1. History

About seven years ago, the media server chassis I was using no longer met my needs.

At that time, I didn't want to buy a dedicated NAS device like QNAP or Synology, nor did I want to purchase a large-sized chassis designed for gaming. So, I came up with a clever idea and used two medium-density fiberboards, a few aluminum trim strips, and some scrap pieces of wood to assemble a brand-new chassis myself.

The entire chassis is secured entirely with screws, ensuring a stable structure. To date, this chassis has been in service for seven years, reliably running up to 10 SATA hard drives. However, I've always had an idea in mind: to take this opportunity to design a more modern chassis - for example, by using 3D printing to create a "modular" new chassis.

My goal is: if I want to install an additional hard drive in the future, I just need to print another hard drive bracket; if I need to replace the motherboard, I can also flexibly adjust all the splicing components to easily adapt to the size and layout of the new motherboard.

2. The new generation of servers

This "modular NAS server" is the core carrier of my current project and the place where all my creativity and design come together.

What work have I completed so far?

• [X] 2.1 — Stackable
• [ ] Rack-mounted installation solution
• [ ] ATX motherboard installation bracket
• [ ] Power supply unit installation bracket
• [ ] Rack-mounted adapters and other supporting structures

2.1 Stackable

As shown in the picture, I have successfully printed the first three hard drive brackets.

I hope to assemble these brackets with as few screws as possible. When I convert the chassis to a rack-mountable one in the future, these "puzzle-style" designs will really come in handy. For now, these brackets are just simple stackable structures.

Although it's not perfect yet, it has basically met my usage needs.

2.1.1 Hard drive bracket - areas needing improvement

• The case door
• SATA backplane
• Rear heat dissipation air duct