Fitting a 3.5" floppy rive inside a CPC6128

[kikendo]

I managed to get going a floppy drive in my CPC 6128.
I used an Amiga Chinon drive, hacked the internal data and power cables to get it going and it's, incredibly, running just fine! 


Now the problem is: how do you fit this inside the machine? I've seen someone breaking some bits of plastic inside to make it fit, but do we really need to do that?

What is the cleanest method to do so? What are the options?
How do you fill the space remaining above or below the drive?


Worse comes to worst, I'll have to source a Dremel somewhere to chop those bits off.
I also gotta see if I can find a black faceplate that would fit this drive.

[kikendo]

Nobody can recommend anything here?

[MacDeath]

Can tell, mine is just lying over he machine, with dirty looking cables and addhesive tapes...


easier with the 6128PLUS I guess, else you need one diskdrive that is not too big, quite compact...


Another way : keep the 3" drive inside and get the 3"1/2 as external, then re-cable inside so you switch Drive A: and Drive B:...


To modify the space above, you can get a piece of black plasticard perhaps...

[joska]

This is how I did it: Internal 3.5" with no mods to case

[kikendo]

Joska, I see what you did there.
The reason I'd like t cut the current plastics on the left is that if I do then I can use teh side screws to tighten the drive to the case. I wouldn't even need to drill holes at the bottom.


At this point I don't even have a faceplate, maybe I Should try getting a black disk drive from eBay.

[MacDeath]

perhaps getting your hands on a folding machine (not inside...ouch) and some pieces of flat metal, then black paint...



there must be smaller ones...

[gerald]

Here is how I fitted a Sony MFP920Z. (Disclamer : I only did this on this specific drive model. other may not fit by length/width/height)

It involve etching a bit of plastic in the upper shell of the CPC, but this does not prevent monting the original 3 inch drive.
No harm is done to the 3 1/2 drive either except removing the upper metal sheet to gain few tenth of milimeters.

What need to be removed :
[attachimg=1]

How the drive is fitted :
[attachimg=2]

How the drive fits in the CPC :
[attachimg=3]

As you can see, the drive is sandwiched between the upper and lower shell of the CPC case. There are no screw to keep it in place. The depth is fixed by the drive length between the front and the cpc speaker  .

In this upper position, the side screw cannot be used as they are under the drive.

[Gryzor]

Nice solution

[kikendo]

That is indeed an interesting solution!
Alas, I still need a dremel tool for making it happen.
Also it would become a bit inconvenient having it stuck to the top instead of the bottom.
If I use the bits that hold the 3" drive in place and some kind of raiser on the other side, I think it could work. But how?
Gotta think about it!

[dcdrac]

the drive connector and power from the MB work fine with it?

[gerald]

the drive connector and power from the MB work fine with it?

No 

You will have to swap 12V and 5V from the power connector and make a 26 to 34 pin adaptor like this one : DIY:Floppy Drives - CPCWiki

[kikendo]

Yup, that is exactly what I did. Quite easy to be honest!