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September 08, 2010

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Subject: Make a Wooden Microphone Case
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DonUser is Offline
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02/12/2008 6:30 PM  

Mike in the Cakewalk forum asked me to describe how I built my microphone case. Here is how:

First, let me say that I had everthing I needed to build this laying around the house. I used curly maple scraps and hardware that have been laying around here for about 25yrs. Inexpensive pine from a Home Depot will work just as well. The 1/4" top and bottoms were from some spare hickory kitchen cabinet doors from a kitchen remodel 3yrs ago. I got the packing foam from work today and it was in big blocks and haven't hollowed out the space for the mics yet. The chain is just window sash chain, but a shoelace will do just as well. I took some shortcuts to get it done fast - like ugly butt joints. Though the instructions are long-winded, the whole project shouldn't take you more than a couple of hours of work, excluding waiting for the glue and finish to dry. And it shouldn't cost more than a few dollars using pine for the sides.

Finished outside dimensions: 4"H x 11 1/2"W x 9"D

Material (for one case):
  1 - 1x6x6
  1 sheet of 1/4" plywood
  Packing foam
  1 shoelace.
  1 small latch
  2 small hinges
 
Tools needed:
  Tablesaw with a carbide blade
  Screwdriver
  Bisquet cutter (optional)
  Router (optional to round the corners)
  Sander or sandpaper.
  4 bar clamps

Supplies:
  About 120 grit sandpaper, and some 220 if you want it really smooth.
  Wood glue
  Screws for the hardware
  Shellac and a brush (I used shellac because it dries fast) 

1. Rip the 1x6 down to about 4-1/4" (I'll now refer to the cut piece as 1x4)


2. Crosscut a short (6") piece of that to use to test the next cuts:


3. Cut the dados. These are the grooves the 1/4" plywood will slip into as you can see in the photo of the scrap.
3a. Set the rip fence up so that you'll be cutting a groove about 1/4" from the far end of the 1x4.
3b. Set the blade height to about half the thickness of the 1x4 (about 3/8")
3c. Test the cut on the scrap and then cut the dado in both sides of the 1x4
3d. Widen the dado. Move the rip fence a little closer to the blade so the next cut will make the dado wide enough to fit the 1/4" plywood (the plywood should slip in nicely, not too snug or too tight). Try it on the scrap until it's right, then run the 1x4 on both sides.


4. Crosscut the pieces to length. There should be 2 pieces 11-1/2" long and 2 pieces 7-1/4" long. (Don't forget to first trim off the rough factory edge)


5. Cut the two plywood rectangles to fit in the dados. To get the exact dimensions, set the four sides of the box up and measure. Cut and dry-fit to make sure everything fits.


6. Put it together. If you've got a bisquet cutter, I assume you know how to use it and won't explain how to do the butt joints, and you can let the plywood float in the dados. If you don't have one, then you can just glue the joints AND the plywood to hold it together. Make sure you clamp it on the top and bottom. Let the glue dry for a few hours. You now should have an enclosed box.


7. Sand it smooth. Round over the corners with a router if you want. I used a 1/2" round bit because it was already in the router :)


8. Cut the lid. Set the blade height back to about 7/8" and the rip fence to about 2-3/4" and run the box through it on all 4 sides to separate the bottom from the top.


9. Set up the hinges. Line up the hinges and awl the holes for the screws. Don't screw them on yet.


10. Finish the pieces with 2 coats of shellac. The first coat takes about 1/2hr to dry. The grain of pine will proably raise after the first coat so you might have to lightly sand between coats if you care about it being smooth. Slap a quick coat on the inside too so it won't warp.


11. Screw on the hardware, tack on the shoestring, cut the foam, and you're done.

Or, just store the mic in a plastic bag. :)

Here are a few more photos:

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