How To Make Your Own Crypto Steel Recovery Seed Backup for Only $3.35

[@commander_data]

Why be complicated and expensive when you can be cheap and effective? This is really a wonderful idea to keep the words.

[@wwt17]

Stainless steel can be damaged in fire

[@mkt-7]

@@wwt17 that's why u have 3 backups

[@mkt-7]

@@wwt17 that's why u have 3 backups

[@jeffcasper5844]

​@@wwt17then don't store it in fire, problem solved

[@wwt17]

@@jeffcasper5844 you are guuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh aaaayyyyyyeeee

[@coonea1]

Lots of diy options out there and people should use them. What these companies are charging for a simple plate of steel is ridiculous. You could buy a dremel tool, a letter punch set, and a hammer, and salvage a piece of stainless for less money...This is a great opportunity to be creative!

[@JackMeadows6322]

I found that using a vise to crush the letter punches into the washers leaves a much deeper/clearer indent than using a hammer for me.

[@gc1200]

Nice, quieter too.

[@newbienoob845]

So you own bitcoin

[@R-1.]

@@newbienoob845no he just owns a really good vice 😂

[@Traxano]

You should place a smaller washer between each of them so if the steel gets hot or baked together you can saw each washers out

[@moeriou8431]

If they forge weld together I don’t think you’re gonna recover anything

[@ryanjackson305]

Exact reason u make two and store one somewhere completely different, house fires and unexpected stuff happens!

[@Bitcoin_Satan]

Stainless steel ... unless you're expecting a direct nuclear strike .. I think you are good to go.

[@mntbighker]

You can probably find ceramic spacer washers. That's about as fire proof as you can make it.

[@Nuck-b6t]

fireproof.

[@manfrednagel8463]

make sure they are 316 stainless. Zn plated steel will rust under immersion and likely wipe out the inscriptions or worse, zinc will melt and fuse the pile together at only 500C. even SS may sinter in a house fire, leaving you unable to access the stamped faces (destroyed by oxidation), which is one drawback. One way out is to use 625, 800H, 309 or some other corrosion/oxidation resistant alloy. Or utilise registry positions (courtesy of the jig) on the edge of the washer and cut through notches, spelling out a binary or hex code instead of stamped clear text. Only total destruction of the pile would result in loss of that data. But because it is so cheap, you can afford to have multiple duplicates which is the best outcome.... nice work john.

[@williamaberk]

Amazing responce! Could you give an example of a hex code using a washer?

[@incognitoalias2808]

BUMAX fasteners can be custom made to cope with extreme operating temperatures of between -269°C (4 K) and 800°C. McMaster-Carr 5@$8.88......

[@curt_m8992]

you could also put stack of washers inside steel pipe capped on both ends for storage and protection

[@michaellamont2605]

I need this in my life. How do I get 1. I was using a drill. It takes ages and gives me cramp

[@eatshrots]

@@incognitoalias2808 crazy expensive. 5 for 9 bucks, that's nuts... I can't find anything else that can deal with high heat for a decent price.

[@veizour]

My second backup is buried, with a treasure map hidden in a painting frame, and my third backup I implanted in a patient during their appendectomy... "You have something I need."

[@apolux359]

The One piece map is inside someone abdominal cavity.

[@waynerichardson1051]

That's clever, I'm going to do that exact same thing!! Brilliant!!

[@RooftopCiv]

Not sure how many washers I can fit into an eyeball..

[@rangerjonoutdoors6429]

X files?

[@lurin971]

"is it safe?" Sir Lawrence Olivier. Running Man.

[@kurt16950]

Harbor freight has stamp kit for $15 with numbers and letters.

[@veizour]

Using washers? Creative Creating a jig Super creative!!! Creativity overload!!! 😖🤯😵

[@stephenoneill2844]

Hiya John, you're a genius Sir. I bought one of those titanium seed stamps. I'm in IRELAND & they only sell them in the US, by the time I paid for postage & import tax it ended up costing 280 Euros,

[@dennisalanvids]

I bought a $20 dremmel engraver that works great!

[@mcm4981]

Yes, the comment I didn't know I needed to hear. Thanks!

[@rossmacintosh5652]

While that works, the stamping would be far more permanent than the dremel engraving. It all comes down to what level of protection makes you comfortable. The stamped washers would likely survive not just fires & flooding, but a nuclear war.

[@1azyb0t]

John's got Big Dad Energy! Great job, John!

[@mischifischi]

I just memorized my 24 word seed phrase. It took me 2 weeks repeating it for 3 times a day (or when i had time) but it is totally worth it! Its a great feeling knowing you have full control of your BTC.

[@dikkiedik9104]

Till you get dementia or worse.. your heirs will be grateful…

[@scottosborne8735]

My concern is passing the knowledge to my heirs, if I pass before the great event.

[@mischifischi]

Its not a bad thing to keep your seed phrase somewhere safe as a backup 👍🏼

[@dikkiedik9104]

@ 👍🏻👍🏻

[@Bitcoin_Satan]

You could have any sort of event to ruin long term memory, if even partially. Not a solid plan.

[@Kricnit]

My thought was to silkscreen etch on a copper plate, but i like your way better. I remember thinking about buying BTC when it was $50 😂. Still haven't bought any yet.

[@joesoh]

This video is worth at least 200bucks. Thanks John for sharing!

[@maddmoxx6414]

Had a scare a few weeks back, thought I had lost access to Multiple Meta Mask wallets, only had the primary wallet Seed Phrase (On paper in my safe), luckily I was able to recover the additional MM wallets. I'm glad I stumbled across your content, will now will be getting a stamping kit and washer template and a shit tone SS steel washers, nuts, and bolts from Home Depot. Thanks!

[@bearwolffish]

One seed phrase has access to many derived key pairs.

[@stephenmcvay5368]

I can't remember a video I found more useful than this. GREAT video.

[@RandyHartnell]

Thanks!

[@MotoTTZ]

Thank you!

[@Ymetro]

4 letters is enough, because all the 2048 available words in the seed phrase library have the first 4 letters being unique. That's why the 6 letter wordt does not quite fit on that column on the metal plate. It is made for 4 letters.

[@GemeAle-x6r]

Excellent video! One thing for everyone: American hardware stores like The Home Depot do not carry metric fender washers, bolts, and nuts. The 3D-printed jig is designed specifically for 24mm washers. It will not work with SAE 1" washers. Amazon is where you need to find the items in the parts list in the video description.

[@joe187976]

Get double dipped washers help from rust. Great video i ordered my stamp kit looking for to making this.

[@PatchCornAdams723]

This is unbelievably clever. I am going to make a bunch of these.

[@capchuckpriceutyoub]

Suggest also getting tamper stickers or tape so you can tell if someone has taken a peek at your words then put the stack back together.

[@DieterMeier-x8e]

Even cheaper, got mine done for 2.97€. Bought everything from Aliexpress. Thanks

[@Bitcoin_Satan]

Aliexpress is not a good idea. Now Aliexpress knows what you have. Hardware store with cash!

[@GeeeEmmm]

Saved me 100+ bucks! Cheers John.

[@markfrancis5164]

Necessity is the mother of invention. Elegant post industrial hack to solve the seed phrase problem. The only thing I might add is interspacing each washer with a narrow spring washer to space out the metal in the event of a 700C+ fire event.

[@TheV0ic3]

If you really want to go nuts on storage time without corrosion you could store these ins sealed container full of oil

[@sow4now]

Stainless washers.

[@sabljarka1158]

Stainless steel maybe ?

[@buildmaker]

Much better titanium washers, bolt and nut with lock 😊

[@aries6776]

316 Marine Grade stainless steel will be fine.

[@scottosborne8735]

old used oil

[@givemethemusicd]

If you are planning to bury those galvanized washers or put them some place where they will contact moisture, stamping them like this can negatively impact the several microns thick galvanizing layer protecting the mild steel washer. Points of rust can occur and spread. I'd recommend the extra cost of stainless steel washers.

[@sebasf2563]

Thank you, this is even better than letter stamping metal plates!

[@kenwilson8024]

I just stumbled on this video learning how to properly purchase crypto. He seems like a really nice guy.

[@thomasneal7126]

to be fair and open .... you would have a total investment of $66.35 it is $3.35 for hardware (washers, bolt and nut) $63.00 for the metal stamp kit (Amazon price) .If you already have a metal stamp kit or know someone that will let you use theirs then subtract $63.00

[@seemore4606]

Really great idea for the privacy aspect 100% and everyone should do it for that alone, but saving $50 is probably not that high your list of priorities if you are looking to protect your seed phrase 😄

[@TheSZimmer]

Ha exactly.

[@Nuck-b6t]

Thank you. Ive been thinking of a way to do this and your method nails it

[@cbarber]

Sensei I have NEVER heard of you and this was BRILLIANT!!-Thanks

[@gennaro4941]

Just watch the video.. I'm gonna be doing this soon.. Thank you. And subscribed!!

[@LFTRnow]

Good idea, but better is for each full backup you are planning, divide it into thirds. Only include some of the words with each set. This means you need all 3 thirds to restore your wallet easily, but having only 1 slows the brute force attack substantially. There are calculators out there to tell you how long it will take having only one of the 3 sets. Note also that having more words (if possible) makes it vastly slower to brute force, on the order of being hours vs thousands of years. 12 words is practically a joke, 18+ is pretty solid for this "thirds" method, but DYOR.

[@Bitcoin_Satan]

Multisig !

[@Crushanator1]

Glittery nail polish that you've taken and saved a picture of makes a handy diy tamper proof seal. Easy enough to get a nut and bolt that will end up with a relatively flat top or cut the bolt down to size yourself.

[@therealjackfisher]

This is the most brilliant idea I have seen so far.. Thanks man.

[@opietaylr]

Thank you. My local public library does free 3D printing so this works out perfectly for the stamp guide. Thank you for the link to the file

[@bearwolffish]

Wonderful that the library does this.

[@gregorysmith3097]

Great idea. I balked over the price of the commercial versions.

[@Spiralnebel_GB]

Thanks for sharing the 3D file

[@simonmaersk]

Interesting idea! Thank you for sharing. To improve on this idea, you could drill a hole through the nut and bolt and put a padlock on it. That'll prevent someone from lurking

[@taylordarion3477]

Or instead if the bolt you use the lock itself, to avoid making holes

[@DCnotPC]

Awesome idea! Probably best not to hold in marketplace.

[@yoanguila1]

Buy 3 copper plates with a good thickness, buy stainless screws and bolts, then get a set of punches (letters and numbers) and start hammering order of the words and the word itself. Then start drilling according to your screws and cover the engraved plate back and front. Screw everything tight and keep it safe. Copper melts down at 1085 degrees Celsius much higher than a scorching house reaching around 815-830 degrees Celsius.

[@lupeayala3125]

Great advice! Now I'm going to "Loyd's" for some supplies! 😁👍

[@HexproofAnarchist]

This is a great idea! What I already did for my keys was stamp onto blank 'dog tags'.

[@williamryan4959]

You can also plasti-dip the finished product to eliminate moisture concerns.

[@spokesperson_usa]

Recommend a nylon lock nut.

[@JohnDoe-u2q]

Because it's a bolt, you could bolt that to the frame of your car. Just don't forget that it's there. I can imagine there will be many ways of creating a back up with hardware and an engraver. Great food for thought though.

[@drcoffee5588]

I wonder if stamping grade 8 washers would be possible this way. It would stand up to abuse better. My friend, you are genius. Thank you

[@jasonbouchard9233]

such great creativity, John.

[@TexLogan-du2yi]

Clever yet simple. Great solution!

[@vmoutsop]

The description seemed weird and I wasn't sure what is was about but I watched anyway. Very cool, I like it.

[@rod2508]

Not your keys, not your crypto. But still a valid point. This was great. Thanks mate!

[@Proximax9]

also the way I do it: the three backups are not complete seed phrases. I made them so that combining two makes one complete phrase. that way, even if someone finds the backup, they cant do anything with it unless they find another one too.

[@thethinkingman9338]

this is exactly how i stored my seed phrase’s a long time ago

[@kevinkaye]

Excellent idea, and thank you for the detailed description of the process.

[@stormy3898]

John, this is so freaking cool!

[@dtarver]

Hey @john, do you recommend steel cover that would cover the washers?

[@vincentaurelius2390]

I like the idea of hiding a couple off-site but what about the risk that someone finds them and accesses the wallet? Or would they still need the pin? Thanks, great video.

[@Zues64]

brilliant. I wish I have seen this video before I bought one of those hundred dollar+ fancy ones. but starting from scratch, the stamp kit cost $62, plus the jig, perhaps 75 or so right? Can I ask how long it would take to stamp 24 words?

[@mntbighker]

I would like a small desktop punch press (like watchmakers use) with a 3D printed jig to hold the washers... but great idea.

[@MatthewELyons-yq7jd]

Maybe the best video I've seen lately ! Thank you greatly!

[@midnightcoder]

Looks like a great idea. I’m just afraid of, being so clumsy, I would unscrew this and all the washers would come down at once and get scrambled.

[@joshxt]

That’s why you label each washer 1-24

[@midnightcoder]

🤦‍♂️not sure how I miss that! thank you!

[@johnnyv6690]

Reason why the default solutions are limited/tight in character space, is because you only need 4 letters of a seed word to be unique :) So no more than that needed to get the right word from the list.

[@MotoTTZ]

True, but I like to spell out the full word to remove the guess work on what the word might be. For example: absu or dema, just to list a few.

[@jbennison5672]

I don't understand this. How can you just use the first 4 letters of a word on a plate? What if the word is 8 letters long?

[@MotoTTZ]

@@jbennison5672 You only need the first 4 letter because the wallet can figure out the remaining letter(s). The first 4 letters of a BIP39 list are all unique.

[@undacovibrother]

If you have three backups would recommend you divide those into 2/3 of the seed phrase so any 2 can complete the seed phrase but 1 can’t. Otherwise you are increasing your risk.

[@MotoTTZ]

@@undacovibrother If you want to split up the seeds, †hen I recommend you do a Shamir Backup.

[@sx3todd]

i was going to spend $200 for two fancy looking brand name, but this video just saves me $140 (and i’ll be able to make 4 storages minimum). so thank you!

[@Fylaxang]

This video is absolutely wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing! This is exactly what I was looking for!❤

[@julio_invest]

thanks for share the Jig 3D print file :)

[@62AUKelley]

DUDE! ABSOLUTELY AN AWESOME PROJECT. I HAVE ALL THE ITEMS IN MY TOOL KIT EXCEPT FOR THE JIG, WICH I'LL BE ORDERING TODAY. GREAT JOB!!!

[@Gismotronics]

Really good and informative video. Got me thinking and being more aware of the importance of keeping those seed words safe and secure. Just seeing all the links in the show notes speaks volumes.

[@321peted]

Cool idea. The cost is a bit off though. $4 for hardware $15 for the stamping kit $14 for the washer jig

[@jdgvee9313]

Only for the first set. Every set thereafter is cheep

[@5mxg]

Are punched letters visible on security scanners?

[@BO-dc4xg]

Great plan. I guess I’d wonder where do you put the account number? What is the best plan there?? Like on a separate bundle? Or maybe a long bolt with a smooth part then threads! Stamp the account number on the smooth part and put the seed words on the threaded part? Is this a good idea? Thank you

[@juliusstriker4465]

the seed phrase is the account number

[@DxV04]

This video earned you a new sub!! Excellent! I would argue its even safer than the other methods.

[@felbenli9636]

And if you buy the JC 3D printet thing ... John knows you're holding cryptos . In maybe 3 or 5 years , when you never remember again, John is visting you at a dark night and steel your washers. 😂😂😂

[@intereye]

Great idea. I'm already getting to work, thanks for the 3D printer file

[@texasRoofDoctor]

Very creative. Which cold wallet do you think is best right now ?

[@keshkumar7851]

Great idea , brilliant solution

[@pomme4moi]

This is a good idea. But if you live in an apartment you probably won’t have an anvil or workbench. You might need to buy a small jeweler’s block. You really need a strong and firm surface, and you need to hit with a single hammer strike. Kitchen table won’t suffice. If you’re still having difficulty, try softer copper washers. Also, hold the stamp with pliers so you don’t smash your thumb.

[@BTC_DNA]

Brilliant! Thanks, John!

[@elskid206]

I did something similar but I got an etcher. So my seed phrase is on something a bit larger than a washer but it's written just like you would write with a pen, except it's etched into the steel.

[@SK-ip4dv]

What is more handy, a flat surface seed backup, or a bulgy metal piece difficult to carry in a pocket and hide anywhere?

[@steunsoul]

Buy an engraver, some steel plates. Open an excel sheet , fill a lot of random words. Engrave the cell name on the plate, make the same ones for your friends. Put your words in the cells according to the plate. Put the sheet off- and online on multiple places. No one can do anything with the plate, or the xl sheet. Your friends are the backup for your metal plate in case you lose it.

[@CHUCKBRONSON]

YOU BLEW IT KNOW EVERYONE KNOWS OUR SECRET

[@theagency13]

Cleverly done sir. Thank you

[@MiguelGarcia-bc1sl]

The idea looks great, but when I tried those metal washers seem way too hard. I have to hit pretty hard and several times even to make a dent, and it is almost never the whole number that is seen. I think the ones I have are 2 mm thick stainless steel, are there others better for this task?

[@aries6776]

I would suspect your punches aren't up to the task. Should be hardened to RC 58-62 for the punch face and then softer for the body.

[@-Kreger-]

You can also buy copper or bronze washers. Not quite as durable. Rust proof. Bronze would be my choice. Should last easily more than a lifetime.

[@rubenayla]

Hmm very good idea! I'm thinking, since i have the private key by itself, no word set equivalent, I'm going to store the WIF version of the private key engraved in a small piece of glass

[@pomme4moi]

Great video. I assume you made several copies to store your seed key in multiple locations.

[@Got2Learn]

Love this idea!

[@JonStacksBTC]

Very nice jig. Gotta get one of those.

[@acujawa]

Amazing, thank you! I was looking for it

[@Otang6]

Great idea. If someone finds the washers do they get access to the wallet? Is it possible to add one more layer of security? This is good for preventing destruction of your seed words, but I worry about someone finding it.

[@Clay_333]

If you are extra concerned you can alway leave 1 word out and remember it or put it in a completely different place. The chances of a person breaking in your house, stealing your seed phrase, and also having the knowledge to brute force the last word is extremely low. Not saying it is impossible, but extremely improbable.

[@renan3916]

You can set a 25th passphrase stored somewhere else or even on your head

[@danieljames4050]

You’d probably want a loved one or someone you trust to be able to access it in case of your own death.

[@Grangey]

If you’re not going to hide this amongst tools, use bigger/longer bolts, drill through the bolt beneath the nut once the nut is on with washers in place, put a padlock through the hole in the nut. You don’t want just anyone able to undo a bolt to see your seed.

[@Fanta....]

Your advice is pointless. If someone has physical access to your seed, no padlock is going to protect you from your money being stolen. Nobody is going to sneak a peek and put it back. Make a second one, put 100 bucks in it, and put it in your safe. Hide the real one somewhere else. Let them steal your fake one and that can be your trip wire instead of noticing your lock has been cut or your seed is gone with all your money.

[@mikeme229]

You are the man. Great idea, thank you for sharing!

[@wookinc9952]

I F'n LOVE this!!!! John you my friend are a G!

[@coronapack]

I welded beads on 1 inch plate steel like I was writing on paper. Niether fire nor flood will make me not know what it says.

[@0reo2]

You can also buy empty stainless steel plates meant for general hobby use instead of crypto and they'll be a fraction of the cost. Admittedly, it's me difficult to make it look as neatly as this solution

[@quantumtechcrypto7080]

Use a metal engraver and aluminum or steel plates.

[@raul1899]

The best way to store your keys in metal is with a custom one... All those other ones, people know what they are. But if you customize your own, you can make it look like a piece of some electronic, some even look like car parts. People would just ignore them if they ever find them, or if someone were to brake into your house, etc.

[@LarsLarsen77]

You should use 316 stainless for corrosion resistance.

[@JohnSmith-zl8rz]

any link to buy those?

[@HazardousPoke]

Love this John - Thanks for sharing!