Question for those with a computer in the shop

[cnsranch]

Don't know where else to post this -

For those of you with a computer in the shop - desktop or laptop -

What (if anything) are you doing to prevent dust in the computer?

I'm looking at a laptop so I can have Designer and the card reader where I need it - in the shop, not in the house, but I'm concerned with fine sawdust migrating into the computer - and we all know that that's bad.

Any ideas?

[Kenm810]

I use 1" sheets of speaker foam on all the air inlets of my shop Pc,
It's similar to the fine gray foam you find on good foam paint brushes
I've also use the foam you can find in hard sided gun or camera cases.
It doesn't restrict the air flow and stops 90% of the dust partials,
also I mini key-board vacuum to clean out the pc's fans and the shops 120lb compressed air
to blow any dust out of the foam sheets each week or more often as needed.

I often receive it in cartons at the shop as packing foam

[DickB]

I built a computer in a box for my shop. The computer is an HP Thin Client and has no fan. I removed the cases from the computer and the display and packaged them together in wood. Note the wood pushbuttons on the side. I use a wireless keyboard with a built-in joystick mouse. I put a few holes in the top and bottom of the box for ventilation. Nothing special to keep dust out.

[jaroot]

That's way too nice for a shop computer and your shop is way too clean! <-insert smiley here

I built a computer in a box for my shop. The computer is an HP Thin Client and has no fan. I removed the cases from the computer and the display and packaged them together in wood. Note the wood pushbuttons on the side. I use a wireless keyboard with a built-in joystick mouse. I put a few holes in the top and bottom of the box for ventilation. Nothing special to keep dust out.

[gregsolano]

It is way too nice for a shop! I carry my laptop into the garage, Yes my two car garage has no cars and lots of tools. Every week I have to clean just enough so I can walk around again. All my large machines, joiner, table saw, Carvewright, Woodworkers table, Band Saw, Router Table, Radial arm saw, are all on wheels, I wheel what I need into the middle use it, then wheel it back to the sides. I need a bigger garage.

[DickB]

My garage is also my shop and I likewise have tools on wheels. I can usually keep one car in but two will fit (one is small) and I only pull both cars for big projects.

[TerryT]

Put a car in my garage? I dunno. It would take a hurculean effort to move enough tools to do it. Then the car would just sit there....... wasting space.... that my woodworking tools could use.

BTW, have you folks in the eastern part of the country ever seen a wild mustang on it's winter range in the West?

I'm glad I put the top up! But my tools were in the garage at 65 degrees!

[Fletcher]

I'm trying to figure out what to do about it too CNS.

My PC sits almost directly in the line of fire of my other router. I just blew out about an inch of buildup the other day. I've been too busy PLAYING to clean! I'm sure it's a fairly common ailment here on this forum...
I've worked in a few machine shops where the PCs on the shop floor were pretty grimy, inside and out. I was shocked that they ran, but they did.

[CarverJerry]

Hey Jerry, I've also worked in a shop where we worked with carbon and the computer there was just sitting out in the open. Had a chance to look inside one day and I could not believe it ran either, especially with all the carbon dust which is conductive to electricity, but it did. The maintenance guy just blew it out with an air hose and it still kept on tick'n.....so a desk top wouldn't be much of a problem, now a lap top on the other hand, they do get warm and will hang up or shut down. I'd just keep it (if it's a lap top) in a box when you're not using it.


CJ

[mtylerfl]

Hey Jerry,

Found these pics on the Vectric forum... an idea for a protective enclosure for our computers in the shop! I kind of like the hinged clear cover idea, but might need to keep a box of fabric-softener dryer sheets nearby to keep the dust from sticking to it.

Looks like he used weather stripping around the cover area on the box to help seal against dust getting inside.