COMBO USB DRIVE WITH ALTOIDS CAN

This is my first instructable and I've decided to make a new gadget with ALTOIDS can. This one is a COMBO USB drive, that you can group all your old flash drives into a one, original and custom shape drive. Enjoy and comment please!

Yet, I am brazilian, so sorry about English language mistakes, ok? :)

Step 1 What you need

- Old Flash Drives (4 is a good amount)
- Empty ALTOIDS can
- Old mouse pad
- DREMEL
- Hot Silicone Glue

Comments

[80$man]

I like it, I reallly like it!!!

At last I can make use of all the old flash drives in my house! Thank you Cesar!
I would attempt to protect the male ports of the drive, because you removed the casings, they might shear off the PC board.

I feel you on the language front. I'm for South Africa, English is only spoken here in self defence, or by the remaining British! :P

[Yerboogieman]

You spelled "electric" or "electronic" wrong.

[80$man]

You got the idea though right?
Play nice, the guys is a self taught english speaker...

Respect Cesar! Cool Instructable!

[cesarscavone]

Thank you very much, my friend, for your explanation. You don't know how hard is to learn English by myself in order to improve my chances for a better job or even for meet new friends around the world. I really appreciate your tip and promise to do my best to speak well your Language! Regards!

[creat0r]

so wait... how does this work and What is it good 4?

[SkateboardingForLife]

 lol, why wouldn't you just set your flash drives in the tin? well i guess thats not as much fun.

[Kasm279]

i would put the drive's connectors on the inside somehow, to protect the connectors better and also to make the tin look more ordinary. anyway, nice project!

[Kasm279]

OH! the purple kinkston drive is 4GB, right? and also, wat are the other ones?

[rocketman221]

is it possable to put a usb hub in there and sut up the drives to all come up as one big one.

[cornflaker]

Ofcourse it possible, the question is can you? :P

[cornflaker]

Ahh I didn't read the last part of your comment yeah I think its possible to set them up in some kind of raid configuration but I don't know how exactly, I do remember something from a while ago where this guy set up 4 iPod shuffle's in raid

[mettaurlover]

probably.

[LuminousObject]

This is a really cool idea. Using a mouse pad for the bottom is a good idea too, a lot easier than trying to cover it with electrical tape.

[cesarscavone]

Its true. Using mouse pad was the only solution I had in hands, because when I build the Multi Drive, I havent eletrical tape. Yet, mouse pad is very soft and protect the flash drives better. But you can use byke tire air tubes, rubber slices, old rubber gloves or any material that promote eletric isolation. If I can ask you something, please give some stars to my instructable, OK? I received more than 80 comments, but only 5 votes. Regards!

[LuminousObject]

All right. 4.5 stars

[hollister4400]

I say 100 stars I tried it and it really works my husband is a computer programmer he knows all about that stuff

[averagejo1111]

http://www.hacknmod.com/store/images/uploads/sku_4412_1.jpg
add this to it and ur set. all mounted together

[mettaurlover]

never mind; i just got confused.

[KingJaymz]

Aside from a couple of small spelling errors (where you said "Yet" instead of "Yes" in step one and you said "space" instead of "spare" in step 6), and I've seen native English speakers be guilty of much more shameful spelling/grammar errors, I was impressed with your command of English grammar and syntax. I'm not likely to build this one, but good on you. A fine idea, and powerful use of a second language. That's impressive no matter where or who you are. Keep studying that English, as it's obviously paying off. Merry Christmas!

[cesarscavone]

Dear King: Thank you very much for your appreciation. I give my efforts to speak an English as better as possible, because I have a deep feeling for America. I have good friends there and despite the distance, I feel me very close to them. Yet, my English is self study only... I never be on regular class. Here in Brazil, English schools are very expensive and I, unfortunately, I cannot to pay for it... Thank you again for your comment! Best Regards!

[mettaurlover]

that's pretty good gor a self-taught language... i've been trying to teach myself a language that nobody speaks and i'm failing at it. specifically, heiroglyphics.

[fruitkid101]

lol-ish

[mettaurlover]

and before you as, yes, i'm crazy. and i have a railgun. a big one that makes plasma from its ammo.

[Pseudonym]

I was thinking it might be nice to switch out the male usb ports for female ones. Then using a male-male cable to connect it. I suppose you could butcher a hub for parts too and only have the one port to connect, but I like the idea of having them separate.

[tokymaru]

or put one flash drive on each side of the tin

[tokymaru]

you could use 4 of the sandisk cruzers that have the sliders then you could slide one out at a time

[cornflaker]

I have a better idea, put a small 4 port usb hub inside it so you only have 1 port to plug in, and they all connect at once

[amjadk]

exactly :)

[mettaurlover]

(removed by author or community request)

[spock155]

No, because the point is to get a female usb hub connector with the male on the other side :)

[Th3H4rRy]

I like this idea, I have several USB sticks, May give it a try. What Dremel cutter did you use?

[cesarscavone]

I have used a brazilian model, that can be buyed on TV (it's called Rotomatic). It is not so good than Dremel tools, but to make small works it runs fine. If you whant to know about the diameter or specs of the saw, I need to confess to you that I don't know... It comes together the tool kit. Thanks for your comment and give it a try... you will like the result! Regards!

[Nameless37]

That's funny, every person on Instructables that says the originally speak a different language have either none or very few grammar mistakes, well done.

[cesarscavone]

Dear Nameless37: It's real funny, but with a reasonable answer... we need to think each word we will write or speak. So, despite our small vocabulary, we try to arrange our words to fit as nice as possible our ideas according the language rules we've learned. Thank you very much! Cesar

[Nameless37]

No Problem

[maxpower49]

does this only put all of the drives in the same place or do they combine all of space into one

[cesarscavone]

This Instructable only put the flash drives in the same place. I cannot discover a way to fit it working together on the altoids tin because I haven't find a usb hub so small. Regards!

[casey321b]

this is a cool idea and you could label each drive for diferent things like pics on one and so on. also i would think instead of needing a cable why not make each usb drive on a difent side like one on front one on side or you could still use the cable and add tons of flash drives.

[darkmuskrat]

This is very cool. Before I go and build this however, "where is cheapest place to buy 3-4 thumb drives?" (1-2 gigs each...thx in advance guys)

[jj32x]

if you live in the uk then novatech have some pretty cheap ones. also i think they do international shipping so even if you dont live in the uk its worth a try.