DIY - 'Almost Free' Magnet Car Mount

[typhoonk]

Been looking at the magnet mounts for a while. They seem to be real expensive or ugly.

so here's my cheap version from stuff I had around the house.
Things needed
1. Old or broken hard drive.
2. 3M two way tape
3. aftermarket stereo removal key (or thin peice of steel)

Steps and Pics:
1. Donor harddrive to make a magnet mount
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/7661/img00015201002220938.jpg

2. The top of the harddrive is off. Now remove the armature and top steel peice to see the magnet underneath.
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/9465/img00017201002220939.jpg

3. the bottom peice is what we want out.
http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/6994/img00018201002220944.jpg

4. magnet glued to a peice of steel but removed from harddrive. I used a flat head and a hammer to remove from the peice.
http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/8810/img00019201002220944.jpg

5. Find a place to mount the magnet so you can see your phone or ipod
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/8468/img00024201002221049.jpg

6. heat up the double sided tape so it is very tacky and warm up the surface it will be attached too. This will not, "just fall off" if you do it this way.
http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/7978/img00025201002221049.jpg

7. new magnet mount stuck to my dash. Looks good and is small!!
http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/1885/img00026201002221051.jpg

8.harddrive magnetic stuck to the dash. Now I can attach anything I like!!! (no hard drive based electronics or anything that will get screwed up by a magnet)
http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/2244/img00028201002221053.jpg
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/4417/img00027201002221052.jpg

9. Make the side that goes on the phone, mp3 player or remote. I used a remote for pics as I was taking the pics with my phone. Cut a piece of the remote removal tool to fit on the back of the remote.
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/8608/img00029201002221055.jpg

10. Stick the piece on the remote. Then I added the fuzzy side from velcro so the steel peice won't scratch the magnet
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/5603/img00030201002221056.jpg
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/6215/img00032201002221058.jpg

11. Magnetic-ly attached stereo remote!!!
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/5407/img00033201002221058.jpg
http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/9269/img00034201002221058.jpg

12. This is my skin for my blackberry. I put a piece of the steel stereo removal key in the skin, and put some tape so it would not scratch my blackberry. Works like a charm. :yes:
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/43/img00023201002221045.jpg

WARNING: This is a strong magnetic and may affect or damage hard drive based devices or anything with moving parts. Also if your finger gets caught between the magnet and a piece of steel it may injury you. Work safe!!!!

[tiwing]

are the magnets strong enough that it could be mounted on the backside of the plastic and still be strong enough to hold on thorugh the plastic? Is it strong enough to keep the thing attached over rough railroad tracks or jarring bumps etc.?

[andrew2]

There they are...

That actually looks pretty good there. Nice and small.

[Mike_Moss]

As I said in your other thread:
You can buy the magnets normally sold w/the ProClip for cheap and save all the hassle.

+1 for DIY; -1 for aesthetically pleasing

[typhoonk]

are the magnets strong enough that it could be mounted on the backside of the plastic and still be strong enough to hold on thorugh the plastic? Is it strong enough to keep the thing attached over rough railroad tracks or jarring bumps etc.?

I tried it behind. I sanded a spot for it, but it didn't seem strong enough. But with it in front, it holds good. I hit a nice sized pot hole coming home, and all it did was rotate a little off centre.

[typhoonk]

As I said in your other thread:

what other thread? did I double post somewhere?

[yangsui]

WIN! +1 for DIY goodness. Nice work.