chemchemical
Harmless
Posts: 31
Registered: 30-8-2007
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Computer in Lab protection
So i wanna start bringing my netbook into the lab with me (organic) but I'm worried about spills, splatters, and vapors corroding the insides of my
computer. I have a cheap screen and keyboard protector but most of my netbook is still open.
I was looking at skins but dont think they would offer too much protections except towards splatters.
|
|
|
Ozonelabs
Hazard to Others
Posts: 120
Registered: 5-4-2008
Member Is Offline
Mood: Oligomerised
|
|
I can't recommend AGAINST that enough, we had briefly a computer in our lab, one little THF spill and the entire keyboard wound up glued to the
desk... not a wise move!
|
|
|
Polverone
Now celebrating 21 years of madness
Posts: 3186
Registered: 19-5-2002
Location: The Sunny Pacific Northwest
Member Is Offline
Mood: Waiting for spring
|
|
If your netbook doesn't require active cooling (fans), you may be able to encase the whole thing in a large clear plastic bag. That would be awkward
to type on, but you could use an external wireless keyboard. The keyboard would remain vulnerable, but it's less expensive to replace than a full
computer, and keyboards don't have that many metallic parts anyway.
[Edited on 3-17-2010 by Polverone]
PGP Key and corresponding e-mail address
|
|
|
bbartlog
International Hazard
Posts: 1139
Registered: 27-8-2009
Location: Unmoored in time
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I advise hedging by just using a cheapass computer in the lab (like a $200 netbook or something), assuming it's really needed. Providing really good
protection is liable to be either more of a pain than coming up with $200, or else make the computer difficult to use. Speaking for myself, I don't
bring my computer (a $1500 Mac) into the lab; I have a pad of paper for writing stuff down and don't need continuous access to the computer/Internet.
|
|
|
12AX7
Post Harlot
Posts: 4803
Registered: 8-3-2005
Location: oscillating
Member Is Offline
Mood: informative
|
|
You can get keyboard 'condoms', but the best protection is avoidance. Bring a cheap calculator if you need computation, write everything in your lab
notebook and tabulate things later.
Tim
|
|
|
Paddywhacker
Hazard to Others
Posts: 478
Registered: 28-2-2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
How about keeping it in a glovebox?
More sensibly, you could enclose the screen & computer in a custom-made perspex or wooden frame and plastic film box and use a wireless keyboard
& mouse.
Halogen fumes and SO2 are murder on the PCBs in electronic equipment, and they leave conductive deposits that leak short circuits.
|
|
|
DDTea
National Hazard
Posts: 940
Registered: 25-2-2003
Location: Freedomland
Member Is Offline
Mood: Degenerate
|
|
http://www.grandtec.com/products/video/vik.html I'd suggest one of these. This is what we use in our lab. However, we do not work with
organics.
"In the end the proud scientist or philosopher who cannot be bothered to make his thought accessible has no choice but to retire to the heights in
which dwell the Great Misunderstood and the Great Ignored, there to rail in Olympic superiority at the folly of mankind." - Reginald Kapp.
|
|
|
chemrox
International Hazard
Posts: 2961
Registered: 18-1-2007
Location: UTM
Member Is Offline
Mood: LaGrangian
|
|
use a notebook and a pencil. If the objective is to record labnotes on your computer scan the pages in later
"When you let the dumbasses vote you end up with populism followed by autocracy and getting back is a bitch." Plato (sort of)
|
|
|
Chainhit222
Hazard to Others
Posts: 138
Registered: 22-8-2009
Location: peach's mailbox
Member Is Offline
Mood: grignard failing to start
|
|
Just put some disposable Pentium 3 in the lab, ive pulled tons of them out of dumpsters. You can get keyboards mad cheap too.
The practice of storing bottles of milk or beer in laboratory refrigerators is to be strongly condemned encouraged
-Vogels Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry
|
|
|
Skyjumper
Hazard to Self
Posts: 93
Registered: 1-3-2010
Location: Assachusetts
Member Is Offline
Mood: Refluxing
|
|
Desktop... or laptop with monitor and keyboard. Keep the laptop/ desktop in a cabinet/ shielded out of the way. A CRT should be had free/ real cheap
at any local tech shop/ Craigslist, and a keyboard/mouse can be had for under 20; you can replace these real quickly in case of a spill, while saving
the laptop.
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
