any reason why a computer case cant be made of wood?

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4Ryan6

4Ryan6

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Many others have successfully done it, my only concerns as a woodworker myself would be to make sure you seal the inside as well as the outside of the wood used in the project to make sure you're covered as to, heat, moisture levels, everything that would affect a wood case inside and out.

So are you considering veneering an existing metal case or building completely from scratch?
 
turpit

turpit

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Nope, lots of people do it. This is the one I built, as part of a desk.


assemblednb0.jpg


casegi1.jpg
 
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bobjmoran

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My only concern would be radiate EMI as wood does not shield
against electromagnetic radiation, But as log as your TV and cell phone still work---
 
turpit

turpit

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Heat dissapation isnt a problem. The case runs 3 120mm fans in parallel, flowing about 100 CFM through a specifically designed single-plane path that flows over all components. From the intake (where you cant see it) on the bottom the air flows over the HDDs first (it can carry 8) then over the mobos/cards, past the PSU,s to the fans, and then through a sound trap. Flow should be 132CFM, but the filter reduces it a bit. The case is actually designed to carry 2 full systems, but I only have one in there right now as the mobo 'tray' needs to be altered slightly to allow for some dongles. All the interior wood surfaces are also isolated by 1/2 insch of sound damping foam. On a stock cooler, the CPU(E6600 on a P5W DH Deluxe) idles at 31~34C (varies with ambient)when the system is closed, with the door open it will drop 3' Under full load it hits 56`57'C, so Im fairly happy with the air flow
 
Slobogob

Slobogob

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The other way around is the more important one. Imagine sitting in front of your computer and getting a call on your cell phone is enough to induce a little power fluctuation on your reset button wire...
 
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charley_51

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You really *must* make sure the case is shielded. There are many ways you could do this - screen, hardware cloth or some type of metallic film.
 
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johnyd

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Hello

old thread? bah i don't care.

I would say that wood rocks as a case making material, far more character then steel aluminum and glass.
The reason i made my first wood case was a local PC store set up a case mod competition. I went to spectate the event
and was floored at what people were considering case mods. The winner had neat wire routing and a blue light, everyone else had a red light. It was quite a while ago and case modding was in its infancy for sure.

I made my case out of 3/4 in oak ( i later regretted due to weight) so i could do some interesting back cutting techniques.
I addressed the cooling concerns by leaving the top separate from the carcass so the heat could merely rise out of the box
helped by 3-6 inch fans mounted in the bottom of the case, i worked with physics (hot air rises) rather then against it.

The ATX mother board was mounted to sheet of steel (an old PC case skin), the power switch was an dual throw automotive toggle(steel) and the style if any was reminiscent of an old style radio (art deco) with some modern twists. A handle for carrying were 2 slender tapered aluminum door pulls that were mounted slight staggered but adjacent to each other giving an illusion of a single twisted handle. The 4 legs were also door pulls (smaller) that lifted the case from the floor to permit cool air to enter from the bottom. This case would still be in use today however the heavy weight and limited space inside for additional hdds led me to retire it about 4 years ago. I still cant part with it tho.

I think i may build another but perhaps for more extreme needs such as very large hdd capacity and maybe even a 2-3 PC in 1 case system. Time will tell.


jd
 
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redneckonline

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check out Envador.com. This guy has made some wood furniture with pcs and touch screens mounted in them. Looks awesome. There are some Steampunk fans who have made antiquated looking cases also.

I want to build a salvaged PC mounted on a 20x20 plywood, opposed to a 20" box fan. Will the box fan motor disrupt the PC if its motor is 4 inches from the components or more? The wood board and the fan will be held apart by 4 threaded studs and hardware, and all the drives and ports will be on the front. It will sit just like a box fan usually does, vertically. A 20" filter will keep it from blowing dust/debris on the computer. It will sit on a plastic table in the corner with 2 exposed sides, or maybe hard rubber flaps on all sides that allow venting near the board side.

Mohdoggies@ya h3h3h33h3hooooooo.com
 
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Guest

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Mhm, I wonder why there are so many black ground wires in that lovely 24 pin main connector plus the two black grounds for each molex connector. I'm pretty sure that equates to "grounded" :pt1cable:
 
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SheoMushroom

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Wood does shield against EMI, in fact it protects better than aluminum and metal that rly do little or no shielding at all, wood is a better material to build a case to protect from EMI.
 
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