Non conductive surface

[cutcopypaste]

I need to put my computer on a non-conductive surface and boot it up for testing. Would a large wooden desk work for this purpose?

 

[ekoostik]

Yes. Dry wood does not conduct electricity. Green wood, or a desk with a cup of coffee spilled on it - look out!

EDIT: Complete tangent - This reminds me of a demo I saw at a woodworking store a couple weeks ago. It was for one of those new SawStop table saws. Their claim is you can't cut your finger off, the blade stops/is stopped as soon as your finger touches it. The way it works is current is passed into the blade. As soon as something that conducts electricity - like your finger - touches it, the blade drops and a brake is accelerated up into the blade to stop it almost instantly. Demoed with a hot dog - the thing barely had a nick in it.

Anyway when asked about green wood the rep said you had to turn off the safety feature because of course that would conduct electricity. Same for plastics or other items. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMD3agP5hv0

 

[cutcopypaste]

Guy from MSI said wood was ok, but cardboard was better.. so I went with that.

I don't know how to power on the system without the power button from the case, though.

 

[ekoostik]

You'll have to short the pins on the motherboard that the power 'button' plugs in to. Touch both pins with the end of a screwdriver.

You might be interested in this bread boarding thread: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/page-262730_13_0.html

 

[kureme]

Find the pins that you plug the power switch in and get a paperclip and touch them together. It should turn on.

@ekoostik, I've always wondered what happens when you throw a hotdog at the blade as hard as you can. Does it A) flop on the table as if you were just throwing a hotdog at the table, or B) slice in two followed by the blade stopping after?

 

[ekoostik]

Interesting question. I suspect it would bounce off the blade and the blade would stop. Likely with a little more damage than in the demo I saw - but probably more akin to what it would look like if you threw the dog at a stopped blade. Since you're throwing it you're probably not going to have enough force to push it through the blade - since the blade is turning towards you with much more force. If you try it, post a video!

 

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