Quicky Log: Custom Reservoir

[CyberDruid]

This one is for a fellow modder's project: an external cooler in a pre-existing inclosure he is adapting to the purpose.

It's surface mounted over and opening behind a smoked acrylic door.

I worked from a sketchup he sent me.

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/2024/indignityres052bv4.jpg
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3089/indignityres051dr9.jpg
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/4855/indignityres041uz1.jpg

In the next post I will detail how I got to that point.

[CyberDruid]

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/7267/indignityres004sk1.jpg
Parts cut to size.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/7718/indignityres005ks7.jpg
Something like that.

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/3022/indignityres012sl8.jpg
Plans call for a fan controller...so I have to modify this one by trimming the PCB.

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/8848/indignityres014pd0.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/1807/indignityres017bl0.jpg
That's the basic idea...I used acrylic specific drill bits to make a snug fit for the LEDs.

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/4994/indignityres020yw0.jpg
I taped off the back of the reservoir panel and sketched my signature glyph: the spiral-bolt. I've been using this symbol for decades. After cutting it out with a razor I etched it in the blast cabinet.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/7500/indignityres022dt7.jpg
The blues is the tape on the otherside...

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/2137/indignityres024pm2.jpg
Zap

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4936/indignityres025ya2.jpg
I skipped a lot of the fiddly bits...drilling and tapping the ports, blocking the edges, sizing all the pieces yada yada. Here I am at final assembly.

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/1072/indignityres029jl8.jpg
Something as simple as a small box is actually pretty hard to do if you need it to be "perfect" and water-tight...

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/6841/indignityres031qb5.jpg
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/4431/indignityres032tu9.jpg
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/8616/indignityres033sz9.jpg
The only I altered in the design was to add a port on the back of the reservoir because I had a feeling the one on the bottom might not work out due to the depth of the fan controller.

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/6826/indignityres035rc3.jpg
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/373/indignityres036eb7.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/628/indignityres037rn0.jpg
That's a wrap.

[DanishDevil]

Looks sweet! I like the idea of a reservoir and fan controller in one. How does the fan controller stay in place other than the snug fit and plexi stand for it?

[intel igent]

me likey! great mod as always Cyber :)

how did you manage to remove the knobs off of the controller? were they just a tight fit or?

:toast:

[CyberDruid]

The acrylic plate mounts over an opening in an enclosure.

The fan controller knobs come off easily. I had to remove the washers and face plate and trim the PCB on the table saw about 5/32" to get the threads to protrude through the panel.