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Planning Project: OSIDIAS (SFF taken to the extreme)

craigbru

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Project: OSIDIAS (SFF taken to the extreme) It begins!

Hey guys! I though I'd take the time to repost the planning thread for my next project. It's been an ongoing thread at bit-tech for several months now, but I thought I'd get you guys in the loop. I apologize for the cheap copy and paste job I'm about to do. :D

I'm also going to repost with everything unedited. While some things may seem out of context, it's probably the best way to show the evolution of the project. So, I hope you enjoy it, and I appreciate any comments you might have!

Feb. 6

Hey guys, I'm throwing around ideas for another new case... I've been sketching up some ideas and wanted a little feedback. Keep in mind that what you are about to see, is unfinished, and missing some key details. However, I like the concept, but I want your opinions on how it all fits together.

Okay, here is the core of the case. It's SFF of course, and it's damn tiny due to efficient space usage. I'm planning a Asus matx X58, SLI, full size PSU, 4 full size hard drives, pico, and watercooled CPU in this little package. Due to it's design, it should also run fairly cool. As of now, I don't plan on deviating much from this except for details like adding mesh, or possibly windows.



I was then inspired by a RED camera cage I saw, and wanted to add a more industrial and sci-fi look to the case. The following is what I came up with. Of course it's subject to revision, but wasn't sure how it all fit together.







Opinions?

Feb. 8

I've been playing around... what do you think of holes? Or maybe some variation of this?



Okay, one more here. I added vents to the side panels. What do you think... too many holes? They will have mesh behind them, with the exception of the most forward hole, that will have a window...



Feb.10

Well, I didn't have as much time as I had hoped for last night, but I did make a few small revisions. I made the side window slightly smaller, and added another opening beside it. Even thought the window is still larger than the rest of the openings, the spacing between them is consistent. Also, I added matching holes the the 'cage'. I'm unsure about the abundance of holes now, but I need the airflow. There will also be mesh behind them, so they won't stand out as much as the vents, for example. Speaking of mesh, I created some mesh with 1mm holes... Lol, talk about a CPU killer! I'll have to revise that... :D



Now, this next part is just for Xtra. He wanted to see the interior arrangement....









Feb. 14

...and we have a name for this project... It will be OSIDIAS, and I've got to give my wife credit for coming up it. It's sad how much I concentrated on this trivial little detail, but I was convinced that I wanted something completely original. I think I've found it.

Over the last few days I've been making up a parts list. It's amazing how much aluminum will find it's way in to this box. I'm planning on making the outer shell out of a single piece of aluminum. I'll cut all the holes, then bend accordingly. Should be fun, huh? Also, as mentioned earlier, I'm going to braze all the parts together. This will free up any concerns about fastening parts together, and will guarantee a rock solid case. I also like the idea of no exposed fasteners anywhere on the case. This will be a new technique for me, and one that is rarely used in modding in general. I'm sure it's been done, but I can't name a project that incorporates it.

Feb. 16

I managed to get the interior tray about 90% finished over the weekend. Here is a pic of what I've got so far. Most of it will be bent out of a single piece, and the rest will be brazed together.



Another updated pic...

 
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craigbru

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Feb. 20

Okay guys, I've been playing around with renders. Since I'm using ViaCAD, Kerkythea isn't as easy to use as with Sketchup. I've basically got to export a .dxf, and then import it into SketchUp. However, when I do, not everything gets exported. I'm not sure how to fix that yet, but I'll keep playing around with it. So, the render below is missing a few components...



Feb. 28

Okay, I've got a small update here. I've added the LCD to the front, and an Aquaero to the right side. There's also a new reservoir on the rear, but I've got to finish a little tube routing before you see that.





I probably should have added a few comments. The LCD is capable of rotation and swiveling. Left, right, up down, and portrait/landscape.

One more thing... I've started to order a few parts... :D

One more small update here. I've finished the interior tubing layout. Simple and efficient...



Mar. 3

I've got about 90% of the details finished on this case. I'm still tweaking though. Last night I managed to make a little more room for larger fans. Originally I was only planning on 25mm thick fans, now I've got room for my monster San Ace 1011's. This thing might have enough thrust to fly. I've also got to do a little more interior parts placement. The Pico-ITx was originally located on the lower right rear, but I've since added the Aquaero to that location. That means I need to find a new spot for the Pico. I'm also looking for room for a Multiswitch, and USB hubs. I'm also thinking of adding a single SSD to the system for my OS. That would make for a total 5 drives. A SSD for the OS, a pair of Velociraptors in raid 0 for games, a 750gb drive for data and backups, and another 750gb drive for the Pico.

Mar. 5

I've got a quickie ViaCAD render here. No time for anything prettier, but I thought I'd show you the color scheme I'm likely going to use. Although my Duality project may be postponed, I loved the colors enough to use them here. Before settling on the orange, I ran through a rainbow of choices, and came back to this. It just stands out. :thumb:



Just a slightly better render...



Mar. 23

Okay, I'm sure you guys are tired of seeing all the lame render pictures in this thread... I assure you, these are different though. Dark~3nergy has put his talents to use for me, and created the following...







Many thanks go out to D~3 for all his time!

Okay, thanks in part to partial inspiration from this thread, I came up with an idea I'm going to expand on. I've long thought about having fun with transparent LCD's, but redders' thread made me consider it all over again. So, it was time for a little experiment. The following is a standard 7" LCD removed from it's housing, and with all backing and polarizing film removed. What we have here, is what I intend to use as the side panel windows on OSIDIAS. For lack of a better term, I'll call them active windows. You can see that as long as there is a light source behind the LCD, dark objects and text is shown through. Granted, colors would be washed out, but the concept is still sound...





This could be fun!

Apr. 22

It's been awhile since I've posted an update. So, I figured I'd get you all up to speed on how I've been spending my time. Project: Hutch will be getting some long overdue attention soon, but in the meantime, I've got some new hardware to play with. Although I've not started an official log, there have been some parts arrivals for Project OSIDIAS.

I've got an Asus Rampage GENE II, Intel i7 920, 6GB OCZ Platinum, and a SilverStone DA1000 PSU freshly delivered. I'll be pairing the new parts with my existing EVGA GTX 260's. There may be a video card switch in the near future, but I'm using what I already have for the moment. Also arriving shortly, will be a slot load Blu-ray drive. All the above parts will be the heart of OSIDIAS, and I'll have a running system long before the project is actually finished.

So, how about a few hardware pics?













As of now, I've got most of my software and games installed. Although I've only been using the hardware a short while, I can tell you this... It's the best hardware combination I've ever used. Everything is rock-solid, and I've not had a single error or glitch in two weeks of a fresh Vista 64 install. I'm really looking forward to getting the CPU on water and hitting the overclocks. Stay tuned!

May 11

Just a non-update update here... In between all of other miscellaneous projects (including current, but not log-updated Project: Hutch), I've been giving OSIDIAS's design a slight tweaking. One of the benefits of delaying the start of a project, is that it allows new and alternative ideas to come out. Ideas that may not have been possible if work was already underway. One of the things I realized, is that I may need to find away to attach all the ribs to the interior of the case. They will need to slide out with the motherboard tray. This will require them to be mounted to easily removable frames of their own. It's not really a big deal, but will require some interior redesign. I've also found the need to widen the case itself by a single centimeter. That change alone allowed for the following...

The biggest idea came to me as a sat at my desk listening to the whine of the fan on the Via pico-itx board in the Rogue. I've got no way to quantify it, but it seems lightly louder than before. So, I've decided to 'Langer-ize" it. In Jesse's outstanding Prometheus log, I suggested the possible use of a Cooler Master Aquagate Viva for watercooling the pico. Well, I'm now taking my own advice. I've found room for a secondary watercooling loop... Utilizing the Viva's pump and radiator, as well as some very creative parts placement, will allow me to ramp the insanity up another notch. Stay tuned for updated sketches...
 

craigbru

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I've been pretty busy lately, but I thought I'd show you one of my interior revisions. I've changed the internal supports to something a little stronger, and changed the layout slightly. In addition, the case is now able to fit most any rad up to 56mm in depth. Also, I've made room for the second radiator (Aquagate) for cooling the Pico, a 3rd fan over the video cards, and finally room for my Wintsch Labs peltier block. I've got to draw the block in CAD yet, but it should fit. Once I get that done I can get the tube routing planned out. More to come!

 

craigbru

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Well, that pretty much get everything up to speed here. If you've got any questions about the blanks, post up, and I'll answer them.

Although I had planned on making the case out of aluminum, I'm now looking in to carbon fiber instead... This should prove interesting... :D
 

craigbru

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I just can't stop revising... I was looking at the newly added 70mm radiator, and I got to thinking... It's just not big enough. Granted it's plenty for the Pico, but what if I ditch the idea of watercooling it, and add another radiator to the main system? Well, with a few small revisions, I now have room for a X-Flow 240. Why the X-Flow? I'll need to relocate the G1/4 fittings, and this rad would allow the most workable solution. I won't be able to fit 120mm fans on the second radiator, but I'll make sure it does get some air. Details are to be worked out on that yet...

 

craigbru

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Here is what I'm planning on using for the case itself. You can't go wrong with carbon fiber, right?





Since the case will be formed out of a single piece of material, I'll be experimenting with some reverse molding and vacuum bagging techniques. It's either going to be the coolest thing ever, or a colossal failure. I can't wait!
 

King Wookie

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I watch with great anticipation.:respect:

Subscribed.
 
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This should be very very interesting. I love project logs!
 
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My worry would be that in the long term, the fans would get clogged with dust, and since it's uber cramped, you might have a hard time cleaning.
 
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Looks like a sweet project.

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craigbru

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I watch with great anticipation.:respect:

Subscribed.

Thanks man!

This should be very very interesting. I love project logs!

Thank you! Well, who doesn't love project logs? :D

My worry would be that in the long term, the fans would get clogged with dust, and since it's uber cramped, you might have a hard time cleaning.

Of course dust is always a concern. However, this should be much easier to take care of from a maintenance and cleaning standpoint than my last rig...

Project: Rogue





I managed to fit an SLI ATX motherboard in a NZXT Rogue mATX case, along with 5 hard drives, 2 radiators, secondary Pico ITX system, peltier waterblock, and secondary Meanwell 600 watt PSU... So, cramming stuff in small spaces is kind of my thing.

Before the Rogue, I built a rig based on the SilverStone SG01.













Looks like a sweet project.

Subscribed!


Thank you!
 
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Th0rn0

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fuck me. Please... You have a really eye for modding. Its beautiful.
 

MKmods

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Cold Storm

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Oh man, that stuff looks Sick! All the mods! Your mini cases are.... Drop jaw... Thanks for showing it to us!

:toast:
 

craigbru

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fuck me. Please... You have a really eye for modding. Its beautiful.

Lol, thanks.

Thanks for posting this here (I hate wandering all over to see ur stuff)

+1 on the Carbonfiber (the more you use it the better you get at it so do a few smaller brackets first)

I havent bought from them yet but here is a cool place for different colors of CF
http://compositeenvisions.com/?zenid=02c14d3f93ab4267f412dd64d40c544c

Yeah, I am spread about quite a bit. That's one of the biggest reasons I started hosting my logs on my own site. Then I go ahead and register for more forums anyway... lol. I love the feed back though, so it's all worth it. Plus, I get to meet great people I otherwise wouldn't have. :D

Oh, and that site is where I grabbed the CF pics from. I'll likely get the orange fiber there, and shop around for the other. I'll find something to practice on, because I intend to do the case shell in a single piece. I don't think I want to jump right in to that.

Oh man, that stuff looks Sick! All the mods! Your mini cases are.... Drop jaw... Thanks for showing it to us!

:toast:

Thank you very much! I'm just honored that you like them! ;)
 
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Side note, I love your case designs, even if they are a little small for my tastes xD

Asus and Coolermaster should take note.

How much does it cost you to put these things together (not including cost of paints and tools)?
 

Mark_Hardware

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My hat's off to you, my man. You have far more patience than I. I would go nuts trying to fit all that stuff into a small space.
 

craigbru

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Thanks mate!

Side note, I love your case designs, even if they are a little small for my tastes xD

Asus and Coolermaster should take note.

How much does it cost you to put these things together (not including cost of paints and tools)?

I love the challenge of lots of hardware in a small space. Believe it or not, the Rogue project weighed over 80 pounds. :eek:

The Rogue was definitely my most expensive project, and I didn't keep a hard tally, but it was in the thousands. There just happened to be a lot of expensive hardware in the case. OSIDIAS on the other hand, will be cheaper. It's technically more complex, but I'm able to use some hardware I already have. Things like reusing the pico itx saves me hundreds already. I've also managed to secure some great deals on other hardware. In fact, the priciest parts I've yet to buy, will be the Aquaero VFD and multiswitch, as I'll likely have to purchase from AC and have them shipped over. No US vendor is currently carrying any.

My hat's off to you, my man. You have far more patience than I. I would go nuts trying to fit all that stuff into a small space.

Planning is where it's at. In this project tolerances are measured literally in mm. I've revised the plans so many times, it's amazing. There's always something to improve. This is a complete departure from how I approached the Rogue. That project was planned mostly on the fly. When I started, it was much simpler, then kept snowballing on me. Things like the peltier cooling, and pico wheren't even in the original plan.
 

MKmods

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Ok ur back from vacation, now get back to work:rockout:
 

craigbru

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Haha, leave it to you to call me out Mark... Don't you have some LED's to solder or something? :D
 
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Sweet looking builds
 

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Haha, leave it to you to call me out Mark... Don't you have some LED's to solder or something? :D

Im really looking forward to the day we both can attend a LAN and just hang out:respect:
 

craigbru

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Sweet looking builds

Thanks man! :D

Im really looking forward to the day we both can attend a LAN and just hang out:respect:

Next year buddy, next year. I've already told the wife, and she's cool with it as long as there is sunshine for her. I'm ready for my own project. Nothing against my slow-in-progress Hutch build, but I need to get more creative, and unfortunately that requires my own fundage.
 

craigbru

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As the beginning of this project gets closer, I've been receiving a steady stream of parts and materials. Of those parts and materials, the carbon fiber is probably the most integral. With it, I'm hoping to take what I hope is a pretty cool concept to begin with, and take it to the next level. While there are many cases made of aluminum or even wood, a case constructed of carbon fiber is a much rarer occurrence. Fellow modders Langer, MKmods, jhanlon303, and rendermandan, have all worked with it in some capacity, and I owe them credit for inspiring me to use it here as well. With that in mind, I went ahead and ordered an orange carbon fiber/kevlar blend. This particular fiber will be used for the side panels and ribs on OSIDIAS.

So, without further delay...



And one more pic...



More to come!
 
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