In-cage platform/shelf?

[RedSidedSPR]

Turns out my dad has a bunch of old hard-drives from all the computers hes ever had.

Didn't want his info out in a trash can somewhere. So he kept 'em all. He's paranoid that way.

[RedSidedSPR]

I gots me some magnets!! And HOLY CRAP!! they are STRONG. had to separate two of 'em with a screw driver!!

Step 1 complete.

[RedSidedSPR]

Jeez, may not need to glue it to the cage, two on each side of the glass will work.

[chris-uk]

Jeez, may not need to glue it to the cage, two on each side of the glass will work.

Don't let go of the magnets near the glass, they'd easily shatter it if you weren't careful, right?

[RedSidedSPR]

I don't doubt it.

[chris-uk]

I just had to take a screwdriver to my ornimental hard drive (yes, being an IT geek I had one stripped down to expose the platter on shelf above my desk) to see how strong the magnets are. They're pretty strong. For their size I'd say that they are stronger than any I've taken out of speakers. I've just found another reason to dismantal old HDDs.

[RedSidedSPR]

Just keep it away from electronics, it'll erase the memory it's so strong!

[ConcinusMan]

I was going to tell you if you open the drives and wipe one of those on the platters, your dad can rest assured the data will be completely destroyed.

Of course they are powerful. They're not your ordinary metal. They are neodymium iron boron (NIB) magnets. They're commonly just referred to as "neodymium" or "rare earth" magnets.

How do you think the get that motor to turn the disks at 7200rpm without using a lot of electricity or generating a lot of heat with the motor? Also, even at 7200rpm, it can stop nearly instantly. With application of just a little "push" of electricity, the magnets keep the disks spinning. Reverse the polarity and the disks stop spinning almost instantly.

Will they hold your platform? You bet:

[RedSidedSPR]

Yeah, thats what he did. No more data.

Heck yeah they'll hold it! I accidentally touched them together, it pinched my skin, and I had to pry them apart with a screwdriver.

[kimbosaur]

MICHAEL'S BABY!!!!

Don't have a locks dollar store, so I checked Michaels.... The greenery alone made the whole trip worth it... infinite selection of awesome different kinds, for around $1.00-$5.00

Just on a side note, never make a trip to Michaels without printing a coupon! They pretty much always have 40-50% off single item coupons.

Maybe something like this:

I've always wanted to try one of these.