Hard drive destruction

**Victor** · 02-01-2012, 12:56 PM

Right now hard drives are starting to become an issue for me. On request of certified destruction I have been handing hard drives back after pulling them from machines on site. Sometimes I will tell the customer to remove the hard drive before hand so they can dispose of it on their own. Looking to offer a for pay service to my ewaste customers involving hard drive destruction. Charge a flat rate type of deal as an added service. Was looking to do this on site so all involved have proof etc...

I was going to set this up as I will tear down the drive on site, recycle the board, case, guts, and cover plate as I do with all other computer parts. The platters I want to hit with a magnet and shred on the spot. I was looking at charging a two tier fee for this service if I have to remove it from the computer or it is loose......

Any one have any idea of a small portable shredder that I can use for this? I was thinking a larger paper type cross cut but I am worried that it won't hold up or even work at all. I can't get too deep price wise for this as I don't want my return on investment to be years in the making.......I need something that will hold up, be portable so I can lift it, and is cheap?

I'm just throwing ideas around to try and increase my profits and this was a nice area to start. Looking to expand my services.....you all get the idea.

Thanks for the ideas......

**miked** · 02-01-2012, 01:37 PM

I've had others suggest that a paper shredder would not hold up. I am waiting until I can find a heavy duty one for sale used. Haven't found one yet. When I do I will post results. I hope you will do the same. I am sure there are high priced commcial models but that would be too expensive for me. Mike.

**drozenski** · 02-01-2012, 01:43 PM

For a proper shredder you are looking easily at a few thousand think 5-10k and to have it portable you will need some serious power generation.

Your best bet is to do what i do.

1. Have a professional certificate of destruction.
2. Charge for your service. It's additional work and you lose money when destroying them.
3. Buy a 5 ton electric log splitter. $200-$350 It works great for crushing drives. It's more than enough to destroy them. it will destroy up to 2 at a time. My gas powered can do 7 but i usually just do 5.

Edit.
A paper shredder will not work. Even a wood chipper wont work. you need something designed for metal. Dont try and reinvent the wheel.

**injunjoe** · 02-01-2012, 01:50 PM

Not sure how this works but would it not help to be bonded?

That would give people legal comfort.

**drozenski** · 02-01-2012, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by injunjoe

Not sure how this works but would it not help to be bonded?

That would give people legal comfort.

If you are destroying data, offering a cert and charging your customers you should be insured.

I have a 500k liability insurance policy.

**injunjoe** · 02-01-2012, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by drozenski

If you are destroying data, offering a cert and charging your customers you should be insured.

I have a 500k liability insurance policy.

Yes I agree. I have yet to buy a computer for scrap. I may soon but not as of yet!

**CLR Solutions** · 02-01-2012, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by drozenski

If you are destroying data, offering a cert and charging your customers you should be insured.

I have a 500k liability insurance policy.

That liability policy does not cover you for the data on the hard drive. You would need an errors and omissions policy with coverage for data loss and breach protection. This is not something that can be had cheaply either. You may work with a 3rd party vendor who destroys/shreds them for you, but if for example a hard drive is stolen out of your truck when you stop for lunch on your way back from a customer pickup. You are responsible. The average legal and administrative cost to clean up the mess from data theft is $250k.

**Mechanic688** · 02-01-2012, 09:11 PM

Yes I agree. I have yet to buy a computer for scrap. I may soon but not as of yet!

Save your breath, there ain't no money in them,,,LOL

**raxusprimerebuilders** · 02-12-2012, 09:45 AM

inside a hard drive, attached to the permanent magnets (neodymium, nickel coated) is a peice of permalloy "mu-metal" it is roughly 70% nickel, 18% molybdenum, 12% iron. from what i understand, that fetches 4-7$ pr lbs. i've also heard that although nickel specialty yards will buy it locally in 10 - 50 - 100 lbs loads, sell it online to nickel recyclers in the houstan/dallas area for the best return on your find. also- the shell of the hard drive is mostly 6061 aluminum, and sometimes one panel is stainless. the platters inside may have silver/platinum, but its not worth the time to try to recover/refine that. unless you have thousands of pounds and a license AND training for chemicals and processes on site. i throw those platters in the aluminum pile. or they make nifty compact mirrors.

**Mechanic688** · 02-12-2012, 10:18 AM

Yes, we have been all over this again, and again, etc.

Hard drive destruction

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