Copper Poisoning from computers

[marky]

is it possile to get copper poisoning or anythingfrom handling computer parts?

or putting them together?

i heard it in a movie i think

and even tho its a movie, id still like to know

[:'(]

[rogueusmc]

I don't know about copper poisoning....lol....wouldn't be enough to worry about though.

Make sure though that you ground yourself good and lose all static electricity before you handle the components They can get screwed up with static electricity.

And try to get as little oil on the parts as possible. Clean your hands and wipe the oil off of them as much as possible. handle the cards by the edges and don't grab hold of them flat. (->[]<- not ->l<-)

You are really getting into this aren't ya?......[:D]

[marky]

ORIGINAL: rogueusmc

I don't know about copper poisoning....lol....wouldn't be enough to worry about though.

Make sure though that you ground yourself good and lose all static electricity before you handle the components They can get screwed up with static electricity.

And try to get as little oil on the parts as possible. Clean your hands and wipe the oil off of them as much as possible. handle the cards by the edges and don't grab hold of them flat. (->[]<- not ->l<-)

You are really getting into this aren't ya?......[:D]

lol


ground myself?

u mean my feet on the ground lol?

how do u get rid of static electricity?

as for oil on my hands, im 19.....



lol

maybe ill just wear sum kind of gloves to keep the oil off [:'(]

ya, i am getting into it

plus i know alot more aout computers now than i did a month ago [:'(]

[rogueusmc]

best way to learn is to just play with the stuff...[8D]

get rid of static electricity by touching metal and then touch the metal framing on the CPU case while inserting the card with the other hand. any static electricity you have will ground to the case. all of the components in your computer ground to the case in some way.

as for the oil, you know how your finders leave fingerprints on glass? that's the oil I'm referring to.

Go to the book store. you can get a book on working on computers for $20 or so. It will tell ya what ya need to know.

I love messing with my machines. I'm still learning alot everytime I dig in there.....[:)]

[Shadow of the Condor]

I teach electrical engineering classes, and some students have asked that very question when we discuss safety. The bigger concern I let them know about is solder (and to some extent, the solder connections on boards). Most solder is a tin/lead mixture and the lead CAN cause a problem if you don't wash your hands after handling the solder. Common sense precautions are what I advise my students. [:)]

[marky]

hmmm


fascinating [8D]


anything else i should know?


o, tw i think i picked out my CD drive

its a combo drive [8D][:D]

52x32x52 Internal IDE CD-RW / 16x DVD-ROM Combo Drive

Manufacturer: Sony


Mfg Part #: CRX320A/U


Product Number: 310688


Price: $69.99*
after: $20.00 mail-in rebate(s)


^^^that sounds good to me^^^

as for my hard drive i know i want AT LEAST 160 GB

and for memory, i want to get 2 or more dual sets (so thats about 4+ memory chips) with at least 2 GB of memory.....

sound good?


o, this computer putzed out a few days ago, os i was computer-less

i went to kinkos to check my email, and go into vacation mode on 1 of my online games, and the computer i was using had (i think)......

a 21 inch or bigger screen

i thought to myself- now THATS the kinda screen i want for my computer....

[Shadow of the Condor]

As far as static electricity, you can buy wrist straps from a computer store. They have a cord with an alligator clip on the end of it. The clip is supposed to connect to a ground, which is supposed to then discharge any static buildup through the cord into the ground. Unfortunately, accessing "ground" potential in a home isn't as easy as it seems. Older homes had the ground potential at the outlet box itself, and the screw of the faceplate was a point where "ground" could be accessed. That's why some plug adapters had a wire with a clip coming off of them - you connected it to the faceplate screw. In most modern construction, outlet boxes are now plastic, since codes now mandate three wire systems instead of two wire systems (that's why the third hole is at the outlet). So to access "ground" you would have to get into the outlet itself - something I definitely DON'T recommend.

Some people who work on computers will attach this clip to the frame of the computer, but again, if the frame isn't "grounded" then you still have given the "potential" no place to go other than when the spark occurs.

Static electricity is just that - static. It can be thought of as a mousetrap that has been set. There is the potential to do damage. When you get a spark from touching a doorknob or (heaven forbid) a computer card, the spark occurs before your fingers actually touch something. It has to do with a term called "breakdown voltage".

Breakdown voltage is the point where insulators become conductors. Air is an insulator, but given enough voltage it will conduct electricity (see: lightning). The breakdown voltage for air is 20KV/in, or 20,000 volts per 1 inch of air. So to travel a half inch a spark would have to have 10,000 volts of potential, to travel 1/4 inch needs 5,000 volts, etc. Usually, the "doorknob" spark occurs when the fingers are about 1/8 of an inch away, or a 2500 volt spark (that's why "setting the gap" on a sprak plug is important). Most computer chips operate on 5 volts. You can see why a spark can cause so much damage.

As to why nobody gets hurt from a spark, there's no current left over to affect anything with high resistance (your body). But a computer card with copper runs and integrated circuits has almost no resistance. So almost all of the voltage goes into the chips.

End of computer.

So the best advice I can give is to learn what static is, and don't worry about trying to prevent it. Handle the edge of the cards only. Work slow and deliberately. Even when something as simple as swapping a NIC or sound card I talk myself through each step before doing it.

Hope that helps [:)]

[rogueusmc]

I have a 21" monitor and it rocks!!!!

[marky]

ORIGINAL: rogueusmc

I have a 21" monitor and it rocks!!!!

lol ya i know the feeling

i was (almost) drooling wen i saw the view from that monitor [:D]

at the time i was looking at an AAR [:D]


as for static, i gues ill look for a book that has sumthing about it

im hoping to go to barnes and noble tonight [:'(]

and look at the computer section [:D][:D]

plus the history/war section[;)][:D]