[Scratch Build] Caseless COMPLETED!!

[Sgt.Reynolds]

Power went out the other day. Have been laying low since, but trying to check out a new area each day. Found a ladder down to the basement of this fab and it turns out it was just a breaker that tripped. Back online again and running on low-voltage to keep the sigs down. Emptied my pack of all the parts I've picked up so far, laid it all out on a bench and did another stocktake:

And then, while I was rooting around, I got REALLY lucky...and found a Turkey...

[Sgt.Reynolds]

Man, I have never felt so ill. That bottle of Turk' either had some kinda additive or had been rebottled. From an engine sump, by the way I feel. Anyway, no time to feel sorry. Have been in worse hangover situations, like that time on Ry-

len when we let Tinney make the drinks. Never let a mechanic make the drinks.

 

Started work on the parts, trying not to puke on them as I sprayed the stealth coating on. This should make it less reflective and keep the elements off the delicate internals. Man, I DEFINITELY got delicate internals. Wonder if this spray 

will do ME some good...

 

Stripped the display unit down, repasted the 'sink, added some makeshift 'sinks to the chips, re-pasted, cleaned it up nice and got everything back together. This thing is going to have some proper volts pushed through it so it deserves 

some assistance. Could only get to four of the eight memory chips but figured the larger 'sink comes down pretty close to the others, even if it won't be direct contact. The volt-regs got the 'sinks treatment too.

 

[Sgt.Reynolds]

There isn't much time left so I'm going to try and get these reports out. Used the suns-light as much as I could today and took a chance on working outside. Thought whilst I was making the most of it, I'd get a tan. Ha! Kidding - not a 

chance you could stay out longer than ten in this glare. Did allow me to reassemble the display card in no time and get that "hey, look over here at my backplate glinting in the sun" silver panel sprayed a radar-absorbing black. Did the bolts

yellow, to boot. Can see them in the dark.

Main problem now - no case to house all this gear in. Can't exactly travel across a d-bowl like this without some sort of package. UV, dust, damp, not forgetting incoming rounds having right of way. Going to have a scout about once I've 

scranned some MREs.

[Sgt.Reynolds]

Did a quick scurry about the fab whilst the paint was drying and found an absolute gem - an old 10mm shell crate. That'll do. Covered in white paint where the previous owner had tried to hide its origin, but that's the plan now. No 

modifications to the outside of the case either. Going to leave it incog.

 

Need to start measuring now, so time to search out some tools. Found this - which is going to have to be my main scale-stick in the absence of anything else:

And started knocking up some templates:

You know what's worse than H.E.L.L.-jumping from orbit? Using a power tool with patrols out radding for you. Hacked the side off the crate using a grinder I found.

Seems my guts weren't holding out after all:

[Sgt.Reynolds]

Next step - get measured up.

Then after that, time to stealth up the surround on the rear I/O...

...and get the power supply insulated for noise. Cut up an old rubber belt from one of the machines in the fab.

[Sgt.Reynolds]

Offered everything up for size using more templates to check the fit:

Going to have to work some magic here. Can't use anything above halfway point to route through to exterior of the crate, since the handles are in the way; can't use the display unit on the mainboard as the crate isn't wide enough; can't 

have the power unit mounted normally as the crate ISN'T WIDE ENOUGH! and am going to have to deal with all that heat production by isolating all the components as much as possible. Power supply isolated - intake on the side, exhaust

on the back end, no hot air ingested or exhausted inwards. 80mm exhaust fan mounted above to remove GPU exhaust and any convection heat from PSU.

Rad fan blowing as exhaust, front intake gusting straight onto mobo and RAM...

[Sgt.Reynolds]

Lid from a bottle of the red stuff made a handy cutout template for a USB run-through. Going to have a dust-proof flap on the rear panel for the front patch leads to use, effectively moving the rear data ports to the front, where they'll be

more accessible should I need to start patching in comms.

Then it's onto dissecting the display output link cable to make sure the card fits inside with the port still accessible on the butt-end:

Remove the casing to make it flexible:

Re-shield to bounce the EMI:

Ain't pretty, but it's going in a tight corner. Think they'll be blasting before they start marking me down though.

[Sgt.Reynolds]

DOWN!!

 

GET DOWN!! 

 

That was close. Wake up, Sarge! Get back on the ball. It's the 29 hour suns-cycle that does for you out here. Messes with your head more than that stuff we found in the backstreets of Al'afar. Must have nodded off on stag there. No 

excuse. Out of boost-juice though. Just the willpower from here on in.

 

Decided to strip the M41 SSR down for parts. Been carrying the SPNKR around since the end of the last engagement and no way am I going to find any extra tubes in this place. Might as well scavenge what I can.

 

Took apart the firing mechanism to use for the power board and drive access dial. Removed the spring from the power trigger, as don't want that sucker powering down on me without orders. More stealth coating too.

[Sgt.Reynolds]

Time to cut and drill. WRU says a new rainstorm coming in - that should keep them off the streets and mask any noise I might make. Will do what I can ahead of that and the rest during. Haven't picked up any traces yet - bet they're 

sweeping in sectors. Managed the small holes first:

 

Then the steel started eating through my tools. Don't know if that was helped by this damn climate, but I've snapped, bent and blunted everything in my kit bag. Down to hand tools now, plus some unused cobalt bits I managed to snag late

in the game. Hope these things hold up better. Least that padsaw was 'factured in a great place.

 

Seem to have modded a power-hacksaw as well. Hmm...must have done that in a daze as don't remember that one.

 

[Sgt.Reynolds]

Can see the weather front now on the horizon. Heard it last night before that. Damn planet shakes to the core just from the vibros. Going to take a chance and get out the overgrown rear yard with the cutters now. Stormfront should

mask some noise and going to take a chance on them not being this far south yet. Needs to be done - ain't getting out of here if I don't, MIGHT not if I do. Hobson's.

 

 

Opened up the front and side vents and the space for the front switches, plus rear PSU exhaust, display port and USB run-through, then floor intakes, :

 

Also hole for fan controller:

And front USB inputs:

Then the tool bit the steel and kicked upwards, straight at my face and the full deck had gone into this build - sweat first, tears of frustration and now this:

Next time, the M82 goes on the noggin, heat and humidity regardless.

 

 

Starting to curse whoever owned this crate beforehand. That white spray is uuuurgly. That's the deal though - no exterior mods otherwise it ain't gonna look milspec enough to pass muster.

 

Rain's starting to hit now. Gotta get these parts inside. Sounds like time for some wiring by lumen and the last of the contraband. Thanks be for those high-pressure cans, otherwise it never would have kept the goods in, not with all the

running and shooting and getting thrown around.