Building a DIY PC External Drive Bay Module

Building a DIY PC External Drive Bay Module



 

Building your own desktop gaming PCs

    Building your own desktop PC in a tower case can be quite fun! You can customize the PC build and specs to your own liking, with your own motherboard, RAM, PCI(e) slot devices, drive bay modules (5.25" and 3.5"), and specialized devices. By purchasing or thrifting for used PC parts you can also save much money rather than buying a pre-built consumer gaming PC.

 

My Windows PCs

  My Windows computing environment at EagleSoft Ltd. consists of 3 computers:

  • Windows 11 Gaming computer (Big Eagle 🦅)
    • Asus M5A78L-M/USB3 motherboard
    • Thermaltake Versa N21 desktop case
    • Meant for modern 4K, VR, video gaming, and game development

  • Windows 7 Laptop (American Kestral) 
    • HP EliteBook 8570w
    • Daily driver computer
    • Mobile workstation laptop for on-the-go power computing

  • Retro DOSBox Computer Build (Millenium Eagle)
    • Asus K8VSEDX Motherboard
    • Thermaltake Xaser III desktop case
    • Multi-boot retro PC
      • Windows XP
      • Windows ME and encapsulated vintage operating systems
        • Pure Mode DOS (Windows 98 hack)
        • Windows 3.11 WfWG
    • OPL3 FM-synth Sound Blaster clone card
    • Many other goodies

 

More about my Millenium Eagle retro gaming DOSBox PC

 

   The Millenium Eagle computer build is meant for running vintage video games and software. It also handles vintage media formats and runs on a multi-boot setup consisting of Windows XP, Windows ME, Pure Mode DOS, and Windows 3.11 WfWG. The computer is useful for using vintage serial/parallel port devices and creating FM synthesis audio using a OPL3 FM-synth Sound Blaster clone card.

 

   Over the years while thrifting I found other 5.25"and 3.5" drive bay devices, and unfortunately ran out of space for other drive bay devices in the desktop case. A big feature of the build was the ability to handle various vintage media formats for reading, writing, and ripping. Back in the day, you could readily find external 5.25" drive bay modules for about $100. These external drive bay modules were quality, and either made out of steel/metal or professional plastic. However, nowadays most desktops lack 5.25" bays due to becoming obsolete, and thus these external modules are no longer produced. NOS external bays are hard to come by and are expensive.

 

   Due to these issues, I decided to build my own DIY PC external drive bay module and interface for the other drive bay devices. This project was built by 3D printing x2 5.25" 3-bay modules and some adapters, installing some USB hub devices, installing extension cables, and installing mounting hardware screws/double sided tape where necessary.

 


Example of external drive bay modules
from ancient times



 

Drive bay modules (main Thermaltake Xaser III case):

  • 5.25"
    • Proprietary Thermaltake Xaser III fan speed control module
    • Sony CRX230A 52x32x52x Internal EIDE CD-RW Drive
    • Samsung SH-S182M DVD Drive (Pandora variant)
    • Safronic DS-53A 5.25" Floppy Disc Drive
      • Todo: Verify if drive works, install and inteface correctly into computer for the OSes
      • May replace with TEAC FD-55GFR-149-U5 from my spare parts storage if not working
      • Future blog post!
  • 3.5"
    • Sabrent 75-in-1 Multi Flash Media Card Reader/Writer (CRW-UINB)
    • 3.5" Floppy Disk Drive

 


 Drive bay modules (PC External case):

  • Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive
    • Mini USB/barrel jack power
    • Set on top of the external drive bay case
    • Can read/rip HD-DVDs

  • CD Home (1 x 10 ea) CD caddy holder

  • * Sony NetMD Walkman MZ-NF610
    • * With 3.5" to 5.25" drive bay adapter
    • Mini-USB NetMD Mini Disc player (read/write)
    • Compatible with WebMiniDisc Pro (utility, guide) and homebrew hacks (list of compatible devices, for S-Type exploits)
    • Supports S-Type homebrew exploits like ripping audio directly from MiniDiscs!

  • * Iomega Zip 750 USB drive (Z750USB)
    • * With Mayflash drive bay adapter 
    • Iomega Zip Disk Drive (750MB) / USB interface + barrel jack power
    • Reads/Writes 750MB and 250MB Zip Disks
    • Reads 100MB Zip Disks only

  • * Mayflash GameCube Controller Adapter (USB, W012)
    • * With Mayflash drive bay adapter  
    • 4 Port GameCube controller adapter module
    • Compatible with Wii U, PC USB, and Nintendo Switch (2)
    • Uses x2 male USB plugs (1 USB power + 1 USB Data)

  • Lite-On iHAS524 24X Internal DVD Writer with LabelTag
  • BTO PlusDeck 2C

 

Building the DIY PC External Drive Bay Module

Supplies:

  • Hardware tools
    • 3D printer, slicer software, and filament
  • 3D printed bays and adapters
  • Electronics/cables
    • x3 4-Port USB Hub With LED Indicators (Five Below)
    • 4-pin power molex extension cable (eBay)
    • 4-pin power molex splitter cable (male to x2 female, eBay)
    • 4-pin power molex to SATA-power (male molex to female SATA 15-pin, eBay)
    • SATA-data extension cable (female to female, eBay)
    • IDC20 (2x10) Female to Female 2.54mm-pitch extension ribbon cable (eBay)
    • Extension cable (x3 2-prong plugs)

  • Hardware
    • M3x0.5mm 6mm screws (eBay)
      • Tom's hardware recommends
        • M3x0.5mm screws for mounting 5.25"/3.5m" drive bay devices
        • #6-32 screws for 5.25"/3.5" HDD drives
    • Double-sided tape


Five Below USB hubs
 

Molex power extension cable 
 
Molex power splitter cable
 

Molex male power to 15-pin female SATA power adapter cable
 
SATA data extension cable (female-to-female)

 


IDC20 2.4mm pitch extension cable (female-to-female)



100 pcs pack of Torx screws M3x0.5mm 6mm
 
   Assembly of the DIY PC external drive bay module was pretty easy. After 3D printing the aforementioned drive bays and adapters, I used double-sided tape to tape both 3-bay modules together (to sandwich them). I put the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive on top of the whole external drive bay module assembly. The CD Home, 3.5" bay adapter, LabelTag DVD drive, and Plusdeck 2C devices were inserted and screwed in using the M3 torx screws. The Mayflash drive adapter for both the MiniDisc player and Mayflash Gamecube adapters were inserted, and taped down using double-sided tape. Both the MiniDisc and Gamecube devices were put into the drive bay adapters.
 
   The x3 USB hubs were taped onto the side of the external drive bay assembly. The USB Type A outputs of two of the hubs were daisy-chained, while the last one was plugged directly into a free USB Type A port on the computer, to connect all of the devices. The 2 DC barrel jack power supplies (for the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive, and the Iomega Zip 750MB drive) were plugged into the power extension cable. The molex extension cable was plugged into the motherboard, extended outside from the case, and plugged into the molex splitter cable. One end of the splitter cable went to the Plusdeck 2C for power, while the other end plugged into a molex to15-pin SATA power cable on the LabelTag DVD drive. Finally, the SATA data extension cable was plugged into the motherboard, extended outside of the case, and plugged into the SATA data port of the LabelTag DVD drive.









  Thanks to the power of 3D printing, extension cables, and ingenuity, I could finally create my own DIY PC external drive bay module and extend the amount of 5.25" drive bay devices I have for my vintage gaming PC, the Millenium Eagle 🦅! 
 
The PC can now handle:
  • CD-ROM and CD±R(W) (Read/write)
  • DVD-ROM, DVD±R(W) (DL), and Lightscribe (Read/write)
  • 5.25" Floppy Discs (soon™ when I get it working)
  • 75 types of card-based flash media
  • 3.5" Floppy Discs
  • HD-DVD (Read)
  • MiniDisc (read/write and rip)
  • Iomega Zip (r/w 750MB and 250MB discs, read 100MB)
  • Use 4x Gamecube controllers
  • Write LabelTag DVD discs
  • Read/rip audo cassettes

That's what I call a multimedia vintage PC! 

-MrTamkis ðŸ¦…

Tamkis 9:44 PM Leave a Comment Read More

Building a DIY Solder Fume Extractor

Building a DIY Solder Fume Extractor

 

 

About electronics solder
(60/40 lead-tin vs. RoHS compliant lead-free solder)

 

    Electronics soldering is an important skill to learn for building, repairing, modding, and reworking electronic circuits. Soldering is done with either traditional 60/40 lead-tin (SnPb) soldering compound or with newer RoHS compliant lead-free solder.

60-40 Lead Tin (SnPb) electronics solder


RoHS compliant electronics solder

   Although RoHS compliant solder is safer for humans and the environment, it has some disadvantages compared to traditional 60/40 lead-tin soldering compound. The latter material has a lower melting point, is easier to wet (spread to other components), and has better adhesion; meanwhile the former has a higher melting point to work with the material, is harder to wet, and has less adhesion. More importantly, at higher temperatures, the former material is less flexible and has a higher rate of oxidation (rust), and is brittle at higher temperatures. This makes the material more likely to crack due to repeated thermal expansion and contraction during operation of electronic devices. The brittleness of the material (and design flaws of lack of adequate airflow and thermal heatsinks) at higher temperatures was a major cause as to why many early revision Xbox 360 video game consoles suffered from the Red Ring of Death (RRoD) mode of failure. The main disadvantage to the latter material is it being more toxic (60/40 lead-tin compound).

The infamous Xbox 360
Red Ring of Death (RRoD)

 

Reducing solder fumes  

  Due to these reasons, unless I need the electronic devices to be lead-free for safety reasons, I prefer to work with traditional 60/40 lead-tin solder, since it is easier to work with, is more flexible, and has better adhesion. Regardless of which type of solder you use, inhaling the fumes of the material while soldering is toxic for your health.


  Previously I would use a dedicated fan to blow away the fumes while soldering and building electronics. However, after moving into a new apartment in February 2026, I decided I would finally build myself a proper DIY solder fume extractor instead of blowing solder particles around the house, despite the adequate ventilation in the apartment. A solder fume extractor is a fan that sucks the toxic solder fumes into it, through a filter, and into a waste container to remove any leftover particles. This filter can either be a HEPA filter (more expensive but more effective) or an activated carbon filter (cheaper). Regardless of which type of filter you use, these filters are consumables and need replaced every few months of usage after the filters get filled and too dirty to work effectively. This is similar like with a regular air filter in a car.

 


A professional grade solder fume extractor
 
HEPA filter
 

Carbon filter
 
Building EagleSoft Labs

 With moving into a new spacious apartment in Februrary 2026 and having plenty of room for myself, I finally decided to build myself a dedicated electronics and makerspace workbench with my main tools and supplies readily available. This workspace is now the official EagleSoft Labs 🦅! It is a dedicated table in a corner of the apartment with soldering/electronics and 3D printer equipment.
 

 


EagleSoft Labs 🦅

Equipment:

 
 

 Laboratory life be like dis


Building a Solder Fume Extractor

 

   While thrifting at Goodwill during March 2026, I came across a NIB 4" Einttax Wall/Window Type Extractor Fan (EIN-E10). This fan runs in reverse and sucks in air vs. blows it out, for extracting fumes. It is meant for being put into a wall output vent or window to suck air out of bathrooms while showering; however this fan has a large air flow output and would work very well as a solder fume extractor fan.



4" Einttax Wall/Window Type Extractor Fan (EIN-E10)

 

  Since this device is just a fan and an output vent (no HVAC ductwork), I bought some HVAC piping/supplies while at Lowe's and Home Depot.

 

Materials:

  • NIB 4" Einttax Wall/Window Type Extractor Fan (EIN-E10, NIB Goodwill thrift store find)
  • Lambro 4" x 2' Aluminum Semi-rigid duct work
  • 4" pipe clamps
  • Nashua Bath Fan Installation Air Filter Duct Tape
  • Smoke-activated carbon filter pads (bought on Amazon)

   Building this DIY solder fume extractor was simple. I deciced to order and go with some activated carbon filters from Amazon. Using the 4" pipe clamps, I attached the duct work pipe to the end of the Einttax fan, and flexed the pipe into a garbage can with bag. This allows both for adequate airflow and for catching any solder particle waste that remains after going through the carbon filter. This dedicated garbage bag/can is meant for any electronics waste while at my workbench. Unfortunately, I poked some holes in the fragile duct pipe while flexing it and installing the 4" clamps, so I patched those up with Nashua duct tape, as well as applied duct tape to seal the fan/pipe connection.

 

   After the carbon filter pads arrived from Amazon, I cut out a circular pad and placed it into the ductwork pipe near the fan output, and held it into place with another 4" clamp. That's all there was to building this DIY solder fume extractor! The soldering work/fan needs placed where I'm working on my electronics, and the solder fume extractor will suck in any toxic solder fumes, filter the particles, and output any waste into the garbage can while soldering.


Einttax extractor fan
 

Cutting out a circular activated carbon filter
 

 Placing the circular filter into the ductwork

 
 
 

 

Final result/waste output

 

    Building this DIY solder fume extractor was easy, and now makes electronics soldering safer on my workbench by extracting most toxic solder fumes. The extractor works very well, has a large ariflow volume, and the fan was a great thirft store find for building this DIY extractor.

- MrTamkis 🦅

Tamkis 4:24 PM Leave a Comment Read More
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