Wooden Phone Case

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Have you ever wanted to create a custom iPod/iPhone case? I came across a video showing how to make an iPad mini case meant for use as a cash register (by I Like To Make Stuff) and thought of making a more mobile version for a smaller device.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukNNv3Pqvac&list=UUClg7arquc7jRvQ_JpmKJPQ

For this project, I modeled the case after the iPod touch 4th gen. I grabbed some basic tools and made a detailed drawing of the iPod and what I wanted the case to look like (it turned out a little different). I used this drawing during the project to get measurements and what-not. You could also design this in CAD, if you are good at that.

I used pine for this case, because it was what I had on hand, but a hardwood would be much better. I used my chop saw to cut some really small slices off of a large chunk. Then I traced the thickness for the walls using the iPod, and cut out the strips.

Once all the pieces were cut, I used four spring clamps and let it dry for a couple hours. I ended up leaving my iPod in the middle while gluing, just so that the fit was sure to be perfect.

Once the glue was dry, I took out the iPod, and used my band saw to trim the edges flush with each other. Then I used my picture that I drew earlier to mark out where to cut on another piece of thin pine, but before I cut it out, I drilled the hole for the front facing camera.

To finish the face plate, I used the band saw to cut out the inner rectangle, which left a small line at the bottom that I later glued together again. I used a thin blade to get the tight corners and curves inside. Then I used a pencil to mark where to drill holes for the four small screws. Be careful when drilling wood this small as it cracks easily.

Once the face plate was finished, I used some small screws to hold all the layers together. Then I drew faint curves on the corners and cut them out on the band saw. After that was done, I sanded everything with an orbital sander to round and smooth the corners and edges.

To seal the case, I used a wood stain to darken the wood and then multiple coats of polyurethane varnish with a light sanding in-between coats. This way the wood is protected from moisture from your hands as well as stains. Once it was all dry, I put my iPod inside and screwed it together. Finished! This project only took a couple of hours (not counting drying time). I used lots of power tools in the building of this, but if you needed to, you could get by with only a drill and some various saws.