Rick’s Rants and Raves

So after I had started work on my hard drive mirror, I had a few magnets stuck to my fridge. This guy gave me the idea to add a handle onto it, to make removal easier.

I used the rings from the drive along with a zip tie through one of the screw holes. The rings are aluminum, and were used to separate the platters around the motor. They are quite comfortable, and make removal of the magnet pretty easy.
These things are incredibly strong. Just how strong? How about 3-lb-sack-of-potatoes strong.

While I was playing with hard drives, I was really struck by how mirror-like the platter surface was. I decided my next project was to create a “mirror” out of hard drive platters.

So I started asking around for “dead” hard drives. I know there must be mountains of them out there. I hit pay dirt when one of the server dudes at work said “Yeah, you can have all of them out of this MSA.” He handed me 10 18 GB drives (worthless on eBay, I checked). Along with the others I had amassed, I figured I had the raw materials to begin.

I then completely gutted them all, saving every single part. A couple of challenges that I encountered:

• A lot of them required multiple sizes of Torx bits. The ones I had on hand were not enough, so I picked up a set that included 5mm through 10mm. With those in hand, almost nothing stopped me (see next…)
• My technique for removing the top ring around the drive motor was clearly flawed. No matter how many I took apart, I stripped the head of the last screw I had to remove. This really sucked. I had to drill out the head of the remaining screw to get the platters off. It clearly had something to do with the pressure exerted on the remaining screw by the platters, but no matter how carefully I worked them out, the last one’s head stripped. I broke at least one drill bit during this process.
• I could not get the drive motor out of most of the ones given to me by my coworker. They were secured by a nut that was set into the case such that I could not get pliers, wrenches or sockets to bite on it. Fortunately I could get one out (different brand) and that was all I needed.

I then played with the pieces of circuit board and other parts to find a layout I liked for the background.

I placed part of the drive tray holders on some plywood (secured with wood screws), then layered the circuit boards on top (secured with hot glue). I was short one drive tray holder to make a complete border, so I took one of the tray levers (used to pull the drive from the MSA) and put it at the top.

The Hard Part

The hard part was figuring out how to secure the drive platters. Glue doesn’t stick to them. I finally decided to use the same technique that the manufacturers did: clamp the platters on the drive motor. I put spacing rings on the motor until I had just enough room for two platters stuck right together. I secured those with the motor’s retaining ring, then started jamming the edges other platters in between the center two platters. The result is kind of like a flower, kind of like a mirror. The top platter in the center go so warped by the jammed in platters, that I glued another platter on top of it. Yeah, I know I said glue doesn’t stick–I used a ton of glue and all it has to do is hold the weight of one platter. So far (2 hours) it has held….

Finally, I threw an armature on the edge and we have the final result…

In the end, I used 14 platters. There were 6 platters in each of the 18GB drives, so that means my “mirror” is a total 42 GB. And yes, I’m using the term mirror loosely–I sure as hell won’t be shaving with it….

See also:

• 42 GB Hard Drive Mirror
• Table-Top Hard Drive clock

OK, everyone has seen the dude who made an LED POV (persistence of vision) clock out of a hard drive, and we’re all very impressed (no, seriously). But not all of us have those skills. This is a hard drive clock that requires only a power drill and some basic hand tools. No electronics knowledge is necessary. Total project time: 60-90 minutes.
Supplies:

• Old hard drive (duh). I happened to find a 5.25″ model. Smaller or bigger drives could be just as fun.
• A clock movement from your local craft&hobby store. Get the one with the longest shaft you can. Mine was 3/4″ and it fit perfectly.
• I used a bit of old IDE cable to help support the bottom of the clock. You may need to get creative to get yours to hang parrallel to the wall.
• A six pack of your favorite beverage to celebrate your cool looking clock.

Tools:

• Hand drill with bits up to the size of the clock movement shaft. I needed a 5/16″ hole for mine.
• Various screw drivers, perhaps with hex or torx bits, depending on the model of your drive.
• A hammer
• If you do the IDE cable trick I describe, you’ll need a utility knife (or sturdy scissors) and some hot glue.

Step 1: Remove the cover from the hard drive. Your model will vary. Look under the “Warranty void if label removed” labels to find hidden screws and nuts.

Step the second: Remove the screws holding the platters in place. Be very careful to not touch the surface of the platters–finger prints will look pretty crappy. Hold them only by their edges.

In my drive, the top platter came off easily after the screws had been removed and the armature pushed aside.

However, to get the second platter off, I had to partially dissassemble the actuator.

The magnets holding this part together are incredibly strong, so don’t be suprised if it takes a bit of force to remove one after the screws have been removed. I then jammed the arms all the way down into the circuit board so that I could remove the second platter. Depending on your drive, you may have to remove the arms.

Step C: Pry off the rotor (cover for the motor in the center of the platters). I found a couple of screw drivers did the trick pretty quickly.

Once the rotor is off, you can see the coils beneath.

Step IX: Punch the bearings out of the rotor. I put the rotor on top of my vice, with the jaws about an inch apart. I then put a philips screwdriver on the bearings, and tapped them out with the hammer. This took a couple of tries, but eventually they came out.

Step 9: Now it is time to drill through the center of the motor mount in the back of the case. I spent a great deal too much time attempting this because there was a small steel column that I’m guessing the motor rotated on top of–it was the center spindle that I needed to get through. My crappy drill bits just weren’t making much progress. Finally I turned the drive over, and tapped on the spindle with a punch (a philips screw driver would suffice) and a hammer. It came right out. After that, enlarging the hole in the aluminum was incredibly quick. So, my lesson here is: if you think you have to drill, try something else. If you are drilling steel, it will take forever, especially if you have crappy drill bits (like me).

I was so excited when I widened the hole an got wood from the work bench, I shot the picture right then and there, without removing the debris.

The Next Step: Reassemble the platters and the spindle rotor. Let them sit in place in the center of the drive, but they won’t stay there very well. Put the magnets back together for the drive arms and put them back between the platters.

Fit the clock shaft up through the hole in the center of the platters. The hole left in the rotor after removing the bearings was bigger than the nut and washer supplied with the clock movement, so I had to add another washer. Fortunately, it is almost impossible to tell.

Step -i: Follow the instructions provided by the clock movement for putting the hands on the clock.

Step M: Now, looking at the back, the body of the clock movement sticks out, and so we need something at the bottom to brace it agains the wall (I’m hanging mine). If you choose to stand yours on a desk, well, good luck with that.

So here’s where that IDE cable came in for me. I took an old cable, and cut off the end that fit the drive along with about 6 inches of cable. I plugged the cable into the bottom of the drive, and hot glued the tail against the back, just under the movement body, leaving a bit of a loop in the wire. In this way, the IDE cable holds the bottom of the drive body away from the wall about as much as the movement body does.

So, here is the finished product, hanging on a wall in my den.

You can see a bit of the IDE loop at the bottom to get an idea of what I mean.

Step 6 Pack: Time to enjoy a cold beverage, admiring your wicked cool White & Nerdy harddrive clock.