You want to play your IPhone or Mp3 player out loud but your speakers are just too boring. Then you should do something with your speakers. If only you had dancing lights it would be much more fun. Well, now you can by following the steps of this Awesome Project. The ShopBot would be very handy when it comes to cutting out holes. If the wood was thicker one could engrave patterns and designs.

NOTE: Each step will have it's own list of supplies. Please read all of the instructions before buying any of the supplies.

Step 1: The Shell

     The shell is cut from pine plywood 1/4 in. thick. The dimensions given below are measured in inches.

Supplies:                                                                                 Tools:

     Top & Bottom:                                                                       Jigsaw or Band saw
3" x 4 1/2"                                                                           Wood Glue
                                                                                                       Wood Stain
     Sides:                                                                                      Paint Brush
    3" x 7"                                                                                  Light Sandpaper
                                                                                                       Damp Rag
     Front & Back:                                                                          Dry Paper Towel
          5" x 7"                                                                                 Compass to draw circles

     Corners:
          3" x 1/2" x 1/4" You can find 1/2" x 1/4" sticks at a crafts shop. they need to be 3 inches long.

A.     Cut the pieces using the dimensions above.

B.     One of the 5" x 7" Will be the front. Starting from the 5" side draw a line down the center of the wood. 2 1/2 inches down from
         the top place the needle of the compass and draw a 4" diameter circle. This will be the face of the clock.

C.     5/16" from the bottom of the line draw a perpendicular line across. This will be called L2 (Line 2). Measure from where the        first line crosses L21. Mark 1 1/8 in on both sides of the first line. These will be points of two circles. On one of the marks    draw a 2" circle. do the same to the other mark. This will be holes for 2 in. speakers.

D.     Use the Jigsaw and cut out the circles.

E.     Glue the pieces into a box. Be sure the corner pieces are laying flat against the top and the bottom. Do not glue on the back, this will be put on in the last step.

F.     Once the glue is dry follow the instructions for the wood stain on the can. Let the stain dry for 24 hrs.

     While Step F is drying you can start on Step 2.

Step 2: Lights

Supplies:                                                                                                Tool:

     "Sound-to-Light Kit "                                                                             Soldering Iron
     (The link will take you to Radio Shack)                                             Solder
                                                                                                                       Wire Strippers or Wire Cutters
     Speaker wires.

     Different color LED's (optional)

A.     Follow the instruction manual from the kit and solder on all the components except the LED's, battery case, and mic.

B.     Cut 6 sets speaker wires, each 10 inches long.

C.     Strip the ends and solder them in place of the LED and the mic. Be sure to mark the polarities on the opposite ends of the wires.

D. Strip the opposite ends of the LED wires and solder on the LED's. Be sure the short wire of the LED's are being soldered on the wire that is on the flat side of the picture on the chip board.

E. Put in the handle for the Trimmer.

Step 3: Speakers

Supplies:                                                                               Tools:

      MP3 Speaker with 2 in. speakers.                                  Screw Driver
                                                                                                     Wire Cutter
                                                                                                     Hot Glue Gun

A.     Take apart the speakers. Save the screws that hole the board

B.     Cut the wires to the speaker. Cut in to middle of the speakers. Be sure the label the wire coming from the board, which is left and which is right.

C.     Cut the wires to the battery case. Cut as close as you can to the case. Leave the phone jack alone.

D.     Remove the chip board.

E.     If the Shell is dry glue the Speaker in their place at the two hole.

Step 4: Control Board

Supplies:                                                                                                  Tools:

     The speaker chip and screws.    Hot Glue Gun
                                                                                                                        Screw Driver
     The "Sound-to-Light Kit" chip and screws.                                        Wire cutters
                                                                                                                        Soldering Iron
     2 long thin nails                                                                                      Solder
                                                                                                                        Drill bits
     2 pieces of 1/2 x 1/4 both 4 1/2" long.                                                 Drill

A.     With the Hot glue Gun glue the two pieces of wood together to make a wall.

B.    Screw the speaker and light boards on one side. Have the trimmer of the lights and the volume control of the speakers be as far away from each other as possible with out the volume switch touching the wall. Be sure they are even with each other.

C.    Take a nail and place it in the center of the volume wheel. Glue it in place with lot of hot glue.

D.     Follow Step C for the lights Glue the nail to the black handle, not to the trimmer itself.

E.    Measure the distance of the nails and mark it onto the front side of the shell. Drill small hole big enough to fit the nails through.

F.     Insert the control board from the inside. Look at the two boards. The component that sticks out the furthest must be an inch or more away from the front side. Glue it into place.

G.     Solder the speakers wire together. when the solder cools cover it with drops from the glue gun to prevent short circuits.

Step 5: Clock

Supplies:                                                                                       Tools:

     Hard cardboard                                                                            Razor Knife
     Clock motor                                                                                   Masking Tape
                                                                                                              Compass

A.    Using the compass draw a 4" diameter circle. Cut out with the knife

B.     Cut out a strip of card board 1" thick about 1ft long.

C.     Wrap strap around circle. Cut off access and hole in place with tape.

D.     Insert motor into center.

E.     Cut or drill holes big enough for the LED's to slide through.

     This photo shows where the LED's will be mounted. You can place them in different positions if you choose. Do not insert the hands yet.

Step 6: Swiches

Supplies:                                                               Tools:

     2 switches                                                             Soldering Iron
     2 speaker wires                                                   Solder
      New Battery case for Speakers

A.     In the upper corners drill in hole big enough for the switches to come through.

B.     Taking the battery case for the lights, solder a wire to the positive (red) wire. Solder the other end to a tab of a switch. Take the positive wire from the board and solder it to the other tab of the same switch. Negative (black) wire and solder it the directly to the board.

C.     Do the same for the speakers. My speaker work with AAA batteries so I bought a case to hold AA's.

Step 7: Putting It Together

     Supplies:                                    Tools:

      1/2" Wooden Dowel                                                Hot Glue Gun.
                                                                                                  Jigsaw

A.     Insert the face of the clock, hold down with glue. Place the LED's in their hole and glue it in place.

B.     Glue in the battery cases.

C.     Trim the nails and cut out nobs from the dowel.

D.     Glue the Nobs onto the nails.

E.     Insert the batteries and screw on the back.

     Be sure you drill a hole so the phone jack can stick out. I wanted my MP3 to be attached to the shell so I bough the "Command Strip" to stick it on.