No wonder I can't get him on the phone

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Monsieur Roubo, Meet Mr. Iphone

Squeazle Apr 24, 2018

A few years ago, I adapted Roubo's bookstand as phone and tablet stands. Since then I've probably made a dozen or so as gifts for friends and family, all by hand. After one or two suitably un-subtle hints from the wife that she never got one for her night stand, I decided to make one for her upcoming birthday. The difference between this and the others was that I recently got a hobby-level CNC macine, so I decided to see how much I could automate. But fear not, traditional woodworking elitists! There's enough "real" woodworking hand work for you too. Enjoy, and let me now what you think!

Let's start with the finished product, my beach chair,...uh, phone stand.

Laid flat

This is the blank I started with. The pieces to the left and right were scraps from a previous project, joined with a Paduak strip down the middle. Cherry, Mahogany, Basswood, and Paduak.

I scored the lines in between the hinge knuckles on both sides with the CNC first. 

Then drilled the smallest hole I could manage through the ends of those score marks.

A scrollsaw was used to carefully cut between each knuckle.

Cutting the hinge starts with good layout. I score each of the lines that will be cut so my chisel tip will rest precisely where I want it.

All layed out and ready to go.

When I first started making these, I made this jig to guide my chisels as I paired hinges. It's been an incredible help and allows me to make the hinge almost perfect.

A close up shot of the workpiece in the jig. 

And the hinge is done. The rest of the big stuff is all the machine. Once the CNC is done with its portion of the show, a careful resaw down the middle will allow it to open and close.

How it looks right out of the box.

Lets get started on resawing and cleanup!

Since this is essentially the last step, I didn't want to take my chances at the bandsaw. Big mistakes can happen a lot quicker on a  fast machine. Instead I opted for a ryoba with a fresh, sharp blade. 

Viola, it stands! Just some sanding in the nooks and crannies and she's almost done!

More glamour shots. This is right after applying Watco Danish oil and wiping the excess off. In a few days I'll apply some Renaissance Paste Wax to give it a little more sheen and luster. 

In action. Don't ask me how I took this photo...