Ginormous Cube (Scratch)

[Herc130]

Not sure about starting the build log now. Really wanted to get to a point where I thought I wasn't going to fall flat on my face with the build and not finish it, but some feedback as I go along building it could be beneficial, so I decided what the heck. I am not a metal smith, I do not normally use the shop and tools you will see here. I have little experience shaping wood or metals and am learning as I go on this. I do know how to make..or actually, fumble my way through making a scab patch for airplanes.

I started this project two weeks ago and I only work on it durring the weekend because the shop is somewhat busy durring weekdays from morning till 11pm.

I am making this case 24" wide x24" deep x 30" tall . Originally, I was going with a smaller case, but decided to try adding on a TEC chiller, so I added on another radiator level and went from 6x MCR320's to also include 1 PA120.3 and 2 PA120.2's (which I will probably replace with MCR320's just to keep it all the same)...so, yah..9 radiators. 3 loops for sure. CPU, VGA and NB/SB/whatever. If I go TEC chiller, then a 4th loop for the chiller as well . 6, maybe 8 pumps ( each loop gets 2), lots of fittings, tons of fans and so on.

I realize this is very much overkill. That the same performance can be had for less. That I am exceeding the point of what I get in return for the cooling set-up I am using. I don't care. I am pretty sure that years down the road when we are all running 8 core CPU's, 4 VGA cards with two GPU's each in SLI, 32GB's of ram and whatever else, that I am not gonna wish I had made this case big enough to hold more rads lol . And I do plan on keeping this case for years....if it turns out ok.

There is actually moar then this and still buying
http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/5364/img0475ry6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I originally wanted to bend edges onto the sheet itself to form the angles I would use to make the box, but I could not do that without using more then one 4'x8' sheet. So I will be riviting on some angles instead.

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/3405/img0481he9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/4332/img0483wh1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/6438/img0484tw3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

That was all I did. Stuff happened at work that I don't want to get into, but I will say I ended up working through the weekend on some very long hours, which is fine, just wish things could have turned out better.

The next weekend I ended up working on saturday and was too tired come sunday and because of what happened the week before, so I just relaxed. On the bright side, got some nice sight seeing in durring our training flight

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/4025/img0502hv6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/2665/img0509tm5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I am in the military and aircrew on C130's btw.


This weekend I got a little more done

Cut up some angles
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/2183/img0520eu7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Layed it out on a front/back panel
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9865/img0523yz5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/7974/img0524xw0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
I left overhang on the angles of the front/back panels so that the sides, top and bottem panels can be made flush to the front and back.

Then I drilled some holes.
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/6825/img0547ey0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/828/img0527ej2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/5025/img0529sh5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Spacing is 1" between fans horizontally. I will make shrouds to funnel down to the rads.


Measured up where my sections will be and cut the side panels
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/1248/img0535my3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The very bottem set of rads will be just for the TEC's and two 350W meanwell psu's and the hot side of the chiller block if I do it. The middle section will be rads for the 3 loops, a 1600W Ultra X3 PSU (also 1 350W meanwell if I can't fit two on the bottem) and the cold side of the TEC chiller. 3 rads for the VGA, 2 for the CPU and 1 for NB, SB, whatever. If I don't do TEC, there will be 3 additional rads to disperse into the 3 loops. The top section was actually supposed to be 2 more sections, but I did not plan properly and ended up using more space then I thought I would need for the rad sections, so the top section ended up being 13" when I was thinking I'd have 14" . I still may be able to do it, but it's not that big of a deal. Anyway, top section is the mobo area.

Got lazy and instead of drawing, I just used the already cut out front as a template
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/3366/img0544cw7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/881/img0545za9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

All rad holes cut
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/5089/img0548op9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/7572/img0549kc7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Layed out angles again and drilled some more
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/3186/img0551lz7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

That's as far as I got before I decided I better stop before I make huge mistakes from being too tired
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/226/img0552mu5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Next weekend I'll drill out the holes for the side panels and countersink all the holes for the angles, front and back. Pound in some flush type rivits and shave off any of the tail that sticks out beyond the back countersink hole. Might make the countersink deeper then normal so I can use bondo to hide the rivit heads completely. JB weld the joints of the angles and file for aesthetics. Maybe even make the panels to seperate the sections.


If I do a TEC chiller, I will try milling my own blocks with this
http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/6903/img0487yd7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/5501/img0486fc4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Will try making some full cover heatsinks for my vid card out of aluminum blocks for practice. Copper blocks are kinda expensive. If I do the TEC chiller, I am thinking I will get as many 437w pelts undervolted to 8v as 2 350w meanwells can handle. All fans for regular water cooling rads will be controlled with a fan controller and will be turned off if the chiller is on. The pumps will also be on a controller and I will see if turning the flow on the regular water loops real low will improve anything when using a TEC chiller.

This whole build will take a while, especially since I am due to deploy soon. Hopefully I will figure out by next week if I will go TEC. Problem I have is I have yet to see a successful TEC chiller build and I do not want to go phase or do a direct TEC cooling set-up. If I don't do a TEC chiller then it's just going to be massively over radded watercooling :)

[silverphoenix]

Holy mother of God...

I'm speechless...

This build will be epic in many aspects!!


on a side note-
Ah C130 hence your username. I know someone on another forum that is/was stationed in hawaii, army infantry.

[yonton228]

Subscribed!

BTW, Where in Oahu are yous stationed?** I used to live in Schofield Barracks about 8 years ago.....fun times being a Army brat in Hawaii at the age of 13 :D


Just payed a bit more attention, from the looks of it you are over at Hickam?



-yonton228/timmy

[Dangals]

Wow, just wow :shocked:

I really envy those who have the skills and tools to be able to build a case from scratch rather than trying to make do with whats available. Looks amazing so far:yepp:

I for one will be watching this one with great interest:up:

[Herc130]

Subscribed!

BTW, Where in Oahu are yous stationed?** I used to live in Schofield Barracks about 8 years ago.....fun times being a Army brat in Hawaii at the age of 13 :D


Just payed a bit more attention, from the looks of it you are over at Hickam?



-yonton228/timmy


I'm in the Coast Guard, at Barbers Point.

[alpha0ne]

Woo I would give me left nut to have access to your workshop, looking forward to this, good luck and have fun :up:

[bianco]

i see another showcase of great workmanship here... :up:
nice work

sub'd

[Blauhung]

very cool. Making me want to pick up my stalled attempt to build something again too.

[zuess]

Subscribed

Now that's what I call Xtreme, this will be great to follow along as this MONSTER is built.

I wish I had access to those tools.

[philbrown23]

wow man just wow

[Scubar]

I hate all you people that have the tools and skills to be able to make your own cases. LOL jk man looks like its going to be awesome.

[NaeKuh]

I'm in the Coast Guard, at Barbers Point.

that picture you took off the rear is absolutely breath taking! :up:

[pcaddict]

where is the g*****n pics?

[[XC] Hicks121]

Cant see any pics :confused:

[ownage]

Yeah, pics disappeared!

[Herc130]

I used imageshack to upload to, they seem to be completely down and even when they come back up, who knows if the free user pics will too. I am at work right now standing ready crew watch since yesterday, using my laptop. Don't have the pics here and only have 40 minutes to :banana::banana::banana::banana: shower , shave and get breakfast, before I gotta get on a plane anyway, so won't be fixxing the pics till I get home in @ 8 hours from now. What's a better free site to host pics at? I normally use imageshack or photobucket and never had problems before.

[Duh]

where is the gd pics?
im also having a hard time with the images :S

[Big_Daddy]

I use flickr.. have never had any problems. Free for the last 200 pic's (at 201, the 1st isn't visible anymore)

[[XC] gomeler]

Pictures back up, ImageShack just had a little burp that disrupted it's ability to regurgitate millions of images :up:

[sniperbob]

whoa... i can't wait to see how this unfolds... GREAT WORK! KEEP MODDING!

[Herc130]

I had 2 hours on saturday and tried to rush through. Rushing was a mistake. The plan was to countersink all the angle holes. Then buck rivets to attach angles to panel. Very simple.

These are the countersinks I used/planned to use. The one on the blue drill has a centering tip that is just big enough for whatever hole you use and a depth lock that you adjust so that you don't drill any deeper then you intend. Pretty much, once you get it adjusted, you just countersink each hole drilling till it no longer cuts metal. Easy to get mostly all the same countersink holes. Other one has none of that, but I thought I could use it on the back of the angles, where space is limited. Didn't work out because even that bit was too big and I didn't want to countersink with a drill, especially since I am using -3 rivits...which are pretty small.
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/5374/img0579ib6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


The rivets I used are solid aluminum. Not blind rivets that I guess most here are familier with. You install em by pretty much hammering head of the rivet with the rivet gun, while pressing a bucking bar against the tail till it ...bucks (?) and compresses on itself.

Thats a bucking bar on the left and the rivet gun on the right.
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/6936/img0583fe5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The sheet had alot of scratches on it before I ever started and I added some of my own scratchs from tools :), but since it was free, I can't really complain. I try to keep more scratches to a minimum, but once I get far enough, everything will get sandblasted, alodined, bondo'd, sanded, etching primer, filler primer, sanded and then painter, in that order, I think.
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/6231/img0584mqt5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Hard to see, but even with no countersunk holes on the rear, the -3 rivets tail is pretty small.
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/4384/img0586if2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I got nearly done riveting the front panel when I decided to turn the bucking bar around and use the fat end. I braced like normal and pulled the trigger. Using the fat end drives the rivit in a little harder and I take a look and my tail is flush with the angle. I think..sweet!~ And quickly go through without paying any attention or giving it a second though...and bucked all the rivits in flush using the fat end. When I was done, I look and see that I had deformed the living :banana::banana::banana::banana: out of the angles. My edge's would no longer work because the angles were at all sorts of different distances. The rivet wasn't just going flush from magic. The metal still had to go somewhere and what I was doing was expanding the hole on the angle, which deformed pretty much all the angles. I was so pissed off at myself, I just decided to call it a day and go to the bar.



Then it occured to me that my angles are probably 6061 0. 6061 0 is very soft aluminum. I think it has either very minor heat treatment or none at all. I knew before I started that the angles were softer then the 6061 T6 sheet I had, but I didn't dwell too much on it. I might try hardening it myself, but will need to read up on it. Think all I need to do is heat it up x degrees and either let it cool on it's own or cool it faster (water).

Sunday I had planned to have the case formed, but instead I spent a good part of the day correcting my screw up from yesterday. To top it off, I also forgot to bring a camera. Anyway, I had to drill out all the rivits I did yesterday. I tried hammering the angles back to shape, but it just looked too ugly, so I cut new angles (fortunately, I bought enough to do 3 or 4 of these cases) and drilled. This time, instead of using a rivit gun and bucking bar, I used a rivit squeezer (not my pic, but same thing I used)

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/6366/squeezerge7.png (http://imageshack.us)

did a much better job. Will still have to buck the angles for the different sections in, but will be much more carefull. And the problem wasn't so much using the rivet gun and bucking bar...it was making the rivets tail flush...with no rear countersink on the hole for the tails metal to go into. Next week I will have the box formed and holes tapped for 6/32 screws and then start cutting the holes for the top area and PSU. I am very tempted to come home after work...go to sleep. Wake up at 2am and go back to work so I can do work on my case till it's time to actually ...work. Would really like to get the case done up to fitting computer hardware before I go on deployment.

[septim]

i like the tool and machines used... must be a guy thing for us XS people...

yes waiting for more pictures. very inspiring work you do. i also would not complain it all of it came free of charge.
maybe usage of more masking/blue tape required to keep scratches to a minimum, and keep prep time before painting to a minimum too...

[tiro_uspsss]

dang thats one big-ass workshop, me likes! :D :up:

[Herc130]

i like the tool and machines used... must be a guy thing for us XS people...

yes waiting for more pictures. very inspiring work you do. i also would not complain it all of it came free of charge.
maybe usage of more masking/blue tape required to keep scratches to a minimum, and keep prep time before painting to a minimum too...

More tape would help, but I think the prep work once I get all my cutting and fitting done will be the same reguardless. Haven't bothered cleaning up any of the cuts and won't till I get all cuts and fitting done, unless the two sides get joined. Once I do, I will beadblast everything. Provided the beadblaster we have at this base works as well as the one I used at my last base ( and that it fits), the work pieces will come out looking very nice.

[affiliate13]

Sub'd. Brilliant idea, bigger the better.:D

[Herc130]

Thing I like best about the shop is that it is about 50 steps to the beach and under a mile to a surf beach :)

Shop is the right corner of the big building, ocean side
http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/5449/basedz0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


If I would have known what I know now and if Mountainmods had released their new stuff before I started....I woulda just got an MM. Lotta headaches trying to make this work. No wonder why I see so many DNF's (did not finish) with scratch builds. I really shoulda done alot more planning instead of having a general idea of what I wanted and winging it from there lol. Anyway, a little more progress as well as some set backs.

I went ahead and bucked rivets for the sections angles and then drilled holes for the bottem

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7945/img0700bz0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/7081/img0698wb0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/9848/img0704vm0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/126/img0705dv7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


I drilled holes on the side panels before I cut and fitted angles for the sides and after doing angles, the holes I drlled earlier became slightly off. So I took the countersink and double countersunk both sides of each hole that is off and bucked rivets into it. I took pics, but they had to be close ups and unfortunately, I either suck at taking close ups with my camera or my camera sucks at taking close ups. Non of the shots I took showing the process is worth showing, far too blurry. Anyway, the idea is that, the rivets I use are solid aluminum and becomes a plug. The head bucks flush..since it's a flush head. The tail bucks nearly flush into the countersink on the back. Then I take this tool, which is a rivet shaver and I set it so it shaves X deep and shave off the rest of the rivet's tail that is still above the skin of the panel. I even drilled a hole right next/part of one of the plugs and seems to be holding up fine, pretty sure it can take being threaded as well. And yes, tape woulda helped with not getting a tool mark from that shaver, but I am beyond worring about that and have no doubts I can smooth it all out.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/751/img0715redcircletg6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Tomorrow I finish making these brackets

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/2659/img0716sj0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/3976/img0717ou9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

and then use em to join the side angles. I am still waiting on my order of 6/32 black oxide flush type phillips screws to come in and even after 10 days since ordering, they still show as "processing" in an east coast state no less. Which means it will take 7 to 10 days to get to me...once they ship. Not very happy with that as I am deploying soon and might just be outta here before my order makes it to me and there is no one to accept the order but me. And here I thought 20 days would be plenty to get my order to me. Same thing with the BP rotary fittings. Finally got my confirmation for the RMA and a pretty good chance my box of rotaries will be sitting at my door steps till I get back from deployment. And strangely enough, I am going to Hong Kong.

Also ordered two of the 5x 5.25" drive bays from MM. Will probably put fans in each of the bottems of the bay as I don't want to add any more fan holes to the front lol. Will still have space to put 4 drives, which I don't really need....depending how I mount my fan controllers, which I haven't yet decided on.

Also have to figure out how to hinge my side panels, as I will need each of those panels to swing open like a cabinet door. The rads for the sides will also have to be attached to the panels and swing out with the panel. Otherwise I don't think I have access to that section without having to take everything apart. Also, I think the hinge needs to be two, maybe even three axis points, as the back will need to move straight back first, before I can swing the door open on the hinge. Not feeling motivated to work on it tomorrow, but probably will.

[Movieman]

Nice build.
I thought that was the Hawaiian Islands from your pics.
C130's..Great planes..
We need to show some of these kids a few pics of the AC130 Spectre gunship in action..
There's a story of a pilot of a Spectre turning the plane on it's side to fire a "broadside" at an approaching MIG21 and the MIG took off at the display of firepower.
For those that don't know, all the guns (and cannon) on the Spectre are angled down as it is basically a ground attack and support plane.
A true flying "Tank" with so much firepower it makes the 30mm Gatling gun on the Warthog look small by comparison.
Good luck with your project!:up:

[Giannis86]

sub'd

i am planning of making a case of my own from scratch (tower) but i am unsure as to which approach to use for the frame..im liking your ideas here :D

[alpha0ne]

If I would have known what I know now and if Mountainmods had released their new stuff before I started....I woulda just got an MM. Lotta headaches trying to make this work. No wonder why I see so many DNF's (did not finish) with scratch builds.

Yes but once the build is finished I bet you appreciate your one off case a lot more than just a 'shop bought model' :up:

[BlueAqua]

It's looking really good so far. Don't get discouraged, you're really creating something great. That thing is a monster!

I loved visiting the Hawaiian islands, many good memories had there. Best of all, I never had to pay anything to get there. ;)

[YugenM]

Nice build.
I thought that was the Hawaiian Islands from your pics.
C130's..Great planes..
We need to show some of these kids a few pics of the AC130 Spectre gunship in action..
There's a story of a pilot of a Spectre turning the plane on it's side to fire a "broadside" at an approaching MIG21 and the MIG took off at the display of firepower.
For those that don't know, all the guns (and cannon) on the Spectre are angled down as it is basically a ground attack and support plane.
A true flying "Tank" with so much firepower it makes the 30mm Gatling gun on the Warthog look small by comparison.
Good luck with your project!:up:

"The AC-130 is the closest man has come in imitation of the fist of God."

[Herc130]

Landed at an Airforce base in Florida, think Eglin, that had C130U's and the Talons. No pics though as it's not allowed. Like em, one of the few missions a C130 still excells at over a C17. Might be bigger planes out there, that are faster and have longer range, but a C130 is still about as big as it gets for planes that are useful down low. Turbo-fans are great at alot of things, but a turbo-prop is still better down low. We use ours for search and rescue, relief aids, law enforcement patrols and whatever else. I have even loaded and transported sea lions and whales in our planes

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/533/img0109pb1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/3916/img0111iq7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/9645/img0408cw5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Personally, I like looking through our video systems to find people lost at sea and get em out of trouble or any of the other missions we do. I would not want to crew on a C130U. However, it is an impressive aircraft.

[Herc130]

Got a few ITX boards and 2.5" HDD's that if I can fit all of them in this case then I will do so and I will also go ahead and watercool the northbridge and possibly the cpu as well, eventually. I don't really think it needs it, but what the hell does that have to do with it? But if I have to put it all in a different case, then it will remain aircooled. Also, need to have space for the ATX asus formula board that this build is primarily for, besides the ITX. As well as expansion for future mobo board sizes. So...I'll see how it goes once I get everything home.

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/4241/img0790wh1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/6153/img0792fm9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4073/img0823ab1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[alpha0ne]

Send me one :D

[omaryunus]

its been a while any updates on this???

[Herc130]

No updates. Deployed to Hong Kong 2 or 3 days after my last update on the case build. Got home a month later and got deployed again 5 or 6 days after getting home and am now stuck in Ecuador and will be here a bit longer. Once I get back, will be concentrating on getting my ITX builds done in these cases

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154084

(bought 6 and they are now sitting at my front door...hoping they are still there when I eventually get home). Should go really fast with that. Will make a build log for those, but they will just be air-cooled. Once done on that, will go back to making this case and completing the build.

[Movieman]

No updates. Deployed to Hong Kong 2 or 3 days after my last update on the case build. Got home a month later and got deployed again 5 or 6 days after getting home and am now stuck in Ecuador and will be here a bit longer. Once I get back, will be concentrating on getting my ITX builds done in these cases

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154084

(bought 6 and they are now sitting at my front door...hoping they are still there when I eventually get home). Should go really fast with that. Will make a build log for those, but they will just be air-cooled. Once done on that, will go back to making this case and completing the build.

My best to you and stay safe..:up:

[dinos22]

lovely shots from the plane
speechless about the build

[omaryunus]

yea I cant wait to see the new work log and new updates to this... and of course dude stay safe :D

[Serpentarius]

6x MCR320's

CRAZY!!!!! :ROTF:

[Spankyfart]

What are you going to power this with?
A dwarf on a bicycle? The case sure is big enough for it. :p:

Looks great though, is that thing you drilled the holes with for metal, or is just a random hole drill thingy (the one you buy with different sets of of radius)
Also making my cube scratch build and I still need to drill holes.

Also I am missing sharks in the pictures!