Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover

shilala · 06-25-2010, 08:46 AM

Hi guys,
I needed a cover for my ipad so I didn't destroy it while I waited for the Otterbox covers to come out. I had the cheesy sleeve that I bought with the ipad, but it drove me nuts. It was forever dirty and didn't really protect anything at all.
It did employ some good ideas, but the material was crap and it didn't work very well.
I was watching a ball game in the shop and came up with this thing.
I chose black walnut because I had some and hadn't used it to make anything. I just wanted to see how it finished because I was planning to build a humi. I'm glad I used it because it's truly a gorgeous wood.
I also wanted to see if I liked Satin Polyurethane, and wanted to try the stuff in spray cans, so I used that.
Here's what the whole deal turned out like...

Here she is all closed up. It looks really nice sitting around, and you'd never guess what was in it. I kept it nice and small, and the cover makes my clumsy hands hang on to it a lot better.

Here she is opened up and standing. It doesn't stand like that real well on slippery surfaces. It works awesome when I'm laying in bed or on the couch reading. It stands up on my stomach perfectly. I can read for hours and it never tips over.

When I fold the lid back, it puts a nice natural incline on the ipad, like a bookrest. It really helps when it's on a table so I can read without hanging over it, and I don't have to hold on to it.

Start paying attention to the hinge setup. There are two piano hinges and a reticulating douchebag that allows the back and front to fold all the way over and back. I chose piano hinges so it wouldn't be sloppy, and added the reticulating rocker thing to hide screws. It worked out great, although I wrecked one of the douchebags and had to make another one. I blew it out with all the screws. I was being fast and lazy.

more on the way...

Blueface · 06-25-2010, 08:48 AM

Holy crap Scott!!!
That is really cool.
Nice work.
How heavy is this thing now?

replicant_argent · 06-25-2010, 08:49 AM

a reticulating douchebag?

hang on, I need some mental floss.

Looks cool, Scott.

elderboy02 · 06-25-2010, 08:49 AM

That is sweet! You are a smart, smart man!

Mugen910 · 06-25-2010, 08:52 AM

What the F!!! No room for even 1 cigar holder? You disappoint me sir!

shilala · 06-25-2010, 08:54 AM

Here she is all opened up. I really never use it in this position, but it looks cool.
The corners are held down by four removable corner stoppers. They were hell to make. I used one piece of wood to make all the corner stoppers and the middle layer so that the grain would be continuous.
It was the difference between it looking like a cob job and a nice piece of work.
I'm glad I took all the extra time.

This is just an example of one of the cutouts to get to the control buttons. I had to oversize them so I could get my big fingers in to reach the controls.
I had a lot of concern about how well I'd be able to manipulate the buttons when I was done. It's not a problem at all. I really got lucky there.

The last two pictures are of the grain and look of the front and back. The wood is absolutely gorgeous. I used no stain, just poly. The satin finish hides wear beautifully. I can't see a blemish or a scratch on the whole cover, and I use it constantly. It travels with me everywhere, too.

In this last pic, you can see the brass screws that hold the corner holddowns in place. They can be removed any time I like if I have reason to take the ipad out of the cover. I was a bit concerned how they'd look and hold up over time. They haven't been a problem at all.

md4958 · 06-25-2010, 08:59 AM

Nice work Scotty!

shilala · 06-25-2010, 08:59 AM

In summary, this cover has made the ipad a lot more special to me. I love seeing it laying around, love to pick it up and use it, and I love the warm feel of the wood (yeah, I got it, "that's what she said").
The extra protection keeps me from grimacing when the kids use it, although they are really careful anyways.
Hope you enjoyed the pics!!!

Scott

shilala · 06-25-2010, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blueface

Holy crap Scott!!!
That is really cool.
Nice work.
How heavy is this thing now?

The cover weighs a lot less than the ipad, Carlos.
I just checked, and the whole thing weighs 45 ounces. If it were a beer heavier, it'd be uncomfortable standing up on my chest when I'm reading.
I was concerned about the weight when I was building it, so I kept everything very thin. It worked out really well.

Brutus2600 · 06-25-2010, 09:06 AM

That's probably the best iPad cover I've seen to date! Nice work Scott

GKitty · 06-25-2010, 09:11 AM

Absolutely freaking brilliant!!!

NOW, I want an iPad.

Any thoughts on patenting and/or making more of these?

A super classy piece of functional artwork is what you've got there.

shilala · 06-25-2010, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GKitty

Absolutely freaking brilliant!!!

NOW, I want an iPad.

Any thoughts on patenting and/or making more of these?

A super classy piece of functional artwork is what you've got there.

If I had to price this thing out for my time, they'd be 400 bucks apiece, Crystal. I'm not sure the market is there.

There's one major flaw, too. I can't plug in headphones. I could with two minutes of dremel work, but I don't want to do it.
I don't have any desire to use earbuds with it, and I still don't. I'm sure others would. My daughter wanted to once and I told her I'd fix it, but she told me to leave it be.

issues · 06-25-2010, 09:28 AM

Beautiful piece of work Scott!

BeerAdvocate · 06-25-2010, 09:33 AM

Great work, but one question.......Wheres the cup holder?

thebayratt · 06-25-2010, 09:45 AM

WOW!!!

Superb job Scott!!
Great Idea...... I think I'd cancel the Otterbox... that is was more cooler IMO.

Superbad · 06-25-2010, 10:19 AM

Wow. Very nice work. I love my iPad and am pretty happy with my DodoCase cover, but yours is gorgeous!

aich75013 · 06-25-2010, 10:23 AM

That looks really cool Scott!
Nice job!

GKitty · 06-25-2010, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shilala

If I had to price this thing out for my time, they'd be 400 bucks apiece, Crystal. I'm not sure the market is there.

Just a thought. I've seen people pay more for less. Either way, it's a truly beautiful piece of art and ingenuity.

Quote:

There's one major flaw, too. I can't plug in headphones. I could with two minutes of dremel work, but I don't want to do it.
I don't have any desire to use earbuds with it, and I still don't. I'm sure others would. My daughter wanted to once and I told her I'd fix it, but she told me to leave it be.

That's a good girl you've got there. Don't mess with Dad's toys.

MedicCook · 06-25-2010, 10:32 AM

Great job Scott. You are a gifted man.

shilala · 06-25-2010, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GKitty

Just a thought. I've seen people pay more for less. Either way, it's a truly beautiful piece of art and ingenuity.

That's a good girl you've got there. Don't mess with Dad's toys.

If I'd make them out of pink plastic and bling them out with sparklies and a kitty, I bet I could move a million to teenage girls.

My baby girl uses all my stuff. She's a good kid. I taught her real early, and she takes care of everything even better than I do.
I'm on the fence about getting her an ipad, cause I think she could use an iphone more. Her birthday isn't till September, so we'll see.
I don't think she'd make much use out of an ipad, and she carries her phone and her ipod touch everywhere she goes.
Whatta ya think, darlin?

06-25-2010, 08:46 AM	#1
shilala Dear Lord, Thank You. Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Scott Posts: 13,721 Trading: (252)	Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover Hi guys, I needed a cover for my ipad so I didn't destroy it while I waited for the Otterbox covers to come out. I had the cheesy sleeve that I bought with the ipad, but it drove me nuts. It was forever dirty and didn't really protect anything at all. It did employ some good ideas, but the material was crap and it didn't work very well. I was watching a ball game in the shop and came up with this thing. I chose black walnut because I had some and hadn't used it to make anything. I just wanted to see how it finished because I was planning to build a humi. I'm glad I used it because it's truly a gorgeous wood. I also wanted to see if I liked Satin Polyurethane, and wanted to try the stuff in spray cans, so I used that. Here's what the whole deal turned out like... Here she is all closed up. It looks really nice sitting around, and you'd never guess what was in it. I kept it nice and small, and the cover makes my clumsy hands hang on to it a lot better. Here she is opened up and standing. It doesn't stand like that real well on slippery surfaces. It works awesome when I'm laying in bed or on the couch reading. It stands up on my stomach perfectly. I can read for hours and it never tips over. When I fold the lid back, it puts a nice natural incline on the ipad, like a bookrest. It really helps when it's on a table so I can read without hanging over it, and I don't have to hold on to it. Start paying attention to the hinge setup. There are two piano hinges and a reticulating douchebag that allows the back and front to fold all the way over and back. I chose piano hinges so it wouldn't be sloppy, and added the reticulating rocker thing to hide screws. It worked out great, although I wrecked one of the douchebags and had to make another one. I blew it out with all the screws. I was being fast and lazy. more on the way... __________________

06-25-2010, 08:48 AM	#2
Blueface Gramps 4x's Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Horatio Seymore Hiny Location: Boca Raton - North of La Habana Posts: 8,774 Trading: (8)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover Holy crap Scott!!! That is really cool. Nice work. How heavy is this thing now? __________________ Little known fact: I am a former member of the Village People - The Indian

06-25-2010, 08:49 AM	#3
replicant_argent Gravy Boat Winnah. Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Pete Location: my attorney has advised against giving this information to insane people Posts: 5,326 Trading: (22)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover a reticulating douchebag? hang on, I need some mental floss. Looks cool, Scott. __________________ www.stogietorch.com Some days call for a stiff Pomade.

06-25-2010, 08:49 AM	#4
elderboy02 Lets Go Buckeyes! Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Dan Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 12,508 Trading: (133)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover That is sweet! You are a smart, smart man!

06-25-2010, 08:52 AM	#5
Mugen910 I <3 Huy Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Location Location: First Name Posts: 8,387 Trading: (106)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover What the F!!! No room for even 1 cigar holder? You disappoint me sir! __________________ I'm not antisocial, I just think people are stupid.

06-25-2010, 08:54 AM	#6
shilala Dear Lord, Thank You. Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Scott Posts: 13,721 Trading: (252)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover Here she is all opened up. I really never use it in this position, but it looks cool. The corners are held down by four removable corner stoppers. They were hell to make. I used one piece of wood to make all the corner stoppers and the middle layer so that the grain would be continuous. It was the difference between it looking like a cob job and a nice piece of work. I'm glad I took all the extra time. This is just an example of one of the cutouts to get to the control buttons. I had to oversize them so I could get my big fingers in to reach the controls. I had a lot of concern about how well I'd be able to manipulate the buttons when I was done. It's not a problem at all. I really got lucky there. The last two pictures are of the grain and look of the front and back. The wood is absolutely gorgeous. I used no stain, just poly. The satin finish hides wear beautifully. I can't see a blemish or a scratch on the whole cover, and I use it constantly. It travels with me everywhere, too. In this last pic, you can see the brass screws that hold the corner holddowns in place. They can be removed any time I like if I have reason to take the ipad out of the cover. I was a bit concerned how they'd look and hold up over time. They haven't been a problem at all. __________________

06-25-2010, 08:59 AM	#7
md4958 Captain Cannoli Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Moe Location: Suffield, CT Posts: 5,712 Trading: (62)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover Nice work Scotty! __________________ "One fart can foul the air for everyone" - Esteemed philosopher "If avoiding the nasty $hit is being a snob, them I am guilty as charged."- Same esteemed philosopher.

06-25-2010, 09:06 AM	#10
Brutus2600 Your resident lancerHO Join Date: Apr 2010 First Name: Brian Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 2,063 Trading: (46)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover That's probably the best iPad cover I've seen to date! Nice work Scott

06-25-2010, 09:11 AM	#11
GKitty JAFO Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Crystal Location: Olathe, KS Posts: 1,938 Trading: (8)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover Absolutely freaking brilliant!!! NOW, I want an iPad. Any thoughts on patenting and/or making more of these? A super classy piece of functional artwork is what you've got there. __________________ A lost SOTL wandering the weird landscape of domesticity.

06-25-2010, 09:28 AM	#13
issues Have My Own Room Join Date: Jan 2010 First Name: Tony Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 1,626 Trading: (8)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover Beautiful piece of work Scott! __________________

06-25-2010, 09:33 AM	#14
BeerAdvocate BeerHunter Join Date: Mar 2009 First Name: Travis Location: Topeka, KS Posts: 1,912 Trading: (45)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover Great work, but one question.......Wheres the cup holder? __________________ *I Brew the Beer I Drink*

06-25-2010, 09:45 AM	#15
thebayratt Still Watching My Ash Join Date: Jan 2010 First Name: Shawn Location: Mississippi Posts: 1,326 Trading: (11)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover *WOW!!!* Superb job Scott!! Great Idea...... I think I'd cancel the Otterbox... that is was more cooler IMO.

06-25-2010, 10:19 AM	#16
Superbad Have My Own Room Join Date: Apr 2010 First Name: Bobby Location: Panama City, FL Posts: 1,784 Trading: (53)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover Wow. Very nice work. I love my iPad and am pretty happy with my DodoCase cover, but yours is gorgeous!

06-25-2010, 10:23 AM	#17
aich75013 Feeling at Home Join Date: Nov 2008 First Name: Adrian Location: Allen, TX Posts: 774 Trading: (25)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover That looks really cool Scott! Nice job!

06-25-2010, 10:32 AM	#19
MedicCook Mila smoked my cigar Join Date: Jan 2009 First Name: Ryan Location: Schaghticoke, NY Posts: 10,946 Trading: (7)	Re: Project of the Day : Black Walnut iPad Cover Great job Scott. You are a gifted man. __________________ 27 World Series Championship's "If your wife doesn't like the aroma of your cigar, change your wife.", Zino Davidoff