My home-brew PRS-505 case

kurtoregon · 10-14-2009, 04:07 AM

Hi,

I bought a PRS-505 last month and I wanted to give it some better protection than is provided by the included cover. I was inspired by posts here to try my hand at creating one on my own, and this is what I came up with. I really like mine so far. Materials were bought in the US (I realize this is an international site; at least some can be sourced elsewhere too).

The case is made from a DVD gift box made by Paperchase, which is available at Borders. I couldn't find links to it online; it was in the stationary section of my local store. The stiff paperboard box is made to enclose a DVD in its plastic case (the DVD's plastic case, that is). Here's a link to the product on Amazon's UK site (Paperchase is a UK company):

Paperchase Ribbed Gift Kraft Design

One word of warning: the first two boxes I examined were warped. They are made from paperboard so each one is unique, and they didn't sit flat on a flat surface. You definitely want a flat one, so you may have to sort through a few at the store.

I covered the top and bottom sections of the box in shelf or contact paper purchased from Target. This sticky plastic material is pretty durable and easy to work with. I wanted my box to be impervious to water and easy to clean, and this fit the bill. It's not waterproof, of course, just resistant to splashes or puddles on a table when you set the box down. You can get it from lots of places, and in various colors or patterns. See the pics for step-by-step cutting and folding instructions.

I lined the box with firm foam rubber sheets from Michael's crafts, cut out to fit just right so the reader is held snuggly in the box and doesn't move at all when the box is closed. The foam sheets come in two thicknesses: one is about a mm thick, and the other is about 3mm thick. You have to build up the foam liner from three separate pieces: on the bottom is a 1mm sheet that covers the entire bottom of the box, then on top of that are a 3mm sheet and a 1mm sheet that have been cut out to provide a recess for the device. Finally, take the section of 3mm foam that you cut out to make the recess, and glue it to the inside of the box lid. This will protect the face of the reader when the box is closed and keep it from moving around in the box.

I read with the reader in the box, as I find it easier to hold the reader this way. The box is quite strong, and I have no hesitation about throwing it in my backpack with schoolbooks, bike lock, laptop, etc.

In case anyone decides to try one on their own, I've attached pictures showing the process. Also, some dimensions:

The contact paper for the top of the box should be 261x208mm. The contact paper for the bottom should be 274x220mm. The foam to fit inside the box is 190x140mm, and inner portion of the foam that is cut away to make a recess for the device is 175x122mm. You may have to adjust the foam dimensions for your box, as the boxes may vary in size, and you may also want a more or less snug fit for your reader.

Materials:
Paperchase DVD box - $4.00
contact paper - $5.00
foam sheets from Michaels - $3.00
cutting board
X-acto knife
metal ruler
glue stick

Post pics if you make your own :-)

I skipped a few cutting and glueing steps in here, but you can see that the final product is made from three layers: one thin across the bottom, then one thin and one thick sandwiched together with a cutout recess for the device. You can also see a small notch at the top, which is for pulling the device out with your finger. You could make another notch for the power switch; I just pull the top of the device out to get to the switch.

orion2001 · 10-14-2009, 05:13 AM

WOW! Great job there!

Latinandgreek · 10-14-2009, 05:41 AM

Wow, that looks awesome! Just wondering, what colour is your reader? In the picture it looks like it's a beautiful chocolate brown, but I'm pretty sure they never made readers that colour.

columbus · 10-14-2009, 06:13 AM

Neat! Great idea

kurtoregon · 10-14-2009, 01:58 PM

My reader is blue, though it does appear brown in the photos. Must have been the late-afternoon sun coming through the window, and the brown table. It is a dark blue; up against the black foam in the case it almost looks black.

10-14-2009, 04:07 AM	#1
kurtoregon Member Posts: 10 Karma: 26 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	My home-brew PRS-505 case Hi, I bought a PRS-505 last month and I wanted to give it some better protection than is provided by the included cover. I was inspired by posts here to try my hand at creating one on my own, and this is what I came up with. I really like mine so far. Materials were bought in the US (I realize this is an international site; at least some can be sourced elsewhere too). The case is made from a DVD gift box made by Paperchase, which is available at Borders. I couldn't find links to it online; it was in the stationary section of my local store. The stiff paperboard box is made to enclose a DVD in its plastic case (the DVD's plastic case, that is). Here's a link to the product on Amazon's UK site (Paperchase is a UK company): Paperchase Ribbed Gift Kraft Design One word of warning: the first two boxes I examined were warped. They are made from paperboard so each one is unique, and they didn't sit flat on a flat surface. You definitely want a flat one, so you may have to sort through a few at the store. I covered the top and bottom sections of the box in shelf or contact paper purchased from Target. This sticky plastic material is pretty durable and easy to work with. I wanted my box to be impervious to water and easy to clean, and this fit the bill. It's not waterproof, of course, just resistant to splashes or puddles on a table when you set the box down. You can get it from lots of places, and in various colors or patterns. See the pics for step-by-step cutting and folding instructions. I lined the box with firm foam rubber sheets from Michael's crafts, cut out to fit just right so the reader is held snuggly in the box and doesn't move at all when the box is closed. The foam sheets come in two thicknesses: one is about a mm thick, and the other is about 3mm thick. You have to build up the foam liner from three separate pieces: on the bottom is a 1mm sheet that covers the entire bottom of the box, then on top of that are a 3mm sheet and a 1mm sheet that have been cut out to provide a recess for the device. Finally, take the section of 3mm foam that you cut out to make the recess, and glue it to the inside of the box lid. This will protect the face of the reader when the box is closed and keep it from moving around in the box. I read with the reader in the box, as I find it easier to hold the reader this way. The box is quite strong, and I have no hesitation about throwing it in my backpack with schoolbooks, bike lock, laptop, etc. In case anyone decides to try one on their own, I've attached pictures showing the process. Also, some dimensions: The contact paper for the top of the box should be 261x208mm. The contact paper for the bottom should be 274x220mm. The foam to fit inside the box is 190x140mm, and inner portion of the foam that is cut away to make a recess for the device is 175x122mm. You may have to adjust the foam dimensions for your box, as the boxes may vary in size, and you may also want a more or less snug fit for your reader. Materials: Paperchase DVD box - $4.00 contact paper - $5.00 foam sheets from Michaels - $3.00 cutting board X-acto knife metal ruler glue stick Post pics if you make your own :-) I skipped a few cutting and glueing steps in here, but you can see that the final product is made from three layers: one thin across the bottom, then one thin and one thick sandwiched together with a cutout recess for the device. You can also see a small notch at the top, which is for pulling the device out with your finger. You could make another notch for the power switch; I just pull the top of the device out to get to the switch. Last edited by kurtoregon; 10-14-2009 at 04:13 AM.

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10-14-2009, 05:13 AM	#2
orion2001 Groupie Posts: 162 Karma: 24658 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-505	WOW! Great job there!

10-14-2009, 05:41 AM	#3
Latinandgreek Warrior Princess Posts: 5,038 Karma: 9724231 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-505; PRS-350, PRS-T1, iPad, Aura HD	Wow, that looks awesome! Just wondering, what colour is your reader? In the picture it looks like it's a beautiful chocolate brown, but I'm pretty sure they never made readers that colour.

10-14-2009, 06:13 AM	#4
columbus Wizard Posts: 999 Karma: 5487540 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: In my own imagination. Device: Sony Prs 650, 505	Neat! Great idea

10-14-2009, 01:58 PM	#5
kurtoregon Member Posts: 10 Karma: 26 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	My reader is blue, though it does appear brown in the photos. Must have been the late-afternoon sun coming through the window, and the brown table. It is a dark blue; up against the black foam in the case it almost looks black.

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