DIY Lego Desk Fan: Do All PC Fans Exhaust On the Side Of the Support Struts & Label?

[Tien23]

I am working on a DIY Lego desk fan and for the life of me, I cannot find a fan that exhausts on the opposite side of the label and support struts. In a PC, I'd normally just flip the fan around. However, here I don't want the label and wires facing the direction of the airflow....it is unsightly. Does anyone know of a 120mm fan that intakes from the support strut side and exhausts air out of the open end of the fan?

Edit: Adding images.

Here is what I built. It's just for fun, but without a fan the moves air the opposite direction, this design wont work.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo198/Tien223/base_zpsrzcattlm.jpg

This is what I want it to look like:

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo198/Tien223/wantedfan_zpsa3u4cmre.jpg

However, to move the air forward, the fan has to be turned the opposite way and it cannot be affixed with this design. This is not what I want:

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo198/Tien223/dontWant_zpstvz9ljdu.jpg

 

[Tayonas]

Last time I had to something similar I simply unhooked the cables and ran them the other way. You could also just rewire the polarity of the fan at the end it connect to the power source. Only thing is if it is an LED fan the LED's might not last too long.

EDIT: actually don't reverse the polarity I dunno if they are designed to run one way.

Personally I would think your solution is to mount it in reverse with a fan guard/coloured filter on it.

 

[Tien23]

Last time I had to something similar I simply unhooked the cables and ran them the other way. You could also just rewire the polarity of the fan at the end it connect to the power source. Only thing is if it is an LED fan the LED's might not last too long.

EDIT: actually don't reverse the polarity I dunno if they are designed to run one way.

Personally I would think your solution is to mount it in reverse with a fan guard/coloured filter on it.

filter on it.[/quotemsg]

I read that you can't really reverse the direction of PC fans as they circuitry prevents this. I also know the blades are optimized for one direction so I'll lose airflow. That's what I have read at least. Im hoping that some one has found a fan, preferably with white blades, that pushes air out so you dont have to see the support struts and cables. I'd post pics but it looks like I have to set up an image hosting account on another page? Fit this project, I mount the fan unless the strut side is the intake side. The exhaust needs to be open.

 

[Tayonas]

Ahhh, ok ... got you. I understand now.

You need a fan that pulls air and want to use a PC fan. Can I ask why a PC fan? All you would need is one with a 5v DC to run it off USB or if its from an internal PC connector a 5/7/12v.

TBH I would just look for a low DC voltage fan and use a PSU with the same rating. Not a PC PSU, like a wall plug in USB charger.

 

[giantbucket]

i think you need the Arctic Cooling Pro series of fans, the ones that have the open cage design. their blade shape seems to indicate that they pull from the cage side and exhaust to the open non-spider side.

 

[Tien23]

i think you need the Arctic Cooling Pro series of fans, the ones that have the open cage design. their blade shape seems to indicate that they pull from the cage side and exhaust to the open non-spider side.

Thanks! I just edited my original post to include image links. I am looking at the Artic Cooling fans and they might work. It's tough to tell the airflow without physically seeing it. Do all CPU fans push air into the CPU heat sink?

 

[giantbucket]

all you need to look at is the blade cup. the air flows in the direction of the cup. by cup I mean how the blade is curved like (

look at your case fans now and see how the cup is always towards the spider and support struts
look at the AC Pro and see how the cup is going to the opposite side

 

[Tien23]

all you need to look at is the blade cup. the air flows in the direction of the cup. by cup I mean how the blade is curved like (

look at your case fans now and see how the cup is always towards the spider and support struts
look at the AC Pro and see how the cup is going to the opposite side

That makes sense, thanks! The Arctic Pro 12 looks like it will do the trick!