- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
- Messages
- 15 (0.00/day)
I understand that there are some things man was not meant to explore.
But that doesn't apply to me, so I do all kinds of unwise experiments that no one would do if they have common sense. Fortunately, I don't have any of that, either, so I tried to freeze my CPU solid with a 420-watt industrial TEC. That project is still in the works, even after melting a water pump.
Besides the pump, another mistake I made was condensation. Yes, I packed the processor in silicone goop, which worked great. But it got so VERY cold that the ass side of the motherboard froze (as in, "it had frost on it"). Water condensed, and the board and CPU shorted.
But I'm back in the saddle now, and I learned how to seal an entire MB. They sell spray to waterproof circuit boards, but it is horrendously expensive. However, I figured that cheap silicone waterproofing spray from the hardware store would work just as good.
I also figured that it would lead to yet another one of my experimental disasters, probably because the acetic acid generated while the sealant cures would etch the electronics to death. But I knew that at least the house wouldn't burn down this time. (I saw how Kirk shot the Gorn, so I stole saltpeter and sulfur from the middle school lab, and ground it up with aquarium charcoal. I imagine a lot of kids did, except I was the kid who decided to ignite it where my psychotic mom wouldn't see me — in the dry old attic. I didn't know the mixture had to be pressurized (in which case, I would have built a pipe bomb), so it only fizzed and flared like a cheap fireworks. I just barely managed to put out the fire.)
To make a long story short, you can waterproof your motherboard with cheap silicone spray. But use two coats, and make sure to put tape over all the slots, heat sinks, and anything that gets hot (like the voltage regulator array).
-faye
But that doesn't apply to me, so I do all kinds of unwise experiments that no one would do if they have common sense. Fortunately, I don't have any of that, either, so I tried to freeze my CPU solid with a 420-watt industrial TEC. That project is still in the works, even after melting a water pump.
Besides the pump, another mistake I made was condensation. Yes, I packed the processor in silicone goop, which worked great. But it got so VERY cold that the ass side of the motherboard froze (as in, "it had frost on it"). Water condensed, and the board and CPU shorted.
But I'm back in the saddle now, and I learned how to seal an entire MB. They sell spray to waterproof circuit boards, but it is horrendously expensive. However, I figured that cheap silicone waterproofing spray from the hardware store would work just as good.
I also figured that it would lead to yet another one of my experimental disasters, probably because the acetic acid generated while the sealant cures would etch the electronics to death. But I knew that at least the house wouldn't burn down this time. (I saw how Kirk shot the Gorn, so I stole saltpeter and sulfur from the middle school lab, and ground it up with aquarium charcoal. I imagine a lot of kids did, except I was the kid who decided to ignite it where my psychotic mom wouldn't see me — in the dry old attic. I didn't know the mixture had to be pressurized (in which case, I would have built a pipe bomb), so it only fizzed and flared like a cheap fireworks. I just barely managed to put out the fire.)
To make a long story short, you can waterproof your motherboard with cheap silicone spray. But use two coats, and make sure to put tape over all the slots, heat sinks, and anything that gets hot (like the voltage regulator array).
-faye
