Do you need a secure hiding place for your top-secret data that can be stashed where no-one will ever think to look? This instructable will show you how to convert a tin of SMOKED SPRATS into a 1-TB hard drive where you can stash your data, then hide it away in the pantry. Perfect for nuclear submarine blueprints, your manifesto, plans to overthrow the government or just backing up sensitive data.

This instructable would also work with different sized hard drives or other types of tinned food. You could also salvage a hard drive from a broken laptop and use that.

Step 1: Supplies

You will need:

Packaging foam (optional),

Can of smoked sprats,

2.5 inch hard drive,

JB weld,

Sugru,

Blue tape,

USB to SATA adapter,

Mini USB cable

Tools:

Hacksaw,

Dremel tool,

Q tips,

Paper towels,

Black sharpie,

Sand Paper

Step 2: Opening Up the Sprats Tin

Put blue tape around one of the rounded parts of the sprats tin as shown in the picture. With a pencil, draw on the blue tape to show where you are going to cut. Make sure that the hole is big enough to be able to easily slide the hard drive in. Put the sprats tin in a bench vise with paper towel next to the sprats tin to not scratch it. Cut along the long lines with a hacksaw as shown in the second picture. Then, cut along one of the short lines with your dremel tool. There will be a flap that you can lift up to empty out the sprats.

Step 3: Do Something With the Sprats

Find someone...or something that likes smoked sprats, and give it to them.

Step 4: Clean Out the Sprats Tin.

It is pretty self-explanatory. Get it super clean so it's not greasy or fishy.

Step 5: Preparing the Drive

Plug the USB to SATA adapter in to the hard drive.

Then, open up the Sugru packet and roll it into a ball to prepare it. Tear the ball of Sugru into fourths, and squish two of the fourths into the bottom corners of the drive. If you want, you can squeeze some of the packaging foam into the sprats container for maximum padding.

Step 6: Putting the Drive in the Tin and Sealing It Up

Insert the hard drive in to the empty sprats tin with the mini USB sticking out of the can. Take the other fourths of Sugru, and stuff them in the top two corners. You can tamp it down with a skinny finger or a Q-tip. Replace the flap of can that you removed in step 2 - the flap will have to be trimmed to make room for the USB. Then, mix up your JB Weld. Pour it in the sprats tin, and re-attach the metal flap to seal up the tin. Wait 24 hours for the JB weld to harden. Once it is all sealed up, sand the area around the USB to get rid of jagged pieces of metal. The paint will be scratched off, so fill it in again with black sharpie.

Step 7: Format the Hard Drive

You will need to Initialize and format the hard drive. There are many tutorials online about how to do this; here is the one I used:

Then you should be able to use your hard drive just like any external USB hard drive!

Step 8: Stash Your Data

The hard drive can be hidden away in a pantry where no-one will find it. Your top-secret data will remain hidden... in plain sight, where no thief would ever think to look!