Ok, this thing needs a case. Why not wood?

Ok, Borg #2 has been Folding away for a while on a cardboard box on the floor of my spare room. I have a couple of crappy cases I could toss it into, but no, I found one that is better. This Borg will go into a wooden wine case. Six pack of Chappellet Pritchard Hill case found it's way into my possession today.

I get to play around with cutting the case out for the PSU, mobo, and a couple of fans. I like a challenge. I am going to do some sanding on the outside, and then stain and seal the box, then install the 'puter. I should be able to knock it out spending less than $20. :cool

Not really a massive 'mod' but I am contemplating a light and a window on the top...

 

Ought to be pretty nifty looking when you get finished FredG.:cool
My only question is whether the wine will be consumed before, during or after the mod? (May have an effect on the finished product.)

 

Not to be presumptious, but please make sure you ground and bond all the components kin to a swimming pool. The case isn't conductive, after all...

OH, and way :*** cool, man!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks. Will need some routing bits for the dremel, should not be a problem. As far as the wine goes, keep in mind most wine, especially CA wine is shipped in cardboard boxes. This is not a wine I can afford http://www.wine.com/V6/Chappellet-P...abernet-Sauvignon-2005/wine/95635/detail.aspx

Unfortunately, due to the size of the mobo, the 'back' of the computer will be one of the sides of the box (side with the handle.) I was hoping to make the back the 'back', but it won't fit, and I am not buying computer hardware for this little mod. :-D

 

Looks like a possible winner.

 

Need some ideas here. I am not big on case windows, but a nice cutout of the outline of a wine glass would be sweet on the top. Also, as for power and reset buttons, I don't have any really great wood working skills. I might just hide them in the 'back' part of the case, or perhaps install a nice brass clasp on the case and have them inside the case. Dang thing is a borg, it is not like I turn it off very often. :-D

 

Why ground it? It is not grounded now and runs fine on a cardboard box. :-D

 

I was just considering ESD, and any unbalanced current from an electric motor that would decide to take the path of least resistance through the sensitive part of a piece of hardware. Normally, all the components (except the motherboard) are tied to the case of the PC.

 

Interesting idea the mekanic. In the 4'th picture in my first post is the computer in question, it has been running like that for 6 moths or so on a cardboard box. If grounding is really needed, what would be the best route to take to ground a wooden case? The last thing I want to do is offend the electric gods and have the magic smoke pour out! :-D

I have solved my first problem! Screw inserts to attach the motherboard standoffs. Pronged Tee Nuts. Picked up a box at my local lumberyard. Work perfect! Will trace the mobo on some cardboard or paper so I can decide where it will go, and hopefully start cutting Sunday!

Any ideas on the cooling fans? I could cut out a hole for the intake and exhaust, drill a honeycomb shape, or cut a hole and buy fan grills.

 

Progress is made! My template worked well, I was off on a couple of the spacers, but they are close enough to add support even though a screw won't be in it.

Mr. Murphy stopped by while I was drilling the mobo spacer holes to inform me my drill was to big to get to several of the places I needed to drill. So I had to drill some by hand. Not fun, grab some lagers and crank up the tunes. :-D

Next up is cutting out the I/O holes for the mobo and a hole for the GPU outputs. A friend of mine has a cordless router, I will see if that will work. Got a few pics for your enjoyment.

 

I didn't mean ground the wooden case, I meant to bond all the cases of each piece of equipment (CD drive, etc.) to the case of the power supply. That way anything that would normally travel through the case itself would take the path of the wire you bonded the components together with.

When you arrange all the components, they will be bonded to a non-conductive material.

It would be set up kin to the bare copper ground wire that goes around a swimming pool, and bonds, all the equipment together.

 

hahah great idea Fred!!!! :cool

 

I really appreciate your input. Keep in mind I view electricity as 'magic smoke' once it starts pouring out of a component, the component rarely works right again. :-D I am a bit confused on the ground/bond issues. They will all be attached to the PSU via the power cables. Are you suggesting I add an additional wire from each component to the PSU? This one won't have a CD by the way.

Thanks for your input.

 

No problem, I just always try to err on the side of caution!!

Basically, anything that would be attached by screws to the metal frame of the case, I would run say a 16 or 18 AWG wire from that component to the case of the PSU.

Where the wire would be in this scenario, normally the metal frame of the case would do the job.

 

Thanks for the info the mekanic. Should be simple enough. This computer is a borg, it is just the mobo with GPU, one hard drive and the PSU. I love overkill, let's see what I can come up with.

 

interesting the mekanic as I also have ran "borg's" placed within the motherboard box and a few have just up and quit on me.
perhaps the grounding wire attached to the psu may have been needed?!?
Thank You for this heads up info. :cool

:::Fold On:::

 

Sometimes I have seen the motherboards isolated from the case, and sometimes not. The "not" would be with some aftermarket cases, but in Dells, which I see alot of (and tend to have great longevity), the mobo is in contact with the case. I guess it depends on the make and model sometimes, or the aftermarkets are missing a vital detail with their plastic mounting brackets...

 

Mekanic, would a wire run to one of the metal motherboard mount to the PSU be sufficient, or would several wires need to be used? See the 3rd picture from the left in post #10 for the motherboard mounts.

 

I would think one wire would be sufficient to give any current or charge that could do damage the opportunity to take the least resistive path to ground/neutral.

#8 or #10 bare copper is used on swimming pools, and no real pen and paper calculations here, but I would think a single #16 would be sufficient.

 

I like the 'this old box' case. You might want to line the inside with foil or window screen thats grounded to chassis ground (not system ground) to stop RF leaking (into or out of) your case.

 

to Techeads
It's laying open on a cardboard box and working. RF leakage couldn't be any higher than it is.
And the chassis is wood. Where is the chassis ground?

 

hrlow, it is working for now. However, in it's Borg state, it is more vulnerable to any type of electrostatic charge, or radio frequency interference. This includes the type of microwave interference from warming up a TV dinner.

That TV dinner interference would be the same kind that can knock out your connection to a wireless network in the house.

The chassis ground can be substituted by running #16 AWG single strand insulated conductors from vital components to the case of the PSU. Thereby connecting the components to ground, and the path of least resistance.

The metal chassis of the PC case does serve an integral purpose. Kin to the bare copper that bonds your water meter. (If it's in your house to be viewed.)

 

Ok, maybe I over do things. If it works, cool. Also, the chassis ground is the same as the AC ground wire. The power supply ground wire (black wire) should not be used for shielding because of negitive transients.

 

While I don't understand much about the magic smoke, he seems to know some about it. It will be nothing to run a wire from a couple of standoffs to the PSU, so why not? I love overkill.

#16 wire is what is used in most PSU's main molex plug right? If so, I have plenty laying around. I have to make a template so I can cut out the back I/O section and the GPU and PSU sections.

 

I like that , But I suck at wood working so I'd need someone to do it for me , But that's going to be amazingly classy when it's finished and glossy and stuff , Kudos mate.

 

My lack of woodworking skills are holding me back now, kinda a learn as I go thing. But why not try to do it! :-D

 

Practice on some old scrap until you feel comfortable doing it. Go to your project only when confident in your ability to do the job. Hate to see it ruined because you got into a hurry.

 

Most of the OEM PSUs and the like run 18 AWG, but it should be sufficient. Since a good bit of the equipment runs on DC, stranded would be the preferred type of conductor.

I guess the 16 months in trade school finally paid off!! :-D