Introduction: Altoids USB Thumb Drive
I was thinking of stuff to make and I noticed my thumbdrive sitting on my desk. I was thinking.. "I should make something to make that cooler!" I was looking for something to put it in when i noticed an altoids sour tin that I had sitting in my drawer that used to be an Altoids Clock.(Note the hole in the middle of the tin)
You can use any altoids tin, I just had this one laying around. When I get one, I think I am going to put it into an Altoids Gum tin, which is smaller. Anyways.. I was thinking "wait why would i put my thumbdrive into an altoids tin?" Then I said... "wait, why WOULDNT I put my thumbdrive into an altoids tin? So here it is. Please let me know if you like the instructable! :D Its my second one. Btw, Have fun with your pimped thumbdrive! IF YOU LIKE THIS INSTRUCTABLE PLEASE DIG IT!
FYI It might be cooler if you have an altoids gum tin instead of sours...
Step 1: Gather Materials
This quick project needs little materials and tools.
Altoids Tin of your choice x1
Thumbdrive x1
Duck Tape x1
Pen/Sharpie x1
Lanyard (optional) x1
Awl (or something to cut the hole with)
Time: 15 mins or so.
Step 2: Planning
Put the USB part up to the altoids tin and trace the general shape of it with your sharpie/pen. Look at the pic.
*note* The flash from my camera made the tracing kinda hard to see....
Step 3: Making the Hole
Use your awl or other cutting utensil to remove the area in the line you traced. Basically your making the hole that the USB part is gunna stick out and plug into the USB port. I used an awl for mine.. Look at pic to see what I mean. If the USB part doesnt fit, just kinda try and make it a lil bigger and then put it in.. Its just trial and error. Second Pic shows the drive in place.
Step 4: Securing the Drive
Once the USB part is sticking through the hole, postion it so that the drive itself is flat, and that most of the USB part is sticking through the hole. Get to strips of duck tape a lil longer than the altoids tin, but make each strip skinny. look at pic for refrence. Basically you dont want the drive to move once its secured. Put the lid on and your done!
Pat yourself on the back, you did it! Now you have one sweet thumbrive! (no pun intendid)
Step 5: Lanyard (optional)
I poked one hole on the bottom of the altoids tin at the very back, and another hole rite above it on the side of tin.. Hard to explain. Just look at pic.. Sorry its so fuzzy... Once you get holes just well... you know what to do. Thread the lanyard in etc..
When your done it should look like the second pic.
YAY! Your done!
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26 Comments
12 years ago on Introduction
i got an amazing deal 16gb flash drive £5 from ebay. its a sandisk cruzer with u3
13 years ago on Introduction
14 years ago on Introduction
!!! 8 gb flash drive from staples only $16 --- (black friday) !!!!!!
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
8 gb one for 10 bucks at future shop.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
hey staples and prices like that there beat almost anything anywhere else plus u can go a lot cheaper if u buy from china..
16 years ago
wait so the hole at the top of yours is just random...like I dont need to put one or is it used for something?
Reply 16 years ago
Ya its just a random hole, you dont need it for anything.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Random? May I ask?.... I know this is a late comment.
15 years ago on Introduction
hah i got a 2gig one for... i think it was $15 at walmart
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
in the newspaper a couple days ago, there was a 4gb Emprex flash drive for $19
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Ouch! They have come so far down in price since then....
14 years ago on Introduction
2 gig one for 10 bucks at office max
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
8 gb one for 10 bucks at future shop.
14 years ago on Introduction
sorry, but that thing looks worse than it did originally. at least use a dremel on the can so it's not all bent and ugly.
15 years ago on Introduction
looks like fun! maybe you could integrate other features in the spare space inside the tin, like a recoil cord https://www.instructables.com/id/USB-memory-stick-recoil-keyring/ or a tape measure or an LED torch... it would be like a batman utility can!
15 years ago on Introduction
Good design but kind of pointless unless your into novelty.
15 years ago on Introduction
by the way, use hotglue. it doesn't hurt the device, and it gives a good, solid hold, so it doesn't slide out.
15 years ago on Introduction
if you get one of the strips cases, and a firefly, you will have a much smaller one to work with.
16 years ago
I made this and at school I was going to plug it in and the teacher said it was stupid to have this in such a big case, saying "that it takes up too much space... I dont know why you would do it." so she made me rip it out and throw the tin away. Now its just a boring usb port.
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
tell her straight thats illegal anyway