Help with making new water block
 

Hi guys,

I'm looking to build a new water block for my LGA775 platform. I have no experience machining or otherwise working with metals.

I would like it to have one inlet and one outlet.

What is the best design that is simple and cost effective?

Thanks,
Nate Phillips

Re: Help with making new water block
 

One of the last blocks I was working on was a pretty simple block. I used 1/4" copper plate for the base. I got some copper wire and found a drill bit that made a holes slightly smaller than the wire. I drilled a grid pattern with the holes going 3/16" into the base not going all the way through. Cut the copper wire in to small pieces and tapped them into the holes. Used some lexan to make a middle piece to fit around the wire and for a passage for water to flow. Used a piece of 1/8" copper plate for the top and soldered 2 connections on the top.

I was designing that to be a easy to make block with minimal tools. I had 3 designs made and was going to test them and tune the block for best performance but never got around to it. I don't think I have the pictures anymore either.

Re: Help with making new water block
 

Thanks man. Do you have any pics? I couldn't really follow you there...:)

Re: Help with making new water block
 

Jaydee, any idea if soldered copper wires (making it sort of a heat sink) would perform? Compare it to simple multi hole drilled water block.

Re: Help with making new water block
 

I think I saw a block were they drilled the holes all the way through the block and then soldered the wires on the base then lapped it. I am sure it would perform ok but doubt anything spectacular. In fact that was my next step with this design. Never got that far though.

Here is the thread I dug up about it. Sorry the pics are gone. I can't find them anywhere. I found one of the bases I was working on and took a quick webcam shot of it. I don't have the other parts though. http://forums.procooling.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=12029

Re: Help with making new water block
 

Note I found the pics and restored them on my webserver. They should show up in that thread now.

Or click here: http://www.customcooledpc.com/myWB/pingrid1/

Re: Help with making new water block
 

Thanks man! That looks like a pretty good design...

Re: Help with making new water block
 

jaydee:

Seeing the pic now reveals a flaw though. Since water cannot hit the base 'deep enough'. In other words, in your design copper base plate thickness is 6.35mm. It should be around 2-4mm max. One way would be to 'hollow' up the copper plate then drill and stick up copper wires.

I would also suggest 2.5mm thick cu wire as one can then drill more holes with more 'fins' stuck in. 2.5mm is easy to work with and stiff as well.

I see you have made a groove for o ring? How?

I am thinking of making one similar block with slight modification. How would one cut out plexi in middle?

jaydee, Nicely done...

Re: Help with making new water block
 

The O-ring groove I used my CNC Mill. Same with cutting the lexan center piece. However a simple drill press with a hole saw should be able to make the cut. Even a hand drill and vice with a steady hand.
The O-ring groove was made simply because I needed to take the block apart several times to change the pin array. Otherwise silicon or similar would have been used.

Re: Help with making new water block
 

How deep can a hole saw cut?

I would be using plexi, if the plexi sheets are held tighly there is no chance of leaks through them right?

Is there any way I could 'hollow' up the copper plate using just a drill machine?

I have always had bad luck with silicon and I am never going to use it again for whatever purpose it be.

The barbs would be held through the plexi sheets by a nut. Now just need to cut plexi properly as I cannot get a straight cut.

Re: Help with making new water block
 

Hole saw goes all the way through up to 2-4" depending on the saw. I can't think of a easy way to hollow the copper. Copper is a bitch to work with being it is so dense. You can get an X Y table for the drill press and use a mills endmill to make the cuts but drill presses are meant for vertical loads not horizontal.

Plexi will leak like hell if there is no sealant in there. Have to put something in there. If you don't like silicone or plumbers goop then you might find some thin rubber sheets and make a gasket with it. Or you could use all copper (or copper base and brass middle and top) and solder the pieces together and lap the hell out of the base to get it flat again.

If you use plexi and use a sealant then you need to scratch up the smooth sides of the plexy so the sealant has grooves to latch on to and anchor itself.


If you have a Dremel or similar then you have more options. You can make a Rotor style block. Check this thread out:

http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=117109

Re: Help with making new water block
 

please pass a link for a hole saw that you recomend... I have never seen one that can go as far as 4inches. The ones I have would go 8mm max.

Where can I get those xy table? I am dying to get my hands on something like that. Perhaps if I go easy, I can make fairly complex designs with such a tool. Will it fit any drill press?

I would use rubber sheets. I do not have a dremel.

Currently I have two Copper plates lying around. One is 4inch wide, 15inch long and 1 inch thick.

Other is 50mm wide, 6inch long and 1 inch thick.

Is there any 'in home' method to lap? These Cu plates have deep pits and using a sanding paper did not do the job (lapped for hours but...)

Re: Help with making new water block
 

Hole saw like this one: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...cStoreNum=8125

It will cut about 2" deep.

Just need to get one that is the width you want the cut out. Make multiple cuts until you get the length.

The correct name I guess is "Compound Slide Table". I seen one at my local harbor freight last time I was there. Dremel is probably cheaper. http://search.ebay.com/compound-slid...fsooZ1QQfsopZ3 If you get one of those then you can just cut the plexi with a endmill instead of hole saw.

If the copper is that rough start with some heavy grit and work your way to higher grits. Here is a guide form someone that forgot more about the subject then I will ever know: http://www.leesspace.com/Lapping.htm

Re: Help with making new water block
 

Check this out http://www.legitreviews.com/article/438/1/

Re: Help with making new water block
 

I guess you should have patented your design.

I wonder how they fused the two metals together. And what if I use Cu fins and solder them (from front i.e. where the water is going to flow, not from the back). And eventually lap its back i.e. processor contact area.

And perhaps use silver bearing solder. And how about thermal epoxy for bonding?

Re: Help with making new water block
 

Without having one of those in hand I can imagine they presoldered the tips of the pins and inserted them in the holes and heated the block up to melt the solder and bond the material. The amount of pins they have in that area is pretty good. Being they lapped it the IHS should make good contact with most of those pins directly instead of going to copper then solder then silver.

The problem with soldering on a fin is the solder is not nearly as good for heat transfer as a solid piece. Even the the solder is silver based. Also it is hard to keep the solder off area you don't want it. You can sure try it though and see what happens.

Stay away from epoxy if at all possible. Never had good luck with it in water cooling.