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Turn a generic plastic gadget in to something a little more beautiful

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introTurn a generic plastic gadget in to something a little more beautiful

Motivation:
During the Summer I'm either surfing or working on projects around our small garden/farm. Winter is upon us here in Boston and I'm ready to start attacking the long list of projects I've postponed for the 'indoor months'.

However, I have hit the problem I face every Winter. I suffer from Season Affective Disorder which can result in a lack of energy in the dark Winter months. I have many ideas waiting to be made - but I've lacked a degree of motivation, until now that is.

Instructables to the rescue:
Eric's dawn simulator put me on to the Soleil lamp: I purchased a Soleil on ebay and I'm very happy with the lamp, my boss is happy I'm turning up for work on time... but...

The problems with the current design...
Feature creep is defined as the proliferation of features in a product such as computer software. Extra features go beyond the basic function of the product and so can result in baroque over-complication rather than simple, elegant design.

I'm a designer and believe that design, in part, is the art of removing the non-essential such as a 'Demo' mode. This is an alarm clock folks... my microwave oven has fewer buttons. I continue this critique in step 2.

The other major aspect of design is the visual aesthetic. I've included an image comparing the Soleil with its twin sister Mrs. Dalek and its cousin Robbie the robot. Danger Will Robinson.. you're about to be woken up by an eye sore.

Electronics devices do not have to be so drab
You don't need a laundry list of expensive tools nor a degree in industrial design to remake manufactured products.

With this Instructable I hope to demonstrate how you can both construct a new home for almost any gadget and utilise a simple hand drill for any number of jobs; achieving some pretty nice results.

Even if you do not particularly like the final outcome of this project I hope it motivates you to take a second look at those generic plastic products that clutter our lives and re-make them in to objects that suite your needs and please your senses.

So, with superfluous functions and the looks of a Dalek from Dr. Who on the chopping block.... my first project of Winter '09 is the Alarm Clock Retrofit.

NOTE: many people have reported problems watching the videos for this instructable. It seems google video is having problems. I recommend hitting your browser's reload button and clicking the play button again

Turn a generic plastic gadget in to something a little more beautiful
alarm_clock.jpgSoleil-SA-2008-2.jpgalarm_clock.jpgalarm_plan.jpg
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step 1Design 1: Understanding what I've got to work with

When I purchase a new device, one of the first things I do is take it apart to see how it works, see if there's anything interesting going on inside. There's a lot to lea…


step 2Design 2: Ideation & prototyping

When I come across a 'problem' like a bad alarm clock looking for a redesign, I start by browsing great resources like Instructables and visiting cool local designer or ant…


step 3Faceplate 1: Mark and cut

At last! actual work! I recommend picking the most difficult part of a design and building around that. Its a fundamental of Experience Design, for example, high end c…


step 4Faceplate 2: Cut out holes for switches & display

This is a great example of where the design can change in the course of the build. I originally put the clock display to the upper left in the sketches. As I laid out the…


step 5Faceplate 3: polish and finish

I setup my trusty drill in its bench top mount, attached the wirebrush that came with it and I'm ready to brush off the crud & oxidation to achieve a brushed aluminium look…


step 6Case construction 1: Choosing the wood & setup

The box will be constructed with a low cost wood; pine, and then veneered with a more expensive wood; oak. The purpose of veneering is to reduce costs and allow you to cov…


step 7Case construction 2: Framing the case

With the stock wood cut to length we will follow these steps1)rout out the grooves for faceplates2)Rip, on the table saw, the two ends of the box - they will be the same he…


step 8Case 3: Veneer laminating

With the box cut in half and the faceplates sanded its time to finish the box. Before we get to the fun messy glue part... I decided to put 4 dowels to help the top & bot…


step 9Wiring: Connecting up the faceplate

I scavenge all sorts of parts from broken old electronics for re-use in projects such as this. You'll learn a lot from breaking things down.. not only is this knowledge us…


step 10Buttons are for pressing

There are two types of buttons on the faceplate of the alarm clock, caps for the push buttons and a knob for the volume control.Construction of the push button capsThis is …


step 11Light housing

Cutting an old glass bottle to make the light coverSafety first here, glasses and gloves are a must. Dust mask probably wouldnt hurt. A wet tile saw will cut glass like a…


step 12Finishing touches

Adding feetQuite simple, 1) cut a wine bottle cork in to 1/4" sections2) Glue to your boxWhat more is there to say other than... why didnt I think of this before?Labeling t…


step 13Conclusion

Video of the finished clockI'm very happy with the way the retrofit came out. I still have not decided what colour to paint the front edge of the wooden box - orange maybe…


step 14Reference 1: Tools & parts

Before I go in to the bill of tools & materials its worth mentioning that having multiple eyeglasses, ear muffs and face masks around your work area is a good idea. Its on…


91 comments
1-50 of 91
Oct 16, 2009. 8:39 PMRedrogue says:
Wow... Just imagine if you program the radio to play the GNR radio from Fallout 3 and added a Pip Boy decal to it!

Jul 22, 2009. 2:15 PMODDJOBS says:
Fantastic Instructable. What a Community.
Apr 20, 2009. 3:19 PMSimulatedOnion says:
This is fantastic.
Mar 18, 2009. 6:50 PMmman1506 says:
is the chicken name arduino (of course it is) because of the microcontroolller and do you have any other neat chicken names
Jan 21, 2009. 9:56 AMthinker says:
see, i was going to get one of those alarm clocks
like you i was less then impressed by the design though
so i instead simply used a cheap alarm/radio
and took off my curtains
>.<
the light alone doesnt wake me, but accompanied with the radio
its perfect
Jan 21, 2009. 11:34 AMradiorental (author) says:
for sure, but unfortunate for me is that sunrise is too late here in Winter for me to rely on that alone to wake up.
Feb 21, 2009. 1:44 PMthinker says:
yeah, it is always more effective in summer xD
in winter its a bit of a bugger
but i always find my sleep cycle goes nutty in winter anyway
Jan 20, 2009. 6:16 AMdaywalker42 says:
great instructable man! I love what you did with it. Great mantra by the way, I have been trying to get some trihead screwdrivers to mercilessly mutilate an antique Game Boy I have(yes, it is the original and yes, it still works) good job on this....now to find a way to make my "Clocky" look a little better...... XD
Jan 20, 2009. 1:24 PMradiorental (author) says:
Thanks!

If I remember those gameboy screw will work with a flat head screwdriver - you might need a file to mod the screwdriver so it -just- fits the triheads. You'll figure it out! best of luck /pauric
Jan 4, 2009. 1:38 PMbenz_z says:
lovin' the retro look.. but me and wood dont get along well
Jan 4, 2009. 2:13 PMradiorental (author) says:
Doesnt have to be wood, in fact, you dont even have to make the case. You could retrofit an alarm clock in to some old school electronics such as an antique army radio...
EZ6_AIRCRAFT_RADIO.jpg
Jan 20, 2009. 6:15 AMgolddigger1559 says:
where can you get one of those radios?
Jan 20, 2009. 1:23 PMradiorental (author) says:
Check out the community section of makezine.com I created a few maps; users, places of interest etc.

In Places you will find interesting shops - hopefully one is near you.

Alternatively check out army surplus stores or ebay
Jan 9, 2009. 5:36 PMbenz_z says:
I was thinking more along the lines of concrete but it would be one heavy alarm clock... anyway the retrofitting is a really good idea
Jun 16, 2009. 9:11 AMDerin says:
*Drop*
OOOOOOOOOWWWWW'WWWWW
Jan 5, 2009. 10:19 AMBigev says:
I happen to have a CD/radio/ nature sounds alarm clock. The CD player is broken, I hate the nature sounds, and it has some really small buttons to operate the darn thing. This seems to be a great solution to trim the features I don't want! Thank you.
Jan 5, 2009. 10:56 AMradiorental (author) says:
Sound perfect for an extreme makeover. Please document your project and post it here. Let me know if you have any questions if you get stuck... there's more than one way to skin a cat (o;
Jan 14, 2009. 2:56 PMBigev says:
Ask and ye shall receive.

The clock took five days to finish and is nine inches to a side. I'm now terribly proud of it and have you to thank for the inspiration.
clock.JPG
Jan 15, 2009. 5:58 AMradiorental (author) says:
cooool! what kind of case is that?
Jan 15, 2009. 1:14 PMBigev says:
In short, wood.

I found a couple of pre-made boxes at Pat Catan's that are supposed to be used as modern art display boxes or some artsy fartsy thing like that, removed the brackets, pegged them togather (pegs have no external hardware and are better than glue), painted, and installed.

I found the clock display cover, a piece of plexiglas, in a parking lot about five or six years ago.

The front and back are 1/8 in. plywood.

I keep forgetting the span of time that things like this take. I had to borrow my brother's alarm clock to wake myself for those five days. Boy I missed the comforting orange glow of an old friend.

Now I call it the battery clock. I think it looks like a car battery, the red and black buttons resemble positive and negative terminals.
Jan 16, 2009. 7:39 AMradiorental (author) says:
awesome!
Jan 8, 2009. 3:36 PMdermbrian says:
I have a couple of console radios. One from the 1920's and the other from the 1930's. I like the 'A/V equipment as furniture' aspect of them. But what I'd like even more is a modern audio system put into a modern-looking furniture-grade housing. You gave me fresh hope that I may be able to do that someday. Nice.
Jan 8, 2009. 4:43 PMradiorental (author) says:
Check out this guys work - its insane!
http://www.slipperyskip.com/

thanks /pauric

Jan 14, 2009. 9:52 AMBigev says:
Holy crap.

Thats astounding.

by the way, what does "Pauric" mean?
Jan 15, 2009. 5:58 AMradiorental (author) says:
My name is Pauric, its Irish.
Jan 15, 2009. 1:15 PMBigev says:
Oh, I see.
Jan 5, 2009. 9:19 AMNewblit says:
LOl just curious very nice but what's up with the chicken lol??
Jan 5, 2009. 10:53 AMradiorental (author) says:
We keep chickens, I thought it would be a laugh to take a picture of Arduino (the chicken) 'reviewing' the build.
Jan 10, 2009. 12:15 PMNewblit says:
It was a good laugh lol just was like wtf lol.
Jan 10, 2009. 4:44 PMradiorental (author) says:
when you keep chickens you have a lot of wft moments. They are the dumbest, funniest and most adorable pets you will ever come across.

All the best /pauric
Jan 14, 2009. 9:48 AMBigev says:
I think it would be amusing if, in some future -ibles, to have Arduino pop in once in a while. kind of like a running joke, or maybe a mascot. That's what I would do. I don't know, however, if you feel the same way I do.
Jan 15, 2009. 5:59 AMradiorental (author) says:
I like it! Arduino will be a regular feature from now on. Thanks! (o;
Jan 13, 2009. 12:04 AMRob K says:
I think it needs more videos.

Great instructable!
Jan 13, 2009. 5:27 AMradiorental (author) says:
'Why,' said the Dodo, 'the best way to explain it is to do it.'

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
Jan 10, 2009. 8:16 PMsusie says:
Totally love it! It came out looking like an old KLH radio almost. Neat idea.
Jan 11, 2009. 6:29 AMradiorental (author) says:
Just checked out the KLH radio, love the off-white/cream facee plates, wish I had done that instead. Thanks! /pauric
Jan 10, 2009. 10:18 AMthepianomistro says:
420!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nice instructable, 5*
Jan 8, 2009. 3:38 PMguymark says:
Excellent instructions - and what a superb finished product. I just wish there were things like this in the shop for folks who are not quite so good with their hands as you are. Electrical I can do but if I am in the same room as a bit of wood it splits if I even think of using a tool near it.

Really impressed, fab effect with the bottle / end caps too.

Mark
Jan 8, 2009. 4:42 PMradiorental (author) says:
You know, thats not necessarily a bad idea. I wonder what I could fetch for one-off design like this (obviously finished a little better) I wonder if its worth my time.. which is super scarce these days. I'll look in to that - thanks!
Jan 8, 2009. 4:07 PMtyler_durden says:
I like the idea of recycling old but usable stuff this way.

When I build stuff that has panels with switches, etc., I use a very easy technique for laying the panel out for cutting. I start by making a scale drawing in a CAD program. I place switches, displays, controls etc in the drawing with cross hairs at the hole centers. When I have decided it looks lthe way I want, I print the scale drawing out at full size with a laser printer. Then I spray the panel material with adhesive and press the printed drawing down on it. Next use a punch to mark the hole center locations. Then i drill holes and if there are square cutouts for LCD displays I cut those holes last with a saber saw. Finish up by using a reamer to clean off the sharp edges and then wash the paper/glue off.

You can use another drawing marked with labels to label the panel. Glue it to the panel after it has been cut and drilled. If you want it to resist wear and tear you can cut a piece of clear plastic to cover it it spray it with clear lacquer.
Jan 8, 2009. 4:40 PMradiorental (author) says:
Thats a great tip! I've been asked to do an article for Make based on the thinking behind this instructable and I'll roll in your method. You just updated the instructable so you may have missed the new video in step 12. I'm printing out the labels on to an overhead transparency and heading out to the workshop in a moment to apply it to the box. Thanks! /pauric
Jan 8, 2009. 11:28 AMax89 says:
This is a terrific instructable - never thought of "rehoming" an appliance before while getting rid of the useless switches etc. Although the overall look is a bii chunky for me, I am marking this as a fave because it has so many good ideas.

Oh, can I have your workshop? It is awesome. :))
Jan 8, 2009. 12:05 PMradiorental (author) says:
I do appreciate/understand the clunky looking comment. It is a little less refined than I'd like. Given a little more time and a warmer workshop I'd produce something more sleek. The main aims of the instructable were to get across tips & tricks for tools and to demonstrate that taking gadgets apart isnt so intimidating. Thanks /pauric
Jan 8, 2009. 2:04 PMax89 says:
You certainly were successful with your objective. I have no qualms about taking many things apart but things made out of plastic I tend to accidentally break up so they become useless. (I had a nice set of cordless headphones for the tv that I broke that way, was really annoyed with myself over that.)

I was going to mention that the top part (with the light) reminds me of half a spool of thread...

Good luck on the contest.
Jan 8, 2009. 2:33 PMradiorental (author) says:
You should check out this instructable from Tim, you might be able to resurrect those headphones

http://www.instructables.com/id/Jackhammer-Headphones/

/pauric

Jan 8, 2009. 10:22 AMbtrthngr8 says:
Well done. Yours looks much nicer.

Does anyone know where I can find a circuit diagram for the Soleil dawn simulator, or something like it?

Thanks - Peter
Jan 8, 2009. 12:02 PMradiorental (author) says:
I doubt you would find a circuit for it specifically but if you look around instructables I'm sure you'll get a few ideas. Thanks /pauric
Jan 5, 2009. 7:21 AMgmjhowe says:
Great work, i suggest a dark colour for your frame, maybe even black, it will offset the metal, and the white glowing area.

*Must retro-fit plastic gadgets*
Jan 5, 2009. 8:33 AMradiorental (author) says:
Good suggestion. I think I'm going to photoshop a few different colours to try this out before painting it. Thanks for the help.
Jan 5, 2009. 9:04 AMgmjhowe says:
Aha! photoshop is my best friend.

May i also add that im glad to see someone else, whom makes an effort to reply to every comment on ones projects, its a great thing. Keep up the good work.
1-50 of 91

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