Introduction: Make Your Own Boombot Wearable Speaker
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About: I'm a San Francisco based entrepreneur currently working in a speaker startup called Boombotix. As the founder and CEO, I work with my team to drive the creative and operational direction of our company. My …
Background
The Boombot is the result of a collaboration with toy customization company Delicious Drips and vinyl toy manufacturer, Urban Warfair. Together they have merged to start a new venture called Boombotix.
How To
We're gonna tell you how you can make your own prototype right here and get bumpin'.
Materials
In order to make your own Boombot, you're gonna need about $40 in materials, which is not bad. You will also need a soldering iron and a drill with various size bits. You will need a 1.75mm drill bit and a 2.2mm drill bit. You will also need something to cut through vinyl. A dremel with a rotary tool, a saw, or a razor will work. You will also want a grind wheel or a dremel to shape plastic.
Here's what you need:
1. DIY Skully
http://store.deliciousdrips.com/products/diy-skully
2. Philips Portable Speaker System
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=philips+portable+speaker&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=2738207538093981814&ei=HmQ2Sv7_IcPdlAeXu_SoCQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1#ps-sellers
3. You need 3/8" Thick acrylic that's about 4"x4", and a 1/2" thick piece of plastic that's around 1/2"x2" (check Tap Plastics)
4. 2mm threaded screws that are about 6mm long (any hardware store)
Order your own Customized Boombot
IF you're too lazy to make your own, then check out the link below to see how you can get your own SkullyBoom. The new site we've built allows you to customize your own, so HAVE FUN WITH IT!!!
http://www.boombotix.com
For design templates, you can also check out the Boombotix design templates
The Boombot is the result of a collaboration with toy customization company Delicious Drips and vinyl toy manufacturer, Urban Warfair. Together they have merged to start a new venture called Boombotix.
How To
We're gonna tell you how you can make your own prototype right here and get bumpin'.
Materials
In order to make your own Boombot, you're gonna need about $40 in materials, which is not bad. You will also need a soldering iron and a drill with various size bits. You will need a 1.75mm drill bit and a 2.2mm drill bit. You will also need something to cut through vinyl. A dremel with a rotary tool, a saw, or a razor will work. You will also want a grind wheel or a dremel to shape plastic.
Here's what you need:
1. DIY Skully
http://store.deliciousdrips.com/products/diy-skully
2. Philips Portable Speaker System
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=philips+portable+speaker&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=2738207538093981814&ei=HmQ2Sv7_IcPdlAeXu_SoCQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1#ps-sellers
3. You need 3/8" Thick acrylic that's about 4"x4", and a 1/2" thick piece of plastic that's around 1/2"x2" (check Tap Plastics)
4. 2mm threaded screws that are about 6mm long (any hardware store)
Order your own Customized Boombot
IF you're too lazy to make your own, then check out the link below to see how you can get your own SkullyBoom. The new site we've built allows you to customize your own, so HAVE FUN WITH IT!!!
http://www.boombotix.com
For design templates, you can also check out the Boombotix design templates
Step 1: Off With His Head
1. We want Skully to be a little slimmer so we're gonna cut him in half from the side. There are two little nubs that are Skully's cheekbones. You wanna cut him just behind those cheekbones to allow enough room for the speaker. I used a ban saw to do this, but if you don't have access to one, you can use a heat gun and a razor. Just make sure to draw your incision line first.
2. Next, you want to cut out his big eye. Using the heat gun and a razor will work fine for this part. It doesn't even have to be neat, but you just wanna be able to leave a little bit of lip around the edge (approximately 1/4" should be fine). You'll use the lip to epoxy the speaker in later.
3. While we're here, pull out those Philips speakers and take those suckers apart. There are three screws on each speaker housing. Once they're open, you remove another three screws and then pry the speaker out of the housing. Test that they fit in the eye. You will notice that there is a little notch on the speaker. Drill the corner of the eye socket to fit this notch.
2. Next, you want to cut out his big eye. Using the heat gun and a razor will work fine for this part. It doesn't even have to be neat, but you just wanna be able to leave a little bit of lip around the edge (approximately 1/4" should be fine). You'll use the lip to epoxy the speaker in later.
3. While we're here, pull out those Philips speakers and take those suckers apart. There are three screws on each speaker housing. Once they're open, you remove another three screws and then pry the speaker out of the housing. Test that they fit in the eye. You will notice that there is a little notch on the speaker. Drill the corner of the eye socket to fit this notch.
Step 2: Put Your Back Into It
4. Now that you have your head cut out, use it as a stencil on your piece of acrylic to get the general shape. Once you do that, use a dremel with a cutting bit and carve the shape out just inside your line. The key to making this work well is just getting that plastic piece cut so it BARELY fits inside the back of the Skully. In this step it really helps to have a dremel tool or a grind wheel because you'll be constantly shaving off plastic till it can squeeze into the back of Skully.
5. Once the piece is cut just right put it aside. Now you have to get the 2.2mm drill bit and drill around the rim of the opening on the back of Skully. You want to drill a hole about every 1-1.5". These holes will be used to hold the backing to the Skully.
6. After your holes are drilled on the Skully, insert your acrylic piece into the back and hold it in place any way that you can. You will need to align this plate so the back of the SkullyBoom is flush. Once in place, use the 1.75mm drill to get holes in the side of the acrylic by going through the holes you already made.
7. Before you put the back plate on, you need to make a belt clip. You can pretty much think up any way you want to mount this thing and the SkullyBoom will stand on it's own if you just want to make it a desktop portable speaker. I used a block of acrylic and a grind wheel to make this belt clip so I can wear SkullyBoom wherever I go.
5. Once the piece is cut just right put it aside. Now you have to get the 2.2mm drill bit and drill around the rim of the opening on the back of Skully. You want to drill a hole about every 1-1.5". These holes will be used to hold the backing to the Skully.
6. After your holes are drilled on the Skully, insert your acrylic piece into the back and hold it in place any way that you can. You will need to align this plate so the back of the SkullyBoom is flush. Once in place, use the 1.75mm drill to get holes in the side of the acrylic by going through the holes you already made.
7. Before you put the back plate on, you need to make a belt clip. You can pretty much think up any way you want to mount this thing and the SkullyBoom will stand on it's own if you just want to make it a desktop portable speaker. I used a block of acrylic and a grind wheel to make this belt clip so I can wear SkullyBoom wherever I go.
Step 3: Wire It Proper
8. Cut a small notch on the side of Skully so that you will be able to slip wiring in there. The notch will have to be about a centimeter deep and can be cut like a 'U' or a triangle. See pic.
9. Get a headphone connector off some stereo parts. You only need the type with a 2.5mm jack and it can be mono. If you have ones built for stereo sound, you just have to use one set of the wires. Solder the leads onto the speaker.
10. Now that the wire is in place, epoxy the speaker into the eye and force it so that it fists snugly into the socket. Allow the epoxy to fully cure before tampering with the speaker.
11. Screw in the back panel that you've made and make sure to feed the wire out of the little notch you cut out.
9. Get a headphone connector off some stereo parts. You only need the type with a 2.5mm jack and it can be mono. If you have ones built for stereo sound, you just have to use one set of the wires. Solder the leads onto the speaker.
10. Now that the wire is in place, epoxy the speaker into the eye and force it so that it fists snugly into the socket. Allow the epoxy to fully cure before tampering with the speaker.
11. Screw in the back panel that you've made and make sure to feed the wire out of the little notch you cut out.
Step 4: Play Time
12. The Philips portable speaker kit comes with an amplifier. In the actual production model SkullyBoom we will compress this amplifier and power it with a lithium battery in order to get all the components inside the Skully. For THIS prototype, you can just put AAA batteries in it (3) and you just have to shove it in your pocket with your MP3 player. I recommend stripping all the rubber off the amplifier just so it gets as compact as possible.
13. Put on your favorite song on your MP3 player. Take SkullyBoom to do whatever it is you want to do
13. Put on your favorite song on your MP3 player. Take SkullyBoom to do whatever it is you want to do
Step 5: For the Lazy People That Want One
So if this tutorial sounds like a lot of work, don't sweat it. We are launching the SkullyBoom into a real product already. This product will be much smaller than this prototype and hopefully much louder too. The production model is called the SB1.
In order to raise money to manufacture it, we're taking $10 deposits. Anyone that pre-orders their Skully will get it AT LEAST two months before the official release date (June 2010) AND you'll get 25% off of the $59 MSRP. That's how we can thank people that help make this dream possible. If we can get enough orders, we'd like to make this product before XMAS of THIS year.
Another program we have is if you put $30, you get SkullyBoom early AND you get it for $30 out the door.
You can pre-order your SkullyBoom here at Delicious Drips
http://store.deliciousdrips.com/products/skullyboom-sb1-pre-order
Please let me know if you have any questions. I'm also open to hearing any suggestions as to how we can make this the best product possible.
In order to raise money to manufacture it, we're taking $10 deposits. Anyone that pre-orders their Skully will get it AT LEAST two months before the official release date (June 2010) AND you'll get 25% off of the $59 MSRP. That's how we can thank people that help make this dream possible. If we can get enough orders, we'd like to make this product before XMAS of THIS year.
Another program we have is if you put $30, you get SkullyBoom early AND you get it for $30 out the door.
You can pre-order your SkullyBoom here at Delicious Drips
http://store.deliciousdrips.com/products/skullyboom-sb1-pre-order
Please let me know if you have any questions. I'm also open to hearing any suggestions as to how we can make this the best product possible.