So I'm thinking of doing. A bit of reworking of my watercooling and decided it could be a chance to play with rigid tubing. Few main questions are: 1) what brand is proven to work 2) is it system based (ie specific tubes use specific fittings) I've seen the videos primo chill released which looks like u need all new tube specific fittings but I haven't done any more research. My plan is to maybe have a mix of flexible and rigid tubes to combine ease of upgrades with better looking long sections - I've a mountains miss duality so its a fairly big case. Also if anyone get has examples of there work or good cases I'd be keen to get an idea of what can be done
It is. KR was plumbed with hard tubing and used pneumatic fittings. Hard to work with but once sealed they would survive the apocalypse. The PC I'm working with now has all fittings ready for hard line tubing, just have to get everything installed or it. I'm using Monsoon's low cost hard line fittings, and I'm really pleased with the build quality.
would standard 10mm copper pipe and compression fittings work? don't fancy brazing in the case . MMMM getting some ideas now
Well, standard as in the kind you use for your home, yeah that would work fine, quite bulky though. Normal WC compression fittings won't work as the compression ring usually squashes the tube and not an o-ring around it. There are a load of different rigid tubing systems out now, it's proving to be a massive hit with the community. There are two main styles to go for: compression fittings and push fittings. Compression: Compressions work in pretty much the same way home plumbing compressions do, only they use an o-ring rather than a copper ring (this allows them to work with acrylic tube which would shatter/crack). Primochill's Ghost and Revolver fittings work this way, but they only really fit their own tubing as they use imperial measurements. You'd probably be able to find some other tubing elsewhere with the right measurements, but it's just extra hassle really. Bitspower has a new line of rigid compression fittings too, which will no doubt be very high quality and very expensive, as usual. I believe Monsoon's hardlines also work using this method too. Push: These use an O-ring or similar sealant device just to provide a tight seal to the outside of the tube. You simply insert the tubing into them. Bitspower Crystal link is the classic example of this fitting, works with acrylic and metal tubes alike. The OD is particularly important here as there's nothing that actively clamps down on the tubing. The fittings themselves tend to be remarkably strong though, so don't worry about them falling off or apart. I was really surprised with just how strong the seal was with the crystal link fittings. EK's HD Adapters and XSPC's rigid options also use this system, along with a host of smaller branded ones. They're quite popular as they tend to look much less bulky than the compression ones.
I use Primochill Rigid Tubing. Make sure you get the bending kit, that comes with different sizes of internal silicon, so you don't create flat spots or bubbles when heating then bending.
I built a rigid tubing system a few months ago. I used the Primochill tubing and fittings. I would definitely suggest buying the rubber bending aid which you insert into the rigid tubing prior to bending. It makes bending the tube far easier. I would also suggest buying more tubing than you need. It's very easy to ruin a piece when you first start. This is how mine ended up:
Cool guys, hadn't noticed the posts on this one Having just come back from holiday its looking like funding might mean this is a summer project so I'm loving how these turn out. I'd make sure I grab a bending kit too, I know about the tubes which go inside to prevent the flat spots etc - does the being kit also come with sometime to make the bends like template blocks for various radius or similar?
For me, I just used the rubber inner and heated it up and let gravity do the bending. I tried using other items the bend the tubes around but found that they would give flat spots if you used pressure. It takes a lot of practice - a lot. If you try and force a bend you will ruin it. Don't hold the heat gun close because you will cause the tubing to bubble. It really takes patience to get it to work, heat and turn
Alphacool have just released some shiny hard tubes if you want a challenge (scroll to the bottom) http://www.aquatuning.de/SwagCustomCategories/index/filterMode/newest/sPage/2