Bunny iphone charger and stand

[OscarG]

I've seen a few YouTubers make stuff with wireless chargers embedded into tables so thought I'd have a go at something like that.

I have an anniversary coming up so thought I'd try and make a bunny shaped charger for my girl (she's mad about bunnies). I figure if I made it into a stand it would at least still serve some function if the wireless charging aspect didn't work.

I had a nice piece of bubinga left over from another (bunny shaped!) project but it wasn't big enough to accommodate my Belkin charger and be shaped like a bunny, so I thought I'd make it a regular rectangular shape and try and inlay an oak bunny shape.

Need to have it done by this coming weekend so this is how I made the most of this glorious Easter weather, breathing in bubinga dust :wink:

Printed out a design and glued it to a scrap of oak

Bandsawed out shape

After a bit of sanding

Now chance to use my new Dewalt toy to rout out the inlay cavity

The dust extractor thing on fixed base does a fine job of removing dust but makes it hard to see where you're going, took it off in the end.

Not very happy with it but the bunny's in and the many f***ups filled with bubinga sawdust and glue, hoping once the finish is applied it will conceal some of my sloppiness.

Next job to rout out the big cavity for the Belkin charger. From tests on scraps it will charge through wood 5mm thick if the phone is naked, and about 3mm if the phone is in a case. I know she keeps her phone in a case so I've got to leave this wood pretty thin and rout it out leaving just a 3mm skin.

Thought I'd try and the plunge base on the router this time and wow, what a difference, can now use dust shield and see where I'm going.

If I was smart I'd have used a forstner bit to hog out the bulk of the waste first, but I'm an idiot so I didn't. One little mishap but otherwise job done.

test fit, little notch for the wire, seems ok

I couldn't show pics of it but the charger will charge my phone even in it's fat case so I'm pretty happy with it....

Now have to
- make a stand
- make a a little ledge for phone/ipad to sit on
- make something to stop charger falling out

 

[sunnybob]

full marks for ambition =D> =D>

If I am inlaying something I always cut the hole first, make the inlet item slightly large, and then hand sand to fit.
I'm not clever enough to rout two shapes that fit exactly. :roll:
That router is the tallest thing I have ever seen!!

Use 3 mm ply for the base. drill a few heat dispersion holes in it mind :shock: then a piece of double sided number plate tape to hold the box in place
then four tiny silicone cupboard door bump stops as legs.

 

[OscarG]

So the stand is another scrap of bubinga, used table saw to create a 30 deg angle. No fancy joinery here (don't have the skills!) so this bugger is gonna be glued on. I am a little concerned the base isn't deep enough and the balance will be off, worried the stand will be top heavy and tip backwards.

So it'll look something like this

I curved corners and used a round over bit. The fixed base on the router is wonderful for that, makes it very easy.

I cut a piece of oak as a back plate/cover for the charger and used some picture frame thingies to hold it in place

Thought it was a neat solution until I offered up the base...oops!

So some hastily redrilled holes and the back now looks like this

I made a little ledge but didn't take any pics as was running out of time..as always!

Here's all the bits, I've added some glue/filler for holes and defects around the knot in the oak

So I hope all the machining is done, I've taken all the bits home, hoping I can glue it together and finish it at my flat away from the workshop.

No idea how I'm gonna clamp it with that 30 deg angle, I do have these enormous Bessey k-klamps with a swivel attachment but don't know if they'll be suitable for this.

Got 4 evenings to finish it! :lol:

 

[sunnybob]

Oscar, its top heavy. with the tablet on that it will tip over backwards.

Use a triangle piece like you see on bookends to extend the rear footprint.

 

[OscarG]

full marks for ambition =D> =D>

If I am inlaying something I always cut the hole first, make the inlet item slightly large, and then hand sand to fit.
I'm not clever enough to rout two shapes that fit exactly. :roll:
That router is the tallest thing I have ever seen!!

Use 3 mm ply for the base. drill a few heat dispersion holes in it mind :shock: then a piece of double sided number plate tape to hold the box in place
then four tiny silicone cupboard door bump stops as legs.

Heat dispersion holes... #-o

oooh something has just fallen over inside me, that sounds like something pretty important.

"here you go sweety, enjoy....but don't leave it plugged in too long...er..gets a bit hot!"

Your way of inlaying sounds better! Will try that next time.

 

[OscarG]

Oscar, its top heavy. with the tablet on that it will tip over backwards.

Use a triangle piece like you see on bookends to extend the rear footprint.

hmm, I know you're right but I've already done a round over on the bottom edge of the base so not sure how I could extend the back.

ha.. maybe I could cut a cavity and put a big metal block in there (hammer)

 

[OscarG]

Bit of an update...

I took your advice Bob and extended the base, it's much more stable now.

Just need the finish now. Gonna use shellac sanding sealer and some Black Bison wax.

 

[sunnybob]

Much better, bit youre still close to tipping point once the charger, back plate and phone are sitting there.

Whenever you make something tall, take a look at the side view, guess the centre of the weight in the the piece, in a front to back plane, and then check how close that centre point is to the back edge.

Then its easy to forsee if youre going to go base over apex or not.

 

[OscarG]

Finished!

Previously when I've used wax to finish I've been massively disappointed with it, this time I followed Custard's advice to spend more time sanding at 80 and resist urge to quickly reach for the finer grits and using a shellac sanding sealer before the wax. What a difference, actually got a decent shine on this which I hope comes across on the pics. Actually happy with the finish for once!

My soppy message has been redacted, not for your eyes :wink:

Poor quality image but you can just about see battery icon is green, it's charging nicely.

I kind of wish I had made a channel underneath the base to hide the wire, think it looks a little untidy as it is.

Hope she likes it, will find out tonight!

 

[sunnybob]

As one of my grandchildren is fond of saying;
winner winner chicken dinner. =D> =D>