[conundrum]

Ever thought about making your own USB drive out of a Ranger Key but don't know how? Hopefully this guide will help you out.

Here's what you'll need:


* An Exacto-knife
* A small Philips head and flat head(not pictured) screwdriver
* A hot glue gun
* A ranger key (All keys will follow the same steps)
* A USB drive (I'm using a PNY 8gb for this one)

REMEMBER, exacto knives are sharp and hot glue is hot Always be careful when using either. If you're a kid, adult supervision is required. If you're an adult that acts like a kid, adult supervision is also required

STEP 1: Cut a whole in the box.

Wait. Scratch that. Dismantle the flash drive:



You don't need any special tools to take the cover off. Once it's removed, use the flat head screwdriver to split apart the sides. Your pieces should be separated like so:



All you need is the small metal rectangle that houses the drive's memory. You don't specifically need a PNY drive, just one that houses the memory in a similar way. You can discard the other pieces.

STEP 2: Dismantle the Ranger Key

Using your philips head screwdriver remove the screws, and take off the back.



Use your flat head screwdriver to lift off the head and key portions.



Dismantled, your key should look like this:



Go ahead and set the key part aside, we won't need it.

Step 3: Making the memory fit

We need to trim down different parts of the ranger key so the memory will fit properly. We'll start off with the back of the legs:



Using your exacto knife, trim parts of the plastic away (just the parts in red). This will allow the drive to sit flush with the back of the legs.

Next, we need to trim away parts of the back.



We need to trim enough plastic away that the drive can fit into the ranger body. Cut enough away that there's an empty square space (marked in red).



You're now ready to put it all together.

Step 4: Ranger Key! Assemble!

Now it's time for the hot glue gun. Carefully apply the glue into the space you just made in the back of the ranger and then firmly press the drive into the glue.



Make sure the drive is straight both vertically and horizontally before the glue hardens. ALSO, be sure that your drive is the right way up.

When in key/usb mode, it will need to look like this to fit in most standard devices:



Next step will be to apply glue to the front piece of the ranger. Don't be stingy, overflow can be cleaned up later.



Lastly, the only thing left to do is put the screws back in. If any glue seeped out, use your exacto knife to trim it away.




Congratulations! Your Ranger Key USB Drive is done! Double check to make sure the legs sit flush with the drive. If you need to take the key apart again to make corrections, the hot glue is merciful.









Thanks goes out to Den-O for donating a ranger key for the project.

If there's any questions about the different steps, just post your question and I'll do my best to clarify.