Reader Cover; Journal Conversion

[Exer]

Hey folks, relatively new 505 owner here (less than a month) but I'm already in love with the device and my mind instantly went into MacGyver mode when I received it -- noticing that the size and slimness of the Reader would be a pretty fit for a lot of existing cases out there.

Lo and Behold I discover this forum and I see that I'm not nearly the first to have this thought. You guys are great by the way! OK so after browsing some topics I read one (misplaced the link) that described a nice case found at Barnes & Noble. I decided to journey down the street and take a look, and I found a great journal -- a Paperblanks, Calligraphic Shufa -- for $12.95.



Photos 1 & 2: As you can see, the size was already nearly perfect for the reader in width. The journal was taller, but I already had ordered a Soft Feel Silicone Case, from Proporta, so I needed the extra space anyway.



Photo 3: I had an extra unused mousepad that seemed would be perfect for my purposes. I use a simple model knife to trim the pad to size, and then used a craft glue, Liquid Nails #1, to secure the pad to the inside of the journal. I placed the pad in upside down, so the 'rubberized' grip would be facing upwards to provide extra grip for the reader to prevent sliding.



Photo 4: I reused some of the material I cut out of the journal itself to cover the inside spine.



Photo 5: Laying out the materials to check sizing and placement. I hadn't yet received my Silicone case at this point so couldn't do final adjustments until I could see just how much 'bulk' would be added to the Reader.



Photo 6: Closeup of the poor deceased mousepad. He lived a short life, but will live on protecting my beloved Reader.



Photo 7: The proporta case has arrived! It has some design flaws, but I'll do a personal review of it on another post.



Photo 8: Had to adjust my plans a little. The silicone case was a slightly more thick than I had anticipated. The 2nd layer of mousepad padding had to be tossed, replaced with a faux suede lining. The Reader now is an absolutely perfect fit inside the cover.

Added a small plastic 'tab' on the bottom, to hold the reader in place while reading with the cover propped up. It also serves as a bit of safety to keep the reader from sliding out while in transit -- though to be honest it fits so perfect that I haven't had a slide out problem yet.



The final product. Added a small hand strap, with a lanyard clip. Seeing as I hold the reader itself to read since it is in the silicone case now, I clip my cover around my neck and have no fear if misplacing it.

The journal already had a built in magnetic closure, so that small flap on the right closes with a very reassuring "click". The only problem I've noticed is that when I'm walking around with this thing in my hand it might appear I have a tiny black purse... And for anyone curious, the cover is pretty much the thickness and build of a standard hardback book. Probably won't hold up as well as leather or plastic over time, but for less than 15 dollars investment I can always just make another one later.

Notes: This probably isn't a case for anyone who likes to hold the reader inside a cover as they read. I went into this project with the specific knowledge that my reader would be in a silicone case at some point. So this is pretty much only a cargo container to let my Reader survive trips in my backpack as I go from place to place.

[BBRags]

Great project!

Added a small plastic 'tab' on the bottom, to hold the reader in place while reading with the cover propped up. It also serves as a bit of safety to keep the reader from sliding out while in transit -

How is the tab attached, with glue? A tab at the top would be a good idea too.

How secure is the magnetic closure? I'd worry it could fly open unexpectedly.

The cheaper mousepads are about half the thickness of regular pads and you would be able to cover both flaps with the same material.