Alright, let me tell you about this phone holder thing I made. I’m calling it “phone holder metal” because, well, it’s a phone holder made of metal. Real original, I know.
It all started when I was, like, tired of those cheap plastic phone holders that break after a week. You know the ones? So, I thought, “Why not just make one myself? How hard could it be?” Famous last words, right?
First, I had to figure out what kind of metal to use. I ended up grabbing some scrap steel I had lying around in the garage. It’s not the prettiest stuff, but it’s strong, and it was free. Score!
Next, I sketched out a basic design. Just a simple L-shape with some bends to hold the phone. I wasn’t going for anything fancy, just functional. I measured my phone to make sure it would actually fit, which is something I usually forget to do.
Then came the fun part – cutting the metal. I used an angle grinder with a cutting disc. It’s loud and sparks fly everywhere, so safety glasses and gloves are a must. I roughly cut out the shape I needed, leaving some extra material for adjustments later.
After cutting, I used a metal file to smooth out the edges and get rid of any sharp bits. This took way longer than I thought it would. Metal filing is seriously tedious. My arms were killing me after a while.
Now for the bending. I clamped the steel in a vise and used a hammer and some pliers to bend it into the L-shape. I didn’t have a fancy metal bender or anything, so it was all done by hand. It’s not perfect, but it’s got character, right?
Once I had the basic shape, I needed to make sure the phone wouldn’t slide out. I added a small lip at the bottom by bending the metal slightly upwards. This was tricky because I didn’t want to scratch my phone.
To prevent scratches, I covered the inside of the holder with some felt. I just used some adhesive-backed felt I got from the hardware store. It’s not the most elegant solution, but it works.
Finally, I gave the whole thing a quick coat of spray paint to prevent rust and make it look a little less like a piece of scrap metal. I went with black because it’s classic.
And that’s it! The “phone holder metal” was born. It’s not the prettiest thing in the world, but it’s sturdy and it holds my phone. Plus, I made it myself, which is always satisfying. Would I do it again? Maybe. But next time, I might invest in a metal bender. My arms will thank me.
- Materials: Scrap steel, cutting disc, metal file, vise, hammer, pliers, felt, spray paint
- Tools: Angle grinder, measuring tape, safety glasses, gloves
- Time: About 3 hours (mostly filing and bending)