Duct Tape 20 Sided Computer Server

I'm in a group who call ourselves Team Boom Tape. We are a PC gaming team who also happen to have a certain love for building things with duct tape. In preparation for MillionManLan 9, we decided to build a computer server housed in duct tape. We've done this before (a couple times, in fact), so we wanted to make something special. We decided to take on a giant duct tape D20.

A D20 is a 20-sided die often used in role playing games like D&D. Geometrically, it is an icosahedron, consisting of 20 triangular sides.

It may seem that sticking server computer components inside is completely random and unnecessary, but this was in fact a machine which we would hook to the LAN and run games (like Team Fortress 2) and apps like Teamspeak and a live video stream. Computer components generate heat which can be a challenge for adhesives, and everything would need to remain structurally sound for at least the 4 day duration of the summer LAN. As it turned out, it held up for weeks.

Here's a look at the finished product:

Step 1 Planning

We started with some rough planning. The motherboard was the largest component we'd put in the structure, so it dictated the general size. We aimed at putting the power supply at the bottom and the motherboard in the center. We weren't going for the most compact design possible, but rather something symmetric and decent looking.

The nice thing about an icosahedron is that it's just a series of triangles, which are easy to build and are naturally a sturdy shape. Once we had an idea of the interior space we needed, we figured out the length of the leg of any triangle and got started.

Comments

[flaming_pele!]

Have an idea for what kind of duct tape server we should build next? Post it here!

[chuckr44]

Build a Stewie Griffin duct tape server. That would be awesome.

[paperclip32]

Companion Cube,from Portal.

[dombeef]

YES!!!

[omnibot]

I wanna see a Tardis server!

[luke96]

Yea it would!!!

[timator6]

not to knit-pick, but in your last step, you misspelled duct tape. You said dust tape. Your welcome and a great instructable! I wish I could do this!

[flaming_pele!]

thanks. fixed!

[Ceiling cat]

I this a computer you played games on or something to connect to on LAN?

[flaming_pele!]

This was connected to a LAN as a game server - meaning no one sat behind it, but 12-16 players would connect to it from their machines.

[Ceiling cat]

Aaah. So you set up a game server. What are the advantages of setting up a game server in a LAN party?

[fallental]

Congratulations!

[Darion Ager]

That Is Really great! How much Tape roles did it Take to complete your well thought out project

[flaming_pele!]

22 rolls! check the last step for a pic

[chris28456]

wouldn't the heat from the cpu and power supply mess with the duct tapes structural; integrity...i mean wouldn't the heat start to release the glue after some time??

[dumle29]

read the intro. they were concerned too, but held up for weeks (used it at a 4 day lan party)

[octopuscabbage]

Build a serving robot and put a server in it, so it serves it to was. Then make it tell insulting jokes so the robot can say "You got served by a serving robot with a server in it."

[octopuscabbage]

And then make it play tennis.

[andreaboylee]

What a creativity! :)