Geek Chic: Hard Drive Wind Chimes
Practical recycling: Turning a couple dead hard disks into a beautiful, shiny wind chime. Save the environment, spare the landfills and find your Zen.
Step 1: What You Will Need
Today we will be converting something that many communities are not allowing into their landfills - computer equipment, or in this case a dead hard drive, into something more aesthetically pleasing: wind chimes. First you will need the aluminium platters from three or four dead hard drives, some 20 pound test fishing line, tape measure, sharpie and some aluminium striping. You may also want a rivet tool and some small steal rivets.
Step 2: Line Up The Platters
First line up the platters allowing them to overlap by an inch or so and measure their overall length. This is how much stripping we will need for the loop we will be hanging the platters from. For my six platters it’s 45 centimetres.
Step 3: Drill The Holes
Now divide this length into the number of platters you have. This will be the distance apart that we will drill the holes in the strip for the platters to hang from, in my case it’s 7.5 centimetres. Now we will mark the overall length and mark the places for the holes. Drill the holes between the middle and the bottom of the strip. Also, drill a hole one centimetre in from each end of the strip. You can drill some holes to run the hanging lines through or you can use the existing holes. I chose to drill three holes for hanging lines in between the other holes. I did so slightly above the middle of the strip. Take a four centimetre long piece of the left over stripping and drill a hole one centimetre in from each end. This will secure the loop together.
Step 4: Create The Loop
I put the end of the loop together using the holes one centimetre in the four-centimetre long piece. Using your hands and some cloth wrapped pliers, if necessary, work the loop in as smooth a circle as you are able. Now cut three equal lengths of line tie them to the loop in the holes designated for the hanging lines. Then bring them together making sure the loop hangs level as possible. Then tie them off at the top then again a couple centimetres lower. This is the loop that the chimes will hang by.
Step 5: Tie The Line To The Platter
Now cut a length of line for each platter. It’s easier to make them all the same length, although you don’t want to hang them all at the same length because they will get easily tangled by the wind. Tie one end of the line to a platter running through the middle and then the other end to loop. It’s easier if the loop is hanging.
Step 6: Trim The Excess
Repeat with the other platters shortening the line slightly each time until all of the platters are hanging from the loop in a slight spiral. Now trim off the excess and use a drop of super glue to prevent the knots from unravelling. You have not only made a beautiful set of wind chimes, but you have also given new life to something that would have otherwise become trash. Enjoy.
