Trigger happy picture frame

[ColeyS1]

Haven't done a wip for a while, so thought I'd post a few pics of something I've just finished. I really enjoy the starting of a project but then easily become distracted and lose enthusiasm once I've started. I'm relieved this one is finished (besides the hanging part) so here goes........

A while ago a guy kept popping in the workshop and was telling me how he made birch ply rocking horses and how he really enjoyed doing it ! That was enough of an incentive so I dropped everything else I'd started and decided to try making something with ply but perhaps more functional for myself. Playing with my phone several hours a day I decided the 'gallery home screen' might make a quirky picture frame. The only thing I needed to do was make it a bit bigger !

Next was to make a jig using lots of small bits of wood ,then fix it to a solid piece of wood and flush trim

Was a relief having a solid jig lying around instead of one just super glued together :lol:

More pics to follow, I'm painfully slow at writing :roll:
Coley

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[chippy1970]

Interesting idea

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[ColeyS1]

Thanks chippy
Next thing was to flush trim the birch ply and put rebates around the holes to take the glass

After looking around I thought putting a digital picture frame in one of the openings might mix it up a bit

This looked like it'd be the easiest to fit as the screen was literally flush with the frame surround.
The phone I was looking at had a curvy back so the next step was to figure out what size pieces I'd need, but also allow access to the back to insert the pictures. Having the curvy back was my way of seeing the different layers of the birch ply- bit like the rocking horse effect I felt the urge to do

The worst part of the layering stage was deciding where I could safely put screw holes without the screws showing when the moulding was done.

Coley

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[ColeyS1]

Looking a bit more phone looking now.
Before moulding I thought it best to route and drill the various holes for switches and the headphone hole whilst I had a square edge to work to.

All the layers at this point were still unglued, I was petrified of gluing something not being able to retrofit all the gubbins afterwards

I temporarily screwed in the oak switches so they could be moulded the same time as the rest of the phone. I remember this feeling like the calm before the storm knowing the next step was make or break, crash and burn :|
Coley

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[marcros]

coming along well. i am watching this WIP with interest.

 

[Monkey Mark]

Very nice idea. Will be interesting to see its progress.

 

[MickCheese]

I love it. What a great idea.

Mick

 

[ColeyS1]

Thanks for your thoughts chaps

Next step was the spindle moulder. I used an off cut the same thickness just for setting up

I'd never spindled birch ply before but it spindle o.k, just hard as .... and no doubt blunted the cutters - nice burnt corners !

The annoying part was it hadn't shown as much variation in the layers as I had hoped for. The other snag being the bits where it did show the nice layers would be up against the wall

Coley

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[NickWelford]

Interesting concept, especially with the digital insert. What I want to know is, what happens when they upgrade the phone design?

 

[ColeyS1]

Interesting concept, especially with the digital insert. What I want to know is, what happens when they upgrade the phone design?

Funny you should say that ! When I originally started the project I had a sg3 phone. This was the first phone I was truly happy with so that was partly why I chose that model handset. I'd hoped I could take a final pic of them both side by side but they did a firmware update and altered the gallery layout I'm a big fan of the company and had hoped to put their logo on the top but didn't want to risk being sued for copyright. Hopefully to the untrained eye it'll look like a fairly generic handset.
I wanted to get one of those all in one touchscreen pcs and put that in the biggest hole- I just couldn't justify the cost, then having to possibly chop it about to fit- the digital frame was a compromise if money were no object a digital frame in each with a few second delay powering each on would look kinda funky/confusing

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[ColeyS1]

I wanted the phone to be a bit more than just a normal frame so wanted it to also function a bit like a real one- getting the switches to work something was one of my wishes. Having a digital frame I thought it best if I could turn it on/off via the phone switch- the only issue then was after a few beers remembering to turn it off, so it didn't wear out the digital frame unnecessarily. I'd seen those push timers before that operate a light for a set time and thought if I could get one small enough that'd be ideal ! The problem was finding one that didn't have a massive button on the front

To say it was a tight squeeze was an understatement and my main concern for the entire job. The layers were still unglued as I just couldn't commit and risk not being able to retrofit stuff, yet I couldn't retro fit stuff till the frame was glued. Months passed and the biggest risk soon became clear that it was gonna get damaged being left in the way all the time.

 

[ColeyS1]

On the phone I was using for reference it had 3 small circles on the face. One was for the front facing camera the other two, not so sure. I had a spare cctv camera left over so so that could function as the forward facing camera.

It was just a bit tight for space !

For the other two circles I thought adding a couple downlight would make it a little more functional and also give the spare two switches something to operate. The biggest hassle was finding some lights suitable

After fitting the lights and camera I could finally glue all the pieces together

Part of me wanted to try the vac bag but the other part thought sticking with trusty old solo clamps would be more predictable. Relieved to be finally able to lift around one lump instead of a lot of pieces :lol:

Cheers
Coley

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[chippy1970]

Any more updates Coley ?

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[ColeyS1]

Any more updates Coley ?

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Not sure how I missed this one
It's been finished for a while, looks like I forgot I started a wip :lol:

Frame sanded up and laminate glued ready for application.

Glue was probably past it, but once i poured I was kind of comitted

Flush trimmed the laminate

Varnished the frame

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[ColeyS1]

I decided to make a headphone jack so the headphones actually played out music.
Sorry this is all a bit mixed up, I can't quite remember the details

The headphones are very much an unfinished project. Finishing the phone was quite exhausting so I was relieved when it was hung on the wall and I always thought I'd finish the headphones when I'd had a break from it

Cctv front facing camera was a tight squeeze and needed a bit of butchering

The timer switch needed the bottom painting black- it would be visible via the charging socket.
I always planned on making a charging lead and have it look like the dog had chewed through it. That idea never happened

This was the setup I used for getting the phone side switches to work. I used a push button on off switch that was pressed via the wooden ones- these operated the lights

Digital picture frame installed.
For ease of updating the frame, I put a usb extension going through the headphone jack hole

Earpiece cover I thought easiest to cheat and use a pillar drill with router cutter for making the holes

Back of the frame with everything installed. I remember being excited at the thought of turning it over- sad I know, but it'd be the first time I'd see what it'd actually look like !

The end was in sight.
I got the wall ready with the necessary power and cctv feed, just a case of hanging it then.

It was quite heavy so took my workmates help to hang it

Really pleased it was on the wall and not needing to be moved around the workshop anymore !

Cheers
Coley

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[Roughcut]

That's fantastic! =D>

 

[ColeyS1]

That's fantastic! =D>

Thanks bud, I enjoy seeing it now it's finished
Coley

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[lee celtic]

Very very cool idea.. You need to get some sort of copyright on that they will sell..

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Not sure that he wants to make another 500 of those for retail though!!

 

[ColeyS1]

I've still kept the jig, but it'd still take a few minutes to knock another out

Coley