wooden iphone case?

[Marc Myer]

No, I haven't made one...yet.

I'm just wondering if any of you have tried. Otherwise, I'll have to get started making mistakes and screwing up some wood! It's not for commercial use, just as a fun project.

I'm thinking of other cool concepts for the iPhone--suggestions? Maybe marquetry, steam punk approach, etc?

[Dee Gallo]

Marc,

I think you might have better luck working with something like a silicone net concept. My only complaint with the iPhone is it does not have a way to hang it off your belt loop unless you put a cover on it. To me, that defeats the allure of the thing being sleek. It's also slippery. So if you made a silicone (not slippery) cover which is not a cover, but decorative, it might appeal to people especially if it provides a place to hook a carabiner or phone charm. Lots of women like to have something hanging on their phones which makes it easy to grab out of a bag quickly.

You might even be able to use one of the pre-made silicone skins and cut away to make the design.

Just one idea, cheers, dee

[Joe De Medeiros]

there are bamboo ones I've seen with custom laser engraving.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4580664934_d160ae89c1.jpg

http://www.grovemade.com/collections/artist

[Dee Gallo]

That's really cool, the bamboo - looks pretty thin too. But there is still the $70 price for a blank one for people to play with. Yikes!

I'm still of the mind that people who have iPhones want them to be seen as thin and sleek. Just my opinion.

[greg lindsey]

Those are pretty sharp though... nice engraving job.

[Jim Beachler]

Dee, Maybe I am one of the unusual people as I have a hard plastic case surrounded by a rubber case for my IPhone. I wanted this as I not a desk jockey and am in the shop and making calls to customers on the street. Not to mention loading product in and out of the truck.

Can't count the number of times that I have dropped it onto concrete and one time it fell into a mud pile.

I prefer a strong case. I have it not for sleekness but for what it can do with all of the apps.

[Frank Corker]

Wow that's nice work on the casing. Expensive maybe, but it must have taken a fair amount of work to create it, so it does justify the amount. Although I have to admit, some of those designs would make me vomit!

[Harper Abbot]

I saw a company offering these in like 3 kinds of wood and bamboo. I thought it would be pretty cool to engrave them, so I sent and inquiry about a sample order. I think the price was more like $25 per.

[Joe Hayes]

I saw a company offering these in like 3 kinds of wood and bamboo. I thought it would be pretty cool to engrave them, so I sent and inquiry about a sample order. I think the price was more like $25 per.

And the company is??

[Sara Gould]

Due to the timing of getting my laser and the availability of domain names I seem to have made engraving iPads the specialty of my business. The aluminum etches well and it's a hit give-away for corporations (wow, nobody ever gave me a $500 gadget!).

The Black iPhones engrave very well as under that shiny black is light colored plastic. The white ones the same, but the same light colored plastic leaves less contrast. The new iPhone4 is actually glass... alumino-silicate 'helicopter windshield' glass, but it engraved the same as any other glass I've done.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4758452579_26798b7f7d_m.jpg

That said, I'm looking for engravable iPad cases myself... some of the leather ones are gorgeous, but $$$. The not-real-leather ones are scary because they could be PVC. Has anyone figured out how to get an MSDS for retail items like that? I'm used to having them for chemical products, but retail seems like you'd have to track down the manufacturer.

Sara
40W Epilog Mini24

[Mike Null]

Sara

Welcome to SMC. Very nice work and good info.

[Chris J Drew]

Try the "burnination" test for PVC content.
http://vimeo.com/1615418?pg=embed&sec=1615418

[Belinda Barfield]

Sara,

Very nice work! As Jim said, many of us work in an environment that is not phone friendly and a case is essential.

[Joe De Medeiros]

Due to the timing of getting my laser and the availability of domain names I seem to have made engraving iPads the specialty of my business. The aluminum etches well and it's a hit give-away for corporations (wow, nobody ever gave me a $500 gadget!).

The Black iPhones engrave very well as under that shiny black is light colored plastic. The white ones the same, but the same light colored plastic leaves less contrast. The new iPhone4 is actually glass... alumino-silicate 'helicopter windshield' glass, but it engraved the same as any other glass I've done.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4758452579_26798b7f7d_m.jpg

That said, I'm looking for engravable iPad cases myself... some of the leather ones are gorgeous, but $$$. The not-real-leather ones are scary because they could be PVC. Has anyone figured out how to get an MSDS for retail items like that? I'm used to having them for chemical products, but retail seems like you'd have to track down the manufacturer.

Sara
40W Epilog Mini24

There has been talk of apple not honoring the warranty on iPhones and iPads that have custom laser engraving. anyone know if this is true, I did a search, but came up empty.

[Garrett Ellis]

you could practice on cardboard first

http://www.case-mate.com/iPhone-3G-Cases/Case-Mate-iPhone-3G--3GS-recession-case.asp

other wooden ones

http://www.miniot.com/miniot/iphone.htm

[Harper Abbot]

And the company is??

The company was called Vers I think, but it's been quite a while and I have received no response. The cases are top-loading which makes them a bit clunkier looking than the one previously posted.

retail is $29.

[Sara Gould]

There has been talk of apple not honoring the warranty on iPhones and iPads that have custom laser engraving. anyone know if this is true, I did a search, but came up empty.

Try googling for laser engraving apple warranty and iPod shuffle. There was a post on Make Magazine's page several years ago.

I've heard that it's case-by-case depending on what's wrong with the device, and you will probably have to appeal to the manager of the Apple store you visit. I've also heard that the default answer from the Apple Geniuses is that it DOES void the warranty. BUT if you dig into the actual wording of the warranty they discuss engraving done by someone other than Apple not being recreated upon warranty service of the engraved device. Which makes one say "hmmmm"...

Bottom line, I made sure I had a 'buyer is responsible for knowing their own warranty' section in my contract... it's up to the owner of the device and I can't really promise them what Apple (or Dell or whoever) will or won't decide.

Thanks for the welcome. I've been lurking a while. :)

Sara

[Joey Jarrard]

That is so cool Sara. You should start a web site like Pimp my iPhone dot com.

My business partner and I have the iPhone if we lay them down it is a toss up if I grab the correct phone. we even bought the same case. This would be so cool a CAMaster iPhone i love it.

[Dan Hintz]

Joey,

You mean you guys haven't engraved something unique on each case? <tsk tsk> ;)