Retro Apple Disk Drive as HDD Enclosure

Fun update: this instructable was featured on lifehacker.com here.

The Inspiration:

I had this old Apple 800K External drive (Model No. M0131, P/N 825-1174-A) laying around and it dawned on me that it was about the same size as my Lacie External USB 2.0 HDD (Model 301103U) so I thought I'd try combining the two.  It would be fun for this diskette drive to have a useful reason for sitting on my desk instead of in a box or the trash.  You can read about the original details of this drive on Wikipedia here (under the section title "Macintosh 800K External Drive") if you're interested.

Tools Used:

-Phillips screw driver
-Dremel Tool (drill bits, router bit, cutting wheel)
-exacto knife
-butter knife
-hot glue gun
-tape (about any kind)
-wire cutters

For more how-to's visit my blog: John Fixes Stuff

Step 1: Disassemble the Apple 800K Disk Drive

First we'll get a good look at what is on the inside of this old drive and the space we have inside to put something different inside.  Go to the next step to begin the tear-down.

Comments

[amandaghassaei]

looks great! love the extra touch with the led and floppy sticking out

[johnmueller]

Thanks! Unfortunately I didn't have any retro floppy disks laying around so I had to use a double sided double density disk. It would have been best to put some old "classic" disk in there like After Dark where you could see the label but then again you would hate to saw one of those in half :)

[johnmueller]

It's a 1.5 TB. I'd guess they make that external drive in a bunch of different sizes with the same case.

['earl]

Is that a 500 GB seagate external I see in the bottom right? I believe so. I have the same external xD
Sweet ible.

[poofrabbit]

Hey congratulations on being a finalist in the hack it contest! Good luck to you!

[lhwong]

Great idea for a project!

Just a note: I've had a lot of experience cutting odd shapes out of computer equipment cases, and what I've done is very similar to your method, except I cut my holes smaller than I need, and then finish them off with small hand files. It you use hand files to file the plastic back after your initial cut, you can get some really nice, clean, finished edges because you go much slower and can examine your work after each set of strokes with the file. It takes a bit longer, but the results are awesome.

Anyway, just a thought for you future projects.

[johnmueller]

That is a good idea. I once had a round file for sharpening chainsaw blades but have somehow lost track of it--that would have worked good for this project. The dremel isn't exactly a precision cutting tool and the holes in the back didn't turn out professionally, that's for sure. Lucky they are on the back and no one really sees them. Thanks for the idea.

[adoroshenko]

Wow! That's an awesome project! I'm announcing it on my site - http://en.modmag.net/news/converting-an-old-floppy-drive-into-a-retro-external-hdd

[thegrendel]

Don't throw away the guts of the floppy drive.
It has some reusable parts, including a nice
stepper motor, which you can use for another
project, i.e., another Instructable.

[myamiphil]

Hmm.. I got an old Zip Drive.... maybe that'll fit a laptop drive drive

[Max Headroom]

Nice-but does not beat the LaCie design...

[therufs]

http://www.kareprints.com/ for icon inspiration? :)

[blanchae]

Now to do that with a 5 1/4" floppy or 8" floppy drive.

[nanosec12]

Be careful not to leave that thing laying around, it looks 'original' enough that someone might consider it to be old useless junk, and toss it out...

Great Work

[johnmueller]

Luckily it's plugged into the power strip and my USB hub!

[dubstepmaker]

awesome man! super cool :)