C02 Laser Chiller VS Homemade Chiller Hack!

[@barearsed]

I have a 130 watt co2 laser & I use a CW-5200 cooler set at 20 degrees Celsius. I find it holds the water temperature within a tolerance of 3 degrees so if your icemaker can hold the temperature between 60 & 70 degrees F. then you're laughing. it's not surprising that your temperature varies a few degrees, all control thermostats have a set amount of hysteresis so you're not constantly stopping and starting the compressor. There's no doubt that you are overworking the compressor but as long as it's not overheating it should be just fine. If it does start to get too hot then you might be able to hook up a computer watercooler radiator in the return flow to take away some of the heat before it hits your chiller. Anyway, good luck with it and hopefully it turns out to be a winner for ya. 👍

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I think the varying temperature was the ice dropping and then melting in the water. The compressor isn't being overworked. It's designed to work that way.

[@barearsed]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy You know what, I just assumed that those portable ice makers were similar to portable fridges with an additional coil to freeze the ice. my mistake. That explains why they are so cheap.

[@robertprice9052]

Great video, thanks. I had a minifrig in my shop to keep a few water bottles and misc things. I put a 3 gal water can with antifreeze in it. I drilled through for my in/out water lines and power to the pump. It works really well. As my dad always said "there's more than one way to skin a cat."

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

As long as the antifreeze is food grade, the pink RV stuff, you're good Robert!

[@Vintauri]

Interesting find! I ran a 1/4HP aquarium chiller for a couple years before upgrading to my CW5000 chiller. There are a couple of modes on the chillers. One sets it to have a range to run in and it will let the temps fluctuate. The other locks the temp in where you see much lower fluctuations. I keep mine at 18c and it rarely moves off that even on long jobs. Either way, your set up is keeping the temps in check at a low cost! Nice find!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I used to use the aquarium chiller! My problem was the low temp turn off stopped working, some kind of thermal switch problem that I didn't want to spend time diagnosing, and the whole thing would just turn off. I was going to get a new one until I got this idea.

[@mattmine8122]

I like the ice maker idea to keep it cleaner currently I'm using a 5 gallon water cooler and gel freezer packs, it works but I constantly have to refreeze the packs. But this could be a game changer for CO2 machines.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Using gel packs also contaminates the water and is very bad for the laser tube!

[@raysalter6456]

The you so much Rich, keep up with your very informative videos😊😊😊

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Glad you like them Ray!

[@markfrewin]

I use an ice maker as well, filled with distilled water. I have an 80w red and black, we are in summer here in Australia so it gets pretty hot, as long as I turn the ice maker on and let it do a few cycles before I start I’m good. I had to modify the water pump so it would fit in the ice maker (used an angle grinder to cut off the base plate lol) I really didn’t want to go the bucket and blocks of ice route and I happened to have an ice maker at home I wasn’t using anyway. I couldn’t afford the chiller, the CW5200 is around $900au.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I knew there had to be other people doing this Mark! Nobody has an idea that hasn't been done before! I just don't understand why it's not more popular, or why manufacturers aren't jumping into the market!

[@SickFisherman05]

Very interesting results. I’m not a CO2 laser owner but probably will be soon. I’ll be saving this video to rewatch when that day comes. Thanks again for all the great info.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

My pleasure Edward!

[@robrocco5420]

Another common one is use a manual window AC unit.. and put the cooling coil in the water... and connect a external thermostat.. and vent the heat outside. U can pick up one manual window unit for about $30 off season used.. there are plenty of people having videos on how to do it.. so it will cost you about $60 in total for 5k btu

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Eeek! Too much DIY for me Rob 😎

[@sivaraoramasamy3499]

About to buy one co2... Found this video. Thank you ‼️🙏

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Glad I could help SIva!

[@widgetwiz3d756]

Hi Rich I believe your temps may fluctuate during your ice dump cycles. When you dump ice your water temp will drop as it circulates the colder water. Once the ice melts temp may climb back up some until the next cycle. I am playing around with the ice maker too and it is very promising. One thing I am doing a bit different is connecting the return water line to a 3d printed manifold with holes in it. It is very thin and sits on top of the coil. Water is running over the entire coil from top to bottom to utilize the entire coil all the time so no ice is actually made even though it still runs through the cycles as it normally would. It is thin enough that it does not interfere with that. Getting ready to do a video also shortly. Also experimenting with peltier cooling a bit. Thanks for the great video!! I subscribed.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

That's a better way to do it so it doesn't make ice! This was just an experiment for me, so I didn't want to modify the ice maker. But even so, on a chiller, it works the same way with temp fluctuations. The chillers work off a thermostat that turns on and off in 5° fluctuations.

[@jrdamien]

Do you have any pictures or an stl for this?

[@widgetwiz3d756]

@@jrdamien getting ready to post a video comparing peltier cooling versus ice maker. When I post that there will be a link to download the manifold for free of course. That will be very soon. I will try to have video posted by the end of next week.

[@jrdamien]

@@widgetwiz3d756 Looking forward to it. I need a chiller right now. But I can't imagine there's any real comparison to a peltier to an ice maker.

[@jodimascarenas7334]

Genius! The craziest part is I have it sitting on my counter. Not being used. I thought u we’re gonna get all technical but it looks like you just threw the pump inside the ice-maker. I can definitely do this. Lol

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yep, that's all I did! Well, I'm going to drill out the top and do it proper, but for now, it works Jodi!

[@flakk1989]

I know you were dying to tell Alexa to turn on your water pump, lol. Now I want Alexa all over my shop! Great video as always!!!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes I was! 🤪 I have quite a few things on smart plugs in here.

[@davekimbler2308]

At the time you did it ( 2 years ago ) that was an option but now the chillers are true reffers even some of the cheaper ones . Mine cost $100 and works great but i also have the K40+ with upgraded board built in air assist and Lightburn and rotary and its a learning curve compared to a diode ! LOL

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I had a regular CW 5200 chiller at the time. This was an idea _(cheap hack)_ someone asked me to test.

[@loyal365]

What if its cold and you have your co2 in a unheated place with a chiller do you think aquarium heater with chiller with distilled water or rv antifreeze and chiller

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Get an after burner. lightobject.com/after-burner-water-heater/

[@MagnumPopeye]

Had the idea about 4 years ago. Thought there might be someone out there had the same idea.. There was someone on KZbin then that had the same idea.. Finally got one used on aZon half the price.. Got mine for $50.00 bucks.. So keep your eyes peeled and you can save on land fill as well... R12 is some nasty stuff yes I know they used more environmentally safe then R12 but freon is still nasty stuff..

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yeah, since I did this test, all of a sudden other videos popped up in my feed! My original search found nothing.

[@jamescofran777]

I think your the Best! Keep up the great work.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Wow, thanks James!

[@TheUnofficialMaker]

What do you recommend for laser safety glasses, preferably that fit over regular glasses? How much wattage would I need to cut up to 1/4 inch acrylic? BTW I have an old water cooler (5 gal bottle on top) maybe I can use it.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Any certified pair of glasses with the 1064nm range will work. I got mine on Amazon. amzn.to/3xkqdj8 The water cooler won't work. It only chills about a liter of water in an internal tank.

[@francisvachon2051]

interesting for sure, I might give it a try also

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

You should Francis! It's working perfectly.

[@avaviel]

Hello from Bossier! I'm looking at building a laser cutter following Further Fabrication. But I'm for sure doing this for cooling.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

It works well!

[@mkkd85]

Great idea, thanks! Btw, the ice maker could easily be modified in order to make it's compressor run continuously, or even add a small digital thermostat.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yeah but it got too cold the way it was so I wouldn't do that.

[@abbv2x]

Awesome vid Rich, I JUST ordered one of these portable ice makers for an upcoming laser im about to purchase lol. For your IR temp gun, reflective surfaces (such as clear tubing) can give you inaccurate readings. Place a piece of (preferably) black tape or something non-reflective for the best results!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thanks for the tip Adam!

[@LuisCasstle]

Some ir temp meters have a setting for reflective surfaces.

[@jj8482]

hey bud thanks for this vid i tryied it but my water keeps rasing on longer jobs its like the ice maker cant keep up

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

This was done on a 50W Co2 Joel. I had the opposite problem. The water got too cold. Could be the model of icemaker, since I know of at least 10 people using this method and it works for them. My maker makes ice every 7 minutes.

[@nikkicork8815]

Have keen using the same ice maker for a few months now, works great. I put my tubes through the side well above water level. £99 in the UK

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

That's great to hear Nikki! I'm going to go through the acrylic on top.

[@warriors475]

Great video wish I know this a year ago before spending 500 uk pounds on a C&S 5200 chiller but I guess it does the job very well and it is a sealed unit so no muck can get it and it is neat and tidy but once again thanks for putting it out there will help a lot of people who maybe cannot afford or want to go that route well done 👏

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thank you! I think the K40 users on a budget can really appreciate it.

[@warriors475]

Yes for sure it is great advice and a good video I am sure there is something similar in the UK for same sort of money keep up the good workooking forward to so.e CO2 videos and the puzzle making video when you get time of course stay lucky

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

@@warriors475 Thanks for watching!

[@CESAR_H_ARIAS]

You could lower the temps to be more stable by making the ice to fall into something that grabs it and making the return line to be dropped into it. That should make your cooling to be the most (sorry for my English XD

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I think as long as it stays in the 16-20 degree range it should be perfect! This is a hobby laser, so it won't be used in the way I tested it.

[@davidsteffensen5960]

Haven't got a C02 laser but I hope to some day great video and as always very informative..

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

You should David! Thanks.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

*Only 5 more days to enter the January Laser Giveaway!* lahobbyguy.com/enter15 (Link changes every month) *UPDATE* 3/7/22: Had my first 2 batch jobs tonight. 86 pens and 144 pencils. Water stayed at 65 degrees for the entire night!

[@Raider191]

I'm number 11,000! Thanks for the knowledge!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thanks for the sub Kent! Woo hoo! 11,000!

[@markferrick10]

Interesting solution. How is it holding up , 4 months later? Thanks for the tip.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I used it for 3 months before I retired it and went back to the CW 5200. It passed the test with flying colors Mark.

[@lewilewi3657]

This is a great idea. I'll have to try it on my K40. Once I figure out what size the cooling water tubing is.Lol

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

It should work fine as is on any C02 from 20-60W Lewi!

[@makerboon5633]

Like coincidence wants, two days ago I bought a used ice cream maker. Since the stirrer in those machines sometimes break and render those to be pretty worthless, you can get these broken ones for really cheap. I paid 10 Euro ;)

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Never even thought of that!

[@puddlejumper3534]

What temperature should I be aiming for?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

You should be within 5° of the ambient room temperature to prevent condensation, and the room temperature should be from 59° to 77° F.

[@markhaskins4421]

Would an aquarium chiller sat in a small fridge work

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I don't know, haven't tried it Mark!

[@seanmcdonald656]

Great video. One thing about the infrared temp guns is that they don't like anything with reflective surfaces. I would think the hose would be fine but to double check put a pice of masking tape on it then point to the tape and it should be right on.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

That testing is over now Sean, but thanks!

[@Slope114]

Brilliant video! I’m curious to see if adding a 5 gallon bucket of water & a second small pump to circulate water between the ice maker & bucket would make the temperature steady while burning.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I was thinking the same thing, but this machine will never work as hard as I pushed it for the test. There's going to be white space and different powers and speeds in most jobs, so the water shouldn't get nearly as hot.

[@spikey911usa]

This is neat but I think converting a mini fridge to a cooler is the better option and is more suited for constant use. I don't think the ice maker approach would survive a Florida summer in the garage.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

You might be right, but it does come with a 1 year warranty. The mini fridge is a good idea too!

[@Blueyedevil2702]

Hey Rich. Love your vids, full of good info. One think I fail to understand though from this one is how does the water tank (from which you make ice) refills? Is it connected to the ice tank?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

It doesn't. It recycles the same water.

[@georgechambers3197]

I like the C02 laser videos, I don't have one but I'm thinking about it. I don't want to start with a K40 but looking at a Chinese 50W. I've had one of those ice makers for about 8 years and it works great. The wife might not like me stealing it for a laser though. 😁 Thanks for the video!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Go for it George! You know you want one! But seriously though, I do spend more time on the diode lasers. The C02 is a lot of maintenance.

[@georgechambers3197]

I keep on thinking then!

[@3dtexan890]

The main problem I see with this setup is filling and removing water during a 2 hr or longer job. This ice maker only holds so much water, after it runs out, you must somehow remove water from where the pump is and add more water to the ice maker reservoir. What is your process for doing that? I currently use ice bottles and throw them in my water tank, but would sure like to change my system out. Thanks.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I used this setup for 3 months without adding changing the water. It recycles its own water.

[@donclaridge5678]

Great idea! Is there a way to connect the pump to a switch in the laser so the laser won’t come on if the pump isn’t running? My “Chiller” has that ability electronically. It also looks like the ice that’s made dumps into a compartment for ice and also contains the cooling water. Is that correct? So you must put water both in the ice container as well as a tank for the what the ice is made from. I obviously don’t understand how it works because if it works like I’m imagining, you’d have to add water each time. Your definition of cold is different than here in Montana. Forty eight is shorts weather!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes, plug it into the plug on the side of the laser. I removed the basket for the the ice and just filled it with distilled water. It's all one unit. It draws the water from the bottom and drops ice from the top.

[@rileycrain5784]

What's up buddy! Can we get an update? I have an 80w on its way and I have dove headfirst into this subject? On a side note, we have a personal ice maker in the house, spent 99$ 4 years ago and its still cranking out ice.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

No updates Riley. This was just a test and it worked well for the 90-day test.

[@jsc4143]

What type of flowmeter are you using?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

This is the one I used Jeff: amzn.to/3MRXSaH

[@scottyfpv5651]

So is it still working?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I did a 90 day test and it worked fine. I use a CW5200 normally.

[@cmassey1999]

Thanks, Rich! For all you do, My brother, deeper pockets than me" is wanting me to jump in both feet, I know it's his money that we may be wasting but …. I still feel like I need to understand at least the basics before I have them drop $$$. Thanks for your videos, I really appreciate you. If you indulge, I'll be picking my new smoker up from LA soon, I'll buy you a coffee, or perhaps stronger when I'm passing through... DM me... 🙂

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I'll tell you what Charles, why don't you come by the shop when you get that new smoker and I'll treat you to some LA home brew! My phone number is in the description, give me a call or text if you want to come by!

[@meanseanful]

I have a CW-3000 chiller thats just not doing the job. Anyone have any experience simply dropping ice into it every so often to keep the water at 60 degrees? Im a bit hesitant even though logic tells me this should be a problem.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Nope, that is a problem. Laser tubes require distilled water or you'll wind up with micro short downs that will deplete the Co2 and ruin the tube. Time to upgrade to a CW5200 with an actual compressor.

[@ChatBot1337]

48°? I just woke up to 9°. 😁 Just got my X7 a couple weeks ago, really appreciating the vids.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yeah, I can't do 9! 🤪

[@SavetheRepublic]

Can you run coolant through the tube?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Only distilled water. The only pure coolant you can run is the food safe, pink RV antifreeze.

[@turboflush]

I run a 100w. It doesnt see more than 55. I got the cw5000. Have not hooked up yet. Running bucket with 2gal for now. Does good enough. Fighting bubbles whenever i fire it back up. Pretty sure it is draining back. So i just pick up one end of the machine and suck all the bubbles out. Unf the chillers dont come with much to hook them up.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I was running a couple of hours today and actually got a cold warning alarm! It's working like a champ! But you shouldn't have any back-feeding if your hoses are water/air tight. I would check inside for a small leak.

[@turboflush]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy draining into bucket when off. No leaks beyond bucket noticed. All going away soon. A chill warning. 😎

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Okay, good to hear.

[@turboflush]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy Interestingly.. I get home and my wife tells me the laser was smoking. Found out fan filter clogged. But more interesting.. With filter removed i could see the water connections. The bulkhead fitting has been loose. But i found that the input line was kinked. This might be why the water flow sensor was bypassed. Hmmmm

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

@@turboflush I knew something was up!

[@mirafly2007]

Great idea 👍🏻

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Glad you think so, thanks!

[@havocproltd]

i got a portable ice maker for MY RV because I was sick of paying campground ransom for ice! I run it off my solar-powered ECO FLOW and giggle into my frosty martini the whole time! hahahahahaha!!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

🤪

[@Crewman2770]

Although I'm not a Co2 man, I still found this interesting Cool even 😂🇬🇧😂

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thanks Tony!

[@paigewallace8713]

How did you run the power cord to the pump? Did you drill a hole for it?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

This was a temporary test Paige, just for 3 months to see how it performd. If it were permanent, I would cut off the end of the plug wire, drilled 3 holes for the hoses and wire, and used grommets to go through the plexiglass with a new plug on the end for the wall outlet.

[@paigewallace8713]

So what are you using now for a chiller?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I have a few CW5200 chillers.

[@paigewallace8713]

Last question. What size pump did you put in? Mine will not fit.

[@paigewallace8713]

The one I have now is a KEDSUM 880GPH Submersible Water Pump(3500L/H, 100W),

[@Historyman81]

I would love to do this for my beamo. It runs to hot most of the time. But I'm not sure how to run the water since it has an internal pump.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Probably best to leave the factory cooling system as is Shane.

[@shanefreeman5666]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy Yeah that is what I am thinking too. But I need to get the machine to stay cooler than it is. Maybe I will put a fan under it to assist the fan cooling the water.

[@LokiX76]

this is fantastic. thank you for this. i see that there are also larger portable ice makers. that would allow for larger water volume is needed. or use 2 and have the water pump from one to the other? just a thought. thanks so much for this. i may have to give it a try. and yeah, worst case, have a portable ice maker for some other use.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I ran this one for 3 months with no problem as is, other than having to shut it off sometimes because it got too cold.

[@LokiX76]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy sounds good. i am new to lasers and looking into cooling. i was thinking with plans of running mine a lot and having it in a hot garage the more the better. but who knows, i may be too ambitious with just how long i think it will run at a time. thanks again. Oh, and you scored a new subscriber here.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

@@LokiX76 Remember that a Co2 shouldn't be operated in a hot environment! And the water cannot be more than 5-7° lower than the room temp! This will cause a short down from condensation on the tube and lower the life of the tube.

[@LokiX76]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy well crap. this will be interesting then. i really dont have another option. i do have an ac unit in the garage but lowest i ever set it is 80° F. and thats only if i know i will be physically working in it. so in an ideal world, if the range of temp for the laser is 59-68 F, the room the laser is operated in would need to be within 5-7 degrees of that? yikes. i'll never be able to achieve that. Thats one chilly garage LOL

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

@@LokiX76 I keep the laser shop at 72-74°

[@kerrycorcoran4885]

Can you do a video of showing the setup? I’m new to this and seeing it will help me to understand the logic better. Just ordered the ice maker on Amazon!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

There is nothing to setup. Just remove the ice tray, put your water pump in the bottom of the icemaker along with the return line. Fill it with distilled water and turn it on.

[@reynoldsnegrin7108]

I know this vid is a year old but I have a question. How often do you have to refill it? 🫣Does the ice melt? Excuse my ignorance and you are the best!!

[@karlriley1314]

Who makes your K40 and what is the cost??

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I had an OMTech K40 that I gave to a friend in need, but I have a Monport 40w (they don't call it a K40) on the way soon. the Monport 40w is an upgraded version of the typical K40 and comes complete from a US distributor for $479 including shipping. They also give 5% off if you join the mailing list Karl. The company is also setting up what they call "Open Rooms", where you can see demonstrations of their various products, C02 & Fiber, across the US. I wish I would have found them before buying the new OMTech!

[@joshuabradshaw3050]

What do you recommend to put in my chiller to keep it from freezing

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I don't know, I don't have that problem. But from what I have heard in the community, they use propylene glycol, or RV antifreeze Joshua. Amazon has it for under $20. amzn.to/3IFwRUG

[@joshuabradshaw3050]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy thank you

[@Vintauri]

Joshua, I’ve run my Co2 laser in my insulated shop in Minnesota for over 5 years. I run some heat in there but it can still get cold during our sub zero cold snaps in the winter. I’ve run a mix of 50:50 distilled water and RV antifreeze without issue. They being said, keeping the pump going to move water through the system helps keep it warmer and moving water is less likely to freeze up. Even just running my CW5000 chiller will bring the temp of the water up.

[@michaelpaonessa8871]

By chance are you still using the ice maker?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

No Michael, it was just a 3 month test and worked perfectly. I'm back to the CW5200 chiller.

[@slavaartyukh4075]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy I'm in Arizona, in sumers its getting up to 120F, I wonder would 5200W chiller work, or ice maker is a better option?

[@jksukino]

Hey Rich, great indept video! I was wondering if the icemaker is still holding up today? I am considering going this round or making a pc watercooling type rig, but this actually seems to be better, cheaper and easier to install.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

This was only a 3-month trial Jasper as a test, and it passed with flying colors.

[@donnyf12]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy Why would you stop using it if it was working? Seems to smaller than most chillers and I'd guess it's not a power hog either?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

@Donny Fontenot Because I already had a chiller and this was just a test to see how it would work.

[@jppalm3944]

What is the wattage used compared to chiller

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I don't know, maybe 1/3?

[@jppalm3944]

@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy much more thnt that. Spec Don't mention it. Probably as much as small a small fridge

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Could be, it has a compressor, but I don't think it's anywhere near the CW5200 units I use with the larger compressor and water pump. I don't want to tell you something I don't know for sure.

[@henkvis]

Thanks for this man! So your setup was to only have the pump in the icecube reservoir with a gallon of water? Am I right that you can overflow that reservoir when more cubes fall in and melt?

[@henkvis]

I mean, you need to fill also the separate reservoir for The icecube-making right?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

No, it cannot. It has no more water than the gallon I put in. It is recycling the original water.

[@henkvis]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy thanks I see now. The first Cubemaker I found had a separate watertank. I was wondering. Now I know and I will follow your way of thinking!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes, it has to be all in one and recirculate the same water!

[@saralynnroze01]

I know it’s only been two months but I was just wondering if you are still using this and is it still working for you

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes Sara, I am. I do have to use it with the IR thermometer though. The only down side is, it has to be monitored or it can get too cold at times.

[@saralynnroze01]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy I just got my laser but I didn’t order the chiller because the person I talked to from omtech said I didn’t need it. I’m disappointed that he gave me wrong info but I’m also glad I didn’t spend $600 on it.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

@@saralynnroze01 The chiller is worth every penny for the peace of mind. I just bought the Monport 5200 chiller for the 40W, and I'm ordering another for the new 80W coming.

[@redshadowc]

Have you had any issues with condensation? I've heard this method can cause condensation issues

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes, you have to monitor the water temp and keep it within 5° of the room temperature to prevent condensation on the tube.

[@squidskunk]

sounds like you're on to something good.... im totally interested in a new c02 series! as word gets out the price of the ice makers is going up...

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Don't you know it! I have emails out already to three manufacturers of these portable ice makers to see if I can order a custom version just for lasers. Of course I didn't tell them that was the intended use.

[@squidskunk]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy i now own an omtech 80watt...what pump do you use that fits in the ice maker..?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

@@squidskunk Freesea FS-3500 amzn.to/3xyMg6P

[@alothaiqi]

Is it still working well?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Yes it is! Nothing has changed. I will shelf this project in a few days and go back to my CW-5200 though. I only did this experiment to see how it would work Mohammed.

[@alothaiqi]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy thank you rich, sine the cw-5000/5200 out of my budget i am going to do this instead of ambient water cooling system ( radiator and fan)here in saudi arabia we have very hot weather and so the room ambient air over 20c. Regards

[@turtleplates]

I would like to see how u got everything set up in there

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

It's a tight fit! I'll make sure the setup is in an upcoming video.

[@staltus]

Don't know if this is always the case, but the link you provided the Gray one is $11 cheaper

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

😲 *NO WAY!* And that one matches my laser! Oh man, I didn't even see that Steve!

[@johnredditt8147]

Thank you for the information that sounds like it should work. I’m in the process of building a CO2 laser. Trying to save money where I can.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

It does work John!

[@TheUnofficialMaker]

hey that sounds great, where did you get the plans?

[@chrisl4999]

I knew the "cheap" chillers were anything but. However using an icemaker is a fantastic idea. Thanks! Funny thing though, your vid had alex turn on my pool pump... lol

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

🤣 The pool pump... love it!!

[@raysalter6456]

Genius and crazy Rich😃😃😃

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Thanks so much!

[@barryfriesen8062]

Hey Rich, so you are 3 weeks in since the video, is it still working as you hoped?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Better than I originally thought Barry! I'm going to have to add an alarm to warn me when it gets too cold! I was doing a 3 layer clock the other day and when I shot the temp inside, it was 51! I already got the mods for the laser, just have to get them installed.

[@barrycarlafriesen7898]

@@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy well, I going to give it a whirl! You said he have to be careful that it is not getting too cold. What alarm did you hook up?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

@@barrycarlafriesen7898 No alarm. I bought a digital temperature controller. amzn.to/3JNXGGy

[@douglarned817]

algicide... Interesting. I've never heard of anyone but you mention that. Wouldn't a cap of bleach work if needed as well?

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Algicide is a common additive Doug. Desktop lasers that are sealed units come with it. Bleach has a much higher conductivity so no.

[@toddsteuart9077]

It's crazy genius lol

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

🤪 Crazy, probably, genius? Nah! 😎

[@randyheinbaugh8238]

I'll try it

[@staltus]

Interesting idea. I had come across one last week and was thinking the same thing. Ended up with Covid before I could do more research on it for my k40

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

It works well Randy!

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

I've never seen one before, but I'm sure a lot of people have done it already Steve.

[@TheSloppyDingo]

The Co2 laser community should really take a beat from the water-cooled PC crowd.

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

🤪

[@josephslater2266]

Rich, to be a genius you have to be a little bit crazy. How else would you be sane!!!😅

[@TheLouisianaHobbyGuy]

Sane is not a word most people use to describe me Joseph! 🤪