So, let’s get this started! Here you can see the freshly cut hole for trio of 60mm fans that will sit over the video cards. This makes for 4 holes done, only 3 to go!

At this point I decided to clear up a question or two regarding this case’s strength. I was trying to think of a good way to convey how strong the carbon fiber really is. You can see with the holes cut out, there really isn’t a large amount of supporting material left in the lower part of the case. Well, I’m telling you that it doesn’t matter in the least. Here you can see my daughters full 103 pounds being supported by the case. There’s nary a flex! I can guarantee that aluminum would not have fared so well…

With the case still in one piece, it was time to get back to cutting. For those that were following the planning thread, you’ll remember that the windows on the side panels will actually be transparent LCD’s. In order to get them to fit correctly, I’ve got to get a hole put in each side of the case for the circuit board. Here I’ve got the hole all marked out.

The rough cut done!

I’ll have more in the coming days, so until then!

Losias Technologies Livestream

I’ve only got a few pics here, as the process for each hole doesn’t change. Mark, cut, sand. It’s progress though!

In this pic I had already cut the second hole in the case. You can see video of that on the livestream link above. I’ve also got the hole marked out for the Aquaero.

After cutting, I was left with another pair of holes. Now only 4 more to go!

So, what we have here is an integrated heatsink for the water pump. It also doubles as a vibration proof mount for the pump via grommets. Once in place, air from the radiator fans will help with the cooling.

This heatsink will make it’s way to my CNC machine in the future. You can also see that I’ve changed the interior parts over to carbon fiber. Creative mold making will be coming!

This is a transparent adhesive sheet used for printing labels. It’s simply a matter of printing out the guidelines, which is made even easier since the entire project was designed in CAD. If you look closely, you can see an additional guideline extending to the left and right on the lower part of the design. This will help in placement.

Next was the matter of proper alignment on the case. While it’s pretty easy to place the sheet, I triple checked the measurements since they had to be perfect.

With the adhesive label in place, it was time to add my masking tape guide lines.

Time to break out the Dremel! I had to take it slow and steady here. You can’t exactly fix any miscuts or slips… Even so, I managed to make quick work of the carbon fiber, and was soon left with a rough cut.

After some filing, and sanding, I was left with the finished hole! My patience paid off, and I was left with a hole that was visually perfect to me. Now I’ve only got about 6 more to go.

It doesn’t like to cut cleanly, no matter the process. The Kevlar fibers really have a mind of their own. I’ve found that I get the best results if I start cutting with a metal carbide cutting wheel. That cuts quickly, but not cleanly. I then followup with a reinforced cutting disk. This cuts much more cleanly, but it’s slow. I can’t take much material off with each pass. After that, I use a file to straighten the cuts. Then finally, I finish up with a 320 grit wet/dry sand paper. This does a decent job of cleaning the edge up, but it takes a light touch. So, that’s one heck of a process for a single cut!

Time to cut! I used a yardstick as a straight edge, and followed up with my line taping method.

An hour later I had two sides done… This is gonna take a while. Lol.

A few bends later…

Now I’ve just got to get the CF/Kevlar blend cut to size, and I can get the fiber laid down.

I’m using the same molding process as the case, but it’s nowhere near as complex this time around. Here is the Kevlar/carbon fiber blend laid out and ready for marking… Isn’t it pretty?

I’ve marked out the fiber, and am making my cuts here. This stuff truly sucks to cut. Even with a specialty shears, it has a tendency fray and not cut cleanly. I wouldn’t ever attempt this with regular scissors. I would imagine you would slit your wrists in frustration.

Now finally, here are 5 layers of fabric freshly removed from the vacuum bag. I’ve still got plastic peel ply on it, but that will come off tomorrow. I’m going to sand a little, and add one more layer of Kevlar. The same procedure I used on the rest of the case, should get me pretty good results. The trick will be in finding the perfect piece of fiber for the top layer. The weave on this blend is very sensitive, much more so than with regular carbon fiber. Every little flaw or misalignment seems magnified 10 fold. I’ll manage though… or go insane trying!

Tomorrow I’ll get the other panel started, and sand this first one. Then I’ve got to get an end mill or two ordered for the Romaxx CNC. I’ll be using it to cut out the side panels. I’ll do a few test runs first, since I don’t want to screw one of these up. Mistakes would be costly…

Now that the case is out of the mold, I need to get it cut down to size. I use my trusted tape marking method, and prep the Dremel. That’s really the only practical way to cut the case with it’s uneven contours.

The first cut done. Would you believe that the CF cuts like butter with a reinforced disc? You can’t drop the disc in and do a continuous cut without binding, but it you drop in every centimeter or so, it works very well.

Not only does the fiber cut extremely well, it takes to filing beautifully too. This pic was taken after filing and a quick bout with a fine grit sand paper. After cutting, I could finally get a measurement on the actual cross section of the case. It measures just under 2mm. That’s even better than I thought.

With the first side done, it was time to mark the other side.

All done! The case now measures the perfect 40.6cm I needed. Up next, I’ll be marking out and cutting all the holes needed in the case. Until then!

A few more taps…

The core removed.

Now it was a matter of removing the aluminum shell.

It’s finally free! The case is completely removed from the mold. You can see a few small voids on the interior, but those are a non-issue at this point. Anything that remains after the exterior holes are cut, will be filled in with resin and leave a smooth surface behind.

Now, I’ll add a few comments about the case itself. It’s strong! In fact, it’s shockingly strong. Sure, everyone knows carbon fiber has excellent strength properties, but until you experience it for yourself, it’s a little hard to quantify. This case has almost no flex or deflection. I can press on the center of both sides with about all the strength I can muster, and it just barely moves. It’s just that solid. On top of it’s strength, it’s also incredibly light. Also, I’m saving the rest of the surface work until after all the holes are cut. This thing will be as smooth as glass once completed. All in all, this was the perfect building material for this case, and I can’t wait to start making my first cuts in it. Stick around for the fun coming up next!

I woke up this morning, headed to the shop, and cranked up the music. A little Zune Pass with Breaking Benjamin as the starting point, and things were underway! What you’ll see here is the mold ready to go, with the carbon fiber strips sitting on a tube right behind it. This would allow me unroll the CF onto the mold with minimal handling.

It was now time to mix up the resin. I was using a marine grade clear epoxy with a 109 medium hardener. This stuff has a pot life of about 30 minutes, so there was no time to do anything but get underway. With the resin mixed I was on the clock. I slipped on my rubber gloves and hit the mold with a layer of resin from a 4″ lint-free roller. The first layer of CF was on soon after.

I continued wrapping and rolling, taking extra care not to deform or stretch the CF in any way. I also had to be sure that all the corners had the fiber nestled in them without issues. I thought I was making good time until I went to apply a little more resin, and the roller started to pull up on the CF. Crap! That meant my resin was hardening. Had it really been 30 minutes already? Well, it didn’t matter. I couldn’t do anymore at this point. I needed to wrap peel ply around it and get it bagged. I still had one layer to go, but there was no way I could get it on without causing serious issues. So, bag it, I did…

I smoothed the bag out a little and left it under vacuum for about 2 hours.

Now, aren’t you all excited to see what’s next? Yeah, I am too, but I had to head out of town for the rest of the weekend. The next update will likely be on Monday.

So, overall, the experience wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, but I was cutting it close with the resin cure time. I also know I’ll have a few ridges in the resin from the bagging process, but that’s really not an issue right now. I can sand and add more resin. In addition, I’ll likely go ahead and add the last layer of missing fiber. I’ll update early next week guys!