Wooden Poker Case

[TDub]

Last weekend I created a wooden Poker case:


Crosspost from DT: http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/wooden-poker-case-t5169.html

Last weekend I created a first attempt at a wooden Poker case. It's far from perfect, but for a first attempt I think it's not bad. Makes the Poker feel a lot more solid, reduces overall typing noise (the case doesn't sound as hollow as the plastic on) and looks very cool in white combined with my white ds set.

It's based on layers of thin 0.5 cm high 0.6 cm thick planks stacked on a 0.5 cm base plate. Then for pcb support there are planks below the pcb that support the pcb. I don't have a good solution for the screws yet (they are too long and not supported from the bottom) or for feet. Everything is glued.

Here are some images:

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Looks pretty good from up top.

What do you guys think?

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The sides need improvement for the next iteration. The plan for the next side is to build the layers thicker then needed and then make a clean cut once assembled.

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Screw coming out the back a little bc they are too long. Looking for replacements for the next iteration.

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Inside of the case, with pcb support and usb hole in the upper right corner. The inside isn't painted very well but then again you don't usually see it so I didn't try very hard.

Painted with a primer by brush twice then with white acryl spray.


Next iteration is probably going to be a couple of weeks since I don't have the required equipment at my apartment.

Since then I have made some more improvements to this case:

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Added some support around the three main screws with lock nuts (they are way to big for the screws, just there for support of the pcb since they are the same height as the wood supports) and more supports around the edges and in the corners. Still looking for a better solution for the screws for the next case, but for now this setup feels rock solid.

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Also added some feet for the case so that it is now tilted at roughly the same angle as a normal poker (though a little higher overall). Both are plastic which slides very easily. For me this is ideal since I move my board around a lot and I don't like rubber feet.

When I do the next case I will take more pictures and make a little tutorial

Hope you guys like it 

[Gupgup]

That is pretty awesome, I would love for you to make one for me dibs on first

I think it would look even better if you used some different kinds of wood, with a cool stain!

[TDub]

That is pretty awesome, I would love for you to make one for me dibs on first

I think it would look even better if you used some different kinds of wood, with a cool stain!

Mmh, what I used for this one was 0,5 cm thick composite wood (not sure if that is the correct term for it). It is incredibly ugly but very strong, which is why I painted it. I am also not sure if I will be able to make enough of them to sell them, since I don't have any of the required tools at my apartment. So I can only make new ones when visiting my parents (my dad has a nice workshop in the basement). Next time I'm there, I will play around with some alternatives maybe some nicer wood, too.

[Gupgup]

That is pretty awesome, I would love for you to make one for me dibs on first

I think it would look even better if you used some different kinds of wood, with a cool stain!

Mmh, what I used for this one was 0,5 cm thick composite wood (not sure if that is the correct term for it). It is incredibly ugly but very strong, which is why I painted it. I am also not sure if I will be able to make enough of them to sell them, since I don't have any of the required tools at my apartment. So I can only make new ones when visiting my parents (my dad has a nice workshop in the basement). Next time I'm there, I will play around with some alternatives maybe some nicer wood, too.

Yeah I was just kidding around, but if you had the chance it would actually be pretty awesome. Even just some Oak stained would be so sturdy and neat looking!

Post some more picture on round 2, I'll be keeping up with it

[CPTBadAss]

That case is really sweet. You should talk to The_Beast for any woodworking tips.

[gnubag]

damn, i have literally been planing this for 2 days now..

i will definitely make at least 2 (one for a poker and another one for the GH60.
i just need to find some nice wood which looks good in a sandwich

[The_Beast]

That case is really sweet. You should talk to The_Beast for any woodworking tips.

The case I'm working on now, it should be easily adapted for wood ^_____^

[Michael]

The case I'm working on now, it should be easily adapted for wood ^_____^

Are you saying it gives you wood?

[The_Beast]

The case I'm working on now, it should be easily adapted for wood ^_____^

Are you saying it gives you wood?

Jes

[CPTBadAss]

That case is really sweet. You should talk to The_Beast for any woodworking tips.

The case I'm working on now, it should be easily adapted for wood ^_____^

That was easier than I thought. It's fun to randomly summon people. Beast, when are we seeing prototypes of the wood case?

[The_Beast]

That case is really sweet. You should talk to The_Beast for any woodworking tips.

The case I'm working on now, it should be easily adapted for wood ^_____^

That was easier than I thought. It's fun to randomly summon people. Beast, when are we seeing prototypes of the wood case?

Most likely in the summer when I have more free time and access to my friends shop

[Leslieann]

I came in expecting to see some sexy wood grain. 

I'm sure it's a vast improvement, a solid chassis can really firm up and quiet down a keyboard, in which case, composite is actually good choice. Nice work, TDub, defintely a good start.

Makes me wonder about doing one for my Race (Walnut maybe), would be nicer than plexi, cheaper than aluminum and easier to work with. I've been looking into casting one from aluminum or resin as well.

[SmallFry]

I came in expecting to see some sexy wood grain. 

I'm sure it's a vast improvement, a solid chassis can really firm up and quiet down a keyboard, in which case, composite is actually good choice. Nice work, TDub, defintely a good start.

Makes me wonder about doing one for my Race (Walnut maybe), would be nicer than plexi, cheaper than aluminum and easier to work with. I've been looking into casting one from aluminum or resin as well.

Oof that would be a very large casting (for DIY).

[whelmingbytes]

I came in expecting to see some sexy wood grain. 

I'm sure it's a vast improvement, a solid chassis can really firm up and quiet down a keyboard, in which case, composite is actually good choice. Nice work, TDub, defintely a good start.

Makes me wonder about doing one for my Race (Walnut maybe), would be nicer than plexi, cheaper than aluminum and easier to work with. I've been looking into casting one from aluminum or resin as well.

This got me thinking about maybe making a concrete case. I have been looking at pouring concrete candle holders for my wife, so I have seen thin pours before, but not sure how strong it would be. Anyone have any thoughts?

[Leslieann]

Oof that would be a very large casting (for DIY).

I really don't know, it's just an idea swimming around in my head.

This got me thinking about maybe making a concrete case. I have been looking at pouring concrete candle holders for my wife, so I have seen thin pours before, but not sure how strong it would be. Anyone have any thoughts?

It;s a good idea what could work well too, problem is that dye for concrete is very expensive to obtain (I looked for countertops and it was about a $200 minimum order per color), so you would likely be stuck painting. Otherwise concrete could be pretty cool actually.

[TDub]

That case is really sweet. You should talk to The_Beast for any woodworking tips.

The case I'm working on now, it should be easily adapted for wood ^_____^

That's kinda how it started out, I was playing around with the idea of making an acrylic case, but wanted to experiment first and since my Dad has a lot of experience working with wood and all the tools required I thought I would just give it a shot. Worked out pretty well. The case feels really solid, the pcb doesn't bend at all

Also the effort required wasn't too bad. After deciding how to do it, cutting the wood strips for the walls goes really fast. What requires the most time is sanding and painting. I think without the waiting time (for the paint to dry before doing the next layer) it was probably around 2 hours of work.

I came in expecting to see some sexy wood grain. 

I'm sure it's a vast improvement, a solid chassis can really firm up and quiet down a keyboard, in which case, composite is actually good choice. Nice work, TDub, defintely a good start.

Makes me wonder about doing one for my Race (Walnut maybe), would be nicer than plexi, cheaper than aluminum and easier to work with. I've been looking into casting one from aluminum or resin as well.

Wooden case for the Race shouldn't be any harder, it's the same thing in bigger I think it only gets complicated if you want to do something like TKL or Fullsize because you need some sort of cover on top with fairly small cutouts.

Also about the wood grain, I think if you use nice wood a different design would be better. I wouldn't go with layers for the walls (what's the point of cutting up the nice wood pattern). Rather I think the walls should be one piece with the usb whole drilled from the side and then one plate from the bottom. Maybe I will also try that once I get a chance. With this design you could also very easily integrate a wrist rest, by just making the top piece longer in front.

[eviltobz]

heh, that's what i was thinking. i got all excited at the recentish ergodox massdrop buy, so I have a full kit coming, but also a pair of pcbs and electronics to get started on a second, and that got me to thinking about a wooden full hand case with some nice wood routed out to form the top and sides, then attach the guts through a panel at the bottom. then i saw this thread about wooden keycaps http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39799.msg784205#msg784205 and i just about soiled myself there and then

[whelmingbytes]

Anyone know where I can get the exact dimensions the case would need to be to house a poker? Maybe even where the screws need to go? I would measure mine, but it hasn't arrived yet and I would like to get a headstart... Thanks!

[hashbaz]

Nice job!  I agree with others though that a wood grain finish would be more beautiful.

[TDub]

Anyone know where I can get the exact dimensions the case would need to be to house a poker? Maybe even where the screws need to go? I would measure mine, but it hasn't arrived yet and I would like to get a headstart... Thanks!

The inner dimensions of the poker case are 28,7 cm x 9,7 cm. I can try and get exact placement of the screwholes tomorrow.

[TDub]

I came in expecting to see some sexy wood grain. 

Your wish is my command:



I made some new cases last weekend, however i don't really have much time this week, so this will just be a little teaser. I will post more this weekend

[Sai]

hmm. i am planning to make one for my poker around this nov. Still a long way though. any suggestions that I have to take note of?

[TDub]

Well I think the most important part is the support for the pcb, because if the pcb bounces or bends the case pretty much sucks. I glued slim pieces of wood (0,5cm wide and high) to the base of the case to support the pcb. I also made sure that no diodes or other electronics sit on top of the support. I will probably have time to post some more pictures tonight and more explanations about how I made the new cases.

[Batmann]

nice case,
looks like you also have sexy power tools

[Sai]

Well I think the most important part is the support for the pcb, because if the pcb bounces or bends the case pretty much sucks. I glued slim pieces of wood (0,5cm wide and high) to the base of the case to support the pcb. I also made sure that no diodes or other electronics sit on top of the support. I will probably have time to post some more pictures tonight and more explanations about how I made the new cases.

Please do. I'd love to see and read them in more detail. absolutely no knowledge on this kind of things.

[Leslieann]

Your wish is my command:

Looks great!

[TDub]

So lets get started with the pictures of the process ( I really intended to take more pictures, but I got so caught up in it ):



This is one of the sides for the new case. It has a small ledge at the bottom for the base plate. Each piece is 2,5cm high and I think they were initially 2 cm wide (they get cut again once the case is glued together).



Here you can see the pieces of the case stacked around one of The_Beasts plates.



This is the material of the baseplate, i looked it up and the correct translation for it is particle board. Very ugly, which is why I painted the back of the case white, but it makes a strong base plate.



Gluing the case together. The yellow corner pieces are pulled together with the string and the clamp presses the base plate into the ledge.



With one of the two cases we didn't measure accurately enough Luckily we figured out a way to fix it though.



A picture of the pcb support. Small strips of the particle board glue to the base plate.



For the USB port we tried a different approach this time, we drilled it. Which initially didn't work out that well bc we drilled to far to the left, but with some tinkering, it looks alright.



Painting of the base plate. It is first painted by brush with a primer then spray painted.

The rest of the case was painted with 2 layers of clear coat. After the final sanding it feels very nice.

Now a few shots of the finished product (including the wrist wrest):









Lastly a picture of the feet I attached (both types are just what was available in my local hardware shop):



The backside I feel could still be improved, there is a small gap between the side of the base plate and the nice wood part, which doesn't look that great up close and the usb hole still needs a better more consistent method. Since this post is already way to long, I'll talk a little more about what tools you need and future plans in the next one 

The feel of the case is awesome. The pcb has no room to bend and the case does not sound hollow like the original plastic one. Right now the keyboard is still a little noisy because of the clear springs which sorta ping a little. But I have some Krytox here which fixes it on the few keys I already lubed. The rest should follow this weekend and then, finally, I think I will be as happy as I can be with my poker

[Sai]

woo. thats a big update on the case. it looks definitely better than the 1st one. 
i'll be referring to this thread when I am going to attempt one.

the pcb support idea is nice. it doesn't take up the whole of the case.

[morpheus]

Wood is a nice change from the normal. Kudos!

[The_Beast]

This adds depth to your case, but maybe thinking about using a dado joint and a floating panel for the bottom. Just make sure that you make you panel a bit smaller than the dado so that it floats freely (in all directions) and don't glue it it place when you're gluing the miters. This will allow the panel to expand and contract without breaking your case. By using this method, your bottom panel doesn't need to be nearly as exact since the joint will be hiding any mistakes.

Here's what I mean when I say dado:
http://www.craftsmanspace.com/sites/default/files/free-knowledge-articles/through_dado_joint.gif


Also, something cool to add that will strength those miter joints is re-enforcing them with a thin piece of wood cut into the corners like this:
http://www.wooden-box-maker.com/images/miter-and-spline.jpg

It looks cool and makes the case stronger since miter joints are kinda weak to begin with


Hope this helps

[eviltobz]

Now we're talking Good work TDub. Next step - wooden keycaps!

[TDub]

This adds depth to your case, but maybe thinking about using a dado joint and a floating panel for the bottom. Just make sure that you make you panel a bit smaller than the dado so that it floats freely (in all directions) and don't glue it it place when you're gluing the miters. This will allow the panel to expand and contract without breaking your case. By using this method, your bottom panel doesn't need to be nearly as exact since the joint will be hiding any mistakes.

Here's what I mean when I say dado:
http://www.craftsmanspace.com/sites/default/files/free-knowledge-articles/through_dado_joint.gif


Also, something cool to add that will strength those miter joints is re-enforcing them with a thin piece of wood cut into the corners like this:
http://www.wooden-box-maker.com/images/miter-and-spline.jpg

It looks cool and makes the case stronger since miter joints are kinda weak to begin with


Hope this helps

Thx Beast, I like both ideas, especially the small wood pieces in the corners. I will definitely be doing more cases, so I might try those on the next one. I really want to make a case with an integrated wrist wrest at some point. I have an idea of how it would work, but the problem is always the base plate. I was going to screw or glue it to the bottom and just make it a little smaller then the walls so you don't see it from up top, but the dado would integrate it into the case much nicer.

Btw, the poker is now fully lubed with krytox 205 and the clears just feel so awesome now

[The_Beast]

This adds depth to your case, but maybe thinking about using a dado joint and a floating panel for the bottom. Just make sure that you make you panel a bit smaller than the dado so that it floats freely (in all directions) and don't glue it it place when you're gluing the miters. This will allow the panel to expand and contract without breaking your case. By using this method, your bottom panel doesn't need to be nearly as exact since the joint will be hiding any mistakes.

Here's what I mean when I say dado:
http://www.craftsmanspace.com/sites/default/files/free-knowledge-articles/through_dado_joint.gif


Also, something cool to add that will strength those miter joints is re-enforcing them with a thin piece of wood cut into the corners like this:
http://www.wooden-box-maker.com/images/miter-and-spline.jpg

It looks cool and makes the case stronger since miter joints are kinda weak to begin with


Hope this helps

Thx Beast, I like both ideas, especially the small wood pieces in the corners. I will definitely be doing more cases, so I might try those on the next one. I really want to make a case with an integrated wrist wrest at some point. I have an idea of how it would work, but the problem is always the base plate. I was going to screw or glue it to the bottom and just make it a little smaller then the walls so you don't see it from up top, but the dado would integrate it into the case much nicer.

Btw, the poker is now fully lubed with krytox 205 and the clears just feel so awesome now

Glad I could help, I didn't want to sound pushy with my ideas or how I would do it, I just want to help out . I'm no shop master, but if you need any more help, I'll answer to the best of my ability


BTW, to make those re-enforcements, you might want to consider making one of these jigs to make the job easier:
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2012-05-29-at-2.52.23-PM.png

[TDub]

Thx Beast,

I got a lot of help from my dad, since he is pretty good with woodworking, but additional tips are always welcome. Right now I am mostly working with scraps he has left over in his shop, but eventually I want to start doing them with really nice wood and without the flaws the current iterations have. But first, some more experimenting

Now we're talking Good work TDub. Next step - wooden keycaps!

Mmmh I think that's a little above my skill level, but there is this thread: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39799.0

[gnubag]

do you know what size of screws you use?

[TDub]

You mean for screwing in the pcb? I have the box at home, i'll check tonight.

[gnubag]

You mean for screwing in the pcb? I have the box at home, i'll check tonight.

yes the mounting screws (pcb to case).

all the screws i have around here are way to big/long....

[TDub]

They are 2x10 which I assume is mm. Also says Z1 by a picture of the screw head, so my guess is that is the size of the ideal screwdriver.

[whelmingbytes]

Does anyone have an estimate on the incline angle on a stock poker case? I am working on a wood case, but don't have an original plastic case to measure the angle from. Thanks!

[TDub]

If I remember correctly its 2cm in the front and 3 in the back. At some point in my education I might have known how to get the incline from that but now I'm simply to lazy ;P

[TDub]

Hi guys,

I recently made some new cases with integrated wrist rest and a nicer wood.

I really like the integrated wrist rest over the separate one I made with my previous cases, because it means I don't have to re-position it when I move my keyboard (which I do quit frequently when working or gaming).

Anyways, here are the pictures:















We made a total of 3 cases in the last run, but one needed some creative fixing, since it didn't glue together right and I don't know if we were successful yet. This brings my current total of home made cases up to 5 (or 6 if the fix was successful). Once I decide which ones I want to keep, I might start selling the ones I do not need.

Hope you guys like the new case

[CPTBadAss]

TDub that is amazing, great work man. Have you talked to The_Beast at all? He's also really into wood wrist rests/case/woodworking. (I'm skimming the thread again, sorry in advance if you've said this)

[Photekq]

It has a really oldschool look to it. I love it! Great job.

[GeorgeStorm]

I like it

Personally would like to see one without the wrist rest (now that you've more of an idea how to do it) but still awesome work

[TDub]

First 3 cases were without a wristrest (see first page), and The_Beast has already given me some much needed advice which put into action on this case (thanks again The_Beast!). The second set of cases had the base plate glued to the bottom with a small ledge cut into the walls. This looked ugly because there was a gap between the plate and the sides at the bottom. Plus these cases used an uglier wood for the plate so I painted it, which didn't look great either.

The new case has the dado joint, which beast recommended and it worked out beautifully. It adds a lot of stability and looks nicer. Cutting it isn't always easy and it depends on how you do the joint. The one in the picture was easy, the other ones I made in this batch where harder. Currently we used the table saw to cut the dado joint (needs multiple cuts since the blade we had was not wide enough.

Just to show of the progression:

MK I:



MK II:



and the new MK III:



BTW that plate you see shine through the keys is from The_Beast as well

[The_Beast]

Glad I could help! Turned out really nice, especially with the wrist rest

[Leslieann]

Gorgeous!
Nice work!

[bearcat]

beautiful!  What'd you use for finish?

[TDub]

beautiful!  What'd you use for finish?

MK I: Painted with primer then spray painted in white (only because it was very very ****ty wood)
MK II: Painted Lacquer
MK III: Teak Oil (especially the red wood in the new cases looks so great with the oil)

[metalliqaz]

Dude those are fantastic.  Amazing stuff.