How To: USB Steampunk a Flash Drive

Here at GetUSB.info we love the USB steampunk drive.  We’ve reported on at least a dozen of them over the past couple years and I’m sure we’ve missed three times that many.  Today we are tipping you off to a great tutorial on how to USB steampunk your own flash drive.

Instructables has a very detailed, 9 page tutorial on how to steampunk your own gear.  It gives you a list of material, a detailed process, good and creative guidelines along with plenty of pictures and resources.

It’s my goal to actually do this over the July 4th weekend [2010] and post my result.  Lets hope for the best!

To give you an idea of the scope of project considering the following list of materials and tools.  If it fits into your abilities, then give it a shot!

For this project you’ll be needing the following materials (some of these are optional depending on your design decisions):

• USB Flash Memory Drive – available nearly everywhere these days
• Length of Copper Pipe (The diameter depends on how wide the circuit board on your drive is. I used 3/4″
• Variety of sizes of brass tubing
• Hot glue
• JB Weld or JB Quick (if this isn’t available near you then some sort of strong 2 part epoxy)
• Silver soldier
• Jeweler’s flux
• Silver banding (used for making bezels)
• An assortment of brass and steel watch parts
• Metal polish (I used silver polish)

As well as the following tools:

• A vise
• A hammer
• A torch (if you will be soldiering anything to the case – i used oxygen/propane)
• Needle nose pliers
• Pipe cutter for small diameter pipe (a saw will work too but the cutter provides a nice perpendicular cut!)
• Jeweler’s saw and several blades
• Spring loaded Center punch (doesn’t have to be spring loaded but it helps immensely)
• Drill with various bits
• Fine files
• Sandpaper in varying grits (100, 600, 1200, 8K)
• Hot glue gun

Here is the full USB tutorial at Instructables!