How to open Cumana CAX 354 external FDD casing?

[rikbliz]

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[Vot]

Don't own one and never opened one but by the look of the front the two halves slide off each other. Don't try to lift the top off. Slide it off.

i.e push the top backwards (or forwards)..
You will need to remove the screws first.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by rikbliz

Hi guys

I have just bought a Cumana CAX 354 external FDD.. The newer square design not the "wedge" type.

I want to open the drive to (A) clean it and (B) use black dye to recolour the case from white to black.

Any idea how to open it? It seems it is a clam shell design that just needs to be prized open? It has 4 screws on the base, but I think these are retaining the drive inside the case, not holding the case together? There are no other screws (e.g. under feet).

Photo: http://i41.tinypic.com/2q0kco2.jpg

Help!

Hi rikbliz,

For all the information you need, see this thread:

External Disk Drive;

and, in particlar, these posts and attachments:

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?p=510750#post510750

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?p=511179#post511179

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?p=513373#post513373

Good luck!

[rikbliz]

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[prowler]

I've just realized that those details are probably for the drive enclosure you describe above as the "wedge" version.

I also have one of the "square" enclosure design Cumana drives and will have a look at opening that if those instructions give you no joy.

[rikbliz]

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[prowler]

Please don't break yours trying to take it apart if you're not certain that method will work.

I'm not worried if I break my square enclosure trying to open it (though I'm sure I won't); the drive mechanism itself is the important part as far as I'm concerned.

I'll have a quick look at it tomorrow and let you know what I find.

[rikbliz]

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[prowler]

Well, it seems like you figured it out easily enough.

They're not really difficult to open once you know that it's just a matter of prising the two halves of the case apart.

Once I'd found my external drive with the "square" enclosure, it took me about 30 seconds to get the case apart without touching the screws!

For reference, I attach a couple of photos of the drive after separating the case halves.

[rikbliz]

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[prowler]

Originally Posted by rikbliz

Nice one. I'll try and remember to post photos of my modded one when it's done.

Great. It's always welcome if hardware mods threads can be illustrated with photos.

Originally Posted by rikbliz

Any idea about replacing the red LED on the drive board with a blue one? Hopefully it won't burn out the circuitry or anything

It should be fine to replace the drive access LED with another of a different colour. It will only be necessary to change the series resistor if there's an unacceptable difference in brightness between the old and new devices.

[rikbliz]

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[lesta_smsc]

Nice mod! Impressed by how well the dye has applied itself to the case!

[prowler]

Nice work!

It looks great - even with the CUMANA sticker. I wouldn't take it off, myself.

[rikbliz]

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[supaduper]

what is and where can we buy this dye ?

[rikbliz]

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[lesta_smsc]

I suppose this is one way to overcome the yellowing!