Cardboard Fallout PIP-boy

In this instructable i will be replicating the pip boy 3000a from fallout 3/ new vegas. Im making this as a case for an ipod 5th generation, and i'll be downloading the Bethesda Pipboy app for the gui. I'm adding some neat features as well, and since the pip boy in the game has a built-in flashlight, i’m going to use some leds to replicate that feature too.

-I’m using an ipod touch 5th gen, but you can make this for almost any apple or android device with less than a 6” screen.

-Cardboard sheets

-LEDs, I used little rectangular panels with two lights on them

-A 9v battery

-Hot glue

-Adhesive tape

-a switch

-a 9v battery harness

-A fitness glove

-and an old ribbon cable

You 're going to want to measure yourself in five different places. The first place is the part of your wrist that you would typically put a watch on. That's where the first piece of cardboard will touch, and this is how wide you will make the arch that the pipboy will rest on. The second place is the length of your forearm. You'll want to cut this measurement roughly in half.

pretty self explanatory, just cut out pieces about the diameter of your wrist.

Use the circular pieces you cut out to make a platform of sorts on top of your wrist. The length of the platform should be roughly half the length of your forearm, or longer depending on the size of your device.

Pretty much just finishing the box. since the measurements vary depending on each individual, I can't really give a lot of info for this step. on the bottom part, make a flap that goes on the inside of the box as shown above. this will end up being your latch. The bottom piece is hinged with clear adhesive packing tape.

Take the old ribbon cable and cut one end off so it isn't poking you in the arm, and hot glue the end with a pin plug to the glove. Then hot glue the other end inside the box in the corner. Make sure you have enough cable length outside the box so you can freely move your hand.

This step is basically everything inside the box. Get your handy strip of Velcro and glue it to the inside to further secure your wrist to the box. Then glue your 9v battery holder to a negative space inside the box where it won't be constantly poking your arm. Poke holes in the side of the box to tread your cables through for the leds and hot glue them to the outside of the box. then grab your switch and make a hole large enough to put it through. here you want to be really careful to not gum up your switch with hot glue. I did this once and had to use a heat gun and a bent paperclip to fish all the hot glue out. don't put yourself through that. then essentially wire everything together using your preferred method.

cut out three pieces of cardboard according to these 2 measurements:

1. the perimeter of your phone (2)

2. the perimeter of your screen.

so essentially you want to cut out rectangles slightly smaller than the box. Then the rectangle on the inside of that is what you cut out based on the measurements above.

enjoy!!!