I've been mining ETH since 2021 with risers and motherboards, but dust has totally wrecked a bunch of my hardware over time.
I live in a dusty place, kinda like Texas, and no matter how tightly I seal my windows, dust keeps sneaking in. At first, I thought it was just me, but turns out my neighbors are dealing with the same issue.
I've lost 6 motherboards to dust already, and now I'm looking to dive into Bitcoin mining. From what I've seen here, BitAxe looks like the best option for me. It uses less power, which is ideal since I can't handle heavy ASIC miners.
BitAxe is super efficient, but the problem is it's basically just a naked motherboard, which means dust will settle on it easily. If I want to do some long-term solo mining, it doesn't make sense to end up with dead BitAxe units after a while.
So, is there any way to build a case for BitAxe? Or maybe some kind of DIY hack that can cover the motherboard while leaving the cooler exposed? I don't really think there's a solo miner out there that matches BitAxe's efficiency.
Is DIY casing for BitAXe doable?
10 replies 441 views
hodler2019Legendary
Posts: 2182 · Reputation: 12913
#2Apr 25, 2023, 06:22 AM
cheese clothe or mosquito netting.
a simple open frame with the miner in it and the netting outside of it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088LL66XV/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A18T9PT5JQZF8B&th=1
put the miner under the wire shelf
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DMVZSJ94/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2N53W8LLC51RU&th=1
put the clothe over the shelf.
i googled fast so the cloths seem good but that shelf is too big.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/187752295293?
This could work
You need to drill a few holes in the plexiglass and use the cheese cloth I think you are good.
You could have saved those motherboards using dust filters, they are for sell everywhere, I had to use dust filters as my windows net just like how people use mosquito nets on their windows.
You can just avoid BitAxe and go with their NerdAxe version instead, they are roughly the same but they came covered instead of how BitAxe is always exposed.
Also, if you are good with woods you can go woody style in form of a small home, with four corner edges and place dust filter net on them, this should be easy for anyone to do.
tom.satoshiFull Member
Posts: 87 · Reputation: 549
#4Apr 25, 2023, 01:37 PM
10 minutes of your time per day is more than enough to keep a space tidy, dust is everywhere in the world and if you clean your space everyday there won't be anything to worry about, dusts don't kill electronics instantly, they have to gather on the electronics for sometime first and slowly they start rusting the clean surfaces.
You don't have to spend money on anything, clean your space more regularly.
CryptoAlphaMember
Posts: 30 · Reputation: 207
#5Apr 25, 2023, 07:11 PM
There's various different cases you can 3d print yourself. Just search them in any 3D printing search engine and you'll see various designs.
Is it inherently dusty where you are from? I've never had any piece of hardware fail on me because of dust. However, I do tend to keep on top of maintenance for the more important devices, and by that I mean a can of compressed air. I've definitely damaged a few fans, forgetting to hold them when cleaning them though .
hodler2019Legendary
Posts: 2182 · Reputation: 12913
#6Apr 25, 2023, 09:54 PM
you are wrong. if you live in some areas dust is overwhelming.
and ten minutes a day is not enough as the dust comes back fast.
he would need a cleaning every 4 hours or so. and since he sleeps it is not going to be cleaned enough.
a filter set up that he can change the filter 1 time a week is best.
I found what he needs to do.
buy this
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R8T9WL5/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATC7I1INV0IEB&th=1
https://plastic-craft.com/acrylic-extruded-round-tube/?searchid=415185&search_query=acrylic
https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Cloud-Plug-120mm-Controller-Brushless/dp/B0BG4C9H5P/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CQLZ7XDK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2UAE3MINQMX18&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CX9BGBP6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?
01) 7 inch trivet on bottom
02) filter screen next
03) the miner
04) the tube
05) second screen
06) second trivet
07) attach bottom trivet to top trivet
08) use this to attach the trivets
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CX9BGBP6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?
not enough air flow
https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Cloud-Plug-120mm-Controller-Brushless/dp/B0BG4C9H5P/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?
so
you see all of it and it should work well
You might also have a look at some immersion setups like the ImmergeAxe. The bitaxe would be safe and clean inside the immersion fluid and the dust would just be on the radiator which could be oversized as a kind of compensation. When temps go up the radiator need to be cleaned, but i guess that could be a setup to go for.
Immersion fluid will cost more isn't it? This is not recommendable for someone who is starting to mine Bitcoin on the solo, if there is enough money to be spent on immersion fluid then I would rather buy a better Asic miner and point it to a pool instead of solo mining, but thanks for the suggestion.
It gets annoying quickly.... and this sort of thing happens when the air itself is already dust-heavy.
The miners should be kept in an air-tight room, preferably one with no windows, and then get a bunch of air purifiers and place them strategically around the room. Then clean weekly, instead of every single day.
The benefits extend far beyond mining
At 6000 RPM, the ASICs are practically dust-free. Standard industrial filters are used at the ventilation inlet to clean the air.
However, I've also seen ASICs running in rooms without filters, and there weren't any major issues, unless you live near a carpentry shop with lots of dust and shavings.
I'll insert a picture here
Looking at this device, I don't see any dust issues, unless you're mining in a woodworking shop. Any case only increases overheating. It's best to clean this device as needed and change the thermal paste instead of creating additional complications.
The main problem is that the chances of solo mining a block on this device are very slim.
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