Fun with The Torture Rack

Hi all ... it's been taking a while to get things going. Still waiting for some odds and ends, but have been concentrating on figuring out the loop layout and sleeving. A few snaps here as a mini update:


Taking lots of photos of the PSU cables in their ugly state for reference as I redo them:
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...60_ePAtf-L.jpg



Practice sleeving job on one of the PCI-E cables ... cut the wires to custom length and crimped new pins on the ends:
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...22_hdoHX-L.jpg



A close up of the connector ... still having problems tucking my heatshrink neatly into the connector:
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...85_hLhTg-L.jpg



First Aid required - let's just say it's not a good idea to poke the end of the scissors into your hand:
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...33_WLU64-M.jpg



Even Beau is bored with the pace of this build:
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...30_2xECo-M.jpg

Hope that cut heals ::(

That sleeving is :eek:

Great job with the colors! Looks like a new camera was used, no? lol

I to have stabbed myself a scissors on many occasions; I’ve also taken a hacksaw to the wrist.

As for sleeving, I get the best results when I sleeve the wires with the heatshrink all the way up to the metal connector THEN I insert it into the plastic connector.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dingdong555

Hope that cut heals ::(

That sleeving is :eek:

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The cut wasn't that bad, but it bled like a son of a gun. :p: I was cutting my sleeving lengths, and somehow snipped my palm with the tip of the scissors.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ben549

Great job with the colors! Looks like a new camera was used, no? lol

I to have stabbed myself a scissors on many occasions; I’ve also taken a hacksaw to the wrist.

As for sleeving, I get the best results when I sleeve the wires with the heatshrink all the way up to the metal connector THEN I insert it into the plastic connector.

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Thanks, Ben549 - yep using the new camera, but not trying to be artistic - just focusing on the sleeving, as I didn't want to clean everything else up for the pic.

Yeah ... I tried putting the sleeving all the way to the metal, but then I had an issue with it fitting in the connector all the way - maybe my crimping was not good enough. That's why I'm still practicing :shrug:

Shazza: I ... am ... impressed!
Looks outstanding with the acrylic-blue theme. Good that your sleeve is non-seethrough. I wish we all had these materials - but I guess this is a dream :hehe:

Aww hope the cut gets better. I too have my scars from sleeving :( I am hoping this one will really go away, I don't like having scars that look like smiley faces on my supposedly feminine wrist!

http://members.iinet.net.au/~dreamax...ar-sadface.jpg

ShazMods LLC logo:
http://www.hauntedacresnh.com/images...152x228_85.jpg

Stop upsetting her Darth, you'll make it worse!!

They should sell they murdermod pac with a first aid kit together.
Just jking, hope u both get well fast.

Thanks, Nils - but a long way left to go in order to make this work. And, about that sleeving ... there's a guy in the US named Kirk who might be able to hook you up :p:

Ouch, dreamaxx - guess I'm not the only klutzy one here!

@ DarthBeavis ... that is so perfect! You know, we've been talking for years about an appropriate theme case for me. I was thinking Lara Croft, but you may have hit it spot on with this one!!!

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One of the benefits of posting in a work log ... you post a pic of something you're not satisfied with, you get some comments, and suddenly you whack yourself aside the head and think of something else to try.

So -- I wasn't satisfied with my sleeving heatshrink-into-the-connection results. Time to experiment some more (what I should have done in the first place):




I took the spare 4-pin connector for the PSU and de-pinned it. Then, I tried 4 different approaches to placing the heatshrink:

http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...1_mxYWp-XL.jpg





Tested each in the connector. The top two wouldn't allow the pin to fit all the way into the socket. The 3rd one gave a good pin connection, but a bit of yellow showed. The last one was jussssttttt riggggghhhhhttt:

http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...99_Vd56x-L.jpg





http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...96_FFTqv-L.jpg



Now, all I have to do is duplicate that 46+ times, cut my heatshrink evenly and the same size, and get my sleeving tight. Easy for some of you!

Hehe that's Monet-style picturing :D
Shazza: This new Shrink technique will make it hard to go into the connector (the shrink). Solution: Shrink even further to the front, half over the pin until the place where the two little blades (hooks) stick up. Shrink just before it and you will experience a wonder! With the ultra-thin 3:1 shrink you will be able to go fully into the connector supereasy and it can never slip. No need for glue-lined stuff anymore! Try it and love it!

I do love that MDPC-X sleeving!

Awesome photos as always. Can you take some professional shots of my case when you come over Shaz? :D

More cuts on the way :rofl:

Love your work Shazza, you def have motherly touch when comes to pc's :clap:

VERY NICE Sharon :up:

i don't know how i missed your new log :shrug:

you have done a great job!

i love the blue...it looks fantastic w/ the plexi (it must be a chore to get it pic ready after all the extra dust that seems to manifest itself after clear acrylic is present in the household)

something that might help the process of getting the shrink to stay in place would be to bend the wire (while sleeved) in the fashion that you plan to have it lay before you shrink the pin. this keeps even the ones you thought you had nailed down from trying anything after being in the connector for a while :yepp:

glad to see you are dabbling w/ some "shorts" & pinning yourself :D

looking forward to seeing some more :)

Ha ... thanks for the comments, folks. My impressionistic photos were just a result of being lazy, and finding a place outside to take some quick shots.

My husband says I don't take instructions well, but ... I took Nils' advice and continued my heatshrinking experiments. Results follow:



I opened the door to go back to my professional photo stand ... "HEY, what's that guy doing there? Must be looking for more fans without grills."
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...81_dh9Ag-L.jpg





The setup - a bit more sun than the earlier shots, but it'll do:
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...20_DWSou-L.jpg





The test samples:
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...5_faUAR-XL.jpg





The Result:
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...1_x9o6H-XL.jpg



Gol' Dang'it ... Mr. Perfectionist was right. I didn't think heatshrinking farther up would work, but apparently the trick is to get it just under the little bit of metal that sticks out beneath the flanges.

Looking at the pic showing three samples ... No. 1 was my first try - nope, didn't work because I put the heatshrink too far up - under the flanges but over the little tab that sticks out. I was skeptical, but tried again. No. 2 ... ahhh, worked great. No. 3 is No. 2 reproduced, showing that it fits nicely into the connector and the pin goes in all the way - very snug.

Thanks for looking.

Fantastico - what a beautiful place you're at!!!!!!!
And now Shazza - please let the sleeving show it's true beauty and put heatshrink on the other end, stretch the sleeve, so that the weave clothes and the cable is hidden forever :D I can see you walking forth and back in this beautiful surrounding and the birds ask themselves: What is that human being doing?!

And for the shrink-trick. Yepp that's the best possible solution and I am extremly happy that your experiments proved it. This solution is second to none :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dualbrain

And now Shazza - please let the sleeving show it's true beauty and put heatshrink on the other end, stretch the sleeve, so that the weave clothes and the cable is hidden forever :D ...

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You mean like this?

http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...3_tkZ22-XL.jpg



My apologies for not doing it correctly in the first place, but I should be clear that the sleeving closes up nicely with proper stretching and shrinking ;)

Thanks much for the tips. And, Prada, thanks also for yours - I'll make sure I try that next. I do tend to wrestle with the wires a bit.

I admire your work Shazza and hope I can help a bit.

I found that my sleeve would look better if I pushed the sleeve up a bit further toward the pin, so that you don't have that thinner part of shrink right at the connector.

This may not be the look you're going for, but this is what I mean:

http://i415.photobucket.com/albums/p...ed24pin018.jpg

That way the shrink goes into the connector and you get a more uniform look near the connector when finished.

It's so hard to get each wire to look the same when you have the thinner shrink without the sleeve under it right at the connector.

I found this way was less of a challenge and looks very neat.

that does look very good liderc.


and Shazza, I have just subscribed. I have been looking into getting a torture rack for a while now. Hopefully this is the inspiration I need to do so. So far I am greatly impressed with your work :up:

@liderc: Yes I sign that too!

Liderc: Because of you, Shazza will be out of heatshrink soon. Finally you are the one to blame! ;) :D :)
But Shazza: Once you did this last tweak, you will be done - no trick in the pocket ... except ... THE RING!!! What's the ring you ask? :D:D:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Liderc

I admire your work Shazza and hope I can help a bit.

I found that my sleeve would look better if I pushed the sleeve up a bit further toward the pin, so that you don't have that thinner part of shrink right at the connector.

This may not be the look you're going for, but this is what I mean:

That way the shrink goes into the connector and you get a more uniform look near the connector when finished.

It's so hard to get each wire to look the same when you have the thinner shrink without the sleeve under it right at the connector. I found this way was less of a challenge and looks very neat.

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Excellent tip! Thanks much, Liderc. I will give that a try.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chicken Patty

that does look very good liderc.

and Shazza, I have just subscribed. I have been looking into getting a torture rack for a while now. Hopefully this is the inspiration I need to do so. So far I am greatly impressed with your work :up:

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Thank you, Chicken Patty - well, I'm not sure I can inspire, but I might scare you to death :p:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dualbrain

@liderc: Yes I sign that too!

Liderc: Because of you, Shazza will be out of heatshrink soon. Finally you are the one to blame! ;) :D :)
But Shazza: Once you did this last tweak, you will be done - no trick in the pocket ... except ... THE RING!!! What's the ring you ask? :D:D:D

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Ha! You really are just being difficult, aren't you - giving out one secret at a time :yepp:

I am a slow learner - not only did I read Dangal's guide, I read almost all of Mr. Myagi's threads (ok, I looked at the pics, as my German is not that good). Maybe by my 10th PSU sleeving job, I will be getting close :eek:



And ... to show that the sleeving does close up nicely - redos of some of the above pics (sun is a bit bright, so some reflections off of the sleeving now):


First test samples ... I thought I was so smart and had it figured out.
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...25_hjKgA-L.jpg




Looks okay, but you can still see some yellow if you peek inside.
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...24_AvR6s-M.jpg



Phase 2 Test - after following instructions
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...63_jVygv-M.jpg




A peek inside the connector ... NO yellow wire to be found
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...57_FCwsV-M.jpg




And yes, the pin does go all the way in, and is as snug as a bug in a rug:
http://shazza53.smugmug.com/photos/5...13_5kz6t-M.jpg



Again ... thanks for all the help. I think I've milked this one for all I can, so now I MUST get to cleaning and organizing. My Mother-in-Law arrives tomorrow, and I must get prepared.

OMG MURDER MOD SLEEVING STYLE..

*getting flashbacks of my attempt*
&
*running for the hills*

Shazza, 1 psu i can understand, it looks nice and your curious... but 2 psu's? You'd have to shoot me b4 i did another retry at it. :P

No offense Nils... but u need a *dummy* switch on your brain to make your mind go blank so you dont go crazy while doing it that many times. :rofl:

But it does look nice.

Shazza :D The Ring is just a little thing that you do if you can't shrink "on a pin" to prevent slipping of shrink under lots of tension and to prevent the usage of blue-lined heatshrink (with its glue coming out of the sides). So if you are in a situation where you have just a blank cable, you can cut a little ring of shrink (1-2mm wide) put it on the blank cable and shrink it. Then you do what you are doing regulary (sleeve on cable, heatshrinks on cable). Then the little ring on the blank cable will act like a "shrink-pressure-enhancer" because the real-heatshrink that lies on top of it will have more to "press on".

That's it. All is covered :)

The last things are just a matter of personal taste. Like heatshrink-cut-machines that you create for your personal shrink sizes and to be exact with cutting - or shrink-techniques like putting it in your oven while little cable ties hold the sleeve under full tension (it's not a joke - the German-perfectionists do that actually :D). An of course shrink-lenghts over sleeve and over cable etc. All just a matter of taste and creativity.

Shazza: Next thing will be the oven technique I bet ... :hehe:

@naekuh: Don't worry - I already dream about sleeve ... sometimes nightmares. Here in Munich I always stand on a specific street-crossing in the evenings and show others from Munich how to do it :D

Oops, NaeKuh came in while I was responding. I get you 100% on "why do another one." That's what I thought after doing the first one. BUT ... I wanted to see if I could do a better job, and I thought the color would be fun with the Torture Rack. Believe it or not, it is so much easier now - getting the pins out takes a flash, and I haven't cut myself once while doing that part :p:. I have lots of time on my hands, and learning to sleeve beats learning to knit!

@dualbrain - Now OVENS and RINGS, OMG, maybe knitting would be easier for me. You do realize I am not allowed to use the oven in our kitchen :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shazza

I have lots of time on my hands, and learning to sleeve beats learning to knit!

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so im guessing your gonna give your hubby a sleeved psu instead of a knitt sweater as a present one day???

:rofl: