These days, almost everyone keeps their phone next to the bed. It’s an alarm clock, a weather channel and a radio all in one device. Make this simple phone-charging station as a way of keeping your device neatly and stylishly propped up while you snooze.
TOOLS & MATERIALS
- Table Saw with Dado Blade
- Cordless Drill
- 3/8″ & 7/8″ Forstner Bits
- Wood Slab (at least 1 1/2″ thick)
- Danish Oil
- Self-Adhesive Rubber Bumpers
When taking on this DIY task, be sure to equip yourself with the proper safety gear.
SAFETY GEAR
- Eye Protection
- Ear Protection
- Mask
STEP ONE
Cut to width. Cut the wood to your desired width using a table saw. We chose five inches for the width of our charging station.
STEP TWO
Drill the thumbhole. Measure and mark the center of the piece. Using the 7/8ths-inch Forstner bit, drill a vertical stopped hole one inch into the work piece.
STEP THREE
Adjust the saw. Unplug the table saw. Now, adjust the blade angle to ten degrees.
STEP FOUR
Cut the dado. Clamp or screw a long support piece or fence to your table saw’s miter gauge. Place the work piece face down on the table saw. Then clamp it securely to the miter gauge fence. Make an angled cut one inch deep aligning the cut to the center of the hole you drilled in step two. Then adjust the position of the work piece and make another angled cut behind the first cut aligned to the back of the hole you drilled in step two. Then adjust the piece again and clear out the remaining waste repeating as many times as needed to ensure the dado was wide enough to hold your mobile device.
STEP FIVE
Drill the cord hole. Using the 3/8ths-inch Forstner bit, drill a hole in the center of the large hole all the way through the work piece matching the ten-degree angle of the dado. Clamp a piece of scrap wood to the bottom of the work piece before drilling to avoid tear out. You can also lubricate the bit with a little WD-40 to keep it from overheating.
STEP SIX
Cut the waste wood. Decide how deep you want the finished piece to be. We made ours three inches. Use your table saw and the same clamping method as in step four. Remove the waste wood from the back of the work piece.
STEP SEVEN
Sand and finish. Sand the entire piece down with 220-grit sandpaper. Then finish with Danish oil and add the self-adhesive rubber bumpers to the bottom corners.
Looking for great tools to help get your project done? Shop Stanley, Black & Decker and DeWALT for everything you need!
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