Introduction: How Turn a USB Into a Bracelet.
In this Instructable, I a m going to teach you all how to make a simple USB bracelet with materials your can find in your own home!
What you'll need:
- 1 or 2 USB Drives (You might mess up a few times and fry the board.)
- 1 Mini USB charger
- Small diameter plastic tubing (Clear fish tank tubing works well.)
- 1 USB Input Port
- Soldering Iron/ Gun
- Clear Adhesive or Caulk (Whatever you have lying around, no need to spend a lot of money on this project.)
- Scissors or a Knife
- Wire Stripper
- Wire Cutters
- Pliers
- Clear Tape
Step 1: Step 1: Gather Your Materials.
Gather your materials in the list. I used an old battery charger for the USB plug in, and a large Variety of wire before deciding to go with an old Mini USB Charger. Lastly you will need a broken USB drive like the one listed above. (If you need to disassemble your own USB drive I'll cover that in the next step.
Step 2: Step 2: How to Disassemble a USB Drive (Skip If Not Needed)
Disassembling a USB is very simple.
- First you gently pry the plastic cover off. (Its okay if you break it you won't need the plastic cover)
- Next take your Soldering Iron and unsolder the connections holding the USB plug to the board. (Be sure to be careful, not only can you melt the board but you can burn yourself. Use your pliers to grab the board as you unsolder the connections, soldering Irons can get as hot as 370+ degrees Fahrenheit.)
- Once you have unsoldered the connections you are ready to move on.
Step 3: Step 3: Strip the Wires and Solder Them to the Board.
The easiest way to create the connection is to take a Mini USB Charger and strip the outer layer of insulation and expose the 4 wires on the inside, they are already attached to a USB plug and all you need to solder is the wires to the board.
- Strip the wires (small diameter wire works best because the soldering points on a USB drive are very small)
- Cut your tubing to the correct length for your wire and run the wire trough the tube.
- Solder the wire to the board. (Be sure to get the color order right or the USB won't work. You can use the order in the Mini USB charger wires.)
Step 4: Step 4: Covering It Up.
- Wrap the board and its connections with clear tape.
- Take some plastic tubing slightly larger than the tube the wire runs through and wedge the board in it (Be careful to not break the connections you just made!)
- Use clear adhesive or caulk to make sure the tubes are secured and don't flop around.
Step 5: Step 5: Finnishing It Up
- Take you USB plug in and wedge it in the other side of the tube the USB board is in. (Secure it with adhesive if needed.)
- You're done!