{"id":287,"date":"2010-12-19T09:16:15","date_gmt":"2010-12-19T16:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/?p=287"},"modified":"2010-12-19T09:16:15","modified_gmt":"2010-12-19T16:16:15","slug":"quick-projects-hard-drive-external-hard-drive-enclosure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/2010\/12\/19\/quick-projects-hard-drive-external-hard-drive-enclosure\/","title":{"rendered":"Quick Projects &#8211; Hard Drive External Hard Drive Enclosure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-in-use.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-358\" title=\"top-in-use\" src=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-in-use-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-in-use-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-in-use.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-in-use.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-350\" title=\"bottom-in-use\" src=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-in-use-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-in-use-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-in-use.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I thought I'd share a project I think is simple but pretty awesome none the less.\u00a0  Several years ago I picked up an external USB 2.5\" hard drive enclosure to use with a laptop hard drive I picked up while dumpster diving.\u00a0 The hard drive was a bit too tall for the enclosure that came with the controller so I had to improvise.\u00a0  I had several other 3.5\" drives pulled from various systems I had stripped hanging around, and it looked like the controller and 2.5\" hard drive would fit inside one if I found the right drive.<\/p>\n<p>After some searching and disassembling some drives, I found an old 2GB Seagate ST32122A drive that looked like it would work for my enclosure.\u00a0 After removing all the platters and other internal components, I removed the drive lid and carefully cut two slits in it with tin snips.\u00a0 I folded the flap I created back carefully by hand, trying not to bend the top of the lid as I did so.\u00a0 I cut a small square of PETG out of a blister back to protect the PCB on the back of the 2.5\" hard drive and taped the drive in place with <noindex><a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/JVCC-AF20-Aluminum-Foil-Tape\/dp\/B000QDEQQU\/ref=dp_cp_ob_hi_title_1\" target=\"_blank\">aluminum faced tape<\/a><\/noindex>.\u00a0 You can see the PETG sheet sticking out from underneath the tape in the pictures below.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-controller-removed.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-356\" title=\"top-controller-removed\" src=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-controller-removed-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-controller-removed-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-controller-removed.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-controller-in-place.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-355\" title=\"top-controller-in-place\" src=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-controller-in-place-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-controller-in-place-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-controller-in-place.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>When I was building this originally, I wanted the top and bottom of the enclosure to nest perfectly, so I milled down the bottom section with a Dremel.\u00a0 I eventually decided that it wasn't worth the effort and that no one will notice that the front of the enclosure is a little under 1\/16\" taller than the back.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-pre-assembly.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-352\" title=\"bottom-pre-assembly\" src=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-pre-assembly-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-pre-assembly-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-pre-assembly.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>After getting the hard drive and controller in place, I put the top and bottom back together and sealed them with a 1\/4\"-3\/8\" strip of aluminum tape and the enclosure was complete.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/pre-tape.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-354\" title=\"pre-tape\" src=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/pre-tape-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/pre-tape-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/pre-tape.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-taped.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-360\" title=\"top-taped\" src=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-taped-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-taped-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-taped.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-taped.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-353\" title=\"bottom-taped\" src=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-taped-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-taped-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-taped.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The original drive was a 6GB and I've since upgraded it to an 80GB drive and will probably upgrade it again if I run across a cheap PATA 2.5\" in the future.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-plugged-in.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-359\" title=\"top-plugged-in\" src=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-plugged-in-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-plugged-in-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/top-plugged-in.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-plugged-in.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-351\" title=\"bottom-plugged-in\" src=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-plugged-in-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-plugged-in-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bottom-plugged-in.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I thought I'd share a project I think is simple but pretty awesome none the less.\u00a0 Several years ago I picked up an external USB 2.5\" hard drive enclosure to use with a laptop hard drive I picked up while dumpster diving.\u00a0 The hard drive was a bit too tall for the enclosure that came [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[35,4],"tags":[32],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":363,"href":"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287\/revisions\/363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.built-to-spec.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}