On Sun, Jan 13, 2002 at 12:53:23PM -0800, Paul Harris wrote: > One option is to house it in a plastic storage tub, but it suddenly > occured to me that ths may be a static electricity problem waiting > to happen. Any thoughts from the engineering types? Oh, and I thought you were talking about some kind of nice hardwood thing. If a plastic storage tub blends into the decor of your living room, are you sure it's worth the trouble? :) But really, the answer to your question is "it depends." First it depends on the *kind* of plastic; some are conductive, some aren't. And then it depends on how you hook up the case and deal with grounding. If you ground it properly, you could do it. However, since a static "zap" can be on the order of 30,000 volts (very little current, usually, fortunately), you really might want to test the static end of things out *before* you put your computer in it. One other thing you might try is something I learned when I helped manage ESD abatement in our electronics assembly facility. It turns out that if you put 1/4 cup of Downy in a spray bottle, fill the rest with water, and spray the carpet, not only are you getting rid of your static pretty well, but you meet an ISO static standard (forget which). I never woulda thunk it, but the Manufacturing Engineer who told me came from Sperry Satellite Systems -- and they all had to wear two heel straps, wrist straps, yada yada. Or you can just spray a little Downy on the floor! ;) Still, be careful grounding your case -- you also have safety grounding to consider, and we haven't even touched upon RF. If you put it in a plastic box, you may never be able to watch broadcast TV again. ;) -- "Trying to do something with your life is like sitting down to eat a moose." --Douglas Wood