Carbon Fiber...

[jefe_de_estado]

So I'm kinda amazed that there isn't much about carbon fiber being used here. I'm kinda new to modding, but I figured it would be used more... anyway, I have an idea in mind, but I don't know enough about the electrical issues involved in using carbon fiber. I was thinking about using an existing tower chassis and making a carbon skin. I'm not too worried about how to do the carbon, but I am worried about grounding issues. Is this going to be a problem since carbon is a conductor? My initial guess is that it shouldn't be a problem at all since all cases are some sort of metal that are obvious conductors. What do you all think about this? Would I need to isolate the carbon from the chassis?

Thanks for any input!

[Omega]

There is actually a case made of CF.

Another thing, it's expensive.

Check the worklog section, it's in there somewhere

[OvRiDe]

There is actually a case made of CF.

Another thing, it's expensive.

Check the worklog section, it's in there somewhere

Its here... http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1493

[Cool1Net6]

Problem: Carbon Fiber is expensive.

Solution: Carbon Fiber vinyl!

New Problem: Its not really Carbon Fiber.

Since when did Carbon Fiber conduct electricity?

-Cool-

[GT40_GearHead]

Since when did Carbon Fiber conduct electricity?


since carbon is a conductor;) , and a preaty good one to

[Omega]

Problem: Carbon Fiber is expensive.

Solution: Carbon Fiber vinyl!

New Problem: Its not really Carbon Fiber.



New Solution: Use real CF.

New Problem: It's expensive

New New Solution: Vinyl!


AD INFINITUM.

[jefe_de_estado]

Cost really isn't the issue, I work with an aerospace company and I can get scrap for pretty cheap. I'm just worried about the electrical issues, i don't want to be loading this with a fancy computer that just fries everytime you turn it on....

[MitaPi]

Cost really isn't the issue, I work with an aerospace company and I can get scrap for pretty cheap. I'm just worried about the electrical issues, i don't want to be loading this with a fancy computer that just fries everytime you turn it on....

Maybe something that you can coat the inside of the computer with that is non conductive?

[Razors Edge]

Rubber, Roof tar or roof rubber. They sell them in buckets at hardware stores.Its like paint, but a bit more thick. Just coat the inside with that.

[dgrmkrp]

let's see... cases are usually made of conductors (metals...) because they also conduct heat too :) good thing! to avoid conducting electrycity (bad thing!) they carefull isolate any source of unwanted current... hence, you have wires with insulation, a small space under your motherboard, insulated devices... all you have to do is avoid getting bare metal or CF touching any wires or resistors or electrical parts. and if you are unsure you can watch out for these issues, just clear coat as much as you want :D this way the CF will be visible and shinier :) just my 2 cents :)

edit: graphite is a good conductor, but if you take carbon fiber and put it paralel to the voltage source, electrons will have a tougher (not imposible though) time travelling, but if you put the CF perpendicular then you get some bad effects going on, from our point of view. the good thing is that in the near or distant future, this thing will replace heatpipes or water-tubes, becasue CF laid perpendicular to the heat-source is much more effective than the above mentioned techniques.. but it conducts electricity too :( just rambling.. i'll go back to my meal :)

[Redundant]

Sony makes a notebook (SZ 281) that has a case made mostly out of carbon fiber so i doubt it would be much of a problem.

-Sean

[Cool1Net6]

since carbon is a conductor;) , and a preaty good one to
Not if you clear coat it...

-Cool-

[jefe_de_estado]

Thanks Razors Edge and dgrmkr. That's kinda what I was thinking. But Cool1Net6 you bring up another question. Even if I clear coat like crazy and cover the inside with some sort of insulator, what about the screws that pass through the case and go to the chassis. To what extent should I be worried about this?

If I get some time, I'll try to whip up a nifty 3d model of what I'm thinking about and hopefully I can get more advice on how to fab. the front face. ;)

Thanks for all your input!

[EPYK]

i dout you will have any problem making anything with the carbon...
fact...
carbon conducts
fact...
you will make something with the carbon, that needs to be ridged
fact...
you will need to coat your carbon in a resin that is most likely not so
conductive
fact...
carbon is cool

oh and if you want to be safe.... get a rubber mat for your mobo..seein as it will be one of the only exposed electronic device that will actually come into contact with your carbon

[jefe_de_estado]

Here's a rough picture of what I would like to do.

http://www.mrt.usu.edu/downloads/new_compy_idea_small.jpg

my old computer is reminding me why I need a new one, I should have had a complete model by now. oh well. Anyway, the black would obviously be the carbon and the grey would be a brushed aluminum. I plan on just screwing these straigt to the chassis I have that way I don't have to worry about rubber mats, although that might be a smart thing to use anyway. As soon as I actually get some real stuff built, I'll get some pics so everyone will start building sweet CF cases! But, since I'm a bit broke right now, it might be a while, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't being totally ignorant in wanting to use CF for the case. Thanks for all the help!

[Cool1Net6]

...Even if I clear coat like crazy and cover the inside with some sort of insulator, what about the screws that pass through the case and go to the chassis...

Steel conducts electricity, and so does aluminum, yet they make cases out of those. Motherboards are designed that those screw points are non-conductive. As long as the back of the mobo doesnt touch any conductive material (meaning use the mobo stand-offs), and as long as the rest of the open circuitry (like the bottom of hard drives) doesnt touch any conductive material, I dont see any problems.

-Cool-

[Malatory]

using CF is fine there are others out there that have done it. It maybe conductive as others said just like what is used in standard cases today. Just use the brass standoffs where you have a hole on the motherboard (the extra solder ring around then holes are to give you enough room to screw it down).

IF your worried about it use the red insulated washers that typically comes with a new case.

There are also non-conductive resins that you can get as well.