Machining a TI-89 Out of Aluminum
TangoMargarine writes "Sometimes, expensive calculators hit the floor. It's happened to almost anyone with a graphing calculator from TI or HP. Sadly, they don't always bounce. After this happened to [Howard C.], an Industrial Engineering student from U. of Iowa, he decided to spend $50 on milling his own replacement case out of aluminum rather than trashing the device over a broken battery compartment."
I know this guy personally. The durability thing was mostly just the spin HackADay put on it. As I recall, he milled this thing out mostly because it was a good way to get more experience milling complex items out of aluminum. And because the final product is seriously cool.