Harddrives are the Gift that Keep on Giving!

[trually]

been there, done that - so sorry it happened to you!

[trually]

Does anyone have a recommendation for best place to get a “lot” of these magnets already disassembled? I looked on ebay - but the shipping prices, eesh.

[shop]

search etsy.

Hard drive magnets - Etsy

there are a couple there that are 10 magnets for $15 with free shipping.

[trually]

ok I just ordered this one

But now I’m second guessing myself that I might have chose one with too many of the small ones, but oh well - I can use them for paper and probably foam sheets I guess. lol

[deirdrebeth]

That’s a great assortment. Even the thin ones are surprisingly strong magnets On these thin magnets with bent bits, a quick bending flat with a pair of pliers will help get the magnet closer to the metal

An wrapping a piece of gaff tape/duct tape around both sides so you both protect the magnet, and give yourself a handle like @evermorian suggested above is a total win.

[dhaykus]

Over my years of building and servicing computers, I’ve dissembled and salvaged many mechanical hard drives and have a large collection of the magnets. The metal bodies go to the scrap yard separated into the various types of metal for which they pay me for and the rings and plates that hold the platters together, I have used to make many pieces of very unique jewelry since they seem to be a very light alloy. The circuit boards I take to a place that can recover chips and components from them. They don’t pay me for those but they don’t contaminate a landfill either.

[rpvalk]

They are handy!

https://youtube.com/shorts/-KKBDRt6g4g?si=xaTXkv2_nCmvLARA

[deirdrebeth]

I saw another video doing the same thing with a 3.5" one. How do you know which contacts to solder the plug to? Any idea? Cuz that would be fun!

[rpvalk]

The sata connector on a 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch drive is the same, so you can take the same pins in the video I quess. (Don’t think it will be a very good grinder tho!)

[deirdrebeth]

I wouldn’t do anything too large on it - but for exactly what they showed in the video, sharpening tips and the like it’d be nice to have it laying flat on the table with no chance of tipping!

and conveniently I have a laser, so cutting the paper backs to sanding paper is easy

[rpvalk]

The biggest problem that the motor doesn’t have the power. A small motor with a lot of power isn’t that expensive on amazon or China. But if you have an old disk that still runs you can always try, it will keep you of the streets …. Just don’t expect to much from it the use will be very limited!