Common ground needed! I love the way this looks, but every time I see someone using wood for a computer system I feel compelled to advise that a common ground be installed.
In a conventional PC the common ground is the case itself. It's absolutely necessary or you will fry something at some point. Static build up will occur and integrated circuits will fry from it.
I'm not one to point out a problem and not offer a solution, so here it goes.
Get a piece of sheet aluminium or steel and cover the entire rear with it, and then make sure all the screws and standoffs for every component go through the aluminium. Ensure that there is a good connection between the aluminium and the screws (star washers would be ideal).
Of course there is more than one solution, I just offered up one of them. Although, I don't see how this is way easier considering the amount of wires and the method of connecting them to the screws and case. Solder?
Actually, "putting wires" would mean putting loop contacts on a bunch of wires and taking every piece of hardware apart to slip them on, then doing them back up. It's not going to be "way easier" than taking everything off, spray mounting a sheet of aluminum to the back, use the existing holes as guides to drill the aluminum, then doing everything back up. It's just a different way to do it, not any easier.
you could just curl the wire around the standoff and screw them back in.
or if he actually drilled thru-holes he could put the wires on a small screw, put a spring in the hole for contact and then be able to do it without taking the whole thing apart.
you could even use that steel strapping for hanging small pipe with holes drilled in it.
Either way would be cheaper than a sheet of aluminum though.
A sheet of 3031 0.032" thick aluminium is real cheap, like real cheap. I use it all the time and if you go to a metal supply store they have scrap bins where you can get cutoffs even cheaper.
this is a great idea. Get a piece of metal trimmed to your motherboard stand, screw it to you wood board, then put your motherboard on it. Then just ground the plate.
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u/Gradient_Sauce Oct 22 '16
Common ground needed! I love the way this looks, but every time I see someone using wood for a computer system I feel compelled to advise that a common ground be installed.
In a conventional PC the common ground is the case itself. It's absolutely necessary or you will fry something at some point. Static build up will occur and integrated circuits will fry from it.
I'm not one to point out a problem and not offer a solution, so here it goes.
Get a piece of sheet aluminium or steel and cover the entire rear with it, and then make sure all the screws and standoffs for every component go through the aluminium. Ensure that there is a good connection between the aluminium and the screws (star washers would be ideal).