[PssdffJay]

mmm....blood. Finger wounds really bleed like that; don't ask me how I know *cough* crushed a finger tip */cough*

I've seen a few myself. Luckily they were not attached to my hands.

The blood was tasty... Corn syrup, red food dye and the secret... Chocolate sauce. You have to have the chocolate to make it the right colour or it goes too pink. Plus, you can't use regular red food colouring. I had to get industrial strength concentrated red food dye.

[caleconners83]

hey Jay, great thread bro, I'll def. be watching this as I'm waiting on my shell/mobo to arrive so I can begin my build.

[julz]

Before you mount that....

maybeeee see if you can source some of the proper L bracket metal...




It's a lot thicker than the L brackets you are using but also cut thiner in width. The stuff you are using is whats been around for the longest time before more reference pictures came out showing what was used.. Some people like Vince and Venky are starting to offer the correct l brackets.

The problem with what's currently mass available is it's easier to strip your thread because of the thin thickness of the metal.

One suggestion if you were to use what you currently have would be to trim the excess width off them, measure the distance of 2 large flanged rivet heads held side my side then use that as a guide on how much metal you can trim away from your bracket...

Just food for thought.

[PssdffJay]

Thanks Julz! Please don't hesitate to stop me from doing something wrong, or dumb, or outrageous! That goes for everyone in this amazing community. I have no bloody idea what I am actually doing and reading all the different threads and techniques and scrutinizing over placement of pieces or screw locations to the mm or 1/16" is making me mental.

No offence to Eric and his super fast and well priced brackets but I think I'll try to get some thicker ones. Stripping the threads is something I was worrying about an if you've ever seen me when I'm working on my Jeep, I inevitably do strip at least one. I'm actually on my way to Home Depot now because I did that 2 days ago adding some lights to my bumper and I need to get a new one. Bolt not bumper...

I sent a pm to Venky so we will see if he is still making them. In the mean time I can work on mounting the motherboard to my frame and making a spacer.

[julz]

Oh I don't mean disrespect to Eric or anyone else for that matter, if current sellers sourced the L brackets then it would give people more choices. I think it's more a thing that the proper info hasn't been passed around as well as it could.

Because of the stripping issue I chose to fine steel brackets and cut them to a similar size. They look close enough for me, but it was a huge pain in the but to cut down to size.

On a side note the mounting screws for the motherboard to the alice frame are 1/4-20 Phillips Round Heads
The spacers surrounding them should be an inch and your washers look a bit too big for me...
They should also but up against the alice frame with no gaps



You can see how the hole in the alice frame isn't completely taken up by a thicker screw...

[PssdffJay]

1 step forward, 2 steps back. I don't know how you can be negative 1 step, but hey, if anyone can do it I can! Haha!

Thanks for the tip. I'll see what I can find at Home Depot and even maybe they will have something I could use for an L bracket instead of having to wait for new.

[PssdffJay]

I did pick up a jigsaw and some metal blades to trim the top I the mobo so it's not as big of an overlap. (Unless I shouldn't?)

If I keep to the same line as the shell, the mobo wouldn't be level at the top, or maybe I keep it level and it's just tighter to the shell on the right than the left. I guess I better get the ol' sharpie out and draw some more lines.

[PssdffJay]

A few small updates.

I cut a hockey puck into a half moon spacer. It wasn't perfect but I was able to sand it down and put a groove in it. I still need to drill the hole.

I also drilled the extra hole in my frame.

I also got some 1/4" hardware from Home Depot to mount the the mobo but I could find any aluminum tube small enough to make a spacer. I'll check another store tomorrow.

Tapatalk is not letting me upload photos at the moment. I'll try again.

[julz]

Look at all the ref of the packs in the reference section to see the overhang of the mobo on the pack.

The murrary pack seemed to be quite flush-ish around the cyclotron area but around the powercell and top of the pack there is quite a reasonable overhang... so have a look and decide what you like before trimming.

[PssdffJay]

All my photos disappeared from Tapatalk. Argh... need to fix that.

[Wharin]

not supposed to be a gap there. if you can, file down the square edges so the washer sits flat with the frame and has room to compress down when it tightens.

[Lewis Tully]

I experienced the same thing with the top of my Gbfans shell and my mobo. I was told that it was supposed to fit like that, but I went ahead and trimmed the top of it anyway. I used a metal cutting blade on my jigsaw and traced it like you have done and cut it off, but only at the top. Follow the reference pics for the proper cuts to make. I am a lot happier with it now that I have done this.

[PssdffJay]

Hey!! Tapatalk is working again and I can upload photos. Here they are from last night.

[Ecto_1]

A hockey puck!!! Truly ingenious and Canadian all at the same time!

[Hoot]

Im so proud....

[PssdffJay]

I can't take credit for the idea, there is a thread floating around about it. The link is in the signature in Julz's posts.

[PssdffJay]

Here is the link in case one day he removes it from his signature.

Ye Olde Half moon gb1 spacer http://www.gbfans.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=30726

[PssdffJay]

So some minor things done today. Picked up an aluminum tube from a hobby craft place and a small sheet of 1/8" aluminum.

I decided to use Eric's L brackets in the end but to hopefully help and or prevent me stripping threads, I cut some extra pieces and riveted them to the brackets to give me more meat to tap into. Necessary? Probably not. Authentic? Definitely not. Pain the the keister to cut with a $30 jigsaw from Canadian tire that crapped out after destroying 5 blades and would no longer accept a new blade and is going back to the store tomorrow for a full refund? Absolutely.

Trimmed the top of the mobo. Also blew the power to that part of the house while doing said trimming.

Drilled the holes, and riveted the brackets to the mother board. Didn't get to drill the shell and mount it, it got late. After mounting I ended up with the shell slightly lower then anticipated but it's still good and a nice tight fit too even without mounting the shell. Photos in the next post.

[PssdffJay]

[PssdffJay]

[PssdffJay]

On the "D" bracket that is mounted below the gun mount bracket, I knew the hole for the shell is lower down then the rest so I put the extra aluminum on the outside and lower down then the others where I put it on the inside.

So that's all today. I don't know if I just messed up my mother board but I guess I'll find out when I try and drill and tap it. Which I have a chunk of aluminum to practice on first.

[PssdffJay]

I'm not really sure where to go next after mounting the shell. I'm anxiously awaiting my deluxe bundle from Vinny and I need to start actually finding some bolts and hardware. I was really hopping gEkX would reappear on the site again. I have the list of bolts and screws subscribed but he just made it so simple. I do have Nickatron's bumper I could clean and sand but no mounting hardware yet. I still need to figure out how the GB1 bellows is mounted from underneath and what bolt I need for that. I remember searching for that before Christmas and I found lots on the GB2 mounting method (I think that was how I found gEkX).

I could drill the hole for the ribbon cable. I believe I read somewhere it should be 3/4". I have a stepping bit, but I saw Mr. Newborn used a spade bit. I haven't drilled into anything that was fiberglass before and I want to avoid chipping or cracking it if I can. Anyone have a recommendation on which to use? I'm then assuming the same method is used for the mouse hole for the thrower 3/4" loom and the other hole at the top for the 3/4" loom (one day I'll remember all the part names).

Here's the problem, now that I started I don't want to stop but until the the mail (person, lets be politically correct here) shows up with a nice big box of metal, I think I'm stalled for now.

[PssdffJay]

Just spent over an hour on the Fastener Warehouse site ordering bolts, screws, nuts and washers. They had almost every type needed following gEkX's list, and the it came to a grinding halt. When I went to checkout, even though it asks for a zip code OR postal code (I'm in Canada) the only option for country is the US. I couldn't actually place the order. I sent them an email letting the know my dilemma and hoping they can help. I made sure to take a screen shot of the list so I don't lose the order if the cart resets. That's ok. If they can't or wont ship to Canada, at least I think I have figured out what I need minus the few odd ones like the 2 that hold one of the Clippards on and something else I can't remember at the moment.

Hopefully the next few updates will have some part attaching with some photos.

[Mat]

I see you figured out the pop riveter!

Nick-a-tron mentioned in another thread that the trick to drilling the fiberglass is to "Use sharp bits and drill slowly."

[PssdffJay]

Yeah, if I ever need to attach something to something else ever again it's going to be with a rivet! You learn fast not to have your pointer finger in between the 2 handles on the second squeeze...

Sharp and slow. Check. Still wondering about a spade bit vs a step bit. But, that will come later.

[PssdffJay]

Fastener Warehouse emailed me back and said they do ship internationally and to just email them my list so I sent that off this afternoon. I also asked them about the few I could find to see if they had them too.

[PssdffJay]

I just got an interesting phone call from Fastener Warehouse. First thing he asks me is "do you know a Jeff blahblahblah for Arizona?" And I said no, why?

"Because he placed the EXACT same order line for line quantity for quantity that you did."

Then I had to laugh! I have been chatting with Jeff (Noodlemaps) about screws and I sent him my screen capture of my cart.

The guy said its a little odd when you have 2 orders with 24 lines exactly the same and wanted to make sure this was correct.

They don't have the slotted fillister screws, apparently they haven't been made for a very long time, so I got some with a Philips head. Will have to source some of the slotted out though.

Anyway, should have my screws next week!

[NoodleMaps]

I just got an interesting phone call from Fastener Warehouse. First thing he asks me is "do you know a Jeff blahblahblah for Arizona?" And I said no, why?

"Because he placed the EXACT same order line for line quantity for quantity that you did."

Then I had to laugh! I have been chatting with Jeff (Noodlemaps) about screws and I sent him my screen capture of my cart.

The guy said its a little odd when you have 2 orders with 24 lines exactly the same and wanted to make sure this was correct.

They don't have the slotted fillister screws, apparently they haven't been made for a very long time, so I got some with a Philips head. Will have to source some of the slotted out though.

Anyway, should have my screws next week!

HA! At least he is paying attention to the orders

[PssdffJay]

Alright, enough screwin' around. Get it? Cause the last post was about screws? And now I'm on to something else so the screwin' around was a throwback to the last post about the screws?...

Tough room.

Got some more stuff in the mail today. Not sure what the mail people think I do but it's been 2 for 2 this week so far. Got a little package of these from China.



Why 5? Cause they were dirt cheap and amazon wanted $20 plus shipping to Canada so I said "bite me" and went direct to the source. Now I can start to mock up pack electronics without worrying about killing a whole bunch of 9volt batteries.

[PssdffJay]

Also got a bunch of trap parts for when I finish my pack. I got enough of each for both a GB1 and GB2 trap. Why my avid followers? Because shipping sucks and there was a big restock and shipping sucks.



If I figure out the base plate for the pedal, I think I can start to build that. I'm liking Franchesky's aluminum base but I haven't started to look at what's out there. I'll also need to figure what to make the trap out of, resin kit, or if someone is making an aluminum kit, or do I attempt a scratch build out of PVC sheets. Anyway, that's all for another thread and hopefully after a big chunk of my pack is completed.