I started this project before joining Makerspace, but since then I've brought it in to work on. I was given a tea sampler in a decorative box some years ago. I could never bring myself to toss it. One day I got the idea to turn it into an iPod dock with speakers.

I gutted a set of computer speakers and hacked it down to fit inside the box, then went about dressing it up. I've never really made any steampunk gadgets, but I've always wanted to so this was my first attempt.

• 04/07/10 - Earliest notes I have on the idea.
• 06/13/10 - Made a template in AutoCAD and cardboard mock-up of the insert.
• 08/13/10 - Made a better template and cardboard mock-up of the insert.
• 09/18/10 - Tom Gondek offered to cut the insert out of wood on his laser cutter so I sent him the AutoCAD file.
• 12/18/10 - I got the wood back and later stained it, but soon realized I didn't really care for the color. It was too dark and too brown, not cherry.
• 04/07/11 - Decided to upholster the stained insert with a quilted fabric and cover up the color. After a few attempts to stretch the fabric over the wood and staple it tight, I gave up.
• 04/19/12 - After sitting on my dresser untouched for a few months, I got the motivation to work on it again. I cut a second insert out of MDF, but it was the wrong size. I scaled the dimensions off a sketch that wasn't printed to scale. You can see the difference in sizes here.
• 04/24/12 - Cut a third insert out of basswood.
• 04/28/12 - Upholstered the third insert.

About 80% complete.

Brant