Ammo Can Fileserver

I used to have a Western Digital netcenter 320GB net attached storage, with another 160GB WD external usb drive running through it... however, the enclosures and wiring and power supplies, etc were way too bulky and the drive go really hot in their passive enclosures... so I got a 5.56MM ammo case and put everything inside - all you connect now is one standard pc power cord and 1 Ethernet cable, and your good to go... and its actively cooled by a 120mm fan!... I did this mod a couple of months ago and just never got around to documenting it (well, I did do it in 2 days...) anyways, pics:

outside:

front - stock + 12 .5" holes drilled in the bottom to allow intake of air:

back - 120mm fan with mesh from gutter cover scrap, power and LAN plug . note the fan is only attached at 2 points - I was in a hurry, and its not loud enough or loose enough to convince me to redo it... I'm a lazy person.

I know you've been waiting for it.... the guts:

the real trick to making it all fit with the fan at the back - revers the drives! all the original connectors are at the front, but the new plugs are at the back... ;)

status lights! (this is the one big failing with this project, and the reason I consider it a work in progress still - all the power, activity, etc. buttons and LEDs are only visible and usable with the lid up... and they are board-mounted ... too ghetto for me in the long run.

one last picture - all connected up and good to go!

Sweet! One minor correction.. 5.56mm rounds are the M-16 variety. Regardless, + rep. I've been thinking lately that I should do something with the ammo cans that I have.. they're not doing anything at the moment.

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Originally Posted by SgtM

Sweet! One minor correction.. 5.56mm rounds are the M-16 variety. Regardless, + rep. I've been thinking lately that I should do something with the ammo cans that I have.. they're not doing anything at the moment.

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whoops - my bad - forgot which ammo can I used... lol... *fixed*

thanks for the rep!

YW. I've been trying to think of a way you could move those LED's, but they're so small, it's not going to be easy. Maybe get an LED fan, and that can be your power indicator.. I'll have to think of another way to change the status light.

an LED fan might work (actually - you could even use the fan based on activity - more activity = more cooling... :think: )

unfortunately, both plugs are glued to the back, so removal of the fan is impossible... I built it too well... xD

I got oine ammo can at theouse and I am starting wwork with it this weekend. It's 26"x14"x8" got it on ebay for like 20 bucks. couldnt pass it up. These are some of the most useful things ever made.

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Originally Posted by BerticusPryme

I got oine ammo can at theouse and I am starting wwork with it this weekend. It's 26"x14"x8" got it on ebay for like 20 bucks. couldnt pass it up. These are some of the most useful things ever made.

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Go for it!

I love ammo can mods!

so I may have found a way to use the status lights. I now have these light duct things front the power and activity lights of a dell i disassembled a couple weeks ago. I'll post some pictures tonight to show you what I'm talking about, but they should allow me to 'move' the status lights to the top of the case.

Welcome back, glad to see you are still working on this.

Thread

For getting the lights to the outside of the case you should check into fiber optic cable... well actually you would probably only need a few strands for each light.
I would check around places that repair medical devices as many fiber optic cables are used in surgery and when too many fibers break they either repair or replace the cables, so you might be able to get some broken ones for free and be able to get some usable lengths of fiber out of them/ :)

Fiber is easy to use as well, simply put several strands together, wrap in dark tape and put one end almost touching the light source, and at the other end secure the strands to a lens (small disc of plexi/plastic/glass).

Good luck :)

so I finally got a chance to take pictures of the light pipe things from the dell that I was talking about:

and held against the LED...

looks like they will work just fine once I get a chance to cut some holes in the top and attach the light pipes...

:D