Wooden Phone Charging Cradle

I could shop online or in person for a cradle for my phone, but I really didn't. Instead I designed and build one myself out of wood. That's always easier, right?

Step 1: Design

I chose to make this in three layers, which you can see laid out here on Draftsight [CAD file—DXF]. The yellow represents the middle piece of wood, and the red and white layers sandwitch the micro USB connector inside. Finally, the phone plugs into the top for a secure and convenient storage cradle.

Step 2: Wood!

Wood was provided by the pallet that the router itself came on. I'm sure I'm not the first person to recycle a machine's packaging like this. Each layer was 3/4" thick

Step 3: Cut Wood

The design was cut out automatically with a CNC router. This step could be done with a laser or even hand tools if that's what you have to work with.

Step 4: File, Glue, and Clamp

After quite a bit of filing, I inserted the cable into my phone, then hot glued the connector in place, using the phone as a sort of template. Make sure you have any cover you'll be using on it when glued, as this process will accommodate for it. Also, note that you should use a small spacer here between the phone and the cradle, so that the connector sits slightly higher than flush.

After the hot glue cooled, I used wood glue to attach the outer layers of wood to the inner portion, clamping everything together while it dried.

Step 5: Stain

Sand a bit more, then apply stain and urethane as desired.

Step 6: Enjoy

Plug your USB cable in and charge! Now you don't have to turn your cable over four times to get it to plug in, and can charge away happily.