Homemade water block

[Hooj]

Hi there, I was planning on making my first ever water block using a standard heatsink. I would TIG weld sides and a top to it, and then TIG weld some 3/8 aluminium tube to attach the hoses to. Does this sound like a good idea? I have read the article on the website about making one like this and it seems quite a good idea.
Also, could I make a very small one to water cool the chip on my voodoo3 3000 which is currently air cooled?

Any help would be great.
Hooj (Dorset UK)

 

[TT120]

Welcome to the forum!

I have been tossing that same idea around in my head for some time. Seems to me like the water moving through the fins on a standard HSF would work pretty good. Let us know your results if you decide to make one.

 

[most deaf]

that is a bit loike what i did with a celeron heatsink, but i stuck on plexi sides with silicon sealant

 

[Bender]

Welcome to the forums Hooj .

Sounds like a good Idea. Maybe some day I'll try the same think with my Alpha Pep66. I wonder what an all coper heatsink would do?

 

[Szech]

It works, check this here

 

[William]

i think a good heatsink with a lot of surface could do well. I think the OCZ Gladiator/SVC GoldenGate is screaming make me a water block!

 

[cjtune]

William (Jul 30, 2001 07:50 p.m.):
i think a good heatsink with a lot of surface could do well. I think the OCZ Gladiator/SVC GoldenGate is screaming make me a water block!

Eh, you gonna want to get a super-high pressure pump to flush water through all the fins or you can just make do with less fins by plucking them out. Too many fins = no fins at all as water, like any other fluid, tends to take the path of least resistance. Old pentium or 486 HSs should be good enough (in addition to being free!).

 

[cjtune]

You can skip the TIG welding and use epoxy instead to glue the pieces together. They are all waterproof and have excellent holding power. May be less messy to implement as well .

 

[Shadow ÒÓ]

epoxy or I highly recommend JB Weld. Can be found in most automotive stores.

I made my own out of a Retail HS for the 370 chips. Removed the fins and covered 3 sides in 1/8" alum purchased from a local hardware store (Home Depot). 2 nipples in one end and snap.......it was done. I just read recently that Danger Den tried some stuff with fins internally in the waterblock, and it didn't make much of a difference. Havn't tested the idea myself tho.

G'luck!

 

[William]

cjtune (Jul 31, 2001 02:13 a.m.):

William (Jul 30, 2001 07:50 p.m.):
i think a good heatsink with a lot of surface could do well. I think the OCZ Gladiator/SVC GoldenGate is screaming make me a water block!

Eh, you gonna want to get a super-high pressure pump to flush water through all the fins or you can just make do with less fins by plucking them out. Too many fins = no fins at all as water, like any other fluid, tends to take the path of least resistance. Old pentium or 486 HSs should be good enough (in addition to being free!).

yes, but you would plexiglass at the top where the fan sits thus forcing the water through the thing. I think it would work well. I think a pep66 would be awesome too.

 

[Bad Maniac]

This is one I have seen good results from. It is an old Pentium mmx/Amd K6 heatsink, with five sides of thick plexi, screwed together and sealed with blue silicone sealant. Works fine.

 

[cjtune]

William (Jul 31, 2001 04:24 a.m.):

cjtune (Jul 31, 2001 02:13 a.m.):

William (Jul 30, 2001 07:50 p.m.):
i think a good heatsink with a lot of surface could do well. I think the OCZ Gladiator/SVC GoldenGate is screaming make me a water block!

Eh, you gonna want to get a super-high pressure pump to flush water through all the fins or you can just make do with less fins by plucking them out. Too many fins = no fins at all as water, like any other fluid, tends to take the path of least resistance. Old pentium or 486 HSs should be good enough (in addition to being free!).

yes, but you would plexiglass at the top where the fan sits thus forcing the water through the thing. I think it would work well. I think a pep66 would be awesome too.

If it's pin fins like Bad Maniac's beau then it should be okay but it'll be a bad idea if the fins are all lined up in one direction. The dense packing of the fins itself wil require alot of pressure from the pump to ensure that it is not a bottleneck to water flow. You need extra power to force the water through the fins.

I'm gonna wait a year and see if there's any old copper HS someone's willing to spare so I can gut it and make another 'watersink'. My hands are just itching...

 

[Schlomo227]

Actually, the polarized fins (yes I am coining a term here ) do not obstruct flow. When i tested my "watersink" the flow was not inhibited. It flowed out just as well as if i left the input hose off.

 

[cjtune]

Schlomo227 (Aug 01, 2001 12:06 a.m.):
Actually, the polarized fins (yes I am coining a term here ) do not obstruct flow. When i tested my "watersink" the flow was not inhibited. It flowed out just as well as if i left the input hose off.

Polarised fins as in the water flow travelling parallel to the length of the fins? I think the water will have trouble wetting the areas over the fins (in terms of rate).

Anything water flows in, will sap energy from the stream, representable by higher pressure requirements from the pump -at lower flow rates. The more constricted the flow cross-sectional area, the more rough the surfaces, the more odd angles water has to flow through, etc.

Did you measure the flowrate from a 'plain' waterblock vs. your 'watersink' and also vs. free flow from the pump (all through the same length of hose)? You will see differences in flow.

 

[Richard]

William (Jul 31, 2001 04:24 a.m.):

cjtune (Jul 31, 2001 02:13 a.m.):

William (Jul 30, 2001 07:50 p.m.):
i think a good heatsink with a lot of surface could do well. I think the OCZ Gladiator/SVC GoldenGate is screaming make me a water block!

Eh, you gonna want to get a super-high pressure pump to flush water through all the fins or you can just make do with less fins by plucking them out. Too many fins = no fins at all as water, like any other fluid, tends to take the path of least resistance. Old pentium or 486 HSs should be good enough (in addition to being free!).

yes, but you would plexiglass at the top where the fan sits thus forcing the water through the thing. I think it would work well. I think a pep66 would be awesome too.

I think the PEP66 would make a great watersink too. To improve waterflow all one needs do is drill a bunch of holes through the fins of the sink with a good metal cutting bit. If I get a wild hair I may do just that. Hmmm... What seems to be the best type of epoxy for bonding lexan and then bonding the lexan to the aluminum? Just regular marine goop?