theCanadian

This idea just popped into my head. We had some tornadoes touch down about a month ago and I was just wondering what could be done to tornado proof a case. Obviously there are some components of a computer that can't survive being tumbled around by a tornado, but my main concern was protecting your data, and that means your hard drives. I know that many hard drives can survive impacts up to something like 300 G's when not being operated. So if you could make a case that would hold together and resist some mild to moderate impacts, you would have a good chance of recovering at least part of your system.

I say we, as a community, come up with a plan to build this beastly case. I'm all for calling this Project: Terminator, since the Terminator repeatedly goes through hell and keeps on trucking.

theCanadian

Reserved

theCanadian

For this project, not only do I want this case to basically be bullet proof, I want the hard drive mounting rack to be another protective barrier. So maybe build a custom rack out of some thicker than normal steel and line it with some impact foam or something. Takes up more space which means less hard drives but it would definitely protect the HD's.

alex98uk

You'll want Solid State Discs then?

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BiG O

This is gonna be one heavy case. And what do you plan to do about the case itself? Are you gonna build it from scratch? Or are you planning on reinforcing all the sides of the case so they dont break under pressure?

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ImmortalKenny

I would just build a small, light case so you can take it with you if you have to evacuate.

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aleiro

if i was in a tornado the computer would be the least of my concern.. anyway just find some plans on how they make the 'black box' for airplanes. If it can survive a plane crash then it will certainly be able to survive a twister. On second thought just use one of those websites that do off site back-up services for corporations and then you dont have to worry about anything

theCanadian

Na. Solid State is not Necessary. Technically not disks either. Right? I think so.

From scratch if I can get some good sheet metal. I have no idea where to get it. Just reinforcing the corners doesn't protect against flying debris penetrating the side of the case. Also I'm not going to come up with the entire plan myself, I was hoping this could be a community project. It would result in the broadest range of input.

That's whole reason for building this case, in a tornado you just try stay alive. So if you build a case that can survive a tornado, then you don't have to worry about your data AFTER the tornado has passed.


Basically guy's, this is going to come out like a safe, short of a locking system.

Manyak

You should have an easily detachable hard drive rack. Make it so that there's a handle coming out that pulls a lever (kind of like the suitcase trolleys at airports) to unlatch the hard drive rack so you can just pull it out and run.

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HugeDink

Go to wal-mart, buy one of those $100 electric safes, cut a blowhole and a rear I/O slot, and voila! instant tornado and fire proof case

also, you might want to tether some of the components inside the case to the walls of the case, so they don't bounce around so much, either that or get heat-resistance styrofoam blocks and use them as spacers.