What's wrong with my cardboard cooling ducts?

[Issac Zachary]

I had posted this pic in another thread and suddenly got two comments that it was not a good idea.

 

One is for ducting air from the front of the computer to the down draft fan and cooler.

 

The other holds up a 2.5" drive that I don't have anywhere else to mount and also helps duct cool air from the side of the computer towards the front instead of just going right out the exhaust fan.

 

Any better ideas?

 

@whispous said: "Hard Plastic with a high melting point."

 

How would I build that? Where would I get the plastic and how would I put it together?

[OhioYJ]

38 minutes ago, Issac Zachary said:

 "Hard Plastic with a high melting point."

 

How would I build that? Where would I get the plastic and how would I put it together?

Any hardware store? A "real" aquarium / fish store will have acrylic supplies as well (read not the big chain stores). The fish places will have the glues and welding supplies as well. My local fish place has this kind of stuff in various thickness, and will even cut it. They use it for building custom stuff. 

 

The hardware store should have various sizes and thicknesses of lexan and acrylic, both in clear and not clear. Many of the hardware stores will also cut it for you. 

 

While they do actually make acrylic welding chemicals, epoxy would be fine in this use case. You aren't trying to make something water tight. 

[Issac Zachary]

6 minutes ago, OhioYJ said:

Any hardware store? A "real" aquarium / fish store will have acrylic supplies as well (read not the big chain stores). The fish places will have the clues and welding supplies as well. My local fish place has this kind of stuff in various thickness, and will even cut it. They use it for building custom stuff. 

 

The hardware store should have various sizes and thicknesses or lexan and acrylic, both in clear and not clear. Many of the hardware stores will also cut it for you. 

 

While they do actually make acrylic welding chemicals, epoxy would be fine in this use case. You aren't trying to make something water tight. 

Thank you! I will check it out. I've never seen plastic panels of such at the local hardware store. Then again, it's a small town, so there have been times I've had to drive 60 miles to the next hardware store to find what I need.

 

On the other hand, what is the problem with using cardboard? Will it wilt? Will it catch on fire? Will it create static electricity? Does it affect the electromagnetic changes of the circuits?

[OhioYJ]

1 hour ago, Issac Zachary said:

Thank you! I will check it out. I've never seen plastic panels of such at the local hardware store. Then again, it's a small town, so there have been times I've had to drive 60 miles to the next hardware store to find what I need.

 

On the other hand, what is the problem with using cardboard? Will it wilt? Will it catch on fire? Will it create static electricity? Does it affect the electromagnetic changes of the circuits?

Oh boy if you are worried static from cardboard, wait till you pull the plastic protective sheet off a sheet of acrylic.  Plastic sheets can generate an incredible amount of static if you rub them. 

 

Realistically, neither should be a static issue once on the case. They will likely be touching a grounded surface (metal). There typically isn't anything in there hot enough to catch fire (especially as you can touch pretty much any component in a PC, not a recommendation to do so). A plastic sheet would be less of a "fire hazard" than cardboard. However, just using cardboard to direct some air flow, that isn't necessarily touching anything super hot, I wouldn't worry about it. 

[Issac Zachary]

2 hours ago, OhioYJ said:

Oh boy if you are worried static from cardboard, wait till you pull the plastic protective sheet off a sheet of acrylic.  Plastic sheets can generate an incredible amount of static if you rub them. 

 

Realistically, neither should be a static issue once on the case. They will likely be touching a grounded surface (metal). There typically isn't anything in there hot enough to catch fire (especially as you can touch pretty much any component in a PC, not a recommendation to do so). A plastic sheet would be less of a "fire hazard" than cardboard. However, just using cardboard to direct some air flow, that isn't necessarily touching anything super hot, I wouldn't worry about it. 

Thanks! I am just wondering why I was told by someone that "strongly reccomend NOT putting cardboard or paper inside your case against components."

 

Some else said: "Well, it is indeed not thaaaaat good of an Idea."

 

Because of those statements I was at odds of what the problem actually was. The case isn't transparent, so it can't be aesthetics

[RevGAM]

There's nothing wrong with what you've done. In case of emergency heat loss in the winter, you have a ready- made fireplace once you remove the plastic, and paint.

 

Seriously, it's fine. 

[whispous]

To clarify, the advice against putting paper/cardboard inside your computer is because it is a fire risk, rather than an aesthetic consideration.

[RevGAM]

39 minutes ago, whispous said:

To clarify, the advice against putting paper/cardboard inside your computer is because it is a fire risk, rather than an aesthetic consideration.

Under what circumstances is any computer that isn't faulty going to reach 451 F?

 

If it does, I suspect that the cardboard won't matter because it'll already be burning. 

[freeagent]

People have been making ducts like this for more than 20 years, you are safe.