OK, I'll admit this is kinda lame as an "Instructable".. lets instead call it an "Idea-able"
FIRST:
DO NOT do this around where you keep your laptop, monitor, disks and such. the magnet is strong enough to cause potential problems. CRT monitors are particularly prone to long term damage from magnets.
We have all seen the magnet toys where you have a base, and then a bunch of nuts or metal pieces you can sculpt into interesting shapes. This Idea-able is an easy way to replicate that science experiment in your cube, and keep you neighbors wondering. (In the case of my neighbors, it's more a matter of an eye-roll and a silent thank you prayer that I am not blowing something up or starting a fire *again*)
You need:
1 dead hard drive
various tools to crack that baby open
hand full of metal nuts, bolts, or anything a magnet will stick to.
For those that are not aware, your basic computer hard drive contains at least one, if not several VERY strong magnets.
Strip the hard drive. Basically, just keep taking screws out until it falls apart. Find and remove the magnets around the base of the head. BE CAREFUL! some of them can be quite powerful, and I won't be responsible for any blood blisters that result. I have suffered nasty cuts when they snap together on my fingers. Although it is a great way to expand your (my) filthy ... filthy vocabulary.
Sometimes you get lucky, and the metal bracket the magnet is mounted to will be flat. If not, take two pairs of vice grips, or a bench vice and whatever (you get the idea) and clamp one on each end of the metal backing (not the magnet itself) and bend. The magnet should pop off. I have found it actually works much better if you can manage to keep the metal backing on, as it seems to concentrate the magnetic force to the other side.
place the magnet(s) under a your desk, or on the inside of a cabinet door. the magnetism is usually strong enough to radiate through to the top with no problem. arrange the nuts and bolts in impossible shapes. It's fun to play with during those long useless conference calls.
If you do this on a cabinet door, you can usually stack at least 4-5 nuts straight out before gravity takes over. It also comes in handy for holding papers and such.
You could also get or make a small wood platform and replicate the store bought toys by mounting the magnet underneath. Personally, I like the look of confusion until they figure it out. It also seems to make you do weird things. like slide your pen across the desk until it hits the invisible "wall".. I never get tired of that one.
FIRST:
DO NOT do this around where you keep your laptop, monitor, disks and such. the magnet is strong enough to cause potential problems. CRT monitors are particularly prone to long term damage from magnets.
We have all seen the magnet toys where you have a base, and then a bunch of nuts or metal pieces you can sculpt into interesting shapes. This Idea-able is an easy way to replicate that science experiment in your cube, and keep you neighbors wondering. (In the case of my neighbors, it's more a matter of an eye-roll and a silent thank you prayer that I am not blowing something up or starting a fire *again*)
You need:
1 dead hard drive
various tools to crack that baby open
hand full of metal nuts, bolts, or anything a magnet will stick to.
For those that are not aware, your basic computer hard drive contains at least one, if not several VERY strong magnets.
Strip the hard drive. Basically, just keep taking screws out until it falls apart. Find and remove the magnets around the base of the head. BE CAREFUL! some of them can be quite powerful, and I won't be responsible for any blood blisters that result. I have suffered nasty cuts when they snap together on my fingers. Although it is a great way to expand your (my) filthy ... filthy vocabulary.
Sometimes you get lucky, and the metal bracket the magnet is mounted to will be flat. If not, take two pairs of vice grips, or a bench vice and whatever (you get the idea) and clamp one on each end of the metal backing (not the magnet itself) and bend. The magnet should pop off. I have found it actually works much better if you can manage to keep the metal backing on, as it seems to concentrate the magnetic force to the other side.
place the magnet(s) under a your desk, or on the inside of a cabinet door. the magnetism is usually strong enough to radiate through to the top with no problem. arrange the nuts and bolts in impossible shapes. It's fun to play with during those long useless conference calls.
If you do this on a cabinet door, you can usually stack at least 4-5 nuts straight out before gravity takes over. It also comes in handy for holding papers and such.
You could also get or make a small wood platform and replicate the store bought toys by mounting the magnet underneath. Personally, I like the look of confusion until they figure it out. It also seems to make you do weird things. like slide your pen across the desk until it hits the invisible "wall".. I never get tired of that one.
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chuckr44
says:
Dec 12, 2006. 1:23 PMReply
Hey thanks! I already have 3 old drives and me and my son are going to do this in a few days. I just didn't know for sure exactly where the magnet was. It sounds like the drives use neo-dymium magnets. What do you think?
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11
photozz
in reply to Dec 13, 2006. 10:28 AMReply
well, judging from the amount of blood lost when they snap together on my fingers, I would say that is entirely likely.
ShampooRobot
in reply to Oct 3, 2008. 7:03 PMReply
!!!!!.....HAHAHAHHAHA
1
TheWelfareWarrior
in reply to May 20, 2008. 7:37 PMReply
Hard drive magnets are usualy rare earth magnets, not neo.
1
heavy.metal.nguyen
in reply to Oct 3, 2008. 5:27 PMReply
Aren't they the same thing? I really don't know.
1
Shadowfury
in reply to Mar 19, 2009. 5:41 PMReply
The key term here would be "Rare Earth". The term "Rare Earth" refers to the Lanthanoid group of the periodic table. So putting the word "Magnet" after the phrase "Rare Earth" implies a magnet which has a lanthanoid as its main component.
1
chriskarr
in reply to Nov 28, 2008. 8:23 PMReply
Yes, rare-earth magnets are neodymium-iron-boron magnets. (also, sometimes, Samarium-cobalt)
18
AlexTheGreat
says:
Dec 9, 2006. 12:22 PMReply
I think this instructable isn't bad, and is much better than those endless knex gun ones.
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1
PetervG
in reply to Dec 9, 2006. 9:04 PMReply
True. Not everyone has Knex lying around their house.
10
knex_builder_freak
in reply to Oct 3, 2008. 12:54 PMReply
yeah but alot of people do like me and many others
2
Sidney Floyd
in reply to Dec 12, 2006. 4:08 AMReply
firs off, i like this, it is a good simple 'idea-able' spose it would be a great way to kill time in class second i agree, how many knex guns have been posted?
1
matrix828
in reply to Jul 28, 2008. 8:50 AMReply
hundreds. and how many of these types of instructables have been posted? about 1-5 (i think)
4
tomonto
says:
Jan 16, 2007. 6:53 PMReply
it finally got it open it just took some 20 pound weight strapped to it and 4th floor window to concrete and run over by a truck and hit with a sledgehammer persuasion. and yes i do have to much free time
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7
Derin
in reply to Mar 22, 2008. 11:29 PMReply
hahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahhah lmao and yes too much time
Grey_Wolfe
in reply to Feb 16, 2008. 7:20 PMReply
Sledgehammers and magnets don't get along. Pound on a magnet and it gets weaker.
11
photozz
in reply to Jan 17, 2007. 8:11 AMReply
it was a screw... wasn't it. :)
SSuperSSoldier
says:
Jul 8, 2007. 3:29 AMReply
lol ur hand, carpet, and tool look like they are my dads, he has that tool and carpet and ur hands look similar, i cant wait to see if i have a dead hardrive to try this on
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2
That Hurt This Time
says:
Apr 14, 2007. 9:19 PMReply
Hey, your nieghbors are like that too. I went to talk to some people who just moved in and the second thing the kid says:"Youre the weird guy in the neighborhood, aren't you."
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43
Brennn10
says:
Feb 11, 2007. 8:28 PMReply
This is a great INSTRUTCABLE. It gives great instructions and intuitive ideas on what someone could do with the magnets. I just recently destroyed an old CPU with viruses and the CPU wont work, so know I will be looking for the magnets. Nice Work.-Brennn10
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4
tomonto
says:
Jan 17, 2007. 5:15 PMReply
possibly, i cant find part of it, a few trips out the window and chips of it just go flying
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4
tomonto
says:
Jan 15, 2007. 5:24 PMReply
any advice on getting it apart? i took out all the screws and threw it out a 2 story window. it wont open. and now its covered in dirt
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11
photozz
in reply to Jan 15, 2007. 9:49 PMReply
Step three: what ever you do, don't throw it out a....... oh... if it's the cover you can't get off, it's prob a hidden screw. they really love to hide them under stickers. Some are sealed with tape on the edge you have to remove or cut. If you have the cover off, but can't get the spindle or head off, they like to hide screws under the circuit board on the back. Some drives are just bastards and need some gentile persuasion with large beefy screwdrivers and a pry bar. Good luck. and.. I just want you to know we are all counting on you.
electronics_master
says:
Jan 5, 2007. 12:53 AMReply
i just removed the whole read/write assembly and now the motor does not work. can anyone tell me y
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11
photozz
in reply to Jan 5, 2007. 11:05 AMReply
well, lets start with which motor from where, and how are you trying to get it to work?
electronics_master
in reply to Jan 5, 2007. 8:30 PMReply
thanx anyway but i found out y
pryo maniack
says:
Dec 15, 2006. 10:22 AMReply
its ok i tried it last week i bet i lost a piant of blood.
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1
AgentDanny
says:
Dec 12, 2006. 11:22 PMReply
DUDE this is by no means a LAME instructable. you just showed us how to make a magnetic screw holder. just attach the magnets under your work station and mark it as to not forget where it is. and use it as a screw holder just place the screws or whatever over it and it will hold it in place. i just did it with one of my old Hard drives and it works great.!!!!!!!!~~~!1111@23##
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11
photozz
in reply to Dec 13, 2006. 10:29 AMReply
......... Damn you for thinking of that. you just solved several of my problems at once :)
1
AgentDanny
in reply to Dec 13, 2006. 2:28 PMReply
Whoops. sorry
2
carbon
says:
Dec 9, 2006. 4:52 PMReply
Reminds of when I left my big, huge (honkin') magnet stuck under my desk and and forgot about it. I was very confused when my pen stood straight up all by itself.
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37
FrenchCrawler
says:
Dec 8, 2006. 5:42 PMReply
Idea-ables should be in the forums...
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11
photozz
in reply to Dec 9, 2006. 1:12 AMReply
is that a rule of some kind? just asking...
37
FrenchCrawler
in reply to Dec 9, 2006. 3:24 AMReply
Kind of ... much like this other idea that was posted in the Collaborations section: http://www.instructables.com/id/EFEWSO4Y70EUSZOE68/
1
PetervG
says:
Dec 8, 2006. 5:32 PMReply
Ok. . Kinda obvious.
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11
photozz
in reply to Dec 9, 2006. 1:13 AMReply
Yeah.. hence the "lame" designation. it is fun though...
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