Project: "Huge Big Tower Thing"

[CrimandEvil]

I have a large fan to use, see pic below. The smaller one is a standard 80mm.

What is that like a 170mm? Where did you get one? I might need one for a project.

 

[apHytHiaTe]

I tried reshacker a couple of times. The first time... just fine and dandy. Then I tryed to get a new winFX logo. Oops, I just fucked up windoze pretty badly. Just remember to keep a backup of explorer.exe lol

 

[blackacidevil]

yeah, i see their site, and i found where it says "start" but when i change the value and hit compile then save it says cannot save file "C:/windows/explorer.exe"

No no. After you change it, compile the script and choose "Save As.." save the file with a different name...such as NewStartButton.exe, and then you have to edit your registry. Find the appropriate string value (using the website to follow where, i dont remember) and change the explorer.exe value to the new file name. Reboot your system. Should be good to go.

 

[blackacidevil]

Yeah it's 170mm. It's from an air hockey table. 2700-3000 rpm. 51-55 decibels. 180 cubic feet/minute.

 

[TheArchangel]

Thanks for the offer Chronic, but i solved the XP issue *wink wink*.
I've been dead sick wth a nasty chest cold the past few days so I havent gotten any work done.
I have a large fan to use, see pic below. The smaller one is a standard 80mm.

I hope you have a seat belt in your chair talk about wind tunnel

Dre

 

[pilotman2004]

Yeah it's 170mm. It's from an air hockey table. 2700-3000 rpm. 51-55 decibels. 180 cubic feet/minute.

Does that have plastic blades, or is it the one with aluminum blades? Either way, keep fingers out

 

[kubalaTF]

Are you going to use multiple 170mm fans? Because big as it is, will it adequitely cover the big huge tower thing? I also recall there being openings from top to bottom on all sides too. Just a thought, but have you considered water for your monster?

 

[pilotman2004]

Well, If you're REALLY going for the wind-tunnel effect, I think one of these is in order. Cut an 18" hole in the top, take the cage and legs off the fan, and mount the motor and fan assembly in the hole. I don't even want to know the CFMs that thing would be ripping through your case. Plus, It would look amazing having a fan taking up the whole top of that beast. At least thats what I'D do...

 

[Captain Colonoscopy]

Well, If you're REALLY going for the wind-tunnel effect, I think one of these is in order. Cut an 18" hole in the top, take the cage and legs off the fan, and mount the motor and fan assembly in the hole. I don't even want to know the CFMs that thing would be ripping through your case. Plus, It would look amazing having a fan taking up the whole top of that beast. At least thats what I'D do...

unshielded AC fans are bad for your computer.

 

[pilotman2004]

unshielded AC fans are bad for your computer.

Why is that? EMI? Its not like he's going to be attaching the HDDs or mobo to the fan. With a little distance between the two, I wouldn't thing that there would be any problems...

Well, heres an unshielded AC motor next to my PC, at most a foot from the Mobo...

And everythings happy...

So unless it is a long term effect, I really can't see any problems, especially if his components were further from the motor than mine were.

Edit - upon further review of the pictures, maybe it was the good karma of the yoohoo can next to my computer that kept it safe...

 

[DarkMonkey]

FrozenCPU sells like 150mm fans that blow over 200CFM of air and run off 12v DC, perhaps you could get one of those?

 

[pilotman2004]

FrozenCPU sells like 150mm fans that blow over 200CFM of air and run off 12v DC, perhaps you could get one of those?

Except for the fact that they cost $70 each... eeek...

 

[blackacidevil]

yeah and it's also 70 buc....dammit pilotman...

plus shipping to Canada....

and mine was free.

 

[pilotman2004]

yeah and it's also 70 buc....dammit pilotman...

Anywho, what are the latest plans for the project? Have anything new up your sleeve?

 

[blackacidevil]

nothing at the moment. Home life has been a little unstable with the wife losing her job last month and being down to one income only. Any case work I do from here on in will have to be either free or very very cheap.

 

[pilotman2004]

Sorry to hear about the job, hope everything works out alright! Your family should definitely come before anything else, so we understand.

 

[DarkMonkey]

Mod the case so you and your wife can live in it, I'm sure you'll have room.

 

[blackacidevil]

I apologize for a lack of updates. There have been rampant personal issues with the girlfriend, and for a while we have been broken up (although still living in the same apartment.) I've been too pre-occupied to do anything on my case, and have been apartment hunting for a month now. I had found a place, but we were able to work things out. So now I'm staying and hopefully in a couple weeks or so I'll have some work done for you guys.

 

[Wuffiman]

wait and dream

wuffiman

 

[Corrugated]

So your wife lost her job and you broke up with your girlfriend. But now you have worked things out with your girlfriend and will continue to live with her... How does your wife feel about that?

 

[blackacidevil]

lol. I dont think i need to explain that they're the same person...

 

[CoRPS]

Looks good man..

 

[WillowHawk]

Updates Updates!!!!

 

[blackacidevil]

Currently on vacation from work this week. I wish I was flying somewhere south for the next 7 days, but since I have to buy a computer next week, I figured I’d get some work done on the case. I know some of you have been waiting awhile for this, and I appreciate your patience and those of you who have offered advice to me on a personal level the past few weeks. You know who you are.

Monday:

Pics 1 and 2: Hinges mounted and tested. Everything is OK.

Pics 6 to 11: The “roof” cut for the strobe light, brackets attached, and testing for fit. Strobe plugged in.

Pics 12 to 17: Interior “floor” cut. The floor piece is the front window cutout. Foil-effect duct tape covers the exposed sections of the particle board. I did the same with the edges of the “floor” and “roof”, since it shows on the outside.

 

[CrimandEvil]

Wow I almost forgot about this project.

 

[pilotman2004]

Looks good, glad to see that you found some time to work on it! Updates are appreciated, no matter when they come. Keep working on it, it'll turn out really cool.

 

[CoRPS]

You're not installing a HUGE fan on the top of the tower?

 

[blackacidevil]

Nah. There will be dual 120mm intake and dual 80mm exhaust fans. Should be sufficient until I purchase a watercooling kit.

 

[blackacidevil]

Tuesday:

Today started off with some bitch work. I have 2 fluorescent light diffuser panels. Cut those up to cover the slits in the penthouse and basement sections of the tower, since transparent acrylic would be a waste because you don’t need to see inside. The panels are very brittle, I cracked more than a few pieces cutting them to size. Contact cement used to secure it in place.

Now I wanted to use the old Dell power supply to make a tester, and looked up some guides online on how to do it. Figures Dell uses their own PSU, and not something industry-standard. A few online guides on the wiring details mention splicing the green wire to any black ground wire. This Dell PSU doesn’t have a green wire. So after tonnes of Googling and finding nothing, I trashed it. Gonna pick up a cheap one at Active Surplus Wednesday.

I didn’t get as much done today, which ticks me off. I could have done more, but I had no money til Wednesday and I need supplies for this case. 120mm fans, Dremel cutting discs, etc. So the bulk of Wednesday was a shopping day in downtown Toronto.

Wednesday:

Shopping spree at Canadian Tire and Active Surplus.
$150 bucks got me less than what I thought $150 bucks would get me. 450w ATX PSU, two 120mm 12vDC fans (3500rpm/130cfm), Bondo repair kit (I just need a bit, but this was the smallest they had), digital multimeter, 3” holesaw, 2 more hinges, some Dremel discs, couple of alligator clips, and some model paint (for touch ups and painting screws etc.

Tester PSU: I know it’s a simple thing, but I need it.

And it works… =)

Back to the case. I used the 3” holesaw to cut 2 holes for the red LED exhaust fans above the mobos.

I wanted to make 2 vents at the top of the case for the 120mm fans, but the fans are slightly smaller than the square that could be cut. I was going to work on that part next, but a nasty headache came on and I stopped work for the next few hours.

I tried plugging in one of the 120mm fans into the controller, but it didn’t work. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the 3-pin connector was wired wrong. Just had to splice the red wire onto the white and vice-versa. Works fine now.

It is loud on max voltage, but I’m not one for a super-quiet system anyways. Nobody can tell you that the sound of computer fans annoy them when they have the volume cranked on their 5.1 surround sound during a firefight in Enemy Territory.

I’m done for the night. Look for another update Friday.

 

[uzor]

What exactly did you do to your "tester" PSU?

 

[blackacidevil]

I cut off all the wires except for the molexes, dipped the cut portion in liquid rubber to insulate it to prevent shorts, and spliced the green wire (from the ATX connector) to a ground wire. It now powers up without the need for a PC "on" button.

 

[Troney1169]

Why wouldn't u just make a cap that shorts the two wires that u wanted to short cause then if u ever needed a backup psu all u'd have to do is remove that cap. But i like the liquid rubber to insulate. Good job so far on the Gibson.

 

[blackacidevil]

I know what you mean, but this PSU was 30 bucks (CDN). I wouldn't trust it to properly power a computer.

 

[shadowlord]

good work so far.

and maybe we will meet on a Enemy Territory game

 

[themark]

Can Tire and Active Surplus... must be a Toronto guy. I just about lived in the two stores when I was studying Product design at Humber. Memories....

Good to hear Active is still active. What a goldmine that shop can be. I bought a HUGE Vernier caliper there for $50 that had been in quarantine for 15 years! Came from Canadian Nuclear Commision. Hair fell out though..

 

[blackacidevil]

Active Surplus is an awesome store. They relocated a few units down Queen to a second floor shop, larger than their previous locale. You should check it out next time you're in town.

 

[blackacidevil]

Thursday and Friday:

Began work on the case cutting the square intakes for the 120mm fans.

Next was cutting the aluminum L channel piece that will be mounted on the inside next to the window. I need this piece because I have a key displaycase lock. (pictures in the future will make more sense.)

Mounted aluminum:

And it’s beginning to take shape….

Earlier in the day I painted the ceiling with a “hammered-metal” finish spraypaint by Rust-Oleum. The stuff looks awesome, I’m considering buying numerous cans and doing the whole case with it.

Roof shot with the red LED fans…

Next morning I painted the buttons for the Control Panel.

Cut 2 small wood blocks and contact cemented them to the back of the control panel so the fan controller could attach to something, and then put the thing together.

Ate lunch and downed a couple bottles of Steamwhistle, then tackled the mesh for the 120mm intake vents. The metal was unusual…cutting it with the reinforced disc caused the metal to actually glow redhot and started to melt my disc. But I got it all cut and mounted. Mesh contact cemented and gluegunned to the inside.

Started working on the door drivebays. 2 optical drives will be mounted and stealthed on each side of the tower. (Two for me, two for her)

Got these nice acrylic pieces from work. I cut them to size with the jigsaw.
It was part of an Adidas shoe display tower which we threw out, so I grabbed them. Got 4 in total. Two of them I’ll be using to mount the motherboard trays to.

That’s all for tonight. Look for another update sometime Sunday evening.

 

[Zero_Distortion]

Wow!!...damn this is excellent stuff---It looks really great. Hey this pic is very trippy when you scroll the browser window up and down:

 

[blackacidevil]

lol! it IS!

 

[compslckr]

nice switch panel!

i hope you have some nice long ide/floppy cables for that beast