First FreeNAS Build, an unexpected installation problem.

[pious_greek]

Diving in to my first FreeNAS build, and ran into installation problem. The Fractal Node 804 has the hard drives installed in a frame that hangs from the case. The frame is made to accept the back (opposite the SATA connector side) HDD side screws as well as the central HDD side screws.

The seagate ironwolfs I have do not have the central side screw holes. Obviously I don't want to mount the HDDs so that they're just swinging there, so any suggestions? (Other than ordering WD reds or tapping new holes in the seagate)

This build is just for home office use, so-I'm not opposed to securing the HDDs to the rubber grommets with a dab of silicone caulking, but perhaps someone has been through this or has some ideas?

Parts List:
Case: Fractal Design Node 804
PSU: BFG 550 (using it for testing only, will upgrade to more efficient)
Motherboard: Supermicro X10SDV-4C+-TLN4F-O (Intel® Xeon® processor D-1518, Single socket FCBGA 1667; 4-Core, 8 Threads, 35W)
Memory: 2x 16GB Crucial RDIMM DDR4-2133 MT/S (PC4-2133) CL15 dual ranked x4based ECC Registered Server Memory CT2K16G4RFD4213
USBs: 2x Sandisk Cruzer Fit 16GB USB2
HDs: 6x Seagate IronWolf 8TB

 

[joeschmuck]

I have a temporary solution for you...

1) Mount the drives in the frame.
2) Take Gorilla Tape and run a length across three of the drives on the bottom, missing the power connector of course.
3) Take some cardboard and cut out a spacer that you will tape to fit between the hard drives to prevent rotational movement. The cardboard must have some thickness to it.

The attached image gives you an example but for three drives run the tap in once continuous length across all three drives.

I can think of an option for a permanent fix however that requires building things out of steel strips and some longer mounting screws.

 

[Ericloewe]

I believe that there is a newer revision of the chassis which accommodates these drives. There is a thread on the forums with details.

 

[joeschmuck]

Here is another option for a permanent fix which may actually work well.

1) Mount your hard drives
2) Using a piece of thick paper or thin card stock make a template to join all three drives together on each side.
3) Mark the holes on the template.
4) Now make a support strut. My best advice is to go find a Model Airplane shop and buy a few pieces of music wire. Don't get it too thick because it doesn't bend easily at all, it's like a tuff spring. You can also make a support strut out of thin sheet metal you could cut with tin shears. The downside to this material is it will restrict some airflow. The black line on the paper is to simulate the music wire while the paper cutout would simulate the thin metal sheet.
5) And make two of these, one for each side.
6) Mount these with the hard drive mounting screws.

Now you can become more elaborate in this as well but just ensure you main mounting screws are nice and tight and you should be good to go.

 

[joeschmuck]

I believe that there is a newer revision of the chassis which accommodates these drives. There is a thread on the forums with details.

Maybe the manufacturer could give you new mounts, that would be ideal.

 

[pious_greek]

appreciate the responses.... i did see that there was a different chassis for the Fractal node 304 but hadn't come across the 804. i'll reach out to Fractal, and if that doesn't work, i'll probably rig something up like the second picture, probably out of some rigid plastic. thank you both!

 

[pious_greek]

Looks like I'll have to put something together, for what it's worth, here is Fractal's response:

Unfortunately, we do not have any sort of workaround for the Node 804 to support the Seagate 6TB and bigger drives at this moment.

When the HDD manufacturers like Seagate created their new 6TB and bigger drives they had to relocate the bottom HDD screw mounting holes to the end in order to add the additional platter into the housing. However, Seagate, and the Western Digital with their Red Drives, were the only HDD manufactures who also decided to remove the middle side mounting holes, which the Node 804 utilizes.

Also, when the HDD manufactures made this change they did not notify any of the case manufactures of the change.
We apologize for the inconvenience. Please keep an eye on our official website, Facebook and Twitter pages for any future product announcements.

Best Regards,
Fractal Design Support

 

[joeschmuck]

You know what other material would work well, a plastic container with flat sides. A used plastic container typically has a sturdy side and you can cut four strips (two for each drive bay setup) and then put three holes in each and use those to ensure the spacing remains the same. You just need to find some material that you like and that will not block a lot of airflow across the drives. I still prefer the music wire idea myself but you would need to locate a hobby store to get something reasonable. Please post whatever you do to correct the issue, it could be helpful for others following in your footsteps.