Home-Brew Laptop Cooler

Hello everyone!

This is my first completed project, it's not a case mod per se so I hope it's OK to post it here. I've been building and building on my other computer but it still has a way to go before completion. In the meantime, I decided to put together another project I have been needing at home. I use an HP laptop in the living room and it has always sat on the carpeted floor (I know this is a no no) where the exhaust vents become sealed and airflow is limited to the very small rear vents. I had thought about buying one of those flat, laptop cooling pads but I wanted one that was a little taller because when I sit on the floor and type, my back begins to hurt. So I decided to combine the two elements into a not-so-breathtaking creation of a laptop cooler/stand. It isn't the most flashy or magnificent thing ya ever did see, but hell, it was fun to build and I haven't seen another just like it. Here we go:

First off you should know that I did not make any plans when building this, I have a terrible habit of just jumping in and sawing away to find out later that changes must be made. You'll see evidence of this here, I'm trying to break this habit but it's just the way I have done these things since I was a kid.

I had a decent sized piece of particle board collecting dust in the woodpile which looked perfect for the job. So I set the table saw up and chopped away.

Slapped on a coat of Flec-stone paint after routing the corners and drilling the holes. (also have a bad habit of doing things out of order...my theory is it stems from my lack of planning)

I bought some scrap metal screening at my local hardware store (not really sure what it's usually used for) and used one of my case fans from a xoxide.com pack that I bought for the other computer. You'll probably notice that I had to mangle the top of the fan to get it to fit (you know why...)

The screen was used to cover the inside of the holes (duh...I guess that didn't require commentary)

Side shot with fan and screening installed, I didn't get paint to cover the upper edge of the holes but I didn't want to shoot another coat because sometimes it seems to throw off the surrounding tone and I didn't really see a need to cover an edge that won't be seen while on the floor.

Shot with the top placed...

Looks pretty good. How are you planning to power the fan?

-Dave

I really didn't want to run some type of power supply to this or install batteries that needed changing, so I wired the fan into a USB cable using the +5V output from the laptop's USB port. It worked fine, and I checked it compared to +12V and there was no difference in speed, so it'll do. I tried to make the cable as clean and nice looking as I could, but this is the first cable work I have done so there will be a learning curve.

I also thought it would be cool to wire in a small LED, the only one I had was a cheap blue Radio Shack LED which was only 300mcd. mounted it behind the fan.

I primed and painted the cable, then drilled a hole and hooked it up.

And here it is, in all of it's glory! OK, I can hear you not clapping, but it's not visually painful either is it? By the way, the LED is so dim that I couldn't even get a picture of it with all of the lights out. Oh well, if spiders move in at least they will have a porch light...

Ok, shows over, hope you liked it. And I assume if it is not cool to post this here an administator will take care of it? If it is removed, is there anywhere I can post it?

I forgot to mention that the lid is not fixed to the box, I did this so that I could remove it and store USB cables etc. inside as well as use the lid only when lying down and the fans will not be so close to the carpet.

That's exactly what i'd suggest; a nice, quick, clean, job. With the USB cable at least-i'd be lying if i said chopping a big chunk of fan off was a clean job. It's a good project all the same though. :)

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I assume if it is not cool to post this here an administator will take care of it? If it is removed, is there anywhere I can post it?

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Although this is about modding and scratchbuilding, i think this sort of thing really belongs on these forums...just my opinion.

I'm also saying this because stage 3 of the integration project doesn't actually involve a computer, and i'm buttering folks up before they notice. (Technically, it involves 5 computers; but in the same way this involves a laptop ;))

-Dave

Oh and Dave, you asked your question while I was still posting pics (obviously) so the answer is evident.

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Originally Posted by DaveW

That's exactly what i'd suggest; a nice, quick, clean, job.

Although this is about modding and scratchbuilding, i think this sort of thing really belongs on these forums...just my opinion.

I'm also saying this because stage 3 of the integration project doesn't actually involve a computer, and i'm buttering folks up before they notice. (Technically, it involves 5 computers; but in the same way this involves a laptop ;))

-Dave

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Thanks Dave, and I can't wait to see what you are cookin up over there in the UK.

I'll give you a clue; a huge, stinking mess. Heh. I'll update my project worklog tommorrow night when i pick up my new panels, and hopefully, some auto filler.

-Dave

very cool, simple idea. i like it alot

looks good to me. Its computer related.
Next time with a little planning you won't have to hack a part down to fit. J/K

He He, so true. I guess it is at it's essence of the term "modding" though...;)

nice work - very clever. Good job using the USB to power the fans.

Good job, nice to see everything worked out after some... um... improvising. I built a similar one for my brother's laptop out of bent acrylic, never took pics, he has it at school now, I'll see if I can get a picture.

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Originally Posted by DaveW

Looks pretty good. How are you planning to power the fan?

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Given the lack of planning I was half expecting to read
"Damn, I hadn't thought of that!" :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by jdbnsn

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See those red and black wires with the heatshrink sleeving? That's an example of what I was talking about here :D
Although it's not actually a splice, but the squeezing of the sleeving between the wires is evident.

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Originally Posted by xmastree

Given the lack of planning I was half expecting to read
"Damn, I hadn't thought of that!" :rolleyes:

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Ha Ha, well, I'd be lying if I said that wasn't possible. It's not that I don't like to plan, it's just that I like to start slapping things together and improvision is exciting to me, I am not always as interested in perfection or details. But sometimes I am, just depends on what I'm doing. And by the way, the wires you mentioned are simply being kept separate from the power leads. That is two heatshrink tubes, not one. I just took the data wires and put them in their own insulation.

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Originally Posted by jdbnsn

the wires you mentioned are simply being kept separate from the power leads. That is two heatshrink tubes, not one. I just took the data wires and put them in their own insulation.

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Yeah, I see that but I was referring to just the red and black power leads. Ignoring the data wires.
They seem to be in one sleeve, spread out and squished. Obviously they will have their own individual insulation inside there.

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Originally Posted by xmastree

Yeah, I see that but I was referring to just the red and black power leads. Ignoring the data wires.
They seem to be in one sleeve, spread out and squished. Obviously they will have their own individual insulation inside there.

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Nope, they are in separate sleeves. It's just the way they are positioned in the photo I guess. Then a bigger sleeve is covering the mesh tube and sort of overlaps there.

My Science Teacher has a labtop cooler like yours, its more slick and thinner. Its made from Antec, powered by a USB like yours.

+rep

:up: Looks Great! I especially like the bevel you did with your router. on the top.

Spiders have a porchlight. . LMAO. . :D

No modifications on the fan? direcly hook that on the USB and it's a go-go, almost exacly like a normally powered fan?

Thank you, Im gonna be getting a laptop really soon and Ive heard that the model Ill be getting can get really hot, so I wanted to cool it down to be safe. :)

Know what I'd do with all that space? I'd mount an external 3.5" drive and a USB interface and associated power supply.
And a usb hub.
And a card reader.

Actually I came really close to doing that. I at one point even considered going ahead and running a power supply (maybe an external in-line) and going full-out docking station. I could easliy fit HDD's in there and the laptop has a way to connect SATA drives. But in the end, decided to keep it simple. Instead I put accessories like cables and my usb trackball in there.