Computer build

#1

Hi All

Just thought I would share one of the projects I am working on at the moment.
So before I joined SLMS I did this computer build.

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After my laptop dead I didn’t really want to spend a £1000s on a new one and I needed something powerful that I could be relatively mobile as I sometimes need it for photo shoots.

Anyway it turned out ok but it was a bit on the heavy side. So one of my 1st laser cutting jobs will be to rebuild the frame. Hopefully it will look something like this.

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I have one slight issue I am trying to get my head around. The screen controls are on a touch sensitive board as below.

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In the original screen the control board was just below a very flexible plastic cover. When you pressed it it engaged with the board. I’m currently trying to work out how I can recreate this. Is there anything that we can laser cut that is flexible enough to give way when I press it?

Here is a link to my FUSION 360 design

http://a360.co/2fWTQCi

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#2

1st go on the laser cutter today with a down scaled test of an idea of how to deal with the usb connectors.

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#3

Nice solution! Guessing something like this doesn’t work in your design, then.

For the laser cut buttons panel, what about using a kerf bend in some way? Also, those look like capacitive buttons - maybe you don’t need to have something mechanically touch them to work?

#4

Actually that probably would be a good alternative and I would of maybe gone down that road if it had of come up in the goggle surch at the time `:grinning: . Turned out quite fortuitous actually as the look of usbs I’ve ended up with will be more low profile.

In terms of the buttons I’m thinking something like this

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This is done in wood but the final will be acrylic.
The idea is to cut a hole and then cut a fill slightly smaller and use maybe use mastic to bond them and fill the space. The mastic will mean I can press down on the fill part which will engage with whatever is underneath.
Does that make sense?
Thanks for the input by the way.

#5

What I did today on the laser cutter.

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4 Likes
#6

What hardware has gone in there?

#7

ASUS H81T R2.0 thin mini ITX
128gb mSATA SSD
16GB RAM
Intel Core i3 3.2 Ghz

running OSX

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#8

I like this project :slight_smile:

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#9

Cheers Tom

#10

Would you be happy for this to be shared / happy for this to be written up as a blog to show Trotec some :heart:️?

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#11

Lookin’ good! It’s a ‘Hackintosh’? Doesn’t seem expensive from a part POV…

#12

I would be more than happy. Still a bit to do on it though. Would they be interested in work in progress or a finished thing?
On the original I had a tripod plate on the back. I was thinking about using carbon fiber as a back so that it would be able to support the plate.

#13

Yeah it’s a hackintosh. Yeah keeping the cost down was a big part. It’s not the best screen in the world but it was only £20 of gumtree. :grinning:

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#14

That’s great!

You need more RGB tho.

1 Like
#15

Thanks Andrea. RGB?

#16
3 Likes
#17

Ahhhhh lol

#18

Also maybe some of those wheel rims that carry on spinning when you stop

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