Ungar Case

Post date: Oct 10, 2017 7:20:30 PM

When I first thought about making a glasses and contact case I wanted to make it similar to a normal case. I started off by sketching up rounded edges and a much smaller case than I intended. I decided that if I realistically wanted to to be able to fit my glasses and have a compartment in the case that it needed to be wider and deeper. I also originally made the box plans on Inkscape by hand, but then I found that it would be more efficient to use MakerCase. During the process of fabricating my case I gained patience and persistence. I often found myself forgetting to fix all of the dimensions of my case when I changed one dimension, which caused the box to not fit together. I also learned the best materials to use for my project like tacky glue for wood. I got the idea of spray painting and adding color to my case from Bradley's project. I thought it was a good idea because it made the case less boring and dull. Looking back at starting stages of my project I wish I would have gone a different route from laser cutting to make it more round at the edges. In the end, I was happy how my case turned out and was proud of the hard work and persistence I used. All of the skills that I acquired made me confident to possibly fabricated something else in the future.  

Initial Sketch:

My idea is to make a glasses and contact case, with a hidden compartment in the top to keep money or other miscellaneous items. I want to put a felt lining inside of the case in order to protect the lenses of the glasses. The case will be made out of wood and then stained to make it look more presentable and crisp. 

Card-stock Prototype:

I have made a prototype of the glasses case using card-stock. While this is not exactly what it will look like, I wanted to test of the dimensions that I originally had in mind. It was overall pretty well fit, but I think I might make it a little more shallow and wide. 

Cardboard Prototype Inkscape File:

This is the start to my Inkscape file to laser cut my cardboard prototype. I needs to add some more tabs on some of the pieces and then plan out how it will all fit together.

Final Laser Cut Design for Cardboard Prototype:

This is my final final in Inkscape before I cut out my cardboard prototype. I decided to use Makercase.com to help because it was much simpler than manually doing all of the tabs by hand.

1st Laser Cut Cardboard Prototype:

This is my first edition for the laser cut prototype made out of cardboard. This is just the initial box for the glasses and contact case without the divider and compartment that I want to put inside. To make this box I used the Inkscape file below. 

2nd Laser Cut Cardboard Prototype:

This is the second edition to my cardboard prototype. This time I added a slot to put a longer piece of cardboard to make a compartment. This didn't exactly turn out like I thought it would so I am going to make a few adjustments. I also added a divider to divide the contacts and glasses while they are in the case. 

Final Laser Cut Cardboard Prototype:

This is the final edition of my cardboard prototype. I finally made the right adjustments to fit both the glasses and the contact case. I decided to remove the slot for the compartment that was in the previous prototype and just make a larger flap. This allows for easier access into the compartment for the owner. In order to make this design I used the Inkscape file below. 

Unfinished Laser Cut Wooden Prototype:

This is my unfinished version of my laser cut wooden prototype. I have used tacky glue to glue all of he pieces together, but I still need to attach micro-hinges to the back. On top of this, I still would like to cut out a piece of wood to close up the top half in order to make the compartment to keep miscellaneous items. I think I will also use some sort of hinge so that there is easy access. 

Wooden Prototype With Hinges:

Today I decided to add the hinges to my glasses and contact case. I used the screws and hinges from a little and cheap box to add to my own project. After I attached the hinges I started to brainstorm some ideas of how to connect the secret compartment divider to the box without it hindering the box closing. 

Wooden Prototype with Compartment Top:

I thought it would be a good idea to let the compartment top be able to freely come of the box. With this idea in mind I cut out a little divot in the compartment with the laser-cutter. I also wanted to add the little pieces of wood around the ends of the screws so that no one pokes them-self on them. My glasses and contact case is almost complete, but I have a few more ideas in mind to make it look more presentable from the outside. 

Sanding and Adding Felt:

Now I thought it would be a good time to add some finishing touches to the final product for my glasses and contact case. I started off my using a sanding belt to sand down each of the edges of my case. After I knew each edge was smooth and rounded, I cut out pieces of white felt that would fit inside of the case. I then glued each of these pieces inside of the case so that the lenses of my glasses would not get scratched, but also to give it a more unique look.

Spray Paint:

While I was looking at my close to final product I realized it looked a tad bit boring, so I decided to spray paint it. I plan to finish spray painting all of the sides gray and the bottom red as well. This will hopefully give an overall more appealing look. I also used clear tape to act as a hinge for the compartment top. My glasses and contact case is now almost complete!