How to get hard tubes the right length, the first time, every time. (Now with pics!)

crum3le

Member
One of the trickier and often overlooked elements of custom liquid cooling loops is the 'simple' job of getting the length of the coolant tubes correct. In creating these custom tubes you are in effect, searching for a theoretical but currently invisible, point in space where the two straight tubes would meet and at that point make a bend. It's an elusive spot, most loop builders seem to use a method called 'eyeballing' it, with varying degrees of success. Try it, trim a bit off, try it again, cut it too short, start again... Here's an alternative to that and other approaches involving ley lines, solar flares or magnets.

A majority of the bends you will need to make will include or are going to be 90 degrees bends. While creating a 90 degree bend is relatively simple, especially with something like the awesome Alphacool Eiskoffer bending kit, this method will tell you how to achieve the correct length for each leg of that bend, not how to bend the tube.

Y
ou will however need another piece of equipment to help you achieve these perfect fitting tubes. Depending on your level of DIY, it may be something you may already have, a self levelling cross hair laser. If you don't possess one of these useful tools, they start at about £20 on Amazon, £50 will get you an all singing and dancing version, £400 it comes with a complete orchestra. its also a useful tool in its own right, shelving, tiling and such like, so its not just for calculating hard tube lengths.

Set your computer up level on the workbench, you can place your self levelling laser on top of the case in locked mode, (where the beams do not self level) and aim it at a wall some distance away, any skew on the work bench will be immediately obvious by aiming the vertical beam at a doorway or corner. Anything close to level is fine, but the more accurate you are on this and following steps, the better the fit of the tube will be.

It's easiest to start with the lowest vertical union you want to measure, then its just a case of elevating the laser to the next height you want to calculate etc.

You are looking to set the laser so that the beams cross each of the unions you want to measure from, in this example there is one horizontal facing union, one vertical facing union joined together by a single tube with a 90 degree bend in it.

Orient the case so this happens with the tube you want to make. Mount the laser on a pile of books, handy camera tripod or something solid so that BOTH the laser beams intersect the centre of their respective unions, the horizontal beam with the horizontal facing union, the vertical beam with the vertical facing union.

Lock everything down and recheck the beams fall in the centre of each of the unions. Now you are ready to measure and that previously invisible point in space you were looking for now has a big laser "x marks the spot" on it!

Where the centre of the laser beams cross is that point in space you are looking for. It's now an easy task to measure from one union to the centre of the cross, then from the other union to the cross... make a note of the measurements, eg, write them down. You have the vertical and horizontal leg lengths. [EDIT] I would also suggest remeasuring them another couple of times. The measure twice cut once protocol, in this case, measure more than twice.

It doesn't matter what you use to measure the distance from the union to the cross, you can use a stick, ruler or digital callipers it doesn't matter. As long as you can transfer that measurement onto the tube accurately, the tube must fit.

Dont forget that each union has a recess for the tube to fit into. Either measure the recess and add it to the cross-to-union measurement after you have made it each time or, include it each time as you go.

Bend the tube, check and adjust the lengths of the legs as necessary, I've found that by reducing the length of the tube by about 0.5mm gives a little bit of wriggle room and makes the fitting of the tube somewhat easier without causing leaks.

You are done and onto the next one.

Stay safe.

Enjoy, like and subscribe etc.....:rolleyes:
 
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Metropolis34

Support
Staff member
Thank you so much for this very very constructive email dude :) We really do appreciate it. If you can provide some drawings next time that would be awsome ^^ Because this are the most common questions that the users are asking ^^ Especially the beginners ^^
 

crum3le

Member
Ah, ok... didn't think I could upload pics with new member status.. hence the wordy explanation... I can remedy that.

this pic is taken from next to the laser. I've dropped a sheet of paper into the pic to make the laser lines visible and easier to see. The laser going to the distro block is the horizontal union mentioned in the text above, and the laser going to the radiator is the vertical union mentioned. The laser cross is where you measure to. :cool:

Stay safe.

Enjoy, like and subscribe etc.....:rolleyes:

crum3le laser guide.jpg

















..hang on.. a white Lian li dynamic XL with a black interior? whats going on there then? :cool:
 
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