I have a dust collector on my CNC, but with the sanding, cutting, general woodworking, dust is an inevitable demon in my workshop. How do I keep it out of the CNC computer? I am interested in how others have solved this problem. Filters on the computer case? An isolated environment for the computer? Don't worry about it??? I use one of those flexible keyboards that are sealed, but my computer sucks in the air and the little bit of dust there in the air builds up.

Greg

http://www.cnczone.com/gallery/data/500/2793CNC_controller_cabinet-med.jpg

You're worried about that little bit of dust? :) If you think you need it, you could try this. http://www.dirtbag.biz/index.html

I use saran wrap to cover the keyboard to see the letters and number and when i use it to write up a program i use the onscreen keyboard (comes with windows) because it sure is cheaper to replace a ps2 mouse rather than a keyboard (on a laptop - thats what i use_

Maybe use a little bit of positive pressure to keep the dust out? Get a piece of flexible dryer vent, and use a fan to force air into it from outside your shop. Bring the duct to your computer case, maybe with another "pull fan" at the computer, to assist in air flow. Seal up your computer case, except for the power supply fan, which normally should exhaust outwards, and will pull air out of the inside of the case anyways.

Well most of the dust is entering via the fan for the power supply...several options add an external fan filter over the power supply, or enclose the whole computer and monitor in an enclosure with an air exchange system (works like having it in another room with only the CNC interconnects exiting the enclosure.)

Well most of the dust is entering via the fan for the power supply

Power supply fans blow out???

All of the power supply fans I've encountered exhausted outward. Some fan connections (inside the power supply housing) use two prong plugs. Maybe this plug or the wiring is reversed causing your fan to "inhale".

..just a thought...

Bloy

My mistake, the fan for the power supply on a PC does blow out....it's designed to use the gaps between the externally accessible drives to suck air by them to keep them cool. Of course it draws air through any opening.

When I designed rack servers I had blowers at the front pressuurizing the server enclosure and then would add an exhaust fan to draw the air over the hottest components in the server....usually the CPU boards.

You can't just reverse the plug on the cooling fans even though they are a D.C. fan. The reason being that they are of a brushless design. If you want them to blow the other way then you will have to take the fan out and reverse it and reinstall it.

You can't just reverse the plug on the cooling fans even though they are a D.C. fan. The reason being that they are of a brushless design. If you want them to blow the other way then you will have to take the fan out and reverse it and reinstall it.

I hear you...I never actually reversed the wiring, but I sure did a lot of reinstalling and reversing all the fans (side,back, front) of the computer/enclosure to get a positive pressure with good cooling flow inside! And too testing different filter materials.

Bloy

P.S That "just a thought" was premature from my last post.

Those open cell gray foam filter elements will only collect so much dust even when stacked up. Now that dirt bag thing looks like something to be looked into, even if you had to tape it around a fan that exhausted.

I have a similar problem in my shop, only my problem is carbon dust from graphite electrodes. The stuff gets everywhere. I just bought a new pc today and I don't want to ruin it so I am going to be figuring out a new strategy. I am thinking of putting the tower under the desk, this sill keep most of the dust from settling on the tower. I may put a filter on the vents to the tower as well. I will be putting one of those clear plastic covers over the keyboard, and I use a trackball mouse. The track ball has no moving parts to mess up, and I can clean it completely without ruining it. Anything else you guys would recommend?

Jim

A good vacuum system/shrowd sucking right near the bit.
A portable air filtration system for the room and/or hanging plastic to compartmentalize the machine.
A secondary frame enclosing the computer with filter panels.

This is not an original idea, but I don't remember where I seen it. It consists of a 110v box fan or similar type, some ducting and a round carburetor filter medium. I guess it works by applying clean positive air flow therebye keeping the dust from setteling within.

I use those GranTec flexible keyboards. Fully sealed and washable. For the controller boxes and computers I just have filters where the air enters. I also run 4" sewer PVC from the Office to each spot so they are drawing in cool clean air from that.

GranTec Keyboard (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=300135&CatId=0)

I use those GranTec flexible keyboards. Fully sealed and washable. For the controller boxes and computers I just have filters where the air enters. I also run 4" sewer PVC from the Office to each spot so they are drawing in cool clean air from that.

GranTec Keyboard (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=300135&CatId=0)

Hey Harlow.
I was wondering if the keyboard comes with a ps/2 adaptor? and do you know if it will work with dos cnc control software? Thanks- Robbie

They come with a USB and a PS2 adapter plug so you can use either. I see no reason why it wouldn't work with DOS. The Gran Tec doesn't have the same feel as most keyboards but you get used to it. They are flexible so you have to sit them on something to type.

Harlow

Thanks for the info Harlow, I figured I would give it a try so I just placed a order for one.

Hi all,

I'm setting things up for my first router and have also thought about computer protection.

As I work in a very dusty environment (dry ceramic dust), I think I'm going to build a seperate box for the computer and supply it with make-up air (from outside) and exhaust. This will require a lot of extra work but it will prevent dust from getting into the cd drive and/or hard drive. I've had several drives in th4e place I work kick the bucket prematurely and I suspect its because of dust!

I'll let you know how it goes.

Carlo

CNCRob,
I use one of those keyboards on my TurboCNC system and have had no problems that way.
The only problem I have is some of the keytop characters are getting worn off!

Could be a combination of coolant, use, etc. However, the keyboard keeps on working.

Thats good to hear Bubba

the machine thats going to be running my cnc kit is set up with a cheap watercooling kit, that way i can get away without any air flow into the case, as the heat exchanger and fan are external.

I received the keyboard last Friday and have been using it. So far its working great.

You should have no problems with wood dust in your computer. I was the programmer and CNC dept. supervisor for three years in a very large and busy furniture company. We did nothing to protect the computer which was located adjacent to a large Routomat 250 CNC router which threw wood dust all day long. Never had any problems with the computer at all. I cleaned out the guts of the computer about once a year with an air hose and it was incredible how much dust accumulated inside the case with absolutely no problems.

In my shop at home I have just built a bench for the new CNC Bridges mill table which will be coming soon. In that bench I incorporated a dust control system because there will be a lot of brass cut on this machine. Brass would definitely be worse in the computer than wood dust. Walmart has a miniature box fan about 12 inches square. I built a mount inside the bench for one of these fans. The mount seals the sloping sides of the box fan. On the outside of the bench I applied pressure sensitive (sticky) velcro hook strips. Home Depot sold me some Air conditioning vent filters which when pressed onto the hooked velcro attach just like a loop strip. Very effective and very cheap.

The fan will give positive pressure to the bench to keep out the mean brass chips. That is the plan anyway.

Barry Young
Young Camera Company

My computer is stuck in a hot wooden box, so i just pulled all the fans out and liquid cooled everything with home made Water blocks and a small pond pump from HD and a radiator from Tigerdirect.com and the water tank is some Plastic bait tank i got from my local fishing goods dealer. works really well runs around 28C and i use it in my outside work shop which is in 98-100F weather with very high humidity (FloridaKeys) and its keeps on truckin, but the computer its self isn't very expensive i got most of the compnents for free and its most expensive part is the 500GB Sata HDD.

Brass would definitely be worse in the computer than wood dust

I Diamond Turn aluminium occasionaly and the swarf (or chips) comes off in long streamers. they're very fine- they float about, significantly they float into all me bleeding electronics and as you know ally is quite a good conductor of electricity.

I went the same way as Matt29c- totaly enclosed the PC and liquid cooled it. Never looked back, a bit of bleach in the system keeps the bacteria (gunge) down, but I change the water once a month just in case.

I have a dust collector on my CNC, but with the sanding, cutting, general woodworking, dust is an inevitable demon in my workshop. How do I keep it out of the CNC computer? I am interested in how others have solved this problem. Filters on the computer case? An isolated environment for the computer? Don't worry about it??? I use one of those flexible keyboards that are sealed, but my computer sucks in the air and the little bit of dust there in the air builds up.

Greg

The cheapest and most easy way to keep dust out is to simply cover the outside off all your intake fans with panty hose. It's cheap works well and one hose goes a long way.

For real easy install and removal of panty hose filter simply take a fast food drink cup that the opening end fits around your fan. Take the cup and cut the cup about 3 inches (give or take) from the opening so that now you have a "tube or pipe" if you will. Take a hot glue gun and hot glue this cup in position so that the air is being pulled in to the case thru the cup. Now simply cut some panty hose close to the shape of the end of the cup yet make it bigger so it will fold over. Grab a rubber band, stick the panty hose over the "tube/cup" then the rubber band over the hose.

This will allow for very quick and easy maintenance of the filters.

Eric
XmarkComputers.com

I took a standard fuzzy heater A/C filter and cut a piece to fit inside the cover on inlet side of pc. This helps tremendously but you will still on occasion need to take the air and blow out the pc ! The fine dust particulates still get inside and static bond to anything with some kind of charge. If it don't blow out i take a spritzer bottle with alcohol and moisten the whole thing then blow it all out again while moist. let it gas off some before powering up again, so far i have had no problems doing this. be mindful tho blowing in the proximity of the hard drives ! you don't want to blow anything into the drive. I'm no expert but this works for me. I've cleened up several of my pc's this way.

Basically you have seal it off entirely. Then use water cooling, or a closed heat exchanger like on some CNC cabinets.

Positive air pressure with a single air supply that is well filtered. No other fans blowing in.

Throw a filter on the whole thing.


Personally the positive air pressure is my pick.

Dale

Without stressing the obvious have you considered putting the cover on??? Perhaps you could try throwing the wood shavings into the bin rather than on your pc.
But seriously a low cost fix for that would be a cardboard box that the pc fits into with plenty of room to spare, seal up all the joints with tape and leave one side open. Cover that side with some panty hose. If the fan is far enough way from the filter it should let all the dust fall off when you turn it off. Self cleaning and EL cheapo.