The $5 DIY Seed Phrase Backup (The Steel Washer Method)

[Son $f Grace]

Good day everyone, i welcome my newbies. This the first thing you should know and do if you just created your first wallet.

The Problem with Paper
Most of us all just start by writing our 12 or 24 word on paper, but paper is absolutely weak. This because it can just rot from a water damage, it can be just thrown away thinking it a trash and can get burnt.
And also you should never take a photo of your seed or even save it on your phone(note pad, email or cloud). This is where people get hacked so easily. Papers can be destroyed, your device can be stolen this where you need metal.

What You Need to Buy
You shouldn’t be bothering about spending an $100 on a commercial metal wallet, from my local hardware market for a less then $5 I got everything.

3 thing you only need

• Stainless steel washers : here you need 1 for each word i.e 12 washers for 12 words.
  
• One stainless steel bolt + nut
  This long enough to hold all washers.
  
• Cheap metal letter punch kit:
  This one A-Z + 0-9 with a hammer.
  

Make sure that this STAINLESS. Cause normal iron will rust. Stainless resists both rust and fire.

How to Build It
For this make sure you do this alone in a private place. Place we’re there is no camera no any second party just you.
Just take one washer, on a side stamp the number 1, 2, 3… then flip it and stamp the letters of that word.

A pro tip for beginners The 4-Letter Rule.
The BIP39 is designed, so you just need the first 4 letters only to able to know the full word. Given example of, if your word is elephant all you have to do is to just stamp ELEP then saves a ton of time and space.
So on you repeat for all 12 washers.

The Final Step
You just slide all washers onto the bolt orderly from 1 to 12 then you screw the nut on very tightly.
Now you then have a solid piece of steel it waterproof and fireproof. Than now you hide it in your house where only you can have access to it.

😊 A $5 cost and 30 minute work and you are good to go. And safer than 90 percentage of beginners.

Stay safe Son $f Grace Cares.

Reference and Research
If you are willing to see how this stamping looks like in real life check this out :  watch this short video tutorial here.

Research link: Jameson Lopp's Metal Seed Storage Stress Tests

[EL MOHA]

The Problem with Paper
Most of us all just start by writing our 12 or 24 word on paper, but paper is absolutely weak. This because it can just rot from a water damage, it can be just thrown away thinking it a trash and can get burnt.
And also you should never take a photo of your seed or even save it on your phone(note pad, email or cloud). This is where people get hacked so easily. Papers can be destroyed, your device can be stolen this where you need metal.

It’s a good one to share your thought but I will advice you actually make use of the search button more often because topics like this related to steels for seed phrase back up has been treated in the forum.

Nonetheless the use of steels are the best but you shouldn’t relay on just one back up but rather you should build at least two back up and store them in different locations because even if they wouldn’t get destroyed like paper in periods of disaster they can also be easily washed away during maybe flood or even be buried in the ground during earth quakes.

[Son $f Grace]

It’s a good one to share your thought but I will advice you actually make use of the search button more often because topics like this related to steels for seed phrase back up has been treated in the forum.

Nonetheless the use of steels are the best but you shouldn’t relay on just one back up but rather you should build at least two back up and store them in different locations because even if they wouldn’t get destroyed like paper in periods of disaster they can also be easily washed away during maybe flood or even be buried in the ground during earth quakes.

Thanks for the heads ups @EL MOHA, about the search button i will do well to make use of it next time for my next topics so I avoid repeating things again.
And abit your point about needing a multiple backups in different locations for floods and earthquakes is a nice idea, and this now makes the DIY method even more useful most especial for our newbies.

We’re a beginner is being forced to buy a commercial metal plate worth $100, most might probably not have that much to get the second one to get and keep at a different location. But with this method of cheap washer it make things easier, they can build up multiples and hide them in a different locations, just as advised.

I really appreciate this your extra security tips and appreciate your corrections also, am taking notes.

[dkbit98]

I have another even cheaper option that can be transported over border much easier, and this are stainless steel DE razor blades.
They are widely available worldwide, they are cheaper even than stainless steel washers, and they can fit in any DE razor.
It should be noted that they are usually thin, so I would not recommend them as long term storage.
I would look for blades that are blank, they are usually used for cutting cardboard in industry, but even shaving blades can be used.
They are very sharp, so it's best to blunt the edges, or you will get cut easily.