Copper socket a heatsink into water block? ideas?

[Mord]

Ive got an old Aerocool Phatom heatsink, and im on the scrounge for making a dirty cheap (if crap) watercooling system.

http://www.aerocool.us/cooler/phantom.htm

Now i want to try and recycle the heatstink and its fixings into a water block (i can get a res and rad no problem). But my only idea is to slap some fine copper pipeing around the fins and pump water through that, only problem is that will be SOO inefficent that im not sure itll be worth my time.

Anyone else tried anything like this?

Cheers, Mord.

[Blind Tree Frog]

It looks like a square heat sink. If i remember correctly, if you case the thing in a box (like acrylic on the outside) and pump water into it so it sprays with some high pressure at the middle and pull it out on the edges (if you feel gamey, 1 hose in dead center,4 out on each side) it should work well enough. Course, cost wise might be cheaper to just buy a maze4.. i don't recall offhand.

[Yuriman]

Try making the heatsink look like this: http://membres.lycos.fr/roscool/forum/temp/derfone/dscn1141.jpg

Cut the fins down and then flatten an area around the edges. Then put a box over it, and have your barb extend to just above the fins, if you know what I mean. Then have 2 outputs at an angle on top.

[Mord]

sure thing, ill give it a try

[Mord]

Right ive cut some sections of plastic from an old cd jewl case to fit (and then silicone) into place either side of the heat sink. So i can get it water tight, but my only problem is that i had to take off the socket a clip to get it water tight and now have no way of attaching it to the motherboard.

Does anyone have some alternative mounting suggestions? i cant think of how to fit it :S.

Heres a(nother crappy) image of the heatsink and clip.

http://www.puce123.force9.co.uk/images/modimages/heatsink.jpg

[t1mex]

well,put the bolts through your motherboard, and with the 4 holes that hold the fan in place you can use ziptie/other form of attachment to connect the bolts to the holes where the fan mounts on the heatsink.

[Mord]

slight problem :(, no motherboard holes :(

[Blind Tree Frog]

The 2 pieces of spring metal, lengthen them somehow to hang the hooks lower. Paper clips properly bent might work.

[DeAtH07]

Naw, paper clips wont hold, get sum nice wire, that would hold it

[Mord]

Wow great minds think a like, i just thought of both those ideas :D im thinking of getting some insulated wire and using that.

But 2 more questions

1. Is silicone sealent strong enough to make a waterproof fill between a 2mm gap?

2. what sort of fittings does 1/2" piping need? and where do i get them?

Cheers - Noob out!

[matttaylor]

In all of my years of custom fish tank setups, i've learned a few things, such as: silicone can hold over a 2mm gap, however it is dependant on how much pressure the pump is going to produce. if its a lot i wouldn't trust it. Just make sure the silicone is fairly thick and let it cure for at least 48 hours before use. Next, check out a plumbing supply store for the fittings. You'll need hose barbs for 1/2 inch tubing. And use some kind of clamp also. Decide if you want to permantly glue the fitting in, or you can use threaded fittings sealed with teflon plumbers tape so that you can remove the fittings if they crack or you want to increase/decrease the tubing size.

Good Luck

[Blind Tree Frog]

Originally posted by DeAtH07
Naw, paper clips wont hold, get sum nice wire, that would hold it
Thick paperclibs bent correctly would probably work, but bending them wouldn't be fun. Using some wire and wrapping a couple loops would be much easier..


Dammit, ghetto watercooling... I might have to try to do it myself too :(

[Temo Vryce]

I myself have put a fair amount of research into creating a waterblock and so far the easiest form of presser testing I have come across to hook your block up to your household water tap. ie kitchen sink. In your case I would add one hose barb to the block and attach that to the sink's tap. Let the water run for a few minutes to build up pressure. You shouldn't have much more than about 20 - 25 psi. If the block doesn't leak then you're good to go, if it does then you may have just saved your mother board. If it does leak rebuild the block with JB weld and silicon sealent ontop to help get that extra seal.

[NewBldr]

Originally posted by Mord
Right ive cut some sections of plastic from an old cd jewl case to fit (and then silicone) into place either side of the heat sink. So i can get it water tight, but my only problem is that i had to take off the socket a clip to get it water tight and now have no way of attaching it to the motherboard.

Does anyone have some alternative mounting suggestions? i cant think of how to fit it :S.

Heres a(nother crappy) image of the heatsink and clip.

http://www.puce123.force9.co.uk/images/modimages/heatsink.jpg

I would be HUGELY sceptical if the jewel case would be a strong enough plastic to withstand the heat/pressures. I would HIGHLY recommend something like a 1/8" lexan or acrylic.

[Scary_Penguin]

Jewel cases make great walls for directing air with minimal pressure, but water is another story. I think every one of my CD cases is broken from me dropping it, stepping on it, or sitting on it, and if you figure ~150lbs over a 6x6in area is less than 25psi (I know, bad example) but they snap super easy. Id take the advice for the 1/8in lexan or acrylic.

[Blind Tree Frog]

how about if he wraps it in a couple layers of alluminum foil. Would take a couple layers but....

:D

(I have no idea if that would work or not)

[greenman100]

Originally posted by Blind Tree Frog
how about if he wraps it in a couple layers of alluminum foil. Would take a couple layers but....

:D

(I have no idea if that would work or not)

no

[Mord]

Come on, its gotta be ghetto :D, how about DVD case plastic? the fexible stuff? or some other scrounged up plastic. Anyway it dosnt have to be great, its only a test of my abilities / my introduction to water cooling. But as always i will test it througly before it goes anywhere near a pc.

Having said that, what else could i use other then CD case plastic? bare in mind im tight and on the scrounge!

[Blind Tree Frog]

wood

Before someone complains about wood soaking up the water. and since i can't remember how well sealant would work, just case the current cube with the plastic in wood. Wood would support the pressure and the plastic would hold the water

[Mord]

I aint no carpenter.

[Temo Vryce]

Sure on the 4 sides and the top but if there's enough pressure to break the seal it will push the cube, wooden case and all, off the heatsink.

DVD case plastic is too soft and would warp under pressure. Do you have any old Plasitc Disk Boxes. You know the big 5 1/4" ones with clear flip top lid? That plastic should be strong enough to do what you want it too.

[greenman100]

It will work.

6 feet of head is about 2.5psi.

If you can set a full milk jug on your contraption witout it breaking, and you used good sealant, you're probably okay.

Good luck drilling that CD case plastic to put in barbs, though.

[Mord]

wow moma, a full milk jug? right... im going to be needing some sheet aluminium then.

[greenman100]

Originally posted by Mord
wow moma, a full milk jug? right... im going to be needing some sheet aluminium then.

nah.

but:

3"x3"=9inches

at 2.5psi, that's 22.5pounds of force.

Build accordingly.

[Temo Vryce]

personally I would prefer to pressure test it according to it's designed use. If it's designed to hold milk bottles then ya use your metheod but this is a water block and putting a milk jug on top is not going to find any leaks that may be in the block. Nice way to test the strength of the block but a really bad way to leak test it. Hooking it up to your sinks water tap tests both the strength and for leaks.

[Blind Tree Frog]

See I assumed he meant fill a jug with water, attach a hose and pour the water from the jug into the block... Hold jug upside down and if it holds, you are good to go.

[Temo Vryce]

Originally posted by greenman100
If you can set a full milk jug on your contraption witout it breaking, and you used good sealant, you're probably okay.

How do you get that he wanted to attach a hose and pour water from the milk jug from that? :confused:

[Blind Tree Frog]

The line before he was talking about how much pressure a pump producing 6 feet of head would have. I just read it as use the jug as a water reserve.

[Mord]

I dint get to that :D i just got "put milk jug onto plastic" :S. Anyway im going to wait till i find something tougher then cd plastic.

[Blind Tree Frog]

See, i wonder if that would work though... I would think that would be testing the compression resistence of the structure while water in it pushing out would be stressing the tension (if I remember my terms correctly.

Either way though, if it stands up to a compression stress, I'm 95% sure it will hold up to equal pressure in a tension test.... But it's been a long while since I did any statics like that.

[Temo Vryce]

Ya sure tit would be strong enough but how does that leak test it?