Introduction: Wooden Earphones Housing With Bone Cap

By Attila Csongor Kiss
About: Tiny projects from wood and bone with minimal tools. I like to use handtools for better controll and to feel the workpiece. This way I can escape a little bit from this automated, instant and digital world. (Y…

I bought a nice Cooler Master HC-300 in-ear headset. Cooler Master HC-300 official page.

It is really nice, comfortable, sounds good. But the cheap plastic housing is way fragile, it breakes easily without any force.

So it's an out of the box chance to create something better.

Step 1: The Situation and the Idea

So it is broken, but can be save the driver unit with its black housing. There is a little chamber on the back, I decided not to create to achieve larger inner volume. The base material is beech wood out of an old table leg and beef leg bone from a delicious soup. :) (So it's made completely out of legs. :D)

Step 2: Tools and Materials

  • eye protecting glasses
  • dust filter mask
  • various sandpapers
  • drill bits: 8mm, 2mm, 1mm
  • various needle files
  • nail polishing sticks
  • diamond grit nail file
  • small saw
  • fretsaw
  • rotary tool with sanding drum
  • caliper
  • Philips screw
  • chisel
  • superglue
  • needle or toothpick (to apply glue)
  • piece of wood
  • beef leg bone

I made the plan in Sketchup (fafules.skp) and Corel Draw.

Attachments

Step 3: Apply the Template and Start Sanding

Glue on the templates with superglue. Start to raw saw. Drill thru at the center point with an 1mm drill bit to point out the center on the other side. Now You can center and glue the opposite side template simmetrically.

Step 4: Drilling the Holes

Drill the main hole from the bottom with 8mm drill bit. Measure and indicate the place of the cable then drill it with 2mm drill bit. Be careful, it must be perpendicular to the side. Start sanding the outer cone mantle and the inner side.

Step 5: Fine Work, Needle Filing

Now comes the final shaping with needle files and with the rougher nail polishing sticks. At this phase the wall thickness is 1mm and less on the bottom (cap side). The original plastic cap is wobbling, since I succeeded to make the sidewall thinner than the original ones.

Step 6: The Bone Cap

Next step is the bone cap at the bottom. I made it out of beef leg bone. It was a delicious soup, and after that came the degreasing process with boiling then soaking in lighter fluid. Good article about bone cleaning. Cut the tiny pieces with fretsaw then round with rough sandpaper.

Glue the template to the buttons with superglue, then this whole to Phillips screws. This serves as an axle to mount in the hand drill clutch. Now it's like a mini lathe, You can make the inner flange with diamond grit nail file and the concave surface with the rotary tool and a round grinding stone. Be careful, wear protective glasses! And wear a filter mask too (I forgot to mention here), thanks the reminder to NanoRobotGeek! When finished simply snap off the bone from the screw with a chisel.

Step 7: Put It Together

Now You can fine the bone caps, glue in with superglue and round it with nail polishing sticks.Then solder out the drivers from the plastic housing, put it to Your brand new wooden one, solder in and glue it together.

Step 8: End Result

Now You can enjoy Your brand new wooden earphones! It sounds better than previously with the cheap plastic housing and looks really great and feels great. You can apply some linseed or citron oil to it and finished.

If You like it please vote for it! Thank You all! :)