I was thinking about making a case out of wood(media PC type case, whatever that means? I was going to do it out of aluminum, but I dont have that kind of money right now A friend told me that if I make it out of wood it would get way too hot, is this true? Anything I need to watch out for in particular when i make it with wood?( The wood i was looking at buying for this didnt even really look like wood. It's a mix I think. It has a really smooth surface, and is very sturdy. 8x4(feet) and 1/4th of an inch thick for around $8 at a local Lowe's.) Any info on anything I need to watch out for would be appreciated, thanks for your time. -Ben
to the best of my knowledge, as long as you have the wood sealed/lacquered/schellaced correctly, and decent cooling for the comp, you shouldn't have any problems. hopefully someone who knows more than me will reply as well.
Well for one, I think it would be really easy to strip your screws... secondly, its wood... the constant turning off and on of your computer would eventually cause it to warp to hell. I really don't know why anyone would want to build their own case (well after all, this is a pc modding forum, lol.) especially out of wood... I think it'd probably be cheaper to go and buy a 50 dollar case from newegg (Here is a good cheap one) and it would probably last a lot longer at the same time (as for now, I'm off... I've been sick for the past few days with a fever of 104F )
Mace, the wood is only going to warp if it contains moisture. By the sounds of it, pilsl is going for a pre-made sheet, could be ply or MDF, but these will be much more stable than a plank of sawn timber.
that's makes me wonder... if you did make a case out of say, bird's eye maple, would you be able to use weather treater to make sure it didn't warp at all? is the maybe some high-temperature wood sealer? (fire-proof wood!!!)
do a quick google search, or check out the project logs and you will see more than one wood case.... I think they are a great idea!!
All you need to do is dry the timber first. If you have access to a moisture metre, the timber should be down to about 10% moisture before you build. You could even warp the wood on purpose first (by placing it next to a radiator), then plane it flat again, which will almost eliminate any future warping. I'm no expert, all I'm trying to say is there are plenty of ways around the problems, you just need to do a little research. Other alternatives wood include ( ) building a case from something like MDF, then covering it in a maple veneer.
All of the "normal" wood I saw was already warped in the store(at least to an extent). However, that "wood" that I was thinking of using for this project wasn't warped at all. It was really sturdy and smooth, not like the other woods at the store. I've already done blowholes and the like on a normal case, and it was really fun. But now i'm ready to make a case from scratch The reason I dont want to use aluminum or something as expensive as it, is because I'm from austria and not able to legally work in the US. Meaning I really dont have a lot of money to put into this Hence why I want to go with that cheap wood i saw. Anybody else have a cheap alternative that I could build a case from scratch with? Thanks for your replies, they are very much appreciated.
I currently have two computers in wood cases, but the boxes were premade out of MDF, they are in 12" cubes. I haven't had a problem yet and one is an athlon 1800+, but it has two 120mm self adjusting case fans too. The boxes were $12 U.S. and I was too cheap to buy new cases for secondary computers. The only picture I can find is of some duct work I did after I broke my CPU fan.
it sounds like you have mdf, and id be really surprised if you had a major warping problem with that. lets be realistic, case temps don't reach 50 degrees C, so unless you've got really inadequate cooling you ain't going to have a problem. Only thing that could go wrong is if you get a real cheap psu, it fails, catches fire.... Remeber that old TV's, hifi's etc. are made from wood, a CRT tube can get *pretty* warm, as can valves etc., just because all modern prebought cases are steel or alu doesnt mean wood is not suitable. MDF is ideal because of its rigidity, cheapness, and the fact it is easily veneered at a later date when funds suffice. I really like the idea of a walnut or rosewood veneered case... like top quality hifi speakers. Good luck, best wishes with your case. NB Mace - surely modding a case is what someone who doesn't have the ability to make their own case will do. Check out the projects on this site to see how many have been made from scratch, using exotic materials like carbon fibre and uv plastics. Why mod a boring steel case when you can make your own?
Hey guys! Built me a wooden computer to use as a media effort in my living room - been running constantly for about 2 years (well, like during the day!). It's a PIII 550Mhz, Pine, loverly!!! Oh, sorry about the mess, but it's a student house....
