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After a few hours with the dremel and jigsaw... then many more with a set of hand files I turned my lian-li case into the below: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-lili5.jpg The details: First I cut out some material from the drive bay area http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-lili1.jpg I then mounted the Alix 2c1 embedded linux firewall after installing the mini-PCI wifi-n card and the 1GB compact flash http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-alix-2c11.jpg A cutout was made to allow space for the lan ports on the motherboard tray. Also a box was cut from the drive bay to allow for the pump to be mounted. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-lili2.jpg I haven't yet built the pieces that will guide the airflow; but i have installed the fans that will cool the Alix board. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-alix-2c12.jpg 1/4inch slots will be milled on the panel and dividers will be constructed to guide the air out the slots. Until then, this is how it stands. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-alix-2c13.jpg Here is the Pump http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-pump1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-pump2.jpg And the mounting bracket put into place http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-pumpmount.jpg Two 120mm fan holes were cut from the top of the case http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-lili3.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-fans3.jpg A large rectangle was removed from the front panel to make space for the 7" touch panel LCD http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-lili4.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ouchpanel1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ouchpanel2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ouchpanel3.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ouchpanel4.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ouchpanel5.jpg |
I then built another temporary bracket to hold the PSU in place. This too will be replaced with a CNC machined bracket. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-psu2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-psu4.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-psu5.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...backpanel1.jpg After cutting a piece of copper plate that will 'compression' fit into place. I used double sided foam tape to afix the slot load dvd-rw. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...eus-dvdrw1.jpg I then installed the slim-DVD to SATA adapter. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...eus-dvdrw2.jpg The drive is then squished into place, and holds suprisingly well http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-bay1.jpg Then the pump is mounted to the bracket, this foam is also temporary and will be replaced with black neoprene http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-bay2.jpg We then come to the Pico-ITX unit that will live in the drive bay http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-pico1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-pico2.jpg Here is is installed http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-bay4.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-bay5.jpg I then cut apart the Corsair Dominator fan assembly and made some temporary mounting brackets, the final brackets will be CNCd as well. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...s-bayfans1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...s-bayfans2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-bay6.jpg The zalman fan controller that I'll be using http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...fancontrol.jpg Here is the fan contoller installed http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-bay7.jpg The final fan assembly and some glamour shots http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-bay8.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-bay9.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-bay10.jpg I also got a Lian-Li card reader, it will be stripped of its case by the end of this mod http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ardreader1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ardreader2.jpg |
Here is the radiator I'll be using: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-rad1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...theus-rad2.jpg The cutout I made, where it will live. I still have to make mounting brackets for it. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...us-radmod1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...us-radmod2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...us-radmod3.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...us-radmod4.jpg This is where the hard drive bay will mount http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ouchpanel6.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-fans2.jpg But first these need to be installed. Again these are only temporary, for fitting purposes, the final peices will be made from copper plate and will be CNC machined. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...prototype1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...prototype2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...prototype3.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...prototype4.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...prototype5.jpg Now we can suspend the drive cage http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...drivetray1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...drivetray2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...drivetray3.jpg And finally we come to the below images. This is how Project PrometheusCU sits right now, waiting on delivery of some of my watercooling components. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...us-part1-1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...us-part1-2.jpg As it stands I'm at about 30% complete. Hope you all enjoy the work... I've poured pretty much everything I have into this case - in terms of both skillsets and money. Please feel free to leave comments, crits, suggestions. Tune in soon for more! |
Let us begin. I've finished the rad mount prototype. I started with a 40"x40"x1/8" sheet of used aluminum. This panel was once used in the fabrication of Carbon Fiber sheets - the aluminum panel are used to help form the carbon panel. The carbon is cooked in a heated press at ~40,000tonnes. After a short while, about 100 carbon panels, the aluminum develops imperfections and heat stains - It's then thrown away. My Dad runs the Carbon Fiber plant so over the years I have developed a rather large collection of these aluminum sheets. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-radmount1.jpg After a bit of rough cutting with the trusty jigsaw I did some light filing to clean the cuts. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-radmount2.jpg Then onto bending http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-radmount3.jpg The final product, minus the holes. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-radmount4.jpg Once that was complete I checked the fit - luckily the "measure 5-times cut once" methodology continues to work for me. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-radmount5.jpg A side view, note also that the final bends will be much more precise. I plan on having 'V' shaped groves milled into the copper plate where bends are needed to ensure accuracy. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-radmount6.jpg Then I had to drill precise holes in the the chassis. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-radmount7.jpg From there I did a test fit. (Note that the final design will include slots for airflow, I'll post an illustration later today.) Almost perfect, I eyeballed the holes in the rad mount prototype and a couple were off slightly. No big loss though because the final product will be machined precisely. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-radmount8.jpg Thanks for reading! More to come. |
Another update for you guys, but there will be more to come this weekend. I've finished the tray prototype that will both house the radiator, and lift Prometheus 3.5" off the ground. We again start with some aluminum plate. As you can see I've marked out the areas to be cut. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-tray1.jpg Like the above post, I've put the jigsaw to work. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-tray2.jpg After using the dremel to crudely score the bending lines I put the piece in my bending brake. This is what I came up with http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-tray3.jpg A close-up of the joints. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-tray4.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-tray5.jpg Then a test. Perfect Fit! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-tray6.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-tray7.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-tray8.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...heus-tray9.jpg And here is how it sits right now. In fabricating these parts I've realized that the final design will need to seat the radiator about 1/4" lower. As you can see from the pics, I haven't left enough room for the front rad fan to breathe. But that's why I made these prototypes... to narrow in on design flaws such as that. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...eus-tray10.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...eus-tray11.jpg That's all the fabricating I'll be doing today, tune in later I'll have some illustrations posted. Thanks for reading! |
A small update for the masses. Here is an idea of what a couple of the copper components will look like. From left to right - Front Facade Panel, Top Exhaust Fan Grill, Radiator Grill/Mount. I'll post the designs for the rest of the pieced some time tomorrow; along with some of the illustrations that I'm going to have engraved throughout the case. black = cut grey = engrave dashed = bend *click for supersize* http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...aticr3-low.png Added a a 'jagged edge' to the front facade. Since the touch panel LCD covers the traditional front air intake I will need to mill slots in the side of the front panel to act as air intake. The jagged edge will make space for these intake slots. The slots can be seen in the initial design concept illustration Thanks for reading! Tune in soon for more. As always, crits are welcome and appreciated. |
Small update Black lines = cut Grey lines = engraved Dashed lines = bend Here is my concept for the plaque replacement on the back of the chassis http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...queconcept.png I've also completed the concept for the drive bay enclosure (the piece seen taped into place in this image). I modified the original design to encase the lower 3.5" drive bays, and allow for a fill point (nearly forgot about that). *click for supersize* http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...oncept-low.png |
Here is the accumulation of all the final part concepts that I'm going to be milling from Copper plate. (as always, click for supersize) 1: Drive Bay Enclosure - Left Side http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...oncept-low.png 2: Drive Bay Enclosure - Right Side http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...oncept-low.png 3: Authenticity Plaque http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ityconcept.png 4: Front Facade http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...oncept-low.png 5: Bottom Tray/Radiator Housing http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...oncept-low.png 6: Parts List Plaque http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...econcept-1.png 7: Radiator Fan Grill/Mount http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...oncept-low.png 8: Top Fan Grill http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...oncept-low.png 9: Front Lower Tray/LCD housing http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...concept-lo.png Enjoy! |
Parts update for the masses: I recieved a package of watercooling supplies today. First up - a D-Tek Fuzion rev 2 with quad core nozel insert (insert not installed in below images). http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...aterblock1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...aterblock2.jpg FeserOne Orange non-conductive coolant, I'd have preferred black but since I'll be using black tubing and no reservoir I don't see the difference... and neither will anyone else, hehehe. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...s-coolant1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...s-coolant2.jpg 20x Bitspower Hig Flow 1/2 barbs - dark nickel plated edition. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-fittings1.jpg Here you can see the difference between the Bitspower fittings and the stock DangerDen and D-Tek ones. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-fittings2.jpg A Black DangerDen Fillport http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-fillpoort.jpg Last but most certainly not least... 15' of Opaque Black Primochill Primoflex 1/2ID tubing. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...us-tubing1.jpg I was quite surprised by the width of the wall, I guess I don't have to worry about puncture leaks... too much. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...us-tubing2.jpg That's all for now folks, tune in soon! |
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