Laser cut Kindle/electronic eReader hard case

* This is my first instructable...  It is also an entry for the 3rd Epilog Challenge Contest.  If I win the Epilog laser, I will probably get talked into making minature doll house pieces and parts, etching various things for family, friends, and possibly income, and I would definitely NOT use it to burn ants.  :) *


This project describes how to build a very rugged and elegant looking hard case for an electronic eReader of the Kindle variety. It can easily be adapted for other eReader sizes.

Electronic gadgets are very useful. Damage can occur with rough handling and transport, especially in a duffle bag or backpack.  Making a container with sturdy sides will protect the contents during most transport events.


Envisioning the finished product :
Two-dimensional sheets can be stacked into a three-dimensional object to create a box with interlocking halves. The best way to describe the finished product is to characterize it in terms of a sandwich. If you stack multiple slices of bread on top of each other, cutting rectangles in the middle slices, you end up with a solid top, a solid bottom, and a protected area inside the middle rectangles. Make the slices big enough, and an eReader will fit inside.

When finished, all of the layers of this "sandwich" (rectangles) will have 0.50-inch radius rounded corners.  This produces a very attractive and durable container. An edge-rounding router bit with 0.0625-inch radius eliminates any sharp edges on layers with outside edges.

Step 1: Shape, Size, Structure

Making the inside rectangle size 6 x 8 inches provides enough space for a Kindle (not the Kindle DX), the standard power adapter, and the USB cable. The outside rectangle size of 8 x 10 inches allows for both halves of the container to interlock nicely.
The thickness of the laser cut kerfs allows the top and bottom halves of the container to fit snugly, but not too tightly.

Actual measurements on the Kindle with a cover that includes the LED light : Dimensions: 5 3/8 x 7 13/16 inches (5.3750” x 7.8125”)
Rectangle size, inside dimensions: 6 x 8 inches
Rectangle size, outside dimensions: 8 x 10 inches
Rectangle side width: 1 inch on each side and 0.50 inches on center layer sides
Rectangle corner radius: 0.50 inches
Acrylic sheet thickness: 0.220 inches nominal, 0.198 actual
All holes are 0.23 inches in diameter

Note the layout here:
First Image: The Center and 3x Middle layers.
Second Image: Top, Bottom and 2x Middle layers.
The 5 middle layers are identical.
The 2 top and bottom layers are identical.
There is only 1 Center layer.

These eight layers assemble as follows:
1. Top Layers 1-4 are 0.792 inches thick - Top half of container
2. Middle
3. Middle
4. Center This layer has two interlocking rectangles each 0.50 inches wide
5. Middle
6. Middle
7. Middle
8. Bottom Layers 4-8 are 0.99 inches thick - Bottom half of container
Layers 1-8 are 1.584 inches thick - Total container thickness
Layers 2-7 are 1.188 inches thick - Total space for eReader
Recall that each part is 0.198 inches actual thickness.

The cutouts from each layer consist of enough material to use in another project.

Comments

[iNate]

this looks cool I would make one if I had a laser cutter but since I don't I might try to make something like this out of wood