SmartBlock: Wooden USB Drive

Everybody has a jump drive nowadays, and there are a multitude of jump drive mods on the internet and here at Instructables. But this one is made of wood! lol. I started this project to fix my jump drive after the plastic case broke (don't ask...), but quickly found out that the process is simple, quick, and the finished product is unique and satisfying. So without further ado, I would like to share with you the steps I used to make a nice wooden shell for my jump drive.

P.S. - I apologize for the picture quality; my camera charger is broken and all I have to work with is a camera phone!

Step 1 Equipment and Materials

As always, there's more than one way to skin a cat, but here's the tools I recommend having:

--T-square or straight edge
--Jigsaw (or other saw)
--Belt/Disc Sander (or lots of sandpaper)
--Drill Press (or handheld drill)
--Woodburning tool
--Fine Sandpaper
--Wood Stain
--Varnish or Polyurethane
--Hot Glue & Gun

Comments

[Gage987]

OHIO!  Yeah

[offseid]

Very very cool. Seems like it would be just as easy/hard to make a top for this too, huh? You could even do it with a different type of wood. Great instructable. Got my vote!

[LMO]

I thought about making a cap (at the request of my g/f), but I loose those things anyways. It would be easy to make one - pretty much the same procedure as the case, but shorter and I'd probaby put some small magnets in there to keep it on (and hopefully not scramble the drive).

[Rimwulf]

try this go to flashbay.com and ask for some samples they are dummy drives but they have magnets to keep the cap on that you may use and you may like some of the drives you might be able to use for other flash drive projects.

[offseid]

Yeah I'd be scared of using a magnet! You'd have to do something that would either mate somehow with the main part or just be tight on the business end.

[Rimwulf]

if its at the plug end then no harm will come to it as long at it is a weak magnet.

[NeonLime]

For The Gap Part; You Could Use Wood Putty. Instead Of Paying 3 Dollars For A Little Bit You Could Take Saw Dust And Mix It With Elmers Glue To Make A Putty ;) ~ A Little Trick From My Tech Teacher

[Rimwulf]

What if it walls in water? A flash drive will almost always never get ruined. but elmers will wash away. I can't tell you how many times I accidentally left a flash in my pocket and in the wash.

[computer_guy]

lol, what if there was a fire?

[NeonLime]

Wow this Is Great :P I'll Make One Eventually, Ill Even Suggest It To My Tech Teacher (AKA Woodshop) Maybe You Could Even Make A Cap!

[gmjhowe]

its nice, but im a sucker for nice compact drives - normally made of titanium!

[!Andrew_Modder!]

very nice! . um just curious, but why did you put an O on it??

[iKill]

if u read his yellow box its for the buckeyes

[!Andrew_Modder!]

lol thts what i thought! woot go O.S.U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (im an ohioan), i no a few ppl going to osu, what field u going into?

[LMO]

PhD in ChemE - but when I'm not in the lab, I'm surfing this site!

[!Andrew_Modder!]

oh nice! hmm in a few years i think im gonna go to osu for chem, or some engioneering degree :-)

[joejoerowley]

Cool! Nice instructable!!

[killerjackalope]

Nice one, I still have another flash drive waiting in the wings, in bits, I was thinking about a wooden one aswell but this is far nicer than mine would have looked... Also nice use of kick-awesome. +1

[thewoodcarver]

Very nice work !Very Easy to follow Instructable ...I do like the wood burning very old school ....Just a fricton fit no glue or epoxy ? Any problem with it coming out of the case when you take it out of the computer?

[LMO]

Sorry guys, work in progess. I've updated steps to included gluing (which is necessary). More pictures coming soon....

[Azzlan]

i like it but when you have put it in the wood don't yyou have to glue it or it willl fall out

[TheRingo]

Nice Cruzer Micro + WD MyBook combo. I use the same. You should make a new enclosure for the MyBook to match your flash drive. Well done on the whole instructable, by the way.

[LinuxH4x0r]

Awesome! I was going to do this, but never had the time or patience. Great Instructable

[GorillazMiko]

Woah, nice job! I tried this myself a different way, but failed. This one is awesome.
Great job, I wish I could do this.
Done very neatly.
+1 rating and vote.
(added to favorites)