USB Compact Flash Reader....in an Altoids Tin.

by MichaelMcNair

11K2011

Intro: USB Compact Flash Reader....in an Altoids Tin.

Yeah I know the Altoids tin has been turned into everything but a camode at this point, but this is my first "project" that I've attempted. I was looking around on here and I saw the NES controller mod and it sparked my motivation to do this. The entire thing took about 45 minutes.

STEP 1: The First Thing I Did Was Take Apart the Compact Flash Reader.


STEP 2: I Took the Rubber Feet Off of the Bottom of the Case and Glued Them to the Bottom of the Reader's Board to Keep the Metal Contacts From Touching the Bottom of the Tin.


STEP 3: I Cut One Hole on the Front With a Dremel for the Card Slot, and 1 in the Back for the Cord.


STEP 4: I Attached the Reader to the Tin With Superglue.


STEP 5: I Fitted a Grommett in the Hole Just to Make It Look a Little More

sorry for the blurry picture.

STEP 6: Here's the Finished Project.


11 Comments

babamoto 13 years ago

What was the source of that card reader board, Michael? trying to dupe the elegance of your build and all i can find are these mini keychain readers, which frankly are not cool

Silversleeves 14 years ago

Great idea! I usually keep unfinished clove ciggies in my empty Altoids tin. Question: as Altoids tins are magnetic -- I just checked one with a kitchen magnet -- wouldn't there be a little cumulative RF going on with the hot electronics from the card-reader? Kind of shortens the life of the components, don't it? Okay, so maybe it Isn't such a great idea. Nice to see someone "thinking outside the tin," though. BZT

Derin 15 years ago

you did this at oregon

struckbyanarrow 16 years ago

i know whit im gunna make get and altoids tin and on each side make a ps2 controller plug thingy with one wire going up to plug into the ps2, 5 people can play!

pyroboy212 16 years ago

it would be cool trieing to make a 3 or 4 port usb hub.
cool idea!! _

Benedictine 16 years ago

I like this! All I've got to do is get some Altoids but I don't like peppermints, anyone want some?

mrbob1000 17 years ago

i like that idea plus its cool lookin you should have a led inside so when its running it lookes like its got neon glow inside of it

gigman 18 years ago

It would be really cool if you could put the usb cable insde the tin to make it alot more portalbe or make it retractable

MichaelMcNair 18 years ago

That would have mad eit much cooler, however the card reader that I used would just fit in the case. With a smaller reader it might work. Great idea. If you get it to work let me know.