Introduction: Build Your Own Steampunk USB -Disk

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USB hard disk are mostly not very pretty ;-).
They are made of plastics, aluminium, rubber coated or painted in red or blue. :-(

If you don't like those stuff and if you like to have your individual hard disk for your personal date than build your own.

It is easy!

Step 1: What Do You Need?

  • a hard disk (may be SATA)
  • a SATA / USB Case (you only need the electronics)
  • 1,5 mm plywood
  • some 10mm x 10mm strips of wood
  • some brass screws
  • brass profile 10mmx1mm
  • some nice applications to make it individual

Step 2: Building the Case

Measure the size of your hard disk / USB - Board combination and cut the plywood and the strips of wood into the right dimensions.
Then glue the first strip into position.
Glue the second one onto the plywood and use the the hard disk as a positioning device.
Make sure, that you overlap the plywood a bit. See third picture. if you doing so the brass profile sits inside the two plywood pieces.
Then glue the second piece of plywood on top of the case.

Now you have a frame where the hard disk fits exactly into.

Now lets make the front and back cover.

Step 3: The Brass Covers

Cut a piece of brass profile, that fits exactly into the front.
If it is a bit longer than the case, don't worry, you can file it down later.
Cover it with a bit plastic film to protect it from the glue.
Use two component glue to glue the brass inside the case. (see picture four)
Make a second piece of brass for the other end of the case.
If you like you can drill some holes into the brass profile to attach some screws.
Than sand the case, so that everything is smooth and have nice contours.


Step 4: Staining and Polishing

I used wax stain and shellac for the finishing.
For the USB cable I simply drilled a hole into the brass profile.

Step 5: Make It Yours...

Find some nice applications and screws to make it YOUR individual  USB hard disk.

Step 6: Put Software on It...


Now you have your hard disk ready for use.
But could it be nice to have YOUR software every time with you?
All your mails, bookmarks, writing? The chat account, a program to paint pictures and a complete office suite?
Yes, you can have it on the disk and you can use it on any PC any without installation.
There is a complete suite available completely for free:

Portable applications!

Please find it here: CLICK

If you install it on the disk you have not even a pretty USB HDD. You have your complete working environment with you.


Have fun!


Horatius Steam