# Trigger happy picture frame



## ColeyS1 (25 Sep 2015)

Haven't done a wip for a while, so thought I'd post a few pics of something I've just finished. I really enjoy the starting of a project but then easily become distracted and lose enthusiasm once I've started. I'm relieved this one is finished (besides the hanging part) so here goes........

A while ago a guy kept popping in the workshop and was telling me how he made birch ply rocking horses and how he really enjoyed doing it ! That was enough of an incentive so I dropped everything else I'd started and decided to try making something with ply but perhaps more functional for myself. Playing with my phone several hours a day I decided the 'gallery home screen' might make a quirky picture frame. The only thing I needed to do was make it a bit bigger !





Next was to make a jig using lots of small bits of wood ,then fix it to a solid piece of wood and flush trim 




Was a relief having a solid jig lying around instead of one just super glued together :lol:





More pics to follow, I'm painfully slow at writing :roll:
Coley 

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## chippy1970 (25 Sep 2015)

Interesting idea 

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## ColeyS1 (25 Sep 2015)

Thanks chippy 
Next thing was to flush trim the birch ply and put rebates around the holes to take the glass




After looking around I thought putting a digital picture frame in one of the openings might mix it up a bit




This looked like it'd be the easiest to fit as the screen was literally flush with the frame surround.
The phone I was looking at had a curvy back so the next step was to figure out what size pieces I'd need, but also allow access to the back to insert the pictures. Having the curvy back was my way of seeing the different layers of the birch ply- bit like the rocking horse effect I felt the urge to do 




The worst part of the layering stage was deciding where I could safely put screw holes without the screws showing when the moulding was done.

Coley 

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## ColeyS1 (26 Sep 2015)

Looking a bit more phone looking now.
Before moulding I thought it best to route and drill the various holes for switches and the headphone hole whilst I had a square edge to work to.




All the layers at this point were still unglued, I was petrified of gluing something not being able to retrofit all the gubbins afterwards




I temporarily screwed in the oak switches so they could be moulded the same time as the rest of the phone. I remember this feeling like the calm before the storm knowing the next step was make or break, crash and burn :|
Coley

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## marcros (26 Sep 2015)

coming along well. i am watching this WIP with interest.


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## Monkey Mark (26 Sep 2015)

Very nice idea. Will be interesting to see its progress.


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## MickCheese (26 Sep 2015)

I love it. What a great idea. 

Mick


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## ColeyS1 (28 Sep 2015)

Thanks for your thoughts chaps 

Next step was the spindle moulder. I used an off cut the same thickness just for setting up




I'd never spindled birch ply before but it spindle o.k, just hard as .... and no doubt blunted the cutters - nice burnt corners !









The annoying part was it hadn't shown as much variation in the layers as I had hoped for. The other snag being the bits where it did show the nice layers would be up against the wall 

Coley

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## NickWelford (28 Sep 2015)

Interesting concept, especially with the digital insert. What I want to know is, what happens when they upgrade the phone design?


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## ColeyS1 (28 Sep 2015)

NickWelford":1jw9vqiy said:


> Interesting concept, especially with the digital insert. What I want to know is, what happens when they upgrade the phone design?


Funny you should say that ! When I originally started the project I had a sg3 phone. This was the first phone I was truly happy with so that was partly why I chose that model handset. I'd hoped I could take a final pic of them both side by side but they did a firmware update and altered the gallery layout  I'm a big fan of the company and had hoped to put their logo on the top but didn't want to risk being sued for copyright. Hopefully to the untrained eye it'll look like a fairly generic handset.
I wanted to get one of those all in one touchscreen pcs and put that in the biggest hole- I just couldn't justify the cost, then having to possibly chop it about to fit- the digital frame was a compromise  if money were no object a digital frame in each with a few second delay powering each on would look kinda funky/confusing 

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## ColeyS1 (28 Sep 2015)

I wanted the phone to be a bit more than just a normal frame so wanted it to also function a bit like a real one- getting the switches to work something was one of my wishes. Having a digital frame I thought it best if I could turn it on/off via the phone switch- the only issue then was after a few beers remembering to turn it off, so it didn't wear out the digital frame unnecessarily. I'd seen those push timers before that operate a light for a set time and thought if I could get one small enough that'd be ideal ! The problem was finding one that didn't have a massive button on the front 








To say it was a tight squeeze was an understatement and my main concern for the entire job. The layers were still unglued as I just couldn't commit and risk not being able to retrofit stuff, yet I couldn't retro fit stuff till the frame was glued. Months passed and the biggest risk soon became clear that it was gonna get damaged being left in the way all the time.


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## ColeyS1 (1 Oct 2015)

On the phone I was using for reference it had 3 small circles on the face. One was for the front facing camera the other two, not so sure. I had a spare cctv camera left over so so that could function as the forward facing camera.




It was just a bit tight for space !




For the other two circles I thought adding a couple downlight would make it a little more functional and also give the spare two switches something to operate. The biggest hassle was finding some lights suitable 




After fitting the lights and camera I could finally glue all the pieces together




Part of me wanted to try the vac bag but the other part thought sticking with trusty old solo clamps would be more predictable. Relieved to be finally able to lift around one lump instead of a lot of pieces :lol:

Cheers
Coley

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## chippy1970 (18 Oct 2015)

Any more updates Coley ?

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## ColeyS1 (20 Oct 2016)

chippy1970":2wtnco1v said:


> Any more updates Coley ?
> 
> Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk


Not sure how I missed this one  
It's been finished for a while, looks like I forgot I started a wip :lol: 




Frame sanded up and laminate glued ready for application. 




Glue was probably past it, but once i poured I was kind of comitted 




Flush trimmed the laminate 




Varnished the frame











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## ColeyS1 (20 Oct 2016)

I decided to make a headphone jack so the headphones actually played out music.
Sorry this is all a bit mixed up, I can't quite remember the details
















The headphones are very much an unfinished project. Finishing the phone was quite exhausting so I was relieved when it was hung on the wall and I always thought I'd finish the headphones when I'd had a break from it




Cctv front facing camera was a tight squeeze and needed a bit of butchering




The timer switch needed the bottom painting black- it would be visible via the charging socket. 
I always planned on making a charging lead and have it look like the dog had chewed through it. That idea never happened 








This was the setup I used for getting the phone side switches to work. I used a push button on off switch that was pressed via the wooden ones- these operated the lights 








Digital picture frame installed.
For ease of updating the frame, I put a usb extension going through the headphone jack hole




Earpiece cover I thought easiest to cheat and use a pillar drill with router cutter for making the holes








Back of the frame with everything installed. I remember being excited at the thought of turning it over- sad I know, but it'd be the first time I'd see what it'd actually look like !




The end was in sight. 
I got the wall ready with the necessary power and cctv feed, just a case of hanging it then.




It was quite heavy so took my workmates help to hang it





Really pleased it was on the wall and not needing to be moved around the workshop anymore !

Cheers
Coley 

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## Roughcut (20 Oct 2016)

That's fantastic! =D>


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## ColeyS1 (20 Oct 2016)

Roughcut":1oe2p2hh said:


> That's fantastic! =D>


Thanks bud, I enjoy seeing it now it's finished  
Coley 

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## lee celtic (20 Oct 2016)

Very very cool idea.. You need to get some sort of copyright on that they will sell..


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## Stanleymonkey (20 Oct 2016)

Not sure that he wants to make another 500 of those for retail though!!


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## ColeyS1 (22 Oct 2016)

I've still kept the jig, but it'd still take a few minutes to knock another out 

Coley


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## rafezetter (24 Oct 2016)

Don't go copyright, it's worth nothing get it down as a "registered design" if you do. It's a clever idea and looks very good.


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## bugbear (24 Oct 2016)

Very nicely made.

BugBear


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## ColeyS1 (24 Oct 2016)

Cheers guys. 
That's interesting info regarding registered design. I can't see it'd be worth doing anything to protect it. If someone could make a living smashing them out, then good luck to them. 

Coley


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## Trigs (27 Oct 2016)

Cracking imagination, well done sir


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## ColeyS1 (28 Oct 2016)

Cheers Trigs 

Coley


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## davin (31 Oct 2016)

mad but brilliant.


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## ColeyS1 (2 Nov 2016)

davin":3urkngxe said:


> mad but brilliant.


Cheers bud, appreciate the feedback  

Coley


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