DIY HDD: As any computer enthusiast will attest, being in the computer business for a few years usually means accumulating a pile of spare parts and hardware components. Old hard drives can be repurposed as additional storage in newer systems, or even transformed into creative modding projects with a few extra pieces and a bit of soldering, and then there's this. One such modder, who enjoys tinkering with electronics and PC hardware, turned a retired hard disk drive into a custom disc sander. Recently featured by Tom's Hardware, the project makes clever use of the 7200 RPM speed of an old WD HDD, along with a few additional components and some basic tools. The creator, known as "ProShorts 101," used a WD Caviar Blue WD1600AAJS drive, dating back to 2009 and offering what was then a lavish 160GB of storage. To complete the build, he incorporated a 30A electronic speed controller, a servo tester, a 12V socket, and sandpaper, which he glued to the HDD's spinning disc. The modder disassembled the hard drive, removed the PCB and other components typically found in a functioning drive, and installed the new parts. He even reused some of the original metal casing to shield the internal parts, leaving only the rotating disc exposed. Finally, sandpaper was glued onto the metallic disc surface, completing the "portable" disc sander. As someone suggested in the video comments, ProShorts could have improved the design by using Velcro instead of glue. This would allow for easy replacement of worn sandpaper in the future. Others praised the ingenuity of repurposing a (presumably) non-functional hard drive into something useful. Disc sanders come in various sizes, shapes, and price ranges, and purchasing a high-quality one often requires a significant investment. While an HDD-based sander won't grind heavy-duty metals or help you build a house, it could be "good enough" for some personal, smaller scale projects. // Related Stories ProShorts 101's DIY creations include a variety of testers and electronic gadgets. He clearly has a passion for transforming everyday objects into new, functional "toys" though we found that the overuse of words like "amazing," "incredible," and "useful" makes browsing his YouTube channel a tad bit bothersome.