Project Capella (Lian Li PC-P50R)

[aka_GK]

But overall, very pleased with how things worked out.

Me too awesome job as usual!

And 980X is quite cool I must admit

[charles_h]

Total precision as always!

Execution, creativity, presentation.

Awesome work Kai.

/high-five!

[bentleya]

I don't think my words could describe how much i like this, so Great job Kai .

[Red-5]

Need to fire up the X-wing you've found out my secret identity.
Your new LCD panel looks fantastic with all mounting holes and bolts now stealthed.

It's certainly going to be a powerful machine with that CPU at its heart. Jealous I am.

[C-J]

The LCD And Button Setup Loook Fricken Sick BRO !!!

[Kibbler]

Thanks a lot Kirill, Charles, Aaron, Skywalker, and C-J, I appreciate all you comments.

Hey GK I tried to mount my 3.5" drive like yours, on the side of the drive bay. But unfortunately my case is smaller overall and there are these "tabs" that stick out and get in the way. Oh well. I came up with another way to mount the drive which I think is pretty neat, need to pick up the pieces from the laser cutter and get them anodized. SSD though, no problem, I think if/when I get one I would definitely mount it like you did yours.

***

Cat antics

I was planning to work on the front panel tonight but that might have to wait, just you hear the reason: My questionably-intelligent cat (please refer to avatar) is outsmarting a newly bought $200 food dispenser. She sticks her paw into the kibble chute and into the semi-flexible rotating dispensing mechanism, which release a few bits of food each time. Ad nauseum. I need to install a plate to block part of the chute so her paw cannot go in so far, but it cannot obstruct the falling kibble.

Tonight, I will earn my name. Kibbler.

Maybe I'll make a worklog-intermission out of the ordeal. Pics, anyone?

Laser-cut kibble chute anti-theft plate?

EDIT: It's this thing, in case you're wondering.

[aka_GK]

Hey GK I tried to mount my 3.5" drive like yours, on the side of the drive bay. But unfortunately my case is smaller overall and there are these "tabs" that stick out and get in the way. Oh well. I came up with another way to mount the drive which I think is pretty neat, need to pick up the pieces from the laser cutter and get them anodized. SSD though, no problem, I think if/when I get one I would definitely mount it like you did yours.

hmm, I've had to file them off a bit to fit the drive, but the real problem that HDD holes don't fit drive bay's isn't it? or you have that magic Xeon plate too?

anyway looking forward to know how you're gonna do it

and smart kitteh

[dreamaxx]

Don't leave food down for your cat ad lib anyway, animals have no idea how much they should eat, and when it comes time to medicate her food she'll never eat it when you put the medication in it if she knows she can come back in half an hour and have medication free food

[Kibbler]

Don't leave food down for your cat ad lib anyway, animals have no idea how much they should eat, and when it comes time to medicate her food she'll never eat it when you put the medication in it if she knows she can come back in half an hour and have medication free food

Nat, not sure what you mean there (do you have a cat, too?). I used to feed her twice a day at roughly regular times, once in the morning and once at night. After I got this feeder I set it to dispense the same amount at the same times (8AM and 8PM), but the problem is she will poke inside and get more food between feeding times, which she's not supposed to do. Not sure what you mean about leaving food ad lib...

[CptDreadFlint]

Hey Kai, Do you work at NASA? or Google?
Cuz the idea of seperating the controls from the display and rewiring it to work is total gëniüs with umlauts (more than your garden variety genius).

[Kibbler]

Sadly as much as I'd love to, I don't work at either. I'm glad that you like the idea (in fact, hey Sharon this would be an interesting way to resurrect your Aquaero!), it works well in my "case" (get it?) and it's something I haven't seen done much in the past. I like to mess around with what I have (wait that sounds dirty), figuring out new ways to use familiar parts.

Like, who says a CPU has to stay in it's socket? Solder 1,366 extensions to the pin grid and move the CPU elsewhere!

(J/K btw that would be insane. Who wants to try it?)

[dreamaxx]

OMFG gëniüs. I agree completely. Wish I could put in extra umlaut somewhere.

Sorry, Kibbs I thought it was a feeder that just kept putting out food all day, but if it is meant to be feeding at specific times thats great. So hi-tech

[Kibbler]

So hi-tech

LOL

Not hi-tech enough apparently. My umlaut späzcät defeated it within 20 minutes of investigation.

[callen_1]

Backplate idea; fantastic! The Headless Aquaero and mounting; fantastic! LCD alignment mod; fantastic! And the new version of the LCD on the top of the case and fresh anodizing....meh , i'm just kidding, it's f@#$ing fantastic!

[C-J]

Hey Kai, Do you work at NASA? or Google?
Cuz the idea of seperating the controls from the display and rewiring it to work is total gëniüs with umlauts (more than your garden variety genius).

I was Going to ask the Same Thing Lol

[shazza]

Hey, Kai ... I was going to respond to your update yesterday, but was too overwhelmed to absorb it. Literally, I looked at the photos and just went ... "whoa, how in the world did he manage to a) figure out what he wanted to do, and b) actually do it so precisely and perfectly?" I'm still trying to figure all that out - because you're right, maybe I can revive my Aquaero. I'm not so sure about NASA, my bet is you must be apprenticing with "Q".

Your cat sounds like a rascal - do show us how you modify the feeder.

[kgtiger]

Hay Kibbler it's been a while since I have been around, but it has also been really nice to just sit back with a cupa tea and read through all your updates.

To start off with, I love the "new" face plate, in particular the ultra fine design of it, very nice touch mate.

As for the Aquaero, I really like the way you have changed the mounting so that the LCD sits slightly above the top plate, very classy, should look Bang On! when you lift it up a tab, hay.

What colour is the LCD by the way, Blue?

Last but not least I would just like to say Nice work on your soldering the pins in, very neat and professional like, just Your normal standard, hay, A high standard of Excellence that is.

[Saltire]

Absolutely loving this build.

Can't wait for more updates

[dro]

I like the idea working on your case 1st before actually purchasing your hardwares
Gives you a lot more time to work on the case
Cuz most of us often change our hardware frequently

[Kibbler]

@Masta Callen, C-J, Sharon, Graeme, Saltire, dro
Man...thanks a lot you guys for your comments, I'm really happy that you're enjoying the updates (Callen you had me at "meh"! I desperately thought to myself "oh God is it the grain? It must be the grain, it's horizontal and not vertical. Oh crap.")! Really appreciate your collective interest in this build, too.

NASA and Google wouldn't take me lol. I think, the secret is taking the time to thinkthinkthinkthink things through. Hours of doing nothing but think-tanking and doodling. Hours of taking a design, and turning and flipping it around in my mind as if I actually had SketchUp installed in my (Windows 95-era) brain. Spatial planning and thinking in 3D are very important. If this screw goes here does it block something on the other side? These steps have been tremendously important in my planning stages, and it's basically why I opted to not jump into the watercooling and PC components aspect from the start (that, and the components I wanted were not yet available).

Graeme: LCD is this, goes with the color theme situation. And I can't take credit for the soldering, the PCB must come with some kinda flux pre-applied. Solder flows and fills like water, it's incredibly easy.

***

Ok change of pace:

Intermission: Project CATpella

For this project I'll be working on a Petmate Le Bistro portion control feeder. NOT available from NewEgg btw.

First, the all-important design phase. I fired up SketchUp...kinda.


Let's get to work on the base unit.


The chute is the problem area. It's probably wide enough to fit a lion's paw, let alone a housecat's.


Further teardown.


Trusty nibbler to fabricate the anti-theft plate.


Even further teardown to separate the chute from the outer shell, so I can work on it further.


Drilled mounting holes into the chute and the anti-theft plate.


Riveted the plate into the chute, it will be be at an angle (relative to the ground) once everything's reassembled so it shouldn't trap any kibble.


Re-assembled.


And done! I also wrapped the top cover with tape so she can't dig her claws in and flip it open. Which she could and would. Sharon, rascal is right.


End intermission.

[bentleya]

Watches with excitement and intellectual thoughts. Hmmm Goggle is good at picking words .

[rootz0r]

you should have sleeved the wires while you were at it. :P

[Liderc]

you should have sleeved the wires while you were at it. :P

We so think alike.

[C-J]

Dude Love the Editing of Random Products !

[shazza]

Very nice, Kai. But, do you have a coffee mug with your cat on it???