stacking hard drives -cages/shelves?

stevolende

I have a number of external hard drives which I've been stacking on top of each other for the last couple of years. Recently I've been worried about them failing. One I can't access at all and another had been clicking continually for ages a couple of days ago.
I'm thinking this may have to do with heat transferring from one to another. Certainly touching them at the time that the one was clicking they were really hot.
This leads me to wondering if there would be an answer available in some form of small metal dividing system. A series of shelves just large enough to keep the discs a little separate so that they can get rid of overheating. seems that most of the ones I have are Seagates with ventilation holes along the bottom. I don't have a great deal of space to expand in. They have been sitting stacked on a bookshelf.
I'm just wondering if there is any product around that would allow one to build something along these lines. The original form of Meccano when it was made out of metal not plastic would seem ideal. But main problem I'm seeing on looking around is most substitutes seem to be made out of plastic which I don't think would take the heat.
So is anybody aware of a product that one could d.i.y something along these lines from or that comes already made to stack 3.5 external hard drives on?
They mainly have music on that I use to play through the computer so they need to be in pretty close proximity to where they are.

Dalen Quaice

You should probably look at an external drive enclosure. If you are using drives without them properly shock mounted for an extended time, they are going to vibrate themselves to an early failure.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817576012

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stevolende

I'd assumed that shock mounting and things like that would come in the plastic casing on the external hard drive.
Thanks for pointing me to that, not seen things like that in any of the computer shops locally.
But then I don't think they go too in depth, probably way more low com denom for semi-interested trade rather than specialist.

stevolende

Are those things available this side of the Atlantic? Only place I'm seeing them advertised is in US . Only seeing things half the size listed over here that look like you'd use the same type of hard drive you'd put in your computer.
(Far as I know they're basically the same thing but the ones I bought were sold as external so came in plastic external casing)
Do they take external hard-drives in casing or would you have to remove casing?

Incidentally I turned the clicking hard-drive off it cooled down despite still being in stack and now works o.k. But really had me worried it was just about to die since one I couldn't access ceased to work apparently without warning.

G_Ivan Awfulitch

You might look at kitchen cooling racks and figure a way to stack them. Also Hitachi now makes a 4 TB hard drive you could put in one of the enclosures and do away with the rest.

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Dalen Quaice

From your discription, I presumed you had bare drives (like you'd put in your PC) all stacked on shelves. If they are in casings and stacked, you probably still need to look at an external enclosure for all of them or getting a bigger drive as suggested.

I would assume some US vendors would ship internationally, but the shipping might be high.

__________________
My favorite daily burning drives:
Plextor 712A - 1.09 NEC AD-7200A - 1.05 Liggy BenQ 1640 Grey OEM - BSMB LG GSA-H22N - 1.02
My favorite media:
RicohJPN R01, RicohJPN R03, MCC 003, MCC 004, Optodisc R16
Testing:
Pioneer BDR-203 Blu-Ray

cholla

I don't have a stack of external drives . I have Two of mine are the "toaster" type , one is an enclosure without an internal cooling fan & the other has an internal cooling fan.
I now will only buy the type with an aluminum case & internal cooling fan.
I don't think you would have heating problems with a stack of those .
If you still think that separating them a bit is a good idea & it may be .
Get some square aluminum stock & just lay a couple of pieces on each case & stack.
If you still feel they are heating too much get a small fan & aim it at them . That should move excess heat out of the area.
Single enclosures like this one :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817707169

Multiple enclosure like this one ( it has to have the correct type motherboard see specs) :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817576001

A small fan like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Westpointe-Ele...8547398&sr=8-2

The above are just examples & not a recommendation of the specific item .

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stevolende

yeah that sounds like a good idea. I read a suggestion somewhere of using the middle of a tape roll but I think that wouldn't work. This looks like it'd do the same thing but not be effected by the heat. Will look into it. Thanks