my home made tube done cheap

I'm having a solid tube made, been more than a week & the machinist hasn't started it yet sooo I thought I'd make one just to satisfy my anxiety. I went to the plumbing supply, bought a 12" piece of 2" copper pipe & a 2" cap for about $10. I went across the street to a radiator repair shop & paid them $5 to silver solder the two parts together. I had found a place earlier that sold insulation which I had bought a scrap piece for $5....the rest was nickle & dime stuff. I started this on Friday afternoon, gathering parts & by Friday night was ready for a dry run. Here are the pics:
http://www.pbase.com/tarrcm/image/55757187.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/tarrcm/image/55757181.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/tarrcm/image/55757169.jpg
the first thumbnails are a test run & note the meter is out of cal.
after 5hrs of dice, the only ice was at the top of the tube, none anywhere else:
http://www.pbase.com/tarrcm/image/55757797.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/tarrcm/image/55757799.jpg

Very nice idea for a quick budget tube tarrcm. :) Don't forget to post the solids you are having made. :clap:

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Originally Posted by Eldonko

Very nice idea for a quick budget tube tarrcm. :) Don't forget to post the solids you are having made. :clap:

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Thanks Eldonko. Will do when it's done - hopefully this week!

very nice. CAnt wait to see your screenies for your monster OC

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Originally Posted by knob

very nice. CAnt wait to see your screenies for your monster OC

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Thanks knob. This was my first experience with dice, but it did work. There are some things I need to do differently next time though.
Here's a result from first dice session, a new pb for me
http://www.pbase.com/tarrcm/image/55700722.jpg

any idea of temps?

Sure Revv, probably differs for anyone depending on frequency & CPU etc., but CPU temps for me were around -50C idle and -30C load while the container was about -68C to -69C idle & about -63C load.

nice, i was jsut wondering what i should expect on a budget tube.

im thinking about doing the same thing. where did you get that little bracket at the top?

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Originally Posted by wtkprol

im thinking about doing the same thing. where did you get that little bracket at the top?

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I use an electrical box cover I got at the hardware store for a buck. It had a 1/2" knockout in the middle which I enlarged to 2". It is held down with nuts, washers, springs (for tension) mounted on a piece of threaded rod. The rod goes through the mobo, then a piece of gasket material (on the back), and another electrical metal plate with nuts etc.
It's an inexpensive way to try out dry ice for cooling:)

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Originally Posted by Revv23

nice, i was jsut wondering what i should expect on a budget tube.

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I think the biggest difference btwn a budget tube & a solid one is it's mass, the solid tube will maintain constant temps better of course, but with dice - as long as ya keep it charged with pellets it will work super!

really nice tube

Tnx metro.
I need to say that I also added another piece of copper to the bottom, about 3/8 inch thick. I drilled it for the thermocouple so I could monitor base temps & then lapped it. The extra copper made a big difference in performance of the tube.
http://www.pbase.com/tarrcm/image/55841552.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/tarrcm/image/55841558.jpg

Here's a 3 inch soldered tube. I imagine it would work better than the other one but I haven't tried it yet...it still needs that extra piece of copper on the bottom.
http://www.pbase.com/tarrcm/image/59678460.jpg

Hey, great results. You are proof that you don't need to spend 200+$ on some overrated tube to do DICE. Good job.

Nice Work !
I've also a 2,36" tube who waiting for DI :D (60mm)

This i just a plate ? Have you drill the bottom ? Any pics ? :toast:

A home made tube is the wtg I think. Heck, you could even run on LN2 with one of these. On the otherhand, a solid tube has a lot more mass & therefore performs much better conducting heat & holding temps, no doubt about it. I'd say put one together & give it a whirl...it's a kick that'll put a smile on yur face the first time you get that new PB!
Here's a pic showing the plate I used on the top with the hole made to drop in the dice, could be bigger but it works fine for me. It also shows the gasket material (for the back side of the mobo) & threaded rod which can be as long as you like, even for a 36" tube! I like doing it this way 'cause there's no hold down plate lower (close to the mobo that gets all frosty & then melts - no frost this way).
http://www.pbase.com/tarrcm/image/59721617.jpg

This next pic shows the bottom plate, same as the top except no hole in the center. I did drill & tap for the rods, then added a nut on each to lock 'em in place & keep them from turning.
http://www.pbase.com/tarrcm/image/59721630.jpg

have you patented this yet? because it looks like it's going to be a great project for me! :D

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Originally Posted by 5-Clicks

have you patented this yet? because it looks like it's going to be a great project for me! :D

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nope, no patent heh. go for it!

i sell those things at my work. 52C1's and 72C1's. they are WICKED cheap, something like 30 cents a piece. they are used to cover the backs of boxes and stuff. ill be picking up a box of those...i get cost + 5% for working there :D

Very nice...I really like these budget jobs...and it seemed to work out very well for you. Nice job tarrcm.

Thanks all, it's just an inexpensive way for the normal "financially disadvantaged" overclocker to have a go at dice & experience the thrill of it.

I got a stick of 2 1/2 inch copper pipe too, type L I think it is...the heavy stuff. Eventually I'll make some dice tubes out of it too. I turned in my scrap copper a week ago, got over $100 for it but I kept some of the flat bars for making the base for the tubes.

I love the idea.

awesome dood :toast: