Building a heatsink... kind of. Solid copper bar or heatpipe?
 

I have a very large heatsink, pretty close to 1" x 10 x 10" What I am trying to do is use a micro atx board and make the heatsink the entire top of the case. Then use something like a solid copper bar (about 3 inches in height and inch in diameter) to connect the heatsink and processor. So id put the copper bar ontop of the processor then the heatsink ontop of the bar.

Thing is the only places I can find solid copper bar is onlinemetals.com and ebay. Either way Im going to spend 30$ on just a <12" bar and shipping. Not to mention cuts.

Then I was thinking I could take a TTIC NPH-2, or something similar, rip off the top inch of fins (as the heatpipe column is 100mm in height, about 4 inches), cut a 1" hole in the large heatsink, then extend the heatpipe to the very tip of the heatsinks fins. Thing is the contact area from the side of teh heatpipe and the large heatsink wont be much. Should I just stick with the solid copper bar idea?

I was going to take the retail P4 heatsink, cut a 1" hole in center all the way thoug that, put a solid 1inch diameter x 3inch copper bar in that hole, make it flush with the bottom of the retail heatsink, use some AS epoxy to hold it inplace as well as put a bolt through the center of some of the fins on the heatsink and the copper bar, then lap the bottom of the heatsink and the copper bar so its nice and flush.
Then basically just put the heatsink ontop of the copper bar thats sticking up. Holding everything in place isnt a big deal.

Thing is it would be easier and cheaper for me to just buy one of the cheap heatpipe coolers and hack it up. I dont know what performance that will give me though. Do heatpipes only work well with fins all along the whole column rather than just at the top?

From online metals, for a 12" bar (shortest length I can get) and one cut IM already at 30$ without shipping and it will weigh around 10lbs...

Any input is welcome =)

majority of heatpipes HSF didnt work as well as simulation on FloTherm/IcePack, is that soldering the fins to pipe are pain in the a** and working temp had to keep really low.

That thing will weigh a ton and not perform well. I'd put a waterblock, a small pump, and run tubing up and down the length of the heatsink.

You can't just extend a heat pipe. The have a working fluid which is selected for the temperatures the heat pipe is expected to work at and a wick to move the working fluid after it has been condensed at the "cold" end back to the "hot" end.

both design wont work not as well as make your HSF with heatpipes arrange in a ][ pattern, good solid soldering on flat base plate(s) with pipes would be a challenge, S-Bond 200 may be good enough joint medium for your pipes and fins. Good luck

Yeah, he is right you just can't cut the pipes and extend it. There is fluid in there, I think its refrigerant........I forget. Anyways, the first idea you had would make the heatsink weigh a f**kin' ton. Try to keep your idea simple, and to the point.
If you had a simple saw, you can make your own cuts. You don't have to go and buy a power saw to cut through copper. Or a dremmel even.