I am putting together a CNC outfit for my shop.
I have a variety of computers available to me (laptops,
horizontal/vertical desktops, rack mounts) to choose from for the
controller. Same goes for the furniture that the computer will be in
or on.
I would like to hear from others as to what your computer
configuration is and how well it works for you.
Some of the issues that I am looking at...
How important is it to have the computer ruggedized for the less than
favorable conditions that a shop environment presents?
What type of rack, desk, table, etc. do you use to hold your
equipment?
How portable? Built into a stationary rack/desk or should it be
portable to move around to different machines?
Do you use it standing or sitting?
How big a display? Monochrome or color? CRT or LCD?
What type of keyboard? Mouse or trackball?
Thanks in advance,
TMT
Use the one you can afford to lose and just run it. My SIL has a auto
frame shop and he has one in there for ordering parts and eBay stuff.
it lasts about 2 - 3 years and then we get another one. the inside is
truly amazing, I would not have thought that it would run with that much
dust inside but it does. He is rough on key boards so they have to be
replaced about every year.
Dust is also bad for CD players, so I hear. I have a old 100 disk
pioneer that I bought used 3 years ago. I put copies of all my CDs in
it so I wouldn't scratch them but it hasn't skipped a beat yet. I don't
blow it out but it is up fairly high.
Electronics are more robust than you may think and are cheap enough now
to be disposable. Everybody wants the latest bell and whistle and for
me, last years model works just fine in the shop.
YMMV
BRuce
Too_Many_Tools wrote:
> I am putting together a CNC outfit for my shop.
>
> I have a variety of computers available to me (laptops,
> horizontal/vertical desktops, rack mounts) to choose from for the
> controller. Same goes for the furniture that the computer will be in
> or on.
>
> I would like to hear from others as to what your computer
> configuration is and how well it works for you.
>
> Some of the issues that I am looking at...
>
> How important is it to have the computer ruggedized for the less than
> favorable conditions that a shop environment presents?
>
> What type of rack, desk, table, etc. do you use to hold your
> equipment?
>
> How portable? Built into a stationary rack/desk or should it be
> portable to move around to different machines?
>
> Do you use it standing or sitting?
>
> How big a display? Monochrome or color? CRT or LCD?
>
> What type of keyboard? Mouse or trackball?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> TMT
--
---
BRuce
I have a P133 class machine that has been in my shop for 3 years playing MP3s.
It has done fine through all the dust, dirt, Florida humidity and heat along
with a fire and the insuing flood. It was one of the 2 things that emerged
unscathed (the other was a home built CMOS spa controller).
PCs are a lot tougher than people admit. I also have one in my car and my wifes
truck. They both crank up in ungodly heat and run.
In article <[email protected]>, ^Halibut^
<[email protected]> wrote:
> computers don't like heat or dust, so, if you can put the main CPU in a
> enclosed rack that stays cool and reasonalbly dust free you should be fine.
>
> keeping it cool is the most important thing. you can buy some static free
> compressed air and blow out the dust regularly. i've got a buddy that has
> had a server and PC in his garage which is the dirtiest place i've ever seen
> and he never has problems.
>
> IMHO keep it as cool and as dust free as you can. the rest is your
> preference.
> "Too_Many_Tools" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I am putting together a CNC outfit for my shop.
> >
> > I have a variety of computers available to me (laptops,
> > horizontal/vertical desktops, rack mounts) to choose from for the
> > controller. Same goes for the furniture that the computer will be in
> > or on.
> >
> > I would like to hear from others as to what your computer
> > configuration is and how well it works for you.
> >
> > Some of the issues that I am looking at...
> >
> > How important is it to have the computer ruggedized for the less than
> > favorable conditions that a shop environment presents?
> >
> > What type of rack, desk, table, etc. do you use to hold your
> > equipment?
> >
> > How portable? Built into a stationary rack/desk or should it be
> > portable to move around to different machines?
> >
> > Do you use it standing or sitting?
> >
> > How big a display? Monochrome or color? CRT or LCD?
> >
> > What type of keyboard? Mouse or trackball?
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> >
> > TMT
>
>
I believe there was a discussion last year on the WREC about this very
topic and included some links to shots of enclosures and filters people
had built. Might be worth a Google.
Allen
"Eugene" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I would recommend looking at the via mini-itx boards. You can get one
that
> will run fanless, though not fast enough to do CAD stuff, going fanless
you
> have the ability to not use the pc as a dust collector :)
You can even get fancy and go for a water-cooled setup. You'd have to come
up with a way to put the radiator outside of the case to keep from sucking
air inside.
todd
computers don't like heat or dust, so, if you can put the main CPU in a
enclosed rack that stays cool and reasonalbly dust free you should be fine.
keeping it cool is the most important thing. you can buy some static free
compressed air and blow out the dust regularly. i've got a buddy that has
had a server and PC in his garage which is the dirtiest place i've ever seen
and he never has problems.
IMHO keep it as cool and as dust free as you can. the rest is your
preference.
"Too_Many_Tools" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am putting together a CNC outfit for my shop.
>
> I have a variety of computers available to me (laptops,
> horizontal/vertical desktops, rack mounts) to choose from for the
> controller. Same goes for the furniture that the computer will be in
> or on.
>
> I would like to hear from others as to what your computer
> configuration is and how well it works for you.
>
> Some of the issues that I am looking at...
>
> How important is it to have the computer ruggedized for the less than
> favorable conditions that a shop environment presents?
>
> What type of rack, desk, table, etc. do you use to hold your
> equipment?
>
> How portable? Built into a stationary rack/desk or should it be
> portable to move around to different machines?
>
> Do you use it standing or sitting?
>
> How big a display? Monochrome or color? CRT or LCD?
>
> What type of keyboard? Mouse or trackball?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> TMT
>
>Electronics are more robust than you may think and are cheap enough now
>to be disposable. Everybody wants the latest bell and whistle and for
>me, last years model works just fine in the shop.
>
>YMMV
I personally like a laptop for use in the shop...mostly because of its
size (I could store it in a drawer) ...pull it out and be online in a
minute using a wireless connection...
Before using the latop I had an older PC settng on a shelf not more
then 2 feet from my Radial arm saw...(do not use that thing much but
the space it takes up allowed the tower case to fit with ease..
The only thing I did was build a quick case to cover it...drill a hole
so I could turn it on and a sliding door ro get to the drives (do not
need to do that much anyway..
Heat and dust did not cause any problems for the 5-6 years I had it
set up...
Bob Griffiths
Too_Many_Tools wrote:
> I am putting together a CNC outfit for my shop.
>
> I have a variety of computers available to me (laptops,
> horizontal/vertical desktops, rack mounts) to choose from for the
> controller. Same goes for the furniture that the computer will be in
> or on.
>
> I would like to hear from others as to what your computer
> configuration is and how well it works for you.
>
> Some of the issues that I am looking at...
>
> How important is it to have the computer ruggedized for the less than
> favorable conditions that a shop environment presents?
>
> What type of rack, desk, table, etc. do you use to hold your
> equipment?
>
> How portable? Built into a stationary rack/desk or should it be
> portable to move around to different machines?
>
> Do you use it standing or sitting?
>
> How big a display? Monochrome or color? CRT or LCD?
>
> What type of keyboard? Mouse or trackball?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> TMT
I would recommend looking at the via mini-itx boards. You can get one that
will run fanless, though not fast enough to do CAD stuff, going fanless you
have the ability to not use the pc as a dust collector :)