Simple Secret Hard Drive Safe: Turn Your Old, Broken Hard Drive Into a Safe

The title says it all. How to make a small safe people won't suspect.

What you will need
-an old hard drive (external or internal)
-a tork screw driver (T8 size, the source radio shack has them, normally in the format of multi-head screw drivers)
-your favorite superglue (I use Elmer's Ultimate High Performance Glue)
-the parts you will scavenge from the hard drive
-a drill with a 3/32 and 7/64 drill bits
-small bolt cuttermetal cutter
-a needle to apply glue if you wish

Step 1: Opening Up

First you will unscrew all the screws around the casing. Then get the ones inside the periphery, they are hidden under the label, you can either remove the label or try to unscrew it while leaving it hidden under the label.

Step 2: Gut It!

easy enough, unscrew the magnets and try to pull everything out, but leave the center part with the ball bearings.

Step 3: Remove the Threads

drill the holes where the screws go to eat up the threads. This will allow you to slide in the screws so that the lid does not move around when the rest is ready. Start with the smaller bit (3/32) and then the larger one (7/64).

Step 4: Shorten a Screw

The threads in the ball bearing part might be a metal too solid (probably), so you will need to cut the screw that will go there. Do not do this on all of them as the cutters flatten the screw a bit, making it not fit in the holes.

Step 5: Glue the Screws

place the lid on the empty case and put glue on the underside of the cap of the screws (this is where the needle comes in handy). This probably should be enough, but once you have put the screws in, put a small drop around the screw if you want more solidity.

The results of this section will vary greatly based on your glue, I recommend the glue I used (I use Elmer's Ultimate High Performance Glue) or glue similar to it (gorilla glue). These glues are glues that kind of foam up and become very solid, not model glue that works by dissolving polymers together.

Step 6: Dry

let it dry. I recommend looking at the glue dry, it is just like watching paint dry but less colorful. You can take breaks from this to watch water boil.

Pry the top off but do not push down, there will be some glue making this a little hard. If you were too hasty, you will ruin your work as I did on one of my hard drives. The best way is to use 2 prying tools, I used dull knives and slowly pried near each screw a bit at a time on bot sides of it to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on a side\bending it.

Step 7: Hodling It Shut, Optional Maget

If all went well, the bit of glue that ran down the threads should be making the screws just tight enough to hold it shut.

Optionally, you can add one of the magnets you pulled so that it holds the lid down. I recommend finding a wedge (recycling is the best, look around) to prop the magnet up at the proper height. Apply a generous coating of glue and let dry.