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Forum topic by Suobs | posted 12-04-2010 04:25 PM | 2804 views | 0 times favorited | 38 replies | ![]() |
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12-04-2010 04:25 PM |
Does anyone have experience with protecting or precautions for a desktop computer and monitor used in a woodworking shop or other dusty environment? |
38 replies so far
#1 posted 12-04-2010 04:35 PM |
If you are doing it, or planning to do it, I would rig a plastic dust cover of some sort to keep it covered at all times when not in use. Personally, I would not do it at all. The cooling fan will constantly be sucking ambient dust into the machine. -- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood" |
#2 posted 12-04-2010 04:50 PM |
I agree with Charlie’s comment. I periodically take the desktop apart to vacuum the fan and interior and it is always loaded with dust, lint, etc. Putting it in a dusty environment would make this worse. -- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine |
#3 posted 12-04-2010 05:25 PM |
There are homemade enclosures with Hepa fiters that people have made for N.C. machines running in woodshops. Google around and I’m sure you could get some plans. |
#4 posted 12-04-2010 05:39 PM |
What is an N.C. machine? |
#5 posted 12-04-2010 06:00 PM |
I have my netbook there all the time. Just cover it when I’m not using it. No problem so far. -- Bruce from Central New York...now, if you'll pardon me, I have some sawdust to make. |
#6 posted 12-04-2010 06:03 PM |
Numeric or Numerically Controlled. Computer controlled equipment basically. -- "I like the quiet I hear." - Channing, age 4 |
#7 posted 12-04-2010 06:05 PM |
We ran them in our small cnc lab in school and didn’t have any issues. All we did was use cheap rubber keyboards, like these http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_018W024011470001P?vName=Computers%20&%20Electronics&cName=Desktops&sName=Accessories&sid=KDx20070926x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=018W024011470001P. Keep the machine blown out regularly. Should be fine. |
#8 posted 12-04-2010 06:12 PM |
We used them in Animal barns for running the feed systems. THAT enviroment was corrosive as well as dusty. -- "My mission in life - make everyone smile !" |
#9 posted 12-04-2010 07:21 PM |
It looks like there are some inexpensive solutions out there, like: http://www.computerdust.com/ |
#10 posted 12-04-2010 07:22 PM |
This may not be a solution for you but this is what i did. i have a large conduit chase between the house and the garage that i ran when i when i did the power in case i needed to run something else out there. so i leave the pc in the house and chased a vga cable and and a few usb extensions out there. so all thats out there is the a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. -- I buy tools so i can make more money,so ican buy more tools so I can work more, to make more money, so I can buy more tool, so I can work more |
#11 posted 12-04-2010 07:35 PM |
Huh! I thought there was some limit on the length of USB and monitor cables (like really short). In my case, the shop is detached and it would be at least 150 feet . . . |
#12 posted 12-04-2010 07:46 PM |
I use a terminal that displays a running copy of linux. no moving parts, no viruses. |
#13 posted 12-04-2010 07:47 PM |
USB specification limits the length of a cable between full speed devices to 5 meters (a little under 16 feet 5 inches). For a low speed device the limit is 3 meters (9 feet 10 inches). Unless you start daisy chaining hubs together; then you can max it out at about 88 feet. (This is with a maximum of 5 hubs) There’s a company that makes CPU covers out of a filter material, most run just under $20 that work pretty well with only a minimal temperature increase. Shop Shield -- Men have become the tools of their tools. - Henry David Thoreau |
#14 posted 12-04-2010 09:48 PM |
Builid a box and fit an A/C filter in the back. However, no matter how airtight, there will be dust. Like CharlieM1958, I wouldn’t do it. |
#15 posted 12-04-2010 10:26 PM |
For a shop environment I would recommend something like this. I don’t have any personal experience with these, but there are other manufacturers that make fanless pc’s like this that are typically used in automotive applications. http://www.stealth.com/littlepc_fanless.htm Bigjoe |
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