Concrete Phone Docking Station

I love anything and everything concrete. It just has such an interesting finish. this is why I chose to make a Concrete Phone holder. its such an underrated material and it just seemed to be a nice choice for an iPhone holder. Anyway, this project was started in college and finished at home and only took around about a day to make. This was only due to the concrete needing to set. The material used in the wire Phone holder is the base as I placed it inside of a vacuum former to make a mould for my holder.

You will need;

Materials;

- Concrete mix and water

- Pine (sheet of 160mm by 80mm by 20mm)

Machines/Equipment;

- pillar drill or drill driver.

- Circular saw bit (64mm)

- Belt sander or disk sander

- Files

- Sand paper

- PVA or hot glue

- Band saw, Threat saw, Tenon saw or panel saw.

Step 1: The Mould

Making the Mould;

Making the mould is probably the hardest part which I guess says a lot about hoe simple the project must be.

First, divide the pine into two equal pieces (80mm by 80mm by 20mm). Use the saw to do this then once cut, either file or sand to get a neat surface.

Use hot glue or PVA to secure both pieces together. Make sure they are near and then leave for about two hours if you used PVA.

Use the X method by drawing a line from corner to corner to make an X. This is a simple way to find the center of the shape.

Place the circular saw bit inside of the pillar drill and secure it inside of the chuck. begin to cut the 64mm hole inside of the work. Don't go very fast as this will burn your pine.

Once the hole is cut, take the piece out of the vice and mark on a circule with a diameter of 80mm. when this is done, use the saw to take off the corners and then use the belt sander to smoothen out the surface. Creat a Chamfer using the files and sand paper. Make this as big as you can so its easier to take pout of the mould.

The plastic Mould;

when you are very sure you have completed all the steps, place the piece in the centre of the vacuum formers bed and turn on the heater. after about 3 minutes the heater should be warm. Place the plastic inside of the holder and pull out the heater to helt the plastic. after 20 seconds, check to see if the plastic is springy. if it is then pull the handle down to lift the bes and turn on the vacuum. when this plastic is dry, get the pine out of the mould. you can use this now for something else!!!

Step 2: The Concrete

This is the fun part of the project, pouring and mixing the concrete. First, use a cup and add 2 cups concrete and half a cup of water. If the mix is too runny, add more concrete mix, if its too thick, add more water.

Slowly pour the mixture inside of the mould and gently bang the base of the mould onto the table. This will even out the concrete. If when the concrete sets, the structure breaks, add three 70mm diameter wire rings inside of the wet concrete before it sets to reinforce the concrete.

Step 3: Mkaing the Phone Bed

Making the Phone bed;

This is a very easy step. you will need your rectangular file and your saw. Mark on where your centre is and increase the size to 15mm. this is where your phone will sit. Using your saw, begin to cut your holes an make them about 15mm deep so your phone will be stable. Use your file to get a better finish.

Step 4: Finished!!!

Congratulations!!! you have now competed your iPhone holder/ Docking station. you can add different finishes if you want but I just love the natural finish the concrete has. You can add dye or paint into the concrete to get a better or more personalised concrete. Be sure to check out my other Instructables or comment for more. like and follow to keep up with my projects. I hope you have enjoyed this one!!!