iPod touch Making an ipod touch stand

[LizKat]

Here are two photos of the Cherry stand, still raw wood. I'm playing with the profile a bit. Tell me what you think. The drawn detail on the front is for a potential cut that would give you access to the home button when the Touch/iPhone was vertical. I may or may not drill it out, but it means you'll have to pick the device up to hit the home button if I don't.

4D

That's beautiful! (where do you get cherry lumber any more... I lost a sixty-footer to wind a few years ago and had all manner of carpenter types showing up to offer condolences and a "free" carryaway of the wood two days after the news got around the township.....)

Do you think the opening is broad enough to accept the iPod touch in an Incase? Not that the Incase is really elegant enough to park in a nice cherrywood stand. But I'm lazy (and sometimes klutzy) and would not want to take it out.

Personally I'd only put it in a stand for viewing movies / videos. If i'm using coverflow I have the thing in hand and if using it vertically to listen to music I don't really need it in a stand. So the drilling out of the home button area would seem pretty optional.

 

[Hello.there]

Hey OP, you should change the title of your YouTube video - I think most people will use "ipod touch" rather than "itouch" as their search keywords.

 

[4DThinker]

That's beautiful! Do you think the opening is broad enough to accept the iPod touch in an Incase? Not that the Incase is really elegant enough to park in a nice cherrywood stand. But I'm lazy (and sometimes klutzy) and would not want to take it out.

Thanks. The gap is set for a naked iPhone, 11.6mm thick. That's about 15/32". I don't have your case to measure, so you'll have to. This one is a prototype and is being carefully measured/set-up/cut, etc.. If I set up to make several they will all be the same, but that final version may have some depth adjustment in it.

Cherry grows natively in Kansas but it isn't cheap. The trees don't get that big here.

 

[LizKat]

Thanks. The gap is set for a naked iPhone, 11.6mm thick.

OK, well I set the naked iPhone next to the Incased iPod touch on a table, and the naked iPhone is a teeny teeny teeny tad (maybe 1 mm) thicker than the rimmed outer edges of the Incased iPod touch. Perfect for me on a klutzy day... but of course it would really look worthy of a cherry stand only without the case on it.

The difference in thickness between the two devices if both are naked is so little that the thinner iPod touch could use the same depth of support as the iPhone in the stand.

I hope you will keep us posted as you go forward, thanks!

 

[4DThinker]

You're right in that the Touch is close to the iPhone in thickness. As you can see here it works OK in this stand, although not a perfect fit as an iPhone would be.

After a nice iPhone owner linked me to an official Apple drawing for the iPhone, it looks like the headphone jack comes out the TOP of an iPhone whereas it comes out the bottom of a Touch. If you've got both can you confirm this? Would you also check that the home button is in the same relative place on the bottom center of the face for both devices?

Thanks,
4D

 

[LizKat]

Yes the iPhone's headphone jack is in the top edge on the left as you look at the face of the device. The iPod touch has it in the bottom edge on the right. And the jack for the iPod touch is a little closer to the corner of the device than is the jack for the iPhone.

The iPhone's home button is in the center bottom face, the same as the iPod touch.

The iPhone's external speakers are on the bottom of the device, so my Incase for them leaves slightly wider openings for them and a narrower one for the central dock connector along a single aperture at the bottom. It has a hole in the top edge at the left for the audio jack, and if you turn it over to the back, a hole near the corner in the upper left (as you look at the backing) for the camera.

Not much of that matters to your stand construction except possibly the speakers thing. People could use the audio jack but might just want to let the speakers bring the sound, that appeals to me with the iPhone sometimes when I'm not particularly concerned about running down the batt.

I think the sound comes out of iPhone speakers ok if the device is just resting on its bottom edge, i haven't noticed that it doesn't, but it's not usually leaning on the bottom edge in an enclosure and it usually is in a case which elevates the edge slightly, so.. i dunno. It will probably be ok, the wood does permit sound to resonate. I might try to round up something to imitate that, like a small wooden pencil box or so, with a hemstick (flat dowel type of thing) stuck in front of it to be like the front of a stand, and experiment.

The ipod touch doesn't have those speakers, so my Incase for it just has an asymmetrical opening at the bottom for the dock connector and the headphone jack.

The iPhone has external switches along the upper part of its left edge, to turn on/off the ringer and to adjust audio volume up and down. When you rack the thing to watch video, it sits on that edge, but you have access to the virtual volume controls on the touchscreen, so you do not need access to the hard switches (unless you want to alter your ringer setting) in which case, tough beans, pick the thing up....

 

[brn2ski00]

The red plastic stand is cute. As a woodworker I'm more a fan of wood of course. With the Touch being black and chromed a stand of those colors/materials might also be nice. I've got my Cherry stand mostly shaped. I have to admit it's pretty classy looking with my Touch sitting on it. I made the width match the screen long dimension. Nicer proportion.

Is anyone interested in a smarter stand? I'm capable of putting a little speaker in one, with potentially a rechargeable battery and dock connector that will charge the battery when the iPhone or Touch isn't docked.

4D

That stand looks awesome, its way smart!

Here are two photos of the Cherry stand, still raw wood. I'm playing with the profile a bit. Tell me what you think. The drawn detail on the front is for a potential cut that would give you access to the home button when the Touch/iPhone was vertical. I may or may not drill it out, but it means you'll have to pick the device up to hit the home button if I don't.

4D

Looking so good, perfect for a flight!

Me too, Bowlerguy. Somebody wants a wood one, though. No telling why.

You're right in that the Touch is close to the iPhone in thickness. As you can see here it works OK in this stand, although not a perfect fit as an iPhone would be.

After a nice iPhone owner linked me to an official Apple drawing for the iPhone, it looks like the headphone jack comes out the TOP of an iPhone whereas it comes out the bottom of a Touch. If you've got both can you confirm this? Would you also check that the home button is in the same relative place on the bottom center of the face for both devices?

Thanks,
4D

Yup, headphone jack is on the top of the iPhone.

 

[LeahM]

You're right in that the Touch is close to the iPhone in thickness. As you can see here it works OK in this stand, although not a perfect fit as an iPhone would be.

After a nice iPhone owner linked me to an official Apple drawing for the iPhone, it looks like the headphone jack comes out the TOP of an iPhone whereas it comes out the bottom of a Touch. If you've got both can you confirm this? Would you also check that the home button is in the same relative place on the bottom center of the face for both devices?

Thanks,
4D

thats nice

 

[baadtaste]

"Groovy" stands

Great stuff - I'm trying to do a little 3D thinking I'll leave the 4D to others ;-).
How about slimming it? I can se that the bandsaw is a precise instrument in your hands. If I can figure out how to put a drawing in I will.....

 

[LeahM]

You're right in that the Touch is close to the iPhone in thickness. As you can see here it works OK in this stand, although not a perfect fit as an iPhone would be.

After a nice iPhone owner linked me to an official Apple drawing for the iPhone, it looks like the headphone jack comes out the TOP of an iPhone whereas it comes out the bottom of a Touch. If you've got both can you confirm this? Would you also check that the home button is in the same relative place on the bottom center of the face for both devices?

Thanks,
4D

Hmm, are you any good with electronics? It would look really cool if you put small speakers on the sides. Just my opinion though. Actually, I think I have some small speakers that would fit if the sides were carved out.

 

[baadtaste]

Now lets try w the image:

 

[4DThinker]

Your drawings look great, baad. I've already toyed with rounding over (1" radius) the back edge, but decided the top and rear arcs were less dome like yet still a nice articulation off the original squarish block. There's a temptation to detail the stand just like the iPhone itself is detailed, but I'm resisting that. The front can't change much in order to still line up and hold the iPhone in both horizontal and vertical positions. Since so far I'm making stands on-at-a-time, I could sure make you a domed stand like your drawings, though.

LeahM, I'm OK with minor soldering and wiring, but not up on electronics. I think the stand needs a little speaker too, but have tested it and it will need a small amp as well.

4D

 

[baadtaste]

Speakers

Just thought of something - if you like to watch rock videos this should be the speaker cabinet of your choice, its 14cm x 11cm x 6cm:
http://www.marshallamps.com/product.asp?productCode=MS-2%20and%20MS-4

Rock on ;-)

PS Glad you liked it 4D - the idea came from seeing the cut you had made on the back of the prototype.

 

[4DThinker]

Just thought of something - if you like to watch rock videos this should be the speaker cabinet of your choice:

Nice little product! The "like to watch rock videos" part is where I lose focus though. Call me a fuddy duddy.

Sticking an iPod dock connector onto basically any old boombox/speaker set is what most of the iPod dock manufacturers are doing. I think the market needs what I'll call "private" audio options that don't need to be inserted or hung on or clamped over your ears. Watching a movie on your Touch or iPhone while on a flight is the perfect opportunity. Design the little stand with a focused audio speaker that directs the audio right back to the viewer. Not much power required. No-one nearby will be bothers. You can always put the (noise cancelling) headphones on if a screaming kid is in the next seat.

4D

 

[MasterMaz]

I've looked like 5 times now. Yes, it has the cloth in it. Like I said before, I wouldn't throw anything out inside the box, I always keep it so that it can be sold. (Not that I'd want to, but you never know!). I even still have the original white packet, complete with the bit I tore off the corner to open it (lol!) and all of the plastic film that the iPod was wrapped in.

Same here lol.

 

[4DThinker]

Same here lol.

Perhaps there's a thief at the factory where they package up the products! He (or she) no doubt has boxes and boxes of stolen stands stowed away as proof that they satisfy their cleptomania stealing little plastic stands. They surely believe it's such a small thing and that no one will notice. I suggest anyone without that original plastic stand contact Apple immediately. I have no doubt they will send you one ASAP, and in finding out about the obvious cleptomania happening, do something to rectify the problem for future customers.

 

[baadtaste]

Speakers

Would it be possible to get some small speakers from "old" cellphones? They must be pretty small and some of them have quite a good tone...
(yes i know - electronics and all that)

 

[4DThinker]

Would it be possible to get some small speakers from "old" cellphones? They must be pretty small and some of them have quite a good tone...
(yes i know - electronics and all that)

But weren't old cell phones designed to be held up to your ear? We need a speaker that has enough projection to allow you to hear it easily even though it's down at Touch level. If I could find a little speaker that would be loud enough off the Touch's earphone jack to not need a battery or amp it would be GREAT!

 

[baadtaste]

Yes you are probably right - although I can hear a lot of headphones standing next to people wearing them

Anyway - you mentioned Radio Shack - i just had to look and found some things, a small 29mm speaker:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062406&cp=2032058.2032230.2032266&parentPage=family

and something that might work as an amp for those...
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2732095&cp=&sr=1&origkw=mini+amplifier&kw=mini+amplifier&parentPage=search

there's also a small "chip" thing, but then you would need a board to mount it on plus some skills in electronics. Still if it could work its really small:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062547&cp=&sr=1&origkw=mini+amplifier&kw=mini+amplifier&parentPage=search

 

[cheekybobcat]

It's unfortunate that the stand is so tiny and clear. I think a solid color would have made it easier for me to find when I lost it...

 

[4DThinker]

It's unfortunate that the stand is so tiny and clear. I think a solid color would have made it easier for me to find when I lost it...

Most hardware stores have spray paints made to bond well with plastics. Pick the color you want, spray, let dry, be happy.

 

[4DThinker]

Yes you are probably right - although I can hear a lot of headphones standing next to people wearing them

Anyway - you mentioned Radio Shack - i just had to look and found some things, a small 29mm speaker:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062406&cp=2032058.2032230.2032266&parentPage=family

and something that might work as an amp for those...
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2732095&cp=&sr=1&origkw=mini+amplifier&kw=mini+amplifier&parentPage=search

there's also a small "chip" thing, but then you would need a board to mount it on plus some skills in electronics. Still if it could work its really small:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062547&cp=&sr=1&origkw=mini+amplifier&kw=mini+amplifier&parentPage=search

I found that speaker already, but read the customer reviews and nixed it. I work at a university and am sure I can hire an EE student to do the speaker/amp part. Only worth it though it I'm going into production. Time will tell. The radio shack amp is too big, but I could crack it open and probably hide the contents in my stand. The stand all of a sudden gets at least $30 more expensive, though.

4D

 

[4DThinker]

With the iPhone having a speaker, can you hear the sounds from a movie playing without plugging in earphones? If the iPhone doesn't need an external speaker, I'll give up on speaker/amp contemplation and put a finish on this cherry stand.

4D

 

[brn2ski00]

With the iPhone having a speaker, can you hear the sounds from a movie playing without plugging in earphones? If the iPhone doesn't need an external speaker, I'll give up on speaker/amp contemplation and put a finish on this cherry stand.

4D

Yes, the iphone has an external speaker and would be sufficient for watching a movie on the stand in a quiet room. However, I would be using the headphones while on a plane or around other people. HTH

 

[4DThinker]

Yes, the iphone has an external speaker and would be sufficient for watching a movie on the stand in a quiet room. However, I would be using the headphones while on a plane or around other people. HTH

Great. I'll finish the Cherry stand this weekend and post a pic for final evaluation. I notice there is a switch of some sort on the upper left side of the iPhone, and I intend to leave a shallow slot for it so that the iPhone weight won't be on the switch when laying sideways.

4D