Introduction: Craft a Futuristic Room Light Upcycled Out of an Old Hard Disc Drive

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So you build the Beamboarder from my other Instruction and you don't know what to do with the hard disc drive case?! Or you just want a nice room light on your desk or wall? Here a little instruction how to recycle an old HDD. The mirrow trap in the case bettwen the dics throws the light out of the case. Look at the Beamboarder construction how you can can open the case and keep the screws.

Components:

1 × 3.5’’ Hard Discs Drive

1 × Cree XLamp CXA1304 9V High Power LED

1 × Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive

1 × Clear Neutral-Cure Silicone

1 × 9V >300 mA DC mains adapter with switch

Tools:

1 × Torx 8 Screw Driver

1 × Solder Iron

1 × Silicone Gun

Step 1: FInd the Optimal Position of the LED and Stick It With Arctic Alumina Thermal

Remove all stickers from the disk with some alcohol and good finger
nails or leave them. Now look inside the HDD if you have only one disc or multiples inside. If you see only one layer you will need another disc for your lamp. Remove the screws from the engine and keep them. Take the first disc out and reassemble the parts to the engine. Check the length of your 9V >300mA DC power supply cable. A small knot in the wire inside the case holds the cable and you can tie it to the read head. Sometimes it will be difficult to find a proper hole for the cable and you have to drill one. Now place your LED and its gluing time again. Take your Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive in a small 1:1 mixture and mount the LED to the middle of inner cover. The adhesive should flow out on every side of the LED. Press it gently to the cover.

Step 2: Solder the Wires and Fix the Cover

Now solder the cables to the contacts. The disc can easily be attached around the LED with silicone. Hide the cable under the disc and fix it with the silicone. Wait some hours and let everything get solid. Now clean the discs with some alcohol and remove any dust and dirt. Finally place the cover back onto the HDD. Use one screw from the lower side of the cover and one from the upper side. Fix the plate directly to the case with the original screws on one end. This is a simple way for positioning the cover by gently twisting the cover by both side with the screws. Use a main switch for turning the lamp on and off. Now turn it on and check after some minutes if you still can touch the over side of the cover where you have fixed the LED. If you can not touch it, you problerly have a power supply with to much voltage and power! Find another one!

Step 3: Put It on Your Desk or Hang It on Your Wall

The discs inside the case will know reflect the light in an amazing pattern into your room. The two holes on the back side of case hold it to the wall.