Zip-Tie Techniques...Now Used For a HD Mount.

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 4:20 pm

Here's another way to mount fans, using zip-ties and automotive vacuum hose. You can get each in a variety of sizes, but here I'm using 3" zip-ties. The idea is to provide a soft rubber mount, which is adjustable to fit different hole spacing. I'm showing the method used to mount a 60mm fan on a pin-fin heatsink. But you can use this in many ways.....like as a case fan mount. You would push the hose against a hole in the case, and run a screw into the hose from the outside, providing a soft, flexable mount.

Use your imagination......this could be use as a hard drive mount. That vacuum hose won't break, and can with-stand high heat. You simply pull the zip-tie into the hose....till the large end is right at the end of the hose. Easy...

spolitta · Post by **spolitta** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 5:43 pm

I dont get it to be honest, how do you do this?

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 5:25 pm

I'm not sure what part you don't understand.....You have a piece of vacuum hose with a zip-tie pulled into it, the end sticking out. This is attached to the fan by the use of a second zip-tie pushed down on the first. There are four of these attached to the fan corners.

To attach this to a pin-fin heatsink you push the hoses down on the pin-fin....they are held firmly by friction. Here's another.....an 80 mm fan attached to a Swift-tech heatsink. Four short pieces of hose, and eight zip-ties.

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 12:21 pm

Here's another example of this technique.....mounting a case fan close to a heatsink, with four rubber hoses, eight zip-ties, and the original four fan screws. The screws screw into the ends of the hose, holding the assembly firmly, but soft-mounted with no vibrations.

To duct this setup, I would cut out a rectangle of sticky-back foam or felt. Then wrap it around the four rubber posts. Easy way to get a fan close to a heatsink, without any vibration transfer possible.

Writer · Post by **Writer** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 11:49 pm

Interesting technique...thanks for sharing.

Are you ducting the fan in that last pic? Doesn't look like it would be very effective otherwise.

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 3:34 am

That last photo is an old case not in use......and yeah it would need a duct and the grill cut open. I've been making ducts of soft materials, like a piece of thin aluminum flashing with sticky felt on both sides. It's bendable and will hold a shape. Some velcro would hold it tight to the fan.

Something like this

moritz · Post by **moritz** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:25 am

Interesting. The method for joining it to a heatsink in particular. You must go through a lot of zip ties.

Sizzle · Post by **Sizzle** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:33 am

I certainly enjoy your ideas and posts BF, but why not just use EAR mounts? They aren't that expensive.

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 4:56 pm

Heh.....these little Zip-ties and hoses are free to me. I open a drawer and there they are.

Seriously.....many advantages here. I don't have to wait for an order to arrive. If I change something I just make a new mount. These things can be adjusted for hole spacing, And I can adjust the distance from the fan to a heatsink easily by shortening the hose. Also they don't break......unlike rubber band suspension or mounting.

Effective, easy to deal with, cheap. Can't beat it. I'll post pictures of a hard drive mounted with a variation of this technique. My current project is coming along.......

One-fan for the whole thing, DC/DC converter for the PSU, external 12V power supply, SATA laptop drive, Ninja cooler on a P4, cheap $30 case with air filtration, MSI board. It'll be different and quiet.

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 3:50 pm

Here's another use for zip-ties and vacuum hoses...a soft, suspended hard drive mount. The technique is similar to the other mounts in this thread. I took a piece of vacuum hose and carefully split it down the center. The cut is exactly as wide as the laptop drive. using the split, I pushed/pulled two zip-ties in the hose. Then I inserted the drive and attached zip-ties at the edge of the split (to prevent the split from getting bigger).

This setup can be suspended in a 3.5", a 5 1/4" bay, or somewhere else...like the PSU opening as in the photos. Once attached, the drive does not move around, and the computer can be moved safely.

TomZ · Post by **TomZ** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 6:20 pm

That's pretty cool. I'm looking for a method to suspend my HDDs - might give that a try.

DrCR · Post by **DrCR** » Wed Feb 15, 2006 3:13 pm

Good to see you're still up to your old tricks Bluefront.

I really like your harddrive mounting. All the advantages of elastics, but more secure (or, atleast, less worrisome). And looks like less sag too - more drives in the same space. Nice work!

DrCR

_________

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 4:06 pm

Yeah it's a neat mount technique. That vacuum hose is soft, flexable, but doesn't really stretch much. If you mount the drive in a metal bay, there would not be any sagging at all, if you measured the hose length carefully. The rear mount on the picture is made on a plastic duct.....so there is some slight sag visible. But it doesn't have to sag at all.

I've been using that mount for serveral weeks now......working perfect. Absolutely no vibration transferred into the case. I'll probably mount two drives in that opening when I get another......

GHz · Post by **GHz** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 7:29 pm

I'm still suspending drives with elastic cord (the stuff used in clothes). How does this compare? Do you think it would be strong enough to suspend a 3.5" drive safely? I'm going to have to go to Home Depot and buy some vacuum hose and try it out

EDIT: Actually, do they carry this stuff McMaster? I imagine it might be cheaper online.

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:00 am

Zip-Ties and vacuum hoses both come in many sizes. I've never seen weight/strength ratings for the hose.....but they probably exist. For a 3.5" drive you might want to use the next larger hose (only slightly bigger). Zip-Ties do come with weight ratings.

At Home Depot that 3" Zip-Tie is rated for 15lbs. There is also a small Zip-Tie with a "military spec"......that one is rated for 75lbs. I seriously doubt you'll ever break one in a computer application. The larger sized Zip-Ties could pull a car.

The only thing to be aware of is to use the same type/brand Zip-Tie to attach together. If you mix types, they might not hold well. I'd buy the vacuum hoses at an auto parts store. It comes in bulk....so just get a few feet of each small size,

Pulling a Zip-Tie into a vacuum hose requires two hands....you hold one end of the hose with one hand, pull the Zip-tie into the hose with a pliers on the end of the Zip sticking out. Not too hard......

There are countless uses for these things.....experimentation will no doubt find many more than what I've shown here.

Here's a 120mm Yate Loon mounted within 1/8" of a Ninga using vacuum hoses and zip-ties. I wrapped plastic tape around the four hoses to construct a short enclosed duct to the case.

IsaacKuo · Post by **IsaacKuo** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:28 am

For a 3.5" drive, maybe you could just double up on the hoses instead of cutting them down the middle?

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 4:12 am

Probably.....but with the cut, the total profile of the mount remains thin, allowing more airflow to reach the drive itself. I've never suspended a 3.5" drive due to the heat problem. IMHO....heatsinks are manditory on 3.5" drives. Without heatsinks, you need more airflow to keep these larger drives acceptably cool for me. Of course you could combine heatsinks with vacuum hose suspension.

Laptop drives are easier to keep cool.....definitely easier to suspend.

Example....that Samsung SATA laptop drive shown in these last photos, never goes over 28-30C, even though there's no fan directly on it. It simply is suspended in the main intake opening. One Yate-Loon 120mm exhaust fan @670rpm cools the drive, and the CPU (P4-2.6) easily.

BrianE · Post by **BrianE** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:02 pm

Hi Bluefront, this method is interesting and I like the simplicity. Am I right in interpreting that the "heads" of the zip ties are simply held in by friction inside the tubing near the ends? That's what it looks like to me.

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:20 am

Yeah....that's it. The second picture in this thread shows a close-up of the bulge. This attachment has no tendency to loosen with vibration, unlike a nut/bolt.

You may have to try a few different brands/sizes to find a zip-tie/hose combo that works well. If the "head" of the zip-tie is too large, it won't pull into the hose. But once in there, It won't come out without pulling hard. (heh)

El Doug · Post by **El Doug** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:07 am

thats looks brilliant - i must try this

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 9:25 am

Another use.....mounting fans or whatever to surfaces at different angles. It's easy. You just cut the end of the hose at whatever angle you need. It will hold that position when the zip-tie is tightened. Here's a small fan mounted to a curved surface.

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:58 pm

Another use....mounting a fan using two zip-ties, a block of safety mat foam, and some velcro. You punch four holes in the foam block, and secuire the fan to the foam with zip-ties through the fan frame holes. Some velcro on the bottom allows me to position the assy as needed.