Project OSIDIAS begins!

[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!

[craigbru]

I had a little more time tonight, and was able to get the vacuum assembly finished.  As of now, the vacuum table is completely ready to use.  I am pretty happy with the way that things turned out.  It's compact, easy to maintain, and fairly cost effective.  Of course, none of that matters if the table doesn't perform as expected.  Well, I'm happy to report that it performs even better than I had hoped.  I know everyone is anxious to see how it turned out, so let me walk you through the rest of the setup process...

There are really only 3 major components needed in a vacuum table setup.  The first is obviously the table itself which I covered in the last update.  The second is the source of the vacuum itself.  For this, I went to industrial parts supplier Grainger, and picked up a vacuum pump.  I selected a two stage tangential unit capable of 97 CFM and 81.8 Hg vacuum.  There were more powerful units available, but this one was an outstanding deal, and worth taking a chance.  So, let's take a look at the pump...



Now, I should mention that although this is a vacuum pump, it's also a blower by it's inherent design.  Unfortunately the only fitting for attaching a hose is on the blower end.  That meant I had to get a little creative and epoxy a fitting over the vacuum hole.  It was a simple fix, but just one more step I had to take before I could move forward.



Okay, now we've got two of the three major components out of the way.  The third?  Well, that should be easy.  We've got to have tubing connecting the table and the vacuum pump.  This shop vac hose kit offered the perfect solution.





As you can see the shop vac hose was a perfect match for the tubing adapter and splitter that came with the table.



Now all that was left was to route the tubing and hoses, mount the pump, and connect everything together.  As you can see, the whole assembly is pretty clean and simple.  





At this point I was pretty anxious to kick it on and do some testing.  I'll try and get some video of that up in the next day or two, but as I mentioned above, I was very happy with the results.  I could lay a block of wood in the center of the table, and with the pump running, it was surprisingly hard to move laterally.  Keep in mind that this was without blocking off any of the other holes in the table.  Doing so would increase the vacuum significantly.  I'm pretty confident that as long as my feed speeds are appropriate, and my end mills are sharp, nothing is going to move while vacuum is applied.  The only way to know for sure is to actually cut something, and I'll be doing that very soon!

[craigbru]

Well, here it goes guys.  After more than a year of planning, I've decided to officially to start Project OSIDIAS.  Granted, I still have other projects I'm still working on, but I don't want to delay this any longer.  I can't promise daily updates, but I have a feeling you all will keep motivated to keep my work as updated as possible.

OSIDIAS will take everything I've learned from my Rogue project, and double it, in both scope and ambition.  I've got some pretty unique things I'll be attempting here, and I've got no assurances that everything will work out as I've planned.  That doesn't matter though, as I enjoy the challenges of problem solving on the fly.  Even though at this point, almost every detail of the case is planned, there are still going to be things I decide to change.  However, due to the way the case is designed, there are certain things that must remain set in stone.  The overall exterior of the case and the carbon fiber shell for example.

So, where do we begin?  Well, for those that may not have been following along up until this point, this video gives the best project overview.  If you've got 20 minutes to spare, this should catch you up to speed.

Now, although this is the first official post of the project, I've only got a few pics to show you.  Don't worry, I've got more incoming, but I this should get things started.    

This case will be the first time I move away from aluminum as my primary construction material.  There will still be plenty of it in this case, but I figured it was time for something more exotic.  That's where carbon fiber comes in to the picture.  Actually, carbon fiber, as well as a carbon fiber/kevlar blend.  The carbon fiber will be placed around molds that I'm currently building, and them vacuum bagged.  This is a proven technique for manufacturing, but the first time I'll be attempting it.  There aren't many computer mods made from CF, let alone molded as in what I'm trying, but that's where the fun part comes in!  I've got to give full credit to MKmods for his advice and input regarding working with carbon fiber.  With any luck I'll not end up with a very expensive mess on my hands...

I mentioned having to make the molds, and that's where the following pictures pick up.  Thanks to the help of my Romaxx CNC machine, I was able to accurately cut out a few pieces of the OSIDIAS core.  These pieces will sit in the center, while an aluminum 'clam-shell' sits around it.  After the carbon fiber and vacuum bagging, the idea is to push the center core out, and then remove the shell from the inside.  This will leave a solid CF case, from which I will make the needed cuts.

Here are the blank pieces of MDF ready for the Romaxx CNC.



After the CNC cut...





And finally, I've got a stack of them.



Next up, we've got the core assembly!

[craigbru]

My last post left off with the cut MDF pieces for the core of the case.  What I needed now was some simple way to fasten those pieces together, while still providing strength.  I went round and round with possibilities until I decided on the following method.  It all started with a trio of 22mm holes courtesy of the Romaxx.  



Thanks to the CNC's accuracy and repeatability, I ended up with 6 pieces just like this.



With the first piece laying down, I tapped 3 sections of PVC pipe into the holes.  The fit was just tight enough that there was no movement once in place, but taps with a hammer could still allow any needed adjustment.



Now finally, here is the assembled core.  It's lightweight, yet very strong.  The PVC pipe not only serves to hold the structure together, it also has a secondary purpose.  Since the carbon fiber will be vacuum bagged, the pipe will allow for pressure equalization between the front and rear of the mold.



With the core done, I'll be moving on to the 2 part aluminum shell that fits around it.  Thanks for reading!

[Babar]

I envy your skill! this looks great.

[craigbru]

I envy your skill! this looks great.

Thanks David!

[craigbru]

With the core of the mold done, it's time to get some aluminum wrapped around it.  It's a pretty simple concept, but I need perfect execution.  The aluminum needs to fit the MDF perfectly, as it ultimately will determine the shape of the carbon fiber on top of it.

I'm starting by using some AC Ryan 1mm sheets that I had lying around.  I've had these for quite some time courtesy of the Rogue project's bit-tech Mod of the Month win almost 2 years ago already.  I figured it was time to put them to use.



One of the newer pieces of equipment in my shop is this metal brake.  I've retired the little 18" unit I had, and moved up in the world.  To say that it's a huge improvement, is understating the obvious.  So, I marked out the aluminum, and slid it in place for the first bend.



A second bend later, and things are looking good!



An additional 4 bends brought me to this.



A quick test fit, and it was looking pretty good.  Well, good enough to move on to the other side. At least for the moment...



I made the second panel, and after evaluating it's fit, I decided to remake the first one.  Ultimately I just wasn't happy enough with the way it fit the contours of the MDF core.  It couldn't have been more than a single millimeter off in the way that it fit one of the edges, but it was still too much for me.  I sometimes tend to set standards for myself that seem unreasonable, but when something is bugging me, I just can't let it go.  So, the red panel is gone, and it's been replaced with blue and green...



Since I was pretty happy with the fit of the new panels, I now needed to get them marked and cut to fit.  I need perfectly flush mating on the top and bottom joints, and I'll cover that in the next update.

[hugh]

and he's off! tuned in. i always love how a "simple 4 bends later" and you have something looking far too professional to be fair! :p and fair play to your standards, i'm more of an OH THE HELL WITH IT kind of modder :lol:

[craigbru]

Lol, thanks hugh!

[craigbru]

Haha, there's nothing like the smell of a warm Dremel on a beautiful Thursday night...  With my last update, I was ready to trim the top of the aluminum shell down to size.  A few minutes of cutting and filing left me with a prefect fit.  It's absolutely straight with no gaps.



Now it was time to do the same thing on the bottom.  I always mark first with either a pencil or fine point Sharpie, and then follow up with tape.  When I cut, I get as close to the tape as possible, then finish up with a file.  I find that it's easier to follow the edge of the tape, than it is any regular line.





Once again, after cutting...



Okay, so what's next?  With the aluminum shell done, I've got to prep for layering on the carbon fiber.  Since I'll have multiple layers basically rolled on the mold, I needed an easy way to apply the CF.  The following method is what I came up with.  I've got a pair of sawhorses and a piece of aluminum channel through the center pipe on the mold.  This will allow me to roll the mold in to any position, yet the square planes of the channel means that it won't roll away when I don't want it to.



Now let's take a look at my box of goodies from Aerospace Composites.  I've got a vacuum generator, check valve, associated vacuum bags, and peel ply.  I'll be using all this to ensure as flawless a finish as possible.



At this point I decided to do a small resin test.  I've seen far to many instances where resin doesn't set, and I want to make sure I've got a workable ratio.  The last thing I need is a mess on my hands.  Up next, the fun part!

[craigbru]

Ready guys?  

Well, working with the carbon fiber was an interesting experience.  I got completely prepped and ready to go last night, so that I could start wrapping first thing this morning.  I'll admit to being a bit nervous.  I didn't have any room for error, and with my OCD about having things perfect, the pressure was on.

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 late Monday or Tuesday night.  

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 this week guys!

[craigbru]

I apologize for not updating last night guys. I've been struggling with a pinched nerve in my neck, and subsequent pain in my right arm. It was really bad yesterday, and I didn't even make it down to the shop. I'll be having an MRI done tomorrow, and likely have a surgery in my future. It sucks, but I'll keep plugging away.  Despite being in a little pain, I'm gonna show you the CF.  What you are looking at is the final layer of fiber needed on the case.  I'll have to lightly sand a few small air bubbles, but otherwise it's cosmetically pretty darn good.  I'm also going to apply one more layer of resin before I remove the mold.  I want to be sure the CF is well protected from damage.  It's a whole lot easier to sand and fix resin than have a blemish in the fiber itself...

[hugh]

looking pretty good man. CF to me is like the Audi R8, i love it but i hate it. while i think it looks great i also step back and think over-bling, you know what you want though so all's good.

trapped nerves in the neck are awful, went on a french exchange a way back, first day i got there i trapped a nerve and was bedbound for the entire trip (i did get lots of neck massages from a very large breasted girl from the year above though haha)

[craigbru]

Thanks hugh.  Too much CF can kill the way something looks if it's overdone, just like too much chrome would 20 years ago. I'm hoping to pull off something that looks great when finished, so we'll see.

Lol, if you have to get lots of neck massages, that's the way to do it man!  I've got the wife covering that pretty well for me.

[craigbru]

With the weekend come and gone, it's time I update all of you on my progress.  It's not much, but as always, it's still a step forward.  So, how about we get the case out of the mold?  I designed the mold so that not only would it be reusable, it would be easy to remove.  The first thing I did was to set the case on the workbench, and start tapping the core from one side to the other.





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!

[hugh]

looking great. after taht much work i wouldn't have squeezed it with all the strength i could muster. i have an inept ability of rapidly learning materials tensile limit

[craigbru]

looking great. after taht much work i wouldn't have squeezed it with all the strength i could muster. i have an inept ability of rapidly learning materials tensile limit

Thanks hugh.  Lol, I couldn't help myself.  It just begs to be touched.  

Time for another update!

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!

[hugh]

inept ability? adept ability. few too many drinks

that looks to be a good 4mm thick, how many wraps was required to get it like that?

[craigbru]

inept ability? adept ability. few too many drinks

that looks to be a good 4mm thick, how many wraps was required to get it like that?

Lol!

It's actually only 2mm thick, and 6 layers.  It's going to get one more though, as you're about to read...

Well guys, I've got some bad news, my quest for perfection is going to cause a delay in moving in with part of this project... I've decided I'm not happy with a few things.  I don't feel the outer edges are 'sharp' enough.  I think a side effect of the initial multiple layers of CF and the resin hardening too soon, have left things more rounded than I would like.  The only way to fix this is to sand the case down, and add another layer of fiber.  I can't just sand down what I have and resin because I'll have to sand through a little CF to get it flat.  Obviously that will kill the cosmetics.  While most of you think it looks great, it's just something that I've decided will bug me.  I can't put countless hours into it, only to wish I had fixed it.  So, what now?  Well, luckily I still have work to do...  I'll go ahead and start on the side panels.  I've got to order more fiber, and the side panels will allow me to fill the time until it arrives.

[craigbru]

Although it's not quite as large an update as you all were expecting, I did manage to get a few things done over the weekend.  A lot of people have questioned why I wanted to bother sanding down the case and adding another layer of fiber.  Well, I've got a few pics that can hopefully show you in more detail why I wasn't happy.  At this point, the case is sanded and ready for it's last layer of CF.  It's nowhere as pretty as it was before the sanding, but that will be remedied soon.  Trust me...  



Now, here is the best way I can show you the before and after examples of the 'rounded' edges I was speaking of.  This should make things pretty clear.  This is a before pic, taken of the excess I cut off of one of the ends...



Now take a look at the after.  You can see there is no more rounded edge, and I'm much happier.



Okay, now with that out of the way, it's time to move on to the side panels.  I'll be working on them until I have more regular CF arrive to finish the case itself.  As you are about to see, making the molds for these panels is a whole lot easier than before.  Two bends and I was golden.  This nice piece of aluminum will be the basis of what is to come.



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.  Hopefully tomorrow!

[craigbru]

Well, I've got a little more work done on the side panels.  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...

[craigbru]

If it weren't for pictures like the following, I'd take the Kevlar/CF blend, and make it disappear...  Yes, it's a royal pain to work with. I knew it would be, but until you are actually working with it and trying to make it do what you want, you have no idea...  







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.

[craigbru]

Okay guys, I had to make a little time for something unrelated to carbon fiber.  It also has nothing to do with actual modding.  What follows is just an example of why I've said that the planning for the case is only about 95% finished.  Little things like this are always changing and being added.  I live for the little details that some take for granted.

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!

[craigbru]

For anyone that has been following the project details closely, you'll have noticed I've got quite a few holes that need to be cut in the exterior of the case.  Since I tend to try for perfect execution, I needed a very reliable and accurate method of marking those holes out on the case.  I used the following method on the Rogue with great success, and will continue it here.

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.