Mike n Tibs DNA Mods!

[jonniemac]

Any room for magnets?

The holes that are a problem are the 0-80's to mount the board. The 2-56's I used to secure the covers to the body drilled and tapped perfectly. My number 43 and 51 drill bits were in collets. 3/64 doesn't come in a standard set so I had to order one but was impatient and decided to try the keyless chuck on my mill. Drill bit was screw length but I bottomed out in the chuck before I could really get choked up on it as far as I would have liked. Live and learn!

 

[turbocad6]

I would epoxy in a bolt with no head, sticking up like a stud, then use nuts to mount it...

 

[SlickWilly]

As a last resort you could drill all the way through, counter sink and put the bolts through the face.

 

[jonniemac]

I would epoxy in a bolt with no head, sticking up like a stud, then use nuts to mount it...

As a last resort you could drill all the way through, counter sink and put the bolts through the face.

Several viable options, thanks guys! It probably wouldn't look too bad with some counter sunk screws from the front. I have a Haimer Zero Master so it's easy to pick up an exact X, Y and Z on the mill for additional operations. I'm going to cut a new main body ... learned a couple of things on this, my first attempt, and want a better surface finish before sanding/polishing the aluminum.

Here is a full photo album so you can see all the details if you're interested.

 

[Phone Guy]

Well none of my metal box adventures are panning out. I'm trying to resist going 3D printed enclosure because I want a metal box if possible... but I have not found anything and my milling experiments have failed miserably.

I've got 3 DNA200 chips just sitting in the box, I've never even turned them on....

 

[tiburonfirst]

maybe mike will have some definite answers soon

 

[Phone Guy]

I sure hope so Tibs... I didn't want to "LEAP" into something like I usually do, knowing there would be lots of interesting stuff coming... I've been really satisfied with my VaporFlask (clone) with a real DNA40 retrofitted... but I'm anxious to "play" --- you know how we boys are. My wife calls me a big child! even though we have 3 grandkids now.

 

[SlickWilly]

I sure hope so Tibs... I didn't want to "LEAP" into something like I usually do, knowing there would be lots of interesting stuff coming... I've been really satisfied with my VaporFlask (clone) with a real DNA40 retrofitted... but I'm anxious to "play" --- you know how we boys are. My wife calls me a big child! even though we have 3 grandkids now.

How about building one up just to get it working so you can use it until a good solution comes along? Don't worry about it if it isn't pretty, believe me you'll look right past that once you get it up, running and are able to play with it through the software. You could use one of the Hammond plastic boxes for now, they make a lot of the same metal boxes in black plastic. I was looking at them at the shop where I got mine and I almost went with one of those, at least it will get you in the game and you can always transplant the board later down the road.

 

[Phone Guy]

I actually bought a 1591 box (the black plastic one) but my cutting skills suck. Like I said, all my attempts have FAILED BUT good news! an opportunity presented itself and I should have a working DNA200 mod in the coming days. Thanks to @Steamer861 I will be sure to post pictures when its done.

 

[awsum140]

Milling without a mill and with little or no knowledge and experience is a challenging job. I'm plugging along and doing the best I can with what skill I have and the tools on hand. It may not be a "pretty" as a commercially produced mod or as "pretty" as I might want it to be, but it will be what I want and that's more important to me.

 

[SlickWilly]

I picked up some more tips for my soldering station today, some no clean flux, tip cleaner, heat sink and a few other things. Mike was right, the tip that came with the iron was just too small, with a bigger tip it doesn't loose heat as soon as it touches the work. I dug out a couple old boards I took from other mods and played with them, I was easily able to heat and suck the old solder out of the wire holes and clean up the other spots with the braided wick, it looked like new when done! Took some heavy wire and played with soldering, man the right tools really makes it easy and does such a nice job! Wish I had bought that stuff years ago LoL, but I never did much soldering other then repair a broken wire here or there on vehicles. I will say, the more I use that $20 Hakko clone from Hobby King the more I'm impressed with it. If your looking for a decent entry level temp controlled soldering station you should check them out, even if I only get a year or two out of it, you can't beat the price for the job it will do!

 

[awsum140]

Willie, when I did alarm systems back in "the old days" I used to solder wires with a Bic lighter.

 

[SlickWilly]

Willie, when I did alarm systems back in "the old days" I used to solder wires with a Bic lighter.

That will toughen the fingers up!

 

[artv61]

I picked up some more tips for my soldering station today, some no clean flux, tip cleaner, heat sink and a few other things. Mike was right, the tip that came with the iron was just too small, with a bigger tip it doesn't loose heat as soon as it touches the work. I dug out a couple old boards I took from other mods and played with them, I was easily able to heat and suck the old solder out of the wire holes and clean up the other spots with the braided wick, it looked like new when done! Took some heavy wire and played with soldering, man the right tools really makes it easy and does such a nice job! Wish I had bought that stuff years ago LoL, but I never did much soldering other then repair a broken wire here or there on vehicles. I will say, the more I use that $20 Hakko clone from Hobby King the more I'm impressed with it. If your looking for a decent entry level temp controlled soldering station you should check them out, even if I only get a year or two out of it, you can't beat the price for the job it will do!

do you have a link for Hakko clone ? thx

 

[Phone Guy]

Not to sound big shot or big headed, the soldering part is easy for me. I'm very comfortable around electronics.... its the cutting skills I don't have, or the tools to do it right. No drill/dremel press, just a simple B&D hand drill, B&D "dremel", no vice, etc... heck no "work space" per se, all my jobs get done on the kitchen table! What comes easy to some of you is very challenging to me... and on the flip side of that, what may come easy to me, may be a challenge for others.

Retrofitting or transplating a clone chip for a authentic, like I did in the vaporflask, or upgrading a opus dna20 to a dna30, c'hana to authentic dna, etc... very easy for me... but even just cutting holes and making them line up straight, well... that's a whole other story.

 

[SlickWilly]

do you have a link for Hakko clone ? thx

Here ya go, note they have two warehouses in the USA, one east coast and one west and each one has thier own product page. Look down on the page and you'll see which one your on, this link is for the west coast. Soldering Station with Adjustable Heat Range (US Warehouse)

If you just leave that page up and idle for a few minuets a popup screen will appear with an offer for a little lower price, they tempt you into buying so always wait a while before adding to the cart. One other thing, HK is know for showing stuff in stock when it's not, doesn't happen all the time but it does happen. I bought a lipo from them, showed in stock but two weeks went by and it still showed processing, when I went to live chat and asked that's when they told me it was back ordered and they were waiting for restock from China but wouldn't give me any idea when they would be restocked. I asked them three times to cancel the order, they never did and finally sent it to me, about six weeks later..... I like the stuff they have and the prices are great but that's a crappy way to do business. Now I go to live chat and ask if stuff is in stock before I place an order. The live chat link is in the upper right corner on the webpages.

 

[KTMRider]

Well none of my metal box adventures are panning out. I'm trying to resist going 3D printed enclosure because I want a metal box if possible... but I have not found anything and my milling experiments have failed miserably.

I've got 3 DNA200 chips just sitting in the box, I've never even turned them on....

I got a 3d print (BRD's 1300 box) for my first DNA200 just to get it up and running. Now there's a few different mods on Shapeways and Sculpteo. The prints from them are very good and fairly precise since they use SLS printers and not filament printers. It's a quick easy way to get a DNA200 mod if you already have the chip. My 2nd was the Hana v200 and I had to replace the screen but it's working great now. My 3rd will most likely be a Vaporshark DNA200 but I have 2 more DNA200 boards to build.

 

[Phone Guy]

I got a 3d print (BRD's 1300 box) for my first DNA200 just to get it up and running. Now there's a few different mods on Shapeways and Sculpteo. The prints from them are very good and fairly precise since they use SLS printers and not filament printers. It's a quick easy way to get a DNA200 mod if you already have the chip. My 2nd was the Hana v200 and I had to replace the screen but it's working great now. My 3rd will most likely be a Vaporshark DNA200 but I have 2 more DNA200 boards to build.

What have you guys done to the 3D printed boxes? I saw someone painted them, I've read others coat them in polyurethane? Any suggestions?

 

[KTMRider]

I haven't done anything to mine. The gray is starting to wear off though.

 

[Phone Guy]

^^^ Damn the Hana looks tiny. WOW.