Computer Hard Drive Clock

Ever wonder what to do with old hard drives? Then this is the tutorial for you! I got the idea for this computer hard drive clock from my niece. She used to make and sell these clocks for spare pocket change. Since her father (my brother) owns a computer repair shop,  there are always dead hard drives around ripe for the picking.

My wife’s first computer was a PC with a whopping 40 MB hard drive (I’m a Mac guy myself). I have to laugh at that now because these days storage devices can hold many thousands of times more memory – and we can easily fill a 3GB hard drive in just over a year with all our blog photos!

We took her old computer apart for this a one-of-a-kind computer hard drive clock.

Watch this Computer Hard Drive Clock Video

My niece made the one pictured in the video above for my mother and it sits proudly on the bulkhead in the kitchen.

Parts

Before you can take apart a hard drive, it’s good to know the name of the parts. If you get stuck, refer back to this diagram. Not marked below is the motor which is hidden within the spindle hub.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Don’t forget to wipe the drive clean of data before upcycling it.

Materials…

* [If you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered (disclosure): Clicking on the affiliate links below means we may receive a commission. But don’t worry, you don’t pay a cent more and it helps us make more unique DIYs to share with you! Thanks for helping to support our blog!]

Apart from the hard drive, you’ll need just a few other items for this project:

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Eye Protection

If you’re buying eye protection for this project, choose the pair that provides you with a full seal around the face. Because they’ll prevent flying bits of metal from all angles from reaching your eyes, the top pair of goggles shown below is is better for this project (vs. the one underneath it).

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Clock Mechanism

I used a clock mechanism that I salvaged from a clock I got for free at a garage sale. If you’re upcyling one with long arms, you can probably still use it but will have to cut the arms to fit within the platter. However, if you have to buy a kit, get one that has a 3/4″ shaft and short clock arms (like the one shown above).

Bits

Torx bits are made for a screw head that is shaped like a 6-point star. I used a #8 Torx bit. I found that the #8 worked for every screw in this particular hard drive, but I have had instances where I needed a smaller bit too (i.e. for the motor).Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Step 1: Get Your Wife to Take Apart Her Old Computer

Not only did my wife donate the raw materials for this project, but she also helped me take apart the hard drive so I could photograph the steps. She has much better motor skills than me when it comes to the finer details; I’m not that great with tiny fussy pieces!Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Salvage the hard drive:Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Step 2: Remove Circuit Board

To start, on the back, you can remove the screws holding the circuit board and remove it.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Then remove the rubber membrane.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

It will give you a cleaner look.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Step 3: Remove Front

Turn the hard drive over and remove the screws from the front of the case.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

If you find that you can’t remove the front plate, it could be because there are at least one or more screws hiding underneath the label.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

You can feel for it and use an X-acto knife to score an ‘X’ to cut it open.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

There were six visible screws In this case, but also one hiding under the label.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Open the case to reveal the shiny mirror-like platter; it’s a thing of beauty! Some hard drives contain two platters to store the magnetic data; this drive had only one.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Remove all the screws around the spindle (there were six). Save the screws for later; you’ll need them when you reassemble.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Then remove the collar and ring, which will free up the platter, and set them aside for later also.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Step 4: Getting to the Platter

In some cases, you’ll be able to lift the platter out by moving the actuator arm. In this case, the arm wouldn’t move far enough to wrangle to platter out.

You can try removing the screws holding down the actuator itself, but the second screw may be hidden in a place that can’t be reached. As a last ditch effort, loosen the large screw on the actuator axis.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Just a few turns to the left and the actuator arm popped up enough that the platter could slide out.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

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Step 5: Lift Out Platter

With the screw loosened, slide the platter out from the back side.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

If you’re able to get the actuator arm cover off, you can reclaim a strong magnet that’s attached to it. You’ll likely have to put it in a vice and tap it apart using a flat head screw driver to free it up.

By the way, when you’re handling the platter, try not to get finger prints on the shiny surface. If you do, it’s a pain to clean them off. Hold the platter on the edges.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Step 6: Remove Motor and Centre Spindle

The motor has to be removed next.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Remove the three screws holding it down and lift it out.Once the motor is released, you’ll need to secure it in a vice and tap out the centre spindle/bearing. I looked everywhere for my vise and couldn’t find it, so I did the next best thing. I drilled out a hole into a piece of wood using a hole saw:The hole was just big enough so I could nestle the motor in it.

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I inserted a punch into the centre of the spindle and gave it a few taps with the hammer.As you can see below, the spindle was pushed out the bottom.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed With the spindle removed, I was able to take the two pieces of the motor apart (it’s held together magnetically so give it a good yank to separate it).

Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Here are the pieces of the motor that the punch and hammer pried apart. A few steps ahead, we’ll be drilling through the aluminum part shown on the right:

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Step 7: Clock Mechanism

Below is the clock mechanism we used. It has a convenient metal tab for hanging on the wall.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Step 8: Safety First

Before you start drilling to fit the clock mechanism here are a few safety tips:

Secure your vice to your work surface. If you don’t bolt down the vice, the drill can send it flying like a propeller (trust me on this, I know!)

I can’t stress enough the importance of eye protection; wear safety goggles or a full face shield to protect your eyes from flying bits of metal. As a pro, I buy the best goggles money can buy. A good pair has a soft flexible face seal on the top, bottom and sides, fits over prescription glasses, has fog free lenses and has an adjustable headband for a secure fit.

The goggles below are ideal. You’ll be protected from metal that could potentially fly up from underneath or down from the top too – not just the sides like on some protective eyewear.

Step 9: Drill Out the Motor Cover

As you can see circled in the picture below, the holes in each side of the motor are too small to allow the shaft of the clock mechanism to fit.

If you want to be a purist and reuse every piece of the motor, you can widen both of them with a drill in order to get the clock mechanism through the holes. However, it’s really only necessary to drill out the aluminum motor cover.Secure the piece of metal in a vice. Then drill out the hole in stages: first with a small drill bit then working up to a larger bit that’s slightly larger than the width of the clock shank. I used three bits to achieve the final size.Each bit you use should be slightly larger than the hole, but should fit snugly into the middle so you can work your way up to a larger hole each time.Drill the hole slowly; slow and steady wins the race. Aluminum is a soft metal, so you don’t need a lot of pressure either. When you’re finished drilling, test it with the clock shank to to make sure the hole is large enough.

Step 10: Assemble the Clock Mechanism

Now you can reverse engineer the pieces previously removed and install the clock mechanism.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Place the clock mechanism behind the hard drive. We used double sided tape in the video, but you should really use permanent glue to secure the mechanism to the back of the hard drive – especially if you’ll be hanging it.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Place the motor cover over the clock shaft.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Follow with the ring, mirrored platter and then the collar. Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Secure the collar with the screws you previously saved.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Re-tighten the screw holding the actuator arm to snug it down.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Step 11: Add the Hands

Assemble the remaining pieces of the clock onto the shaft. If you’re using a kit, you can following the directions. Otherwise, add the washer:Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Tighten on the hex nut:Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Follow with two arms and smaller nut (the shorter one goes on first):Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Lastly add the second hand, if your mechanism comes with one.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Step 12: Install a Battery and Enjoy!

Insert a AA battery and set the time. If you like, you can add clock numbers onto the face, but I prefer it just the way it is.

Finally, you can either hang your clock on the wall using the tab on the clock mechanism, or add a bracket so it can sit on a desk.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed I found a spare pull handle and glued it onto the back so I could prop it on a desk. You could also bend the original hard drive cover into an L-shape, drill holes to fit two of the holes on the back, then attach it with some of the original screws.Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

For more upcycle clock ideas, check out How to Paint a Union Jack, Wooden Wall Art DIY,  Decoupage on Wood, and How to Paint with Chalk Paint.

Pin Hard Drive Clock

If you enjoyed this project, please pin and share!Upcycle a hard drive into a one of a kind clock | Birdz of a Feather | hard drive clock | hard drive clock diy | clocks | clocks diy | upcycle | upcycling | upcycling ideas | upcycled | repurposed | repurposed items |bridzofafeather.ca #upcycle #upcycling #repurposed

Not wanting to be outdone, my wife surprised me with a clock of my own for my Mancave. I think it’s even more awesome than this one, but I could be biased!

For more upcycle ideas, visit our Craft Rehab section.

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4 thoughts on “Computer Hard Drive Clock

  1. What a super cool clock and I know my teen son will have fun making it. Congrats, you’re featured on the This Is How We Roll Link Party.

  2. This is so clever and unique. I few a few from over the years my hubby will never throw them out in case someone gets info from them. I will be digging them out now I have some inspiration.

    • There’s definitely no fear of getting info once they’re made into clocks! Just be sure it’s clamped down well when you drill; I accidentally sent one flying :).

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