The Magnetic Index Card Dispenser : A Homemade Solution (and How to Make Your Own)

Finished Product

In a fairly recent post, I described some situations where I find ubiquitous capture to be somewhat difficult to implement. Keeping the necessary tools close at hand (as well as being in a free enough position to actually use them) was a common thread among all of my “problem areas”. I’m happy to report that I seem to have found a solution that will work across at least two of these areas (in the car and in bed)…

You’ll also be happy to know that this solution is truly portable and will work just about anywhere there’s a somewhat flat metal surface. I give you The Magnetic Index Card Dispenser.


Now, after viewing the images, you probably have an idea just how easy it is to put this thing together. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • A Kick-ass Magnet - Hard drive magnets work phenomenally well here, if you can get them. If you’re not of the techie variety and don’t have old spare hard drives lying around, chances are your friendly corporate IT guy(s) will have a couple. Disassembling a hard drive isn’t as easy as you might think, but with a little elbow grease it’s definitely doable. If you cannot get your hands on a magnet like this, you may need to go to a hardware store and buy a super-duty magnet (everyday refrigerator magnets probably won’t work).
  • A Container - As you can see, I just looked around my house for something roughly the size/shape of index cards and found this Jell-O Pudding box in my cupboard. After removing the contents (and putting a post-it onto said contents with the preparation instructions), I cut the flaps off of one end of the box. That’s it. The best part about this container is that I can replace it for about $1.99 and get free pudding with purchase. The container must be thin enough to allow the magnetic pull to pass through it, but durable enough to handle a healthy stack of cards.
  • Index Cards - If you don’t have some of these, get some.

Once you’ve acquired the necessary parts, assembly is a snap. Grab the magnet and place it inside the container, against one of the long sides. Hold the magnet in place with your thumb and bring it up gently toward the surface it’ll be sitting against (a word of warning, serious magnets will have a tendency to jump at the nearest metal object - make sure your finger isn’t in it’s path!). Once affixed, make sure it’s on good and tight, then add your cards. Hell, you could even clip a pen to the outside, if you were feeling particularly daring…

Now, how does this solve my sleeping/driving situation? Well, for one, the dispenser will easily attach to my bed frame (making sure my son doesn’t destroy it is another problem in itself), so that with the pen addition should make a fine solution. As far as driving, my situation is somewhat unique - I drive a 1965 Buick Skylark, and most of the dashboard and instrument panel-like-thing are made of metal. So, naturally, it sticks nicely to the underside of the dash, where I can easily grab at it while behind the wheel.

Other possible uses include:

  • Your Fridge - Too much work to remove your Hipster PDA from your pocket while grabbing a cold one? This makes it that much easier to scrawl down your latest money-making scheme.
  • Medicine Cabinet - Never miss another sweet blogging idea while brushing your pearlies or shaving.
  • Anywhere! - As I said, the beauty of this little device is that you can really put it anywhere there’s some metal to hang it on.

A word of warning though: I beg of you, do not affix this guy to the side of your computer - external magnets and computers don’t mix :)

Here’s to another small step toward truly ubiquitous capture!

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January 21, 2007 | Filed Under Hacking Life, Practical 

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