Wooden OP-1 Case

Expensive gadgets deserve to be protected. One of my musician friends from a band called My Son Bison has an expensive synthesizer called the OP-1 and wanted a case to protect it while on tour. This custom OP-1 case was designed using Fusion 360 and 123D Make and cut on the laser cutter and router table. The two halves of the case are attached to one another using strong magnets glued into each side.

For this project you will need 1 24 by 36 inch piece of 1/8 inch plywood, wood glue, epoxy, four 1/4 inch diameter cylindrical neodymium magnets and some wood finish.

A similar process could be used for any similar electronic device.

I used Autodesk's Fusion 360 for the design of this case. The first step was to accurately model the OP-1 it's self. I used calipers to measure each component of the case and entered the dimensions into Fusion. Next, I used the boolean functions in Fusion to create the case.

123D Make is a very simple software for slicing a 3D model into stacked layers. I chose to use 1/8 inch plywood for the case, so it required four layers for the top and four for the bottom. I took the file exported by 123D and used Adobe Illustrator to clean up the lines for laser cutting.

A laser cutter is a great tool if you have access to one. If not I suggest following the instructable form JON-A-Tron on digital fabrication by hand. If you are making the cuts by hand I suggest cutting out most of the detail in the first layer of the top of the case. All of the parts for this project fit easily on a 36 by 24 inch sheet of plywood.

Once the pieces are cut, simply glue all the parts for each layer together. Take extra care to make sure your alignment is good. If you have any alignment concerns go back to 123D and add use the dowel function to add some alignment pins. This is also a good time to glue in the magnets for closure. Apply a small amount of epoxy and to the magnets and insert one in each of the hoes on the bottom and top of the case. Make sure your magnet are aligned properly to attract each other rather than repel.

Thank you to Lindall Robinson (@thelindall) for sharing the GIF).

Use a 1/4 inch or radius router bit on a router table to round over the corners of the case.

Any type of wood finish will work for this case. I recommend applying at least two coats of an oil-based finish such as danish oil or teak oil. For the best finish, a small amount of sanding is a good idea before applying oil.

Now you can keep your equipment safe in style on your next tour. Enjoy.