Floppy Disk Bag

This is a bag I made from floppy disks. I found scads of floppy disks in a dumpster and wanted to make plate mail armor out of it (that is my next floppy project) I found out that a bag would be a great proof of concept project. Here goes...
Check out the update (2008) and my new bag: Floppy Disk Bag: Install Disk 2

Step 1 Required Bits

Drill, hand, regular or trephine
1/8" drill bit
Pliers, I used bulldog pliers
Floppy disks (CRUCIAL)
Links, bits of chain from your local bead store
Nails and a plank o' wood
A pen
Elementary math skills Eg: the ability to count
NOT PICTURED
The hardware for adding a strap
the strap

Comments

[psicosis]

love it!

[pyromonkey]

This would be such an awesome project for Comic Con!!

[Lego Manic]

You are a woman? (painted toenails)

[Viaticus]

Very cool use of floppies. Are those YOUR painted toenails?

[dagelias]

really cool bag! I want to make one out of old CD`s how do you think that will work? ideas on how to do it anyone??

[jwarren3]

Wow! This is really cool :D A question- where did you get your white floppy discs from?? I'm planning on making a multicoloured bag, with black and white also, but I can't find any white ones :/

[reto1]

Hi there,

I have ca. 50 new floppy disks I don't know how to get rid of. I can send them to you for free if you can cover the postage and if you are still interested of course.

[sister_sister]

yaaahhh!!!...I wish I can have a bag like that...

[shaawn]

Very nice! You can just put a sleeve into the bag, a lining of some kind. That would keep things from falling through the joins. You can use different materials for different functions, colours, textures. eg: a plastic bag insert - for sweaty sports- wear or frozen foods. Different colours - to match occasions, a padded liner for a laptop...

[imanalchemist]

take a look at the next installment of floppy disk bags, it comes canvas lined for just that reason.

[shaawn]

Where'll I find the next installment?

[imanalchemist]

http://www.instructables.com/id/Floppy-Disk-Bag-Install-Disk-2/

^there

[zack247]

i think i found a new laptop bag...
Very creative way to reuse useless floppy disks! i'll be keeping my eye out for floppy disks the next time i go out now, they definitely make better bags than coasters!

[dwendell]

A thought. The stainless steel jump rings seem like they could add up to an substantial total given the quantity you need ( four per disk). Fishing and support ing goods stores (e. g. Bass Pro Shops, Gander Mountain, Sports Authority, Dick's etc.) have small "split rings" (like those used for keys) which are used for fishing tackle.

They usually sell in paks of 5 or 10 for a little more than what one jump ring seems to cost. If true stainless steel is not available, some fishing ones are labeled as "English stainless" which is actually some kind of plating on either steel or brass, but seems to resist corrosion fairly well. It seems like these would be easy to install as compared to having to bend open and then bend closed the split rings, as long as you buy relatively thin split rings. If opening the split rings is difficult for you (as for me, having lost some feeling in my finger tips as I get old and decrepit), you will find very near the split rings in the sporting goods store a tool called a "split ring pliers" (for about $10). The pliers make opening them simple.

[pleasesmile]

a couple of quick questions!!! Where exactly did you find these "links?" ALSO, could you PLEASE put up how to put on the strap?! I'm planning on making one for Christmas, and I would love to see how you did it! Thanks!

[janettetsmith]

I make jewelry and we call them 'jump rings'. You can buy them online in a variety of metals from gold and sterling (I would reserve these two for my couture version of the bag) to base metals. The base metal ones are very inexpensive and they are already made for you. :)

Here's a couple:

copper
http://www.gossamerwingsdesigns.com/Jump-Rings-Chain-Maille-7-copper-jump-ring.htm

stainless steel
http://www.firemountaingems.com/details.asp?PN=H209247FD

[janettetsmith]

Also ... open the rings from side to side instead of top to bottom to keep from weakening them.

[shilpi29]

I really liked this idea, but frankly speaking it has become very common now.. can anyone suggest me ideas other than bag and Pen stand ? i have so many floppy disks lying and wanna doing something really different. Thanks

[Dragonbone]

The ones with a full circle of liner make good coasters when split in two - saves a lot of coffee rings on the furniture (at work, we make tea in a mug with a teabag - when you squeeze the teabag with a spoon to take it out, it often squirts down the side of the mug, so these blotting-paper coasters are great). Cheap floppies only have a titchy bit of liner though.

[heacoxr]

Now you have a bag with over 40mb of storage.

[aunt margie]

I just have some questions. Since people mention canvas liners or towels being attached to the disks, what value are the disks adding to the item? Is it only decorative or do they somehow add to the functionality? It's a lot easier to make a bag just from canvas. The kind of reuse I think of for recycling things is a use that needs some quality that the thing has. The only way I've used floppy disks so far is to hot-glue four of them together in a stack for use as a weight at the end of a thick cord. They already have a hole big enough for the cord, and enough weight to keep the cord in place when it is stretched between two railings. They have enough color to be attractive and they are not sharp or heavy enough to be dangerous like a chunk of junk metal. Not that I don't think the bags are cute -- but is that the only reason to use the floppies?

[todddiskin]

You can easily make jump rings from wire/paper clips:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Paperclip_Jump_Rings_No_way/

[NT86]

lol excel on a floppy disk

[bluetoothgeorge]

lol

[bFusion]

I remember when Windows 3.1 came on a series of like 8 or 10 floppy disks. It's scary to think that some MP3 files in my library easily exceed that file size.

[Andrew Jacob]

You seem to do it again and again great information as always. As a marketer I wanted to more hands on use to see what might work effectively for clients. And I really appreciate you for the effort into this blog.

Thanks,
http://www.streamline-markets.com/

[Andrew Jacob]

Very impressed with the knowledge you are posting here. Thanks for sharing and let us know more about new releases. I just could not leave your blog before saying that I really enjoyed the quality information.

Thanks,
http://www.streamline-alliance.com/

[Mark Smith]

I really appreciate the effort into this article. Your blog is awesome and your topic is unique. I am feeling great to visit your blog.

Thanks,
http://www.stream-max.com/

[Mark Smith]

Hello everyone,

I am really impressed with your blog. I started blogging in 2007, after a job lay off. My goal was to immerse myself with social media both for personal and professional interests.

Thanks,
Mark Smith(http://www.healthinsuranceinfo.org/)

[sartay]

I'm still making mine, but in my Robotics club at school, we had a ton of small zip ties laying around that we didn't need, so I asked if I could have them. They work great as connectors! I'm using braided monitor power cords as straps, but only because I can't find any long enough IDE cables. I plan on using mine the entire next school year. I have tons of floppies for repairs.

[scottamus]

Your straps need to be flat IDE cables! I must have 3 dozen of those useless things.

[mr monoply33]

that scatt is the thing that will make me do this!! I was on edge..."hmmm, well if I get time" but I have so much dead IDE laying around, and just got 2 computers worth new. thanks!

[Derin]

say that again and i will kill you DAMN U SATA

[Madrias357]

SATA's not bad. But it's a pain when you get just one IDE slot and a half-dozen SATA ports.

[thepelton]

Cute! Just the place for some flash drives.

[ian2mic]

I'm trying to think how I can make this completely with computer related items. I would be cool to figure out how to use old cables as straps.

[bFusion]

You could maybe use old-school IDE cables, the light gray ones? You might need to reinforce them, depending on what you plan on carrying around... but it'd work :D

[imanalchemist]

That was my original intention, but I could not find any cable long enough, someone else suggested used punchtape.

[XkidXhavocX]

use zipties

[flio191]

lol, i have the same windows floppies in a stack in my room. i can almost remember those days... when you had to change discs every hour just to install the system.