean by used correctly is not over used and stuff like that.  Keep up the great work, doing my best to follow every thread man   It's difficult.  Putting in about 85-90 posts between TPU and OCN daily.  That's actually a bit, I have days alone where I put in 70-80 posts on TPU, mainly that happens on a weekend I decide to stay home or a day I stay home from work or what not.  But yeah man, forums get crazy, trying my best to be on top of everything.  I tell ya, not easy!


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## Thrackan (Jul 16, 2010)

That fiber ain't strong, she's lost weight!


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## craigbru (Jul 16, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> Yeah, I think if Carbon Fiber is used correctly it looks great.  What I mean by used correctly is not over used and stuff like that.  Keep up the great work, doing my best to follow every thread man   It's difficult.  Putting in about 85-90 posts between TPU and OCN daily.  That's actually a bit, I have days alone where I put in 70-80 posts on TPU, mainly that happens on a weekend I decide to stay home or a day I stay home from work or what not.  But yeah man, forums get crazy, trying my best to be on top of everything.  I tell ya, not easy!



Damn, you're a busy guy!  I get maybe 20 to 30 posts in a day, but that's across about 8 forums.  Sometimes I feel bad that I don't give some of those forums enough attention.  There's only so much time in the day, but I try!



Thrackan said:


> That fiber ain't strong, she's lost weight!



Lol, heck, even if she weighed half as much, I'd still say it's plenty strong!


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## craigbru (Jul 21, 2010)

Okay guys, I'm looking to live stream some work tonight.  It will most likely be between 8~11pm central standard time.  You can catch the stream at either of the following two links.  One is on my site, the other is on the Livestream site.  Either will be the same, and commenting during the stream is easy, although I won't likely respond to much until I'm done working.

http://losias.net/losias-live/

http://www.livestream.com/losiastechnologies

Since I do things on the fly, I usually record in segments.  It keeps the filler and wasted screen time to a minimum.  Also, no one really wants to sit down and watch a 2 hour video.  I try to keep most under 30 minutes.

So, you can feel free to check either link at your convenience.  Also, one of the easiest ways to see when I'm streaming is to follow my twitter feed.  It's @craigbru'.  I usually send a message when I'm about to go live.

Tonight I plan on finishing up the rest of my case holes!


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## craigbru (Jul 22, 2010)

I got about 2 hours worth of streaming in last night guys.  Unfortunately I've got no still pictures of my progress.  I did manage to get the other hole for the LCD circuit board done, as well as the hole in the top of the case.  I've got one more hole to put in the left side for the PSU, and then a small hole in the bottom of the case for ventilation on the pico-itx board that will be located there.

http://livestre.am/glpt

http://livestre.am/gl6b

http://livestre.am/gkTY


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## craigbru (Jul 22, 2010)

Someone at XS asked me for an overview of how the wireless networking and control was set up in this machine.  Since I took the time to answer him there, I thought I'd post it here as well for those that might be interested.

Okay, here's a brief overview of the wireless networking and monitoring setup.  It's sometimes a little hard to wrap your head around, but I'll try and give a clear explanation.

I've basically got 3 complete computer systems in this case.  I've got the main system consisting of the Asus matx board and associated components.  Then I've got a Via pico-itx system acting as an always-on file server, and information monitor.  Finally, I've got the Viliv UMPC that sits on the front of the case.  These 3 systems are connected by both an internal ethernet hub, and an Asus wireless access point.  The wireless network is used for information sharing and control by the Viliv.  The Viliv is obviously a wireless only connection, but the other systems can connect either wired or wireless, and be independent of any other system.

Since the pico is always on, it serves to relay most of the system information.  It will be attached to an Aquaero and Multiswitch, which in turn is responsible for all watercooling, temp sensors, and lighting.  It will also allow me to turn the main system on and off through the Viliv.  All the information I need on the Viliv will be relayed using a Samurize front end.  Samurize's own network monitoring functionality, as well as the Aquaero software will allow for real time monitoring of the pico and main system functions.  Now, of course since the Viliv is wireless, and always connected to the OSIDIAS network, I can just detach it from the case and use it as a remote.

Does that help explain things a little?  Feel free to ask if it doesn't.


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## craigbru (Jul 28, 2010)

Thanks to inspiration from Javi, dbradford, and w33dy at the Mod Brothers forums, I've done a little something to help with my dust collection.  I really needed a third hand when cutting on the workbench, and with none in sight, I came up with a great alternative.  I modded an old architect lamp!

I couple of velcro straps, and the vac hose was attached to end of the arm.  After using it for a few cuts, I've got to say that it's quite effective for a low tech solution.  I'm guessing it's catching at least 75% of the dust caused by cutting.











So, with a decent dust collection solution in place, it was time to put it to use.  I was streaming live during a portion of this, so I'm missing a few pics.  With most of the side holes done, it was time to move to the top.  Here is what it looked like after cutting.











Now it's time to move back the side.  The last hole I need to cut is where the PSU will sit.  Here is the hole all marked out. (Live Stream)






All cut!  (Live Stream)






And finally a test fit with a PSU in place.


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## m0chii (Jul 29, 2010)

awesome project! cant wait for full finished product.


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## thermalmodlevel10 (Jul 29, 2010)

How much did all the carbon fiber cost you? Looks reall good so far


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## craigbru (Jul 29, 2010)

m0chii said:


> awesome project! cant wait for full finished product.



Thanks man!



thermalmodlevel10 said:


> How much did all the carbon fiber cost you? Looks reall good so far



The CF cost so far is probably about $120.  That in itself isn't horrible.  However, you have to add the cost of the resin ($20), the cost of the aluminum and mdf for the molds ($40), and the cost of the rollers to apply the resin since they are all single use ($20).  It can add up, but the strength and cosmetics are worth it.


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## (FIH) The Don (Aug 4, 2010)

holy f@ckshit  

i just came in teh panties

this is awzumness skillz and teh works

MOAR MOAR MOAR MOAR


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## craigbru (Aug 4, 2010)

Lol, thanks bro!


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## Gzero (Aug 5, 2010)

Loving it, this is special seeing it come to life.


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## craigbru (Aug 6, 2010)

Gzero said:


> Loving it, this is special seeing it come to life.



Thanks mate!



Update time!  Today we pick up with the start of the interior assembly.  Since I'm a glutton for punishment, I've decided to make the entire thing out of a single piece of molded carbon fiber.  Since the dimensions have to be perfect, I am going to be using a two part mold.  An inner and outer layer, with the CF sandwiched in between.  In order to pull this off, I've got to do some very careful measurements, and even better cutting.

I'll be using 1.5mm aluminum for the molds.  Here you can see a 4' piece marked down the center.  I should be able to get both an inner and outer mold out of this 2'x4' sheet.






Next up I've got to mark out all my cut and bend lines.  There is no room for error here.  Everything is down to the millimeter.






After the rough cuts were made...






After spending a maddening long time with the aluminum in my metal brake, I was left with the following.  Mind you this was a little tricky, since it didn't exactly fit in there very well after the first few bends...











Now it was time to stick it inside the case for a test fit.  I had no doubt everything would line up, but it's always a good idea to double check.











Next up is the outer mold.  Once that is completed, I'll rub down the aluminum with release wax, and play with a little more carbon fiber.  Woohoo!

Also, as of this morning, I've learned that OSIDIAS was nominated for bit-tech mod of the month!  I'm honored!

http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/mod-of-the-month/2010/08/06/mod-of-the-month-july-2010/1


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## Thrackan (Aug 6, 2010)

I like were this is going: way the fuck beyond my imagination and budget


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## Gzero (Aug 6, 2010)

craigbru said:


> Thanks mate!
> 
> Also, as of this morning, I've learned that OSIDIAS was nominated for bit-tech mod of the month!  I'm honored!
> 
> http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/mod-of-the-month/2010/08/06/mod-of-the-month-july-2010/1



Make sure you keep the pics coming thick and fast (and shiny too since it's stiff competition usually over at b-t), I'll even put a vote in for ya since I'm loving it


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## (FIH) The Don (Aug 7, 2010)




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## craigbru (Aug 9, 2010)

Gzero said:


> Make sure you keep the pics coming thick and fast (and shiny too since it's stiff competition usually over at b-t), I'll even put a vote in for ya since I'm loving it



Thanks!  I appreciate the support.  I won't have an update until a little later this week though.  I've got a new deadline on my Hutch project, and need to get that finished up.



(FIH) The Don said:


>



Lol, thanks bro!


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## craigbru (Aug 18, 2010)

Although Project Hutch has been getting most of my time lately, I was able to get a little work done on OSIDIAS while waiting for some JB Weld to dry...  I picked up on the continuation of the molds for the interior assembly.  When I last updated, I had the inner mold completed.  Now it was a matter of laying out and cutting the exterior.  What you see here is another 1'x4' piece of aluminum sheet.







After cutting...






Time to get this thing bent!


























Now, to get one of the inside bends done, I had to switch to my 18" brake.






With all of the bends done, it was time to see how they fit together.  I slipped the outer mold over the inner, and all was well!  I've got about 2mm between them.  That should allow for about 6 layers of carbon fiber.






Since I knew the molds were going to work, it was time to reinforce the inner mold against flexing.  All I needed was a piece of 2x4 cut down to 8cm in width.  The board was aligned and epoxied in place.  Final measurements indicate that I got the perfect alignment I was hoping for.  The back is perfectly parallel top and bottom, and I won't need to make adjustments of any kind.






Up next I've got to add a few pieces of angled aluminum for mounting tabs, and I'm ready to wax and lay down the fiber!


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## (FIH) The Don (Aug 18, 2010)

do you mind me stealing you skills 

oh yeah and btw, are you the one who helped with the NZXT Phantom=?


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## Chicken Patty (Aug 18, 2010)

WOW, nice job on th bending dude.


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## craigbru (Aug 18, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> do you mind me stealing you skills
> 
> oh yeah and btw, are you the one who helped with the NZXT Phantom=?



Lol, no problem man.  Steal away!  

Yes, I worked on the chassis design with NZXT on the Phantom.  It's their first custom chassis, and a sign of good things to come.  Some things I wanted weren't able to be implemented due to budget or patent issues, but it's a solid foundation.  



Chicken Patty said:


> WOW, nice job on th bending dude.



Thanks CP!  We'll have fiber soon!


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## Chicken Patty (Aug 18, 2010)

Looking forward to it


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## Thrackan (Aug 18, 2010)

Baby's got the bends


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## (FIH) The Don (Aug 18, 2010)

craigbru said:


> Lol, no problem man.  Steal away!
> 
> Yes, I worked on the chassis design with NZXT on the Phantom.  It's their first custom chassis, and a sign of good things to come.  Some things I wanted weren't able to be implemented due to budget or patent issues, but it's a solid foundation.



damn, im in love with that case, its almost perfect imo, might get one next month 

and keep up the good work, we needz MOAR Pr0n


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## craigbru (Aug 19, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> Looking forward to it



Right now it looks like I'll have time either later this weekend or the first part of next week.  I've got a mini vacation starting tonight.  



Thrackan said:


> Baby's got the bends



Lol, nice.



(FIH) The Don said:


> damn, im in love with that case, its almost perfect imo, might get one next month
> 
> and keep up the good work, we needz MOAR Pr0n



Thanks man.  We really tried to bring something nice, yet affordable to the market.  We actually planned the case out in early 2009.  There were some manufacturing delays that pushed it back.  Had it come out when planned, it's specs would have been even better compared to the competition at the time.


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## craigbru (Aug 29, 2010)

Update time!  I actually livestreamed the fiber going down, although it was a huge pain.  For some reason I thought it was a good idea to skip taping the edges of the fiber. Needless to say those stray fibers soon became a problem as the layers went down.  I managed to keep them out of the way, and got 5 layers on before I ran out of resin.  That means I'm a layer short of what I wanted to be.  Although looking at the finished assembly, it's likely thick enough, but I'm going to give it one more anyway.  I had a little trouble sliding the outer mold in place.  The resin kept sticking to the mold and pulling it down with it.  Doh, why didn't I wrap plastic around it before the mold?!  That would have taken care of the problem, and I'd be done.  As it is, now I've got to sand and add the last layer anyway.  Mostly for cosmetic reasons mind you.  The outer mold caused some wavy weaves because of the sticky resin...  and I just can't have that.  I'm out of resin though, and will have to order more before continuing.

Well, enough of that.  On to the pics!  Here I'm using a template to cut out the layers of CF.






Obviously I couldn't take pics while wrapping, but here is the mold all clamped up.






Now it was time to see if that mold wax release was going to do it's job.  I had a total of 3 layers on, so I was pretty confident.  Success!  The outer mold released without an issue.  Here you can see the interior assembly in it's freshly released state.  There are a few spots that didn't get completely 'covered' with resin, but it's hardly an issue.  There was complete saturation and it's damn solid!






Finally, I took the dremel and cut off most of the excess fiber.  You can see the interior mold is still in place.  There's a good reason for that.  It is cut to the exact dimensions that the assembly needs to be.  During the final cut down, I'll use the interior mold as a guide to make sure everything is cut correctly.  Without it, I don't think measuring out where I needed to cut would have been so fun...











At this point I've got to get some more resin ordered.  In the meantime I'll sand down and prep the interior for the last layer of CF.  Then I can start making holes in it for all the components and wiring.  Woohoo!


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## (FIH) The Don (Aug 29, 2010)

hell yeah  its getting freaking awzumepicness  

love all that CF  lol


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## craigbru (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks man!  It'll look even better cut down to size and cleaned up.


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## (FIH) The Don (Aug 30, 2010)

i have no doubt about that


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## Loosenut (Aug 30, 2010)

Phenominal work Craigbru. 

Can't wait to see more of your innovations and creativity


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