Scratch Build – In Progress The Mineral Oil PC - 3/24/2011 - More leaks :(

thats a nice Makita drill. I've got the same one.

 

Shame about the leak, Wicked QC T-Shirt though

 

Indeed!I like the variable speed.

Haha, thanks!

 

I can't find the god damn leak on my case. The silicone "caps" on my sawed off T's are not leaking. The fittings and T's in the front of the case are not leaking. The left side radiator is not leaking. I don't think the bulkhead fittings on the bottom of the tank are leaking but I tightened them anyway (but it's kind of hard to tell without the tank being full and providing pressure). The only potential leak spots that I haven't been able to check yet are the right side radiator (unlikely, it's made from brass, copper and steel and it wasn't leaking before) and maybe the NPT fitting on the drain.

Stumped.

 

Nokia N900?

 

Indeed good sir. Some of the recent pictures were even taken with it.

 

Recorded with cell phone; don't have a real video camera. I'll ask around and see if I can borrow one.... By the way, the computer is on in that vid. It's pretty quiet.









(posted this from the oil comp!)

 

And now for some fun math. I think this is all correct, anyone recently take a heat transfer class? I wanted to figure out the flow rate of the oil

Properties of oil:
Specific gravity: 0.9 g/cm^3
Heat capacity: 1.966 J/(K*g)

Power draw of computer: 270 W = 270 J/s
deltaT of oil In/Out temp: 1.94K

(270 J)/s * (cm^3)/(.9 g) * 1/(1.94 K) * (K*g)/(1.966 J)
Everything cancels but the cm^3/s and yields: 78.66 cm^3/s
I plugged that number in Wolfram alpha to convert to gallons/hour and got 74.81gal/h

I want a few more data points before I accept that as definite. Also, not 100% of the heat is dissipated in the radiators, so it's not entirely accurate but I feel it's a decent approximation. The data sheet for my pump, the Eheim 1250, says about 250gal/h for 2ft head, but that doesn't take into account any pressure drop due to rads, tubing, etc.

 

I found a leak! (Not sure if it's the only one or not, so I didn't say 'the' leak). Up at the very top of a corner, the joint between the two sheets of acrylic is not 100% tight. It looks like the top 1.5" isn't quite sealed. I drained the tank to about 2/3 and I'm waiting for the oil to drip away so I can glob some silicone in that corner.


Hard to take a picture of it, I think I kind of got it in this shot, you can see the small gap.

I never ran into this leak before because the last time I was messing with this case (5 months ago) I didn't fill it as high. Also explains why it didn't leak when I was leak testing (didn't fill it this high) and it also explains why I couldn't find it when poking around in the bottom compartment.

 

oooh hopefully thats the only leak!

 

It does look really cool with the red lighting, sucks about the leak though, I hope you can fix it.

 

Just my 2 cents

Hi Legoman666! (it was a danish company who invented Lego, yeah go Denmark! )

I have (you could say, "painstakingly") read every page, every submission by everyone here in this thread, and I must say that you, good sir, are one helluva modder! I secretly hoped that when I reached the end of this thread, the PC would be up and running smoothly, so I wouldn't have to wait some more for more news and pictures, that's almost too unbearable - oh the tension!

Oil PC - great idea! I wouldn't have the balls to put all my precious hardware into oil! Well, world needs more pioneers like you (I know you wasn't the first, but you do it, and you publish it too, so that counts, doesn't it? )

I wish I had a workshop like yours (even if it's really your dad's, hehe) - and even more your skills! I have a Lian-Li PC-60 classic case, and I got a Vapochill unit that are awaiting mounting under that case. Then I plan getting a waterblock for my GTX260 (or maybe it's cheaper buying a newer card and a block for that... future thinking y'know - what would you recommend btw?) and some blocks for the mosfets, if it's really needed. Then it should be flying. Noise is fortunately not an issue for me since I'm deaf, hehe.

I really liked the CCFLs, they made the case stand out, how about some spotlights in the top shining on selected areas as to highlight them? Would be a nice effect, huh? And post more videos, they are GOLD!

Last, but absolutely not least, I hope you fix the leak and that it's the end of all your mishaps so you can use your time and energy for more and better modding instead of fault checking.

Keep modding on! This community needs more people like you! You are lifting us all to higher modding places

/Frido

 

Found the nasty little bugger! GOOD! Please tell me you prep the seams with mineral spirits or something before adding silicone. (Yeah, I'm paranoid enough for both of us!)

 

Thanks! I was thinking about switching it to blue lighting to match the motherrboard.

Cheers mate! It's been a long journey (did you notice the 5 month gap? ) I hope to fix the leak in the next couple days; I hate to let the machine sit unused.

Indeed! I think it must be, but it's hard to tell with so much oil all over the place (from removing a radiator).

I can't believe it took me that long to find! And do you mean something like paint thinner? Will that be okay on my acrylic?

 

dont use anything alcohol based on the acrylic!

 

its either sad or funny I cant pick...
I was mildly turned on watching the fans spin in the oil.

Then again no one commented on the Jessica Alba picture on his wall. Are we all at that point where our minds have become numb to these things?!

then again I just want to watch the fans spinning in the oil

awesome man!

 

What picture?

Geek pr0n > *

 

I'm starting to wonder how many other leaky joints you'll end up finding. Looks like you might have to go all around and put silicone on every seam. It'll ruin the aesthetics a bit but that's better than ruining whatever your machine's sitting on. :V

 

Lol, cheers dude.

I sit at my computer and stare at the oil instead of the monitor.

I hope none! Although I would be satisfied with a small drip here or there. I have no problem with keeping the cookie tray under the case.

 

It's late. That's all I got from your post.

Isopropyl is bad for it if mixed with glue, but mineral spirits/paint thinner is OK. I have no clue what you need to break up the oil you are using, though.