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I recently replaced my laptop HDD with an SSD. It came with a handy transfer cable which lets me easily connect the old "naked" HDD to my laptop via USB. Now that I have switched over to the SSD, I would like to use the old HDD as a backup drive (OS X, Time Machine).

I already have the connector cable, so all I need is an enclosure. I would like to make my own, with an eye towards:

  • electrical insulation
  • heat dissipation
  • physical protection
  • minimal cost
  • cool hackery!

My first idea was cardboard and duct tape, but this would probably get too hot. I looked around on Google, but all the results mention reusing cases and/or buying a SATA-to-USB adapter. Neither of these are relevant in my case.

What material should I use? What aspects should I take into account when building my own enclosure?

EdwardTeach
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1 Answers1

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This guide seems quite stylish and cool.

http://lifehacker.com/5640327/how-to-build-a-diy-wooden-hard-drive-enclosure

Still, i would advise to buy a casing, which will prove itself a lot cheaper: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57404939-285/how-to-build-your-own-external-hard-drive/

Lorenzo Von Matterhorn
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  • I'm hesitant to use wood, because AFAIK it is an insulator and would thus prevent the drive from air cooling. As for cheap pre-made drive cases, even the cheapest are more expensive than using my already-bought transfer cable. – EdwardTeach Jan 08 '13 at 21:42
  • i agree on your comment about wood. still, i believe it would be ventilated enough if you leave some space for air and get some holes on the casing. this is, unless ambient temp is not hot. – Lorenzo Von Matterhorn Jan 08 '13 at 22:38
  • So the drive I was going to use for this has become unavailable. Which makes me unable to implement and test any answer I would receive. For the time being, I will thus accept this answer. – EdwardTeach Jan 14 '13 at 14:59