Speaker Box .wmv
http://vimeo.com/8202077
This is a link to the video I made about my speaker box. Above that is the file if you would like to download it.
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/8202077" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/8202077">Cigar Box Music Player</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2365202">Nick Tinkham</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Extra Features
I added a few extra features to my speaker box. One of which is a bump switch mounted on the inside of the box. This is wired up to the battery snap so that when I close the lid, the circuit turns off. You can see it in this picture on the left side of the box.
Another feature I added was the Minty Boost. Minty Boost is a kit that allows you to make an iPod charger that fits inside an Altoids tin. It uses 2 AA batteries and provides a good charge to the iPod. Minty Boost can be configured for the iPod and iPhone. For more info on Minty Boost, click this link.http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/
The Amplifier Circuit
A major part of the speaker box is the amplifier circuit. I harvested this and the speakers out of a pair of old computer speakers. The smaller the circuit board, the better. You will almost definately need to do a few alterations to the circuit to make it work for you. For instance, I had to snip the power supply wires and replace them with a 9v battery snap. I also soldered the two negatives of the speakers together and then back to the ground. Be sure to cover any loose wires with shrink wrap tubing to prevent shorts. Connect the positives of the speakers to their appropriate places. The circuit board should have labels for the left and right speakers.
Make holes through the cardboard insert for the controls. Dremmel out the plastic of the computer speakers that has the holes that line up with the buttons and dials. Hot-melt glue the circuit to the top of the cardboard insert facing out. you will also need to solder a headphone jack to the input of the circuit and make a hole in the insert for it to poke out.
Congrats! You made a Cigar Box Music Player.
http://principles.pbworks.com/SpeakerBoxDocumentation
http://principles.pbworks.com/SpeakerBoxDocumentation
Making the Stickers
The stickers used to decorate the box are a whole process by themselves. I designed these custom stickers using the programs Gimp and Open Office. Both programs are free downloads on the internet. They work great and are easy to use.
Designing the stickers is pretty easy. first you need to find a picture. I used Google images. Next you need to save the picture. Then open it up in Gimp where you can use the threshold tool to change the image to black and white. You can then vary the amounts of each color to make the image look the best.
Then I imported the altered image into Open Office. Here you can alter the dimensions and make borders around the image. Once your done with this you should save it and export the image as a .jpg. It is very important that it is saved a a .jpg. Email the file to yourself.
Finally I logged onto the vinyl cutter computer. Here I open up the program Cut Studio. Cut Studio works with the Rolands Vinyl Cutter. Open up your email and import the picture file. Then go into cut studio and import the file. Once it is imported, you need to right click on the image and select image properties. Then click "extract image outline". This will outline your image in blue. You then drag away the image leaving the blue outline lines. You can now delete the initial image but keep the outline. From here you can copy the image and alter its dimensions. Now load the vinyl cutter with sufficient paper and cut.
Once the sticker is cut, the next step is weeding it. This is when you remove any unneeded pieces of loose vinyl. Either use the images negative or positive. To make a 2 color sticker, just make a rectangle of a different color that will fit behind the top layer. now use transfer tape and stick it on.
Designing the stickers is pretty easy. first you need to find a picture. I used Google images. Next you need to save the picture. Then open it up in Gimp where you can use the threshold tool to change the image to black and white. You can then vary the amounts of each color to make the image look the best.
Then I imported the altered image into Open Office. Here you can alter the dimensions and make borders around the image. Once your done with this you should save it and export the image as a .jpg. It is very important that it is saved a a .jpg. Email the file to yourself.
Finally I logged onto the vinyl cutter computer. Here I open up the program Cut Studio. Cut Studio works with the Rolands Vinyl Cutter. Open up your email and import the picture file. Then go into cut studio and import the file. Once it is imported, you need to right click on the image and select image properties. Then click "extract image outline". This will outline your image in blue. You then drag away the image leaving the blue outline lines. You can now delete the initial image but keep the outline. From here you can copy the image and alter its dimensions. Now load the vinyl cutter with sufficient paper and cut.
Once the sticker is cut, the next step is weeding it. This is when you remove any unneeded pieces of loose vinyl. Either use the images negative or positive. To make a 2 color sticker, just make a rectangle of a different color that will fit behind the top layer. now use transfer tape and stick it on.
Speaker Box Construction
The base of the Cigar Box Music Player is obviously the cigar box. I used an old cigar box and sanded down all the surfaces to a smooth finish. Next I used spray paints to color the inside and outside of the speaker box.
I also drew a diagram of the box in four different views and its dimensions. Then comes the cardboard insert that holds the speakers and amplifier circuit. Using measurements from the inside of the box, I was able to measure and cut this piece to fit securely. Next, holes were cut so the speakers could poke through. I cut mine in a sort of diamond shape and then hot-glued the speakers to the underside of the cardboard.
Intro to The Speaker Box
This project was the idea of my tech teacher Chris Connors in my 2009 Principles of Tech class. The idea was to create a portable speaker system/dock for our iPods, much like the iHome.
We used cigar boxes to house the components of the speaker box.
This is not a step by step instructional, but does explain the basic construction and components.
Enjoy
We used cigar boxes to house the components of the speaker box.
This is not a step by step instructional, but does explain the basic construction and components.
Enjoy
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