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—10 10 07
-I hooked up the northbridge block and have had the system running semi-permanently on water. No NB temps, but it hasn’t cooked off either! The spring actually turned out to be too weak to hold the block with the hoses and everything. I had to put a spacer in the slot in the middle of the block. I also needed to put some foam bits around the chip contact area because the chip was so small that the block was rocking around on it.
-blurry close up. Processor temp is maxing out at 117F with this configuration. I think it’s because the radiator is away from the ambient heat and the fan is blowing into the radiator. (Well, I’m also running more water with less antifreeze…)
-Obligatory Batman camera angle. I’m very happy with the performance of the water cooling. I went from toaster oven hot to cold bathwater. Now I need to worry about it working TOO well during the winter.
-I’m currently beveling and sanding the bottom-side fins. I’ve discovered a new occupational hazzard. I may have mentioned it before here, but it’s too important an issue to avoid. After long sanding sessions I developed a condition I will refer to as BLUE SNOT! Yes! the plexi dust has made my boogers light blue. Wear a dust mask kiddies, unless you want to become a victim too!
—12 10 07
-We’re back in front of the piano for some teaser pics.
-With the magic of scotch tape, I can show how the side fins will look when done.
-Here’s a top-down shot showing how I wanted the tubing to run in a continuous line.
-Inside clearance on the reservoir made using the 3″ tubing section impossible. That means no LED halo for the on switch.
-My stuff from McMaster-Carr arrived. A new mill bit, 200 screws, and some captive nut/self clinching nuts. I’m amazed I could google that phrase… I just found out that Enco has cheaper mill bits. Double-end bits for $6.00, $7 shipping. I wish I had noticed sooner.
-I did a test run on what I had planned with some scrap. I drilled out a 3/16″ hole, then a deep 9/32″ countersink. (These #s are mostly for me, If I lose the notes.)
-I smushed the nut into place with a vice and a ball bearing. There’s a smooth piece of metal on the other side to keep the surface pretty.
-The fit on the top. You can almost hear the evil laugh… These things were made to sit on top of the metal, not inside it.
-The bottom. The test run was done with a rougher plate. The nuts I inset for the reservoir came out much smoother. I countersunk one too deep and had to sneak some JB Weld (epoxy glue) into the hole.
-This is what happens when you change your designs during the build. I now plan to use the b*ttload of pan head screws I bought, but I can’t get the countersink in every hole.
-I slipped cutting the hole for the top smokestack/blowhole/codpiece-thing. The whole frontplate spun around and tried to smack me. The old Black&Decker drill has some major torque. I have already fixed these gouges by adding a bevel to the hole.
-Da hole…
-Test fit of the smokestack. If the res isn’t in the way I can add a fan, (mostly for show.)
-mounting the top fins. The frame bar is keeping the edges lined up. I have 1 hole already drilled here and I dropped a screw in place to help hold everything.
-Due to a slip with the side panel gluing,(long ago) the fins do not match on one side. I might need to cut these a bit.
-The test fit made me notice something. The screws for the bottom fins will hit the power supply if they stick out at all. Luckily I have 1/2″ of plastic to cut a countersink into. -Need a bigger mill bit now…
-Here’s a neat shot with my freshly filed and sanded screws. I flattened the heads of all the side panel screws, and I plan to do the same thing with all the oval head screws.
-To wrap up, a late night shot of everything mounted up. I need to add another screw hole as far back on the fins as I can get. Whee! more spacers!
Cant wait to see this case done! Very good job!