Waterproof motherboard?

Hairy_Lee

VIP Member
so basically you want to have your mobo and connected components sealed in such a way that it looks like its not in a box... more like a sealing "film"?
 

Geoff

VIP Member
you still have the question of getting at the power switch, cd drive, floppy drive, and reset switch. lol
 

Hairy_Lee

VIP Member
those pics look like they've just lobbed their motherboard in a tank of oil lol.... if im correct they're using something similar that ive used in work for high voltage transformers... an insulating oil... wouldn't wanna touch the components after its been in that tho.

i dont know if you can get this sort of stuff but you could try dipping it in a thermoplastic, im not sure if it would be clear; it might be slightly opaque at best. dip the unit in liquid thermoplastic, let it set and repeat until ur sure its all in.... once again we arrive at the problem with servicing the system.

im trying to think of clever ways to solve this but its late and my brain hurts :D
 

AMDCam

New Member
Dude, GREAT idea. I think I've seen something like that before, with fish. There's gotta be a way, because that would look so sweet. Cooling shouldn't really be a problem if you keep the water climate controlled, and there's no chemicals on the motherboard that would kill fish I assume. Maybe you could somehow laminate (with high thermal resistance) all the parts that don't need to be cooled to prevent shortages. And what I'm thinking you want to do is stand the motherboard up (like vertically) in the fishtank like you got pissed and threw it in, but there are other ways. What if you made a case (like with a side window that gaming PC's have) and mounted some glass around the window with fish? It would simulate a fishtank built-in to the case, and you wouldn't have to worry about protecting your hardware. I really can't think of how you would do this stuff but if you get this thing to work SWEET!!!!!! Good luck dude, hope it works.
 
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apj101

VIP Member
I see, i was thinking of something slightly different when i posted my suggestions. Hmm, i have to say (and this i just a personell opinion) i think it will always look a mess with cable all over the shop. I do like to first image you posted with the perspex box. I think that you should think about coming half way, set up a sort of perspex tray/shelf suspend in the middle of the tank on which to attach the mobo and bit and bobs. You are really going to have to be tidy with the cables. Maybe cut a few holes in the tray and run the cables for the hdd, power, swtiches, etc under the tray hence under the mobo. Then wrap it in you clear perspex / whatever
You really need to think about how your going to cool the cpu, you are certainly going to need water cooled, florinert seems out. If you vacumm form it that may work, i dont think the forces will distroy the onboard components as long as it done slowly and the vacumm forms equally around each component. But i think you will stuggly to get one that look very clear. You going to need a large gromit for all your cables the enter the tank.
Personally i would make a small clear sealed perspex box, and put the bits in, add one gromit hole for all the cables and cooling pipes. This would be very easy to do. Once you have the water in the tank i dont think you will notice the perspex any more or less tha you would a vacumm formed "skin" around the board. You could suspend the clear box at an angle in the middle of the tank, put some bright leds in it, bit of gravel on top, and a small water plant. maybe even a little castle for the fish. You will need an air pump to oxygenate the water for the fish, you could put this under the clear perspex box and the bubbles would raise and hit the bottom of the box and then spread round it which would look cool, kind of like you board was fizzing.
Also i just thought!, you should take a normal pc case (one that looks cool and is quite big).then mount all your components on the case pretty much as normal. Replace the side of your pc with a clear perspex, of even a high % lead glass (which may be too expensive). Then seal the case completely (which would be easy), you could put the box straight in the water and then place the original side (which you replaced with clear perspex) at a random angle from the box, the effect will look like you have dropped the whole case in the tank and side had fallen off but yet it still works!! That would look loads cooler. It will look like a computer dropped in a fish tank rather than a bunch of PCBs scattered in a mess in a fish tank. You could combine ideas, eg vacumm forming the mobo, and still mounting it in the case (this way you dont have to seal the case).
 

john.griffiths1

New Member
I could vacuum form the motherboard and connected components in such a way that i could include the water cooling components, and the required pipes for a decent air flow system. This would surely keep all the components well ventilated and watertight enough?
 

john.griffiths1

New Member
Ive got it! Apj101 is right. A comprimise is nesersary. The perspex waterproof tub for the electronics is obviously the most sensible option but asthetically not what I was after at all. So hows about turning one of these http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/singing-fish-original.jpg
into a watertight computer case? I could then mount him on a bit of a cam style wheel and look like he's having a bit of a swim! Slightly more logical, and asthetically a lot more amusing!
 

Travo925

Member
john.griffiths1 said:
Ive got it! Apj101 is right. A comprimise is nesersary. The perspex waterproof tub for the electronics is obviously the most sensible option but asthetically not what I was after at all. So hows about turning one of these http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/singing-fish-original.jpg
into a watertight computer case? I could then mount him on a bit of a cam style wheel and look like he's having a bit of a swim! Slightly more logical, and asthetically a lot more amusing!

No offense, but I think that by doing that would be just a waste of time. You should try for the original plan. There must be a way to do this. I was thinking something along the lines of making some sore of plastic mold that is quite form fitting to the mobo and other components, and simple slip it on. then another one of these "molds" for the harddrive and other drives.
 

Bobo

banned
I think that APJ has the best idea. I don't see any real way that you could end up being sucessful with this.....IMO. But what would also be cool is if you put a monitor in there and had a fish screensaver or something on it :rolleyes:
 

Praetor

Administrator
Staff member
The perspex waterproof tub for the electronics is obviously the most sensible option but asthetically not what I was after at all.
Hehe fashion before sense :p j/k
 

john.griffiths1

New Member
Yeh thats what this project is all about! Taking computers out of the minging baige and black cases clutterd by wires and putting them in something relativly good and interesting to look at! What do you think to hiding everything in a singing fish preator? Do i have you to thank for removing the idiots post? Cheers.
 

jbrown456

New Member
how many times have we gone through that now compuerboi99??? (dont laugh because he lives around the corner from me!)
 

Bobo

banned
computerboi99 said:
hey great idea..........only 1 problem............the heat might kill your fish
Let's see, if the CPU runs at about 120*F, with a HS, that would cool it down to 100, the fish water is 80*F ( I have tropical fish), and you have the room at 65*F. I think that the board would work perfectly as a heater, although you would have to keep it on at all times, and know what kind of load produces what kind of heat. :D

BTW: jbrown since when do Semprons run with a 400FSB? I think that you mean 200.
 

Bobo

banned
john.griffiths1 said:
Lol bobo. Thanks for the confidence boost! I thought everyone had given up on me!
Who says that everybody hasn't? I still don't think that it will work, I just felt like saying that. :p:D
 
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