Build Your Own iPad Case


I’m a bit of a do-it-yourself kinda guy. My dad taught me that, mostly with the woodworking that he does, and then later, with the custom car work I do today with steel and fabrication. I like giving myself little projects to do here and there, from the impossible to the fun weekender deal. The other day, I took apart my broken Time Capsule and removed the hard drive, for example. That’s why when I see cool projects like this one, I get a bit excited.

This all stems from the Dodo Case, which is a cool little iPad holder that looks like a Moleskine notebook, but is made with bamboo and traditional book making materials. The problem is that it’s $50, and it takes a few weeks to be built and shipped. So this guy decided to build his own based on the Dodo Case design, with a little bit of engineering and some book making skills. It all can be found on The Modern Day Pirates, with a neato step-by-step writeup.

The end result is a case that looks similar to the Dodo Case minus the routed-out bamboo, and only cost $20 in materials. It looks pretty cool too, although I would’ve stayed away from the Apple sticker because of the stealth nature of the device.

So I started thinking about my own design. What about doing the same thing but integrating in a slot for a keyboard with a door? Or hollowing out a book and installing the iPad in there, making it totally stealth? For me, that’s really the point of doing this yourself, because everyone has a case that looks like an iPad case, why not make it even more secretive and therefore theft resistant?

Either way, this is a cool trick, and I may still try it out myself. If you’re handy with the tools and have some time, this might be a good way to go.


Kevin Whipps

Kevin Whipps is a copy editor, writer, photographer and custom car builder based in the Phoenix, Ariz. area. For the past 10 years he's been building his portfolio, mostly in the automotive publishing industry. When he's not wrenching on cars, most of his time is spent discovering new gadgets and toys, and of course, using everything Apple. Whipps is also married, and has a baby boy, Kevin Whipps Jr., coming on February 7, 2010.

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