# HTPC Project: Superconductivity (pic HEAVY)



## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Superconductivity-Noun-super·con·duc·tiv·ity (-kän′dək tiv′ə tē): Definition: A superconductor is an element or metallic alloy which, when cooled to near absolute zero, dramatically lose all electrical resistance. In principle, superconductors can allow electrical current to flow without any energy loss (although, in practice, an ideal superconductor is very hard to produce). This type of current is called a supercurrent.
In addition, superconductors exhibit the Meissner effect in which they cancel all magnetic flux inside, becoming perfectly diamagnetic (discovered in 1933). In this case, the magnetic field lines actually travel around the cooled superconductor. It is this property of superconductors which is frequently used in magnetic levitation experiments.

Superconductivity was first discovered in 1911, when mercury was cooled to 4 degrees Kelvin by Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, which earned him the 1913 Nobel Prize in physics. In the years since, this field has greatly expanded and many other forms of superconductors have been discovered. The basic theory of superconductivity, BCS Theory, earned the scientists - John Bardeen, Leon Cooper, and John Schrieffer - the 1972 Nobel Prize in physics. A portion of the 1973 Nobel Prize in physics went to Brian Josephson, also for work with superconductivity.
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The day of Reckoning has come and past....ORDER DAY! It is nigh-on time for a new build and MOD! As soon as my boxes start arriving (mid-end of this week), this thing is a go.

What is it? A Home Theater PC based on mITX Form Factor (6.7"x6.7")

Concept:

I had a leftover aluminum box that I had ordered to build my son a case, but I ran out of time and he out of patience, so he ended up with a store-bought NZXT case. Well, I decided I wanted to build an HTPC and looked at the commercial cases...they were horrible. Add ugly cases to a spare box = SCRATCH BUILD!

I started with Sketchup just to get a rough idea on the case size needed:

















A lot of the layout has changed (like no PSU and a Hot Swap bay on top of the optical drive), but the idea remains largely unchanged.


So then I took it to the next level and opened Blender up and did a quick model and render (sans the modders mesh, I just didn't feel like it):









The front panel has changed a bit, I couldn't find a dial temp gauge small enough, so I got an LCD Temp Gauge and I had to add an on/off switch for the fan.


What I have on-hand right now (Box, Front USB, 5.25" bays, LCD screen, single-channel fan controller):


















Paint? Oh-no, no, NO! GILDING for a copper-clad look with Gold trim (like the render):


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Now the parts list.

Computer Components:
BD/DVD ROM
HDD
RAM
SSD (for OS)
Hot Swap Bay
TV Tuner Card
Motherboard
Mouse :wink:


Stuff for the case:
200mm Fan
Computer Power Switch
Fan Power Switch
Main Power Pigtail
Aux PSU Block (fans and lights)
Wire Sleeving (Orange)
Heat Shrink (Yellow)
LCD System Display
LCD Case Temp Display (EBay Link...)
Modders Mesh (Honeycomb)
Copper Rivets
Rubber U-Channel
Window Material (Solar Bronze)
Case Lighting (Warm White)
Accent LED (3mm Warm White
Single-channel fan controller scavenged from an old Zalman Ball cooler
2-port frontside USB hub scavenged from an old case
Double 5.25" bay scavenged from an old case
Enough Copper and Gold leaf to Gild a large farm animal
5' of 1/8"x3/4" aluminum flat bar
Various hex-head and brass cap screws
Can of Self Etching Primer
Can of Copper paint
Can of matte dark red paint
2 cans of Plasti-Kote Clear Engine Enamel
6/32 pitch rivet nuts
M3 rivet nuts


Did I forget anything? Oh, yeah....case feet. Either THESE or fab some out of copper and acrylic sandwich. Also need to fab or find a fan bezel for that monster (might have MNPCTECH CNC me one from billet).

Approximate completion time: 6-8 weeks (liberally) on my schedule.


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## Metalozedex (Jul 27, 2010)

Wow, good luck on your build ^^


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

im jealous


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Got my first haul of toys! Oznium and Newegg arrived, for some unknown reason, the delivery date for my PerformancePCs stuff went from the 5th to the 10th. Tracker says it left Florida 3 days ago /shrug. I love opening Newegg boxes..kinda like Christmas morning...

The pile:










Motherboard, Bluetooth reciever, and remote:










Hot-swap bay with HDD:









Bay seems to be well made and solid. Some minor slop in the door when it's open, but doesn't seem worrying at all. Didn't realize it, but the bay has a small power and HDD activity light in the bezel.

OCZ Onyx 32Gb SSD and G. Skill RAM Kit:









And..mebbe a bottle of liquid confidence. Very good scotch, but still kinda young. Would LOVE to get ahold of an 18+ y/o bottle of that stuff <drool>. Was very happily surprised at how small that SSD is (first one I've bought). Now I just gotta figure out where/how to mount it. Problem for a few weeks down the road, methinks.

Was gonna go ahead and put it on my "torture box" and see if it posts tonight, but I decided I'd rather sleep. Will hit it tomorrow. Pray for no RMA!!!

(Pardon my poor photography skills, you'll have to get used to it, I'm afraid.)


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

When I built my present rig, back in late 2007, everything I needed for a complete PC (k'board, mouse, monitor, PC bits) all came packed in 1 HUGE box that was too big to get through my front door! - I had to open it outside, then carry all the bits, still in their individual boxes, inside. 

Once the PC was built and powered up (approx 2 hours), it took almost as much time to tidy up and dump all the boxes/packing-material/useless paperwork downstairs in the recycling bins, as it did to build it :grin:


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

WereBo said:


> When I built my present rig, back in late 2007, everything I needed for a complete PC (k'board, mouse, monitor, PC bits) all came packed in 1 HUGE box that was too big to get through my front door! - I had to open it outside, then carry all the bits, still in their individual boxes, inside.
> 
> Once the PC was built and powered up (approx 2 hours), it took almost as much time to tidy up and dump all the boxes/packing-material/useless paperwork downstairs in the recycling bins, as it did to build it :grin:


I love newegg combined shipping. lmao


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

It wasn't from 'Newegg', it was from an excellent UK company called 'Novatech'. I've only ever used them for mail-order stuff cos they have very excellent customer-service :smile:


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

WereBo said:


> It wasn't from 'Newegg', it was from an excellent UK company called 'Novatech'. I've only ever used them for mail-order stuff cos they have very excellent customer-service :smile:


oh. wonder how much it cost to ship? a 4 foot cube is pretty big..


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

I built my son a 965 rig this past spring, rather than one large box it came in 5. 3 for components and 2 cases (my wife had me upgrade her case while I was in the building mood). 
Poor UPS guy was sweating by the time he got it all up to my apartment (down a LONG path from the parking lot, and upstairs).

Setting up to bench test this thing. The uber "torture box" is on the table...


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Successful POST!! All components are Good to Go!

Was gonna go Linux, but no drivers for the TVTuner card, sadly. Soo I went W7 64bit. Gonna hate life when I gotta pay for it.  

POST!









Loading Windows:









Microsoft suxors!









46c without the fan, 33c with...something to think about!

You like that "torture box"?? lol

Added AS5, live it, love it, breathe it!









Burning it in as I post, will see what temps are tomorrow.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Glad you got it to post. Are you adding a dedicated gpu to that?


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

On-Board NVidia Ion GPU...all I'll need for movies and such (HDMI output). Only one PCI slot, and that is going to the Tuner Card.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Sounds good, Look forward to seeing it come together


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

i wish linux and mac had he drivers for my tuner card. I have the Hauppauge HVR 1800 with FM/antenna/cable all in one.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

PerformancePCs box arrived with more goodies! Still need to make my MNPCTech order, get me **** down to Tap, and swing by the craft store. My temp gauge has yet to arrive from Hong Kong, but I've already proofed the dimensions.

Todays haul:

NZXT 200mm fan
momentary Lamptron (orange ring)
latching Lamptron (orange dot)
sleeving/heatshrink (drastically underestimated how much I'll need, gonna have to order more...)
5a Molex-output power brick
momentary wiring harness










I don't usually get much excited about fans, but this one is REALLY nice! All ABS, including the fan blades. I could probably take a hammer to it. Eight (yes, EIGHT) pre-set 3mm LED receptacles including solder points on the PCB. This thing is quiet and moves a TON of air (could put it in a window and cool the apartment, I think), plugged it into the power brick to test it. WOW, just WOW. This company has yet to disappoint me with quality and craftsmanship! Way to go, NZXT!


























Now, a bit more on-topic as far as the actual build. Was finally able to do a "real" layout test with the actual components rather than relying on the virtual realm. Looks like the final dimensions are going to be: 13.75"x12.5"x4.0" sans the feet and fan bezel, which should add 1-1.5" to the hight. Fan will be mounted from the inside using the bottom (intake side) mounting tabs, the top tabs will be cut off. Were it not for the 5.25" bays, I could have mounted it entirely inside. Explored a couple other mounting location options for just that reason, but stacked 5.25" with the fan protruding seemed the best route for a number of reasons. Also decided the scavenged 5.25" bays are going back into the bits box. Gonna make a custom cage out of mesh for better cooling and space management (nevermind easier painting). Going to go ahead and order an 80mm fan for the CPU heatsink as I have about 1.25" of vertical clearance. Mostly because the main fan is going to be off-set from the motherboard. As long as I run it off the CPU_fan header, it will likely never run full-tilt. As an aside, add to the reasons I'm pretty happy about that hot-swap bay that the mounts are on soft-rubber isolators.

The "layout" (the box will obviously get cut down to size):









To the left of the MoBo in that pic, I was thinking about installing one of these to plug the peripheral brick into: http://www.performance-pcs.com/cata...e=product_info&cPath=60_392&products_id=24138

But, the more I looked at it, the less I liked it. Too big, and WAAY too bright. I'm thinking I could make a smaller one with just the connections I need out of acrylic and some Molex housings. Ordering a few more 3mm LED. Also going to make a small acrylic housing for the front-side USB (1" square). Need to fab some sort of mount for the SSD, where it is sitting in the pic is "about" where it will eventually reside.

Sorry for the rambling post, I'm good at it.


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

From the look of that fan, you could turn the final rig upside-down and have a 'Hover-PC' :grin:


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

ROFL!

WHY am I not surprised at that comment??
:4-hit:


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

WereBo said:


> From the look of that fan, you could turn the final rig upside-down and have a 'Hover-PC' :grin:


I've got triple 250's on the side of my server case...


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

I'm actually doing some WORK on it, today! I really need to sit down and plan workflow on this, I keep wandering around and just working on whatever strikes my fancy at the moment. Not conducive to being efficient/accurate.

Got to Tap over the weekend (finally) so I decided to start cutting bits.


Started with the Windows:

*Split the 12"x3" piece into 2 windows (no idea WHY I didn't have Tap do it...braindead)*








The acrylic knife is the BEST way to cut, IMHO. Takes some minor labor, but it's clean-cutting (score and snap) and no melting issues.

*Got the curved edges layed-out, will rough the cuts with the rotary, then grab the files to finish it*









*Also got my Temp Gauge in the mail this weekend, so I thought I'd grab a quick pic. The 4 pin will get hacked and it will go to a 3-pin Molex plug. Also have to shorten the temp lead.*









*Laid out the pieces for the foot sandwich, and cut a "motherboard tray". Probably use the hole saw for the circular bits, and I need to drill/tap the standoff holes. Will be attached to the case with "Tape of the Gods" for simplicity. Will also get an LED strip under it.*










Starting a bit on the case itself:

*Went ahead and got the cut marks drawn, will probably go ahead and cut it after this post (will add the pic if I do)*









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Some notes (mostly to myself):

Case feet: Need to take it to Blender and do a few variation renders for opinions.

Acrylic: Need to get some pics of the color, is hard to get a good background/lighting for transparent things...

First MNPCTech order arrives Wednesday (MODDERS MESH!!! /cheer) so I can get started on the 5.25" bay.

Need to figure out how to secure the 80mm fan to the heatsink (need to get a pic up here)

Anyone know if/where I can source parts for DIY SATAII cables (ie, connectors and pins)? REALLY need to be able to do custom lengths for wire management.

Ordered more LED and another foot of SMLED strip.

Need to sketchup my peripheral power block.

Bought the wrong damned glue, got black, need clear (someday I'll learn to pay attention?). Though, I have some clear epoxy...(?)

Need to get to Harbor Freight (the disposable tool store!) and buy a cheap Bending Brake ( http://www.harborfreight.com/18-inch-bending-brake-39103.html ).


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Ok, got the box cut down to size:

*Taped and ready to cut:*









Why do I tape?
1. Provides some protection from "skips" and in case I explode a disc.
2. Gives my eye a bit of a "guide" to follow the cutting line (I usually try and tape the width of the cutting wheel cut..not an exact science, but it works).


*Bottom tray being cut:*










*One box now = TWO boxes:*









Some file work and U-Channel, and that's a wrap for that.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Got my first MNPCTech order! Can finally get somewhere now that I have my mesh. Been a long day, will try and get some real "work" done on the morrow before work. In the meantime, I got a few pics and a couple questions.

*MNPCTech Goodies:*








-including a freshly defrocked super-cool bottle opener!

*My non-photogenic bum sportin swag:*








-complete with bed head after my nap!

Thanks, Bill!

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Now, some meat and potatoes.

How can I mount this fan? I was thinking maybe elastic cord and a couple hooks with rubber feet between the fan and the heatsink? Not much to hook to on the heatsink itself.



















AND...which feet? Whichever style I go with, they will get an LED in the acrylic (pardon the horrid Render, took about 10 minutes including rendering time):








Just need to find some 1/8" or 1/4" copper, depending on the final style.

Thanks for looking!


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## rre123 (Oct 12, 2009)

I don't think the silver will match the copper color very much =/


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

Re: mounting the fan on the heatsink, would a thin bead of 'Hot-Glue' along the top of the heatsink-vanes where the fan-frame contacts it, do the job?


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## nbjeter3 (Aug 19, 2010)

For Mounting the Fan:
I have found in cases of mismatched fans/heatsinks, a thin line of Crazy glue (Superglue gets to brittle to quickly, and make sure to use the gel not the liquid) and mounting the fan diagonally to give best surface contact, works best for me. Hot Glue can get messy and well, its hot glue, over time the heat from the heatsink can cause it to lose its "grip" on the fan. The good thing about crazy glue is that it will bond to just about anything, and it still makes the fan removable without having to destroy it (which is why I quit using epoxy :grin: ) But that should secure the fan nicely and neatly. Let it cure overnight when you do it for maximum results.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Well, got to runnin around today and gathered supplies:

The "disposable tool store" yielded a butane torch, an 18" bending brake, a pair of snips, 12pc needle file set, 40pc tap and die set, a digital caliper, and a rivet nut gun with nuts.

Ace got me butane, a 2 1/8" hole saw, some tiny drill bits (for an idea later..you'll see :1angel: ), 6/32x3/8" Hex-head cap screws, small rubber grommets, wet/dry sandpaper, sanding block, clear E6000 glue (not black...), a soldering iron, solder, and some vinyl feet. Also found some KILLER aluminum mesh, Maltese Cross in plain, and strange round perf in both plain and brass anodized. Not needed for this build, but that brass perf would be friggin COOL for a steampunk build. I should buy a sheet an take pics.

When I got home I actually got some progress made. Fabricated the rear panel (sans the IO plate hole and the power block hole, then got the front panel laid-out for cutting (this took a LOT longer than I anticipated...).

Got some pics:


*On the brake:*










*Finished panel:*


















*Test fit (needs some minor tweaking):*










*Took the opportunity for a paint test (be damned if I try and gild the mesh after the screen on the mouse!!):*








Dun look too bad.

*THEN I spent about 3 hours laying out the front panel for cuts (/gag):*








Couple lines look crooked in the pic for some reason, they aren't. I know, because after I looked at the picture I took the calipers to it, yet again!

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Selling my soul for a lead on SATAII connectors and pins...

Playing with the ideas for the fan, will report back.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Looks like it is coming along nicely, I get alot of stuff from the "disposable tool store" as well. Found a nice box of rubber grommets the other day. Almost bought a jig saw(which i really need) but for some reason talked myself out of it. 

Cant wait to see how this looks....Good job, keep it up


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Gonna be a long mod night, need to finish the MoBo tray, the power block, and the 5.25" bracket before the sun rises...thankfully I have a brand-new bottle of Ouzo to keep me truckin!

Update:

As of 0130 PDT, I got the MoBo tray *DONE* and the first of 2 5.25" brackets complete. Not gonna get the power block done tonight, sadly. Too much soldering to have a prayer. I'll still get started on it, though. We'll call that a "win".

*Mounting "hardware" in place:*









*Shiny standoffs (yeah, I polished them!) and SMLED strip:*









*Let there be LIGHT!:*









*Motherboard mounted:*









*Holographic underside (it even almost shows up in the pic..I think you need 2 eyes for you to "see" it right):*









More to come before I sleep...


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Well, it seems people get grumpy if I run a drill press on my patio at 0330...damned diurnal people, anyway!

*Got a couple pics, despite the grumpy neighbors!*

















Was 4 holes from having the mounts done.../sigh. (iirc, I will trim the posts down a bit before I paint. Was just givin' myself some "wiggle" room)

Got the top and bottom cut for the power block, gonna paint the connectors and the SSD mount real fast, then hit the hay. Really not a _bad_ day (night?) of modding, though I'd have liked to have gotten further. Methinks this build will take a bit longer than I had planned. LOL


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## Ryujin jakka (Sep 7, 2010)

looking good man keep posting


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Will get some work done over the next few days, I went on vacation for most of this week (fun, sun, feesh, crabs...). Kinda left this thread hangin without trying to. Got home tonight, will work a bit tomorrow-Sunday.

And YES, the disposable tool store ROCKS. :laugh:

And when I get this one done? I have 2 more mods in the pipeline!


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Well, vacation was nice. Caught feesh and crabs. My camera batteries died and decided to erase my card for some unknown reason, so I have exactly one pic I took with my phone left. Got a limit of seabass, 63 crab, but no salmon this year.

Klabs (blame it on my nephew, never could get crabs and clams straight...):








_Cancer Magister_, the undisputed King of crab (Dungeoness). Biggest was about 8 inches across the carapace. Mmmm, TASTY!

Anyhow, real update time. This time it's just the power block, and it's not even finished. Turned into a real fiasco after a disturbing number of hours worth of work.


*First I cut the wire channels:*









*Then I cut the insert for the 4 pin:*









*Got the holes for the pins drilled, and laid-out for the connectors:*








And...I forgot to get a pic of the recessed holes milled out. 

*Mostly finished power block:*
















You'll notice a slight taper on the right side. Don't talk on the phone while squaring an edge, square is the last thing you'll get. Not gonna be real noticeable once it's in the case. No harm, no foul. Still pisses me off, though...

Still need to wire the bastage, and figure out how to get an LED inside. But, Eric the Human CNC Machine has had enough today. Will finish up when I crawl outa the rack.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Two goddamned days on this power block?? Oh-well, it's DONE! Gods that sucked!  

*LED cut into the block:*









*Glued and clamped (metal burning clamps FTW):*









*Final product:*

















*For reference I have Bill's bottle opener, and a tube of my favorite adhesive:*








E6000 is very lenient and dries crystal clear. Also allows headroom for F-ups. Use solvent adhesives for perfect setups. Bugger of the E6000 is that it takes 24hrs to cure and likes to leave bubbles.

Would have liked to have used 2 LED for light, but the legs+resistor were just too long. Could have run them in tandem vertically, but it actually would have looked worse, IMO. The dual leads out the side are the switching circuit going to the latching Lamptron. I used the black wire for aesthetics. I knew hot from ground. Sleeving upcoming...

Tomorrow I get the 5.25" bracket done and start cutting into the case!!


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Forward progress is made. 

The front is cut sans the hole for the USB ports (still need to fab a housing so I'm waiting on that cut), got my final layout done so I can drill mounting holes and measure wire lengths so I can start sleeving (gag).

*Cutting:*











*Front components:*



















*Final layout:*


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Nice, I like the look of the vandle switches on the front, What is the lock for?

The hole underneath the display is for? usb?


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

The lock is for on the door to the hot-swap bay, but don't ask me _WHY_ they do that. lol

As for the hole? I think you were looking at the spot for the case temp display. The USB will be in-line with the switches...was just starting to cut some acrylic to try and make some kind of housing.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Oh is see it now, lol. I guess it was the shadowing. hmmm acrylic, that would be nice. Maybe some nice led's behind it?


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

It may get an LED (God knows I got enough extras...), but I'm gonna wait to see if ambient case light will be enough. That front panel is gonna be pushing it for too bright as it stands. The case will have 18" total of SMLED strip, that _should_ be enough to make it glow. 

Not gonna get it done tonight, getting late enough that running power tools will get me yelled at. Think I'll just pour a glass of scotch, watch football, and cut/sleeve wires.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Sleeving _SUUUUUUCKS_!!!

But, at least I had a good bottle of scotch and football (American...) to keep me company.

*Pile of sleeved cables:*








The wires without connectors get soldered to switches.

*NOT looking forward to sleeving this bugger, need to shorten it, as well:*








Any good ideas? Figure I'm gonna be forced into a cut/splice situation due to the molded connectors. Really not looking forward to this.  


Gonna get the fan LED installed before I sleep, but likely won't see an update til Wednesday or Saturday.


(note to self: vacuum the damned rug...)


Thank you for watching, I really do appreciate it!


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

It's coming on well, despite the need for sleep occasionally :grin:

The only thing that immediately leaps to mind for sleeving the cable in the last pic, is that curly stuff that can be wrapped around cable-bunches - Although it might look a bit odd if it's the only one


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

I'd consider that route were it not for the fact I need to relieve that harness of around 5" of wire. WAAY too long for this micro box. After a bit more perusal, I can just hack and splice between the 4 pin and connectors on both sides. Ugly way to do it, but it'll be sleeved to hide it. Wire management in this thing is gonna be soooo fun! (not)

While I was home last night, I decided to leave-off on the mods (it was late, I was tired from work), so instead I watched TV and got the OS the rest of the way installed (in other words, I paid for the product key), BIOS flashed (windows-based flash FTW!), utilities installed, and the processor is now running at 2.1Ghz (up from 1.6Ghz). Also got the WD hooked up, formatted, and a few movies stuck on it. One odd thing, though...the Asus HT Gate sees disc C (SSD with OS and utilities), my jump drive (when it was plugged in), D drive (BD optical), but not E (the big WD). Kinda an issue considering the E drive is where all my movies/music are going to be!

Did watch Coraline and some of District 9, though. Yeah, movies on the big TV and in HD are pure win!


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## Hamada90 (Aug 21, 2010)

I just thought I would stop to say, great project bud and keep it up!
Been following this in the shadows hehe^


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Thanks for the comment, Hamada90! Hopefully have more soon!


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Ssrogg said:


> Thanks for the comment, Hamada90! Hopefully have more soon!


Yeah he has been pretty slow on updates lately :laugh:


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Always, life as a trucker is a pain. Either I have no time for hobbies, or I'm just too out of it to care.


However, I don't see any updates on that CM, either...:4-hit:


:grin:


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

LOL, waiting on parts, I didnt know you were a trucker?

I used to be 3 years ago


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

15 years and counting. Good living, horrible job. lol


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Long haul? line haul? LTL?

Either way my thoughts and prayers to ya...I know how it is


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

Everytime I look at this thread I am at work so I don't see the pics. :sigh: It really stinks that the IT department has most photo-hosting sites blocked. By the time I get home it will be 6am and I will be ready to crash. I really want to "see" what is going on here. lol.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Dang IT Nazis, anyway! lol

Take 5 minutes when ya get home to have a look, yer really not missing much, anyhow. 

And, Shotgn: I run 3 states, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and do Food Service deliveries to retail fast food joints, and one sit-down restaurant. Very physical work. Have done just about everything at some point, though. Except 48 State, which I flatly refuse to do. I make better money than 90% of those guys, and I'm home a helluva lot more.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

Well... Just woke up and decided to come straight here... Very nice. I may need to consult you on one of my projects... I love the hot swap bay. Great idea... I will be getting one of those for myself in the near future. Keep up the good work! Can't wait to see the final.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

I did 48 states for 8 years then landed a local job with coca-cola, moved into their IT dept 3 years ago.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Reasons I didn't mod today and other excuses.

Okay, actually pretty dang good reason, IMO! (remember, no drooling on the keyboard, aight?)


*Pit Fired:*








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*MMmm, smokay!*








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*15lbs of BBQ goodness:*









Winter supply almost ready to vac-pack!


Yeah, I'm bored...tending pit tends to do that, but man the payoff is soooo worth it!


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Bout to add LED to my 200mm fan. Do I need to use resistors, or no? They mount to the PCB in the slots. Also, do I need to de-solder first, or just tin the leads and solder?


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

LED... That fan is nearly big as the enclosure you are putting it in... lol.Good stuff. Okay... just a little late on that one... missed the pics from last page... Just now got the time to look through the entire thread.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Yes, it is. Kinda the point, TBH. Is a 166CFM fan on a controller. I can turn it down to dead silent and still get a potload of airflow. = )

I also OC'd the CPU to 2.1Ghz so I can run it as a Render Node for 3D apps. Can turn the fan WAY up to keep it cool running 4 threads at max for an hour or 3.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

No idea why, but the LED in my power block has stopped working. Not sure if the glue shrunk enough to pull the power/ground out or I somehow burned the LED out (unlikely). Annoying as all hell, but not the end of the world, the block still has power without it. 

Might just try and pull it apart again to regain contact. HATE to do it, but I also have 1/6 of the power ports not working. I'm gonna blame the glue, at this point.


Edit*

Will post a pic in a few, but it seems NZXT didn't connect the + leads for the LED on the PCB. In the process of connecting them. PITA, but doable...


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

WHEE! Just put a 1/4" piece of wire through my finger....ouch.

Got the PCB connected, working on the LED now.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

NZXT needs to work on the PCB if they are gonna sell these fans without LED. The squares are the bridges I had to jump, D2 is the reason I have a hole in my finger. Too long a bridge to solder over, had to use a strand of wire.











*Wires soldered into the PCB:*









Wiring gaps for hot glue/zip ties were helpful, but the wire channels NEED to be ~22Ga! I spent over an hour with needle files opening up the wire channels to accept the smallest wire I could buy retail. Hard to buy 24 or 26ga wire these days for whatever reason (even from Radio Shack).









*Finished wiring. Was a Biatch, but it got done!*









*Subtle, but positive glow for the humongous fan:*









Notice the upper mounting holes are gone with this set of pics, will get the window cutouts and the fan hole laid-out before I sleep. Need to get the final cuts and screw holes done by Saturday night. Gonna go to my Dad's place to spray some paint on Sunday. SEP isn't a good thing to spray in an apartment building with pets/kids/open windows/etc..


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Very very cool, Did you end up using resistors? I imagine you had to


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Aye, the resistors were included on the LED I bought. Tried one with the resistor cut off and it just went...well, it didn't do anything at all...ever. = (


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

lol, Kinda figured you had to to regulate the power going to them.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Weather been bad lately, haven't been able to work. Suppose to clear up Monday, so I should get some work done. LOTS to do yet.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

Work is all I ever seems I have to do. Tomorrow is a run to Moscow to drop off my aunties eMachine. Then it is off to Clifton to see a bud. Then it is back home to testing memory and cleaning my house. Tuesday is a trip up to my "Workshop away from home" to perform some modding on a co-workers tower to get it ready for his upgrade. Why he doesn't just spend a few bucks on a decent case is beyond me. The flimsy POS he wants me to mod isn't worth the tin it's made out of. Oh well, some peeps are odd.

Now that I am done ranting, good work so far. The leds look nice (even if I am not a fan of PC lighting). Can't wait to see the case...


Edit... I love how R2 and D2 are close to each other on the fan PCB...


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

HAHAHA, yeah. Never actually noticed the R2-D2 thing, even as much of a Star Wars geek as I am. You'd be surprised at how subtle that light is. Much more of a glow than a light. Really looks pretty good. 

You said Moscow...I thought you meant Idaho for half a second!

Got some work on it done today. Windows are shaped, but I wasn't able to route them as I had secretly planned. The cheapy Dremel shaper/router table is convenient, but the motor mount just isn't sturdy enough for something as hard as acrylic. There was enough skipping to create a "wavy" cut in my test pieces. Sucks royally. HOWEVER, as it pertains to that little router table, it is GREAT for shaping. Put in a Tungsten Carbide cutter to shape the curved ends with the fence and guard removed. Kept the material square and under control WONDERFULLY! Found an angled router bit I'm going to try. Should produce less resistance and still give me a beveled, if not shaped, edge.

Also got the fan hole rough-cut and the screw holes drilled. Window holes are 75%+ laid-out. Just gotta figure out how much I'm going to offset the hole from the window (external mount). Still have a couple of "secret" ideas for the windows that ARE viable. Part of the reason I need to figure out the offset. Also got the acrylic cut to stealth the BD ROM. This piece will get the same treatments as the windows.

No pictures right now, I seem to have lost the cable for my camera. But I have a bunch! (just imagine them, okay?) Will get em posted by Saturday at the latest.

As an aside, I think I figured out the CPU heatsink fan mounting. Got some supplies, just need to see if it'll work.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

trying to imagine, not working..lol

I thought he meant Idaho as well, My father-in law lives in colfax and goes to moscow often


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

lol. Nope, I meant Moscow, PA. Never made it up there though. My aunt had a doc's appt, so I just drove out to Clifton, NJ. 

Sounds like it's coming along. Can't wait to see some pics. I don't have a cable to my camera at all. Well I do, somewhere. I just use the card reader on my lappy and tower to move pics around. It really is convenient.

What did you use to cut the hole for the fan? I am getting ready to cut a 140mm blow hole in the top of a case and want a nice clean cut.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Well, as promised, though a day later than I said. Just found my dang cable, seems I got it mixed up with my phone cable and tossed it in my overnight bag. Refer to my sig line if you have any questions...

*The little router table in action:*


















*Fan hole w/screw holes cut/drilled:*









Still rough cut, haven't got to filing yet. Hard to get "in action" shots doing it all solo, sadly.


*Test fitting:*

















This was before I got the windows laid-out. Will hopefully get those cut tomorrow/Tuesday. STILL need to get something going for the USB, playing Hell trying to find something that will work well. Also need to get the rest of my screw holes drilled and tapped where needed. Not gonna make predictions anymore, seems every time I do it takes me another 2 weeks to get to it.

As an aside, everyone else has a cool logo for their pictures, gonna tip a few and work on one of my own tonight!  

I used one of these to cut my holes: http://www.dremel.com/en-us/AttachmentsAndAccessories/Pages/AttachmentsDetail.aspx?pid=565

I think I want to buy one of these, as well: http://www.dremel.com/en-us/AttachmentsAndAccessories/Pages/AttachmentsDetail.aspx?pid=678-01


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

coming together quite nicely, I love the look of those Vandal switches


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

Looking good! Can't wait to see the windows!


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Thanks, guys!

Question: Should I split the difference between the 5.25" bays and the Temp display OR keep the USB in line with the switches? That blank bit bugs me...

To keep everyone happy, the USB housing will still be acrylic, I have no better option. However, I've failed 3 attempts to sculpt the right shape. At a complete loss.

Gonna keep those bloody switches in the case until I get to painting. I seem to lose them every 5 minutes if I don't. :upset:


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

Aren't you including a IR sensor for a remote??? I figuered you would have to put that somewhere...

I can see what you mean by the blank spot. It would look good with the USBs in line with the switches... Maybe you could put a couple of old school 1/4" phone jacks on the front... j/k...


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

No IR on this one, has an external Blue Tooth receiver (via USB port) that will get mounted to the bottom of the TV.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

If the USBs are vertically stacked then I would keep them in line with the buttons... If they are horizontal then I would split the space between the bays and the temp...


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Been too long since I've posted on this. 

My story is the carb in my old pickup died and I've been busy dealing with bumming rides everywhere and then installing a new Weber. The poor old beast is 25 in the spring, I guess she gets a free ride on the occasional dead component. The bright side is, the carb and a shiny new electric fuel pump are now installed. I think I gained 100Hp...no joke (installed a Weber 38DGES, the old carb was a 32mm barrel). The truck was just my hunting/hauling rig for years, but splitting with my wife meant she became my daily driver. More than she could handle.

Gonna work on the box a bit in the morning. Trashing the U-brackets I made for the hot-swap and BD ROM, time away from my project gave me time to plan a bit. Gonna make a full aluminum cage with mesh venting. Should support the drives much better as well as look cooler.

The USB are stacked, so they are gonna go in-line with the switches, I guess. Should work out fine!


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

haha, I understand how life goes....In the same boat..kinda. 

Had to shell out 2k for a new motor on my pickup....Had to put the ATCS 840 project on hold ~sigh~


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

That sucks man. Glad to hear you have your truck running again though!

Looking forward to progress on your machine.

On a side note, I need to adjust the valve lash in my wife's CRV. Had to do a full upper cylinder job about 6 months ago when she destroyed her VTEC intake valves because her timing chain slipped. I told her to use 5w30 afterwards, but she won't listen to me. She doesn't realize the 5w20 the dealer recommends is only for fleet mileage and will severely limit her engines lifespan (especially if she doesn't have her oil changed at proper intervals). She thinks the dealer knows best... Even though they wanted to charge her 10k for a new motor... I did it for less then 1k myself and she still doesn't trust me...

Sorry for the divergence.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

gavinzach said:


> That sucks man. Glad to hear you have your truck running again though!
> 
> Looking forward to progress on your machine.
> 
> ...


lol i know how that feels

@ Acuta...Look forward to the updates


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

@Gavin- I only use 10-30w Full Synthetic. Losing a few MPG during the winter is NOTHING compared to the cost of an engine, IMO.

@Shotgn- Hate to see that beautiful case sitting in Limbo :sigh:


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

I changed her oil to 10w30 and she changed it back to 5w20 at the dealer... I thought I could get her to meet me half way (in all reality, closer to me, but she doesn't need to know that!)


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

What's this?!?!

An UPDATE??!!  

finally sat down and fixed up the new 5.25" bay. The U-brackets were functional, but not as stable as I liked, and looked like s**t, tbh. Thankfully I had a bunch of aluminum left over from cutting the box down. I just used a lid portion, cut down a wall a bit, then cut to dimension and bent the second wall. The 24"x24" piece of mesh I bought from Bill is getting a bit thin, however! Currently kinda pissed with myself, been slow about working on anything figuring I'd play hell getting weather I could paint in, anyway. Last 3 days have been in the 50's and low humidity... :sigh:

The bay is flush with the top, save the right-rear corner which has been cut down to be flush with the bottom of the 200mm fan. Bills fancy ruler (which was also very useful with the 5.25" templates on it) doubled nicely as a base spacer (3.5mm thick, I need 4mm final). I will use Tape of the Gods and 3mm neoprene for final mounting.

*Pics:*






































As an aside, I did all the cutting with snips and a pair of $6 hand nibblers I got from Harbor Freight. Silent and only a tiny bit slower than the dremel. Cuts were largely cleaner, as well.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

HEY! Ssrogg!!!! You have an update for us :grin: That drive tray is looking pretty good!

How's the truck coming along?


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Truck got an inverter installed this week, but I'm waiting for an appointment with the local Carb God after Christmas (he's backlogged 3 weeks...). Been on vacation and spent it hunting ducks, for the most part (I still have 3 Mallard, one Pintail, 3 Teal, and a Shoveler sitting in the fridge waiting to be cleaned). I also was lucky enough to take a fully plumed Eurasian Wigeon last Monday. He's waiting to go to the taxidermist.

Thank you about the bay!


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

No problem man, I will give credit where credit is due.

My projects are on hold for the time being! As you can see, they gave me a little more responsibility than I had before.

You have a timeline for completion?


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Completion?

SURE!

Somewhere between now and the time Hell freezes over...:grin:


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

Acuta73 said:


> Completion?
> 
> SURE!
> 
> Somewhere between now and the time Hell freezes over...:grin:


:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Sorta an update (kinda).

Gonna engrave this into the windows, I think you can imagine why:









Also working on fake vacuum tubes. I can fit 2-4 in front of the SSD, and another 2 behind the 5.25" bays. REAL tubes would cost a mint and require a transformer and yet another wall plug. Fake sounds better to me. Mach (from The Mod Brothers) helped me with some inspiration via his wireless key for Retromod. Gonna refine it a bit and see what I come up with.

Christmas was good to me. Got lots of mod toys. Pancake compressor, mini pneumatic sawzall, heat gun, airbrush, and a full set of Dremel-size router bits:










WTB some decent weather? :lol:


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

Sweet... My bud just picked up one of those High Speed metal saws... HOLY CRAP is it fast and clean...

Nearly as fast as the plasma cutter, but cleaner and less wasted material!!!!

Sweet deal man!


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Thanks, Gavin. Still want a pneumatic nibbler, though. Will buy one with tax returns. That saw will be AWESOME for small rough cuts, small precision cuts will be better with a nibbler..

Only one more post (might be 2, we'll see) til I can have my personal Avatar....guess what's coming next?


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Yup...

Btw, I accepted the friend invite, no idea if it worked? UI is weird sometimes.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

I thought 400, I guess 401...so here it is, such as it is.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Ah Harbor Freight Tools. My Favorite. Enjoy.

BTW its 500 posts to Enthusiast


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Will that compressor handle the CFM for the saw?? Beware of the hose and clamps that connect the daiphram to the tank......we gave up on the pancakes years ago. *But*.......we were running up to three air nailers (finish and brad) on a single compressor.

Compressors are always handy!!


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