Planning Project: OSIDIAS (SFF taken to the extreme)

[craigbru]

I had a little time over the weekend, so I thought I'd make something special for everyone that has been following this project. This is a video walkthrough of OSIDIAS. It explains how some of the components fit together, and I cover some of the design basics. Although I've left out a few details, I think you'll understand the project a little better. Enjoy!

http://www.vimeo.com/8832516

 

[Power5]

Love the concept. Love the colors. Love the handle. Love how much hardware is crammed inside. I don't like the 'wings' or whatever you call them. I like that they create feet for the case to stand on, but I would like to see a different design. They just seem like ornaments that don't really do anything except make the case much bigger than needed. I think you can come up with a better design. Even taking off the verticals and just using the bottom feet part would be great looking I think.

 

[coconutboy]

This mod of yours is bananas, and I mean that in the very best way. BANANAS! I was late to the party on seeing the original LOSIAS, so I'm enjoying watching this one as it progresses.

Question craigbru, does that viliv UMPC do portrait mode? Didn't see it on the product pages, but haven't watched the youtube vids yet either. I think you said your mounting scheme for the original LCD had rotation built in, but now I'm wondering if that's even necessary if the UMPC can't display properly when flipped on it's side.

 

[craigbru]

Love the concept. Love the colors. Love the handle. Love how much hardware is crammed inside. I don't like the 'wings' or whatever you call them. I like that they create feet for the case to stand on, but I would like to see a different design. They just seem like ornaments that don't really do anything except make the case much bigger than needed. I think you can come up with a better design. Even taking off the verticals and just using the bottom feet part would be great looking I think.

Thank you, I appreciate your input. The frame really isn't necessary any more than half of the components in this case. The very first design I made didn't have a frame at all, but I was inspired by a RED camera cage and it evolved from there. It may be a polarizing love it or hate it, but I have to go with what is pleasing to me. As much as I've revised this thing since the beginning, who's to say it won't change again before I start construction.

This mod of yours is bananas, and I mean that in the very best way. BANANAS! I was late to the party on seeing the original LOSIAS, so I'm enjoying watching this one as it progresses.

Question craigbru, does that viliv UMPC do portrait mode? Didn't see it on the product pages, but haven't watched the youtube vids yet either. I think you said your mounting scheme for the original LCD had rotation built in, but now I'm wondering if that's even necessary if the UMPC can't display properly when flipped on it's side.

Thanks man! The Viliv does display portrait without an issue. It can be changed with a simple hot key, or click on an icon in the system tray. Even though the display will be sitting on the case in portrait mode, the screen will not typically follow suite for my use. I'm using Samurize for all of the information monitoring, and it's template will actually lay on it's side. That way when the Viliv is mounted in portrait, everything will look normal.

 

[Power5]

The Red camera cage is utilitarian and those brackets serve a purpose. The holes are to mount stuff. You are just using the design to look cool. Nothing wrong with that, but the Red proportions are better than the case due to the height. I have yet to see a CF case that I like. Are you going to make yours out of CF, or just skin it? I am thinking it would look better if you used anodized aluminum for the orange parts instead of making them CF as well.

Good luck. I wish I had the tools and machinery to turn my ideas into reality. I hope yours come to life as you dream. Need to go back to school where I had access to a 5 axis mill.

I keep seeing the name on the case as SAID SO backwards.

 

[Concentric]

I had a little time over the weekend, so I thought I'd make something special for everyone that has been following this project. This is a video walkthrough of OSIDIAS. It explains how some of the components fit together, and I cover some of the design basics. Although I've left out a few details, I think you'll understand the project a little better. Enjoy!

http://www.vimeo.com/8832516

Nice vid, now i'm even more excited

 

[craigbru]

The Red camera cage is utilitarian and those brackets serve a purpose. The holes are to mount stuff. You are just using the design to look cool. Nothing wrong with that, but the Red proportions are better than the case due to the height. I have yet to see a CF case that I like. Are you going to make yours out of CF, or just skin it? I am thinking it would look better if you used anodized aluminum for the orange parts instead of making them CF as well.

Good luck. I wish I had the tools and machinery to turn my ideas into reality. I hope yours come to life as you dream. Need to go back to school where I had access to a 5 axis mill.

I keep seeing the name on the case as SAID SO backwards.

The case will be single molded piece of CF. I thought skinning something would be cheating. I had originally planned on the orange parts being anodized aluminum, and then I saw the orange CF/Kevlar blend. The stuff looks so awesome in person I had to give it a shot. We'll see how it turns out. I can always fall back to aluminum later.

I appreciate the well wishes. (If I had access to a mill, things would get really crazy!)

Nice vid, now i'm even more excited

Thanks man!

 

[craigbru]

Well, disturbed13 at bit-tech managed to pry an upcoming sponsor out of me...

So, since the surprise is out there, I might as well make the official announcement. I've been speaking with Ron Rogers of Romaxx CNC, and he's been generous enough to sponsor a HS-1 machine ready to run. I'll be using the machine on this project, as well as any future projects where applicable.

The HS-1 is a very solid tabletop CNC, and will be able to handle most any job I throw at it. I wanted to work with Romaxx for several different reasons. The first of which is the standards by which their machines are built. There's no doubt they are solid. The second is the support Romaxx offers after the sale. They stand by their machines, and are quick to take care of any issues should they arrive. Lastly, there is a pretty good community of users on the Romaxx forums that are willing to help and share their experience. All of these things added up to make it an easy decision for me.

I'll keep everyone updated on the machine's arrival, and I'll certainly post pics as soon as I can!

 

[lillimon04]

Congrats on the sponsor! That CNC looks sick! Wish my class would of showed me how to use it.

 

[craigbru]

Congrats on the sponsor! That CNC looks sick! Wish my class would of showed me how to use it.

Thanks man! I'm now officially dangerous...

 

[gwarren007]

Does this mean we can bug you to create custom casework now?


(BTW i'm serious)

 

[craigbru]

Does this mean we can bug you to create custom casework now?


(BTW i'm serious)

Possibly... Since it's just a tabletop machine, I'm limited to working with pieces 14" wide, but the length is much longer since it's open ended. It's just a matter of moving the part if needed. So, yes, I'll likely get into some custom work for others once I get familiar with it.

 

[gwarren007]

Cool, i'll be needing a backplate for a custom case sometime near the end of the year.

 

[craigbru]

Excellent. Something like that would be perfect for a machine like this. When it comes closer to project time, feel free to contact me.

 

[Concentric]

Wow, nice. I've been thinking about getting my own CNC (talking a fair way off though!) as it must seriously expand the possibilities and speed in producing parts. I'll be interested to hear how your experience of it goes.

 

[craigbru]

Yes, it will definitely expand the possibilities of case design. There was a project called Duality that I was planning before this, that I postponed due to it's design. It would have required extensive CNC work, and I didn't have the means at the time. I can always revisit it now, or head in a completely different direction without issue.

 

[coconutboy]

*sees craigbru's spiffy cnc toy and giggles maniacally*

Possibly... ...So, yes, I'll likely get into some custom work for others once I get familiar with it.

Oh god, I'm so excited to even hear of the possibility, I think I just wet myself. What software and file format do you anticipate preferring for your CNC? Sketchup? AutoCAD?

 

[craigbru]

Are you guys ready for this?

Well, it's finally arrived! Thanks to Ron Rogers of Romaxx for making this possible. What you are about to see is the unboxing of a shiny new HS-1 CNC router.

This machine is considered a tabletop CNC, and as such, doesn't take up a lot of space. Since I work primarily in small form factor, this will fit 99% of every need I have. Even though it's a compact design, this thing arrived to me in a 125 pound box. 105 pounds of that is the machine itself. If weight is any indicator of strength, then this thing is a beast.

So, shall we look at a few pics of this thing?

The box...

Let's crack this thing open. It's definitely well packed, and bolted through the bottom of the crate.

That's it for now, but I'll follow up once the machine is setup in the shop. Until then!

 

[craigbru]

*sees craigbru's spiffy cnc toy and giggles maniacally*



Oh god, I'm so excited to even hear of the possibility, I think I just wet myself. What software and file format do you anticipate preferring for your CNC? Sketchup? AutoCAD?

I use ViaCAD for everything. I'll export all files as .dxf. It's universal and easy.

 

[coconutboy]

Wow. That thing is sexy, and opens up a world of custom fabrication for your designs. Can't wait to see you make use of it, congrats and props to Romaxx! The press they'll get outta your creations oughta be well worth the donation.

 

[mytechuniverse]

That case is sick, but how come all of the renderings only show one side of the case. I'm thinking you should try making some kind of case window, but that's just my two cents. I have to say, that is really cool. I'm thinking of doing some modding to my Antec 900, but I'm not this good. =D

 

[craigbru]

Wow. That thing is sexy, and opens up a world of custom fabrication for your designs. Can't wait to see you make use of it, congrats and props to Romaxx! The press they'll get outta your creations oughta be well worth the donation.

Thanks! It's definitely going to to allow for more unique designs. As far as Romaxx getting some press, if you do a google search for Romaxx CNC, you'll find that some of my planning threads are getting close to page 1. That's what you call mutually beneficial.

That case is sick, but how come all of the renderings only show one side of the case. I'm thinking you should try making some kind of case window, but that's just my two cents. I have to say, that is really cool. I'm thinking of doing some modding to my Antec 900, but I'm not this good. =D

I'm not sure why I don't have any good renderings of the right side... However, if you look at some of the original renders, you can see what it looks like. It's similar to the left, with the addition of the Aquaero.

The case design itself doesn't lend itself to windows very well. That doesn't mean there won't be any though. The front of the side panels will have an opening to view the SSD drives that are sitting behind them. These aren't just ordinary windows however. They are 7" LCD's with the backing removed. I'm calling them active windows, and mentioned them early in this thread. Basically, any image that is white, will display as transparent, and darker images will still stand out and be visible. This is a very cool approach to windows, and to my knowledge has never been done in a computer mod.

 

[FLECOM]

moved this to worklogs

 

[crazjayz]

I had a little time over the weekend, so I thought I'd make something special for everyone that has been following this project. This is a video walkthrough of OSIDIAS. It explains how some of the components fit together, and I cover some of the design basics. Although I've left out a few details, I think you'll understand the project a little better. Enjoy!

http://www.vimeo.com/8832516

The intro for this video is EPIC. It literally pumped me up like a movie trailer. You attention to detail is extremely impressive.

 

[zer0gravity]

Video was great...hopes for more progress!

 

[sniperbob151]

this project, well, it blows my fr"ggen mind! completely above and beyond anything out there, and it's not even built yet lol.

 

[craigbru]

moved this to worklogs

Crap, now the pressure is on!

The intro for this video is EPIC. It literally pumped me up like a movie trailer. You attention to detail is extremely impressive.

Thanks! I'm really trying to get things explained in ways other than just pics and words. Everyone seems to love the video, so I'll definitely be doing move of them.

Video was great...hopes for more progress!

Thanks man!

this project, well, it blows my fr"ggen mind! completely above and beyond anything out there, and it's not even built yet lol.

It's appreciated! I really came in to the planning of this project hoping to create some 'no freaking way!' moments. Not only for those following the logs, but for me as I challenge myself to build it. That's really the fun part!

 

[formula409]

Thats some pretty crazy work ahead for you and a great exercise in getting as much stuff in a small space while being off the wall crazy in the build. cant wait for some in process pics to start flowing.

 

[mytechuniverse]

I was watching your video, and I'm curious why you would use a pico-itx PC to control the water-cooling. You could probably just use an Arduino Mega or something like that to control the various pumps and what not. However, I can definitely see the cool guy factor of having 3 PCs in one case.

 

[craigbru]

Thats some pretty crazy work ahead for you and a great exercise in getting as much stuff in a small space while being off the wall crazy in the build. cant wait for some in process pics to start flowing.

Thanks man! I was cycling the CNC through a few dry runs over the weekend, and I'm finishing up a mister attachment right now. The rest of the project will soon follow.

I was watching your video, and I'm curious why you would use a pico-itx PC to control the water-cooling. You could probably just use an Arduino Mega or something like that to control the various pumps and what not. However, I can definitely see the cool guy factor of having 3 PCs in one case.

Well, the pico was just easier to use since it's windows based and serves multiple purposes. The Aquaero needs to interface with it, and Samurize will need to relay information to the Viliv on the front of the case. It will also act as a file server. So, it's really hard to use anything else. Although I've always thought it would be cool to integrate some Arduino hardware too. I just don't think this is the build for it.

 

[craigbru]

While I know everyone is anxiously waiting to see the CNC running, I needed to take care of a few small details first. One of those details involved a custom misting solution for cutting aluminum. Why mist? Well, for the work I have to do it can be just as effective as flood, yet it's so much easier. I should say it's easier, only if you can find a workable and convenient way to implement it.

I have been doing some research into CNC misting techniques, and most of the options are geared towards commercial applications, and are quite expensive. I wasn't really willing to spend $300 on something I was convinced I could do myself. Since I'm a modder, it only made sense to mod a homebrew solution. Many hours were spent Googling anything that misted, before I came across the mention of using an airbrush as an option. I tried to find where someone had actually followed through using this method, and came up with nothing. So, I figured I might as well be the first. Even if I'm not, I'm hoping my methods and documentation will make it easier for others to find and implement themselves.

Now, before any fabrication could begin, I needed an airbrush and dedicated on-demand compressor. Amazon came through with this nicely outfitted kit.

Okay, well, now that I've got the airbrush, I need to find a way to get it mounted to the Romaxx machine. Since the mister needs to follow the mill bits as they cut through the material, it was obvious that it needed to be attached to some location near the spindle. It just so happens that there were some unused spindle mounting locations that would be perfect. So, I just needed to come up with a workable bracket of some kind. Not only did the bracket have to hold the airbrush securely, but it couldn't interfere with any machine operation whatsoever. I needed full X, Y, and Z operation with no limits or restrictions. I broke out the cardboard and started experimenting. This got me in the ballpark...

Since I was satisfied I had a workable idea, I committed it to metal...

I love bending things, so the newly cut bracket received some attention.

With the cutting of a few well placed slots, and the help of some rubber o-rings, the brush and it's coolant reservoir were attached to the bracket. I used a simple mounting method for two reasons. Ease of maintenance, the ability to have flexible mount points should some unforeseen interference occur.

So, let's get this bracket mounted! You can see how cleanly it sits in it's location. It's also easily adjustable for height.

There is plenty of room for travel with no interference.

Now finally, here are a few pics of the machine as assembled and ready to run.

All that I've got left to do is make sure I'm set for live streaming, and I'm ready to cut. If I can find a good material hold down solution, I'll give it a go tonight. (Yes, I'll likely be getting the aluminum top w/ mounting holes soon.)

 

[nlancaster]

YAY!!!

that looks like it will do good job.

cut something!!

 

[craigbru]

YAY!!!

that looks like it will do good job.

cut something!!

Soon man! I did a live streaming test tonight on a dry run. I was having mic issues that have since been fixed. I was also experimenting with a dual webcam setup just to test it's feasibility. I'm not sure what I'll do with a second cam, but as you see, it's certainly possible to use one.

http://www.livestream.com/losiastechnologies/video?clipId=pla_06b67ff8-9601-4a51-bfd2-6283ae9d8f69


(If you happen to get an irritating overlay on the bottom of the video, just pause and start again, and it should go away.)

 

[sdy284]

ridiculous

 

[nlancaster]

Sweet!

Picrture-in-picture-in-picture!!

Are you running in metric? Those position numbers seem afully high if you are in ANSI.

Also, that loud clunking, is it just because the camera is mounted to the desk the machine is on? Last time I heard a sound like that was a from lose bearings on an axis.

So close.....


.... I have got to finish my machine.

 

[craigbru]

ridiculous

Thanks man!

Sweet!

Picrture-in-picture-in-picture!!

Are you running in metric? Those position numbers seem afully high if you are in ANSI.

Also, that loud clunking, is it just because the camera is mounted to the desk the machine is on? Last time I heard a sound like that was a from lose bearings on an axis.

So close.....


.... I have got to finish my machine.

Yeah, the PiP was just a concept I was playing around with. The secondary camera was just a very old crappy Intel, and you can see it lags a little in the video. However, I did order another cheap camera last night. I may try mounting it to the spindle or something, I'm not sure yet... I just thought seeing it from two points of view would look a little cool.

Yes, it's running in metric. I always use metric...

The clunking must just be an effect of the mic placement. It's a really smooth running machine, and there's certainly nothing loose or slack.

So, when are you going to finish yours?

 

[gwarren007]

very nice.

 

[craigbru]

Okay guys, since I have a habit of never being satisfied... I made a few changes to my CNC router. After my dry run with the picture in picture webcams, I started thinking about how cool it would be to add one of the cameras near the spindle itself. I thought it could capture the mill bit working as I machined. Well, in order to make this happen, I went ahead and got a $10 camera from newegg, and set out to find it a home.

I knew I had to get it as close to the spindle as possible, yet there could be no interference in the machine operation or safety. This was a must. The machine comes first, and these little extras second. So, as I was poking around with the cam, one thing became clear. My new mister bracket wasn't going to cooperate. I could either ditch the idea of a camera, or redesign the bracket. Well, I chose to make a new bracket. It is greatly simplified over the other one, but required the flexible metal shaft from a donor lighter. This shaft was the key to making everything work, as only this, a piece aluminum angle were going to be used in the new design. After a short while, the new bracket was in place, and I could move on the mounting the camera. This was even easier. I just needed a small aluminum triangle and a rubber washer... I removed the camera's original mount, and attached the aluminum. I then bolted the bracket to a free hole behind the spindle, and I was in business. So, shall we get on to a few pics?

Here you can see an overall pic of the machine. The new mister bracket, and the webcam behind the spindle are visible.

A little closer...

A few more closeups...

As you can see, there are no clearance issues of any kind. The machine is still just as easy to maintain, and I don't foresee any issues. Now all I need to do is get something cut!

 

[craigbru]

I managed to make a few cuts today guys. I was having a z-axis plunge problem which you will see in the first video in particular. (I've got videos 2 and 4 linked below). Apparently it's an occasional problem with Mach 3. I did manage to get it sorted though, and got all my cutting done. Take a look!

http://www.livestream.com/losiastechnologies/video?clipId=pla_8804960c-6617-45ac-9489-a1e822fd22be

http://www.livestream.com/losiastechnologies/video?clipId=pla_0aaba4ad-01c2-422b-9d44-c4d584e05332

 

[craigbru]

I came home from work today to find a nice sized box on my front porch. Inside was one of the last items I needed for setting up my Romaxx CNC machine. It was a VT6040 vacuum table that I had purchased from ebay seller dcad100. It measures 24.0”x16.5” x 0.8125", and was the perfect size for my machine. The vacuum table will allow me to hold parts in place without clamping. Should I need to clamp things anyway, there are M6 holes on the table that should easily allow this.

So, should we take a look at the table? Here it is as it arrived to me.

Opening the box revealed a very well packed table.

The table also came with a the necessary tubing for hooking up to a 2" vacuum line.

Also included was a solid rubber mat for blocking off unused holes during vacuuming, and a holed rubber mat that sits below parts that are being cut. The holed mat not only allows transfer of suction, but will help keep the end mill just above the aluminum table surface. These should be easily replaceable should the need arise.

The table looks to be of pretty good quality, and is well constructed.

Now finally, here is the table sitting on the machine. As you can see, it's the perfect size. All that's left is to get the vacuum lines hooked up, and it's ready for use. More coming soon!