How should I construct my own hard drive enclosure?

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

Posted 2012-12-22T19:51:24.653

Reputation: 141

1It would be cheaper to buy one. (unless you use duct tape and cardboard) – xxl3ww – 2012-12-27T17:14:05.300

Updated post: it's also just a fun hack – EdwardTeach – 2012-12-27T18:18:21.600

Velcro is your friend, you can stow the drive almost anywhere using adhesive velcro on a suitable flat surface and a loop of normal velcro round the drive. – Tog – 2013-01-07T19:56:53.407

Answers

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

Posted 2012-12-22T19:51:24.653

Reputation: 2 137

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 – 2013-01-08T21:42:38.020

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 – 2013-01-08T22:38:26.213

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 – 2013-01-14T14:59:11.733