Wood Project: Bedside Tables with Embedded Qi Charger

[PoolGate]

Finally finished this project!

 

[Jimrahbe]

PG,

Very nice.. as always...

Thanks for the pics,

Jim R.

 

[Turbo1Ton]

Man, those are beautiful!

The Qi charging is a neat feature!

Thanks for sharing!

--Jeff

 

[kimkats]

Well done! Let me ask you this............how do you keep your hand or cat from moving the phone off that spot?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Too bad you don’t live nearby … I’d buy all your creations!!

 

[Jimrahbe]

He ships for Free!!!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

He ships for Free!!!

I’d just love to raid his scrap wood pile. I bet his “leftovers” are better than the Home Depot lumber section …

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Ok, showing my tech ignorance here- Is there a charger thingie built into the top of the sidetable? And it works thru the wood to charge??

 

[PoolGate]

Ok, showing my tech ignorance here- Is there a charger thingie built into the top of the sidetable? And it works thru the wood to charge??

It is in the bottom of the top in a recessed area. It works through about 1/4 inch of wood.

 

[PoolGate]

I’d just love to raid his scrap wood pile. I bet his “leftovers” are better than the Home Depot lumber section …

My Uncle just left from a visit and took a bunch of "scraps" with him. He is a wood turner and can use all of the cutoffs as he makes a lot of segmented stuff. Mostly it was Maple (including birdseye) and Cherry but also some Walnut and I think even a piece of Wenge in there. Might have been a couple pieces of Teak as well. I hate throwing any cutoffs out so they just accumulate.

 

[PoolGate]

Well done! Let me ask you this............how do you keep your hand or cat from moving the phone off that spot?

No cat! lol. I don't think I'll knock it off. It it away from the bed on each side (they are mirror images).

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I find it to be really sad that, around here at least, shop classes aren’t taught anymore in schools. My godfather was a lot like you - he had a pretty simple basement woodworking shop but he could create the most amazing things. He made most of the cabinets and tables in his home and he even built his own pool table (they had an awesome finished basement that was the perfect “hangout” spot for teens). His day job was being the VP of commercial loans for the Bank of New York but his passion was woodworking. He made my mom many beautiful gifts over the years (they were cousins). I remember asking him once where he learned to do all the “wood working stuff” (typical kid question) and he just said he took some shop classes in high school and enjoyed doing it.

I really think if more kids had opportunities to learn these types of crafts in school, there would be a lot more people in this world capable of plunging their own toilets rather than calling a plumber ….

 

[PoolGate]

I find it to be really sad that, around here at least, shop classes aren’t taught anymore in schools. My godfather was a lot like you - he had a pretty simple basement woodworking shop but he could create the most amazing things. He made most of the cabinets and tables in his home and he even built his own pool table (they had an awesome finished basement that was the perfect “hangout” spot for teens). His day job was being the VP of commercial loans for the Bank of New York but his passion was woodworking. He made my mom many beautiful gifts over the years (they were cousins). I remember asking him once where he learned to do all the “wood working stuff” (typical kid question) and he just said he took some shop classes in high school and enjoyed doing it.

I really think if more kids had opportunities to learn these types of crafts in school, there would be a lot more people in this world capable of plunging their own toilets rather than calling a plumber ….

This is very true. I loved shop class and took it as often as I could. It seems like they are removing everything from public schools that would steer students towards anything but college. People ask me how I "learned" as well. For the most part I am self-taught. Really it just takes a desire and some dedication to the craft. You never stop learning and every project I do I try to improve over the previous.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

This is very true. I loved shop class and took it as often as I could. It seems like they are removing everything from public schools that would steer students towards anything but college. People ask me how I "learned" as well. For the most part I am self-taught. Really it just takes a desire and some dedication to the craft. You never stop learning and every project I do I try to improve over the previous.

Absolutely agree!

(soapbox rant )

For the past 40 years kids and parents have been told by the educational-industrial-complex that it must “college, college, college” or else your child will “never have a shot at a good life”, even though so many kids are either not prepared properly for college or college is just not suitable for their unique learning needs or what they are truly interested in. As well, community colleges have become fantastically expensive for what they are offering nowadays. Many kids would be better off exploring different career options earlier in highschool and then tailoring an educational track to meet that end. If kids like cars or shop class, then learning trades skills would be far better than wasting their time and massive amounts of money on a liberal arts degree that they’ll never use. If kids like military or law enforcement, then they can quickly zero in on a career in those fields without having to waste lots of time. Those kids that show high aptitude for learning and are interested in higher learning can go to university. But the drumbeat of “college, college, college” really has to stop.

(/ soapbox rant )

 

[Newdude]

With more and more people subbing out even the simplest of repairs or DIY, the trades only get more expensive, especially as their kids don’t learn how to do anything either. I have boatloads of buddies in all trades and they have a years worth of work ahead and can name their price. It doesn’t matter how obscene it is, some Dr or Lawyer will pay it.

We see it with PBs all the time here. Wait 16 months on their terms, for an obscene amount of money or take a hike.

@PoolGate with regards to your scrap pile, I’d like to quote Miss Kim from the BBQ thread

Your left overs are better than my firsters!!!

 

[phonedave]

There is a Facebook group for the town I live in. People post about things going on, new restaurants, bear sighting, etc.

There are always posts about recommending electricians, plumbers, etc. Many of them are "big" things, such as "I need my house re-sided, who do you recommend?" or "I would like to install a whole house generator, who can recommend an electrician". But there are quite a few posts like "who can I hire to put together my outdoor furniture" or "I have a hole in my sheetrock, who knows a handyman" or "Who can I hire to come spread much for me".

There was one person that posted that they had cleaned out their garage and now had a bunch of stuff to throw away and who could the use. I answered back that if it is not too big they can leave it out with their normal trash, or we have a transfer station in the next town over. You can dump there for a very nominal fee (I demoed my entire kitchen - tile floor, cement board, countertops, sheet rock, cabinets etc. and it was somewhere around $80 to tip it - it was heavy). The persons response was "But then I would have to have garbage in my car. I'll just hire somebody"

I am constantly surprised by the level of helplessness. We were out this weekend and started talking to another couple in the lounge, and she had started a business helping people organize their houses and gave lessons and advice on how to run a home. Apparently there are a lot of clueless people out there because she said she was doing really well with it.

 

[Turbo1Ton]

Apparently there are a lot of clueless people out there...

I just had this conversation before leaving work today. The world is full of helpless, clueless people and they are increasing in population every day.

I must be turning into a grumpy old man because I just get more and more frustrated and cranky about the whole thing.

--Jeff

 

[PoolGate]

I put the tables in place yesterday after 6 coats of polyurethane. I did run into a slight issue. It is easy to put the phone down on the charging "spot" and have it pick up and charge. But if I pick it up at night It is hard to find where to put it back on the spot again (like if I get a text or call). Not sure what I can do about that it needs some sort of locator bumps or something. Probably I will eventually know where to put it. Any ideas?

 

[Turbo1Ton]

This is my only suggestion that won't detract from the beauty of the nightstands.

Other than some nubs of some sort, as you mentioned, I can't think of anything that would not be awkward. What is the accuracy of placement required for the phone to charge? I've never used the Qi charging on my phone because I've had a metal case for years, and the current case I have (Rokform) requires me to take it apart and remove the magnet if I want to use Qi. I think you are probably correct that in time, you will get used to where to place it so you hit it without really thinking about it.

--Jeff

 

[Leebo]

Do you use Apple or Android, I’m guessing by the photo Droid, but asking won’t hurt? If you’re an apple user I’d swap out the charger and use MagSafe instead. The magnet will put it into the right place every time.