How To: 10 Unique & Practical Ways to Repurpose Your Old Hard Disk Drives
At one point in the '90s, about fifty percent of the CDs produced worldwide had an AOL logo. About fifty percent of the CDs in my home still have that AOL promise of 500 free hours on them. Though they never got me to join their internet service, I did get a lifetime supply of coasters. Thanks to the rise of high-speed internet access and bigger and better hard drives, there's no reason for companies to snail mail any more of those obnoxious plastic discs.However, cloud storage is threatening to make your hard disk drives at home a thing of the past, too. Your data is safe in the cloud, away from things like burglars and Coca-Cola, and you don't have to worry about hardware failures.So, what can you do with all of those internal and external HDDs filling up your house? They're not really good for drink coasters, but there are some other clever ways to repurpose them into something useful. Here are just a few DIY project ideas for those old HDDs.
Hard Drive Desk ClockOne of the most popular ways to reuse an HDD is to turn it into a clock. Hard drives make great desk clocks because of their shape and sleek looking design. Image via instructables.com The recycled HDD clock pictured above is a pretty basic project, with few modifications and a simple installation of a clock mechanism with a ¾-inch long shaft, which you can get from pretty much any hardware or hobby store.Want a different twist? Try this vertical HDD clock that uses computer keys to display the hours. Image via instructables.com Get creative. There's no shortage of examples you can check out for inspiration.
Hard Drive SpeakersIt may sound strange, but with a few tweaks, you can turn a hard drive into a speaker. HDDs use some of the same technology for that's used in a traditional loudspeaker, specifically the arm. Please enable JavaScript to watch this video.
All you need to do is apply the right waveform and sound will be produced. To turn your HDD into a speaker, you'll need to solder a wire to the hard drive's terminal and another one to its spindle motor terminal. The final part is connecting the wires to the speaker output of your stereo and voilà , you will have sound! Image via instructables.com You can also flip it on its side to make a vertical speaker and give it a cooler look.
Hard Drive Secret SafeIf you want to keep your project low-key, try your hand at this nifty hard drive safe. The project is fairly simple, using a few tools to empty out the HDD completely, which leaves room to stash valuables such as money and jewelry. Image via instructables.com If you still have the computer from which the hard drive came, you can put it back into the computer for even better security. Image via instructables.com They'll never know.
Hard Drive Laser ShowOne of the more unique projects from a HDD turns it into a laser oscilloscope. The hard drive's voice coil circuit is hacked in order for it to be connected to a stereo output, like with the speaker project. Please enable JavaScript to watch this video.
Mirrors are then placed around the HDD, which reflect the light to create an awesome laser show. This project is a little more difficult and requires some soldering skills, but the result is well worth it.
Hard Drive Wind ChimesMade from several hard drive platters, this project puts together a bunch of different parts to create a wind chime. If you can get your hands on this many hard drives, you can easily grab some string, drill a hole in each platter and create yourself a pretty interesting outdoor decoration. Image via staticflickr.com Not only does it chime out, but it also creates strange glimmers when the sun shines through it, making it infinitely more awesome than your neighbors' boring old regular wind chimes.
Hard Drive GrinderFor something that's easy to make and functional, why not turn an old HDD into a grinder? Please enable JavaScript to watch this video.
All you have to do is rearrange the platters so they're directly on top of each other, then cut a piece of sandpaper to the right shape and glue it on top. Image via wonderhowto.com It won't spin fast enough to do any real damage, but it does have enough torque to sharpen a knife, so watch your fingers!
Hard Drive Tesla TurbineWant something a little faster? This hard drive turned Tesla turbine runs on compressed air and spins up to 15,000 rpm. Image via instructables.com You will need a few less common tools, including a milling machine and a lathe. The process consists of drilling ventilation holes in the hard drive platters, then making a shaft from a piece of aluminum. The platters are placed onto the shaft with spacers between them to create a rotor. Please enable JavaScript to watch this video.
When fluid is pumped into the chamber, it makes the platters turn, which causes the shaft to rotate. This one may not have a huge output, but a larger version can generate enough power to run a car or plane.
Hard Drive Cotton Candy MachineIf your hard drive still turns on, you can use a soda can, six bicycle spokes, a plastic bowl, and a flat metal tin to turn it into your very own cotton candy machine. Granted, it's probably not totally sanitary, but it's still pretty awesome. Image via staticflickr.com You build it by using the bicycle spokes to create legs for the metal tin. The soda can is placed on top of the spindle to hold the fuel, and when you fill the tin with sugar, the spinning motion of the hard drive turns the sugar into threads of cotton candy. Image via staticflickr.com The original instructions are in Chinese, but you can find a step-by-step translation here.
Hard Drive Mic StandIf you record a lot of videos or audio tracks, a hard drive makes a pretty good mic stand. After taking out all the internal parts of the hard drive, the wires from the mic are soldered onto the switch and output jack so it can be connected to any recording device. Please enable JavaScript to watch this video.
The mic is held by a clamping pipe hanger that's bolted to the hard drive. It's powered by a 1.5 volt AA battery that lasts quite a while, and the whole project costs about $10, assuming you've already got the mic and recording equipment.
Hard Drive Cell Phone ChargerAnd finally, the project that most of us are more likely to actually use: a hard drive turned cell phone charger that also functions as an LED desk lamp and hidden flash drive. Please enable JavaScript to watch this video.
This project is a lot more involved, but most of the parts are pretty simple. You can find more details and a downloadable schematic here.What's your favorite new use for old hard drives? Let us know in the comments below.
Cover photo by Biehler Michael/Shutterstock
Xiaomi Poco F1 will change the definition of flagship: Here's why Poco F1 will be an affordable flagship from Xiaomi with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. Here's why Xiaomi is venturing into this space
5 reasons why Windows on ARM could change computing -- and 3
Set email guidelines. Tell your clients when they can expect an email response. You can set a rule that you reply within two hours during working hours and then a different rule for after hours and weekends. Post your business hours. List your hours on your web site and in your voice mail, or indicate the best time to reach you.
Keep Work and Personal Emails Separate - HR Virtuoso
Double click the Home button when your iPhone is locked to choose between your Passbook passes or credit cards added to Apple Pay before paying for your purchase. If you disable Wallet access on the Lock screen, you can still make purchases with Apple Pay but you won't be able to choose your default card at checkout unless you change it
How to Make your Android phone unlock pattern visible
SyncMate 4 will turn your mobile device into a portable gallery with all of your favorite videos, images and music. Need to sync personal data between Mac and Windows Mobile phone or manage phone's texts directly on Mac? No problem, SyncMate will handle this as well!
Sync contacts and Calendars between a Mac and Windows Phone
15 best Android apps of 2019! 2.6K. LastPass is one of those must-have Android apps. It's a password manager that lets you save your login credentials in a safe, secure way. News, reviews
Vox video producer Carlos Maza. (Vox / YouTube)(Carlos Maza / YouTube) Carlos Maza, a video producer for the news site Vox, said the harassment began about two years ago. Steven Crowder, a right-wing commentator and comedian, had begun to call out Maza's sexuality and his race — Maza is gay and Latino — in some of his videos on YouTube.
Set up your Android Auto app - Google Support
To be clear, this will NOT disable notification alert sounds, status bar notification icons, or notification tray tiles—just the annoying heads-up floating windows. Follow Gadget Hacks on
How to disable heads-up notifications without root on Android
Tap STAMINA mode. Tap the STAMINA mode switch to turn on. Tap Activation. Touch the Battery level slider and adjust the % at which you want STAMINA mode to become active. Tap OK. If necessary, under 'APPS ACTIVE IN STANDBY,' add or remove applications to/from the list. Edit Low battery mode Tap Low battery mode.
Install Sony Stamina Mode on All Android Devices (Power Nap)
Hack the News: Build Your Own Media-Altering Newstweek Device How To: Turn an Automatic Air Freshener Dispenser into a Silly String Launcher How To: Make a satellite dish Wi-Fi antenna for free internet How To: Hack into live, public security cameras and web cams
Will hardware hackers build hidden devices to distort news at
How To: Enable the Hidden 4G LTE Feature on Your Google Nexus 4 News: Samsung Could Lose Grip on OLED Monopoly Thanks to Google & Apple News: Christmas Is Coming Early! Android 7.1 Beta Is Hitting Nexus Devices This Month
Phone Stuck on Samsung Screen - WonderHowTo
The Newstweek might be the coolest new device of 2011 that no one is talking about. It's a pocket-sized device that allows you to access the data streaming through a wireless internet access point and change the news being read by fellow users at the hotspot, from any site, however you want.
Gadget Hacks News — Page 49 of 55 « Gadget Hacks
This is part of the VisiHow series on how to use the Samsung Galaxy S4. You can visit the main VisiHow on how to USE SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 for a full list of S4 VisiHow Articles. Do you have some applications on your Galaxy S4 that are useful and entertaining, yet annoy you by bombarding you with notifications?
How to Stop Those Annoying Persistent Notifications on Your
From there, you'll see the list of options on whether to enable or disable the notifications. Toggle all the options to Off if you don't want any notifications. Also, you may disable by following the steps provided in this article. Feel free to contact us if you need assistance with Windows.
Windows 10 Restoring Your Computer Reset This PC Remove
How To: Use a Wireless or USB Mouse on Your iPhone in iOS 13 News: iOS 13 Developer Beta 1 Available for iPhone with a Lot of Kinks to Work Out News: 100+ Exciting New iOS 13 Features for iPhone How To: Enable Apple's True Dark Mode in iOS 13 for iPhone How To: Lower Screen Brightness Below the Default Level on Your iPhone (Without Jailbreak)
New Posts « WonderHowTo
0 comments:
Post a Comment