Aluminium Case being made!


One thing I forgot to ask.

Will there be issues with the surface if I mod the case (drilling holes and filing tiny notches in the upper edge of the bezel)?

I want to keep my shoulder button and keyboard light mod.
Hate to say this but this question is irrelevant.  Of course you would have to remod all that stuff for the new case.  IDV and Ed wouldn't, or shouldn't care to, give all possible considerations to all mods that have been done to the Pandora out there and work them into this new aluminum case.    
 
Maybe if you go alone.
But I won't be going alone, I'll be taking this. ;)

nendoroid_hatsune_miku_2_0_by_remsi_sama_d6hgw.jpg
 
One thing I forgot to ask.

Will there be issues with the surface if I mod the case (drilling holes and filing tiny notches in the upper edge of the bezel)?

I want to keep my shoulder button and keyboard light mod.
Hate to say this but this question is irrelevant.  Of course you would have to remod all that stuff for the new case.  IDV and Ed wouldn't, or shouldn't care to, give all possible considerations to all mods that have been done to the Pandora out there and work them into this new aluminum case.    
Sure. Maybe I should have asked the question in another way:

I mean, I will do the mods on my own, but I wonder if someone has a bit experience with the material and can tell me if there is a chance mess up the whole surface.
 
One thing I forgot to ask.

Will there be issues with the surface if I mod the case (drilling holes and filing tiny notches in the upper edge of the bezel)?

I want to keep my shoulder button and keyboard light mod.
Hate to say this but this question is irrelevant.  Of course you would have to remod all that stuff for the new case.  IDV and Ed wouldn't, or shouldn't care to, give all possible considerations to all mods that have been done to the Pandora out there and work them into this new aluminum case.    
Sure. Maybe I should have asked the question in another way:

I mean, I will do the mods on my own, but I wonder if someone has a bit experience with the material and can tell me if there is a chance mess up the whole surface.
 
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You can get a device for making an indentation in metal sheeting to guide your initial pilot drill (I forget what they are called, but they're basically analogous to the awl you can use in woodworking - or plastics). They're very handy for making sure the drill goes where you want it to, as unlike wood you can't easily push the bit in by hand to make sure it starts off in the right place and doesn't skate on the surface.
 
I was trying to figure out a good method for passivation of the case if the raw/chrome look were desired, but this and this also may help prevent corrosion from any modifications made.

Sounds like the right solution can be applied at room temp.
 
Concerning modding:

AW7075 is very easy to drill and mill (that's the major reason why I use this stuff) as long as you have got a sharp HSS drill (a normal HSS steell drill will do the job - but do NOT use drills for stainless steel - they might pull themselves into the material, resulting in a broken drill).

The coating is some harder than HSS, which means that it will eat up the cutting edge a bit every time you drill through the coating. It would be a good idea to grind away the coating at the future bore hole using a "Dremel" grinder (or anything alike) and a diamond grinding bit.

Or you use a new drill every third hole ...

However, you will need a pilot pit (using a center punch) and a precise bench drill, otherwise the holes will be anywhere but not necessarily where you want them.
 
@ IDV : Im just curious about a couple of things.

How many parts does the Al-Case consists of ?
Are the shoulder buttons made of Aluminium as well ?
Did you redesign the CAD-Models yourself ?
Whats the weight of the Al-Case you are aiming for ?
Whats the minimum thickness of the Aluminium case you are planning so far ?
Can you tell me the brand and type of 5-axis milling machine you mentioned before ?

Whats the cost per hour of that machinery ?
You have already a prototype of a milled Al-Case in front of you ?
How many years of CAD/CAM experience can you refer to ?
And which software-knowledge are we talking about ?
You are going to mill the parts yourself ?
You ever stood in front of a milling machine ?
When did you graduate from TH-Karlsruhe ?
What happens if the production costs exceed the collected amount of preorder money ?

Thank you in advance ...
 
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@ IDV : Im just curious about a couple of things.


How many parts does the Al-Case consists of ?


Are the shoulder buttons made of Aluminium as well ?


Did you redesign the CAD-Models yourself ?


Whats the weight of the Al-Case you are aiming for ?


Whats the minimum thickness of the Aluminium case you are planning so far ?


Can you tell me the brand and type of 5-axis milling machine you mentioned before ?


You have already a prototype of a milled Al-Case in front of you ?


How many years of CAD/CAM experience can you refer to ?


And which software-knowledge are we talking about ?


You are going to mill the parts yourself ?


You ever stood in front of a milling machine ?


When did you graduate from TH-Karlsruhe ?


What happens if the production costs exceed the collected amount of preorder money ?


Thank you in advance ...
Ed partners with him so I think he's cool.  They make arrows :) http://www.idv-engineering.de/Flyer_Pfeile_engl_2.pdf
 
Please dont get me wrong Shenmue.

I didnt mean to offend by my last coment.
I am just worried about the realism of the production costs ... =)
 
 
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Im usually not that type of guy ... but ... ROFL
:)   [Joke] So if you don't get your case after you order and you complain, you may get an arrow instead [/Joke] :)

Im usually not that type of guy ... but ... ROFL
:)   [Joke] So if you don't get your case after you order and you complain, you may get an arrow instead.  In which case I will get two arrows  [/Joke] :)
just not in the knee please.. not again.... lol

21bpx7p.png
 
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@ mrbazil2k

How many parts does the Al-Case consists of ?

- I still don't know exactly, as I will start the redesign not before 100 preoders are reached. But I aready had a look at the CAD-models and do not see any severe problems.

Are the shoulder buttons made of Aluminium as well ?

- I will have a look at these. But probably no (or we sell them as an extra item)

Did you redesign the CAD-Models yourself ?

- Yes, I do.

Whats the weight of the Al-Case you are aiming for ?

- As I did not start the redesign, I do not know. At many places it will be much thicker than the plastic case as I try to keep machining time low.

Whats the minimum thickness of the Aluminium case you are planning so far ?

- depending on the inner space needed, I will try not to have less than 2 mm anywhere

Can you tell me the brand and type of 5-axis milling machine you mentioned before ?

- SPINNER U5-1520 compact. Extras: Chip conveyor, Heidenhain glass scales on all axis, high performance software package (Siemens Shop-mill).

Whats the cost per hour of that machinery ?

- around 80 Euro plus Tax

You have already a prototype of a milled Al-Case in front of you ?

- No (see above).

How many years of CAD/CAM experience can you refer to?

- I started CAD construction in around 1990: "Auto-Sketch", later I had Auto-CAD LT, then CADdy++ and now SolidEdge. Also I worked with EAGLE (since 1995) and ELCAD.

And which software-knowledge are we talking about ?

- We are using "SolidEdge ST5 Premium" right now, plus the usual Office software.

- If you mean CNC programming: ISO, Siemens Shopmill and Heidenhain Manual Plus.

- If you mean programming: I have finished successful projects in embedded Assembler, ANSI C, C++, Pascal, and different SPS programming languages.

You are going to mill the parts yourself ?

- Yes.

You ever stood in front of a milling machine ?

- Yes. I had my first turning lathe and milling machine bought in 1988. I got my first CNC in 1999 (a DMC 63V)

When did you graduate from TU-Karlsruhe ?

- My diploma document bears the date "December 31st, 1997"

What happens if the production costs exceed the collected amount of preorder money ?

- I will be unhappy

And for everyone in doubt: I know the history of the Pandora project. That's why I won't get a penny before Evil Dragon has checked and approved the cases. The prepaid money is conducted by EvilDragon alone.

Does this answer your questions?
 
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IDV, let's go back to a week ago when no one knows that you're able to make this Al case, and let's say if you were to make 1 complete case for yourself how much would it cost just to make just one case?
 
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