field_logs: - id: FI-LOG-001 slug: rebuilding-and-archiving-a-caselabs-mercury-s8-time-capsule title: Rebuilding and Archiving a CaseLabs Mercury S8 + Pedestal 2014 Time Capsule date: "2026-06-05" timestamp: "2026-06-05 HH:MM CT" category: field-log associated_project: FI-PROJ-001 object: CaseLabs Mercury S8 + pedestal system: custom watercooling restoration status: revived / documentation first tags: - CaseLabs Archive - restoration - watercooling - garage archaeology sections: - heading: Condition Found body: > White powder-coated chassis and pedestal recovered after roughly a decade in storage. The object should be photographed as found before dust, missing fasteners, or provisional assemblies are disturbed. - heading: Observations body: > The case appears to be the core archive object. Some STH-10 accessories may be present. Watercooling parts include EK 360 radiators, Aqua Computer D5 Aquabus pumps, DDC pumps with clear tops, an Aquaero 6 XT, a large EK cylinder reservoir, and approximately twenty or more white Noiseblocker eLoop PWM fans. - heading: Methods body: > Identify panel by panel. Assign temporary removable labels to unknown parts. Separate fasteners by location. Photograph each assembly before cleaning. Record uncertainty directly instead of smoothing it out. - heading: Restoration Notes body: > Start with a serviceable serial loop using EPDM tubing, barbs, and clamps. Keep the pedestal radiator path and quick-disconnect pass-throughs accessible. Function comes first; copper or hardline can become an aesthetic evolution later. - heading: What It Means / Reflection body: > This is not only a computer case. It is an interrupted map. The restoration matters because it turns private discontinuity into visible evidence: the hands still know how to build. - heading: Next Actions body: > Complete photo pass. Confirm exact panel configuration. Leak-test radiators. Test fans and pumps. Build the inventory record before deciding what stays, what sells, and what remains archive only. signature: Forgotten Industries // Field Log // 2026.06.05 - id: FI-METHOD-001 slug: photograph-before-cleaning title: Photograph Before Cleaning date: "2026-06-05" timestamp: "2026-06-05 HH:MM CT" category: method associated_project: FI-PROJ-002 object: recovered hardware and tools system: archive practice status: standing method tags: - Garage Archaeology - methods - documentation sections: - heading: Principle body: > Recovery starts with the object as found. Dust, missing hardware, bad assumptions, and provisional assemblies are part of the record. - heading: Method body: > Photograph the object before cleaning. Label uncertainty. Record what is visible, what is missing, and what cannot yet be known. - heading: Finding body: > The technical record protects the emotional truth from performance. Evidence first. Interpretation later. signature: Forgotten Industries // Method Note // 2026.06.05 - id: FI-LOG-002 slug: peregrine-a01-crash-recovery-intake title: PEREGRINE-A01 Crash Recovery Intake date: "2026-06-05" timestamp: "2026-06-05 04:39 CT" category: field-log associated_project: FI-PROJ-004 object: Perry 1 / PEREGRINE-A01 system: DJI Mini 4K aircraft / crash recovery and repair diagnostics status: grounded / physical inspection before calibration tags: - PEREGRINE - drone - crash recovery - diagnostics - field repair sections: - heading: Condition Found body: > PEREGRINE-A01 is recorded as the DJI Mini 4K crash/recovery bird. The incident chain for A01 is awning first: the aircraft got stuck on the awning, was recovered, and then became the troubleshooting bird. Known damage notes include back-right arm damage and abnormal motor resistance. - heading: Observations body: > Error 30210 is present in the working diagnostic tree. Treat the error as a hardware-adjacent warning until the aircraft has been physically inspected. Propeller mismatch and overtightened propeller screws remain active concerns. - heading: Methods body: > Photograph the aircraft before repair. Capture close photos of each arm, motor, propeller pair, screw, battery bay, gimbal, shell seam, and app error screen. Compare motor free-spin by corner. Keep removed propellers and screws grouped by motor position. - heading: Restoration Notes body: > Calibration should be secondary to physical inspection. DJI guidance for Mini-series propellers emphasizes correct frame-arm placement, same-package propeller pairing, replacement screws where specified, and avoiding mixed propeller types or packages. - heading: What It Means / Reflection body: > PEREGRINE belongs in the archive because it is a field system, not a toy record. The flight, the crash, the recovery route, the repair uncertainty, and the next launch all become part of the machine's evidence trail. - heading: Next Actions body: > Ground A01. Complete photo intake. Confirm exact propeller sets and screw condition. Inspect the back-right arm and motor for resistance, wiring damage, shell deformation, and ESC/power symptoms. Create the A02 loss record separately. Track Perry 3 / PEREGRINE-A03 as a planned Mini 3 replacement before acquisition. signature: Forgotten Industries // Field Log // 2026.06.05 - id: FI-LOG-003 slug: peregrine-a02-loss-no-roof-recovery title: PEREGRINE-A02 Loss / No Roof Recovery Rule date: "2026-06-05" timestamp: "2026-06-05 03:00 CT" category: field-log associated_project: FI-PROJ-004 object: Perry 2 / PEREGRINE-A02 system: DJI Mini 3 aircraft / loss record and recovery decision status: lost / likely roof / recovery deferred for safety tags: - PEREGRINE - drone - loss record - roof recovery - safety call sections: - heading: Condition Found body: > PEREGRINE-A02 is recorded as the DJI Mini 3 platform with DJI RC. After recovering A01 and gaining confidence with new flight skills, A02 was flown at roughly 3 AM and lost. The working field description is "yeeted into the abyss." - heading: Observations body: > The aircraft is believed to be on the roof, but that location remains unconfirmed. The important record is not only where the aircraft may be; it is the decision not to create a second incident by climbing a high roof for a replaceable machine. - heading: Recovery Decision body: > No unsafe roof recovery. No nighttime roof recovery. No solo climb. Replacement cost is preferable to a fall risk. A future recovery can be reconsidered only with safe access, daylight, stable equipment, and a reason stronger than saving the aircraft. - heading: What It Means / Reflection body: > Confidence is part of the log too. A01 taught recovery and repair; A02 marks the boundary where field work becomes risk management. The archive preserves the loss without demanding a dangerous retrieval. - heading: Next Actions body: > Treat A02 as lost unless recovered under safe conditions. Preserve the A02 visual mark and loss record. Track Perry 3 / PEREGRINE-A03 as the planned Mini 3 replacement, with acquisition, baseline inspection, and first flight logged separately. signature: Forgotten Industries // Field Log // 2026.06.05 - id: FI-LOG-004 slug: mercury-s8-proof-of-concept-build-strategy title: Mercury S8 Restoration Proof-of-Concept Build Strategy date: "2026-06-06" timestamp: "2026-06-06 HH:MM CT" category: field-log associated_project: FI-PROJ-001 object: CaseLabs Mercury S8 + pedestal system: custom watercooling restoration / proof-of-concept build status: strategic note / inventory before sale decision tags: - CaseLabs Archive - restoration strategy - proof of concept - watercooling - inventory - valuation sections: - heading: Strategic Realization body: > The Mercury S8 plus pedestal restoration may have more value as a completed, functioning showcase system than as a collection of parts. The CPU and GPU are not the value center. The rare value is the complete Mercury S8 plus pedestal, restored CaseLabs hardware, functional Aquaero ecosystem, dual-D5 infrastructure, QDC-integrated pedestal loop, documentation, provenance, and Forgotten Industries restoration story. - heading: Proof-of-Concept Build body: > Use any functioning CPU platform and GPU hardware already available in storage. Assemble the cooling loop, verify pumps, verify the Aquaero, verify sensors, confirm the QDC architecture, confirm pedestal integration, and run stress tests. The proof statement is simple: this machine works today, and the internals can be upgraded tomorrow. - heading: Time Capsule Option body: > A period-correct enthusiast build may carry collector appeal even if it is not performance-optimal by modern standards. Candidate hardware includes X79 or X99 platforms, GTX 780 Ti, Titan, GTX 970, or GTX 980 Ti era graphics hardware, EK blocks, Aquaero 6 XT, dual D5 pumps, and Noiseblocker eLoop fans. The appeal is preservation of a golden-era custom watercooling system, not benchmark superiority. - heading: Inventory Pattern body: > The restoration has already shown a repeated pattern: a missing component is feared, inventory continues, and the component or an equivalent support part is later discovered. Examples include radiators, fan inventory, pump inventory, Aquaero hardware, and mounting hardware. Do not assume parts are missing until the complete inventory is finished. - heading: Financial Reality body: > Money is needed now, but selling restoration-critical components before inventory is complete may be shortsighted. The immediate pressure is real; the archive still needs sequence discipline. The hard-to-replace value is the restored chassis and watercooling infrastructure, not any single commodity compute component. - heading: Decision Order body: > Complete inventory. Complete chassis restoration. Verify the infrastructure. Evaluate market value. Then decide whether to keep it, archive-build it, modern-build it, or sell it as a complete system. Do not decide whether to sell the ship while it is still in dry dock. - heading: Next Actions body: > Continue garage inventory before liquidation decisions. Account for remaining GPUs, platforms, fittings, blocks, cables, fasteners, and watercooling support parts. Treat the proof-of-concept build as a validation path: pumps, Aquaero, sensors, QDCs, radiators, pedestal, leak testing, thermal testing, and documented stable operation. signature: Forgotten Industries // Field Log // 2026.06.06