If you have ever built a water-cooling system or researched prices and components you know that it can get pretty expensive. Not everything has to be expensive with water-cooling though; with this guide you will be able to build a cheap watercooling reservoir for around 10 dollars. The reservoir cost me $4, the barbs were $1 each, the J-B weld was $5 and I had everything else.
What you will need
- DU-BRO 10oz or 12oz fuel tank
- 2 3/8″ or 1/2″ barbs
- J-B Weld or GOOP
- Drill & bit
- Electrical tape
- Razor blade
- Wrench
You can really use almost anything to be the reservoir however I have found that a DU-BRO fuel tank works really well. You can pick one up at your local hobby shop. I would suggest you get the 10oz or 12oz one, you can go bigger but there is really no need.
Your DU-BRO fuel tank is intended for use with a RC plane or car, so it comes with a lot of parts you do not need, however hang on to all of them because we are not going to have them go to waste. Unscrew the 1 screw in the top of it and shake everything out.
I decided to use 3/8″ barbs for no particular reason. I prefer to use 1/2″ because you get a better flow rate but I will not be using this reservoir for anything as I already have one in my system with 1/2″ fittings.
The first thing you will want to do is to make the outlet hole. All you will really need to do is drill a hole in the bottom of the reservoir (opposite side of the hole already in it.) Be sure when you make the hole so that the barb will fit very snugly because get as tight of a seal as possible.
Now that you are done with the outlet you can do the inlet unless of course you decide to make the inlet first. Depending on how and where you are going to mount the reservoir will determine where you will make the inlet hole. I decided to put mine on one of the sides. Make the hole close to the top hole maybe 3/4 of the way up.
You now have your inlet and outlet hole where you will now mount your barbs.
You will now need to install your barbs, take your first barb and thread it into the outlet hole. I know I’m working backwards but hey.
Hopefully you have made the hole for the barb small enough so that you will not be able to screw it in all the way by hand. If you are not able to by hand go ahead and use a wrench.
Tighten it all the way down so that it’s flush with the surface.
You can now go ahead and do the same with the other barb for the inlet. Again you should start by threading it in by hand.
Again if you have made the hole the correct size you will need to tighten the barb down with your wrench.
Tighten it down so that it is flush with the surface, you will need to be more careful with this one because the wall is thinner and can easily warp.
You will now need your J-B Weld, you can pick this up at most hardware stores. J-B Weld is a 2-part mixture, a hardener and steel part.
To get the correct mixture and the best results you should use a 1 to 1 ratio with the hardener and steel part. I decided to put it on a piece of tin foil only because it was the first thing I saw to use. You can use whatever you like.
Now take one of the little brass tubes the came inside of the DU-BRO and smash one end so that it is flat and you can use it to apply the J-B Weld.
Go ahead and use your new mixing stick to mix the hardener and steel part of the J-B Weld together until it is thoroughly mixed. It should turn out to be a dark gray color.
After you have mixed up your J-B Weld go apply it around the seal of the barb, this time I have started with the inlet. Apply a generous amount; don’t be afraid to make a mess and glob it on. It is better to apply too much than too little. A leak which will spray water all over the inside of your computer would not be a good thing.
Go ahead and apply J-B Weld to the other barb now, again put a generous amount on as you did with the first one.
You will still need the cork for the top hole which will be used to fill up the reservoir. The DU-BRO comes with a cork and hardware to waterseal it, all you need to do is take that cork and put it back in the hole.
Pop that cork into the fill hole and you are done with your reservoir. You will need to let it sit for 24-48 hours so the J-B Weld can cure.
Conclusion
Hopefully this guide will help you on your journey into watercooling and maybe persuade you to look into it further as a possibility for a cooling method. All the parts that you will need can end up being kind of expensive if you want top of the line ones, however I hope this guide can save you a few bucks on the total amount.