Continuation thread (See first comment below for beginning)

Is That a Node in your Server Rack?

...”or are you just happy to parallelize me?”

Now onto the build for the server nodes themselves. These are pretty simple; again I went with the K.I.S.S. method of building here, and using the original HDD Caddies for the DS14MK2, I surface mounted the SBCs using these awesome double-sided adhesive standoffs. This allowed me to get the R-Pis and the like, very very closely surface mounted. This was an important element, since there’s barely enough space width-wise for anything too thick (that’s what she said).

It took me a few iterations to find just the right location within each caddy to mount the SBCs, but I finally got it down to a not-so-exact science. Each caddy/tray now comes with a naked (ripped off the plastic shell) 48vdc -> 5vdc Gigabit Active PoE Splitter, which conveniently has a micro usb charging end for the R-Pi power.

Additionally, some of the nodes also have a “UPS” battery backup system — ahem, basically it’s a USB Powerbank 3200mAh, which gets power from the PoE splitter, and then gives that power to the R-Pi’s. Nothing fancy.

Oh, some of the nodes also have a real fancy Movidius Neural Compute Stick from Intel. Cause, you know. Neural Networks and stuff.

• Each node is a separate unit, which processes data and vomits results back to the main rack server.
  
• Each node has its own UPS, Operating System, and is inter-changeable with others in the array.
  
• Each SBC in the node can be spiffed up with additional hardware, such as a sensor shield/hat (temp, humidity, light sensors, et al).
  
  Note: everything in the caddy gets mounted with heavy duty double-sided adhesive tape. This makes it easier to replace/reposition/remove certain parts if needed later on.
  
  
  Reference Photo
  
  Reference Photo
  
  Reference Photo

Lots of people do this. It works fine. Google "Lego Computer Case" to see all sorts of awesome inspiration. It's not, however, cheap - unless you've got lots of lego kicking around already, anyways, that you don't mind dedicating for a case.

​

Grounding isn't a problem; all the components are very well grounded to the PSU through connectors (be it power connectors, and/or PCI slots). People like to get all worried about that here, but it's an absurd worry.

​

Heat isn't a problem, unless things go horribly wrong: say a fan fails, and for some reason the CPU doesn't throttle and hideously overheats, then while you're destroying the CPU you may also discolor/deform some lego. Just be sure you've got air flow through the case, of course, so you don't cook your gear. This has nothing to do with building materials, though, just case design.

​

Some tips:



How you will mount the motherboard: Adhesive motherboard standoffs. Stick them into the motherboard, peel off the backing, stick the motherboard to the case. Done. I use these in wooden cases/shelf computer systems regularly, and they're awesome.

​

Fan mounts? Some double sided foam tape or Technic shafts(those + cross section shafts) through the screw holes in the fan, holding the fan in position on the shafts with those couplers that slide tightly along the shafts.

​

Use the existing IO shield (if you care about that) and sandwich it in place between thin lego pieces.

Plastic pcb standoffs are the best thing to use in my opinion. You have to make small holes in the board for them to fit though, so if you don’t have room you can use small plastic spacers as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Uxcell-a16060100ux0466-Reverse-Insulated-Supporting/dp/B01LDLTNAC/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=pcb+standoffs&qid=1574790688&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L06CUJG

I was recently approached by a guitarist to build a Meathead Deluxe clone. I had never heard of this pedal before, but after some research I realized it was quite an iconic pedal. Its the same pedal used by Troy in Queens of the Stone Age.

This pedal, simply put, is a modern voiced Fuzz Face. It uses silicon transistors that are biased wide open for a rich crunchy grind. It is bigger and much more aggressive than your standard Fuzz Face. To quote the original designer of the pedal, "If you want a true vintage sounding Fuzz Face and purchase a Meathead, you wont be a happy bunny. The Meathead is supposed to break things."

I decided to use this build as an excuse to experiment with a few new build techniques. Screenprinting graphics is fairly cumbersome for just one off builds and I wanted a way to apply professional looking decals simply and effectively. Other DIY builders on the forums have been using Waterslide Transfers with impressive results... It was totally worth it. Its a very simple process and I think it looks very nice and tidy. I coated the transfer with a clear-coat once it dried for added durability. I would highly recommend this process to any pedal-builder. For better results, I think I need to wipe down the surface of the decal while it dries. I had a few water spots on the surface while it was drying that caused some minor dimples in the finish on this build.

I also wanted to find a better way to mount veroboard builds inside the case. With PCB builds, I typically design them to mount to the back of the pots and anchor in place that way, but its not always easy to do this with vero builds. I have seen some other guys use plastic standoffs in their builds and decided to try this for myself. These require a 1/8" hole to properly mount, so you will have to find a fairly empty "cut" to drill out in order to use these, but I think they worked pretty dang well. It makes the build look much cleaner in my opinion.

After the build was complete, I tried it out on my Bass. It was noticeably more aggressive than any of the fuzz faces i have tried in the past, but still sounded very musical. That being said, this is definitely a Guitar pedal. It sounds incredible higher up on the neck, but starts to lose some definition at the low E... Forget about even trying to play drop C with this on Bass haha.

The schematic I used can be found here

Sound clip can be found here

Picture of the cute little circuit

Gut shot here

(The photos are missing a resistor... Smallbear sent me 820K instead of 820R resistors so I had to wait another day for this to re-ship.)

Standoff spacers

Yikes, that's not pretty...

Have you looked into Mesh Bed Leveling? I have the EZABL on my CR10S and it's like magic. I was going to put it on my Ender 3 but went with Manual Mesh leveling instead.

On both printers it's so good that I removed the bed leveling springs and put in aluminum spacers and printed stand-offs.

The beds are so solid on both that I rarely have to re-probe, maybe once a month or so. I disable the EZABL probing on the CR10S in G-Code and only probe every 5th print or so and I doubt it's making much of a change.

I wonder if that would help with yours? I use the TH3D Unified version of Marlin, and it's fairly easy to set up. At least it would be a free solution if you have or could borrow an Arduino.

Such a shame to have yours out of commission :(

Pretty sure they are spacers for circuit boards.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01L06CUJG/ref=psdcmw_6909200011_t1_B00AQTWYUY

Head to the hardware store and see what they have that you can use. Maybe with a dremel you can cut some pieces to fit. Its not pretty but I wouldnt let 4mm hold me back.

Or...sell your old case once you get the new one to recoup some of that money. Just had another thought....maybe these standoffs might work?

Buy some of these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brass-Thread-Stand-off-Spacer-Female/dp/B00AO40QTW/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1451918395&sr=8-5&keywords=standoff+screws

I suspect the solder points on the reverse of the board are shorting out against the case

No pictures atm. But if you read pgs. 147-149 on the link i provided, youll be able to see some:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1614783/korean-microboard-m340clz-34-3440x1440-100hz-freesync-curved-monitor-discussion-thread/1460

i bought these spacers from Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/M4-Standoff-Motherboard-Assortment-Mount120Pcs/dp/B06XR6C8BC/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&dpID=51iuKNyPhXL&dpPl=1&keywords=m4%20female%20thread&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&qid=1497450403&ref=plSrch&ref_=mp_s_a_1_4&sa-no-redirect=1&sr=8-4&pldnSite=1

Non-mobile: aluminum standoffs

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

On the cheap side I would use 3M Dual Lock, it's similar looking to velcro but WAY stronger. Instead of hooks and loops it uses opposing mushroom tops, the one I linked is the medium strength (250) and I think a 4-5 cm square on all four corners would be more then strong enough to hold up an A2 aluminum print (don't use too much, it is strong!). It's also nice that unlike velcro you use the same material on both sides, so you don't have to keep track of what you put on the wall or print.


A step up from that in price would be aluminum standoffs. Nicer looking, but much pricier and requires drilling a hole in the wall.

Shoot, in your position I'd be looking seriously into making a custom single din plate out of metal moving the cb's knobs and switches, and lengthening the wires. Laser cut the holes, laser on the labeling, use a few runs of cat5/cat6 to extend the switches from the main box and you should be golden.

OK. I'm really starting to get thinking on this

To make it really slick I would use keystone rj45 jacks to terminate the wires from the circuit board, and to the knobs, display's, and switches at each end. this would mean also making a new face for the main box of the cb so you could mount these properly. Their intended use is in a keystone wallplate, for home or server use. (maybe you already know all this? idk) For mounting them on the faceplate in the dash I would laser cut them a second smaller metal panel that I would mount behind the main plate using metal standoffs, like this, thus keeping all the connections hidden, and not at risk of breaking. if you needed to remove the radio or the cb remote faceplate all you have to do is disconnect the ethernet cables.

If you ever wanted to put the CB back to factory it would be a bit of a project to replace all the parts in the original front cover and solder all the wires back, but it sounds like that's something you're capable of doing.

With this setup you might even be able to mount the radio in your trunk. it would be easy to do, just a few runs of cat5 to wherever you want it. It would depend on if the switches all worked ok over that long of wire runs though.

These are the exact washers I ordered, recommended in the original post about this mod, and perfect for the job. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014F9AGSM?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Yep, that's the one (it's partially put together on my kitchen table right now). I'll tell what I bought and let you decide what to get (I overbought since I have nothing to start with). Keep in mind that I am completely new to the RC hobby and this is my first quadcopter build.

laptop screws for the motors

nylon spacer kit

Nylock nuts for the props

Velcro straps

XT60 connectors to make power lead

Wire to make power lead

zip ties

heat shrink

Like I said I overbought but I think this will work for me (for example my batteries have an XT60 connection).

Some other stuff I got because I'm a newb and want my quadcopter to light up the sky:

Helping Hands Magnifier -> this works very well

Learn to solder kit -> it helped me

Pretty lights

I think it looks compatible overall. These components would get you in the air just fine. For the receiver, it would be a good idea to go with the Turnigy 9X if you can swing the additional cost, that way you have some additional switches / expansion later.

As far as parts go, it is not clear to me how you would mount your flight controller on that particular frame. It says it has a PDB and I think from the picture it is the round one. The flight controller you linked is a square one (36x36mm) which is standard. You may want to consider a PDB like this one, along with some M3 nylon standoffs so you can mount the flight controller directly above.

I also don't see any XT 60 connectors, which you will need to connect to your PDB so you can supply power from you battery. You would also needs some 14 gauge wire to connect the xt60- included in the link.

When you get your radio, make sure it comes with the radio receiver (the one you linked does) and the correct cables to link to your flight controller.

I got the nylon mounts from Amazon

That kit might be a little bit of overkill, but I figured I'd use the parts. Sadly, I used 8/10 of the 6mm spacers, 4 screws, and 4 nuts. Maybe I'll use the rest on a different build eventually.

I have some build pictures here. You can see what they look like (Picture 8 is a great one).

I love junky server based stuff like this! I actually have a super basic server in my closset that I put together out of a free 3U case and a bunch of literally scrap hardware (and then some new HDDs) I have it set up as a 3D printer and Plex server.

You could totally make yours into something even more interesting. Go get a nice chunk of wood or something from homedepot and then a set of these as custom standoffs and mounting hardware and go to town :)

It’s pretty good. Honestly I had to make a few adjustments for better airflow. Like on top I bought extender screws that helped me raise the glass. This way the hot air has a bigger gap to go through. If interested these are the extenders that I bought - HVAZI M4 Nylon Hex Spacer Standoffs Screws Nuts Flat Washers Assortment Kit;Male-Female(Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MPNVF5T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kr4ZCbP4EK2VB

I bought this kit if you can't find spacers or screws on /r/mm.

/u/Komatoz sells the diodes for $3 here and gateron switches here

/u/geewhizwithout sells the pro micro here

Most electronics if imperial use 4-40. Aka #4 diameter 40 threads per inch.
If you are a metric guy M2 M3 M4 are 2mm, 3mm and 4mm respectively. Here is a stand off kit that has a lot of size screws stand offs and nuts for metric since you are canadian. Hilitchi 360pcs M2 M3 M4 Male Female Brass Spacer Standoff Screw Nut Assortment Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013ZWM1F6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_zDjyxbVD15PA6

I just get the kits off of [Amazon](Rosiness 180Pcs M3 Nylon Hex Spacers Screw Nut Stand-off Plastic Accessories Assortment Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LGBM3J8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_q9PuybYP7A044)

You're going to need this power cord for the imax b6 charger, for whatever reason they don't sell the power cord with the charger. http://amzn.com/B009VDPNXQ

You should also get this battery for your transmitter http://amzn.com/B00JERJZSS

Definitely invest in a voltage checker, this thing is invaluable in the field, if you discharge your batteries beyond a certain point they go bad, I've had two die on me so far because I let the voltage get too low. http://amzn.com/B00EXPPF80

You need some kind of power distribution board, to distribute power from your battery to the rest of the craft, something like this http://amzn.com/B00GQOZZUY

You will need these servo wires to connect your receiver to the kk2 http://amzn.com/B00P6JJFIS

These nylon standoffs will be really handy when you mount your flight controller and PDB (power distribution board) to the frame http://amzn.com/B00LGB2N1Q

Random stuff from the hardware store: Liquid tape, electric tape, big zip ties, little zip ties, velcro

That's probably not everything but you will be flying a lot sooner with all of this stuff

They're just motherboard standoffs. I got a box of them of various sizes off Amazon.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B06XQ33Y9X/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_tNnXCbD7GT090

Your audio jacks are fine. You don't need the enclosed box-type ones.

In case somebody else didn't mention it, try covering the inside of the cover in electrical tape.

Also I haven't tried them yet, but I'm going to try some sticker-backed PCB standoffs on my next build: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LDLTNAC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm very accustomed to using regular pcb standoffs, but those require you to drill a hole through and secure it with a screw. These use double-sided sticky tape to the enclosure, and tension on the pcb.

The risers are from Amazon, I liked the ones that olkb.com was using so I tried to match those.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BWLQXGQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The screws I ordered from ebay as they were a little cheaper there.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/M2-Thread-Dia-2mm-A2-Stainless-Steel-Button-Head-Socket-Cap-Screws-Metric-/272340805488?var=&hash=item3f68c6e770

I ordered a few different lengths of each to work with different thickness of cases.

This and this. Turns out the standoffs were a 50pc pack, but all the same more than the 16 I needed.

These are the ones I used.

I bought these standoffs for a test bench I was working on at one point and they worked fine. Even comes with screws

Also got a tap and die to make new holes cause I was making it work with a laptop board (lasted a while until I fried it)

>Sorry I can’t check my build immediately for exactly which standoffs I used; but here is the link to the set I bought on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013ZWM1F6/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_cp\_api\_i\_Ux7sDbQAW6TGZ
>
>I’ll try to check tomorrow and see if I can be more exact!

Tks !!

You can. It would be more affordable going that route. Rather than getting a kit online which you will probably never need to use the whole kit in the long run. https://www.amazon.com/Hilitchi-360pcs-Female-Standoff-Assortment/dp/B013ZWM1F6/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=pc+standoffs&qid=1565024872&s=gateway&sr=8-4

Sorry I can’t check my build immediately for exactly which standoffs I used; but here is the link to the set I bought on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013ZWM1F6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Ux7sDbQAW6TGZ

I’ll try to check tomorrow and see if I can be more exact!

They are just standoffs. I can't measure at the moment but this kit has enough pieces here to do practically any length. The exact length is not strictly required. You just need to ensure that the x stop hits the carriage
https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Thread-Stand-off-Spacer-Female/dp/B00AO40QTW

Sorry, I can't really accept any more orders right now with my backlog, but you can get the screws from here and the spacers are from Amazon - it may be cheaper to get them both from there though. The screws are M2 5mm and the spacers are M2 10mm.

The PSU should be grounded & everything is connected to that so grounding isn't an issue. Technically, a metal case cuts down on radio interference being generated by the machine but it's not a huge deal. My biggest concern would be a lack of support for a large video card.

If you want to be really classy, keep an eye out at thrift stores, online classifieds or used parts vendors - you might find an old junker case for $10 or so. Alternately, you can order a pack of motherboard standoffs to make certain that the bottom of your case is clear.

Sutemribor M2.5 Male Female Hex Brass Spacer Standoff Screw Nut Assortment Kit (180Pcs) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075K3QBMX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BxipDbRXZ1GXB

i guess i meant brass hahaha

they get loose and if you have a bad ground they can really fuck you up

I put these aluminum spacers on my Ender 3 and CR-10S. They worked fine.

I already have stepper dampers and those solved any noise/vibrations I was worried about.

I should mention that I quit using glass beds, so I'm slinging around a half a kilo less mass than you might be.

I switched to this build surface directly on the aluminum plate and I'll never use glass again. Mesh-bed leveling solves the warped bed problem and prints stick like GLUE until I give them a solid tap.

I do a lot of offgrid dc electronics projects and was looking at printing some of these: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2668159
In the description they claim the [little brass standoffs] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013ZWM1F6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_fqHBDbGZPT11F) can do 15-30A (also if you read the comments). Have you looked into/tried anything like this vs your suggested spacer?

Agreed on the above. Standoffs aren't hard to find here in the US, not sure where you are.

These are $6 for 10 of them

Awesome! Thank you so much! Would the 10mm ones in this kit work for the bent metal bottom? https://www.amazon.com/250Pcs-Standoff-Pillars-Assortment-Storage/dp/B072FHYJYG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506366283&sr=8-1&keywords=10mm+M2+female+to+female+standoffs

It looks like a regular motherboard standoff. Not sure what size though. You can grab a kit with different types if you can't figure out what size it is.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B075K3QBMX/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_QgqZCbPFFHY6V

They are readily available on amazon. It requires drilling corresponding holes in the glass.


Amazon Glass Standoffs


Also you might want to post this to r/woodworking

Get some nylon standoffs like these - whatever size you want, but you need the ones that are male on one side, female on the other. Most quad stores sell these as well, I know Hobbyking sells them in bags of 10 for a buck or two.

The male ends of the screws are just wide enough that they'll jam into the little tracks you see in the FC well of the frame coming in towards the center diagonally from each corner. A little bit of glue will keep them there. Mount your FC on those.

If you use some medium sized standoffs, you can make use of the space under your flight controller to tuck away your wiring.

A few lengths work, but 8mm was easier to find in bulk for my GB. In bulk that wouldn’t take 1-2months to get here from China lol

Most little stand-off/spacer “kits” from Amazon have a dozen or so varieties of Standoffs. So people can have there perfect hight for $10 and have hundreds left over for other builds and uses :)

You can mount it directly, but should use stand offs. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R4ZT1FY/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_dxvPDbXGHQF41

I don't really understand what you mean by 'can't get it leveled'. That could mean almost anything. My first question is, have you moved the Z endstop to the right spot? Second question, have you screwed the springs all the way to maximum tension, and then release them to level, rather than sitting them all the way at the top and screwing them down?

If all else fails, just get an auto bed leveling setup. That way you can just buy brass standoffs (https://www.amazon.com/Hilitchi-120pcs-Female-Standoff-Assortment/dp/B018C19KJ0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1503444378&sr=8-4&keywords=m3+standoffs)

and since the aluminum Y carriage is perfectly flat, plus the fixed distance due to brass spacers, your only level factor is the warping of the aluminum bed.

Not to mention with that setup you can do 3 point leveling which is far and beyond better than 4 point, so much that it boggles my mind people actually build printers with this in mind.

Unfortunately the MP MS has an absolute garbage board (Melzi) which prevent you from using an auto bed leveling sensor normally.

It mainly depends on the Display you use.
If you use an Android tablet, it is simple.
You just stick on the Android tablet to the glass and then use regular bathroom clips, with maybe 3/4” spacers (based on the tablet size) to mount them onto the wall. We have many users who have done this.

Here’s one way, you can just skip the frame part.
https://www.mangomirror.com/pages/diy-make-your-own-smart-mirror-in-under-10-minutes

Here is an example of the clips,
https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Hardware-15293-Mirror-Pieces/dp/B002P0ZZCG?

just get longer screws and a spacers to match them.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07MQ5L1BV/

If you want to use a larger display, it is harder as you need a mount for the display and much more robust mounting, so would not recommend large displays without a frame.

Hope this helps.

A description of mine:

• ZMR clone frame - $35
  
• EMAX 2204/2300KV motors + 12A ESCs - $78
  
• Naze32 - $25
  
• PDB - $5
  
  Propellers: the sky's the limit. You can start with $20 worth.
  Transmitter/receiver: Turnigy 9X, you can get it for $60/70 at Hobbyking
  Battery / charger: as much as you want to spend. The bare minimum is $12 for a charger and $20-ish for a couple decent batteries (1500 mAh 3S with a good discharge rate). You'll also need odds and ends such as nylon standoffs.
  
  In short, you can get to your first day of flying a line-of-sight 250 for around $200 if you look for the cheapest parts. That's just the beginning though. If you want FPV then you'll need a transmitter, receiver, goggles, antennas.