I decided to dedicate an entire ANTEC mid, to house all the watercooling appurtenances, other than the Block and the hoses leading to it. This afforded me the opportunity to do a how-to on Building your own Reservoir and Finishing Clear Acrylic.

The entire bay area of the Antec-mid was chosen for the location of the Reservoir. So after some careful measurements, I decided the size to be 5.25" x 6" x 8". It will have a bottom outlet, a high-side inlet, and a top filler cap/breather. The fittings will be 1/4"NPT to 1/2"hose barb. The fill hole will be a sliding affair with an O-ring and some tiny 1/64th" vent holes.

Ok, getting started, we are using a table saw to cut straight and square edges. If you don't have access to a table saw, your glass do0d can make your cuts for you, and I'm sure he'll charge you accordingly...

Once all the parts are cut to size, you'll need to sand the edges to get a good surface for the cement to bond the two pieces together.

Here we are using a belt sander to get the edges smooth. Nice and easy, you don't want to un-square the edges...

After purchasing a small tube of Acrylic Cement for 19.99 for a duct I recently did, and a quick check of the active ingredients, I figured I'd better cook up my own. Hell, I've got enough acrylic shavings and dust to make a snow scene this Christmas, so I might as well put it to good use.

I started with my favorite solvent... MEK Methyl Ethyl Ketone. It's a special purpose thinner, and has a cousin named ACETONE . MEK is a slower solvent and it doesn't evaporate as fast as acetone... perfect for the base of the cement. I just added a few drops of acetone to the MEK and added the clean Acrylic shavings. Closed the jar, and swirled the concoction, and vented occasionally. The jar that is, not me. That will come later when I test for leaks I'm sure. The extra bit of acetone will help to melt the acrylic into the mixture. I left the mixture overnight, and in the morning it had thickened to a workable viscosity. $19.99 my ass, waste and .47 cents worth of chemicals, mo-betta!!

Now time to start gluing the pieces together. Always test fit the pieces first, make sure you've got the right ones. And always work in a confined airtight area..., NO WAIT, Always work in a well ventilated area, the fumes form this stuff will make all the pieces look the same. Who knows what you will come out with, or cares at that point :p

Make sure you get enough cement on the edge. Smooth it out, and work quickly. Have your clamps and square handy. You only get one shot, so put the pieces together and clamp. Use your square to check for trueness. If you are happy with the position. leave in clamps till the cement has set.

This would be a good time to remove yourself to fresh air, Grab a Mt.Dew and a smoke, quadruple shot espresso, or whatever you fancy. When you think the glue has set enough, wait that much longer...or you'll be sorry, trust me on this one. ...ahhh ahhh, a friend of mine, yea that's it, a friend of mine didn't wait long enough, and he had to re-do his first joint. Lucky for me, oooops, for him, that it was his first one, he's a quick learner. Give it adequate time to set. Everything will turn out for the better.

When you get to the end pieces, make sure you have a little over-lap to work with. This time, instead of putting the cement on the parts, then putting them together. We are going to put the end caps on, then through capillary action we will apply the cement. I used a small brush and brushed the cement near the edge and the plexi sucked the stuff right into the joint, heh heh heh, just like magic. Then the clamps were set tight and the bond was made. Do the same thing on the other end and let it thoroughly dry.

Now to do some rough sanding. I took that huge belt sander and took all the edges down to flush. Then with some 120grit on the palm sander, I continued the sanding till all the edges were rounded and shaped the way I wanted. I went to 220grit and gave the whole thing a once over, making sure there were no glossy spots.

We need some holes for 1/4"NPT x 1/2" hose-barbs. So after I decided on the location, I drilled the holes with a 7/16" drill. A tap for 1/4" NPT was used to make the threads. Nothing special here, just take your time and make sure it's square. I use teflon pipe thread tape to seal the threads, about 5 wraps should do.

For leak testing, I'm using clear tap water, available in most kitchens and bathrooms in the house... Gardens will also have a hose bib or faucet if your kitchen or bathroom does not. Just fill her up, and check for leaks...The reservoir, I mean!! This paragraph is just full of it, HUH? If you have done everything correct and have been taking your vitamins and saying your prayers, you should have no leaks, and you may move on to the final steps. IF YOU DO FIND LEAKS... empty the reservoir and use the technique in paragraph four, to fix the leaks. ...Start taking vitamins and saying prayers too.

Get a bucket 1/4 full of warm water. To it add a few drops of your favorite dish soap and get ready to wet sand till your hands wrinkle. I like to start with 3M Wet-or-Dry 400grit, then 600, then 1000, then finish off with 1500grit. 1500grit will feel like it is sticking to the plexi when you're about finished. After you're all done sanding, take the piece to the sink and rinse thoroughly with clear water.

Now to the final step in bringing the piece to that bling-bling stage. This is what makes working PLEXI so fun for me. This is easier than rubbing out a paint job. I use a Coleman power polisher. Low RPM and it's orbital too. I use simple rubbing compound and a woolie pad to start. After I have got the shine I want. I switch over to the terrycloth pad and buff to a high polish, using Maguire's plastic polish.

Thanks go out to all the Pimps who asked for this hoe-to , and a special thanks to jinx© for the special artwork . Thanks brother. So there you have it... cheap and easy, with lots of bling bling... just how I like 'em

... ZENNZZO style