Fun stuff to take apart? (serious)

[Mark R]

I took a floppy drive apart once - Got a couple of nice 1/6 hp 240V induction motors from it (used to spin the disks), 2 rather nice 72 step permanent magnet stepper motors and a high-speed 120mm fan (mains powered). It was quite an old drive though - the new ones don't have such cool stuff in.

 

[minendo]

Disposable camera with flash.

 

[DXM]

An old mouse, CD player, CD-ROM, mechanical watch. Be creative.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Mark R
I took a floppy drive apart once - Got a couple of nice 1/6 hp 240V induction motors from it (used to spin the disks), 2 rather nice 72 step permanent magnet stepper motors and a high-speed 120mm fan (mains powered). It was quite an old drive though - the new ones don't have such cool stuff in.

What kind of floppy drive is that!??!

 

[flot]

Build a mame cabinet

 

The top of beer bottles.

 

[TommyVercetti]

Your uncle's Lamborghini.

 

[PowerMacG5]

Originally posted by: minendo
Disposable camera with flash.

It's fun to shock people with that once you charge the flash.

 

[edro]

Make a "clear" harddrive. Take the top panel off and replace with Lexan. Do it in your bathroom after you let hot shower water run for a few minutes to cut down the dust. I did that to a 10gb WD I had.

 

[Analog]

the computer you're using right now.

 

[dighn]

some older electronics

newer electronics are too intergrated and cost-minimized. everything's surface mount and into these big ics, the motors are just big enough for the job etc.

 

[aircooled]

seriously.
Small engines (mowers, weed eaters, etc.).
Cheap R/C cars, typical walmart kids r/c cars.
old tivo (my cousin gave me his dead tivo) I took it apart and salvaged a 40 gig hard drive

 

[JEDI]

hahaha..furbys...they lasted shiorter than i thoguht

 

[Amorphus]

Originally posted by: edro13
Make a "clear" harddrive. Take the top panel off and replace with Lexan. Do it in your bathroom after you let hot shower water run for a few minutes to cut down the dust. I did that to a 10gb WD I had.

it's not that simple - you (generally) need O-rings, gaskets, etc.

google for "clear hard drive mod", there's plenty of guides.

 

[Mark R]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Mark R
I took a floppy drive apart once - Got a couple of nice 1/6 hp 240V induction motors from it (used to spin the disks), 2 rather nice 72 step permanent magnet stepper motors and a high-speed 120mm fan (mains powered). It was quite an old drive though - the new ones don't have such cool stuff in.

What kind of floppy drive is that!??!

I've no idea. I think it was an old 8" floppy drive - it was a dual unit, so had 2 of everything.

I don't know how old it was, but I found it in a skip (dumpster) in 1991 when an old school building was being renovated. It was about as big as a modern 17" CRT monitor, and so heavy that I needed a friend to help me carry it away.

Of course, the best thing about it was the motor-start capacitors. I forgot to discharge one once, and left it on my bookcase. I didn't make that mistake again...

They don't make them like that anymore

 

[BillGates]

self plastic surgery

 

[Gillbot]

Pretty much anything you can get free is a good candidate in my book.