Here are the tools you’ll need to complete this project:
- Dremel or other variable rotary tool
- Part number 650, 1/8″ Straight Router Bit
- Part number 150, 1/8″ Drill Bit
- Part number 9904, Tungsten Carbide Cutter
You don’t have to use the exact same bits I did, but it happed to be what I had lying around, and were the best tools to do the job. The good thing about the router bit I mentioned above is that it’s the exact width of a usb port.
Basically all you need to do is make a few pilot holes for the router bit, and carve out all the excess material until you can fit the internals of the stick. After the raw work with the router bit, you can smooth it off with the Carbide cutter. Just keep test fitting until your USB stick fits into the slot nice and snug. (The metal part of the stick should be a few millimeters inside the wood.)
Once you’re satisfied with the result, and you’re sure it fits the way you want, then break out the epoxy glue. You can also use Z-Poxy or any other epoxy resin, but I tested the Bison “DIY get it at every store glue” with an ohm meter and it measured infinite resistance (non-conductive). You don’t need a big batch of epoxy since its only a small gap to fill. I used Q-tips to coat the inside of the gap, and deposited a layer glue along the side.
Once that is done, go ahead and push the stick in and add more glue as needed. Take the stick out once or twice to add some, now don’t over do it, and remember that it’s easier to add glue then to remove it. Now just keep the stick and twig steady and aligned the way you want it while the epoxy hardens (about 5 to 7 minutes).
After that I just mixed up a few more drops to seal the edges around the stick, and left it to dry for 1 day so it fully cures into one hard mass. Do remember that you will not be able to remove the USB stick without destroying it. Once the mod is done there is no going back; but USB flash drives are so cheap these days that there is no great loss.
Now for the big moment… will it still work? I plugged in my new wood into a free USB port and voila! It worked just as fine as it used to. You may be wondering if there were any heat problems, but I have been using it as normal for a few weeks now and it has never failed, nor has the wood ever gotten warm.
So next time you want to impress that special someone with your new bling, just pop out your w00tstick and showoff what nature provided with all the best of modern technology.
