Project HELIOS - Invocation Begins 10.01.10
- Thread starter Langer
- Start date
I've been asked quite a bit about it, so I've uploaded some images of the surface of the panels.
It's very hard to capture... but the 'woodgrain' effect you see on pieces labeled "current" is still very much visible through the "final" texture, but the camera has a hard time picking it up.
That's all for now, I'll be back soon with progress updates.
Stay classy.
*j
It's very hard to capture... but the 'woodgrain' effect you see on pieces labeled "current" is still very much visible through the "final" texture, but the camera has a hard time picking it up.
That's all for now, I'll be back soon with progress updates.
Stay classy.
*j
SO it turns out making large aerogel monoliths is an incredible challenge in engineering, patience, and chemistry.
I can make little beads and small pieces all day long... I'd even go so far as to say I have the 'gel' making process down to an art. BUT, Manufacturing the large chunks I envision is proving somewhat unobtainable... but I'm getting through it.
The process of making Aerogel with any level of precision or clarity requires a pressure vessel (called a supercritical dryer) which can handle about 75bar, or about 1000psi. And if you know anything about pressure tanks, a 1000psi is one hell-of-a feat.
This has not phased me however... I've been endeavorering to acquire the necessary materials to build my own "supercritical dryer". My design features an internal area large enough to allow the creation of parts 26"x10"x2". Bare with me on that front as it needs extreme care and caution - else it will become a very impressive bomb.
Also, I've gone through about a grand worth of chemicals now, and I'm awaiting another delivery of the base elements which go-into creating this magnificent material.
i'll quote a section from my recipe so you can get a better idea of the process:
As a poit of reference the tiny dryer I have now with a chamber just 0.8"x0.8"x1" (made from a high-pressure pipe X joint) ran about $800 with all the valves, fittings, gauges, and such.
The dryer I'm currently using is based off this reference:
***THESE ARE NOT HOME DEPOT FITTINGS!
THEY ARE SPECIALIZED HIGH PRESSURE FITTINGS!
DO NOT TRY TO BUILD A SUPER CRITICAL DRYER WITHOUT EXTREME CAUTION!***
The big dryer I'm working on is seeing some extreme manufacturing, redundancy, composites, and fittings... I wont be blowing it - I'n fact I plan to start selling Aerogel monoliths (nomenclature for big pieces of this stuff) to offset the incredible project costs.
Since the Aerogel is taking longer than expected...
I'll let you in on the next step
...LEDs are so 2010.
I decree that 2011 be the year of radioactive isotope case lighting!
Various pieces of custom formed Tritium as well as off the shelf tritium inserts will be the illumination feature for Helios.
Tritium requires no "charging" and glows entirely passively without the need for power or electricity of any kind.
Gun buffs may have seen this stuff before in high-end tactical sights.
Read more on the stuff here: http://www.mbmicrotec.com
I can make little beads and small pieces all day long... I'd even go so far as to say I have the 'gel' making process down to an art. BUT, Manufacturing the large chunks I envision is proving somewhat unobtainable... but I'm getting through it.
The process of making Aerogel with any level of precision or clarity requires a pressure vessel (called a supercritical dryer) which can handle about 75bar, or about 1000psi. And if you know anything about pressure tanks, a 1000psi is one hell-of-a feat.
This has not phased me however... I've been endeavorering to acquire the necessary materials to build my own "supercritical dryer". My design features an internal area large enough to allow the creation of parts 26"x10"x2". Bare with me on that front as it needs extreme care and caution - else it will become a very impressive bomb.
Also, I've gone through about a grand worth of chemicals now, and I'm awaiting another delivery of the base elements which go-into creating this magnificent material.
i'll quote a section from my recipe so you can get a better idea of the process:
Aerogel Recipe said:9) Once gel has set, soak under ethanol for 24hrs.
10) Replace ethanol and allow to soak for 5-7days, changing ethanol every 36hrs
11) Supercritically dry the gel.
a) Transfer gel into the super critical dryer (at your own risk).
Replace the atmosphere with CO2 (at your own risk, lol).
c) Begin to heat the atmosphere in the dryer. (you're not reading this are you?)
d) Heat the CO2 past its critical point (31.1°C and 72.9 bars) to ~45°C . (goodluck)
e) Maintaining a pressure of ~100 bars. (???)
f) Depressurize at ~7 bar h-1. (profit)
12) If you're still alive, remove gel from the supercritical dryer and machine to spec.
As a poit of reference the tiny dryer I have now with a chamber just 0.8"x0.8"x1" (made from a high-pressure pipe X joint) ran about $800 with all the valves, fittings, gauges, and such.
The dryer I'm currently using is based off this reference:
***THESE ARE NOT HOME DEPOT FITTINGS!
THEY ARE SPECIALIZED HIGH PRESSURE FITTINGS!
DO NOT TRY TO BUILD A SUPER CRITICAL DRYER WITHOUT EXTREME CAUTION!***
The big dryer I'm working on is seeing some extreme manufacturing, redundancy, composites, and fittings... I wont be blowing it - I'n fact I plan to start selling Aerogel monoliths (nomenclature for big pieces of this stuff) to offset the incredible project costs.
Since the Aerogel is taking longer than expected...
I'll let you in on the next step
...LEDs are so 2010.
I decree that 2011 be the year of radioactive isotope case lighting!
Various pieces of custom formed Tritium as well as off the shelf tritium inserts will be the illumination feature for Helios.
Tritium requires no "charging" and glows entirely passively without the need for power or electricity of any kind.
Gun buffs may have seen this stuff before in high-end tactical sights.
Read more on the stuff here: http://www.mbmicrotec.com
ruthless_villain
New member
Im confused :?
wotevajjjj
New member
oh boy, this is a bit out of my league
ShortAlieN
New member
this seems to be an amazing project. Hope to see the finished product before holiday season
but seriously, nice work. I can really see the effort you are putting into this build, over the top as it may be(like skyscraper over the top). what do you do for a living?
@Jonowee - Thank you for posting. You're probably not far off correct, the case as it stands with fastening hardware is 14.1Kilos.
@Ruthless - Haha, questions?
@Short Alien - Thank you for the support. Oh man... I hate that question; still haven't prepared an answer to pull out.
I do all kinds of things, all surrounded around the pursuit of interaction, usability, and experience design. Mostly my work has been in the mobile sector, designing devices and the interfaces therein; but I don't limit myself... to name a few of the recent highlights from the past couple years: design and built museum exhibit to educate kids on pollution, a couple music videos, some Secret govn't projects, some carbon fiber laptops you may have seen, projection mapping, lighting installations, laser grafitti, and today I'm understudying a propmaster in Hollywood for the hell of it. I always have various side projects, from vodka destilling to furniture making. Some take years, some take hours - all get finished when the time is right.
@Ionicle - Thank you very much. I was born and raised just outside of Toronto, Canada but I 'live' in Vancouver currently... although in the past year I've been staying everywhere from Califronia to Amsterdam, Alaska to Taipei. And all the dots in-between it seems.
@Ruthless - Haha, questions?
@Short Alien - Thank you for the support. Oh man... I hate that question; still haven't prepared an answer to pull out.
I do all kinds of things, all surrounded around the pursuit of interaction, usability, and experience design. Mostly my work has been in the mobile sector, designing devices and the interfaces therein; but I don't limit myself... to name a few of the recent highlights from the past couple years: design and built museum exhibit to educate kids on pollution, a couple music videos, some Secret govn't projects, some carbon fiber laptops you may have seen, projection mapping, lighting installations, laser grafitti, and today I'm understudying a propmaster in Hollywood for the hell of it. I always have various side projects, from vodka destilling to furniture making. Some take years, some take hours - all get finished when the time is right.
@Ionicle - Thank you very much. I was born and raised just outside of Toronto, Canada but I 'live' in Vancouver currently... although in the past year I've been staying everywhere from Califronia to Amsterdam, Alaska to Taipei. And all the dots in-between it seems.
ruthless_villain
New member
yeah i do have one actually, are you actually taking this to the sun??
ShortAlieN
New member
need an understudy?
