« Speaking of Pandemics | Main | Essential »
October 06, 2005
Home Improvements
My well-deserved reputation as a handyman puts me in a league with the very most hapless schlemiels who have ever picked up a hand tool (the Geneva Convention prohibits allowing me near power tools ever since my woodshop teacher Mr. Proviano contacted Interpol way back in the sixties). Sometimes, though, a project presents itself that’s so very easy that even I can handle it.
The other day I was cleaning out a desk drawer in my office — itself an odd enough occurrence — when I happened on one of those cheap plastic cases that frequently gets thrown in with an order of business cards.
Having been keeping myn ears open relative to the brouhaha over how easily iPod Nanos (“Nanoes”?) get scratched up, I instantly considered the possibility that I held in my hand the easy solution to that problem. Sure enough,
it looks like it would work. I worked the Nano into the case and eyeballed the location of the output port, so I could cut as small a hole as necessary (and I tried to keep my cut smooth, so that there wouldn’t be any corners susceptible to tearing). I had to add a little width to my first cut, but the second cut aligned nicely with the headphone port, and the extra width allowed room for the casing for the headphone connector).
It works like a charm, the headphone plug fits perfectly, and the plastic is thin enough that you can operate the controls through it (though it somewhat attenuates the hypersensitivity of the control wheel, so you can handle the Nano with the volume jumping).
And here’s the end with the headphone port — plenty of room.
For my next project, I’m thinking of making a snowflake from folded paper, or preparing a peanut butter sandwich.
Posted by AKMA at October 6, 2005 10:03 AM | Threadorati
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://disseminary.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/627
Comments
Very cool. There's a reason some of us never throw things away.
Oh -- and wouldn't multiple Nanos be "Nani"? Hmm . . . probably not.
Posted by: Reverend Ref at October 6, 2005 12:59 PM
Of course, the real trick is working in a prison sentence and two television deals on top of being so crafty.
Very cool adaptation.
Posted by: Don at October 6, 2005 01:08 PM
Excellent job. Next thing we know, you'll be showing up in MAKE: blog or giving radical casemod demonstrations. ;)
Posted by: ginny at October 6, 2005 03:00 PM
Cool Beans.
Nothing like recycling.
Jane Ellen tells me you _almost_ have as many books as I do.
Nice to meet you.
Posted by: rev mommy at October 7, 2005 03:05 AM
>Oh -- and wouldn't multiple Nanos be "Nani"? Hmm...
>probably not.
Actually it would, it Italian. NANO means small or midget and NANI is the correct plural.
Great mod btw :)
Posted by: MZ at October 7, 2005 03:59 AM
My question...as much as it ages me, why does anyone NEED an ipod? NTA
Posted by: ntadam at October 7, 2005 06:21 AM
Looks like us ladies can do the same with our birth control pill covers. Some pills come with a 'business card' cover: Yasmin comes with a purple faux-suede cover.
Posted by: Roni at October 7, 2005 09:36 AM
Heh. Stewart Brand once referred to this type of hackery as "satisficing." See wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisficing
Posted by: Phil at October 7, 2005 06:01 PM
Here is one I made from an Altoids tin. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeofgaskell/sets/1133198/
Posted by: John Gaskell at October 13, 2005 04:12 PM
What good is a scratch-free iPod if nobody can enjoy it's flawlessness? Set your iPods free people. Scratches build character.
Posted by: don at October 13, 2005 11:01 PM
