Creative Zen MP3 Altoid Tin Case
Aug. 9th, 2005 12:03 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
kaflurbaleen.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
craftgrrlThis post from earlier today inspired me to go and make myself a case for my mp3 player out of an Altoids tin.
I knew it could be done... but the whole hole-drilling thing (and sheer laziness) kept me from doing it sooner. Anyway, my dad drilled the holes for me, (he started with a little bit and then worked his way up to what must have been a 1/4 inch or 3/8ths inch bit) and I filed them down and made one of them bigger and square shaped.
(both holes are about 3/8ths of an inch wide, except the one for the headphones is round and the one for the on/off switch is square.
There's padding inside made of Fun Foam...
3 pieces all about 11/16ths of an inch wide, folded so that there are 5 layers of foam on the bottom, 2 on each side, and 0 on the top, by the holes.
I glued them down with E-6000. Seems to be working so far... though it smells a bit toxic...
I also stuck a ribbon in there, so I could pull on the ribbon and have it pull the player out of the case, because it's kind of impossible to get out otherwise. The ribbon is glued down at the top, near the holes.
Perhaps you've seen such ribbons used for pulling out batteries?
There's also a piece of fun foam on the lid. It measures about 3.5 x 2.125 (2 & 1/8th) inches, (maybe a tad smaller) with rounded corners. It is smaller than the actual lid because it needs to fit just inside the top of the main part of the case when closed... There's no foam beneath the player because the damn tin isn't thick enough for 2 pieces of foam, and I decided foam to protect the screen/front would be better than foam protecting the back.
Anyway, this is how it looks when closed! The headphones plug in nicely without a fuss, and I can (barely) reach the little power switch with my nail. I had spray painted this tin pink many months ago, and while it's a pretty nice color, it's a shame how the label is kind of showing through, and I am totally not inspired to decorate it further. I think I'd rather it still be a regular-looking Altoids tin, or perhaps a Penguin mint tin.. so I may just make a new one some other day.
And these are some of the tools I used. X-acto knife (and ruler, and cutting board) to cut straight strips, and 'Precision Miniature Needle File Set'. Also used were scissors, handheld power drill thinggy, and the E6000.
Very exciting! I know!
**edit (8/20/05)**
I made a Penguin mint one, too, because.. well.. I <3 penguins, and chocolate, and caffeine, and was lacking any inspiration to try and decorate the pink one further. (Except I just bought blue spray paint.. so maybe it will get a makeover....)
Also, from my 'extensive' research on the internet, ipod minis won't fit in altoid tins. But... I found a tin of playing cards from Canada in my closet.. maybe you have a souvenir tin of sorts that one will fit in? I think ipod shuffles fit in those altoid gum tins though.
I knew it could be done... but the whole hole-drilling thing (and sheer laziness) kept me from doing it sooner. Anyway, my dad drilled the holes for me, (he started with a little bit and then worked his way up to what must have been a 1/4 inch or 3/8ths inch bit) and I filed them down and made one of them bigger and square shaped.
(both holes are about 3/8ths of an inch wide, except the one for the headphones is round and the one for the on/off switch is square.
There's padding inside made of Fun Foam...
3 pieces all about 11/16ths of an inch wide, folded so that there are 5 layers of foam on the bottom, 2 on each side, and 0 on the top, by the holes.
I glued them down with E-6000. Seems to be working so far... though it smells a bit toxic...
I also stuck a ribbon in there, so I could pull on the ribbon and have it pull the player out of the case, because it's kind of impossible to get out otherwise. The ribbon is glued down at the top, near the holes.
Perhaps you've seen such ribbons used for pulling out batteries?
There's also a piece of fun foam on the lid. It measures about 3.5 x 2.125 (2 & 1/8th) inches, (maybe a tad smaller) with rounded corners. It is smaller than the actual lid because it needs to fit just inside the top of the main part of the case when closed... There's no foam beneath the player because the damn tin isn't thick enough for 2 pieces of foam, and I decided foam to protect the screen/front would be better than foam protecting the back.
Anyway, this is how it looks when closed! The headphones plug in nicely without a fuss, and I can (barely) reach the little power switch with my nail. I had spray painted this tin pink many months ago, and while it's a pretty nice color, it's a shame how the label is kind of showing through, and I am totally not inspired to decorate it further. I think I'd rather it still be a regular-looking Altoids tin, or perhaps a Penguin mint tin.. so I may just make a new one some other day.
And these are some of the tools I used. X-acto knife (and ruler, and cutting board) to cut straight strips, and 'Precision Miniature Needle File Set'. Also used were scissors, handheld power drill thinggy, and the E6000.
Very exciting! I know!
**edit (8/20/05)**
I made a Penguin mint one, too, because.. well.. I <3 penguins, and chocolate, and caffeine, and was lacking any inspiration to try and decorate the pink one further. (Except I just bought blue spray paint.. so maybe it will get a makeover....)
Also, from my 'extensive' research on the internet, ipod minis won't fit in altoid tins. But... I found a tin of playing cards from Canada in my closet.. maybe you have a souvenir tin of sorts that one will fit in? I think ipod shuffles fit in those altoid gum tins though.
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