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On Mon, 25 Dec 2006 19:52:37 -0500, kony wrote:

I did not realize that the front panel was a sealed filter. Or do I
have to put filter material in the front panel?

You would put a filter panel there, and sealing depends on
the design of the bezel, such that the air doesn't flow in
cracks on the side of the filter.

What material do I use to make the filter? If I call Directron or
browse the website, what do I look for?

BTW, the front of the case has plenty of air holes.

Then I will move the side fan to the front with it blowing in and seal
the two side openings. Hopefully that will add to the fan that is
already in the front and pressurize the case slightly.

Yes, it will help... we can't know without seeing the case
and all fan specs, etc, if it is ideal... but "ideal" is
merely a target, at some point it may be "good enough", it
will put most airflow though the filter in front of those
fans.

I am looking for a simple way to improve things, not shoot for
perfection because this is my machine and I can live with the defects.

reinforced filter material for air conditioners

I will look for that at Home Depot.

--

"You can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."
--Robert A. Heinlein

On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 12:45:35 GMT, (Citizen Bob)
wrote:

On Mon, 25 Dec 2006 19:52:37 -0500, kony wrote:

I did not realize that the front panel was a sealed filter. Or do I
have to put filter material in the front panel?

You would put a filter panel there, and sealing depends on
the design of the bezel, such that the air doesn't flow in
cracks on the side of the filter.

What material do I use to make the filter? If I call Directron or
browse the website, what do I look for?

It depends on how you want to mount it, how thick it can be,
what level of filtration you want/need, and how much airflow
reduction vs size you can accept. There are many creative
ways to make a filter, even taking a piece of heavy gauge
wire and shaping it like a frame with loops in the end would
work to hold down a panel, or for the front you might add
adhesive backed strips so the assembly is same thickness as
the gap between bezel internal bracing and the case metal
front.

The typical black plastic snap-on type filters meant to be
screwed to a fan frame could have any very thin material cut
to size but typically come with the black material which
could be a reasonable compromise except it would need be
pretty large to lower the flow reduction.

You might get some ideas just browsing your local hardware
store, furnance or air conditioner filters. Even a
car/other automobile air intake filter (probably the pleated
flat type, not round like found more often on old carb'd
engines).

Another option is the woven metal mesh filters, somewhat
like this,
http://www.com-tra.de/img/p/mesh_filter_sz.jpg
though I've seen similar that weren't really mesh, were just
a cheaper less effective single plane of screening or just
sheet metal that was perforated. A true mesh will filter
better without restricting airflow as much, typically less
restriction than a foam or paper filter too (given same
filter area) but may let more fine dust particles through.

I am looking for a simple way to improve things, not shoot for
perfection because this is my machine and I can live with the defects.

Simple can depend on the case, how inventive or practiced
you are at similar odd DIY projects, what your local
hardware store has, and how you define "simple"- the
simplest is to just buy a room air cleaner or continue to
clean out the heatsink every few months.


reinforced filter material for air conditioners

I will look for that at Home Depot.


With a custom filter it'll have to be on a case by case
basis. It could be that you'd need to increase the opening
in the metal wall on the front, that it didn't restrict
airflow too much previously, but did some- and this added to
the reduction from the filter material is too much, or
rather, too much to keep sufficient flow unless you used
loud fans. Plus, goal is still to keep front intake rate
similar to rear exhaust so the other case gaps, seams, etc,
don't intake unfiltered air... but if you have a fan on the
front, it will still reduce dust buildup inside if not
eliminating it.

You mentioned previously that your removable drives also
have fans... could be another entry point for dust if
unfiltered.

I'd start by taking off the case front bezel and determining
how you want to go about getting a filter on and off later
for cleaning or replacement. Next determine if the case
metal is restricting airflow a lot, especially consider this
if the front intake fan is on a stamped metal grill.
Measure the space for a filter and compare to readily
available filter material. If you can fit a very large
filter and position it a centimeter or more away from the
case metal (like with adhesive backed foam I'd mentioned
previously) it will impede airflow far less and/or require
cleaning or replacement far less often, and/or you can
choose a finer material to trap more dust.

If it's pleated you may need to build a solid wall in it, to
seal... somewhat like an automotive filter does around the
border. Cut to size and take caulking a pass at a time to
build up a flat(er) area to affix the adhesive backed foam.
I should mention I'd always meant for the adhesive backing
on this to adhere to the filter panel, not the case, and
then be held in place by friction... as the adhesive backed
foam is open cell so it will compress quite a bit, is sized
so it's slightly thicker than the available space between
the back supports of the case bezel and the metal wall.

On such a project it's hardware to describe than to do, once
you see what you're working with behind the case bezel.

On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 10:24:58 -0500, kony wrote:

What material do I use to make the filter? If I call Directron or
browse the website, what do I look for?

It depends on how you want to mount it, how thick it can be,
what level of filtration you want/need, and how much airflow
reduction vs size you can accept.

I do not want much airflow restriction. I am thinking of either a
single layer of paper towel or maybe a layer of cheesecloth. I realize
that this is not ideal, but as I said, I am not trying to achieve an
ideal situation, just one that is an improvement - and almost anything
will be an improvement.

On such a project it's hardware to describe than to do, once
you see what you're working with behind the case bezel.

The front cover does not come off easily. There are two USB ports
moulded into the side which further complicated the arrangement. The
air inlet is underneath and basically inaccessible. I will have to
take a closer look, but I get the feeling the front cover idea is not
going to work.

Thanks for your comments - you have been very helpful.


--

"You can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."
--Robert A. Heinlein

On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 16:54:37 GMT, (Citizen Bob)
wrote:

On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 10:24:58 -0500, kony wrote:

What material do I use to make the filter? If I call Directron or
browse the website, what do I look for?

It depends on how you want to mount it, how thick it can be,
what level of filtration you want/need, and how much airflow
reduction vs size you can accept.

I do not want much airflow restriction. I am thinking of either a
single layer of paper towel or maybe a layer of cheesecloth.

These are both fairly restrictive. The least restrictive
way to go is with something having large gaps, staggered
against another layer or a deeper material with intersecting
large gaps... not quite sure that's a good way to explain
it, but the thinner it is, the smaller the holes and more
restriction per any particular level of filtration.

A paper towel is WAY too restrictive.
Try something like this,
http://www.directron.com/ca120abk.html

not this (which is better described as perforated instead of
steel mesh, it will reduce airflow more without any better
filtration... sole benefit of the type is it looks better
and is easier to wipe dust off of, but that was not the goal
so,)
http://www.directron.com/smf120sv.html

Or there are a few other colors and sizes but it looks like
the "casearts" products are a better value in what they
still have of them, or of course there are other sellers
around the 'net, but $2.50 ea. is about as cheap as they
get, and cheap is good, I'd buy 2X what the case needed then
you can just swap out the dirty ones with clean and clean
the dirty at your leisure.

http://www.directron.com/filterguards.html






I realize
that this is not ideal, but as I said, I am not trying to achieve an
ideal situation, just one that is an improvement - and almost anything
will be an improvement.

I suppose it depends on how dense the cheesecloth is, but
it's quite possible with it clean it has already reduced
airflow as much as some accumulation of dust in the heatsink
would, and then even moreso as the cheesecloth clogs over
time. If you used a large enough piece in some kind of
framework on the front of the case it would work, but I
don't know how large it would need to be to have minimal
impact on airflow.




On such a project it's hardware to describe than to do, once
you see what you're working with behind the case bezel.

The front cover does not come off easily. There are two USB ports
moulded into the side which further complicated the arrangement. The
air inlet is underneath and basically inaccessible. I will have to
take a closer look, but I get the feeling the front cover idea is not
going to work.


Well the cover does come off, if it wasn't part of the
metal... key is figuring out how to allow it to stay on
after undoing whatever is holding it on, such that it's
removable from the outside. IOW, so you dont' have to open
the case up to do it, but I suppose if you didn't care...

We don't have any idea what the case is like, it's not so
easy to speculate about it.

On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 19:18:56 -0500, kony wrote:

I do not want much airflow restriction. I am thinking of either a
single layer of paper towel or maybe a layer of cheesecloth.

These are both fairly restrictive. The least restrictive
way to go is with something having large gaps, staggered
against another layer or a deeper material with intersecting
large gaps... not quite sure that's a good way to explain
it, but the thinner it is, the smaller the holes and more
restriction per any particular level of filtration.

A paper towel is WAY too restrictive.

I was thinking of putting it over the entire front inside. But I still
have to figure out how the front is supposed to come off.

I realize
that this is not ideal, but as I said, I am not trying to achieve an
ideal situation, just one that is an improvement - and almost anything
will be an improvement.

I suppose it depends on how dense the cheesecloth is, but
it's quite possible with it clean it has already reduced
airflow as much as some accumulation of dust in the heatsink
would, and then even moreso as the cheesecloth clogs over
time. If you used a large enough piece in some kind of
framework on the front of the case it would work, but I
don't know how large it would need to be to have minimal
impact on airflow.

See above.

If I can get inside the front easily without tearing things up, I will
try cheesecloth over the entire front area where all the holes are.

We don't have any idea what the case is like, it's not so
easy to speculate about it.

I have always been able to remove the front cover easily - it just
pops off. But this one is resisting my efforts and I do not want to
pry it open.


--

"You can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."
--Robert A. Heinlein