Cooling with just one rad

After a certain chap from Florida set up his farm in the garage and used a couple of car radiators for cooling I thought I would try something similar but for me it will be with less rigs......

My expectation for this is that for most of the year I can run passive but there will be a fan (a serious fan) for high summer use

This log will take a while cos I don't do fast :) ...I think I have mostly everything I need now so here goes...

I spent an hour yesterday cutting and folding a sheet of 1.5mm galvanised steel
to form the sides of the fan/rad box...I'm trying to use secondhand where I can but this had to be new :shrug: can't win them all

There will be those among you who are perfectionists...well, look away now....Lets just call this a proof of concept...no use of straight edges no fine measurements just rough and ready cos Heath Robinson is my hero

In the first pic we have Today's efforts setting up a unistrut frame (bolted to the floor and the wall) then fitting the fan box with a channel to hold the rad. In the channel I have placed closed cell foam to protect against possible vibration issues

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9436/dsc00102eu.jpg

Second pic is the box finished off (mostly) with the rad fitted

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/355/dsc00103qr.jpg

If the weather holds I will add more tomorrow...and a bit more detail too

For those that did not see it before here is the rad

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/8108/arctosrad.jpg usually goes in one of these http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/6...ctros1843l.jpg

That's awesome, OC.

I'm sure even the perfectionists will be silenced when they see those pics. That is some very CLEAN sheet metal work :up:

Looking forward to seeing the build progress :)

nice, cant wait to see how it turns out! I used to do aircraft sheetmetal for 747 Mods, so i can appreciate just how clean that work is, looks great!

Excellent metal work :up:

Someone has a great sig that I always think of in relation to these projects. "There's a fine line between extreme and ghetto" :)

Is the rad going to exhaust outside or is it located outside already?

It is outside already :) just outside the shed/workshop. Trouble is it will be in the sun from around 4-5pm during the summer...still got to find a shade solution for that maybe

I only have a cell for taking pics but that is probably a good thing ...so nobody can see the detail of the work...I love my angle grinder and files don't get a look in :rofl:

awesome work oldchap!! can't wait to see the finished product :)

:wtf: sheet metal :rofl:

you should have named it "One rad to cool them all" :rofl:

what rigs are going to be hooked up?

I only have 3 watercooled rigs to put on this to start with :D

Those of you watching this build should watch this video because tomorrow I want to introduce MOAF

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Originally Posted by OldChap

I only have 3 watercooled rigs to put on this to start with :D

Those of you watching this build should watch this video because tomorrow I want to introduce MOAF

The description

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God I am getting old. Took me forever to figure out M.O.A.F. Would you mind doing a senior citizen version?:shakes:

Looks good. Thanks for sharing. :up:

Link seems broken.

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Originally Posted by artemm

That's awesome, OC.

I'm sure even the perfectionists will be silenced when they see those pics. That is some very CLEAN sheet metal work :up:

Looking forward to seeing the build progress :)

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The rivets on the bottom on the 2nd pic are not exactly at the same level, the right one is higher than the left :p:

Very nice work OC :up:
At some point I'm gonna have to do a mass watercooler setup for crunchers as well. I've been watercooling since 2000 (when I was 14) using home depot equipment, garden hose tubing and and old car rad anyway :D

Keep us posted on results, will ya :)

Excellent!

I can't wait to see your watercooled setup. Maybe you can convince Dave to make use of his cooler northern climate. :up: :surf:

Because I want to use the parts that I have on hand where I can I elected to run this using 22mm (~3/4") copper pipe. The rad had 2 1/2" inlets so here in the first pic is reducing from 2 1/2" to 2 1/4" to 22mm

http://img573.imageshack.us/img573/6931/dsc00105od.jpg

Now I would like to introduce you to the fan specs ... 63cm, 650rpm, 240v, 0.32Kw and fitted to the rad probably in excess of 2400 cfm :eek:

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4153/dsc00108mm.jpg

Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the MOAF

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/5286/dsc00107oa.jpg note the yate loon 120mm attached for scale purposes....Is this the Mother of all Fans???


It has just started to rain so I will start to assemble the pump and associated pipework. inside ...more soon.

Sure that will provide enough cooling? :rofl:

I concur - you need more airflow :sofa: :D

Well, I can try to get a fan controller for it, that would reduce the output to about half and bring the power used to around .25Kw

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/523...gfancurves.jpg[/URL]

This reminds me of what I really want to do some day. When I have space and money to do it.

ditto sparky. that's a long way off :)
Keep up the good work OC, I'm sure trn is watching with delight

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Originally Posted by Sparky

This reminds me of what I really want to do some day. When I have space and money to do it.

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I still have years of school... :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Otis11

I still have years of school... :rolleyes:

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Study hard my friend ...

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You'll have a good job later and lots of $$$ for computer toys :D

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Originally Posted by Jaco

You'll have a good job later and lots of $$$ for computer toys :D

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yeah I am hoping he'll hire me as a farm hand..

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Originally Posted by Jaco

You'll have a good job later and lots of $$$ for computer toys :D

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Originally Posted by PoppaGeek

yeah I am hoping he'll hire me as a farm hand..

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Yeah, I am hoping he will hire me to clean out the Hamster cages. :D

good lord - I'm liking the project already - so ambitious / large ... fit's in well around here :D

oh! oh!
i want a job
can i pet the chickens?

Instead of a car radiator has anyone ever investigated using an old Air Conditioning condensing unit with a defunct compressor? Mount your pump where the compressor was. I would think they would be giveaway items. Uses all aluminum instead of steel radiator fins. It would certainly be more stealthy in the yard and comes with a built in fan mounting solution.