Case Mod - A Thumb Drive!

[Sasqui]

I'm looking for feeback or other ideas.

Here's the story - I have a Transcend 4GB thumb drive. It works great, it's fast, but the case fell apart recently and the keyring is plastic. What a great way to lose it. Most thumb drives suffer from cheap case disease. the other thing is that the case is more than 50% wasted space. The functional internals are tiny (see pics below). It has a blue activity LED on the other side.

So... I'm thinking of encasing this in some sort of clear epoxy and attach a metal ring in the epoxy for a keychain. Probably look pretty cool and be durable.

Question: would epoxy would cause problems like heat, conductivity, reacting with the PCB or something else? Or perhaps someone has a better idea?

Here's the suck case:

And the guts:

[LiNKiN]

Use a Zippo case, whether you smoke or not, that would be PHAT. Or how about something a little more dangerous, such as a switchblade mod?

[Sasqui]

Originally Posted by LiNKiN

Use a Zippo case, whether you smoke or not, that would be PHAT. Or how about something a little more dangerous, such as a switchblade mod?

Small and durable... I like both ideas, I have a Zippo from the USS Kennedy.

[AsRock]

cannot just glue the case back together ?

[Batou1986]

the quick 5 min set epoxy should be fine as i used it on some of my xbox360 internals with no ill effects and it drys crystal clear and hard altho if subjected to cold it my become slightly brittle ie dropping it might chip a piece of the epoxy off and i know its plastic safe cause i use it to attach my plexi window to my 360 also and it didn't leave any glazing or anything

infact heres the stuff i used exactly im sure it would work perfect infact you could just fill the entire cavity of the thumbdrive case and squeeze the internals in between the epoxy and wipe off the excess and make it waterproof

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100371815

[Sasqui]

Originally Posted by AsRock

cannot just glue the case back together ?

I would... if it weren't for the plastic keychain ring - it's begging to break and lose my thumbie!

Originally Posted by Batou1986

the quick 5 min set epoxy should be fine as i used it on some of my xbox360 internals with no ill effects and it drys crystal clear and hard altho if subjected to cold it my become slightly brittle ie dropping it might chip a piece of the epoxy off and i know its plastic safe cause i use it to attach my plexi window to my 360 also and it didn't leave any glazing or anything

infact heres the stuff i used exactly im sure it would work perfect infact you could just fill the entire cavity of the thumbdrive case and squeeze the internals in between the epoxy and wipe off the excess and make it waterproof

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100371815

Sweet - did you apply on the PCB (including traces and pins)? I like the idea of using the existing case as a mold.

[PVTCaboose1337]

The heat req'd to heat up epoxy to the melting point is well... i have not reached it! We have tried with heat guns... it happens, but if it is just the PCB, your set.

BTW did this exact thing, but with a lego... worked well.

[lemonadesoda]

Suggestions:

1./ Old mobile phone case

2./ Your ex-g/f's dildo (j/k)

3./ Metal cigar holder

4./ Two credit cards glued together

5./ Hollow out childrens wooden toy fruit

6./ Get a Porsche Leather key fob and put it inside

7./ Get some epoxy resin for creating paperweights, and use this stuff so you have a clear see-through of the insides

8./ An old piece of lego/duplo

9./ Sandwiched inside a home made ID card...

10./ Hidden in the spine of a school text book... with all your secret pRon on it

11./ Get an old broken ipod off ebay, and put your stick inside

[Random Murderer]

Originally Posted by lemonadesoda

2./ Your ex-g/f's dildo

i like that idea, who would want to steal a dildo?

[Sasqui]

Originally Posted by Random Murderer

i like that idea, who would want to steal a dildo?

It was the first thing she took back so that wouldn't work.

[Random Murderer]

Originally Posted by Sasqui

It was the first thing she took back so that wouldn't work.

she took back? meaning she had to take it from you?

[LiNKiN]

How about a money clip mod.....or a 25 cent pack of winterfresh mod......or a miniature red stapler mod....

[Sasqui]

Originally Posted by Random Murderer

she took back? meaning she had to take it from you?

Umm yea, she had to pry it out of my fingers

I do like the lego idea - got plenty of that around the house.

[strick94u]

A pezz despenser

[AsRock]

Originally Posted by Sasqui

I would... if it weren't for the plastic keychain ring - it's begging to break and lose my thumbie!

DOH! should of noticed that white plastic showing lol.

[keakar]

get one of those cheap transparent colored cigerette lighters (an empty one lol) and drill a hole near the bottom for a key ring. they are very very durable.

the top end is removed from the colored sleeve and slide in the drive, fill the void with hot glue.

[Sasqui]

Originally Posted by keakar

get one of those cheap transparent colored cigerette lighters (an empty one lol) and drill a hole near the bottom for a key ring. they are very very durable.

the top end is removed from the colored sleeve and slide in the drive, fill the void with hot glue.

I think you are onto something there...