5.25" Optical DVD Drive Enclosure

thingiverse

Breathe new life into your old internal optical DVD drive by transforming it into a USB external drive through a clever DIY project. To get started, you'll need an IDE to USB converter that can turn your DVD drive into a fully functional external device. One reliable option is available on eBay for a reasonable price: the SATA-PATA-IDE Drive-to-USB 2.0 Adapter Converter Cable. In addition to the converter, you'll also require a power supply that's specifically designed for hard drives. A suitable option can be found on eBay as well: the HDD Power Supply AC 12V 5V 2A For Hard Drive Molex UK. Once you have these essential components, it's time to build the enclosure for your DVD drive. Using a 0.8 nozzle will significantly speed up the printing process, making it more efficient and convenient. To assemble the device, you'll need six M3x10 countersunk screws that will securely fix the drive and back plate in place. Update: April 24, 2020 A new part has been added to the project files called enclosure_test.stl. This part only prints the first 10mm of the enclosure, allowing you to test the fit before printing the entire enclosure. Sometimes, the fit may be too tight or too loose, requiring adjustments such as scaling or applying a positive or negative Horizontal Expansion setting in Cura.