* * * Frozen Copper - The Journey to Subzero * * *

[Duzter]

On the access? You don't want to burn your hose, I'd purge thru a hose to a separate access valve, with a captueb brazed on the end, and drop it down the hole, or simply from the high side access.

You mean the low side acces right? You can't purge through the compressor through the discharge side.

Correct me if I understood you wrong. My technical english is a bit slacky.

[n00b 0f l337]

But if you have the rest of the loop brazed up, you can purge thru high into metering device and into the low and compressor

[Duzter]

Makes sense now.

[n00b 0f l337]

Or you can just drop another access in the other suction

[Duzter]

That would also be a way of doing it. Depends on how far you've gotten with the piping.

[one_servant]

Time for a colorful update!

Okay, I'm not the type of guy that says, "Sure, the standard options will be just fine." No sir, that's not my style if I have the option to mix things up a bit! So here you have it!

I know it won't fit everyone's tastes but thankfully it doesn't have to. I simply couldn't stay with the standard plain Jane Danfoss Black. Don't get me wrong...the black is simply smashing but it just didn't quite light my fire. Thus I present Intel Metallic Blue and GPU Metallic Green. These are just the first few coats so there is still much finishing to be done but I think you'll get the idea. Enjoy the before and after photos that follow.

BEFORE







AFTER







BEFORE





AFTER







Condensor & Side-by-Side Shots

[sjg0]

Nice job! Very original!

Personally the paint is a bit too metallic-ey for me, but thats just my opinion.

Why did you not cover the electrical terminals before you painted?

[sjg0]

Oh lol I also noticed you started grinding away at the old paint, did you get all of the paint sanded off completely? or did you just sand that small section and then give up.

Idk, but i think leaving it un-painted would be really cool! like with a brushed-metal type texture.

[n00b 0f l337]

Uh oh, you didn't paint those fins did you?

[vab206]

it looks that way :-/

[one_servant]

Why did you not cover the electrical terminals before you painted?

They are wrapped in painter's tape...the paint is just covering them and they will be shiny when the tape is removed.

Oh lol I also noticed you started grinding away at the old paint, did you get all of the paint sanded off completely? or did you just sand that small section and then give up.

Nope, no grinding there. It was just a quick sanding to smooth out some of the roughest parts of the compressors and to completely remove any trace of the sticker adhesive. It required a sanding down the the bare metal to make it work.

Uh oh, you didn't paint those fins did you?

Yup, I lightly misted them with the metallic paint. I know the paint will add some insulative properties to the condensors but it will not be a statistically signifcant change in the performance of the entire system. Since I opted to get condesnsors that were 3 times as large as actually required the insulation the paint wil provide won't be much of an issue. After all, companies like Black Ice and Thermochill completely powdercoat their entire radiators...and that provides far more insulation than paint alone. Those radiators still perform quite well for our water cooling friends.

[teyber]

lol- great braze there on a difficult joint :o

i hear you on flux but in industry they flux the absolute minimum as if you get flux in a system its very bad.

about the paint job on the compressors-

[one_servant]

Thanks Teyber. In that case in the future I'm going to use the absolute minimum amount of flux I can get by with. Those pesky little Oxygen molecules can be such a nuisance…but like was mentioned before the flux isn’t an absolute necessity. Thanks for the advice.

The more I look at those compressors the more they look ultra flashy to me. I’m pleased but I feel like I ought to add this information as well. They will be in a very dark case flanked by smoked glass. Any time they are noticed the color will be hard to make out and even when the glass is removed the rest of the case will cast a significant shadow over the compressors muting their tones. Hence the over-the-top color. Cheers everyone and I’ll get back with more updates later this evening or tomorrow.

[Rise]

that paint is awesome! i thought the same about the fins at first - such thin metal fins with even a little insulation would make a difference I would think but good point about the thermochill powder coated rad's. you should be fine and it'll look damn good as well! I'm loving this work log!!!

[yngndrw]

and Thermochill completely powdercoat their entire radiators

Actually, both of my PA120.3's have got raw copper fins - The edges of the find are black but if you look down inside the actual surface area is still copper.

Hope your project works out for you.

[one_servant]

Actually, both of my PA120.3's have got raw copper fins - The edges of the find are black but if you look down inside the actual surface area is still copper.

Hope your project works out for you.

I suppose my utilization of the word "completely" was a poor choice. The same would be true for these condensors. The edges are painted approximately 4 to 5mm until visibility is lost without a bright light. It's really a sensible consideration as it would be difficult and impractical to coat the interior of the fins. All we’re going for here are aesthetics and thankfully the heat differential will be substantially greater than that experienced by a water cooling radiator as condensation begins. That increased differential will contribute to a reduction of the diminishing returns due to the insulation the paint will add.

[wdrzal]

Where's the 7 coats of hand polished Clear Coat ???

[teyber]

the condenser is so oversized for the gpu portion i really don't think it will matter

[sjg0]

Thanks Teyber. In that case in the future I'm going to use the absolute minimum amount of flux I can get by with. Those pesky little Oxygen molecules can be such a nuisance…but like was mentioned before the flux isn’t an absolute necessity. Thanks for the advice.

The more I look at those compressors the more they look ultra flashy to me. I’m pleased but I feel like I ought to add this information as well. They will be in a very dark case flanked by smoked glass. Any time they are noticed the color will be hard to make out and even when the glass is removed the rest of the case will cast a significant shadow over the compressors muting their tones. Hence the over-the-top color. Cheers everyone and I’ll get back with more updates later this evening or tomorrow.

Nice! You clearly have put a LOT of thought into this.

Dam.... I just forgot what i was going to ask you too.......

[one_servant]

Where's the 7 coats of hand polished Clear Coat ???

I was asking myself that when I was laying in bed last night...I bet they will chill my processors another 2 or 3 degrees with a good shot of clear coat and some wax works!!

the condenser is so oversized for the gpu portion i really don't think it will matter

I'm hoping my calcualtions are right on that too Teyber. Time will tell!

[one_servant]

Okay guys...I have a confession to make: I'm an impatient man.

I've been prepping the "foundation" for the whole system by drilling the appropriate holes needed to mount the compressors and condensors. I've also just given the foundation it's first coating of hammered paint. This gray has a chemical it that will cause it to pool and pit throughout the surface. If I am able to properly apply this it should look something like hammered metal.

Getting back to my impatient nature...this stuff takes forever to dry...I mean, has it been a week yet? Sigh. Painted parts dry so much more slowly when you have something you want to do with the parts once they are ready... Anyway, I've got a rather lame update for you this evening as I'm quite literally watching the paint dry. However, I wanted to give you something so here are a few meager photos.

__________________________________________________ _____________

Here’s my basic, make-shift mounting kit for one compressor. I just put it together by walking down the aisles of Home Depot’s hardware dept.



And again, a great supply from Ron at Under the Ice. These are my Silver brazing rods. This tube was around $50.00 but believe me…it’s worth every penny. I wouldn’t attempt to build this type of system without some really high quality metal molecules for bonding my plumbing. With this silver at work I know the high pressures and other stressors the system will encounter will be handled with much more confidence than with an inferior alloy.

Check it out here: http://www.under-the-ice.com/product...products_id=83



Here’s a side-by-side of the wheels from Mountain Mods (included in the case package) and some alternates that I have opted for in preparation for the extra load this case is going to carry. The larger wheels came from Home Depot and they are rated at 75 pounds of load each. Their slightly larger diameter will make it easier to roll this case around in carpet or the typical less-than-smooth surface.



Here’s a sneak peak at the base of the case. This mounting plate will hold all the heavy hitters in this build. As you can see it still needs some refinishing. As soon as I’m able to you’ll see the components mounted and ready for brazing. Notice the 5.25” bay rack in the background of the photo. That part rests in it’s unfinished state; brushed aluminum.



Stay tuned sports fans!!

[teyber]

nice mounting design! did the compressor come with grommets or w/e the proper name is?(feet)?

$50 was a lot for brazing rods about 6 months ago, around 6 months ago i got a pound of brazing rods on ebay for ~ $30 or so and now on ebay they are all going for 50+, more with shipping. i must agree with you that ron's rods(lol) are of great quality and came to me in i think 2 buisness days

[dinos22]

wow what a nice "shed"
it's just like the one out of my wet dream not too long ago

[wdrzal]

You Better pick up some Grommets & sleeves so your compressor doesn't shake your PC apart. Only a few bucks.

[teyber]

uh oh- how long was the nf11fx un-capped, as shown in the picture during the painting?