Hard Drive Modding: How to Void Your Warranty in 20 Minutes or Less - Into the Mod Work
(Page 4 of 5 )
With the cover removed I had the perfect template for the dimensions for my transparent cover and all of the screw holes pre-marked for me.
After I traced the cover on the sheet of Lexan I was using I marked out the holes. I chose to use Lexan because of its durability and cleanliness. Plexi glass scratches easily and is harder to clean compared to Lexan. When I was thinking about this project, I debated drilling vent holes in the Lexan for heat dispersion. The heat dissipating properties of the original cover and the Lexan were obviously radically different and heat will likely be an issue. However, adding vent holes to the Lexan would only serve to allow dust particles and other contaminants into the hard drive, which I did not want. Instead I decided not to do anything special to the Lexan, and left it clear and solid.
Before I cut out the dimensions of the cover plate from the Lexan I decided to drill the appropriate size holes for the screws in it first. The reason I did this was because the holes for the screws were located very close to the edge of the cover and the action of the drill could cause the Lexan to crack or break. With it still attached to the larger section of Lexan I wasn’t using, I could drill at least four of the six holes, comfortable in the knowledge that they wouldn’t crack. The other two, though not reinforced with more material around them, would be done slowly and carefully. Once the holes were drilled, I got out my scoring tool. Using my scoring tool, I set about carefully scoring the outline I made of the cover. Once I had scored about half way through the Lexan, I could apply pressure to the material and cause the cover to break cleanly from the rest of the sheet.
Next: Finishing the HDD Mod >>
More Storage Devices Articles
More By Remco Degooyer
/ 12 
