Tribaloverkill's "Blackout"

Ok the radiator tower is alomst done. I just have a few more things to do.

Sep-01-2007

Putting it back together just to take the next few pics,...


Canopy,....


Made these as a temp solution.


They are going to help keep the post bolts errect. "UH Huh hu hu huuh,... he said errect"


The posts slide right over them. I had to loosen the a bit. I cant turn the bolts with the rounded nut wrenched on there. I have cheese head hex bolts coming in the mail. They will make installing the tower to the case a lot easier.


Eye candy,...


This tower is something else. First,... it's heavy! Holy hell its heavy. But,... i kinda like it:) It's like,... I cant explain it. I said this before,... its like heavy rock solid. You guyz would have to hold it to understand what I mean. Its like a unit. So cool. In the future though,... have to lighten thing up a bit. Might start working with 1/32" aluminum for shell and covers. Not sure. Anyways,... you see the tube panel flipped over? Well,... this is the side thats suppose to be facing out. I have to polish this side now. No big deal. Now,... what about dem grillz? They have to go right? I mean,... they look good as hell with the polished aluminum, but I made my own grillz elsewhere on the case. These dont fit in you know what I mean? So,...


Going to make new ones:) Kinda like this:) I jhave to make an acrylic spacer like I did for the others but,... im going to ask even though i'm sure I know what you all are going to say. I know what I want too. Should the acrylic spacer should be tinted or green? I used tinted for all the other grillz. I ask about the green because under the wheel I use green as spacers for the wheels remember? I'm thinking tinted. i plan on loading up the rad tower with green LEDs to give it some of the green that the case has. Yea. Im thinking tinted. What you about you?


These will be the grillz. Cut this from a panel of aluminum I got from a scrap yard. Seriously neeeds some sanding...


80 grit @ I believe 1560rpm.


Right after polishing with a buffing wheel,...


Right after polishing with a polishing pad thingy,...


So yea. Things I still have to do for this tower before its totally complete,... install LEDs, which will require some kind of acrylic mounting brackets or something. I have to make some kind of bracket to hold in place the chrome shower hose that will pass from the case to the rad tower. The shower hose will be used to pass wires to and from. And lastly,... I want to cut the hose barbs down just a bit and then install new hoses. After that I think thats it?!?!? Will be time to move on to something else. Either I'll continue working on the PSU after I buy more shower hose or,... I think I will design a custom blackout reservoir;) I know what I want too:) Anyways,... I have to friggin work tonight, EEEEWWWW. OH! Forgot to tell you guyz,... my car is F@#$ed! Car was knocking while driving. Took it to the machanic and he said its the tranny. 4th and 5th gear are done PLUS, both CV joints are shot, engine mounts and worn out, needs new exhaust,...I think thats it?!? The car is only worth like $500 in ok condition. So I am going to just donate it to charity or something. Im back to driving my gas guzzling pick-up truck. Life just keeps getting better and better:) Well atleast I get to sleep in my bed now. I slept in my bed like twice during august. I slept on the friggin floor of the studio for an entire month?!?!? Geeez.
 
ARGH! Finally! UUUUUUUUUPDAAAAATE! This update is being dedicated to Teyber:)

Sep-03-2007

My rad tower grills.


Nice, STRAIGHT, grooves.


My aluminum is polished, taped, and as you can see I made my marks right on the tape. I then used a razor to cut away the tape exposing the areas that will be cut way with the scroll saw.


I used this:) Its square:) My aluminum sheets that im using for the grill are pretty damn square so I can use the edges to draw straight lines with the square.


I used a ruler to mark lines every 1/8".


I used these, a tack hammer and a center punch to punch little pits where I want to drill.


I punched as close as I could to the end so that when I drill,... the drill will cut out that end. I do this because it's one less end to cut out.


The drill bit shold only be a bit bigger then the blade your using. It really doesnt matter as long as the bit does not touch the tape! Your center puch might be off just enough so that when you drill,... it might touch the tape! DONT DO THIS! Use a bit thats big enough to just get the blade through.


You see how much slack I have just in case my punches are a bit off center?


Now its time to drill.


You see how I have that bit close to the edge like that? Thats so that theres more table around the hole your drilling. When you push down on the aluminum to drill it out,... it bows a bit. Drill like this helps prevent this. Bowing can lead to the bit walking the surface, crooked holes if you drilling through several thin sheets at once.


I have to make several holes so I want the bit very close to the aluminum so I dont have to pull down as much on the lever to make all these holes. It s quicker.


Done.


This is the other side of the aluminum. You need to file and sand this bur away before you continue to work with the aluminum. The aluminum does not sit flat on the table with this stuff on here like this.


A uni-bit. Going to use it to drill the larger holes for the tread-serts.


Same thing as the drill bit. You want it close to the edge so the aluminum is supported. Also,... with a uni-bit it helps to set the depth so you can drill to far. I have mine set at 7-32 for the serts.


All done. Time to cut but first,....


:)


Yum.


Ok,... im going to time myself. I have to cut out 38, 3-3/4" x 1/8" grooves. 1:15am and I'm still workin!!!


Done.


Now this is ideal.


I saved time but leaving these ends looking like this. Several seconds each groove. These little things I left behind file away faster then I can cut them away. Plus I have to file that end clean anyways.


You see how I did NOT touch the tape. In some places I left more aluminum and in others I just brushed right up against it but did not cut through it. It wasn't really rushing to do this. I think I may have been rushing a bit but I tried not to. I wanted to see how long it would typically take me.


Again,... this end is easy to file away.


So,... #1 took 42 minutes. Lets do #2 and compare.


Start time,... yes I took a small break. LOL. Was trying to drink my coffee before it got completely cold.


Done?!?!?


What a dirty mess.


The second one was faster? This is weird because I wasn't anywhere near rushing this time. My head was in the clouds actually. I was very comfortable cutting this panel while during the first one I was worried about the time. Didnt worry about the time for this one. So,... I saved a lot of time relaxing:) 1 hour and 19 minutes of total cut time.


Time to file.


Here's the backside. As you can see they are pretty straight:)


Ummm yea;)


These are the 3 files I use to make these grills. The thinnest one to get the second thinnest one in there. The largest to finalize the grooves. It's a finer cut and I use it to kind of make sure the grooves are all just about the same width.


Three different thicknesses.


Almost done. I just got done filing with the tape side towards me. I removed everything I didnt cut away. I filed to the tape basically. This doesnt mean the grooves are perfectgly straight though. To make sure they are I will turn it around and file from the other side using the biggest file. The tape will hinder you from seeing certain things. You have to look at the actual aluminum to see if they are straight. Eyeball it.


This is complete. Just need to clean it up a bit.


Nice and perfectly straight:)


Nice but still not done:) Oh by the way,... filing takes a S@#$ A#% long time. So be prepared to duke it out.


Very nice. All the holes line up!


Heres both of them just about done.


Took a break and carved this into my table. LOL. I like it. Looks scary.


Before I round the edges of the grills I want to make these first. Done.


Sanded the edges round first. All I have to do if buff them out now. No need to wetsand. The buffer to eat all those scratches up quick. Even that slip of the razor you see there. Its not deep so it will come out quick.


Their all done.


FRIGGIN A MAN!!! WHAHOOOOOO!!!


Look at that! You cant see the fans! Thier right in front of us too! Their not covered!


Cool ehh?


I just got the hex bolts in the mail. So im goign to open it back up and install some LEDs and the hoses. I'll close it up and thats it! Time to move on to something else.
 
Welcome back! Time for some Blackout goodness,.... now, where was I?

Oct-08-2008

I was here! I left off here. Installing chrome shower hose wire sleeving. As you can see I got all new shower hose. I want my hoses to match. Stupid me forgot to buy new shower hose for the HDD enclosure. Damn. I'll have to buy some more. I'll buy from the same place. S@#$ better match. This stuff isnt cheap.


Here's the old hose where I left off. Have to remove them.


I have to dremel away the pins I used to fasten the hoses in place.


Thats was easy enough.


The bracket. I have to make another one of these for the HDD rack.


New hose, old hose. The new hose shrinks when its loose while the old hose expands. The new hose is nickel plated brass where the old hose is steel.


Have to cut all the new hoses in half.


Done. They are all about the same. Some of the hoses are expanding a little bit. Thats why they seem longer.


I drill holes in the ends fro the pins. Drill through this hose was easy seeing its brass.


Here are some pins I had left over from the last time. It's not enough though. I need more. I made these using the left over stem of a pop rivet.


I made them using this mold I made a while ago.


Pretty obvious how it works. I clamp it in the vise and smash away!


Put the stems in the mold. Make sure they are touching the bottom. Then you clip them like so,...


Like this. Make sure they are not to long. But not to short.


Then you smash them in. I wish it was as easy as smashing them in because you cant just smash em in. You have to kind of work them in. Hammering around the tip in circles. Moving is down into the mold. Just smashing it will make it bend over and be all sloppy.


Done.


Pins in hoses.


So cool. Better than tape or glue:)


I use this in teh vise for,...


This. Noe I just hammer in circles aroudn the tip until it forms a mushroom on top locking the hose in place.


Like so.


So damn cool.


So whats next? I would like to wire up the PSU but I have to ask. Whats a good PSU these days? For a really beefy computer? Assuming I was able to get some sponsors to donate the latest and greatest,... whats kind of PSU whould I have for all that? I want SLI and the whole nine yards. I have a OCZ 520w PSU right now. What do you think?


In the mean time I think I'll polish this out. It's time.


ZAP!


By far teh best polishing I have done yet. I used ONLY a 5" felt polishing disc on my drill press at 2100rpm with some high gloss polishing compound. I stop at 220grit sanding. Do you know that I was able to polish out 220 marks within seconds with this setup?!?! Seconds!! I could not believe how fast it was! Took no time whatsoever. And it by far did the best polishing I have ever done. I wont be using the table grinder anymore:)


Pump mounting arms. Just installing them for the hell of it. I need new pumps anyways.


Polished back panel.


Pump covers.


Together again. How sick is that!


Seeing that it took no time whatsoever to polish,... its time to repolish all the old stuff.


Blackout's end is near approaching. It's so close that I am not sure as to whether or not I should start seeking hardware. I dont want to get hardware to soon because around here,... s@#$ happens and I dont want to keep the sponsors waiting. Plus I have to figure out what I'm going to do with blackout. I want to keep it as my main processing station because I need a new computer with mucsle for all my pic, video, and 3D modeling. The pc im using now is crap. The thing is that I need to get this thing around so people can see it in person. the sponsors need their exposure. I think I will keep going without hardware for now. Keep doing as much as I can without it all. I still haver to make a reservoir for Blackout too. That I will not reveal until Blackout is completed. I will keep it covered so you cant see:) I have to buy more chrome shower hose, watercooling tube(I can probably get that for free), some micro tactile switches for teh VFD, LCD, and optical drives, I have to buy two new optical drives, I need metal chromed RCA plugs!?!? I think thats what I wanted to get. I will be using those for the LEDS. S@#$ I still need to make brackets to mount all the LEDS. Damn,... ok. I have a lot more to go. Till next time. Which will be soon. I am waiting for the heat shrink tubing to finish Borealis. I need it for Blackout too. Till next time. Peace.
 
Awesome..this is one project that has been in the back of my mind, wanting to see the project completed. As always...Crazy awesome work!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top