Stainless Steel IPhone Case W/Belt Loop

Several years ago I had Sony PDA in my pocket while under my truck.  When I rolled over, I heard the crunch of my screen breaking.  I needed a belt case for my iPhone and didn't want that to happen again.  I was inspired by an instructable by Phil B's https://www.instructables.com/id/iPhone-Case-of-Polished-Metal/  to make a metal case.

Yesterday i made this stainless steel belt case for my newly acquired iPhone 4.  Like most of you, I wanted to protect it from screen damage, but I have an affinity for SS, so I made it out of scrap SS I had picked up some time back at the salvage yard for just such a project.  

Stainless is a difficult metal to work with, but well worth the effort.  I welded it with my MIG wire welder using SS wire and ground down the tack welds.   I was having trouble getting the front "mirror smooth" so I did some "engine turning" on the front.  I used a sandpaper roll on my milling machine and it came out better than I expected.

I lined it inside with thin leather on the front, sides and bottom. A trial fit told me it would be too tight using the .070" leather, so I use a cloth backed vinyl upholstery on the front that measured .040.  I used contact cement to glue the lining inside.  The phone fits perfect with a little bit of drag and it is easy to remove using my finger through the hole in the bottom..