Introduction: DIY USB "Hard Drive"

About: Ex-Navy Gunner Learned to repair I.T. equipment because nobody local knew what the hell they were doing!
Using a dead Hard Drive, a 4-port USB hub, and a few Flash Drives, we will kill some time and get a few laughs from anyone seeing you use this.

**NOTE**
You guys can see MAKE magazine's rip-off article of my project at:
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/03/weekend_project_flash_memory_hard_d_1.html

Thanks for the credit MAKE, I really appreciate it....

Step 1: Find a Candidate.

Any Hard Drive should do..

Step 2: Dismantle..

Take the Hard Drive apart...

Step 3: Compare

Make sure your USB hub will fit, either with the plastic case on, or not...

Step 4: Hub

For this purpose, I removed the plastic case.

Step 5: Install

I placed the "nekkid" USB hub into the area where the platter used to be.

Note: I was only placing this temporarily, if I was going to keep this mod permanent, I would glue the hub in either using epoxy or hot glue.

Edit: I forgot to mention, if this was going to be used permanently, I would coat the circuit board with epoxy, just like I do with Flash Drives.

Step 6: Flash Me!

Now add your Flash Drives, you may have to remove the casing for some to fit well.

Step 7: Button It Up.

Replace the cover to the Hard Drive, and plug in!

Now you will have a "new" Flash Drive that will be sure to get some comments.

Also, there is a way, I haven't done it, but with a certain flavor of Linux, you can install Linux onto all 4 of the Flash drives in a RAID configuration, assuming you have all the same capacities.

Have fun!