Project: parallel HEX (completed!)

lol yea thats enough to side track most people...

you know Mysterae, your probably gunna get a whole page of replies cause of that last Lotus post lol
 
Geo Fry said:
lol yea thats enough to side track most people...

you know Mysterae, your probably gunna get a whole page of replies cause of that last Lotus post lol
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here's one

i love you

:D
 
Geo Fry said:
lol yea thats enough to side track most people...

you know Mysterae, your probably gunna get a whole page of replies cause of that last Lotus post lol
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Thanks guys!
Yeah, I was kinda reluctant to post it because it may distract, just like it distracted me. I've had it for over 5 years and was off the road (7 months :rolleyes: ) because of that leaking fuel tank. Now it's sorted my attention has shifted back to this build. Repeat after me, must complete, must complete, must complete...
 
Repeat after me, must complete, must complete, must complete...
Repeat after me, must complete, must complete, must complete...
Repeat after me, must complete, must complete, must complete...
Repeat after me, must complete, must complete, must complete...
Repeat after me, must complete, must complete, must complete...
Repeat after me, must complete, must complete, must complete...
Repeat after me, must complete, must complete, must complete...
Repeat after me, must complete, must complete, must complete...
Repeat after me, must complete, must complete, must complete...
Repeat after me, must complete, must complete, must complete...

:D :D :eek:
 
I was pritty amazed at the creativity of the crossflow fans, thats going to look so much better than what the renders showed, subscribed.
 
Freakin' awsome ... good to see your back !!! :D

Lookin' forward to the finished project... don't rush it just cause we're impatient though :p
 
warmace said:
I was pritty amazed at the creativity of the crossflow fans, thats going to look so much better than what the renders showed, subscribed.
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Definitely, they look so much more fitting for the mod. Great job :D
 
Mysterae said:
:D Darkside, you've got a funny side! Duly noted!
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Why thank you..:D

I think your work so far is amazing..I am looking for to the end project..
what would it cost to put this same project together??
 
Glad you like the modded crossflow fans guys, they are pretty easy to make with a dremel, good sand paper and patience. I'm looking at suitable filter material at the moment to stop them sucking in dust bunnies and insects. The noise they make when they suck one in is quite sick yet amusing :p . Wondering about lighting them too, but don't want too much illumination just for the sake of it.

Mike160, I'm impatient too, so many ideas that I have to write them down so I don't forget them.

SpangeMonkee, I thought there was a motoring section in the [H] but couldn't find it. I was going to post and link it to there rather than tangent this thread.

Darkside, do you mean as whole, the hardware or just the case? If I were to buy the parts now I would save a great deal as all the components (gfx, cpu, mobo, ram etc) are a lot cheaper now, but hey thats computers for you. I've probably spent over £250 ($400?) on custom made water cooling parts that I couldn't make myself. I'm waiting to submit the case again after tweeking it more to get a quote. It depends on if I go for clear plexi or glass look acrylic, which really looks like glass until you lift it. It's a lot lighter than glass and obviously much easier to work with. I think the glass look will add a certain something to the case, but it depends on how much it comes to! I have a sample of it at work that I can take a pic of or you can wait until the case parts arrive to see it.
 
Mysterae said:
Glad you like the modded crossflow fans guys, they are pretty easy to make with a dremel, good sand paper and patience. I'm looking at suitable filter material at the moment to stop them sucking in dust bunnies and insects. The noise they make when they suck one in is quite sick yet amusing :p . Wondering about lighting them too, but don't want too much illumination just for the sake of it.

Mike160, I'm impatient too, so many ideas that I have to write them down so I don't forget them.

SpangeMonkee, I thought there was a motoring section in the [H] but couldn't find it. I was going to post and link it to there rather than tangent this thread.

Darkside, do you mean as whole, the hardware or just the case? If I were to buy the parts now I would save a great deal as all the components (gfx, cpu, mobo, ram etc) are a lot cheaper now, but hey thats computers for you. I've probably spent over £250 ($400?) on custom made water cooling parts that I couldn't make myself. I'm waiting to submit the case again after tweeking it more to get a quote. It depends on if I go for clear plexi or glass look acrylic, which really looks like glass until you lift it. It's a lot lighter than glass and obviously much easier to work with. I think the glass look will add a certain something to the case, but it depends on how much it comes to! I have a sample of it at work that I can take a pic of or you can wait until the case parts arrive to see it.
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There is still a car section, it just got moved into General Mayhem some time ago. Well worth the admission price! If you want to subscribe, we'd love having you and hearing more about it.

Your comment about the dust bunny noise struck me as really funny, I'm still laughing about it. If you put some of that spongy foamy stuff they use in fan filters like this one would that completely kill the effectiveness of the crossflow fan? What if you built separate intake and exhaust "boxes" and filtered those?

As far as case material goes, I'd definitely go with the glass-look stuff. What would be really cool is if you could actually get it made out of a break resistant glass like Pyrex or something. THAT would look classy!


 
el rolio said:
lotus esprit.

hoooo--lllleeeee---shhiiiiiii-iiiittttt :eek:
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QFT!

WOOOOOOoooOOOOooooOOOoooOOOOooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~111!!!!oneone

more? (pmed of course :p lotus = teh sex)

pics of computer? :p
 
Mysterae said:
sucking in dust bunnies and insects. The noise they make when they suck one in is quite sick yet amusing :p
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I imagined the sound of accidentally running over a tennis ball (or similar object) with a lawnmower !!! haha... (only on a smaller scale)... :D
 
Darkside, I don't have the parts of the case as yet, I'm just waiting to find out the lead time. I'll give the worklog nod when I know!

uzor, that's where it went, thought they had removed it. GenMay, I browsed a bit on the last 'open day' and there is some wierd stuff in there, so I guess it would be good for me :). Look out for me in there!
I have been wondering about filter material, some thin some thick. I wouldn't want it to impede the performance of the fans as they will be running at 7v to keep the noise down. I thought some modders mesh would be good (hex stuff, kinda inkeeping with the theme) but that won't stop the small airborne crap out.
As for making the case out of Pyrex or real glass, it would weigh a ton but still cool!

Omega, coming soon I promise!

Mike160, you have it! I also imagine a garden shredder, cause when something goes in it's got to come out...usually in bits and all over the components!

Okay, not so much an update, more of an infodate...okay, I'll get my coat...

Here's a sample of the glass effect acrylic:

glass_acrylic_sample.jpg


It's the edges that make it look like glass. When viewed straight on it has a subtle green look. If only they made it in blue, that would be awesome.

When constructing this case, I didn't want any metal framework detracting from the look, so here's how the acrylic panels will fit together:

construction_inserts_01.jpg


There are (clear) acrylic blocks fitted at all corners with these brass expansion threaded inserts, erm, inserted in to them.

thread_insert_01.jpg


The one on the left is the flush type, the other type flange. I've chosen flush type, M5 threads as I'll have M5 screws holding it all together. Which brings me to an other question of purely aesthetics, what type of screws should I use? I'm thinking cap heads (more hex shapes!), but countersunk to be flush, round caphead or bolts? I can't decide at the moment, consensus?

As I said before, the case parts should arrive in the near future. It will all be undrilled so I'll have fun putting it all together before I even get any components in it.
 
Mysterae said:
Here's a sample of the glass effect acrylic:

glass_acrylic_sample.jpg


It's the edges that make it look like glass. When viewed straight on it has a subtle green look. If only they made it in blue, that would be awesome.
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Cyro makes a product called Acrylite that comes in a bunch different colors and styles. Their Exotic Edge stuff may be what you are lookin for.
 
Mysterae said:
Which brings me to an other question of purely aesthetics, what type of screws should I use? I'm thinking cap heads (more hex shapes!), but countersunk to be flush, round caphead or bolts? I can't decide at the moment, consensus?

As I said before, the case parts should arrive in the near future. It will all be undrilled so I'll have fun putting it all together before I even get any components in it.
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My opinion:
No bolts, no acorn nuts. Flat heads that use Hex Allen holes or, if you can't countersink the acrylic for the flatheads, then regular Hex/Allen screws.

Wait, if you are having someone cut the acrylic for you, why not have them drill/cut as many holes as possible? Otherwise, make sure you use a nice drill-press to make all your holes as straight as possible.
 
SpangeMonkee said:
Cyro makes a product called Acrylite that comes in a bunch different colors and styles. Their Exotic Edge stuff may be what you are lookin for.
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That is a good find! Unfortunately I'm not in the US and after speaking to my supplier he can get it but only in 3mm and 5mm thick, and would cost a fortune. So it's glass look or clear. IMO the green looks like glass whereas the blue would look like coloured plexi (I'm making excuses now)...

Ozone77 said:
My opinion:
No bolts, no acorn nuts. Flat heads that use Hex Allen holes or, if you can't countersink the acrylic for the flatheads, then regular Hex/Allen screws.

Wait, if you are having someone cut the acrylic for you, why not have them drill/cut as many holes as possible? Otherwise, make sure you use a nice drill-press to make all your holes as straight as possible.
Click to expand...

I kinda agree, and narrowed my selection down (except for the bolt shown):

screw_selection_01.jpg


I'd love the titanium capheads, but at almost £5 ($9) EACH that's a non-starter and serious overkill! I reckon I'll use the silver anodised aluminium capheads for general construction because they add a bit of bling, and also the stainless countersinks for areas where it really needs to be flush.

I'll be drilling the holes myself to keep the cost and manufacturing time down, and also feel like I've done some kind of modding!
 
Mysterae said:
That is a good find! Unfortunately I'm not in the US and after speaking to my supplier he can get it but only in 3mm and 5mm thick, and would cost a fortune. So it's glass look or clear. IMO the green looks like glass whereas the blue would look like coloured plexi (I'm making excuses now)...
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yeah it is expensive even in if you're in the US. :) It cost something like $150 for a 48x96 sheet. The best thing to do (for small jobs) is to find a local plastic dealer that will let you look at their cutoff bin. They usually sell it for 50% to 75% off of the wholesale cost. I always grab scraps of stuff from my work (specialty printer) and bring it home for whenever the need arises. ;)
 
SpangeMonkee said:
yeah it is expensive even in if you're in the US. :) It cost something like $150 for a 48x96 sheet. The best thing to do (for small jobs) is to find a local plastic dealer that will let you look at their cutoff bin. They usually sell it for 50% to 75% off of the wholesale cost. I always grab scraps of stuff from my work (specialty printer) and bring it home for whenever the need arises. ;)
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good idea..nice way to save some chezze :D
 
Mysterae..I read thu most of this thread and looked at your work...I would have to say your either an electrical engineer or Industrial Engineer..Am i right..which are you ???
 
like damn, thats awesome dude, one of the better full custom threads i have seen in a while!

i really like your idea and i had a few of my own that might help you out, but it's alittle late now as you already have most of the stuff built.

using the reflective limo tint on the inside and using 2 or even 3 stage lighting can really ad to the effect, when it's all off and theres no lighting on the insde, it can look like smoked chrome...
but then you can turn on the darker UV lights, then the brighter blue, then even the white for full view.

plus the UV effect through the tint will give it that almost ghostly or holographic look!


a note on the pumps, if you put the pumps at the top, it will really help out with the flow, and put less stress on the pumps.. since theres less of an actual head.

note#2 about the splitter , instead of mounting it like you have in post 180, u should lay it on top of the dvd drive. also allowing you to keeping your tubing alittle shorter and helps to reduce the over all head by keeping the water mass closer to the pump.

and a major thing that people over look when putting fans right ontop of the rads, you loose effective surface area, u should make a separater that gives you 1/2 an inch between the fans and the rad if possible, it will allow more air flow that is less restricted, will help keep noise down, and will use more of the surface area of the rad.. this is even more noticable when the fan is sucking through the rad like you have pictured

( try putting your hand near, but not completely blocking out the airflow on a fan, and separate your fingers slightly, keeping your palm off center, you will notice a change in the sound if your fan is moving any kind of air flow )
 
SpangeMonkee, yeah I need to get in a scrap bin, I'm sure I could make something interesting! All the bits I need are a little big to find in a parts bin though!

Techx, Solarfall, ThatsAgood1jay, thanks guys! I was really chuffed with the way the reservior turned out, looks so much better than the sketchup model. I'm looking forward to trying out different lighting for it. I have a number of 3mm blue and UV LEDs for it, not forgetting a red LED for PSU 'over-current' situations during high load games :cool: . I was even thinking of puting something inside it, not sure what though, wouldn't want it to float to the top or sink to the bottom and block the output.

madgun, Darkside - Darkside is right. I'm an electrical engineer by trade, but these days I only get my hands dirty working on this or my car, more's the pity. It's good to have skills from work you can use in your hobbies, whatever they may be.

omegatotal, you have raised some good points, some of which I have thought (or thinking!) about.
- I'm going to see how the case looks in the bare glass look first before covering it in a tint. The tint may be too dark and hide everything, but that may be a good thing if the case begins to look too cluttered with all the tubing and cables everywhere. I'm going to try and be as tidy as possible with the tubing and wires but it may be an impossible task!
- Lighting can make or break a casemod imo. Do I go for flat-out Close Encounters of the HEX Kind or subtle and subdued pimping? Once it's altogether it'll try various schemes. As mentioned before, I've got about 50 blue 3mm LEDs and 50 uv (more like light purple) 3mm LEDs, but I'm sure I won't use them all :eek:
- The location of the pumps is aimed for the original design, purely so the can be anchored down with anti-vibration mounts and keep the heat generated by them cooled a little by the crossflow fans and also so they don't interrupt the air from them. The water does flow down to them, but you are right, they will have to push the water back up again. Hopefully they shouldn't have to work too hard.
- I have been thinking where to put the splitter (or distributor), but really to keep the internals symmetrical. When the case panels arrive they will be undrilled so I can change the location of it. I'm not sure I like where I have placed it in that post but we will see. If I could do the collector (reservior) and distributor again, I would make them one unit if possible. Maybe an update in the future.
- The radiator is a Thermochill PA120 and according to the manufacturer it doesn't need a shroud as it already has one on the rad casing. The fans actually sit away from the surface of the rad by about 10mm or so and do exactly what you suggested. I might fab a simple spacer from acrylic to increase the gap between the rad and the fans if it's not enough.

Thanks for taking the time reading and helping.

I seriously need to get my hands on the case parts, I really want to start building! Probably over a week away now...
 
Mysterae said:
- The location of the pumps is aimed for the original design, purely so the can be anchored down with anti-vibration mounts and keep the heat generated by them cooled a little by the crossflow fans and also so they don't interrupt the air from them. The water does flow down to them, but you are right, they will have to push the water back up again. Hopefully they shouldn't have to work too hard.
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I might be a bit rusty on my fluid mechanics, but I'm not so sure having the pumps lower is going to make a difference. Any hydrostatic head generated by having pump the water up the tubes would be cancelled out by the pressure generated by having the water come down the tubes. Longer tubes might increase the pressure drop, but at steady-state the change in elevation won't matter if the net change is zero.
 
Kaldskryke said:
I might be a bit rusty on my fluid mechanics, but I'm not so sure having the pumps lower is going to make a difference. Any hydrostatic head generated by having pump the water up the tubes would be cancelled out by the pressure generated by having the water come down the tubes. Longer tubes might increase the pressure drop, but at steady-state the change in elevation won't matter if the net change is zero.
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You are absolutely correct. Pump placement does not matter since it is a closed-loop system. All that matters is resistance (i.e. restriction) due to the blocks, tubing, etc. Well, that isn't all that matters, but you get the picture.
 
Mysterae said:
SpangeMonkee, yeah I need to get in a scrap bin, I'm sure I could make something interesting! All the bits I need are a little big to find in a parts bin though!
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you'd be suprised. say someone orders 10 pieces of 7"x36" acrylic but they don't want to pay for the 48"x96" whole sheet. There would a 26"x48" piece and seven 7"x12" pieces. Plenty large enough to work with.
 
2uantuM said:
anyone else think this is never going to be finished?
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patience young grasshopper :-D

it certainly would be a waste if he made that kickass res without the case to go with it.
 
2uantuM said:
anyone else think this is never going to be finished?
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I feel your plight!

:) The case wll hopefully be finished at some point! The good news is I'm only waiting on the parts for the case and should arrive in around a week, then I really get started! I'm going to have to sort out another host for the slew of images that will follow.

These things take time...
 
:cool:

stage_111.jpg


Here's all the construction blocks than need shaping, some into little HEX's.

stage_112.jpg


I couldn't resist taking off the protective film and seeing it kinda together. It's held together with blu-tac, not a pernament solution!

stage_113.jpg


Another shot from the back, so you can see the HEX motherboard mount.

stage_114.jpg


A shot taken from the front. You won't see the HEX once the motherboard is in place hence the reason why it's backwards here.

stage_115.jpg


Another shot from the back but a lower angle. The flash of the camera has freaked out the lines and projected an image on the curtains behind. I should take some pictures in normal daylight, the panels aren't as green as it looks here. I'm not sure if you get any idea of the scale of this thing, it's huge!

stage_116.jpg


Many will notice there are some critical holes missing. I wasn't 100% sure where I was going to put the psu, radiator, dvd drives etc, so I'll add them as I go along. A lot of work to do, with the first job being getting it structurely strong. Then I can start adding components and begin to look like a pc, albeit a very strange one!

I'm getting there...
 
I think I speak for all of us when I say:

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
 
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