DIY flip minoHD quality underwater case

Flip Mino HD it´s a easy to use camera, with good image quality for it´s small size. In good light conditions it displays a clear sharp footage. I wanted to use this camera to record my scuba diving and fishing, but since i can´t find a case for this camera, only for flip ultraHD and the rated depht of the flip case is only 30feet / 6m, i decided to build a custom case for this camera.  This is the 3rd custom case i build for my photo and video cameras. None of them ever failed, and all of them have gone past 10meters depth.

Step 1 Gathering materials and total cost

I´ve used the following materials for this build:

- 15x20cm 3mm thick Acrilic sheet for the main body.
- (2x) 9x14cm 8mm thick Acrilic sheet for the lid and for added thickness of the main body
- Epoxy glue
- Wood mold
- Rubber oRing
- Stainless steel bolts and nuts
- Aluminium parts from old HDD for start stop rubber button and visor protector.
- other parts

Cost in euros.
Acrilic - 3,5 eur
5X rubber gaskets - 4eur
Glue - Already have but a 2 compound seringe like this will cost you 8 eur. you´ll use about 5% of it
Stainless steel bolts and nuts - 3,5eur.
Other parts have to be scavenged so costs may change.
It also helps to have the right tools for machining and threading

In total i didn´t spend more than 15eur in this project

Comments

[richie_114]

Awesome 'Ible!! Well done!! I wonder If I could form that acrylic with my home brew vacuum molder?

[tiagoblanquet]

Hum tryed that and it didn´t work out so great, it needs a great deal of vacuum to mold that thikness

[richie_114]

Glad you tried it first then. Thanks for responding!

[kcls]

Nice 'ible! I wanted to make one for my digital camera, but it has way more buttons. How could I make it work? The picture of the camera is below. It has a circle button, with a button in the middle. There are four buttons surrounding the circle buttons. On top, there is the button to take a picture surrounded by the zoom knob. The power button is also on top. Thanks!

[tiagoblanquet]

In my experience in photography underwater, with homemade rigs i don´t think is necessary to have all the buttons of the camera. With my old rig with a sony P93 i only had two buttons. On/off and shutter button. The camera was in auto mode with no flash. That setting let the camera ajust shutter speed and aperture and that is enough for underwater photography on a clear day. The zoom doesn´t work underwater because you can´t get a steady position and you will blurry the photos. Check my first project for the P93 here.

[ducktape.mac]

do the bolts scratch the camera?

[tiagoblanquet]

Good point. It do scracth the on off button on the camera if you don´t sand it properly. Sand it good rounding the edges and you should get no problems.

[ducktape.mac]

okay, thanks.

[ajmckay]

Great Instructable!!! It's given me some good ideas, as well as a confidence that a high-quality hard case can be made without having to buy one for $200 USD. One question though, any other ideas on where to find the screw you used for the on/off button? I have a Kodak Zi8 which I want to build an enclosure for. I don't do any diving, but I want to make one which I can use to video my fish tank, and also to protect from dust and impact while I take it on mountain bike rides strapped to my helmet. Most of the other instructables are either too flimsy (plastic bag) or too bulky (pvc etc...) for my purposes so I have been designing a similar enclosure out of acrylic. Mine is slightly different in that I need some weight reductions so I will use 1/8" acrylic (mine won't go so deep) and nylon screws. I will also use a gasket over the entire back using a thick plastic sheet (Intra-veinous drip bag). I'll post my instructable next week.

[tiagoblanquet]

the rotary button can be made out of brass or aluminium tubing. Thread the inside and then drill the top part with a slighly larger drill. Then a bolt with a groove so it can receive an o-ring. I´ve only used this solution cause there wasn´t enough room on the side for a button like the start stop one wich needed that round plate to secure the rubber button

[fxkill]

Would you happen to know the size of the oRing, its the last item I need to start building this awesome case.

[tiagoblanquet]

With the oRing i first start by diging the groove on the acrilic, and then take the case to a steelbearings store wich sell oRings in various sizes. The tichness though is 3.5mm

[Jobar007]

Is ambient pressure a problem at depth with the button on the back? As in does pressure at depth actuate the button on the back?

Awesome idea by the way. As soon as I saw what you were doing I smacked my forehead saying, "I know how to vacuum-form plastic. Why didn't I think of that!?!"

[tiagoblanquet]

Vacuum-form should work even better. As for the button, i didn´t have any actuation prom pressure when testing at 15m depht wich is as far as i go in apnea. As soon i have my boat back i´ll go offshore to test it at 40m. I left some space betwen the rubber button and the rod that pushes the camera button so if the rubber flexes it has some space to flex, and this rubber is strong so offers plenty of resistance before flexing.

[fruitkid101]

Hey great one! I've been molding acrylic to make iPod cases for me and my friends, they all love theirs. I've been doing it since last year. I should start selling these...

[mikejs]

This is awesome - I love the way you've molded the acrylic, and that jig you built for it is pretty genius. Projects like this are what makes Instructables great.

What are the measurements for the block you used? And have you considered shaping the wood block to match the contours of the Mino? It looks like a pretty perfect fit already, but might be able to have it fit even snugger, especially where the lens bevels out slightly.

Also, where did you source your case gasket? Or did you use a gasket compound for it?

Keep it up!
Mike
========
my DIY blog: mikesenese.com/DOIT

[tiagoblanquet]

The wood block dimensions match the mino dimensions. The lens bevel would be slightly complex shape but it is possible no problem. The only problem is the more elaborated wood mold that have to be made.

[Pueo]

I like it!  Question though, where did you get the O-ring from?  I didn't see it on the parts list.

[tiagoblanquet]

I got the oRing from a shop that sells steel bearings and other industrial parts.
Had to do some searching.