Floppy Diskette SD Card Caddy Dispenser

After building sirjason132's 512GB Floppy Disk Micro SD storage project, I was inspired to construct a modified version based on the comments in that Instructable. Instead of a hinged lid, I wanted to attempt a dispenser sort of design. It went easier than expected and the results are below.

This project works because the opening in the slider is just the right width for a micro-sd card. The opening in the top of the diskette housing isn't, and has to be enlarged, part of step one below.

Ten micro-sd cards can be housed in this project.

Apologies for the mediocre video quality. I'm using turn-of-the-century video equipment.

A 3D printer makes this an easy task, but one can build it without a 3D printer. The disk portion is straightforward, but I don't have an easy answer for a non-3D printed version of the spinner grip.

Contact me if you want me to provide the 3D printed parts for a nominal fee.

Supplies

Large screwdriver for heating plastic and prying the case.

Small screwdriver for prying the slider and bending the slider tabs.

X-acto knife or similar sharp cutting tool.

Sanding block medium to coarse grit. Not shown: sanding stick/emery board

CA glue for fastest build. Other adhesives can be used but will extend build time.

3D printed outline disk and 3D printed spinner grip (optional, but much easier build)

Missing from the photo is a heat source. It can be anything that will heat up the tip of the screwdriver sufficient to melt the PLA of which the spinner grip is made. One can bypass the screwdriver requirement if one has a soldering iron or equivalent. Direct application of a heat gun is not a good idea, but one can use a heat gun to heat a screwdriver, of course.

The 3D printed outline disk isn't a requirement. One can cut the shape from card stock or layers of paper and glue them together, as in sirjason132's build. Keep the thickness below 1 mm for best results. I used 0.8 mm for the 3D printed portion.

The SVG file can be used for creating card stock or paper versions of the disk. The spinner variations of the STL file is to allow one to use glue to hold the spinner grip in place instead of melting it. The melt version is taller and must be flattened, while the glue version will not stick up so high as to interfere with the case structure.

Step 1: Scribe the Cutout

Position the slider centered over the opening of the diskette case. Use a sharp tool to scribe the outline to the plastic case. This will be used as a guide later to cut away the opening, to provide sufficient clearance for the memory cards. If the disk media within is damaged as a result of a slip of the knife, the outline disk can be placed to hide it, or a disk media from another floppy can be substituted. You do have more than one, don't you?

Step 2: Remove the Slider

After distorting a couple of sliders, I found the least damaging method is to pry gently at the two tabs which are engaging the groove in the case. As shown in the video, one can lift the tab and push the slider clear of the groove without immediately removing the slider, then moving to the other side and duplicating the effort.

Discard the return spring, unless you have figured out how to replace it for original movement. I haven't.

One of the disks I used as part of this project had a plastic slider and was held in place by a barb that extended into the edge of the case, rather than into the top. It was an easy matter to pry it free and return it at the end.

Step 3: Open the Diskette Case

This particular diskette gave me some trouble. The others I used popped open quite easily. I think the trouble was that I left the over-wrap label in place. Others I've done did not have that type of label. In retrospect, I should have sliced it free before splitting the case.

Starting at the slider edge of the case, pry at the corner to pop the case apart. There are a pair of cylinders molded into the interior of the case, one nested into the other. Sometimes there is glue, sometimes it's a barbed fit and pops free easily. The glued ones will crack free, but usually causes no problems.

This one was so tough the opening caused some distortion to the plastic, but a few clamps took care of that upon reassembly. Save the write protect tab if you want to have that aspect faithful to the disk.

Remove the fiber liners and the plastic tab attached to the inside of the diskette case.

Step 4: Cut Scribed Opening

Cut the plastic clear of the opening, based on the earlier scribed lines. One can return the slider to the case to provide additional guidance and assure a clean, square cut. Watch out for the pointy sharp end if your fingers are on the other side of the case. No fingers were harmed in the production of this video.

Step 5: Sand Internal Case Features

There are ridges/lines inside both of the case halves. They aren't particularly tall, but create undesired friction for rotating the outline disk. A sanding block makes removing the lines easier. It can be coarse sandpaper. I used 100 grit and the results were just fine. Getting the surface as flat as possible pays off in the long run.

Step 6: Sand and Glue Outline Disk

Sand away the elephant's foot and any irregularities from the outline disk. It should fit cleanly into the diskette case raised circle and rotate smoothly. Double check placement. Obviously, the disk media hub should be positioned to exit the hole in the bottom disk half. The outline disk, if 3D printed will have a smoother surface (more attractive) and should be oriented to the top disk half. Even though I placed only about a dozen dots of glue, it's overdone, as there will be very little force applied to the assembly. Once the glue is applied, dropping the disk media onto the outline disk will engage the media hub with the raised lines in the disk case, providing nearly perfect alignment. Optional: glue the write protect tab in place.

Step 7: Attach the Disk Spinner Grip

Apply glue to the disk spinner and push the disk spinner into the hub of the disk media. No glue needed if the melting method is going to be used. Heat your appropriate tool and melt the nubs until the highest point is below the surface of the disk hub. If it sticks up, it will cause binding and related problems. Be sure to keep the outer ring of the hub clear of plastic, as it has to engage the raised portion in the disk case.

Step 8: Glue Case Closed

Apply glue to various locations on the perimeter of the disk case halves. Use caution to avoid applying glue near the outline disk which would obviously prevent it from rotating.

Step 9: Attach Slider

Use the small screwdriver to push the tabs upward on the slider, to make it easier to get the slider into position without distortion. Once in place, push the tabs back into the groove. Congratulations. The project is completed.

Step 10: It's a Wrap!

If you've managed to struggle through this Instructable, with my less-than-stellar photography and video skills, congratulations. If only someone could find a useful repurposing for optical disks! (No art projects, please)