Today I mostly .....

[Zelandeth]

Today I mostly...went to work. Fought with Outlook 2010 for most of the day (as with every day for the last week and a half since we switched over to it), then came home.

Once home, I replaced the cracked nearside tail light lens on the Saab (so I can actually get the gasket to seal now, wonderful), and set about cleaning up the heater matrix which was delivered in the same box which is destined to be the radiator for my PC when I eventually get around to getting hold of the rest of the necessary bits. Those now being the pump (flatmate has that once he tracks it down), a couple of relays. Oh, and the waterblocks obviously.

Other bits will include some status indicator lights (scavenged years ago from the instrument panel of an old Merc 208D van), the header tank (which is likely to be another Saab bit, or failing that whatever I come across first at the scrap yard that's the right shape to fit inside or on top of a tower case, and a pressure switch pulled out of a washing machine years ago.

Half the point of this is that as much as possible is going to be made from reclaimed and repurposed parts.

I do have some common sense though - all the bits which are likely to be leak prone will be in a separate case to the actual machine being cooled! Gives me the options to lay things out a lot more nearly that way too.

...Also just noticed that the bore of the pipes out of the heater matrix are 15mm...so that opens up options for rigid piping for more of this system too...That could keep things a lot neater...Hmmm...

[excossack]

Sounds an interesting build. You doing a build thread?

[Zelandeth]

Maybe!

Certainly a page on my site anyway. There are going to be some interesting technical challenges along the way - and reliability will remain to be seen!

It's something I've fancied doing for a while now, just never got around to. Real question mark is going to be over the pump, which I've yet to test.

Still unsure how I'll set up the safety side of things in case of pump failure. May well just stick with the onboard monitoring which currently shuts down the system normally if the CPU temp gets too high. Can't remember whether I can set it up to do the same if a fan fails - because if so that would be an easy way to deal with it before the temperature had time to spike too far. Just inject a pulse into the relevant pin on the motherboard so long as the motor is running (which would be detected using the pressure switch). It's a non-overclocked Athlon X2-64 5200+, and doesn't tend to run that hot unless I'm doing something like video encoding anyway. I've usually got a desktop up before the CPU fan actually starts spinning, and that's with the stock cooler. At least I think it is...Was 2007 that I built the thing, honestly can't remember!

Project box will be getting attached to he desk frame which will have the switch for the pump and indicator lights for power on, system good and a fault indicator. Hoping I can track down some nice clunky rocker switches from an old Volvo 240 or similar for that. Nice action, look the part on a project like this - and match the one already in use on the other side of the desk as the power switch for the sub.

Just seems a fun project, and actually means I could use some of this junk for something useful.

Just discovered the end tanks on the heater matrix-I-mean-radiator are brass....Ohhh...where's my Brasso...

[excossack]

Sounds interesting to say the least!
I think I have a Lada Niva heater fan switch if that's any use?

[Zelandeth]

Thanks John, I've got a few Lada & Yugo switches floating around here, I like the Volvo ones as they've got a bezel built in and have pretty forgiving spring clips on them which makes panel mounting them tidily a doddle.

So...here's the kit as it stands so far.

One heater matrix which will be the radiator. Yes, I was right that the tanks were brass...





The control box is roughly assembled, I've left space at the bottom which may at some future stage house a water temperature readout.



Switch is the headlight switch from a Hillman Imp. The master switch for this will be on another box mounted elsewhere on the desk as I want to amalgamate a few things which are scattered over it at the moment - so it will incorporate the master switch for the cooling system, power switch for the sub, a bunch of USB ports and an accessible line in socket for the stereo.

Indicator lights will be as follows: indicator light (green one which has lost its legend) will be system power on, glow plug light will indicate that the system is running, and the oil light will indicate no flow. I've only been looking for a use for those for about the last ten years.

Last post in this thread probably about this project. Will probably stick a proper build thread up instead rather than boring everyone here with it!

Not likely to be a huge amount of progress over the next couple of weeks, main thing I'm lacking at the moment is a suitable pump, and my flatmate isn't going to be able to dig that out until they get back from an overseas job for work. Well, unless anyone else has any suggestions for a suitable circulation pump for this I can get hold of for cheap.

I did actually consider a normal plumbing circulation pump, but assumed that even on the lowest speed setting that it would likely be total and complete overkill - though I guess there is the possibility of throttling it back with an in line ball valve or the like. Have never actually checked to see what sort of flow they give on the lower settings to be honest.

[Zelandeth]

Hmm...That's an angle I hadn't thought about Gadget...Would require some careful design of the system I would think though - especially given that there's not much in the way of height difference between top and bottom, and there is likely to be a good couple of feet of piping run between the rad and the waterblocks on the GPU and CPU given that the cooling "plant" is being housed externally. Reckon there is far less chance of a drowned PC that way!

[Zelandeth]

TheRealNivaMan, a though which had crossed my mind - don't think they tend to flow all that much though do they? Think I'd rather have a pump that's on the over-powered side that can be throttled back than the opposite. Plus having something I can easily connect to is a bonus.

...Don't think I need to look to far for a pump now though, as I came across a Grundfoss 15-30 130 circulation pump this evening, which on its lowest setting seems to be pretty controllable.

The case the main machine in is some no-name thing I got from Maplin years ago (I was in a hurry, and to be honest it does the job well enough), the cooling system will be in a separate no-name minitower which currently contains (I think) a Duron 1200 machine that has been serving as a bedside table for the last two years.

I've split this into its own thread over here to save cluttering this thread up! Sure plenty of people are fed up with my ramblings by now!

[Hoodoo]

Yesterday, actually. Washed the Niva in thanks for it passing the MoT on Thursday. 10yrs old and 8passes, first time each time. Maintaining my sanity!!
Regards,

[GvidoR]

Came back home from the most useless trip to UK, which lasted no more than 4 hours.

On the bright side, fish and chips were nice on the ferry.

[Zelandeth]

Discovered that my Saab apparently has a leak somewhere. Carpet in the offside rear was sopping wet when I got to the flat this evening. Hmm...Need to investigate that methinks. Money would be on inner wheel arch corrosion having punctured it. Spotted one bit there when I was undersealing it before the winter - odd in that it was just one spot, and didn't seem to be hiding anything else (as I did check at the time as they're known to go there sometimes). So that will be getting patched up soon. Carpets out shortly as well to ensure the floor doesn't start rotting from the inside.

[excossack]

Could be a good tow motor as well.

[Neil Chowney]

Spend a lot of time using the brush cutter on the farmers field so that I can have a clear boundary between me and the crops/rabbits/hares and assorted wildlife that wanders into the garden when the hedgerow gets overgrown.

[excossack]

Is that the field you can see from the kitchen window?oh and the picture didn't work...

[Neil Chowney]

Hang on i'm dealing with it........


Yes it is....

[excossack]

You've dealt with it....Now I need a bigger screen!!!!