This is a guide on how to create a Swiss Army Key Holde.

I tried to keep it as simple as possible so that it would be very easy for anyone to create the Key Holder. Becuase I was facing the common problem of not knowing where my Keys were, I created this.

Enjoy!

Step 1: Designing an Swiss Army Key Holder

The first step to create an Swiss Army Key holder is, to create an design of what it should look like. There can be varies of designs that you could use, however I have create one which is easy to make and looks very good at the same time.

This design however requires certain materials:

1. Wood Glue

2. Two Nails ()

4. Two Wood Boards (at least 10 * 10 * 3)

5. Plastik Cover (can be another material to cover the wood)

6. Drill with a radius of 0,5 cm

7. Keys :)

These are the basic materials I used to create my Swiss Army Key Holder. You can of course switch the materials. Also, this design is not the most ideal for every person. You could switch the wood into metal and play around with the dimensions if you find that the design is to big for you.

Step 2: Getting Started

The first thing you will have to do is draw the dimensions on the wood (material that you have chosen). For my design I choose the dimensions 12 * 4 * 3. To draw the design, you will need:

1. Ruler

2. Pencil

3. Wood (Material that you will be working with)

4. Compass

This step is one of the most important ones as it will effect every stage in the process. Make sure that you like your design. If you find that the dimensions that I used are to small or to big for you. Feel free to adjust them to your liking. After all it is the Key Holder you will be using. Another thing that you will have to consider is that nails will have to pass threw the material that you have chosen.

Step 3: Cutting

Cutting wood can become very tricky at times. Luckily machines make our lives easier. I used a Scroll Saw (see picture above). Depending on what material you are using, you could also use a regular handsaw or a metal saw.

Things that you should look out for

1. When cutting the two wood pieces, make sure that you try to make them as even as possible. Some tips for this would be if you are cutting with a regular handsaw, to fix the wood, so that it is not possible to move. This makes it easier to cut in straight lines but also around corners.

2. If you are also cutting with a Scroll Saw (see picture above), make sure that the piece of wood with the design is not too small. Because of safety concerns, it is best to have a bigger piece of wood so that there is no possibility of injuries on the saw.

3. When using the Scroll Saw, make sure that you are holding the piece of wood very tightly. Because of the blades up-and-down movement the piece of wood will also be vibrating. This could lead to an uneven cut and there for it is important to hold the piece of wood tightly

4. It is okay to not make a perfect cut the first time. You can always go back and even out the edges with a saw or even with sandpaper.

Step 4: Drilling the Holes

Drilling the holes is also one of the most important steps. You could either use a regular hand drill or a bench drill. I used a 3mm long drill bit however this could vary depending on what kind of keys you are using. I would suggest using a bench drill (see picture above) however if there aren't any around your proximity a regular hand drill will also do the job. However, make sure that you are wearing gloves and goggles when drilling to minimize the risk of injury.

Drilling

1. When drilling the holes, it is best to take the two different pieces of wood that you have created and fix them together. Using a bench drill, you can simply wedge the two parts together however if you are using a regular handsaw, you would need another tool to fix them together.

2. Mark a point, where the hole should be at the topper most wood piece. This hole will be very important as it will determine if the keys fit nicely into the Key holder. I made them be 2 cm away from the top of the keyholder.

3. Repeat step two however at the other side of the topper most wood piece.

4. Now you can start drilling the two holes. It should be easy as the two wood pieces are fixed together.

Step 5: Adding Bolts

Now you will have to add the nails to the Swiss Army Key Holder. You will need 3mm bolts as they will fit through the holes that you have created in the previous step.

Materials required:

Two 2mm Bolts

Four Nuts

Step 6: Adding Decoration

Making the Swiss Army Key Holder attractive is also very important. I added red plastic sheets on top of each wooden piece. This gives the Swiss Army Key Holder a good look and makes it appealing to the eye. Obviously, you will also have to drill holes through the plastic. However you can use step 4 to do this easily. then using some wood glue you can easily attach the plastic to the wood.

Step 7: Adding the Keys

Now that your Swiss Army Key Holder is almost finished you can get out all the key you have.

Setting it up / making it work:

First, get the two pieces of wood with the plastic on them. Like making a hamburger put the keys in between the two pieces of wood. Make sure that all the different holes fit onto each other (holes from plastic, key and wood) Now take the two 2mm bolts and stick them through the first piece of wood. Take the nut and fix the bolt to the wood. Now that that is finished, take the same piece of wood and put the second bolt through the second hole. Also, fix the bolt with the nut. After the bolts are attached to the wood you can now put the keys onto the bolts. After that, you can take the other piece of wood and also put it on the bolts. Now take the last two remaining nuts and fix the second piece of wood with the bolts.