Fun with The Torture Rack

[headala]

Hi, Sharon, I hope you are well. AWESOME build...I love the purity and clarity of the blue and clear. Very classy and attractive! It might be the only clear/open rig I could say that about. How old were you when the pic with the Alienware laptop was taken?

[WinstonSthlm]

This is a truly awesome build Sazza!
Surreal but nice

[MedRed]

Hey shazza. You've got a PM

[shazza]

Holy Moly ... I thought I'd gone back in time

Hi, MedRed - and WELCOME to XS. Just saw your PM (I've been wrestling with cable management and sleeving on my current build).

Let me answer your questions here, that way others can chime in if they have any additions.

What screws did I use to install the radiators?

Dang, that's a hard one. I used either 30mm or 40mm M3 machine screws from McMaster Carr ( these). I can't remember for sure, and the Blue Smurfy Torture Rack has since been torn down.

Note that I had to use M3 because that's what the Magicool Radiators I was using required - check the specs on your radiator before ordering screws. You might also try some of the screws that come with the Torture Rack to see if they are the right size. (Which radiators are you using?)


2) How did I paint the radiators ...

Answer - poorly OK, serious response - I was using the Magicool radiators, and they have a metal shroud over the actual core. So, I did some light sanding, a primer, and sprayed them with a blue Krylon paint (readily available at Lowes / Home Depot - nothing fancy). But, they didn't come out as well as I would have liked - I've learned since that it was too hot outside when I was painting. Also, I'd recommend using a self-etching primer for metals (I use SEM now), then using any paint that is recommended for metals.

Again, it depends on which radiator you are painting - many don't have the metal shrouds, so you'll have to sand and prime the actual radiator (always covering the fins so you don't paint them). There are a few threads on here which show how people have painted their radiator (don't have time to look right now).

I hope this helps some - good luck with your project, and hope you do a worklog!

[MedRed]

Thanks Shazza. I waited a long time to get to talk to you. The Black Ice SR-1s look like they use M4 screws. I measured the depth of my fans + my case and it looks like altogether it's 35mm deep. I ordered M4 40 mm screws. Were you able to see properly to keep the screws from threading into the radiators? None of the screws that came with the Torture Rack were long enough. Thanks for the hints on painting. Did you sand by hand?

[ScottALot]

How can it look so good without a case?! Man I need money and/or the time it takes to make this stuff look so great.

[shazza]

Thanks, Scott. Just took a bit of time to set it up.

MedRed - hopefully those will be the right screws ( I would double check what I used, but the Torture Rack is packed away currently). As for the length being okay, I always double check before screwing any radiators in by pushing the screw into the fan/case/grill and then holding the radiator up to the end of the screw that is sticking out - If you place the radiator so the edge of the shroud is next to the end of the fan, you can see how far the screw goes in - and make sure it doesn't hit the fins. You can also use something very thin (like a dime, or piece of a broken CD) to place on the fins to protect them when you are screwing the fans/radiator in. Hope this makes sense. Getting screws to work with radiators is one of the biggest pains !!!

Re the painting - yes, I sanded by hand. I'd recommend using a sanding block so you get an even motion. I'd use a coarse grit first, then followed by a finer grit. The shrouds on my Magicool Rads were not painted - they were bare metal, so I didn't have to worry about taking off all the paint. If I were doing the SR1, I'd probably try to sand all of the paint off, down to bare metal - not sure that's absolutely necessary.

Question, are you just painting the shroud (like I did), or are you painting the whole thing? I've seen some people completely strip all the paint off the radiator before painting it (Check out Kibbler's Capella work log - he's done some painting). You can also run a search her for "Painting Radiator" and variations.

[MedRed]

Thanks shazza. I'm painting the whole thing. I did want to paint the fins too, but that's going to be way too much trouble.

[shazza]

Yep - and painting the fins is not recommended, as it can affect heat transfer.

Since you are painting the whole thing, you might want to try some of the chemical paint strippers to remove the existing paint (just be sure to follow safety recommendations).