3D Printed 6-Bay NAS case - Improved in every way!

[@patricklebel1141]

After watching again some parts of the video, I can say that he really worth the 3$ a month. Having to design some functional parts myself, I know the amount of thinking and work it takes to make something like this. And seeing how he designs his stuff, sometime, he gives me idea on how to solve a problem. Go buy him a coffee or 2!

[@makerunit]

Thank you so much Patrick! I appreciate the feedback! I’m glad I can inspire you! 😊

[@elitsoerrosenberg]

Agreed. I end up buying 8kg of print material every 3 months, but still

[@makerunit]

@@elitsoerrosenberg I mean, those spools will go anyways! I can’t even sleep well if my printers aren’t running constantly 😅

[@Hal1970]

Finishing printed parts at the moment for my elder brother, I must say that it's a piece of art getting it together, with an easy and clean design it's worth every penny !!! Thanks for the hard work put into it. 👍

[@makerunit]

Awesome to hear the building process was easy for you! Thank you so much for the kind words 😊 this kind of feedback is what drives me to keep wanting to make new designs! 😊

[@stuardbrtube]

FANTASTIC!! Now we need a 8 drive version, that acomodate a m-atx mobo :D

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’m getting there (eventually). At least this was a step in the right direction! 😁

[@stuardbrtube]

@@makerunit No, thank you for your work. The process to master this cases probably is a very expensive process

[@makerunit]

@@stuardbrtube it does definitely take some filament and sometimes having to buy a few new parts, but the most comsuming part is the time it takes 😊 it’s usually not just done in one day, but with many small sessions over a period of time.

[@krutarthpatel1991]

@@makerunit Let's make the whole thing modular, so we can add/remove hard drives as needed.

[@makerunit]

@@krutarthpatel1991 I’ve got some ideas in mind! 😊 tons of projects lined up for the next months!

[@briancmoses]

This is so fantastic, nice work once again! I already printed the 4-bay version and I'm quite happy with it. But now you're tempting me to start over from scratch and print a new NAS case. Adding a total of 5 drives (2x 3.5" and 3x 2.5") is such an amazing upgrade! Thanks!

[@makerunit]

Thank you Brian! Yeah, sorry for posting a new and improved version this quickly after the first one 😅

[@briancmoses]

@@makerunit Never apologize for making something even better! I love how the first NAS case turned out, it's perfect for what I needed!

[@makerunit]

@@briancmoses Thank you Brian! 😁 Happy to hear it worked out so well for you! Soon again I’ll have to be sorry one more time for releasing more tempting designs. More cake is on the way 😁

[@P8qzxnxfP85xZ2H3wDRV]

Now the only thing missing is a backplane. There are lots of PCB manufacurers that ship boards internationally within a week nowadays. So it's definitely feasible for a DIY project.

[@makerunit]

Definitely! I’m trying my best to improve the design every time, adding new features for every version.

[@aquiveal]

​@@makerunit what about some vibration dampers for the drive mounts.

[@jb510]

Brilliant. Two thoughts. 1) maybe TPU washers at the drive mounts. 2) would love to see a video series on how you actually design these. I don’t care for onshape, but would love to see how you think about and plan these amazing designs.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! This has been requested by many so I might at some point make some videos on that, I’m slowly building up my «inventory» PC component 3D models, which can be used as reference when drawing a new case sketch, but they take some time to model and I’d want to make sure they’re up to spec (or at least very close), before I feel comfortable sharing it. When I’ve collected enough parts in that «inventory» I might post it for my Printables members when that time comes.

[@horiaandrei24]

I just seen your product on LTT ( video about buying hdds refurbished from ebay)! Hope it makes your day better 😉

[@makerunit]

Oh yeah I was just made aware of this from one of Printables members! That really made my day too! It feels nice being noticed like that! 😁

[@ivovass195]

Wow, what an upgrade you managed in this v2, awesome stuff. Easy swap trays for 3.5 and 2.5 drives is great

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’m glad you liked it!

[@janamundsen]

Wow, this is awesome. My dream though would be a 19" rack mount ITX case with several 2.5" drive bays and space for a riser + PCIe card. Keep up the good work.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’ve gotten this request from many so it’s not impossible that I may do something similar to what you’re asking eventually 😊

[@deechvogt1589]

Wow! I am truly sorry I didn't catch this video until 5 days after post. You've really out done yourself.

[@makerunit]

Thank you Deech! Glad to hear you like the project! 😊

[@prince3121]

Thanx for all the cool case projects! As well as the individual pricing per project, this will really motivate me in printing and building one of these cases. I cannot wait for a new mATX case!😎

[@makerunit]

Thank you! Oh, did I say mATX? I meant ATX! 😅 like full size 305x244 motherboards!

[@BenReese]

Dude, this is awesome!! Fantastic design work. I've been looking at Mini-ITX boards and thought about trying to design a NAS case to print. You've covered about everything though! Someone else recommended a back plane. That would be handy, but also most of us don't swap drives very often, so not really necessary. If I pull the trigger on a build, you may be getting a new Printables subscriber!

[@makerunit]

Awesome! Thank you! I’m also working on some new versions that are expandable coming in the next months some time.

[@patrickdeal6377]

would love to see your take on a 19" rackmount NAS case. Multiple configurations of 4, 5, 12... drives. Your vids are great and the cases are very nice as finished products.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I get this exact request a lot actually. And I usually reply that I’d love to try that some day but at the time being I do not have access to, or space for a big rack mount at the moment. However, my life is full of changes to come so hopefully I’ll be able to give that a shot in not too long. 😊

[@GROGU123]

Yea, rackmount cases are so expensive. Would be great to print one.

[@yearofthegarden]

I really like that you are growing the design, and I'm sure if you keep adapting to feedback you will eventually find a product that you can sell at a price that encourages people to learn production. If I were you, i'd eliminate the issues by integrating non-3D printed materials into the solution. Personally I really like metals around my hardware, and have built multiple cases from Aluminum baking pans that cost $12 each, but based on what the current market wants in cases, I would say 2 chamber fish tank style cases are what people crave, and so pricing in acrylic glass from homedepot and finding their standard sizes to print framing around would be a great way to eliminate the excessive paneling due to print parameters. ONE DAY large 3d printers will become more cost efficient for us consumers, but until then I'd just work with standardized paneling products that are commonly available to your audience to print into place.

[@makerunit]

Sorry for the slow reply, I must have missed this comment. Yeah you’ve got some solid points. However, my goal personally is to make unique looking designs. Not cases that look like all the stuff you already find from other brands 😁

[@FanaticalRK]

ive been building pc's for a very long time and the usb trick stunned me. thank you

[@makerunit]

Haha, I’m glad I was able to teach you something new 😊

[@kimmerrild3487]

Very nice build. It looks really good :D Keep up the good work, and let the comments on this video inspire you to further development. Huge thumbs up.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I appreciate it! And I definitely won’t quit here! My goal is always to get better with every project! 😊

[@Jord0699]

I had pieced together a rack style version to hold everything that this design has got into it. I’ve since purchased your design and printing as we speak. Such neat work! Have a few other of your designs saved for possible future builds! ❤

[@makerunit]

Awesome to hear! Thank you, and let me know if you need any assistance at all 🙏

[@Jord0699]

@@makerunitso far so good, I know it wouldn’t be as many people capable for it but I’ve modified the external side and front panels to be one piece to have a seamless mesh design. It fits on a 350mm bed. Would it be easy for you to add the files to the design for those with a bigger bed? I didn’t connect the back panels (which make IO options easier to change later if one wanted to) For the side panels, I removed the part for the centre join but retained the edges of the centra as those parts seem to be used for other parts to join/hold onto. Will share photos to your printables when it’s done but I’m still waiting computer hardware to arrive for it

[@makerunit]

@@Jord0699 ah I see! Sounds great, looking forward to seeing it! 😊

[@moerki970]

Thats more like a mini server then just a NAS 😳🤘. So great, and so many little details, all those interlocking parts. I realy love what you did there 🥰.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I appreciate the positive feedback! 😊

[@ttomkins4867]

Because its printed in parts, the next design could be modular/expandable. (like your current design but the 6x 3.5" drive bay is a swappable/stackable module) You'd have the base, zero or more drive modules, and the motherboard + psu area that holds 3x 2.5". (zero drive modules is silly config but motherboards have m.2 and the case has 3x 2.5", and drive modules can be added as needed later) For example you could make a 18 bay case by printing three of the 6x 3.5" drive modules, or go all ssd storage by using the 2.5" module, or even use combinations of the two and have a tower of drives.

[@makerunit]

This is exactly what I have in mind as a future project! A fully modular system where you can build it kind of like LEGOs. It’ll be a real challenge to design to function seamlessly, but the end result if it works as I hope would be awesome!

[@tshackelton]

@@makerunit This is awesome and would make the "line" very useful! Please re-use your drive trays, across the models of cases.

[@AlsRides]

Wondering about a rack mountable case. Reckon that could be an avenue to explore? 🤔 I am actually in the midst of printing out the bits for this one in order to build myself a NAS but I can see a server rack in my future :D

[@makerunit]

Hey! Awesome to hear you’re building this case! Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you! About a rack mountable case, it’s on my to-do list to explore this further but currently haven’t started any projects for a rack, but it’s one of the things I plan to do down the road at some point 😃

[@nazirisk]

Love the idea. What about using a SATA Backplane to keep all cabling at the back of the unit? It will give a real feeling of hot-swap without cabling involved and better cable management.

[@makerunit]

Thanks! Yeah I’ve been looking into those also, but my main goal is to make the cases DIY friendly, and cables are more universially available worldwide than a specific backplane type if that makes sense. At least that’s how I think when I make my projects.

[@amd2800barton]

Looks awesome. I’d love to see a rack mount sized version, even if it has to utilize something like a rack mount metal shelf for support.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’ve got this request from quite a few people, so it’s definitely on my future to-do list 😊

[@therealjamescobb]

This looks great. Nice job with the new case. I love the new hard drive locks and easy swap.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! 😊

[@mtndewboi_]

Thinking about biting the bullet and going with this design, before I start ordering stuff (this is my first NAS) I was wondering if any of the modular designs you're working on will be released soon. This build looks great and my family and I need the storage, but I also want to somewhat future-proof. Keep up the high quality videos and designs!

[@makerunit]

Hi there! I’m about to post one video in a day or two that’s not a NAS related video, but the next video after this is going to be the modular NAS. I’m aiming to release it within a month approximately. Thank you and I’m glad to hear you’re considering my design! 😊

[@RobertoCarvalho-0]

Just wondering, while this case definitely looks awesome (I even consider this to be my next build), it could use some dust filters to control the dust inside the case though. I believe as is in a long run, this would be quite easy to get a really dirty PC, specially with the 3d printed texture and the honey comb design (I suspect). Thinking on that I would suggest to some how have mountain thingy to hold a standard sized filter for each and every place an intake fan should be installed, for design purposes inside of the case ofc. As the hardware is basically all built onto a structured frame, its easy to slide it out, expect for the power supply that is screwed to the outer frame. With all done hinse the frame under the sink. There's some room to get be creative and come up with a slide in lock mechanism for the power supply though hahah. Great job.

[@makerunit]

You’ve definitely got some good points here. My next «big NAS project» I’m hoping to be an expandable, bigger modular system. I’ll be sure to consider adding some dust protection when that time comes 😊

[@sonub5401]

This is a very nice design. Have you thought about making the drive modular? Meaning the cables are hidden in the back and no need to disconnect cables in the front. A much cleaner design. Not sure if this is possible do to the design, but maybe in a future iteration.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’ve thought about making the next version both modular (separate drive modules that can be added when the need increases) and have a backplane in the drive bay to allow for cable-less drive connections. Though this is a long term project I have in mind to get done at some point in the future 😊

[@RobertoCarvalho-0]

This video just showed up on my recommended and loved. I will definitely use it when I replace my NAS. Just a suggestion, you could explore horizontal builds :)

[@makerunit]

Thank you! Happy to hear you like the design. And I’ll look into a horizontally expandable design. Actually I had something like that in mind for a fully modular system. 😊

[@DeNNiiiable]

How's about a option for stacking? Just the bottom to be available as a section to attach to bottom to add 6 more HDD and few SSD. Maybe a option too have bigger CPU cooler? The rest looks well made

[@makerunit]

I have a few ideas in mind for a «fully modular» system. Where each component has it’s own printed section. I just need a reliable way to attach the parts that is strong while still being easy to print with preferably low filament usage.

[@litebkt]

Brilliant. If I needed a NAS, I’d go for this one.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! Great to hear!

[@mrakaki]

Love it, just something to think, HDD do make a lot of vibration, is important to insolate them with some anti vibration rings or similar when you adding them, if you using SSD don't have to worries about it!

[@makerunit]

Thank you! And yeah you’re probably right, the ideal mount would have some vibration damping as well in each bay.

[@teumcar]

@@makerunit The dampening ability of the printed parts in PETG is enough to consume "some" energy and vibrations (PETG is almost like a jelly compared to a normal steel bracket), i.e. it's absolutely not critical even for 6 non-enterprise grade HDD's. Screw-secured drive is better in 98% cases.

[@makerunit]

@@teumcar I see. You’re probably right. 😊

[@gody7334-talk-wy6pn]

Thanks for the hard work for designing and building this case, Its amazing that you can design this elegent pretty NAS Can you also modify it to all SSD drives without PSU (using pico psu instead) To maximize the portability and minimize the size

[@makerunit]

Thank you! 😊 I’m glad to hear you like my design. I’m a little curious if common PICO psu’s have enough juice to run all 6 drives + 3 SSDs at the same time? I’m eventually planning to create some more versions of NAS systems. Some may be smaller, some larger 😄

[@Sphyxx]

This is exactly what I've been looking for a while now and the monent i have the funds for it and reunited with my printer I'm building this.

[@makerunit]

Awesome to hear you like this build! 😊 Let me know if you need any assistance along the way!

[@patricklebel1141]

Another nice addition to your line of printed case! Good job!

[@makerunit]

Thank you Patrick! Appreciate it!

[@tkt546]

Awesome Case design! A suggestion... but not for the case.... You can get braided or slim SATA cables and that might help fitting so many cables in such a tight space.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! Yeah I’ve been looking into them but just found it easiest in my scenario to buy them locally, but I’ll definitely keep it in mind for future reference when building even larger 😊

[@opezdol]

Basically you should use mini SAS to sata breakthrough cables and custom made (it's very easy) power cable with 6 connectors to avoid cable clutter, and any hba card in it mode instead of used in the video sata expansion card.

[@akacira]

Great work. I desperately need a mATX board, ATX PSU with a 4 or 6 bays version; as small as possible and I won't need anything else for the next 10 years for storage. Fingers crossed.

[@makerunit]

Hey there! A modular version supporting both ATX mobo, mATX mobo and ATX psu is in progress. Currently printing prototypes to test fitment, so far seems promising! Due to being modular in any direction it’s a little «bulky» but has the benfit of in theory; infinite expansion. Not sure about posting date but the goal is within a few weeks. (Edit: turns out more challenging than first anticipated, new goal some time Q1 2025.)

[@GrimOfDonuts]

What about making the drives toolless, remove the carriage sliders from the sides and then reduce the hight of the drive bay so it clamps direct onto the drive to hold them in

[@makerunit]

The reason why I decided to go for the tracks/brackets was to allow for different thickness drives, as they all use standard mounting holes. Although it’s probably possible to make it completely toolless also.

[@JamesTenniswood]

Very impressive. Love the drive bay, I'd like to see a 2.5inch only version too

[@makerunit]

I’m planning to add some adapter plates to attach 2.5 inch drives to the current bay but I’ll keep it in mind that a 2.5 inch version (smaller) also could be an option in the future! 😊

[@playeronthebeat]

I don't know where you're from but that German part was hilarious! This case is amazing! Almost fits my needs but sparked a lot more where I can adapt your system! Send it to a friend, though, they're looking for basically this case :D Amazing built!

[@makerunit]

Haha thank you! How was the pronounciation? I’m from Norway! Glad to hear you liked it, I’m planning to make more versions down the road, maybe my next NAS will be fitting your needs! 😊

[@playeronthebeat]

@@makerunit It was actually quite good! Especially for someone not native or used to speaking another foreign language often. I do think that German is not that big of a deal over in Norway, eh? :D Yes! I'm always happy seeing amazing and well thought out designs like this. I've watched the first one and I'm seeing the growth and potential with this one! It's really amazing work! By the way: You missed my perfect NAS case by exactly two HDDs (and a little bigger MoBo). I'm currently planning an eight bay + 2 SSDs + 1 carrier card for M.2 SSDs & 1 carrier card for 10GBit/s+ (currently looking at used 25GBit/s cards as they're effectively the same price). However, again, this case is amazing at what it does and accomplishes. Especially for the small print volume provided. It fits most 3D printers with ease and I think that's a really big part. No one's gonna print your design if they can't replicate it on their printer :D

[@makerunit]

@@playeronthebeat thank you! Yeah I’m trying to create designs to fit smaller printers as it reaches a much larger audience. As a Norwegian native speaker I find most other languages quite easy to replicate, probably has to do with how our language is built up I guess so all the different «sounds» of most languages are quite easy to copy. I’m planning on making more NAS options supporting more drives in the future. 😊 I’m not done yet!

[@playeronthebeat]

@@makerunit Yeah, it's pretty much same for me. As a German, I feel quite okay replicating different sounds. :D Yes and it's great! Combining your drive for smaller printers with your constant development of NAS options - what do you think about modularity? I have personally not thought it through completely with your design approach, however, it could be a cool approach: Building each thing as separate modules where people could add a bigger HDD module i.e. or something like that? Is that on your horizon or is that too complicated from an engineering stand point? With modularity often comes more customizability however that also has the potential of creating more problems for users.

[@exodous02]

I've been watching videos of 3D printable cases and next computer I build will be in a 3D printed case! Small cases are so expensive I never do a small build, I always think it is better for expansion but in reality I never use more that a few PCI slots.

[@makerunit]

Yeah compact cases are often super expensive. And I’m pretty much the same, I never use more than two slots at most. 😅

[@Kraaketaer]

This looks really good! It addresses pretty much every issue I had with the previous version, and while the proportions of that one were more pleasing, this still looks very good. My only complaint now: please list the final dimensions of the build somewhere?

[@makerunit]

Hi! Thank you! Yeah sorry I should have added the final dimensions to the description also. Currently it’s only stated on Printables 😊 I’ll be sure to update it soon. However, it’s H341, W210, L217mm

[@EduardoSantanaSeverino]

This is my first time watching this kind of video. I found this is absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing, and thanks for this such great work. Now I am wondering what about something similar but for a rackmount server? I think there should be people out there making for rackmount either 1U or 2U, and probably using unify as a front covering... 😅 Or probably I should start in the rabbit hole myself to learn how to do it? I'm very busy lately.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’ve got several requests to make something rack-mountable. My only issue at this time is that I don’t have access to a rack to test it out, however that might change and I’d love to attempt that some day! 😊

[@MobiusGT]

A matx with a 10-12 bay design would be cool too

[@makerunit]

On my to do list! 😊

[@spazmochad]

@@makerunit MATX with 16 bays 3.5" would be *chefs kiss*, perfect for a single 16 port SAS to SATA card

[@Xaymar]

Wow. I tried my hand at designing a case years ago, but the 22x22x25cm build volume always ended up with me failing. Can't wait to see what else you have planned.

[@makerunit]

Thanks! It’s a little challenging definitely but with enough time put in there’s always a solution. My current challenge is to use the same small print volume, and make something that can hold a full size ATX motherboard and a large GPU! 😅

[@alexbright7735]

I want this little build-it-yourself case!!

[@makerunit]

Do you have a 3D printer?

[@alexbright7735]

@@makerunit No. I must have come across your channel because the topic was a NAS.

[@makerunit]

@@alexbright7735 yeah that might be it 😁

[@Sapious1]

This is great! Love watching this project develop! Awesome job 👍

[@makerunit]

Thank you! Appreciate it!

[@PimBimBoom]

This is pretty amazing. I've been considering attempting to design an 8 bay hot swap matx nas to fit in an Ikea kallax (probably a 30cm cube to fit in 32x32x38cm) but i've never designed anything from scratch before so not sure I'll get very far... If you're looking for an easy way to add hot swap then aliexpress do 22 pin sata male to female connectors with screw holes which should be relatively simple for someone with your skill to integrate into a design! This is the first video I've come across on your channel and I'm looking forward to more cool projects!

[@makerunit]

Hey! Thank you! I’m planning to eventually make bigger versions supporting a bigger variety in parts! I’ll definitely be looking into those connectors! 😊 and I’m glad to hear you like my content!

[@mahmoudshihab]

This is absolutely gorgeous!

[@makerunit]

Thank you! 😊

[@BresStephane]

I love the creativity, what a time to be a maker

[@makerunit]

Thank you! Another project is right around the corner this weekend latest! 😁

[@sad209yt]

This is a pretty amazing design. Almost makes me want to buy a 3D printer. I'd love to have the case.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! 😊 I’m happy to hear you like the design!

[@mireiyanami]

As always, amazing work! Thanks for listening to feedback.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! 😊 I can’t always make everyone happy but I’m trying my best to make as many as possible happy.

[@TrueBark]

Wow, nice case! Your design is awesome.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! 😊

[@beb123abc7]

Wow so nice. Thanks for your work! I NEED THIS FOR mATX MAINBOARD SUPPORT :)

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’m planning to create more models and variations eventually 😊

[@toman84810]

@@makerunit yes, mATX would be amazing. There is a massive gap in the market for functional mATX NAS case. ITX motherboards are too limiting.

[@makerunit]

@@toman84810 I'll keep this in mind. I'm actually working on something now that's intended to be modular and support motherboards all the way from ITX to ATX! I'm aiming to release it some time in Q1 2025.

[@jonathan350]

This is awesome! I'm for sure using this on my new nas server! thank you

[@makerunit]

Awesome! Thank you! 😊

[@DEMO-ps2lp]

Nice work, wondering uf you can do modular, so instead of a motherboard, you can use a NUC or any mini pc

[@makerunit]

I’m looking into ways of making that possible at some point 😊

[@StevenPeterson1]

You've inspired me to start making my own Mini PC cases based on a 120x120mm motherboard. Using Sketchup to do it and so far it's working well. Unfortunately, the plastic extruder housing on my Ender broke. A new aluminum part is inbound this week. What filament are you using for your final builds?

[@makerunit]

Hey Steven! I’m super happy to hear that I’ve inspired you. I also started in Sketchup when I first started printing years ago 😁 The plastic extruder piece on the Ender is a classic fail, happens to all of us eventually, faulty design from Creality… I had to do the exact same mod on mine a while ago. I’m mainly using PETG for my Printed cases but sometimes also PLA for certain parts. However, I try to use PETG for any part that’s affected by heat in a PC.

[@Rexter2k]

I was wondering, wouldnt the two fans cooling the HDD's be more effective if they were flipped around? As in not blowing air onto the drives, but pulling air away from them? Amazing work btw!

[@makerunit]

Hi! Thank you! Actually I’m not sure. I haven’t actually measured, but given that the enclosure is closed on all sides it creates a forced airflow between the drives so it can not escape any other place than there. Whether push or pull is best, I’m not sure. Although it’s a quick fix to flip them if it becomes an issue 😊

[@steffenreimers3473]

You said in some comments you are working on an m-atx version. Do you have a timeline when you think it might be ready? And what features you are planing? (e.g. bay count?) I am olaning on building a nas and currently exploring options. I like the jonsbo n4 but i also like your 6-bay nas. However i am looking for 8 bays and m-atx support for more pcie and like faster networking. Never the less great Case!

[@makerunit]

Hi! I’m working on it as we speak. Actually it won’t be just mATX but also full size ATX. I’m currently printing and testing prototypes of a modular design I’ve been working on the last couple months that theoretically allows for an unlimited amount of drives (given you have enough sata ports). 🙂 I’m not exactly sure about the release date but I hope within this month at least with the «open air» version of it, which is intended to also be compatible with future upgrades. Currently each drive module can hold 5x 3.5 drives and 2x 2.5 drives per unit (170x170mm square size). So for a 8-drive system you could for example just use 4 slots in each module. They all snap into place using a spring loaded mechanism and the spring itself is in the drive bracket itself and not the main body. Meaning if you’re unlucky and a spring breaks it’ll be like a 50 cent replacement rather than a whole module. 😁

[@petrkinderman9483]

​​@@makerunit I think you definitely thought this thru already, but would it be possible to fit 6x3.5" without any 2.5" (I guess there will be reduction for it :) ) in some module? I ask because for raid-z2/raid6, the 6 disks are "optimal" (don't quote me on that :D ), but with this setup you mentioned I would need two modules (also 11 disks "optimal" for raid-z3/raid7 would require 3 modules). Anyway, thanks for your great work, I am eager to see the new modular version :)

[@makerunit]

@@petrkinderman9483 funny thing is, I’m actually working on changing these modules to 6x drives per module instead of 5, making them slightly bigger. So for now the plan is for it to have 6 drives. I’m probably re-designing the entire thing again from scratch. Mainly because I noticed a few flaws and challenges after printing out my first prototype. Taking what I learned to improve the second prototype version 😊

[@petrkinderman9483]

​@@makerunit Love the hear that, thanks for quick response :) hope the rework won't add another months tho :D

[@makerunit]

@@petrkinderman9483 The hardest part is often to make the first version. Then the re-makes are usually done a lot faster as the «baseline» is already done, just made with some tweaks and adjustments based on the previous design. Most likely there will be another «normal» project posted in between there as this one will take some time to make perfect.

[@monabeel]

man, this is awesome, matx version with more bays would be perfect!

[@makerunit]

Thank you! 😊 I plan on eventually creating more versions to support a variety of parts.

[@DrummClem]

This is SO WELL THOUGHT OUT ! This is inspiring and satisfying at the same time. I would have used different SATA cable colors, but that is just me ;)

[@makerunit]

Thank you! 😊 Yeah the great thing is that you can use any color you’d like. Even the plastic can be any color you want! 😁 I chose red pretty much because it was the easiest to get a hold of locally where I live. 😅

[@TheEdition100]

If only I had a 3D printer to make this. looks awesome

[@makerunit]

Thank you! 😊

[@erbartlett]

Very cool build. Could this be modified to use 8 bays if I used a very simple / small passively cooled mobo? I need a slow backup media server that I can keep adding storage space to.

[@makerunit]

Hi! Thank you! Theoretically it could be expanded, yes, but I also plan to create more NAS versions in the next months coming. I’m looking into the idea of creating a modular system that can be expanded once needs increase. Still in the idea phase but I’ve got some potential solutions. 😁

[@erbartlett]

@@makerunit it’s a good idea. All newcomers to storage buy drive space that they end up outgrowing faster than they thought they would. Something that expands with them would allow them to get more use out of that equipment. It would also dampen the pain of bad first purchases :)

[@Rakshasa84]

This is really cool! I've been looking at NAS enclosures for probably over a year now and everytime I find a new one that looks interesting the price in my region is just crazy. Then you look at something like this which looks really nice and clean, should be reasonably easy to assemble and has a nice capacity. Stupid question... 6HDDs + 2 SSDs (not going to count the OS SSD for this question). What is the purpose of the 2 SSDs? Are they caching drives, are they meant to be part of the overall array? I have a friend with a 3D printer and I am sure I could convince him to give this a go for me, but I want to make sure I understand the setup.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’m happy to hear you like my design! The dual SSDs are meant for faster cache storage, but really they can be set up as a part of the system as well if you prefer that. The reason for doing two is to always have a backup in case one fails.

[@Rakshasa84]

@@makerunit thought so. Awesome either way. Thanks!

[@Netist_]

But what if I need more drives? ;) Jokes aside, these are really good changes. I appreciate the use of more threaded inserts. I HATE screwing into plastic. I also appreciate the disk spacing. I've used quite a few cases where the disks were too close together, which impacted temperatures and made it difficult to use 90 degree SATA cables. A suggestion for a future project: A JBOD enclosure instead of simply a NAS case. That way, the sky is really the limit as far as disk count is concerned. Ideally it would have space for a small power supply. You'd also need to source a good backplane, which could be challenging... But still, if you could pull it off, I think it'd would be great, since I'm not a fan of most of the enclosure options currently available on the market

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’ll definitely be sure to look more into JBOD! I’m fairly new in that area but I’ll check it out for sure. 😊

[@TheIdo14]

This case isn't for me but I really like your process and attention to detail, cool project! What modeling software are you using?

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’m using Shapr3D 😊 they have a free basic version if you want to test it out

[@tonykett]

excellent case. really clean design. love the drive stabalisation. i'm looking for a 6x 2.5 ssd case for a rasp pi 5 m.2 to 6x sata build (still havent found yet) so its tiny (maybe half the size of yours) but still usable drive space. i'm finding the radxa penta hat with only 4 drives a little short on storage (using sata ssd only for silence). anyway, thanks for your video, great work.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I might just make something like that some day. 💪 Who knows! What kind of power supplies are usually used for the SATA powercables when using a Raspberry Pi?

[@Sleepyhead99]

How's the temps on this? My biggest issue looking for a NAS case is the temps. Like i tried a Silverstone DS380, and it just baked my hard drives, reaching over 60 degrees C with the door closed. I'm also hearing some of the Jonsbo cases, where it's just not getting the airflow. And these are just design flaws you'd think manufacturers would R&D, and figure out. Does this have decent spacing between the drives? The lack of a backplane helps. Any feedback would be appreciated

[@makerunit]

Oh yeah this one has specifically been designed to have airflow between the drives, and the 92mm fans does a very efficient job of forcing away the hot air between the drives. The spacing on «normal» 1 inch thick drives is about 5mm so plenty of air can pass 😊

[@HansEngren]

Printed and built my first one. Received the last piece, the motherboard, yesterday, and finalised the system as well. Running OpenMediaVault. Started printing the next one already while waiting for the motherboard delivery from AliExpress in late November. So amazed with this design - if there was a 12 disk version available, I would jump on it instantly. 😂

[@makerunit]

Awesome! I’m working on an expandable one that should be able hold bays of 6 and 6. Teo modules can for example be combined with a ATX motherboard to create a 12-bay ATX motherboard NAS as well as many other configurations 😊 it’s still in the drawing phase but I have made a few prototypes of universal modules that can be attached in any orientation to suit almost any need! 😊

[@J0ermungand]

Now this great case design inspired an interesting thought: Modular cases. ie design a base module that houses the mainboard and PSU in such a way that one can attach other case modules on any of the 5 sides remaining (the 6th would be the backside and used exclusively for IO). Then one could have a case module that can house a GPU (attached via PCIe Riser cable ofc), a NAS case module for the currently presented use case and potentially a host of others (depending on ideas that might come up later). This would also allow for combining whatever modules someone would want in their build.

[@makerunit]

Hey! Thanks, and you’re not the first to mention this, and actually, even before posting this I designed the drive bay also as a «pilot» test for a future modular case with attachable drive bays. I’ve got some prototype designs going on already on case modules. Biggest challenge is how to easily join them. Not the joint themselves but making them printable without crazy overhangs is the main challenge to be honest. Printability 😁

[@J0ermungand]

@@makerunit Awesome. I honestly couldn't design something on this level myself. I make simple cases for my projects or smaller pieces that help in building bigger cases from other materials. Printability of a modular case structure seems like a lot of variables to keep in check.

[@makerunit]

@@J0ermungand This is exactly the issue with designing for 3D printing. I’m purposefully sterring clear of using any supports where possible, as it affects both accuracy and overall finish on the prints. Only way to have accurate parts with supports is zero tolerance multimaterial supports (PLA supports on PETG for example) but this is not common, and also takes a lot longer to print) It’s generally not a problem desining something cool in a few hours. Most of the hours go into the details, splitting the parts to fit smaller printers etc. Right now I’m working on a full ATX that’s printable within 180x180mm, and it’s proven to be quite the challenge but I’ve finally figured it out, going to start printing it soon. 😃

[@J0ermungand]

@@makerunit Nice, that must've been a challenge. I assume that'll be an upcoming video also? I'd imagine doing all those designs for your youtube channel is also helping you develop your skills a lot more than regular tinkering would. Kinda like doing something as a job for years and automatically becoming an expert in that thing. I always love your videos btw. Well produced showcasing interesting projects. Funnily enough though, my next project is goig to be a tiny NAS/media center combo rig for a friend and I've been pondering designing the case to be fully 3D printed, rather than my usual 3D printed support structures for other materials.

[@makerunit]

@@J0ermungand yeah that’s going to be my next video 😊 long term my goal is to improve gradually from project to project and eventually release an actual production model, whether it’s a prebuilt case or some sort of DIY custimizable product is not decided yet as it’s long into the future (at least a few years probably).

[@conceptroot]

Please, make mATX nas case.

[@makerunit]

It’s on my to-do list eventually! 😊

[@gottria]

I always wondered why you need HDD brackets? Why can't they just slide in?

[@makerunit]

That’s a very good question and I’d love to explain my thoughts here: There are a few reasons for needing the brackets, however, the main reason is the fact that not all hard drives have the same thickness. For example most modern 500/1TB HDDs are closer to 20mm thick, while the bigger capacity ones are about 26mm (1’’). I had to use the brackets to ensure all drive thicknesses would fit. So even though the thickness isn’t standard, the screw hole location is, so whatever drive is installed will then be in the correct position. Hope this answered your question 😁 However, I must admit that they are probably a bit overkill for the use, and could have been made much slimmer.

[@RegentLemay_FullReg]

Thank's it's very good think you do, you some good modification, 6X3,5", 3 x 2,5" is great. but i have to find some mini ITX, it's not so easy to find some are micro ATX an it's easier to fond at good price. But overall now i follow your chanel, i recommand to my friend to check and some print. As soon as i get finish with print i will send some picture.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’m planning to create more versions for bigger and cheaper components! Possibly expandable even! 🙃, looking forward to seeing your pictures!

[@RegentLemay_FullReg]

@@makerunit now i had problems for the first layers, especially the infills. The first infill lines don't seem to stick the plate enough and it looks more like flow rate problems. I have Qidi Slicer (like Prusa Slicer). What setting do you use to get nice print ?

[@ThatsPety]

Awesome work! This must have taken an insane number of hours

[@makerunit]

It took a few hours definitely. Hard to give an exact number as it’s been slowly designed bit by bit over many days. Definitely gets a little easier after doing as many projects as I’ve done until now, but the main challenge is the thinking, finding solutions, not the modeling itself 😁

[@w0nderward]

This looks sweet! Have you thought about a smaller design for an all flash version?

[@makerunit]

It has crossed my mind and definitely more people than you who requested it, so l’ll be sure to add it to my list of potential projects!

[@JohnNeville617]

Is there any way to get a version that supports a larger graphics card? Something that fits a dual slot card like the NVIDIA RTX A2000 would be perfect.

[@makerunit]

It is definitely possible, however I plan on eventually posting more models to support a wider variety of parts like bigger motherboards and bigger GPU’s. One step at a time. 😊

[@emmanuelzapata382]

I have a case idea that hasn't been done yet that would be perfect! Do you take suggestions?!

[@makerunit]

Yes, I do take suggestions! Bring it on 😊 I can’t promise I’ll go through with it, but I’ll definitely consider it 😊

[@marcfair3d]

Great Design. Which Mini electric screwdriver are you using? Looks good.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! Actually the brand of the Screwdriver is «Mission SG», however I think this is just some generic item that my local store has thrown their own brand on. It was pretty cheap. Unfortunately it’s not available on Amazon or any international marketplace as far as I know, only in Norway and Sweden I think. Link from my local store in Norway… www.netonnet.no/art/datakomponenter/installasjonogmodding/mission-sg-electric-bit-driver-kit/1029703.11087/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwuJ2xBhA3EiwAMVjkVIFWbUU6OWzAz_WIiu-rRw78hl-yUlwfda5rX02sQr5m77CS_P9lhRoC6AMQAvD_BwE

[@marcfair3d]

@@makerunit Thank you! Keep up the great Work!

[@ShaneRay25]

Liked, Subscribed, fell in love. 10/10 Nicely done!

[@makerunit]

Awesome to hear! Thank you so much!

[@someguy9175]

That looks so beautiful, man you should start a company

[@makerunit]

Haha, thank you! For now I’ll stick to 3D printable models but in the long run I have a dream of this becoming something bigger! As you can see I already have the logo and name in place, which was the idea from the beginning. 😁

[@MrHhkjhkj]

@@makerunit Would you be open to allowing some individuals to sell completed kits on your behalf? I'm sure some would love to have one of these but are not in a position to DIY for one reason or another. I am not asking for myself but genuinely curious.

[@makerunit]

@@MrHhkjhkj I am considering to add a commercial license so people are allowed to sell printed copies of my models.

[@MrHhkjhkj]

@@makerunit Awesome! The few cases like this that exist are very expensive and this is amazing to see!

[@ingusmant]

This is a great design and good looking but aren't those magnets too close to the HDDs?

[@makerunit]

Hi, thanks! And not really. People seem to exaggerate how bad magnets actually are for the hard drives, but to actually corrupt the data on a hard drive you’re going to need something much much stronger than some «refrigerator» magnets. And these are also on the opposite side of the case to the disks on the hard drive. This should have no effect at all, even over time.😊 I was worried about that too in the beginning before finishing the design but a lot reading about this exact thing, it seems perfectly fine.

[@midnight-fr-vx3bb]

will be interested in an mini ATX version ;) so you can have a beter flow for exemple

[@makerunit]

I’ll keep this in mind! You’re not the first to suggest this, I’m currently working on a few possibilities😊

[@lerxcnm]

Absolutely amazing! Glad to see your work again. :)

[@makerunit]

Thank you! 😊

[@zconqueror]

Would you consider making a Micro-ATX size case eventually?

[@makerunit]

Working on one right now actually! 🫡

[@inpickle]

Very cool. If you start a forum or something I'd be interested talking about projects!

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’ve got a Discord server for my Printables members where projects can be discussed. Or if you just have an idea you can message me on Printables and we can talk about it there 😊

[@AdrianTache]

Can't you reverse the drives and make some jig to hold the cables so hdds are properly plug and play?

[@makerunit]

I’ll look into that for future upgrades! 😊 I might also use a backplane for that next time I build a NAS!

[@SuperPlayLISTtt]

Can we have a mATX NAS design? 6-bay or 4-bay 3.5" would be awesome!

[@makerunit]

Hi! It’s on my to-do list 😊

[@SuperPlayLISTtt]

@@makerunit Awesome, thank you! Would you be able to combine it with your method for small printers?

[@somanyfnbananas2774]

I think a great addition for something like this would be a few custom PCBs. For example a custom backplane so the HDDs can actually just be slid into the case and are immediately connected. I am a hardware developer myself and would gladly assisst with this/ make that a reality in case you're interested in working together

[@makerunit]

Hi! Yeah it could definitely be an option but the goal for most of my projects, at least for now, is to try to use mostly off the shelf components, or if I end up using a backplane I want to use one that’s easy to obtain, as I make most of my projects to share with others and want them «easy to make». I appreciate the offer though! 😊

[@invictus0x0]

Dude, WOW! that is so good, totally going to have to make that!

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’m glad to hear you like it!

[@gottria]

Got my insides built and ready, now starting on my outside panells but why are all my outside panels solid in my slicer? How do I get the mesh look?

[@makerunit]

Hey! The panels are made mesh by using no top and bottom layers in the slicer, use Honeycomb infill at 20-30% depending on your desired output, hope it helps 😊

[@dvomang]

I really want to print this for my unraid server build but I have an AIO water cooler for my cpu. Could this be used somehow?

[@makerunit]

Unfortunately this version does not support an AIO. I’ll try to implement it into my next NAS attempt when that comes 😊

[@alex84632]

Super cool! Do you have to melt the inserts into the plastic, or do they screw in on the outside as well?

[@makerunit]

Thank you! They melt into place with a soldering iron 😊

[@richiem9316]

If the SSD connection options were better, I'd repurpose one of the cheap N100 mini PCs with a small NAS case designed to refit the components and use only 2.5" slots to maintain the minimal footprint. It would be a small-capacity solution. A speedy 2TB SSD mirror can be affordable nowadays and makes great shared storage for VMs. Packaging that up in a very small and low-watt solution would be awesome.

[@richiem9316]

No sooner than I posted this, I discover there are standalone N100 motherboards with sata connectors lol

[@makerunit]

Yeah! A lot of the people who built in this case used N100 NAS motherboards 😃

[@DavidMcCullough2]

What motherboard, cpu, psu, and OS? The print is awesome but need details on the rest for us homebuild NAS noobs.

[@makerunit]

So in a way I’m actually one of those NAS newbies myself, I know how to make the parts fit together but the «computer part» part of it I’m actually not the best to make recommendations. However, personally I used a quite old motherboard called ASUS Rog B450i (AM4 socket). A Corsair SF450 SFX psu, a Ryzen 7 5700G processor, and added a relatively cheap Sata expansion card from Aliexpress, but they’re also easy to find on Amazon etc. There are also dedicated NAS boards available that have tons of sata ports built in, it all depends on the specific needs you have so my general recommendation is to research a bit on what type of system combo fits your needs the best, as there are tons of uses for such a system 😊 However I don’t want to recommend specific models as I do not have enough experience with NAS systems in general to know what works well or not.

[@xnoux1]

I’m impressed, really cool build

[@makerunit]

Thank you’

[@andreas.grundler]

Great work. Looks like the perfect NAS case to me.

[@makerunit]

Thank you! Happy to hear you like the design!

[@Khalmoon]

Do you think its possible to make something similar that's rack mountable? even if it requires one or two rigid pieces to hold it to the rack/rail that would be a GAME changer

[@makerunit]

At some point I might try to make a rack mount case, however, at the moment I do not have, or have access to a rack to measure and test the project, therefore I can’t really confirm if, or when I’m able to get to that 😊

[@Khalmoon]

@@makerunitif you’re interested I could 100% help test if it fits well. Also a good middle ground without buying a full rack tower is a “table top” server rail mount it has the same format just smaller and much cheaper. Probably easier to troubleshoot since it’s open air instead of enclosed

[@Khalmoon]

@@makerunitalso thank you for the response! I’m considering gutting my old pc parts to see what I can fit on your builds on printables and then make some purchases!

[@makerunit]

@@Khalmoon or I could just 3D model the rack itself and print it out! 😁 also, I try my best to leave no comment un-answered.

[@makerunit]

@@Khalmoon Sounds good! Let me know if I can be of any assistance! 😊

[@Sleekflight1]

Awesome, what did you use to print the label at 10:40?

[@makerunit]

I used a little «Brother» label printer I have. Just one of those small handheld devices you can type in anything and it’ll print a tiny sticky label.

[@constantinosschinas4503]

How do you know which hard drive to swap? Bay led? Bay numbering? Which NAS software do you use?

[@makerunit]

One idea is to color code each cable on both ends. Another one is number marking with a sharpie. 😊 mine are stacked in a certain order because they’re flat so I can tell which one in the stack it is. And they’re zip tied in place just the correct length to reach each drive. 😊 I have not actually set this up to be a NAS with a dedicated NAS system as I’m kinda new to that myself so I can’t really recommend a specific program unfortunately.

[@minidotrar878]

The inside frame looks really cool by itself, a full open frame design could be very nice

[@makerunit]

Thank you! I’ll keep that in mind! 😊 this drive bay mount can theoretocally be extended to any size I want just by coping the drive bay mounts to however many drives are needed.

[@peterr.4768]

Great. Next Challenge, adopt it for a 19inch rack mount😊😊😊

[@makerunit]

Thank you 😁 at some point, I’m planning to go that direction as well 😁

[@Godonstilts]

I don't own an FDM printer, Could I print this in resin or am I just begging for things to go wrong?

[@makerunit]

To be honest I have never printed in resin before so I’m not comfortable making any recommendations or not but generally people tend to steer away from resin in applications like this so based on that, I personally wouldn’t, but you’re free to try if you really want to 😅