62 Projects to Make with a Dead Computer by Randy Sarafan
Book site: deadcomputerbook.com
Buy on Amazon
We all have old, broken, or otherwise junk electronics stashed away in our closets. Randy Sarafan’s 62 Projects to Make with a Dead Computer is just what it sounds like and much more, inspiring makers to repurpose mice, scanners, iPods, and yes, computers, to make high-tech housewares, newly-functioning gadgets, and accessories. The projects run the gamut of techniques, and with sections like fashion, pets, and music, there’s something for everyone. Not only is the book full of DIY ideas, it also has excellent primers on electronics parts and the safety concerns regarding taking apart and repurposing tech-junk. Once you make your own upcycled projects, you can enter them in Instructables’ Dead Computer Contest, where the deadline is March 7th.
Book Giveaway Time!
We’re giving away 3 copies of 62 Projects to Make with a Dead Computer. Just leave a comment on this post, letting us know what kind of dead technology you have, just waiting to be transformed. We’ll grab the winners’ emails from your commenter account, so don’t put your email address in the comment box! All comments will be closed by Noon PST on Monday, March 1st. The lucky winners will be announced next week on the CRAFT Twitter feed. Good luck!
Sample Project: Floppy Disk Wall Frame
Floppy drives have gone the way of the buffalo. Sure, you still might find a few roaming the desks of stubborn technophobes, but for the most part, they’ve gone extinct. So, as much as you may want to hold onto that shoebox full of floppy disks that is sitting in your basement, it’s time to let go. I understand that those floppies are filled with countless wonderful electronic memories like your eighth-grade paper about oak trees, but if you haven’t recovered the data by now, you are never going to. Besides, it’s essentially irretrievable. You may as well forget about the data and use the disks to display more important memories: photos– the kind of memory that is instantly retrievable. Unless, of course, like your floppies, you’ve got those buried somewhere deep in your basement, too.
Download the project PDF to make your own Floppy Disk Wall Frame!
Update: Thanks for entering! Comments are now closed.
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