DIY Solar Air Conditioning Unit

Step 3: Gather Materials

You'll need a few different tools and materials to build your Solar Air Conditioning Unit. I'm sure all of these could be substituted and worked around in some way, but here is what I used. Keep in mind that this unit will be made to fit my car. I tried to keep track of prices as best I could, because cost is always a consideration with my projects. I had a lot of the materials already.

Materials:

MDF Sheet. | 1/4" thick. 2'x4'. $7 or so.
Glass sheet. | 11.5"x20.5". $5 At local hardware store
Sheet Metal. | Recovered from old microwaves.
1" PVC Pipe. | A small section. I had this already.
1/2" PVC Pipe | A small section. I had this already.
1" PVC-1/2" Elbow. | The 1" side was a slip coupling, and the 1/2" side was threaded. $0.80 or so.
1/2" PVC Male-thread Coupler. $0.80 or so.
1" PVC End Cap. $0.50 or so.
PVC Primer and Cement. | I had these already.
Wood Glue. | $3-4.
Caulk. | This was left over from another project. Outdoor Acrylic-Silicone I believe.
Matte Black Paint | $6 at craft store.
Mesh. | A splatter protector from the Dollar Store. $1
Small wood screws. | $2 at local hardware store.
Fabric. | From an old t-shirt.

Total cost: $27.10
Tools:

Dremel Rotary Tool.
Oscillating Cutting Tool.
Jigsaw.
Drill.
Various hand tools: knives, scissors, screwdrivers, etc.

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tafelice says: Jul 22, 2012. 10:06 AM

Just a note about MDF.
-very susceptible to moisture, and it will swell up to maybe 3 times its size. Not desireable.
-the strength on the face of it is very good, i.e. you want to walk on it or rest things on it. I built a medium duty workbench with it, works wonderful, nice flat surface. I built utility shelves with it, very nice. I did all the wood work in my house with it... OUTSTANDING.
-but it is not structural in that it has very little span, not good on its edge, won't hold a screw (or nail) very well in the edge or even on the face to well, suggest glueing along with screwing/nailing.
-absent of moisture it is extremely stable.
-MDF is VERY heavy

For this project I would almost suggest some type of foam board with hot glue gun. Easier to work with, more resistant to moisture and very economical

albeem in reply to tafeliceJul 23, 2012. 9:57 AM

Yes MDF is heavy and susceptible to moisture. /You can use GatorBoard foam at 1/2" thickness to construct a rigid, lightweight more waterproof housing. Should paint it. It is a phenolic resin paper sandwich with a styrofoam interior. styrofoam interior wither different than FoamCore.

fozzy13 (author) in reply to albeemJul 23, 2012. 11:39 AM

Is GatorBoard available at your average home improvement store at a reasonable price? I'm definitely interested for future projects.

Thanks for the read and comment!! : )

tafelice in reply to fozzy13Jul 24, 2012. 5:54 AM

I was thinking more of R-Max 1/2"

This stuff doesn't have a rigid outlayer but has a somewhat rigid inner core between some silver reflective paper. It has a less than 2% water absorbtion. It is just $9.48 at Lowes. I put this on my basement ceiling and had a ton of big scraps leftover, some of which spent a couple of weeks out in the weather and it came in still in good shape. I read they do a lot of modeling with that gatorboard and perhaps it is a tad more permanent but this R-Max 1/2" would be great for proof of concept projects and I even believe it would hang in there for a good deal of years outdoors, but I can't be certain.

tafelice in reply to tafeliceJul 24, 2012. 6:12 AM

I guess it is also called R-Matte Plus 3 and I looked up the specs and it is <1% water absorbtion, and can be used between -40f and 250f

It is NON-structural. but for small boxes etc I would try it. I'm thinking of trying a dual chamber swamp cooler using this material.

fozzy13 (author) in reply to tafeliceJul 24, 2012. 9:02 AM

With that low of water absorption and wide temperature range, I could easily look past the "non-structural" label, especially for a project like this. For this specific application however, the 1/2" thickness would be a bit of an issue, since my car window is thinner than that, but the 1/4" fit very nicely.

I can't wait to see your cooler!

Thanks! : )

albeem in reply to fozzy13Jul 23, 2012. 4:25 PM

This is used in Graphic Arts or TradeShow/ Exhibit displays. Photographers use it for mounting. You might find some scraps or used panels if you check around local companies.

The price is rather high, but here are some sources for single sheets.
Paint edges with latex or acrylic! Maybe 3/16" would be sturdy enough for your use...

GatorBoard
http://www.foamboardsource.com/
http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=6044

UltraBoard is similar but with plastic surfaces (I haven't tried it):
http://www.tri-dee.com/Ultra%20Board%20Panels.htm

fozzy13 (author) in reply to albeemJul 23, 2012. 8:36 PM

Ah, okay, it's too bad that it sounds hard to find. It's good to know it's around though so I can look for it.

Thanks! : )

fozzy13 (author) in reply to tafeliceJul 22, 2012. 1:22 PM

I didn't know MDF was so susceptible to moisture! I chose it because I thought it was made of sawdust and a sort of resin, which I assumed would be more resistant to moisture than plywood.

I don't know if foam board would be quite sturdy enough for this project though, but it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot.

Thanks! : )

isaacwilk in reply to fozzy13Jul 22, 2012. 10:52 PM

I agree with tafelice's comment on using MDF - it's pretty terrible when it comes to waterproofing, and will swell up and turn to mush if exposed. I'd at least paint it, or coat it with something waterproof.

Great idea and instructable though!

fozzy13 (author) in reply to isaacwilkJul 23, 2012. 8:08 AM

I will have to do that!! It wouldn't take much to get some clear coat or something of the sort to make it more durable.

Thanks for reading and commenting!! : )

tafelice says: Jul 22, 2012. 9:46 AM

I have a generic comment that applies to many instructables. Whenever someone builds something and "they have it already" they count the cost as $zero. This is soooo misleading. Not everyone "has it already." I would encourage everyone who "has it already" to say they have it BUT would cost $1.87 etc. Some instructable writers "have" some very pricey stuff. Just saying.

graydog111 in reply to tafeliceJul 23, 2012. 4:07 AM

I agree with "tafelic" about pricing stuff you already have. I cancelled my subscription to "Mother Earth News" magazine after the cover said it had an article on how to build a free wheelbarrow. In the story, they explained, "Get the nose wheel off a Cessna airplane". Sorry, I could not get one legally.

fozzy13 (author) in reply to graydog111Jul 23, 2012. 8:14 AM

Thanks for your input!! I will definitely take that into consideration when I'm writing my new Instructables!! I hope nothing in the project is quite as obscure as an airplane nose wheel! : )

Thanks for reading and commenting!! : )

fozzy13 (author) in reply to tafeliceJul 22, 2012. 1:16 PM

You make a great point! I've been frustrated at times by the same thing. I would have put the prices on there, however since I didn't buy it, I didn't have a receipt to look up the price, and the prices can be hard to find on Home Depot's website for example, when I can't find the exact product.

Thanks for the read and the comment! : )