How to: Turn old computer hardware into new fun keychains

This is a quick and simple guide to show you what to do with all your old computer hardware. In order to make a cpu keychain you will need:

- Time, think 15-120 minutes, depending on how many pins your cpu has.
- A razor or knife if your cpu has pins.
- A dremel or drill.
- One 1/8 inch masonry or metal drill bit.
- A can/glass of something good to drink.
- A clamp or strong hands and a flat bench.
- A keychain metal loop (and keys).
- Some paper towels for clean up.
- A pencil.
- A mask, found at hardware and paint shops for like $2 (optional).


The first thing to do is find your cpu. I chose a Slot type PII I had laying around. After popping the heatsink off, I noticed that the cpu was soldered to the board. If your cpu is not attached to the motherboard (if it is, skip this paragraph), and instead has pins, use the razor or knife blade to bend a few pins a time back and forth till they pop off. You will want to do this on a paper towel for easy clean up of the hundreds of tiny pins. After an hour to three depending on the number of pins you have. When your cpu is depinned, simply drill a hole in one of the corners, about 3/8" from each edge to keep the ceramic (or other material) from cracking. Now skip to the last paragraph.

This is where the dremel is needed. Put a metal cutting plate in the dremel and fire it up. You want to cut around the cpu through the silcon board. The dremel should cut through the board like butter, be careful not to burn(melt) the silcon. It will smell and release a lot of dust, use your mask at this point. After your cpu and little bit of mobo are free, grab a sander bit and sand the edges, careful not to sand too much and carve into the cpu. Now grab the drill and drill slowly into the cpu in a corner, about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch from each side to prevent any cracks.

Now take your keychain metal loop thing and put it through the hole you drilled in the cpu. BE CAREFUL, the cpu is fragile and can brake away if you try to shove the loop through the hole. You'll need:



Thread the cpu through the keychain loop like so




The finished product should like this



I've got a whole sack of cpus to work on


You can also do this with ram sticks by cutting them in half width wise or into fourths. Then you drill your hole and plug a keychain loop in there.

What cpu were you using?