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Steve knight
03-30-2009, 2:40 AM
These are battery powered headphone amps very high end electronics. They retail for around 800.00
I have made quite a few ipod docks and other electronic boxes. These are hollowed solid wood boxes. I do all the woodworking and I made the plastic plate and adaptors. I don’t do the laser engraving or make the white inserts or the electronics.
I did battle to get the plate that holds the jack the ipod/itouch/iphone plugs into and the plastic piece the player rests in. getting the depth on the inside was so hard and cutting them at an angle was a real pain. I would have to dial in the cut each time I made a few.
Well I finally figured out how to do it with plastic. It took some work and a lot of test cuts to get it right. To get the main plastic plates to all fit was a real battle since they are different on the backside. They are designed to have a pressure plate to hold them in place and I can’t do that. The holes are threaded for the plate so it can be removed.
These boxes are 7”wide 5.1” deep and 2.75” tall some are glued up and some are solid depending on the wood I can find. I hogged them out with a ½” downcut bit at 2” ips ½” cut depth. The holes are cut with a 1/8” downcut. The plastic is milled with a 1/8” upcut endmill. The 3d ramp is cut with a ¼” upcut.

I had a friend draw out the 3d ramp I used cut3d to do the toolpath. Then imported it into vcarve 5. I drew out the rest in vcarve. This was cut on my shopbot.

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/ipodadaptorpost3.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/ipodadaptorpost5.jpg
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/ipodadaptorpost6.jpg
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/ipodadaptorpost7.jpg
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/ipodadaptorpost2.jpg
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/ipodadaptorpost1.jpg
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/ipodadaptorpost10.jpg
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/ipodadaptorpost13.jpg
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/ipodadaptorpost8.jpg
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/posting/ipodadaptorpost9.jpg

AL Ursich
03-30-2009, 11:57 AM
Excellent work !!!!

Any pictures of the Electronics?

AL

Steve knight
03-30-2009, 12:28 PM
here you go
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/shopbot%20posting/Pad_intenal2.jpg
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s266/knighttoolworks/shopbot%20posting/Pad_internal_straight.jpg

Brian Peters
03-30-2009, 8:04 PM
Stunning work, they are very well done. Any chance you could share with us how you managed the multisided machining. You pocketed out the interior and then it looks like you're vcarving the text in the top and also holes for the knobs. Did you make some kind of fixture for this? Thanks for posting! Are you using a regular spiral cutter for the acrylic? If so have you looked into using an o-flute? They leave a mirror finish if you use the right feeds/speeds.

Steve knight
03-31-2009, 12:14 AM
my jig is pretty simple. a 3/4" plywood rectangle with a rectangle cutout for the boxes. it has dowel holes through it into my spoilboard to locate it. a couple it t slot clamps and a fence on the opposite side.
I don't do the text or vcarving on this design though I have done it in the past on other boxes these are done with a laser. You can't really get that fine of cut on wood.
I do the edges first with a 1/8" downcut spiral bit and the box is clamped against the fence with a c clamp this is a fun thin as the boxes are 5.1" tall and there is not much extra z clearance.
then I hollow them out with the box clamped in place with the t clamps.
the older version before I came up with the plastic adapter I had to cut the boxes to fit that plate at a 12 degree angle. it was a real pain to cut it all accurately.
I like the o flute bits but not really the price. they get expensive when I break them (G) about 22.00 verses 8.00

AL Ursich
03-31-2009, 9:26 PM
Thanks for the Electronic Pictures.... Excellent Work, ... I fixed Sony Play Stations 2's for a few years at a service center and I am retired Navy Electronics.... I have an appreciation for stuff like that...:D

Thanks,

AL