Steel/Aluminum Cabinet

[toasty]

I'm in the planning stages of building my first cabinet, thought I'd see if anyone had any thoughts on this:

I'm looking to build a cabinet that will actually look presentable and match my decor rather than covering it with sideart and the like -- gotta make the wife happy, you know.  It won't look like a piece of furniture, of course, but I would like it to look more like a piece of art than a large box of MDF.  To that end, I had considered plating it in brushed steel or aluminum that I could then take a grinder to and give it a cool finish that would match the other steel artwork I've got in my place.

My concern is related to electricity, static and otherwise.  I'm a bit worried that having a giant metal box surrounding this electrical equipment could be a bad call.  For example, if I come off the carpet and touch the cabinet, discharging whatever static charge I've built up, do I run any risk that I'm going to fry my machine?

So it's clear, the cabinet would still be contructed of MDF, it would just be plated with metal -- there wouldn't be any metal involved in the areas that have wiring, connections, etc.

TIA

[Havok]

Ground the chasis to an earth ground, and you shouldn't have a problem.

[hnugz]

Yeah as long as you are grounded things should be ok, computer cases are made out of aluminum and whatnot.

[jcrouse]

Wilson Art makes some awesome looking decorative metals. The are actually laminate in different metal finishies. The drawback is that they are very expensive. Check them out.

http://www.wilsonart.com/laminate/consumer/products/listcategoriesandproducts.asp?idcategory=75&curPage=1&View=All

John

[Ed_McCarron]

For example, if I come off the carpet and touch the cabinet, discharging whatever static charge I've built up, do I run any risk that I'm going to fry my machine?

Like has been said, as long as its grounded, shouldn't be a problem.  Actually, if you are going to mix AC and metal, it almost HAS to be grounded for safety reasons.  If something goes wrong internally, you don't want the cabinet being electrically hot.  By grounding it, you force a breaker to blow when/if theres a short to the cabinet.

If its not grounded, the cabinet becomes hot - and you become a 200A biological fuse if you touch it and ground at the same time.

By isolating the steel with the MDF as you've suggested, you've basically done what you see on some powertools -  "double insulated" ones.  Theres supposed to be no chance of a live conductor coming in contact with any metal part of the appliance that you touch.

Although the cabinet may not get fried, if you shuffle around on the carpet enough and touch the grounded cabinet, you may get fried by the static discharge.

[Necro]

I've been shocked by a cabinet before when I worked in a Chuck E Cheese's type place in high school.  It's not fun, and it hurts like hell.  I'd highly recommend avoiding it.   

That being said, strategic placement of wooden panels, and enclosing the PC portion of the cab in a wooden internal structure would prob. keep everything happy and non-deadly, I would think.

That and it would make shelves/etc. easier to create.

[RayB]

Yeah as long as you are grounded things should be ok, computer cases are made out of aluminum and whatnot.

They usually have a non-conducting coating.

[rdagger]

Use extra heavy gauge wire for grounding and check that your outlet is properly earth grounded with a tester.  A metal case would actually make grounding all the controls much easier.  One downside might be the weight.

[DrewKaree]

Why is everyone worried about this?  He's saying this will be just an overlay, like laminate, only metal.  Nobody worries about putting a kickplate or coin door on their cabs, which are metal, why worry about a sheet of metal fastened to the outside of the MDF?  At worst, shuffling his feet on the carpet several times will give him the same shock that touching a doorknob would.  HE'S the one who's statically charged, not the cab.

Fry Fire away

[SithMaster]

i think some wip would be good.  maybe try and work in dim light so we can see the sparks and currents.

but you really cant go wrong with shiny things so good luck.

[danny_galaga]

it actually HAS to be grounded for safety to you , rather than the machine. if something shorts and electrifies the cab, you in trouble boy!

[Santoro]

Steel-sheathed MDF, that shouldn't be too heavy!

[RayB]

Why is everyone worried about this?

[DrewKaree]

That's valid.  Now put yer bifocals on

[Doc Thirst]

Not to hijack, but I have a similar problem with the wife.  Not only do I need to choose between the fussball table and the cab, I also have to make the cab "presentable".

I opted for 3/4 plywood, with a nice finish.  Set me back about 40 a sheet, but this was before the hurricane season.  I t-molded (black) all the exposed edges and stained the wood dark to match our other furniture.  I still have to urethane it, but it turned out pretty nice (pics forthcoming 3rd quarter '08 at the rate I'm working).  You might consider this approach.  Def closer to a piece of furniture then a reg black/decal-ed cab.

[toasty]

^^I actually thought about going that route myself, but we've got a pretty modern place, and I ultimately thought the metal would fit in much better. 

[SithMaster]

Toasty are you going for a standard upright or one of the more modern ones that look like a podium with a screen on it?

[toasty]

that's still up in the air, but probably a more traditional upright.  Perhaps the next one will be a bit funkier if this one goes well...