Introduction: Geek - Credit Card/Business Card Holder From Old Laptop Hard Drive.

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A geek-ed up business / credit card holder.
I came up with this crazy idea when my laptop hard drive died and was basically rendered useless. I have included the completed images here.




Step 1: What You Will Need.

What you will need is the following.
1 x Old laptop hard drive - preferably not one that has any important data on it.
Gaffa tape or any black tape will do.
1  x Balsa wood - 3mm thick sheet
tarzan glue or muti purpose glue.
torx screw drive to suit the screws that are on a small laptop hard drive.
1 x old credit card or the like for testing
some stiff cardboard - I used an old  folder that is used to hold documents.
Felt Black  tip pen

Step 2: Step One Disassembling the Old Laptop Hard Drive.

Step one well will remove all the screws that hold the laptop together. These screws are visible on the top of the hard drive. The silver metal side is the top - note there is one sneaky screw under the laptop hard drive specification label. Carefully remove this label by applying a bit of gently heat from a hair dryer and then carefully peel the label off. We want to keep the label later for reassembly. Also keep all your screws. They are also required for the final assembly to give the hard drive an authentic look.

Step 3: Step Two. Remove the Circuit Board From the Back of the Laptop Hard Drive.

Step two. Again remove the screws from the circuit board with the appropriate torx screw driver. keep the screws as well.  The circuit board, once all the screws have been remove will then easily be removed. There is a cable that connects to the hard drive motor. It maybe hard wired just cut the flat cable as closely to the circuit board as you can.

Step 4: Step 3. Cutting Out the Balsa Wood Shapes to Construct Box.

Step 3.Involves you building the balsa wood box( Use a sharp Stanley knife - hobby knife to cut the pieces out). See basic diagram. I have left dimension off as you will need to customize the size to fit your credit card/business card size. I made mine a little  larger on  top and bottoms pieces width wise. So cards can easily slide in an out. The side pieces are the original width of the laptop hard drive. The length of the side pieces will be exactly the length of the longest edge of the bottom and top pieces of balsa wood. The bottom piece of balsa wood will be the same width as the side edges. The length of the bottom piece  will be the width of the top piece of balsa wood  plus 2 x the thickness of the balsa wood.  Lay the cut piece out as shown in drawing. Then with a pencil write in the middle of each piece inner. Then as laid out in the drawing mark the sides and the top and bottom pieces shortest end as bottom and top as they are laid out. ( so the bottom shortest edge will be called bottom like wise the top shortest edge top). Then write somewhere on the middle of the largest piece of balsa wood as in the drawing as bottom piece and the other one as top piece. Then you will not get confused when gluing.

Step 5: Step 4. Constructing the Pull Tongue (this Pops the Cards Out)

Step 4 Involves cutting out the tongue that is used to pop the credit cards out when you wish to use them. With a relative stiff card board - I used a folder that is used to hold documents. Cut a rectangle piece of the card out. The width will be 10 mm the length will be approximately twice the length of the longest part of the top of the balsa wood box. Once cut out shape both ends with scissors so the corners are rounded. You will now need to crease the rectangle piece of cut out (tongue). Measure from one end of the rectangle piece of card board  half the length of the longest piece of balsa plus 10 mm. Once  you have done that measure back from the crease 10mm and fold each downwards both in same direction. The final result should look like a hook. (Oh arrr me hearties )

Step 6: Step 5 - Glue Everything Together.

1. Glue the tongue (rectangle card board piece to the inside of the top piece balsa. Find the center of the top piece of balsa. Then glue the tongue.  To do this use the shortest crease length and with Tarzan grip. Apply about enough glue to cover the top edge of the shortest creased fold of the rectangle on the out side of the face. About a 10 mm square area will do. Then apply the glue edge to the centre of the top balsa wood. Facing the short folded edge to the bottom of the top piece of balsa wood. The final look should look like a handle. Wait for glue to dry.
2. place glue along the edges of the Bottom and Top pieces of the balsa pieces. Avoid placing glue on the top edge of the top and bottom balsa wood pieces.
3. This is the trick part. gluing all the piece together so that the edges are square. I achieved this but placing enough cardboard between the top and bottom piece of balsa wood to equal the correct desired thickness of the box then. Placing all side piece on so all edges are even. Then with rubber bands hold everything together. While wet I used a wood work square to square each edge. This is fiddly but achievable. Once done gently place it somewhere to dry. Don't worry if your card board tongue is squashed in the process.

Step 7: Step Six. Final Process

The Box is glued and dried. Take rubber bands off. Pull cardboard out that you used to construct the box and push the tongue back into the box gently so that there should be something left to stick out. Then test with your credit card. By all accounts your credit card should fit in neatly. Then pull on the tongue tab and the card should then protrude out so that you can retrieve it.
Good, Now the funny bit
Place the top of the laptop hard drive on to the topside of the box and glue in place so that it is neatly in the middle of the box. You may have some of the balsa wood box exposed around the edge, Don't be concerned. Place a little bit of Tarzan glue on to screws and push back into original holes. Glue original label back into position.
Like wise with your circuit board do the same with the bottom side of the box. Now with the pins that are used to plug the laptop hard drive into the computer need to be rendered so that they don't catch on your clothes. So with Tarzan grip fill the pins up until covered. It will dry clear but you will not have nasty little exposed pins annoying you.
You will have exposed balsa bits so with a black felt tip pen color areas that are exposed.
Then to finish the look off. With gaffe tape or black tape. Cut a strip that is wide enough to go around the wooden edge with just enough to be able to fold over the top and bottom edges. This is not essential. Then take pride in your finished product