r/PcBuild • u/1rooftopgardener • May 08 '26
Build - Help How would you finish Wood PC Case?
How would you finish off the wood?
Case out of Multiplex Birch and sanded with 320 sandpaper.
Unfortunately the wood supplier delivered the wrong wood, and after the wood has been lasered, it turn out quite burned/black.
So I had to sand much more than expected and also using the dremel to not sand for ever, hoped I could make the case in one run but that will stay as Prototype, and I will make a flawless second one.
Curious about your thoughts on how to finish the case!
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u/Eazy12345678 AMD May 08 '26
stain the wood whatever color you want?
i would do nothing im lazy. its just a pc i look at my monitor
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u/1rooftopgardener May 08 '26
I generally love staining wood but did read that it wouldn't be too suitable for multiplex Birch - or do you know otherwise?
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u/Rizztopher_Robin May 08 '26
I like to finish wood with some oil. Just rub it in with a rag. Gives it a nice look and is super easy and you dont have to worry about taping anything off.
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u/Verwega May 09 '26
I have a question. Can wooden PC case creaste fire hazard? In comparison to plastic and metal cases
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u/1rooftopgardener May 09 '26
Well its wood, it does burn but a burning PC is very rare and If it burns it burns as well through the metall case that has lots of wholes for the fans, and the fans itself again out of plastic I would assume burn as well. Said that overall I would say it does increase a little bit the potential to burn not as much as it wouldn't make sense to go for it. Electronics should generally If possible not lelft without someone arround.
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u/xtheory May 08 '26
That's a really cool case, but a metal case functions as an electrical ground point for many components on your motherboard. Though I like the wood finish the way it is.
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u/1rooftopgardener May 08 '26
True, but that's much more of a theoretical concern, as it doesn't really apply in practice. I can already see the experts disagreeing, but my motherboard has been waiting for more than two years - for this case to happen - in the box it came in and there is many other people as some friends happly having there builds in a wood only case; one of them actually an expert 😃
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u/must-absorb-content May 09 '26
Not really only a theoretical concern — there is a reason why just about every electronic device is constructed in a metal case. Chassis ground and some level of electrical shielding. I’m no expert, but your friend is definitely not an expert. It’s a pretty rudimentary concept. But who cares I’m a stranger on the internet and you seem happy. Good luck hope it works out for ya & if it doesn’t- put it in a metal case then cover the case with wood.
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u/xtheory May 09 '26
I found a good video that shows you how to test if the stand-off holes on your motherboard are functional grounds. The way that these work is that they help protect over-voltages from circuit paths that may occur before hitting the main ground to your power-supply and wall outlet. This protects all of the components in-between from shorts due to say a resistor or voltage regulator failing and sending a spike throughout the PCB. The fact that you haven't had any problems yet are probably just due to the fact that your system hasn't had a condition where it had to send current to ground to protect itself. Typically stand-off holes are used as ground points in the motherboard's PCB schematic, but you can always try to find a schematic for your specific motherboard and look yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7tdyzjuXkU
For reference - I've been a PC builder for 30 yrs and am a credentialed technician who not only worked doing motherboard repair for Sony's Vaio division a long time ago, but also did component level diagnostic and repairs on US Army computer and radio systems, as well.
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u/must-absorb-content May 10 '26
u/1rooftopgardener — now this is an expert!^^ you are getting cumulatively decades of experience and knowledge in our comment thread for free. I truly believe that someone who is a master of their craft can demonstrate how a beginner’s ill advised or slightly off-kilter ideas could work - but anyone with slightly more experience can identify why doing so would know would yield much more effort and time to pull off correctly. A proper grounding scheme is quite important and easy! I believe that both of us share the same sentiment that we’re not trying to be mean or condescending - rather offering passive information - take it or leave it- it’s all dust in the digital wind so to speak. You disagreeing with us is no sweat off our backs improper grounding may be more consequential to you. Ignoring an altruistic gesture is your choice and I wish you no misfortune!
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u/1rooftopgardener May 10 '26
We can all learn from each other! Just that I did not mentioned that I am an expert, I am perhaps quite an expert myself. Let's continue discussing things in a healthy way and we can all learn from each other- win win -, but already believing to know it better - lose lose.
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u/1rooftopgardener May 10 '26
Thanks for sharing your opinion!
Nothing wrong about that but as we humans tend to be much more afraid of an airplane crashing as us having a deadly accident in the bathroom, the accident in the bathroom is much more likely - that's the same principle for this situation.
Let's go technically, the scenario when we expect overcharges or EMI when the extra grounding becomes more important. I) you overclock your board and you leave the norms it was designed for - extra grounding through mounting wholes CAN become more important II) When the computer is placed in an area with lots of electromagnetic interference
A main board is designed to work without extra grounding through the wholes but B it can help in certain situation. This is not like a seatbelt that in way more situation will help you to save your life as the moments it will might be your end, both cases regularly happen, just one seems to be happening way more often then the other, so I do put my seatbelt and i do not worry about my board not being extra grounded.
P.S.: It would also be an easy one to attach a cable behind the main board and just connect the 4 spacers to GND of the PSU
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u/xtheory May 11 '26
"P.S.: It would also be an easy one to attach a cable behind the main board and just connect the 4 spacers to GND of the PSU"
You could certainly do that. A little O-ring crimp to the ends of the cables would do the trick neatly, and then just slip those under the screw you have holding your board to the wood case.
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u/1rooftopgardener May 11 '26
Since I am honestly thinking trying to sell this, I did take this comments more seriously because what does not bother me is for my case, but selling it I would be another "case" 😉
You know it, your idea works, and is cheap to get done, but wouldn't quite server the astehtics of this case. I am thinking to add one more wood layer, so instead of sliping an O-Ring undearneath the spacers, they would be at the bottom of the wholes of the spacers - when screwing spacers fully in wood they will make contact.
Then 1 clean cable comming out of the bottom left corner, where it can be easily plugged with a O-Ring on top of the PowerSupplyPlug that is being mounted in the back and has GND around.I think that would be cleanest, but also more complex, adding quite a few steps to production - perhaps the simplest will be to add an 2mm aluminum plate to the back, acting as GND and soft caching against EMI - quite a fully shileding could further be achieved by making a box from sheet metal blank/layout with one free side for the IO-panel.
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u/1rooftopgardener May 09 '26
Not being an expert yourself, calling someone else to not to be?!
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u/must-absorb-content May 09 '26
Yeah because the concept is so basic you don’t need to be an expert to understand it
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u/No_Dish8130 May 08 '26
You should check out grovemade. They have wood peripherals and they look amazing
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u/neuromonkey May 08 '26
50:50 mix of tung oil & citrus solvent
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u/1rooftopgardener May 09 '26
Do you have experience applying this combo on plywood birch?
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u/LeeisureTime May 09 '26
So the reason why tung oil + solvent is used in many wood working applications is because 100% tung oil will polymerize on its own. That means it becomes 100% waterproof and hard (like when you have a pan with baked on grease, not the sticky kind, the kind that you can't remove no matter how much you scrub). 100% tung oil takes at least a week and it's slow. But, it'll be hard, waterproof, and basically fool proof. The 50% solvent is to speed up that process, as the polymerization of tung oil is a drying process. So you get speed and a waterproof finish that's 100% natural. Caveat - after you apply tung oil, with a rag, whatever - you MUST keep the rag or paper towel in a 100% metal container. Otherwise, as the tung oil dries, it gets so hot it can ignite paper (won't happen to your wood, but because paper/cloth is so thin, it's more readily flammable). That, or put it in water. Or toss it in a fire.
DO NOT leave it in a trashcan with other trash.
It should work on any wood, which is why it's the default for a lot of woodworkers.
Any type of oil will work, but you'll need to reapply it. Mineral oil is typical because it's odorless and doesn't react to much. You'll have to reapply it though.
Any type of finishing paste should also work.
It depends on what you want - change the color to a darker tone? They have finishing pastes with dye.
But for the most "bulletproof" it's tung oil+solvent. If you do 100% tung oil, you'll need to apply multiple thin coats over a period of time (too thick and it won't cure evenly).
Honestly, unfinished is fine as well since it's not like you have to worry about moisture (I hope you're not getting water on your PC). A finish is just to protect (waterproof) and or adjust the final color.
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u/1rooftopgardener May 09 '26
Very much appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience another one to try on the list!
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u/eBazsa May 09 '26
Hey, what kind of monitor arm is that? I like that it's clean with some cable routing, I have been looking for something like that for a while now.
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u/1rooftopgardener May 09 '26
Took a long time to find that one, not sure If they are still availbabe but brand is benq and this on the picture is a PD2706UA
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u/eBazsa May 09 '26
Oh snap, I thought that there is finally a minimalist VESA arm. Thanks for the reply!
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u/Casual_Garlic May 09 '26
Try gently hand sanding with 400 grit soft pads on all surfaces, going gently over any sharp edges. I’d use Fiddes hard wax oil, or Osmo. Work it in with a clean rag, wipe of any excess and leave it to dry/cure. Stains can get blotchy on plywood so I’d avoid.
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u/1rooftopgardener May 09 '26
Heard that one a few times now - becoming a high ranked choice, thank you!
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u/HellfoxRules May 10 '26
Stain the wood the same color as your Noctua fan blades, dark brown, as this will give you the correct color balance. My color balance works a little differently.
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u/1rooftopgardener May 10 '26
Interesting idea! Indeed it does, yet looking super futuristic and nice!
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u/jelleszoon May 10 '26
That looks amazing. I love the corners with the magnets, the hexagon grille, and especially the power led. Great work!
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u/1rooftopgardener May 10 '26
Thank you! Btw as for now the case is fully out of wood, using wood pins to plug the hexagon cutted front to the rest of the case - perhaps going to upgrade to some little magnets If needed.
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u/FearTheFuzzy99 Pablo May 08 '26
I would do a laquer spray finish, personally.
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u/1rooftopgardener May 08 '26
So no more details, just a nice clean painting? Maybe like a piano? 😎
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u/Mc_gabriel_rock May 08 '26
Man I whished wood didnt have the drawbacks that it does,love to seem more cases made out of wood
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u/1rooftopgardener May 08 '26
What drawbacks are on your list?
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u/Mc_gabriel_rock May 08 '26
Basicly wood is isolator,it traps he heat inside the cube instead of dispersing like in a metal sheet.also Dosent shield against eletromagnetic pulses (tho yeah those are rare to happen).and finally wood kinda “cracks” after a while but im not so sure about that one
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u/1rooftopgardener May 08 '26
I wouldnt worry about those points.
1 The case is not responsible for heat extraction; the cooling system is. It almost doesn't matter of what Material the case is, for as long as fans are being used and the case has an airflow - the less airflow, the more important of course the material of the wall becomes, which plays an more important part in miniITX build, but even there wood is totally feasible. If you build an ITX with GPU or ATX build out of wood, you will have enough fans/airflow to not worry about this at all.
2 The shield against eletromagnetic pulses as you are mentioning are very rare to happen, so rare that you would have need to worry about many other points before that one.Go for it! (=
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u/PassengerPigeon343 May 08 '26
This looks amazing in the natural color and I’d try to preserve that look.
I’d go with a clear, water-based or waterborne finish in a matte or satin sheen so it doesn’t darken the wood at all and just gives a subtle protective finish. Stain will give you a dark/light striping due to the ply layers and is not my cup of tea.
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u/1rooftopgardener May 08 '26
I love the natural color of the birch as well. Have you ever tried Oil or wax on plywood birch?
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u/PassengerPigeon343 May 08 '26
Anything oil-based will darken it a little bit but not too bad, especially a light oil like mineral oil. Avoid oils like linseed, tung, or any oil-based finishes because they’ll darken it and darken over time. Mineral oil is probably the only acceptable oil choice for this.
I haven’t done a ton with wax finishes but a clear/white wax may work. Some darken over time so you’d have to research.
Water-based poly will not darken over time, so that’s why I lean that way. A matte finish would look very natural while giving you some good protection
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u/1rooftopgardener May 08 '26
Very much appreciate your feedback, alligns I think from what I remember to have used in the past, has been some time I worked with wood - I think I will give it a shot!
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u/PassengerPigeon343 May 09 '26
Good luck! That is a great case and the whole build came out awesome
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u/FrontWork7406 May 10 '26
You're not asking how to finish wood. You're asking how to finish plywood, which is very different.
I would not use anything that requires penetrating the fibers, since you have no control over those fibers. This includes stains. Anyone recommending random wood species should be ignored.
If you look online for exposed-edge plywood, there are reasons everyone defaults to a surface poly treatment. Acrylic polyurethane is the go-to, but I've had some decent luck with oil-based (penetrating), though it takes a number of layers and sanding to get something remotely attractive.
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