computer/stereo in a workshop

[james mc guire]

I have to rearrange my shop now I'm in a wheelchair,and trying to come up with some "storage/placement ideas for computer/stereo in my workshop.and haven't seen to many ideas.I have a older desktop with a flat screen monitor for the shop and a stereo ead and speakers.trying to see wat others have done or ideas.I'm not at the point right now due to the mess to build a nice cabinet,once I get things out of the way then I'll circle back to build nice/proper cabinets.just would like to see what other have came up with.

[Mike Heidrick]

My stereo is in a server rack, speakers below the charging shelf. Adjusts to whatever height you want and tons of power outlets. Computer for the CNC is on an ergotron wall unit. Also adjusts to any position and can be folded out of the way. Find deals on them on eBay for the larger ones - hospitals sell their patient room setups frequently.

[Jamie Buxton]

Music in my shop is an ipod in a boombox which has an am/fm tuner. No moving parts, so dust isn't an issue.

[Larry Browning]

Music in my shop is an ipod in a boombox which has an am/fm tuner. No moving parts, so dust isn't an issue.

Just because there are no moving parts doesn't mean dust isn't an issue. Dust is a huge issue for electronics! As dust gathers on the components, heat is not allowed to dissipate causing overheating which will eventually cause your boombox to fail. It is a good idea to periodically blow out the dust of every electronic device you have, whether it be a stereo or a computer. Especially in a dusty environment like a woodshop. This post reminds me that I haven't blown out my stereo in my workshop in several months. I think I will do it tonight.

[Yonak Hawkins]

My computer and stereo are not in the shop but access is wired in. All that's in my shop are speakers with volume controls and the monitor, keyboard and mouse for the computer. Oh .. there are TVs in the shop but, although I try to keep them out of the way of dust, dust gets in them, for sure. ..But TVs are pretty much a disposable item anymore. You can find them cheap as people replace old TVs with new big screens and stuff.

[glenn bradley]

I use a Livio Radio (internet appliance) and some powered speakers/subwoofers. The speakers have grill cloth so their on their own. The radio lives behind a sliding door that I leave open just enough to work the remote control. I have fairly decent dust collection and even with the requisite freehand routing episodes, this setup has served me fault-free for many years.

[Kerry Wright]

My PC and stereo are in a roll top desk. I have my speakers mounted in each corner on shelves near the ceiling. One corner (besides the speaker) also has a 42" plasma TV that is tied into my PC as an extra monitor. I can take plans or my cutlist from the PC, slide it on to the Plasma and see them from anywhere in the shop

[Hunter Locke]

For music/radio I use a Bluetooth speaker (Jambox) that connects to a first generation ipad mounted on my pegboard.

[Charlie MacGregor]

My PC and stereo are in a roll top desk.

I've been watching (without success) for a used roll top desk for the shop for a while now. I always thought it would be a good solution to keep a laptop somewhat dust free as well as small odd tool storage.

[John Stankus]

]It doesn't have to be a "nice" cabinet. Here is what I put together for my old stereo (bought back in college when I had better hearing). I hadn't turned the thing on in years and realized I should set it up in the shop.

stereo 6 rotated.jpg stereo 2.JPG

This is just a plywood box screwed together from some scrap around. It has a plexiglass front. The top of the front it a piece of poplar that I screwed the plexiglass to. I used a hole saw to cut the holes (make sure the plexi is solidly attached and it shouldn't crack). I then removed the plexi and placed a thin piece of the filter material from a furnace filter to keep the dust out. The back side has a plywood door and some other filter media. I thought convection would be sufficient for cooling but it was getting a little warm. The stereo I have has switched power for tape decks and CD players etc. I bought a 110V muffin fan that I set on top of the stereo to force air through the box (with the switched outlet, the fan turns on when stereo is on).

John

[John Stankus]

Detail of the back of stereo box

stereo 4.JPG stereo 3.JPG

John

[Glenn Howard]

My "shop" is really only 1/2 of a two car garage. But I do have a music solution that is 100% free of dust issues and serves its purpose quite well. This may not work for the largest of shops, but then again it may. I purchased the following Bluetooth speaker from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

51MSwqBdv2L.jpg

The speaker comes in the box you see in the picture, but is also in a plastic bag. On a hunch, I tried the following to see if it would work, and I was pleasantly surprised. I have a generic USB charger plugged into the wall. The speaker sits on top of a parts organizer with the charging cable permanently plugged into the USB charger. I left the speaker in the plastic bag with the charging cable protruding, with a twist tie around it to seal out dust. The plastic bag is loose enough that I can still access the buttons and on/off switch without taking it out of the bag. Then I just keep my iPhone in my pocket (also mostly dust free), and play from my iTunes, internet radio, etc.

The plastic is thin enough to not negatively impact the sound of the speaker, yet with this set up, I have no worries about dust. And it's plenty loud enough, simply based on how many times my girlfriend has stuck her head in the garage to yell at me to turn it down. Not a bad solution for less than $25 and a footprint of less than 25 square inches (since size is certainly a consideration in a small shop). No, the quality is not studio quality, but then again, I can't think of too many areas that are less acoustically ideal than a shop, so I can't see this being unsatisfactory if you're just trying to add some music while you're working. Of course this set up is dependent upon having a Bluetooth source for your music, which I realize not everyone has.

[Larry Browning]

Glenn,
Wouldn't heat be an issue? I have always thought that if something is powered by electricity, there is going to be heat generated. There needs to be airflow to dissipate that heat. The plastic bag will not allow any airflow. Seems like a big problem to me. After all the whole problem with dust is that acts as an insulator as it builds up on the electronic parts and doesn't allow heat to escape. The plastic bag is doing the same thing. Of course for 25 bucks, you can afford to replace the unit quite often. But then why bother with the plastic bag?

[John A langley]

I have satellite radio The tuner is on the shelf just below the ceiling satellite receivers on the shelf just below that been up there for about four years maybe blown off two times, I guess maybe I should follow Larry advice go blow it off

[Jamie Buxton]

[QUOTE=Larry Browning;2306119]..Wouldn't heat be an issue? I have always thought that if something is powered by electricity, there is going to be heat generated. There needs to be airflow to dissipate that heat. ..QUOTE]

In principle you are correct. However, the question becomes how much heat is generated by a given device. For instance, a vacuum tube makes lots of heat, and many modern electronic devices make very little heat. They often make very little heat because they are battery-powered, and the designers are concerned about battery like. For instance, an ipod will play for days on the energy in a tiny battery. I haven't done the experiment, but I betcha you could wrap it in insulation while it is running, and you'd still have a challenging time observing a temperature rise. It certainly has no observable temperature rise while playing in my pocket.
There's also the issue of how good the insulating enclosure is. All insulators let some heat through. Some are better at blocking heat flow than others, but they all let some through. A thin plastic bag isn't a very good insulator. That is, heat flows through it easily. In detail, the heating object -- say a boombox -- heats the air touching it, which then flows to the plastic bag and heats it, the heat flows through the bag, and out the other side to heat the air outside the bag. Similarly, your layer of dust lets a lot of heat flow through.