On Tue, 3 May 2005 08:22:37 +0100, "N Cook" wrote:


"Dan" wrote in message
...
I just had to post this. While ago the original hard drive went out in
my pc. I replaced it & all went well, and since I'd never looked inside
one of these, I took it apart. The beautiful, nearly "industrial art
sculpture" of the mirror platter assembly/aluminum motor, casting, all
held with cool fasteners was impressive enough, but then I started
playing with the magnets from the pickup assembly. My god, they're
strong! Neodymium, I think. So strong that I actually gave myself a
small blood blister when the 2 snapped together as I played with them.
About this same time, the door catch broke on my faithful 20 year old
clothes dryer. Not a chance of getting a replacement catch, so for the
past 2 weeks I've been propping the unused base from my drill press
against the door to hold it shut. Then it dawned on me: "I bet those
magnets from the HDD are more than strong enough to hold this thing shut
against the seal & force of the door switch". Works like a charm, in
fact I only need ONE of them! Judging from the pull now required to
open the door, it's actually tighter than it was with the original
catch! Further justification for my "never throw ANYTHING out" policy ;-)

Dan

A near neighbour managed to drop his car keys down a drain in the street
just as he was to drive to an airport. I tied an ex-5 1/4 magnet to a piece
of string vertically and he went fishing. It came up with his keys on first
attempt.

Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on

A friend rolled a tin of (expensive) paint off his moored boat into
about 15 feet of water, about 20 mins of fishing with a big magnet
retrieved it, much to his relief.