In a world dominated by ever-evolving technology, one YouTuber is channeling nostalgia and creativity by embarking on a fascinating project: recreating a floppy disk from the ground up! Polymatt, known for his adventurous spirit in the tech realm, has set out to breathe new life into this iconic storage medium that defined an era.

What Is a Floppy Disk?

For those unfamiliar, the floppy disk is a flexible, magnetically coated polyester disk that changed the way we stored and accessed data in the 80s and 90s. Insert it into a floppy drive, and a magnetic head reads or writes data—an ingenious innovation of its time. Ever wondered why the classic ‘save’ icon looks like it does? Yep, it's inspired by the shape of a floppy disk!

The Creation Process

Polymatt kicked off his ambitious project by meticulously measuring and designing the components of the floppy disk enclosure using Shapr3D and MakeraCAM software. He then took his designs to a Carvera Air CNC machine, where he cut the aluminum pieces with precision.

But that’s not all! The magnetic disk was crafted by laser-cutting a piece of PET film, which was then treated with a special suspension of iron oxide powder. After countless hours of work and a few nail-biting moments, he successfully managed to magnetize the floppy disk and even write to it—though on a very basic level.

Floppy Disks: A Thing of the Past

Floppy disks were officially declared ‘dead’ back in 2010, but their legacy lives on in the hearts of tech enthusiasts. In a significant move, the Japanese government finally bid farewell to floppy disks in 2024, and the German Navy followed suit the same year. Shockingly, the U.S. government continued to rely on 8-inch floppy disks for nuclear launch coordination until as recently as 2019!

As technology marches forward, it's refreshing to see creators like Polymatt keeping the spirit of the floppy disk alive. Who knows? This nostalgic adventure might inspire a new generation of creators!