Readers' Responses to Strip Out The Fans, Add 8 Gallons of Cooking Oil

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Alternative Oils From Jonathan

Sir:

I read your article about the oil-filled case, and I found it interesting. I was thinking of doing the same thing, but instead of vegetable oil, using either Exxon's Coolanol or Polyalpha Olefin, which are actually oils designed to have electronics, even high frequency electronics, submerged in them. The most common usage for these oils is high-powered military attack radars, when lots of cooling is needed, and protection from the oil is needed as well. I am commenting on this, because you suggested motor oil, and am offering these oils as something else for you to use as a suggestion.

Jonathan Jones

Joel's Waterless Water

Thought you might be interested to know. Concerning your article "Strip Out The Fans, Add 8 Gallons of Cooking Oil," you guys tried oil and distilled water. What would be really cool is if you used what's called "waterless water". It's a fire suppression agent that looks like water only it doesn't conduct electricity. There have been a few impressive displays of its nonconductive properties whereby they immerse a monitor and laptop in a bath of this stuff without any problems.

Joel

Chris's Suggestions For Holding It All Together

Hi Frank,

You use special glue in your oil PC article; I would suggest a couple of different ones. I have used Loctite UV curing anaerobic glue in glass work; this glue is expensive ($40 Australian a bottle) but is used sparingly (use less than superglue even!). The glue is cured by exposure to UV light in the absence of air. This means only the contact surface is glued and excess can be removed with solvent. The curing is almost instantaneous (two-three seconds exposure) and is extremely strong. The glue is perfectly clear-another reason I used it in glass work.

Another option would be fusion bonding with Weldon #3 (methylene chloride, trichloroethylene and a methyl methacrylate monomer mixture- nasty!). This is a very toxic solvent and it evaporates at a fantastic rate (its caused ice frost when I've used it before). The draw back is the whitening it can cause; all parts have to be kept in an air-tight box in a warm place with a dehydrator pack to suck all the moisture out of the plastic. This then stops the white frosting that is common with super gluing and solvent bonding. I find the solvent good for repairing cracks as it wicks into the tightest places.

Hope this comes in handy sometime!

Chris Knowling