Introduction: How-To Make Custom Project Enclosures by Hand
In this instructables, I show you how to make cool fully customizable project enclosures! I make an enclosure for my ebay usbtiny ISP. This is the final product. I know it looks bad but that's just me. It's really easy and cheap to bulid!
Let's get started!
Step 1: The Parts List
For your enclosure you need some materials:
1/4'' plywood
1/4'' acrylic (plexi-glass)
1/4'' foam core
1/4'' hardwood
Or whatever you want!
Tools:
circular saw or band saw
sand paper or belt sander
pencil
straight edge
ruler
t-square
weight or clamp
paper
hot glue gun!
You will also your project or product to enclose
I use my usbtiny isp knock-off
Now comes the bulid!
Step 2: The Build
For my project, I'm using about 1/4'' hardwood from the home depot for about $6. Measure your project and determine what size the sides, front and back, and top and base should be. Remember to make that dimensions a little bigger that your project so you have some room for errors. REMEMBER to use the thickness of you material in you measurements!!!
Next transfer you measurements to the material and use a ruler and a t-square to get straight lines.
Now to cut in out!
Step 3: Cutting
To cut this hardwood definitely try to use a bandsaw. However, I don't have a bandsaw so I used a battery operated circular saw. I perfer the lightness of the saw because to other corded one was old a super heavy to cut this. For acrylic use the circular saw, band saw, table saw with 60-80 teeth, jigsaw, and finish it up with a router. For foam core use a knife. Put a clamp on your project when cutting. But since this material is so light, I used an iron weight. After cutting use sandpaper or a belt sander to further straighten up the pieces from the cutting. For cutting square I used a drill and filed a square out of the drilled out hole.
Now let's put it together!
Step 4: The Construction
For the hardwood you could nail it together, but when you go to drill holes, the drill bit might hit a nail. Also, you might nail your finger down since it's so thin and dangerous. Just use hot glue, it work fine and believe me it is solid! For acrylics route the edges about 1/16" to get a smooth edge. Than use weld on 4 or for curse edges if you don't have a router and have rough edges, use weldon 16.
For the others, use hot glue.
Now let's see how it turned out and what it does!
Step 5: The Final Product
It looks terrible! Don't worry that just me screwing up a little on every part. I sure your will be amazing. This was just a little guide and encouragement for you to make you own project enclosures. I programmed an atmega328 on pin 11 the fade sketch and it works! Don't for get to comment on this project and point out all the mistakes I made. I love reading your feedback a lot! Thanks for stopping by!
3 Comments
9 years ago
I would've used my table saw but I don't have the fence. I need the fence to cut. Thanks for your feedback and concern!
9 years ago on Introduction
Be sure to give me some feedback!
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
You need a table saw. You could convert your circular saw into a table saw. There are a number of articles on this site about how people have done it. I've done it myself and it is pretty easy, and works good too. But be careful. Those pieces you are cutting look pretty small to me. When I need to cut pieces that small I use push sticks and push blocks. I still have all of my fingers too. Coincidence? I think not!
Also if you can try to get yourself a panel cutting blade for your saw. What you have on it now is a framing blade. It is good for cutting thick wood, not as good for thinner wood though.
I think with a couple tool improvements your project boxes could come out much nicer. Although the box you show here looks like it does the job too.