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Weekend Workshop: How to build a DIY wooden gramophone for your iPhone 6S

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Need something to keep you busy this weekend? Look no further. The Weekend Workshop is our weekly column where we showcase a badass DIY project that you can complete with minimal skills and expertise. We’ve dug through all the online tutorials on the web, and gone the extra mile to pinpoint projects that are equal parts easy, affordable, and fun. So put on your work pants, grab your tool belt, and head to the garage. It’s time to start building!

Due to the fact brands like Sonos and Bose pioneered the at-home, smartphone speaker industry, literally everyone owns some form or another of these tried-and-true music players. Outside of a few rare alternatives, that leaves much to be desired in terms of a personal speaker that’s truly unique. So, why not build your own?

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Well, thanks to some clever DIY work by an Instructables user known as Momo1997, building your very own, one-of-a-kind iPhone 6/6S speaker takes nothing more than some handy saw work, a bit of wood, and an old reading lamp. Moreover, the finished product isn’t just any old iPhone speaker; it’s one that closely resembles a classical music staple, the gramophone — hence requiring the use of an old reading lamp.

Weekend Workshop - Wooden gramophone iPhone Speaker
momo1997/Instructables
momo1997/Instructables

To help you get started on this innovative speaker, we’ve gone ahead and sifted through the required tools and materials needed to pull off the project. As is the case with any DIY gig involving saws — and this requires the use of three — proper protective gear is of utmost importance. If you feel like you might not know your way around a saw as well as you should, either find someone who can, or skip this project. With that said, here’s everything you’ll need to get started:

Tools:

  • Radial saw
  • Hack saw
  • Saber saw
  • Electric drill (9/16″ drill bit)
  • Trigger clamps
  • Sand paper

Materials:

  • Wood slabs (3/4 x 3 x 9): Can be any kind, though the walkthrough uses oak
  • Wood glue
  • Super glue
  • Reading lamp

With the necessary build list at the ready, it’s now time to start constructing your very own DIY wooden smartphone speaker. Simply follow the clearly laid out Instructables walkthrough and in no time flat, you’ll be rocking out to your favorite tunes via a completely unique homemade gramophone. Happy building!

The complete walkthrough for building this DIY smartphone speaker can be found at Instructables.

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Rick Stella
Rick Stella
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Rick became enamored with technology the moment his parents got him an original NES for Christmas in 1991. And as they say…
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