Introduction: Key Chain Phone Holder

About: In Love with design, engineering and science. Please check out my Instagram page @zacsdesigns_ Feel free to request a project and ill see what I can do. I also sell a range of products so inbox me on my accou…

What inspired me?

This build was probably one of the easiest, but for sure one of my favourites. I have made things from lamps to speakers to very complex modular bottles, but Im a sucker for the simple, elegant designs that are built around practicality. This design is very simple, but very efficient. This is how I built it. Enjoy.

What will you need?

-30mm by 100mm by 20mm length of Wood (doesn’t matter on the type really as weight, strength and durability don’t really play any part in the design)

-jigsaw, threat saw, coping saw, any wood saw really

-File (square and rectangle)

-Sander

-Dark wood stain

Step 1: Step 1 - Mearking Out

The first thing to do is make sure you can fit the measurement on the piece of wood you have chosen. Because most of these little projects have been made from scrap wood from the scrap wood box, I plan projects before actually checking to see if I have the correct sized material. So always check beforehand. Anyway, you will need a piece of wood that is between 15mm and 20mm thick. The length needs to be more then 90mm so make sure you think about the proportion of the phone and its weight. Also, the width of the piece depends on the phone, but most phones aren't that thick, so I went with 30mm. Mark these on your wooden piece using a tri-square and a pencil and a ruler.

Step 2: Step 2 - the Notch

Next, use you will need to mark out the notch. This is where the phone will actually sit. I made this notch 20mm from the top and made it 15mm wide. I made this 15mm by 20mm. If that doesn’t make sense just look at the pictures provided.

Step 3: Step 3 - Cutting

Now I had to cut the pieces out. I began this process with the notch, as it will be much harder to actually cut the notch once the length is 100mm, I did this by cutting the two 20mm lines, and then in the centre, just cutting more parallel cuts to 20mm al between the notch. I then just snapped these pieces out and tidied it up with the saw. I then placed it into the vice and then used the file to get rid of all of the saw lines. This didn’t take that long but the more time you spend on this, the better the actual product will turn out once stained. I then cut the piece out using the saw.

Step 4: Step 4 - Sanding and Staining

Using the sander, I then began to sand the entire product. This took quit along time but its worth it. A simple sanding block will do. I used the orbital sander, but a belt sander is a lot easier as the finish is a lot smoother. Once this was done, I made sure to get rid of any dust on the surface. Using a cloth, I then began to add a layer of stain. I wanted to use the dark wood stain as it makes the grain pop. Once it dried, I used a simple keychain fixing and screwed this into the end of the wooden block. (opposite end to the notch).

Step 5: Finished

Thank you so much for reading this Instructable, even if you clicked onto the by accident thank you. Every view counts. I love these mini projects as it gives you people, my viewers, a quick and simple project to try at home, please feel free to comment, follow and favourite for more amazing Summer DIY projects like this one.

Makerspace Contest 2017

Participated in the
Makerspace Contest 2017