Scratch Build – In Progress Project Z1X -- 3rd November -- Restarting as a scratch-build

zurechial, its all still rumors, but i think its not going to be a 8900 but a 9800, and rumored to be 2 times as good as a 8800 ultra. just a rumor though, i would get the mcw-60, and im sure swiftech will come out with a mounting plate for it, and d-tek unisink will problably have one for it, which a mcw-60 fits

 

yeah wait until the 9800's come out. They will be almost the same price as the 8800's right now.
Looking good on the update!

 

verry cool

i have a question about yours 3D pictures:
How one makes to draw the hoses(the curves)? you have a tuto for that? thanks

 

I've decided to get a D-Tek FuZion GPU block and use sinks to passively cool the ram & mosfets, so which card I get is slightly less of an issue now.
I was worried that I'd not only blow €500-650 on an 8800, but also another €100 on an 8800-specific fullcover block, only to be bitten by new releases shortly after.

Getting the FuZion means I should retain compatibility with my loop regardless of what card I use....as long as nVidia don't change the card's mounting system too much.

Thanks

The technique I use to draw the tubes for the WC loop is one I learned from a thread somewhere here on Bit-tech, but I'll post a picture-tutorial here of exactly what I do anyway:

1) First, I mark out the cross-sectional dimensions of the tubing itself:


The above measurements are for 3/8" ID (10mm ID, 16mm OD) tubing -- 5mm inner-Radius, 8mm outer-radius.

2) Then, I draw 2 circles, one for each dimension (ID,OD) - Drawing the outer circle first ensures that the inner one registers as a shape on the surface of the outer one:


3) I then decide vaguely where I want my tubing to go (a destination is a preqrequisite for this ) by drawing a very rough shape with guide points/lines:


4) Once I have the vague path of the tubing mapped-out, I draw in true lines over the guide points:


5) Once the path is drawn, I soften the corners of the path manually by drawing connecting lines across the corners in an arc pattern as below:


It might be easier to use the curved-line tool, but I find that this method gives me full control of where the path goes.

6) Then I delete the sharp corners, leaving only the smooth(er) inner lines:


7) Once the line is ready, I remove the inner circle from the tubing cross-section


8) Then I select the 'Follow Me' tool from the tools menu. With 'Follow Me' chosen, I click once on the flat surface of the tubing cross-section and then move the pointer over the start-point of the line, then continue to trace the line with the pointer, ensuring that the pointer 'passes over' all of the points along the line. This should extrude the cross-section into a tubing shape along the length and path of the line, but it can be finnicky and awkward at times.




9) When I've travelled along the line to my destination, I left-click once more to finish the extrusion:


10) Then I apply a transparent surface material to the tubing and soften/smooth the tubing by 180 degrees:


11) Finally, I delete my original guide-line, leaving only the tubing:



In that last image you can see weird glitches and artefacts in the tube's shape. This is due to making corners which are too sharp to produce a natural curve on the tubing.
This can be a handy way of judging if a particular bend or turn is too tight for even real tubing to make due to the possibility of kinking, the real-world equivalent of those glitches above.
There's no subsitute for actually testing your path with real tubing though, don't judge a tight corner by Sketchup's tubing.

Hope that helps!

 

WOW! SO pro design! OMG you pro in this Well done Can't wait to see it in real!

Good luck.

 

Thanks CK

Let's hope the real thing turns out at least somewhat close to the Sketchup model

 

thanks a lot for this tuto

 

that tuto will help sooo much thankyou.

 

No problem
Having the tubes modelled makes it a bit easier to grasp their visual impact on your project, and decide how best to make everything fit with a WC rig, I think.

 

Good work on the loop! Looks great!
Even though, I have one concern, and you had it too. The pump.

Maybe you could lower the pump a little bit, close to the first radiator (actually, I don't have any experience on water loops, it's just something I thought that might work).
Or, add a second pump.

Suscribed.

 

Great SketchUp work thanx for the tuto. I had always wondered how this worked, just never got around to finding out about it.

Will help lots.

 

I hope you can keep the water loop as planed...it's beautiful

the whole design is great...........

Alan

 

Wow you have a great eye for detail. Can't wait to see this finished

 

I've consulted with the gurus in another thread and the pump should be just fine, so I can plough ahead as planned now.

Thanks and No problem

Thanks very much! I might even go further with a 2nd loop, we'll see..

Thanks! I can't wait either, though the 'getting there' is enjoyable too, so I can't complain

 

I really wanna see the feet they look smexy in the deisgn

 

Thanks Supra55 I can't wait to start working on the legs/supports too, but I need to decide on the best way to fit them to the case first.

 

looking sweet mate ,congrats on the sponser

 

Well, after a pretty long hiatus due to college and work, I've come back to this project.
The thing is, my plans have changed slightly in ways that just don't work nicely with the constraints of the Temjin-6...or what's left of it, that is.
There are holes, awkward edges and sheet-folds in the panels from purposes specific to the stock case, and these are just getting in the way of my designs.

To that end, I'm considering starting from scratch and turning this project into a scratch build, but using a few parts like the drive cages and PCI-Bracket from the Temjin 6.
Considering I didn't actually get a whole lot done previously, it shouldn't take me too long to get back to the same point, and from there I can continue onwards and build this case the way I want it, without constraints.

The basic design is going to be the same, with some minor changes here and there to the plans, but I'll be rebuilding the case from scratch using Aluminium angle & sheets, galvanised steel and Acrylic.

I already have the Aluminium Sheets, Acrylic & Steel, so once I get the Angle pieces I'll be ready to begin this project anew.
I'll have some Sketchup diagrams (yes, more of them ) up later.

Sorry for the delays and turnaround to anyone who's been following this project!

-----
Update:

Virtual rebuild in progress!

 

The last of the parts I need for my WC Loop have arrived, so here it is in entirety:


The loop-components altogether:


3 Litres of Feser 1 UV-Blue coolant:


HWLabs Black Ice Xtreme II (120x2) Radiator, Swiftech MCR120 (120x1) Radiator:


Laing DDC 3.2 (18w, Blue Impeller), OCLabs Clear Top - 3/8" EK Fittings:


DangerDen TDX - 3/8" DD Perfect Seal Fittings:


Swiftech MCW60-R & Heatsinks:


16' of 3/8" Clearflex Tubing, 4 Metres of 10/8mm Alphacool tubing:


Extra miscellaneous parts:


All of that cost a pretty penny, no sponsorship yet. I think I may try to finish the project without sponsorship, as I'd rather only use those exact components which fit my designs and concept for the project.

Apologies for the poor photo quality, future photos of the project will be taken with a better digital cam.

Rebuilt sketchup designs to follow later tonight.

 

Nice gear, but why the tape on the coolant? Did someone in customs have to drink some to make sure it wouldn't blow up the postman?

Good luck on the scratch build, and remember: You don't need to build a 'box' anymore! Go crazy!!!