Vinyl Origami
February 12, 2009 3:13 AM Subscribe
How can I make an iPod case out of a vinyl record? I rather love these, but they seem to have sold out years ago. I've never tried warping a 45 myself before....
Best answer: No, those weren't vac formed. You can't do a controlled overlapping fold like that with vac forming.
I would start with a block of wood slightly larger than your ipod, with the locations of the screen and jogdial laid out on one side. I'd cut all the necessary holes in the record before folding (screen, jog dial, dock access), plus notches at the bottom corners so it can fold like a cardboard box. To cut it I might try a small router, or a dremel with a coarse abrasive, or a fretsaw with a very fine-toothed blade. I'd glue (aerosol contact cement?) felt to the inside face and trim it away from the holes and folds as appropriate. Then I'd probably cover the outside face of the record with some protective cloth and try using a clothing iron at a low temperature setting to soften the record enough to bend it around the wooden form.
I wouldn't even try this unless I had several 45s sitting around so that I could afford the inevitable learning curve.
posted by jon1270 at 5:45 AM on February 12, 2009 [1 favorite]
I would start with a block of wood slightly larger than your ipod, with the locations of the screen and jogdial laid out on one side. I'd cut all the necessary holes in the record before folding (screen, jog dial, dock access), plus notches at the bottom corners so it can fold like a cardboard box. To cut it I might try a small router, or a dremel with a coarse abrasive, or a fretsaw with a very fine-toothed blade. I'd glue (aerosol contact cement?) felt to the inside face and trim it away from the holes and folds as appropriate. Then I'd probably cover the outside face of the record with some protective cloth and try using a clothing iron at a low temperature setting to soften the record enough to bend it around the wooden form.
I wouldn't even try this unless I had several 45s sitting around so that I could afford the inevitable learning curve.
posted by jon1270 at 5:45 AM on February 12, 2009 [1 favorite]
Check out the instructable on making bowls from LPs. Looks like there's lots of good info there.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:35 AM on February 12, 2009
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:35 AM on February 12, 2009
Sold out? 45 iPod cases are custom built weekly.
They appear to be taking orders and the © at the bottom of the page is 2009. Perhaps contacting them. It looks like the gallery might be just to show what they have done.
posted by geekyguy at 8:48 AM on February 12, 2009
They appear to be taking orders and the © at the bottom of the page is 2009. Perhaps contacting them. It looks like the gallery might be just to show what they have done.
posted by geekyguy at 8:48 AM on February 12, 2009
Best answer: A few minutes in a 200 degree oven will make old vinyl records quite pliable. That'll give you about a minute of working time before it cools and hardens up. With a little practice, it's pretty easy to fold and shape a warm record into all sort of shapes. Fortunately, 45s are cheap. Go to a thrift store and pick up 50 of them for a couple of dollars, and start playing with the medium.
Want more time to make make major bends/folds? Throw it back in the oven briefly, or rent a heat lamp from a catering supply company.
Want to tighten up a fold, cut a hole with your snips, or make smaller changes? Use a blow drier on high. You might try a heat gun on low, too.
posted by toxic at 9:32 AM on February 12, 2009
Want more time to make make major bends/folds? Throw it back in the oven briefly, or rent a heat lamp from a catering supply company.
Want to tighten up a fold, cut a hole with your snips, or make smaller changes? Use a blow drier on high. You might try a heat gun on low, too.
posted by toxic at 9:32 AM on February 12, 2009
Response by poster: Geekyguy, I did contact them and they're doing them no longer.
posted by mippy at 9:09 AM on February 17, 2009
posted by mippy at 9:09 AM on February 17, 2009
Ah, cheers.
I would wager that you could get a good pattern by using a round piece of material that you could cut so as to avoid needing an overlap. Might make it easier when you tackle the discs.
Good luck.
posted by geekyguy at 8:08 PM on February 17, 2009
I would wager that you could get a good pattern by using a round piece of material that you could cut so as to avoid needing an overlap. Might make it easier when you tackle the discs.
Good luck.
posted by geekyguy at 8:08 PM on February 17, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Raybun at 4:35 AM on February 12, 2009