Any ideas on what to turn a broken HD into?

[AlexGT]

A friend of mine turned his Apple Mcintosh computer into an aquarium with bright colored small fish, it looks so cool!

AlexGT

Booooo, hisss... The whole point was to "turn" it into something, not get rid of it. There's no fun in that.

Now the two OLD computers and one apple monitor I have that needs to be gotten rid of... You have a wonderful idea for. I just don't know where my local electronics recycler is located.

 

[allthatwhichis]

That's cool. The apple is a g3 I think. The colored one that is mainly just a monitor. It would work well as a fishy tank... I hear it is dangerous to open a monitor though...

 

[IsaacHayes]

I bet you could de-vacuum it without implosion.

 

[allthatwhichis]

The problem isn't implosion, it the voltage or amps that get stored somewhere around the tube. Grab the wrong thing and :candle:

 

[IsaacHayes]

It's fun discharging capacitors with screwdrivers!! Takes the plating right off of the screwdriver and makes a loud snap! BTW if you find a voltage multiplier/doubler in there, I want it! lol

 

[yuandrew]

I have a friend from church who showed me how to de-vac a picture tube from an old monitor that I was about to dispose.

After ripping the circuit board off the back of the tube to expose the connection pins; you'll see a little plastic cap around the stem. Carefully cut the plastic off from around the stem. Place tube in cardboard box (or cover with blanket) then snap the stem with a pair of pliers. You'll hear air rushing into the the tube. You can now dispose of it whichever way you want.

The monitor we got rid of had been sitting in my garage for almost a year so there was pretty much no charge left in it. You can ground the capicators to make sure though.

 

[allthatwhichis]

:huh2: I don't think you can just drop a monitor off anywhere you want no matter what you have done to it. There is still enviormentally toxic elements in there that need to be disposed of correctly. I doubt the local landfill is the correct spot. At least that's what they told us what I got my A+. They were pretty adimant, don't open them and don't throw them in the trash. Isn't there a lot of mercury or something in computer components? I'm not sure exactly what, I just know you can't roll it out to the curb with last weeks garbage...

 

[IsaacHayes]

Not sure, but the trashman took out 1992 31" tv without question.

 

[allthatwhichis]

Not sure, but the trashman took out 1992 31" tv without question.

I just moved into a new house two weeks ago... The person across the street left a ole 19 in TV outside for the garbage collector last Monday... The collectors left it again this week... :lolsign:

 

[IsaacHayes]

The trick is putting it into your trashcan. They will pick up anything that fits in the trashcan. Anything else sitting on the grass/curb they leave.

It was quite a sight seeing our 31" TV wedged into the top of our blue trashcan.

 

[BB]

Here is a 77 page PDF file about toxic materials in IT (Computer) devices (pretty detailed listing of all major materials of concern):

IT Hazardous Materials

Lead in Computer Monitors (from Page 11 of above PDF file):

Monitor - CRTs (65-75% lead
in frit, 22-25% lead in funnel
glass and 30% lead in neck)

Radiation shield 0.5 kg/17 inch monitor

Monitor - CRTs (70% lead in
frit, 22% in funnel glass, 30% in
neck, 29% in stem, 2.5% in
panel)

Various amounts listed--from around 1/2 kgram to 3 kg in each monitor (another source, about 6.3% of total weight).

-Bill

 

[Handlobraesing]

Smash it with a hammer and throw it away, so your data can't be phished and move on

 

[LEDMaster2003_V2]

If you're a percussionist (or know someone who is) you can make really cool sounding "bells" out of the platters.

 

[matrixshaman]

I just took the cover off one today and cut a piece of aluminum out of it for a Cree XR-E LED heatsink

 

[NewBie]

Humm, wire up your own servo control mechanism, or adapt the one in the drive, and mount a laser diode to control arm.

You may need to re-compensate the existing servo loop.

 

[PEU]

Use the magnets to keep a spare car key hidden in the chassis


Pablo

 

[IsaacHayes]

matrix: there ya go! I like the idea!
Jar: I saw something similar video, I think via one of the links posted in this thread, with a laser the hd arm, and amplifier with music.
PUE: yeah, free hide-a-key box DIY! I bet it would collect a lot of metal dust being so strong lol! Don't put it near your brakes! hehe.