A Chinese engineer who operates a data recovery and hard drive repair center is being hailed as a genius after inventing a DIY candy floss machine made from a used hard disk. According to the instructions, all that is needed to create your own candy floss maker is a hard drive that can still power up, a round flat metal tin, six bicycle spokes, an aluminum can and a plastic basin. A series of photos demonstrating how to create this candy floss machine have made some sensation across China internet …

The key to the improvised cotton candy maker is the hard drive's rotating platter. Most commercial cotton candy machines spin at around 3,450 rotations per minute, while modern hard drives operate at 5,400 rotations per minute or higher. We're really admired this kind of DIY creation from a technical nerd …

To put the machine together, first remove the cover of the hard drive.

Drill three holes in the rotating platter and three corresponding holes in the bottom of the metal tin.

Cut a circular hole on the metal tin cover.

Join the bicycle spokes and connect them to the rotating platter.

Cut the aluminum can, fold it into a small open box and place it on the spindle.

Connect the base of the tin to the rotating platter by welding it to the bicycle spokes.

Cut out the bottom of the plastic basin and place the hard drive

in the middle of the hole on a flat surface.

Add some solid fuel in the aluminum box.

Fill the round metal tin with granulated sugar.

Light the fuel, power up the hard drive.

Soon the machine will begin to churn out your own cotton candy !