Reservoar like Tank-O-Matic (work in progress)

Everyone probably knows, that watercooling loop must be somehow filled with water and some aditives. When one gain experience it become clear, that the filling is not so easy and done it well and get all the bubbles out often took almost week to complete - in the worst case - no res/bad res, bad setup and tubing and restrictive look - well - could take month :(

I choosed external and beautifull Tank-O-Matic ( http://www.innovatek.de/contentServ/...php?StoryID=89 ) as the best solution, even it's not exactly cheap one - being sold for about http://store.over-clock.com/Reservoirs.html - 47.79 £ (that's x 1.84 in curently weak $ shocking 88$ !) - not conting the postage...

Well, at least it make filling my system easy job and cleaned the bubbles very well in very short time:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.php?p=w...&d=1&id=38&c=8 - bubbles, bubbles :(
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.php?p=w...&d=1&id=39&c=8 - no bubbles :)

Everything was good, but just to date, when after month and something in service is CRACKED! :mad:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.php?p=b...&v=v2&d=1&id=5
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.php?p=b...&v=v2&d=1&id=6
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.php?p=b...&v=v2&d=1&id=7
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.php?p=b...&v=v2&d=1&id=8
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.php?p=b...&v=v2&d=1&id=9
...it happens very likely because my temps are too high and the difference in thermal dilation in materials caused this - as you can see, even the little tube, inserted to the AL bottom or this RES, cracked :(

So, I replaced Tank-O-Matic with Danger Den round reservoir ( http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.php?p=w...7&c=8&d=1&v=v2 ), however temperatures go up by 3 - 6 degrees, removing air get problematic and mainly - water constantly disapearing from the loop, witch I DAMN HATED :mad:

And because there is no other similar nice-looking and functional reservoir sold anywhere in this world (I even asked DangerDen, if they could produce a little bit bigger and a little bit different version of the round res for me and for what price - but no reply on this topic...), I decided to make my own res, even the cost of making just one will be likely to get prohobitive. There is my first draw of this one:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/1.gif


...and there is first testing piece on my machine:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/45.jpg

As you can see, it prectically did not differ much from Tank-O-Matic, except it is optimized for the flow (Tank-O-Matic internal tubes are 8/10mm, mine are 14/20mm) and a little bigger too. The bottom threads are 1/4" NPT, witch is standard and allow connection of either 1/2" or 3/8" fittings. There is also not the 90 degrees bow, like Tank-O-Matic have, because it killing the flow (bending the tubes in longer diameter is not flow-resistant) and flow is all what matter in WC :) Thi bigger size helps as well, original is 240x50mm, and my version is 250x60mm (I even created a testing version that is 280mm long, but there is very little, if any benefit and the lenght is custom option anyway :) ) - more water helps to reach more flaflwss flow, perhaps even better filtration and for sure - less care about refilling ;)

The top and bottom closings are made from 8mm plexiglass (as well as the holders), so the thread will hold very well. The NPT thread is also self-locking and used even in automobiles for oil pans so the sealing is perfect, just when I tighten these with my hand!
The holders could be also glued to "special positions" too :)

The top cap is the same (almost) as used in the DangerDen res, from same company, just using BSP thread instead of NPT. That's because BSP thread is not conical and self-locing, so ppls will not get troubles unscrew it (I get it and I have fairly strong hands) - and also the top cap is not as critical for sealing. I was somehow surprised that it never leaking anyway - it was never intented to be 100% nonleaking, it is supposed to stay "out of the water" :)

The pipes for this res are sold by only 2000mm lenghts (2m, aprox. 9 feets), so from one I can make 8 res pieces :) If anyone found this one nice and usefull enought, I will hapilly sell next nontesting pieces (at least when it's confirmed that decreasing the internal diamater of the closings eliminate the glue "cracks" witch just looking, well, nonpreffesional... tought it by testing apears to be just a design issue), so the one for me did not cost me all the work and stuff need to buy just for cutting the pipes ;)

...to get some idea, how results from my work looks, there are couple of photos for you:

Work on my res project:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/galerie.php?p=res&d=1&v=v2

my watercooling history :D
http://ax2.old-cans.com/galerie.php?p=wc&c=8&d=1&v=v2

fanless server :)
http://ax2.old-cans.com/galerie.php?...c&c=8&d=1&v=v2

Enjoy ;D

What we looking at price-wise here, and put me on the list for one haha.

that is pretty sweet. i want one

wow, nice work! :toast:

if you guys wanna ask him to build one for you please post in the for sale section :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by saaya

wow, nice work! :toast:

if you guys wanna ask him to build one for you please post in the for sale section :)

---

:D Trying to get my 100 posts lol..

must say it looks very nice dood :) well done

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Biffsta

must say it looks very nice dood :) well done

---

Yea I had an acrylic worker custom make me one, but it doesn't look near as nice as this one here.

What method are you using to attach the acrylic, iirc there was a couple different ways to fasten acrylic.

LANjack - nice kitty :D Glad you like it.

The_Dark_Hacker - glad you liked it, Im just about to fix the glue cracks created in the final assembly process and then - let's mass product :)

saaya - should not this thread fit better, when talking about suggestions and questions about this project? :p: ;)

Biffsta - thanks :) Trying to improve the imperfect glue process still yet :)


About the material is simply glued. And the terminilogy acrilic is far from being descriptive. The problem is, that there are too many types of plexi glass, so the problem is to find the "nice looking" and also not very hard one - the precise material type I used is "acrylon" ;)


Anyway, since I retired ma DangerDen round res, I could show what my temps have done to it and where it leak - please note that I not screw the fittings too tight and at first I leave it "as it come", I tighten them a little when it start leaking - but look now!!!
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.php?p=b...0&c=8&d=1&v=v2

Im affraid that DangerDen used the wrong plexi glass type. It's definitively the hard and maybe shinier/nicer, but sure prone to cracking one!
Not used in my case, that's why my res holding pretty well my temps right now :)


EDIT: yhpm
-saaya

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trodas

saaya - should not this thread fit better, when talking about suggestions and questions about this project? :p: ;)

---

you mentioned a price, at this point its no longer talking about the product but advertising ;)

saaya - good point :D ...well, it's just estiminated one, anyway :stick:

its still a price ;) :D

wait some more until you have 100 posts and then post in the classies and offer them for sale or make a thread in the for sale section and tell people you offer to make custom reservoirs :)

Oucher. That dangerden res cracked in an odd way.

Were you using brass or plastic barbs?

I think plastic barbs are better for use in perspex and plastics.
I had to be very careful not to do the same thing to my new dangerden res... in theend I just used loads of PTFE tape and its undergone a weeks leak test now with no problems.

LANjack - now I understand your need for 100 ports :lol:

Holst - I was not that surprised at all by the crack :p: Remember, the Tank-O-Crap got 5mm thick tube and still cracked badly... DD res got only 4mm one, but seems the material is slightly better. At least mine works well now :p:
I used plastic barb - I was aware that at high temps, differences in expansing rate could made a problems. I find that the tape did not help me at all, the NPT thread is self-locing and work w/o the tape as well. But I discover this in my res, the DD one I used with the tape, as it come.
And one more thing - "statical" test for leak did not prove a thing. You got to test the thermal cycles, eg. from 20C make your water 60C and then back and repeat 100x :p:
(be prepared to buy new res then :rolleyes: )

It's getting better, I fixed the flue-crack-looking thing, so by beta 1 res is visually pretty fine. (I keep my alpha 1 anyway, works fine, survived pressure test as well - and the cracks are virtually invisible from half meter up away) There remain only slight glue-maps but Im just a guy - not a automat. I can't made always 100% right amount of glue... :rolleyes:

Anyway, nice, one, is not it?

http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.php?p=r...&d=1&id=45&c=8

...and testing by almost 5 atm:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/47.jpg

:D :D :D

talk about your everyday stresstesting! :)

wel I'm to in a hurry to get my 100 posts because by the looks of this that for sale section is pretty sweet :slobber:

Nice work dude!

BTW with what did you stick it together?

chloroform?

Entity_Razer - hehe, no stres now :p: 100 posts - that took some time, tough :D As glue I using UHU allplast - it was choosen after many experiments as the best way to glue acrylon plexi glass (there are many typed of plexi glasses and everyone is different... tough):
This is the glue:
http://doublescan.wz.cz/UHUallplast.jpg

And now some update :D

http://ax2.old-cans.com/wc/0095.jpg

http://ax2.old-cans.com/wc/0096.jpg

http://ax2.old-cans.com/wc/0097.jpg

http://ax2.old-cans.com/wc/0098.gif

...rest is there:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/galerie.php?p=res&d=1&v=v2

...and Im kinda happy with the resulting temps. They are recorded at 12:30, and the machine was folding (100% CPU load) from 8:30 + music + surfing and so on... :p: :)
Damn, I beat fanlessly most of the normal WC guys with fans!!! :lol: ;) :D

Looks awesome, by the way I too have the Innovatek TAnk-O-Matic Rev 1.1 which version did you purchase? I've been using the reservoir for a few months now and I havn't had any problems so far. How did yours crack? I'm just curious.

very nice dude :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trodas

Damn, I beat fanlessly most of the normal WC guys with fans!!! :lol: ;) :D

---

People with kits...?

idleuser - dunno, just Tank-O-Crap :rolleyes: Maybe this is already rev1.1, but I don't know. I definitively mnever ever believe anymore in res, witch combine metal and plexi glass in such critical case as the top/bottom seal is :( It cansed me nightmare, as everyone now well know...
As you can see the cracks, it just happen when I tightening it, when it leak and leak and leak...
Futhermore, as you can see, even the internal tubes get damaged, so - mixing highly expandable alluminium with plexi glass is definitively bad idea. Not talking about how much Tank-O-Crap restricting the flow :stick:


caLume - thanks :D I trying my best :p:


Torin - well, not only these. What is your clock and temperature afeter 8h of 100% load? (fold, prime + work) ...? :D


And now a little update. I trying to manage trully working solution, so it means that I have to test the res before shiping it ;)
I first tried the testing my long water culumn, however the resulting pressure is small, and in the end, into the res stay some dirt from the dry water :rolleyes: So I come up with this:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/50small.jpg

:D

At first, I did not used the clamps, because the used DangerDen tubing is IMPOSSIBLE to insert by hand on the barbs, so I tought it's not necessary to use clamps. At first, I want to test the pressure w/o res, of course. So I started pumping and pressure go up. At about 1.8 atm the hose with manometer just fly out of the brass :eek: :eek: :eek:
I still do not realized what Im up to.
So, I added clamps and pressure can go up and up... but WTF?! My pump hardly can manage anything over 4 atm! :eek: I was seriously disapointed.
But then I realized that average pressure in car tires are 2.1- 2.2atm, and I get a bit shocked about it...
It's the same pressure, as in normal radiators in room, for example.
No res on Earth could must manage this - this is a bit overkill :p:

So i sink the res in basin, and try the pressure as much, as it can go. Sadly, at about 0.75 to 1.25atm the top cap start leaking boubles, so ïn most cases, the leak test of the res body is limited to a little over 2atm.
The top cap is not intended to be as hermetic, and considering the mentioned usage, it can work as pressure safe release :lol:
After all, I did not know about single WC loop where pressure can reach such values ;)

http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.php?p=r...9&c=8&d=1&v=v2

I still have no idea how it cracks but I will be more aware of the tank-o-matic. The only thing I can see going wrong is the O-rings going back at the bottom. The top of the reservoir is threaded and can cause the reservoir to crack if you tighten it too much which I usually avoid.

Btw, when is your reservoir going into production? It looks really nice! and keep up the good work.

Very good job on the res. looks great.

idleuser - I have no idea either, probably the temperatures are too high for the poor suxxka? :( I have to admit that I would prefer it do NOT crack. Especialy considering that this thing is expensive, however making my own one cost me 6,5x the price of the tank-o-crap, so... even price-wise is a bad thing it does cracked.
I can only hope I managed to produce enought ones to cover the expenses :( And ATM I won't look back on the tank-o-crap anymore. Too restrictive and the holders are too ugly :p: Mine are simply better :D
(yet the design is borroved - or stolen, depends how you want to call it - from the tank-o-crap, so...)
You have the point - enathing you overtight is likely to crack. But I tightened it only becasue it leaks... :( Luckily, past months I don't know anymore what leak is, so... Im happy now - even with my pre-production res type ;) Maybe later I made one fully featured one - during the production (I already made few pieces) I discowered some know-hows, like how to glue the parts that way the glue point looking better and so on ;)
Glad you like it :D

OddOne - thanks, mate. Hope you like what come next too! :D

Now RadekB, who made the top closings and holders, come up with a little dirrerent holder type with holes, see there the old and news ones:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/HoldersPreview.jpg

...on Epox 8RDA+ mobo :p:

And for better idea, that it looks when I holding it by my hand to the funny testing reservoir made for fun from bad parts:

New design:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/NewHoldersmall.jpg

Old design:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/OldHoldersmall.jpg

The holes are 25mm from themselves and got a 4mm diameter - and now come my mad idea! 4mm is ideal for 1) making a M5 thread 2) inserting a smaller LED diode :D ...now wait a minute, what happen, when I enlarge the holes to 5mm? This:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/HoldersPreview2.jpg

At first I tought that it looks better that the smaller ones, however now Im not so sure. Anyway, the most important thing is, that into the 5mm holes one can tightly insert (push-in) normal, BIG LEDs and things could look this way:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/HoldersPreview3small.jpg

( http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.php?p=r...&d=1&id=55&c=8 )

And this absolutely catched up my eyes! :eek: :eek: :eek:
I think that this is great :D ...and of course, I can optionaly increase the holes diameter for anyone for free...

:eek:

looks great :)

looking good. btw what kind of coolant do you use? it is exactly what I want my coolant to look like

awww that sucks trodas, Yeah I am well aware when you tighten the top or bottle you have to be gentle... and the rubber o-ring is a pretty bad idea... never the less the innovatek tank o matic looks awesome :) It's a bit resticted as well since the the water inlet/outlet flows down into a L-shaped brab.

Btw, your project is looking awesome :) how much do you think it'll cost us hehehe. I'm down for one if the price is right ofcourse.

caLume - thanks ;) I must admit that Im was always against adding LEDs and cathodes and UV dyes to coolant and stuff like this, but it looks like I will soon change my mind - the blue light catched my eyes pretty well :D :banana:

Tatewaki - I use destiled water with Hy-per Lube ( http://www.hyperlube.com/prod_cool.asp ) and that it is. Looks cool, is not it? ;) But for the blue light you need blue coolant too, green + blue did not mix well, it looks then... well... afwull to my, but my friend was amazed, because it looked like the coolant is messy stuff, or something like it... so... Each guy probably have other preferences how coolant should looks like :stick:

idleuser - well, the tightening suxx, but the rubber o-ring is not necessarily bad idea. I see as much worser idea the fact, that there is the materials mix - the AL and the plexi glass. I bet that the plexi with increased heat expanding it's dimensions more that the aluminium bottom. Therefore come the leaks when used... Now when the temp go down, there is extreme pressure with - combined with the overtightening, because it leaking, thread - and you can bet on the crack. That's why I never mix materials on my read and it make him temperature resistant.
The restriction of tank-o-crap lies far more in the sad fact, that the connections have only 7mm ID (!!!) and the same is valid for the internal pipes. My connection is 10mm (1/2" fittings, of course optionaly can be there any fittings with 1/4" NPT thread - I got some 3/8" for the ones what need them, and MasterCarr sold many different ones for the 1/4" NPT thread... And futhermore I can made there a 1/4" BSP thread too, if anyone want use it...) and my pipes is not 7mm ID, but 14mm ID.
The restriction of tank-o-crap is serious, while in my design is next to none. T-line can't be beaten, tought :lol: (even it is pain in the a*s to fill, bleed and refill :rolleyes: )
And your last question I got forbidden to answer, till I have 100 posts and place the res thing in the trade section ;)

http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/Monster.jpg

:D

Now this is what I call monster :lol: :) From left there is a standard 250mm res, then two ones with rotated holders by 90 degrees - the first one is 300mm big, with holders 100 and 240mm from top and then there is a - Mmmooonnnssssttteeer :lol: A 400mm big suxxka, with holders 50, 180 and 360mm from top! :eek: ;)

In galery, there is two more pictures of this monster ;)
http://reservoar.wz.cz/index_en.php?...d=2&v=v2&red=2

that's hot man!!! ogm haha I think ill need to pick one of those up if you ever decide to sell them!

I made them for guy who want these insane sized res :p:

I, personally, did not recommend them, for two reasons. Okay, maybe there. Expensive. The water surface will be quiet - maybe not, if you use something like Iwaki or Eheim 1260, but surely with 1250 one like I have is the surface almost quiet when there is only 20mm or air in the res, and I got only 280mm one :rolleyes: What is the big deal with nonmoving surface? Well, movinf water surface indicating flow, so... ;)
And the third? Well, if something leak badly, you get a hell lot of water flowing to your poor mobo :stick:

But yea, they are somehow quite impressive ones :cool:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/dymONE.jpg

dymONE install :p: Rest is there:
http://dymone.szm.com/Res/res2.jpg
http://dymone.szm.com/case2.jpg

that looks really damn pretty :)

If you guys have a plastic shop close by you can build a similar res. yourself. I built 2 for myself, about 35.00 for enough material to build 2.
http://ourworld.cs.com/careighsautte...s/DSC01219.JPG

and another.
http://ourworld.cs.com/careighsautte...s/DSC01218.JPG

wow, very nice work

Looks very nice man.

Very nice, both of you. I've never tried using acrylic tube, how hard is it to work with?

Edit: And what temperature range will it take? I know polycarbonate can go down to -40 but I have no idea on bonded acrylic.

Trodas..question for ya if I may :D

How do you tap the holes like for the lid so that you are able to screw in a cap? I am thinking of attempting to make my own reservoir sometime next month, but not a cylindrical tube. Anything I should keep in mind when purchasing plexi ,acrylic, plastic or whatever is specifically used?

KaptCrunch - ROFL! Nice joke :D How much heat do YOU think these LEDs can, when used, add to the loop? :D

spruce - good one, indeed :) Im only a bit concerned about the size (ID) of the pipe used - looking a bit small to me :p:

MVC - I use Acrylon - less hard, but far less prone to cracking, unlike harder plexi glass variants. For good quality of cut you need a watercooled hi-RPM cutter with as many blades, as you can get - other than that - not a big problem. Just remember that every scratch is visible, so you gotta be experienced - or close eyes after on the imperfections ;)

Nubius - you must use oil on the tap, but not a syntetic one, just steal one in kitchen :p: :D Choose carefully, some of them can cause cracks. It's like when you apply technical spirit on the plexi glas - in the parts where the material was cut/taped it is very very very likely to develop cracks. Frankly, it is almost certain ;) And use a quality tap and do things slowly. And then show your results! :D :p:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/Xander%20expanzka2.jpg

:D

just the fittings which look down disturb a little bit.

its 1/2 ID acrylic tube

spruce - well, looked tad smaller to me - probably because I got used so much for my bigger ones :p:
Definitively they are at least not as restrictive, that the tank-o-crap ones, with ID just 7mm (!!!) and OD 10mm :)

I recenly realized that rubber sealings got it downsides. After more that 2 months being tightly pressured by the cap and on my garage windows, where half of day come direct sunlight, it stoped holding pressure at jut about 3/4 bar, witch IMHO suxx a bit :( Now I understand why RadekB use silicon stuff for his Cascades. Rubber suck in longetivity a lot :(
Luckily, I managed to fins a silicone O-ring with a bit bigger profile, but same diameter and it looks like is time for another 2-6 months test:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/s.php?p=res&id=63&c=8&d=1&v=v2

:D :D :D

Anway, Warlord instalation:

http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/Warlord.jpg

:cool:

This is awesome stuff.

I'm just staring a project that has dual cooling loops so I need two reservoirs.

Problem is I haven't made the case yet so I don't the length that will fit.

But great work - like others I want something like the tank-o-matic but designed and built better.

bfx