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.