Alright folks, this is probably going to be either entirely uneventful or a complete waste of time. I don’t think there’s an in-between here.
I’ve had a need for a very specifically designed reservoir for a while now, so I can fit it in my ITX build. I’ve seen the hardcore DIY folks making their own acrylic reservoirs out of panels and cement before, so I figured “well, I’ve got a 3d printer, why not try it myself?”
I’ve got my printer tuned fairly well to the point where layer adhesion isn’t going to be a major issue.
I’m currently printing a 40x40x40mm test res with 3 ports, inlet, outlet and fill. The idea here is to just hook it up to a spare pump I’ve got laying around and do a pressure test. Will it hold water?
I never tinkered with 3D-Printing. So excuse this potentially dumb question: How much do 3D prints behave like clay?
From my (limited) experience when doing pottery without a wheel (by layering coils) is the seams inside the vase are never tight enough to hold water so you get wet spots. A layer of glaze will fix that.
Would a coat of paint fix that in 3D printing, if that is an issue at all?
From asking others into trying to 3d print vs CNCing stuff, there are certain types of designs that don’t work with plastic based 3D printed parts–for the most part 3D printers are great for quick protoyping and then working on a final revision. (don’t know anyone with a metal 3D printer) In my opinion there are cases of its better to over-engineer when in doubt about the limits or quality level of a 3D print(or the printing material)
Only downside I could see with a watercooling reservoir is the seal factor could be more of a problem than just micro-layer leaks–a layer of glaze would still be a good idea.
