[Project Log]Goin' copper

[TonyMc]

[small update]Goin' copper

I know this has been done here many times in the past, but I was trolling over at OCN and stumbled across a copper tubing thread and got the itch(had the itch back in early 2000s but never did come to fruition) .
I love the symmetrical look of it(and of course the copper look).
So I bought these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Push-In-Mal...642?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ca4386362

And shopped around at home depot for the tubing, pipe bender, and cutter this afternoon.
I will be "upgrading" to the Koolance pipe fittings if all goes well(didn't want to blow $120 +/- on fittings if it doesn't work out)
I will try to do a build log as soon as the fittings arrive and I get all other components.
If all goes well I will replace the fittings and the copper tube with nickel plated or polished stainless tube...

 

[ScrubyMcBubble]

Nothing beats a good hands on custom project! Ive been somewhat fascinated by evaporative water coolers myself (http://www.overclockers.com/nuclear-tower-water-cooling/), maybe ill make one someday haha, but for now i look forward to seeing your progress on this project!

 

[Conumdrum]

Best of luck! make sure you clean the tubing with some strong stuff, the tubing isn't meant for watercooling where we want very clean setups.

And... I know that tubing isn't really uber clean from experiences I have read, and kinda seen in an industrial position, but I have no idea what to make it shiny clean inside.

Looking forward you your ideas.

 

[TonyMc]

Best of luck! make sure you clean the tubing with some strong stuff, the tubing isn't meant for watercooling where we want very clean setups.

And... I know that tubing isn't really uber clean from experiences I have read, and kinda seen in an industrial position, but I have no idea what to make it shiny clean inside.

Looking forward you your ideas.

Hmmmm. Didn't think about that Conum. Thanks for the thought. I'll do some research on it...

 

[Conumdrum]

Ohh you know that the ID of the tubing you need is VERY small from your fitting choice? Very. You will take a hit on flow rate. I bet it's 1/4" ID on the copper tubing. So watch for that.. Flow rates these days aren't as critical as Martin and others have shown on CPU blocks and pumpage is better. Your not making max OC etc, you should be fine.
And copper tubing ain't cheap, but you don't need a lot.

 

[TonyMc]

Yeah I was pricing it today. I see why crackheads strip wire out of new houses to sell to get a fix.
The OD is 3/8 so I'm am assuming the ID is 1/4, but it seems that's what the boys at OCN are using.
I have a lot of research to do between now and when the fittings show up.
On the subject of cleaning the tube do you think white vinegar will do it? I wonder how "pure" plumbing grade copper is? I suspect for health reasons it would have to be pretty good wouldn't you think?

 

[Conumdrum]

Dunno. Ask around, buy a few feet to play with. Try CLR cleaner. No idea.

It's not the pure copper, it's the residue from the manufacturing process and sitting on the shelf.

 

[TheNewbie]

I would run down to your Wal-Mart and buy some coil cleaner that's exactly what you need to clean the grime grease dirt etc. out. The Wal-Mart brand is frost king and Its only about $6 a can. It really make the fins and copper tubes in a/c evaporators clean, nice and shiny w/ out damaging them. I bet white vinegar might do it, may take longer to do so with, and not as good of results. Basically same active ingredient (acetic acid) used in coil tube cleaners and most evaporator coil cleaners are either acid- or alkali based, but the similarities stop here. The surfactants / detergents in in the coil cleaner is what breaks down and carry's away the dirt/grime.

 

[Lt_Horn]

I was looking at McMaster and the prices don't look to abhorrent

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-metal-tubing/=mkq12c

There are many different types of tubing to work with. Hope this turns out as good as my head has pictured it.

 

[TonyMc]

You know it's really not much more than good primochill or tygon by the foot...

Thanks for the links and comments guys.
I've got the day off so I'll spend some time researching the subject and see what I can glean.

 

[Thevanguard]

I just looked up the pricing for copper tubing and yes, very high up there in price! Good luck to you.

 

[wagex]

errr be careful with those push type fittings those are made for plastic lines with much thicker walls than copper tubing. we use the same exact things for air lines on semi's where i work. they work by wedging the tubing inside which is why id worry about the tubing walls being too thin. or it not gripping copper properly.

 

[ASUS ROG]

I know this has been done here many times in the past, but I was trolling over at OCN and stumbled across a copper tubing thread and got the itch(had the itch back in early 2000s but....

TRAITOR, why're you moving to OCN, is OCF not good enough for you or what

 

[TonyMc]

TRAITOR, why're you moving to OCN, is OCF not good enough for you or what

It seems that GTXJack and myself have both been moonlighting.
Seriously though. There is a very informative thread going on over there on this subject...

 

[ASUS ROG]

You know that i was just kidding right? don't be mad Tony, i also occasionally head to OCN too

 

[TonyMc]

You know that i was just kidding right? don't be mad Tony, i also occasionally head to OCN too

Oh no. Not at all ROG. I knew you were joking...
I'm not that thin skinned...

 

[TonyMc]

So I stopped in at Home Depot and bought the copper tubing, pipe bender, and pipe cutter. Also found out that the threads on the push in fittings I bought are 5.5mm. The fittings we use for WCing are 5mm so they can be to long for some CPU and GPU blocks so I picked up a handful of extenders http://www.performance-pcs.com/cata...=33558&zenid=44919ef0db90828e5a365413fb3fa045
You can see the test piece I was practicing on.

 

[caddi daddi]

I tried this with 3/8 od tube, never could get it done.
I used foam blocks shoved into the case to replace the pump, waterblock and such to help mock it up.

 

[TonyMc]

I tried this with 3/8 od tube, never could get it done.

What happened?

 

[caddi daddi]

it would collapse in the bends, the radii are just to tight in a case.
even when it would work one two thins happened, trying to fit it to the pump and block in the case was just never going to happen and the bends polished out funny.