Stylish Light Switches

From now on, when ever you enter your home and turn the lights on, you are going to remember this instructable.

If you like electronics, you definitely going to like making a stylish dimmer switch out from a dead hard disk platter.

Enjoy...

Step 1 Materials

This project will cost about $3 and these are the materials and tools needed:

1. Hard disk drive.
2. Rotary tool. (with  diamond bits)
3. Dimmer switch.(you can make this but its easier to buy one)
(any way, I've used two types in this instructable for two different switches. A touch switch and a normal dimmer switch)
4. Epoxy
5. duct tape
6. Wires
7. Screwdriver. (better to be an electrical tester)

 

Comments

[TStryker]

Nice project. I have a similar one where I want to have a touch on/off switch and a manual dimmer, like the ones on the walls. Could I use the same dimmer you used?

[samia2]

very nice fits my room perfectly

[emerson.john]

 Please get someone else to solder that for you.

[chessy68]

hahah agreed

[rusky]

I would imagine that soldering to the platter isn't exactly easy as it would dissipate the heat too fast!

[emerson.john]

 Several things can be done to make it simple if the platter alloy is not too hard (softer Al alloys are easier to solder). 1) remove the plating, as he did. 2) heat platter from opposite side with heat gun and tin the exposed surface where the plating was removed. 3) With heat gun still keeping things hot, solder the wire (after tinning it) to the platter using a soldering gun, 150 watts or so. Easiest of all would be to heat the platter from the back with a torch and use a good organic paste flux in addition to the rosin core solder. 

[bo3bo3]

(removed by author or community request)

[emerson.john]

 That was a very good instructable, by the way. A clever idea, and I do see your reasoning about preserving the finish on the front side. Using a heat gun would not have marred the finish - it's just heated air, and would not damage the plating. A torch would probably discolor it, which would ruin it for your application.

[defiant1]

Where did you get a dimmer switch for less than 3 bucks?

[The Ideanator]

Cool, This would be really awesome if installed in a wall

[nowwe]

you can use it as a mirror also

[smarter]

this is a unique design
very attractive and fashionable
wait until it reaches china they will produce millions

[jewbare]

Nice soldering job ;) looks like something outta left 4 dead.

[-insertnamehere-]

I SWEAR I hear gahreesen music in the background. do you play Uru?

[justrelax]

why did you use a HDD ?Can we use a normal CD?ilike the project but i donot have a HDD:(

[GrumpyOldGoat]

Call the local computer repair shops and ask if they have a dead hard drive you can have.
They usually send them to the landfill, or if there is a place locally, for recycle.

The magnets inside the hard drives are nothing short of AWESOME!!!

[bo3bo3]

(removed by author or community request)

[justrelax]

the important thing is conducting material, i understand:)) is there any other conducting material may be used that you can offer?

[damasta]

you can grab a cd and coat it with conductive paint...

[will6]

nice design :)

[freenice]

very nice and stylish indeed one question why the skull?

 

[extratooth2]

 If you didn't want the screws for the manual dimmer switch, couldn't you use some super glue or something?

[bo3bo3]

(removed by author or community request)

[extratooth2]

 Ok, thought so

[extratooth2]

 thanks

[jimboi$best]

 Sorry, I don;t have much of a background of electronics.....but would light work  to turn it on? For example, could I turn it on across the room with a laser pointer?

[frollard]

With a circuit to do that yes, but this is hooking up to a touch switch - a circuit designed to sense touch (a very similar way to how an ipod touch screen works).

[Th3H4rRy]

I can see these being of use to the visually impaired or others with disability, Some touch sensitive dimmer switches I have seen have about a 2CM size touch pad. This is amazing. Another great use for a HDD platter!

[digitalbrad]

When I saw visually impared I automatically thought of someone with no vision at all and then thought  what the heck does a blind person need lights for anyways.  heh   my bad .. yes i know there is partial vision

[eu4euh]

How  did you get that pixel skull on the wheel?

[noobiefied]

 Very Modern stylish look to apply on to something that can be very bland!