IBM NetVista Hard Drive Rails

[shadow]

I recently got an IBM NetVista for a very good price, however it did not include the hard drive. I thought that I would just pop in any IDE hard drive and I would be away.

Unfortunately the hard drive can not be screwed in directly to the chassis of the case because it is designed to use a proprietary hard drive rail. The required rails are shown in the picture below.

These rails are not easy to come by in Australia (it seems). I have seen them on EBay in the UK and the US. However these rails would probably cost me just as much as the whole system!



I was wondering whether anyone has any ideas on making a custom homemade hard drive rails?

I was thinking about making a pair of timber rails that i could then screw to the systems chassis. Would there be any disadvantages with this idea?

I will have to hunt around in the garage and see what aluminium sections I can find. Maybe I could use am aluminium section as a rail with minimal modification.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: IBM NetVista Hard Drive Rails

A strip of plastic with recessed holes for the plastic to drive screw heads.
[Use pointed screws from chassis into plastic.]
A strip of wood used the same way.
Small piece of aluminum angle iron.

[linuxguru]

Re: IBM NetVista Hard Drive Rails

These rails aren't very different from the older black plastic rails used on the IBM PC, PC/AT and some PS/2 systems. Look around, there should be lots of it in PC scrapyards which you can get for pennies and then modify slightly if necessary with a Dremel or in the old-fashioned way with a file, hacksaw and drill.

[stevo1210]

Re: IBM NetVista Hard Drive Rails

I have similar rails in my IBM Netvista 8309-16A. It looks like you could make wooden rails, then just push it in and sticky tape it at the end so it doesn't fall out.

[KeriJane]

Re: IBM NetVista Hard Drive Rails

Hi Shadow

Antec has used similar drive rails in a lot of their cases. I still have some around, so if you could say what the dimensions are, I could check against mine.
Antec usually sell spare ones on their site for a modest fee, but they don't state the dimensions.

Good Luck,
Keri

[NxB]

Re: IBM NetVista Hard Drive Rails

Similar drive rails in my case. Also similar drive rails in dell cases I have seen, also others. Look on ebay for hard drive rails in general and see which ones look the same.

[pentium]

Re: IBM NetVista Hard Drive Rails

Duct tape works here. I did it before with one of these cases.

[shadow]

Re: IBM NetVista Hard Drive Rails

Just an update.

I ended up making a set of compatible rails out of an off cut piece of hardwood.

Pictures should come up tomorrow!

[shadow]

Re: IBM NetVista Hard Drive Rails

Sorry I didn't post the pics like I said I would.
I forgot about it and the rails already live in their homes.