I don't think the heat generated is an issue for the wood, but it may shorten the life of the charger. I would dill a few vent holes in the plywood below the charger to vent it a bit.
This. I think I would just cut a hole a little smaller than the charger in the plywood. If you're close enough to the table to see the hole, you would see the cord plugged into the back of it, so it wouldn't defeat the "secretness" of the charger.
J Anything - no, I mean, do it exactly the same except use a hole saw and make a hole in the plywood under the charger so the air can get to it and cool it. That's all.
For anyone else trying this project, try to find a niece of wood with a natural knot in it and place the charger there, it'll act as a place holder and still look natural
Great build. The heat is a bit worrying and perhaps more vent holes or some kind or heat piping/sinking might be an idea. Thank you for sharing this. ESP since you showed us your own track saw jig and no table saw. Great stuff.
Nice to have you back for 2018 Sir Robin of Ale! Hope Xmas and the New year were good for you and yours and ya had a few frothies to celebrate! Look forward to your projects for the year mate!
i have watched it all the way through and then closed the video and forgot i didnt leave a like and came back to leave a comment about it. great build!
4:37 Extend the hole to the end to let the hot air come out and keep the device cool. keep it lesser width than the charger to prevent charger sliding out.
Nicely done! I especially like the short cable trick. I am a professional cabinetmaker and just got an apple watch. I am going to use a Forstner bit to drill under the top of my bedside unit for the changing puck and a 1/8" router bit for the cable. I think you can use the grain pattern on your top to consistently position phone placement.
I really enjoy the concept of your build. Would you think a charging pad would be a good substitute for the charger you have used for this video. I could see turning the entire surface into a charging surface that way.
Cool idea! Beyond the heat issue (which you already brought up), just one other thing. If other objects are placed on top of the table above the charging part, could they potentially adversely interact with it?
Nice work Robin. The location issue is somewhat of an issue of the "puck" style qi chargers. They only have a single coil so end up being really sensitive *before* the wood is added. If you can find the longer/rounded rectangle style with two coils, they're much easier to hit the sweet charging point
Hi Robin, nice work! If you woul've taken apart the charger and threw away the plastic, you could've won a couple of millimeters so it sticks closer to the top surface. Thanks mate!
Love the idea! Just out of curiosity, would there be issues if you used a usb splicer and added another wireless charger to the other side of the table?
Nice job! Have you figured out how thin, or in my case how thick can the layer of wood between the phone and the charger be? I can’t find it anywhere. My desk is quite thin already, so I’m wondering if it would charge through the desk without making any holes to it.
I’ve made a computer desk with a hidden wireless charger and a nightstand with hidden wireless charger. I’m shocked that your charger was able to work with that much material between the charger and the table top surface. That is a very good charger I must say. And yeah I like making artwork on my surface to identify where the charger is located, looks pretty cool. Anyways great job bro
You can remove the internal electronics and embed them into the table top which reduces the amount of material between the charging area and the phone. I had to do this to enable wireless charging with my phone in a flip case and it works.
Good video and love the craft and thought behind your projects. I watched the concrete table video/surround and you got some great ideas. Thanks brother and keep up the good work!
I like the table top, but in my opinion, the plywood makes it all look a bit cheap and unfinished. I probably would have had the mounted micro USB port mounted flush to the rear, or maybe even a bit further in if going against a wall. Overall, not bad. I wonder how well it would work if you have several wireless chargers allowing you to place the phone down roughly anywhere and it would charge...
Nice idea. I really like that. I guess the problem with wireless charging is not how you did it but much rather how little the technology has matured. One idea could be to mill a spot out just above the charger that has a similar shape to your phone. That way it would just slide into place and charge. That would destroy the clean look though.... Still love watching your videos. Keep it up.
it could be a cool idea to inlay some kind of plus sign (+) in an aesthetic way that locates the center of the charger... i could see that working out when placing your phone.
Like the video. Also. Maybe could have rebated some grooves under the charger in the top piece of the cabinet. This may extend the life of the electrical product by reducing the stored heat inside the timber. Overall great project which has lead to me having some further ideas to improve and make my own version. 👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you! The charger I used is no longer sold on ebay but it was one of the cheapest I could find. I can't remember the exact distance between the charger and phone, but I think it was around 5mm
this doesnt show how to make the charger and thats our project but lets say i want to make the charging region bigger, so a bigger pancake coil? would that be okay? no effects on the device?
Robin Lewis I highly recommend choetech (I think thats the brand) I have had my charger from them for 4 years now and it is still going strong. Also doesnt heat up much at all while charging.
I would change the postion of the plug in the back as it could break if the table gets pushed up against the wall.As far as heat you can drill some small holes in the plywood were the charger is to allow for airflow. Outside of that and finishing the plywood off good project.
To make the charger easier to find, there is "triple coil" qi charger, the charging surface is way bigger than the charger you used, so whenever where you put your phone, it will charge.
I have a desk and wanted a wireless charger in it, is there a way of building it in to the desk I already have without breaking it, it is a wooden desk
I was just curious if the charger was installed upside down. You had the red ring facing up, but the top was upside down at the time. And if that adds to the heating. Vents could be added underneath. Either way.
Interesting DIY project. One thing I would have done different is center the charger on the slightly darker board then you would at least have one axis where you knew right where it was.
Good job on the construction, very solid; I do take issue with the execution though. One, I would orientated the plywood on the sides to have the grain running in a vertical pattern, Two, I would have added a trim piece covering the edge of the plywood. Doing both of these would enable your table to look a tiny bit less like a plywood box that was thrown together. Watching your construction, I can see that it wasn't "thrown together", but looking at the finished product, it still has that "thrown together" look; and a last suggestion- as an end table/nightstand, it would also have a more finished look if you attached a back to the table. The back could have been inset into dados along the back edges, so hiding the plywood edge from the side would not have been an issue.
Haha, you touched on a few "discussions" I had with my wife about it. I like exposed plywood, and never liked back panels, but I completely get where you're coming from
With that much material to work with, take out more material to bring it closer to the top. Then integrate a liquid cooling system like pc's can use on IC's. Even if you came in from the back with another piece of 3/4" that was 3 to 4 inches wide to contain it, it wouldn't be seen from the front.
I hate to muck up a great build with a potentially stupid comment, but did you give any thought to doing a parquet or tile design on the top? That's a way you could potentially, but still low-key, show where to place your phone, by maybe using a slightly darker stain or a different grain pattern? Great build, though, where can I place my order? :)
im glad im not the only one that thought of this but when i do it will have 5 vharges 1 each corner and one in middle that way i wont have to focus on where i put it for convience
So far so good, 2 weeks and still no problems. I use it every second night and it hasn't changed the finish on the top, and the charger is operating as per usual
Hey That Was Fantastic Asper my idea I would place 4 to 5 chargers underneath that plywood so that every bit of table surface would be chargeable u can even keep more than 1 phones that way anyways great work if this would be like brand made idea than this table would probably cost more than 500$ its great u thought of it
The fact that it’s hard to locate the phone in the right position for it to charge is due to the cheap charger, a better quality charger will solve this problem
I don't think the heat generated is an issue for the wood, but it may shorten the life of the charger. I would dill a few vent holes in the plywood below the charger to vent it a bit.
Ron D. It will certainly lessen the life of the charger. Cool idea though.
Wouldn't be more easy to just buy one with a sticking surface and stick it under the table?
This. I think I would just cut a hole a little smaller than the charger in the plywood. If you're close enough to the table to see the hole, you would see the cord plugged into the back of it, so it wouldn't defeat the "secretness" of the charger.
No, they don't work more than about a CM away from the phone.
J Anything - no, I mean, do it exactly the same except use a hole saw and make a hole in the plywood under the charger so the air can get to it and cool it. That's all.
Front page of Reddit! Woo Woo!! Way to go man
Thanks mate, it’s exciting!
Man that’s going to give you some views. Still a good platform you getting hits.
Nice job! Looks like it has gone viral, and deservedly so :) Well done!
Thanks very much
For anyone else trying this project, try to find a niece of wood with a natural knot in it and place the charger there, it'll act as a place holder and still look natural
You might have issues with trying to route out the knot
You keep a nice clean shop with all those vacuums! Nice build!
Great build. The heat is a bit worrying and perhaps more vent holes or some kind or heat piping/sinking might be an idea. Thank you for sharing this. ESP since you showed us your own track saw jig and no table saw. Great stuff.
Nice to have you back for 2018 Sir Robin of Ale! Hope Xmas and the New year were good for you and yours and ya had a few frothies to celebrate! Look forward to your projects for the year mate!
You nailed it on r/diy! Nicely done. Cool project too.
Nice video!! Found this via reddit. Nice commentary as well. Thanks
Thanks Allen
No, thank you Robin. Thank you to hell!
i have watched it all the way through and then closed the video and forgot i didnt leave a like and came back to leave a comment about it. great build!
Thank you, really appreciate that
4:37 Extend the hole to the end to let the hot air come out and keep the device cool. keep it lesser width than the charger to prevent charger sliding out.
I need about 20 of these :)
Nice build. I quite like that light rig on your drill press too
Nicely done! I especially like the short cable trick. I am a professional cabinetmaker and just got an apple watch. I am going to use a Forstner bit to drill under the top of my bedside unit for the changing puck and a 1/8" router bit for the cable. I think you can use the grain pattern on your top to consistently position phone placement.
Thanks very much. That's a good idea for placement
two vids in and loving your channel. Great idea on this bedside, didn't realise charging stations are a thing haha. Cheers mate!
Thanks very much!
I really enjoy the concept of your build. Would you think a charging pad would be a good substitute for the charger you have used for this video. I could see turning the entire surface into a charging surface that way.
Cool idea! Beyond the heat issue (which you already brought up), just one other thing. If other objects are placed on top of the table above the charging part, could they potentially adversely interact with it?
Nice work Robin. The location issue is somewhat of an issue of the "puck" style qi chargers. They only have a single coil so end up being really sensitive *before* the wood is added. If you can find the longer/rounded rectangle style with two coils, they're much easier to hit the sweet charging point
Aaaaaah! That'll make locating it at night, in the dark, a lot easier!
Awsome Project. I'm still trying to figure out the design for my bedside tables and this wireless charging is a very cool feature :) great job!
Thats so cool. I am amazed at what you can do without owning a table saw! I always thought a circular saw was a tool for rough carpentry.
Thanks Wes
Hi Robin, nice work! If you woul've taken apart the charger and threw away the plastic, you could've won a couple of millimeters so it sticks closer to the top surface. Thanks mate!
Love the idea! Just out of curiosity, would there be issues if you used a usb splicer and added another wireless charger to the other side of the table?
That's so clever! Love the way it turned out
Thanks Sarah!
Cool project, Robin! I like how minimalist it is. I was wondering if you would have trouble finding where it connected. Ha ha
If you worried about any heat you could always drill holes in the bottom side of where the chargers position is.
That's really cool!
*Tapes wireless charger underneath shelf*
r/meirl
Nice job! Have you figured out how thin, or in my case how thick can the layer of wood between the phone and the charger be? I can’t find it anywhere. My desk is quite thin already, so I’m wondering if it would charge through the desk without making any holes to it.
Finally a „docking station“ i like!
I’ve made a computer desk with a hidden wireless charger and a nightstand with hidden wireless charger. I’m shocked that your charger was able to work with that much material between the charger and the table top surface. That is a very good charger I must say. And yeah I like making artwork on my surface to identify where the charger is located, looks pretty cool. Anyways great job bro
Very cool man, nice build!
www.amazon.com/MEIKEE-Lighting-Brightness-Function-Wireless/dp/B07DLWQ53Y/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1531101619&sr=8-9&keywords=led+desk+lamp+wireless+charging
Totally doing this for my computer desk project 👍🏻 awesome job!
Thanks very much
nice clean bare bones design. I like that the charger is replaceable.
Thanks Art. I know it's not everyone's favourite, I'm a big fan of plywood
Looks like you got yourself a mini-viral hit here! Reddit effect, maybe?
www.amazon.com/MEIKEE-Lighting-Brightness-Function-Wireless/dp/B07DLWQ53Y/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1531101619&sr=8-9&keywords=led+desk+lamp+wireless+charging
Lol, that drill press lighting setup looks pretty funky. I wish I could be bothered doing that too :D
Its an improvement, but I wouldn't say a game changer
Updated link for the charger by chance? Thanks for the great DIY!
Thanks for letting me know. They don't sell the same one on eBay anymore, but it was around $5. If I find another seller I'll update the description
Robin, each to their own mate but can I suggest that you try using the other end of the mallet :)
Hahaha! I've been mislead all these years!
First for the first video of 2018!
Good video , do you have the video for that item you using with the Circular Saw
Thank you! Not yet, but I'll add it to my list of things to talk about for the next video
We always enjoy your videos. Nice build.
Awesome project Robin!
You can remove the internal electronics and embed them into the table top which reduces the amount of material between the charging area and the phone. I had to do this to enable wireless charging with my phone in a flip case and it works.
Dude... that’s awesome. I’m going to make one for myself! Great build Robin.
Thanks Matt
Good video and love the craft and thought behind your projects. I watched the concrete table video/surround and you got some great ideas. Thanks brother and keep up the good work!
Thanks very much man, really appreciate all the comments on the other videos too!
Some EL wire and a cool design on the top that has a point you know is over the charger and boom...a hidden but marked space and its visible at night.
Skills & brains!
Was just thinking about doing something similar the other day! Wouldn't be surprised if they start building wireless chargers into some stands.
I like the table top, but in my opinion, the plywood makes it all look a bit cheap and unfinished. I probably would have had the mounted micro USB port mounted flush to the rear, or maybe even a bit further in if going against a wall. Overall, not bad. I wonder how well it would work if you have several wireless chargers allowing you to place the phone down roughly anywhere and it would charge...
Nice concept. Thanks for the ideas!
Nice idea. I really like that.
I guess the problem with wireless charging is not how you did it but much rather how little the technology has matured.
One idea could be to mill a spot out just above the charger that has a similar shape to your phone. That way it would just slide into place and charge. That would destroy the clean look though....
Still love watching your videos. Keep it up.
if you worry about the heat of charger i suggest you use thermal paste. But i didnt sure the paste could harm charger.
Saw it on reddit! Nice work Robin.
Thanks mate
Awesome as always buddy. Like you I really like dowels.
Thanks man!
You could also mount a USB powered case fan under the charger to exhaust the heat.
it could be a cool idea to inlay some kind of plus sign (+) in an aesthetic way that locates the center of the charger... i could see that working out when placing your phone.
Like the video. Also. Maybe could have rebated some grooves under the charger in the top piece of the cabinet. This may extend the life of the electrical product by reducing the stored heat inside the timber. Overall great project which has lead to me having some further ideas to improve and make my own version. 👍🏼👍🏼
It is all fun and games until you need to change the wireless charger! Great build!
Does anyone know where I could get the cable from ?? or something similar ?
Hello great video, can you tell me how many millimetres was there between the wood and the charger? Also what charger do you recommend for this 👍🏻
Thank you! The charger I used is no longer sold on ebay but it was one of the cheapest I could find. I can't remember the exact distance between the charger and phone, but I think it was around 5mm
Great idea Robin!
Thanks man
has this mod affected the charging performance at all?
Nicely done Robin! 👍👊
this doesnt show how to make the charger and thats our project but lets say i want to make the charging region bigger, so a bigger pancake coil? would that be okay? no effects on the device?
I've been waiting for someone to build this. Good job man.
P.s. that QI charger you used like the cheap ones. They destroyed my iPad charger
Thanks very much. Heard this a few times now, think I might upgrade it sooner rather than later!
Robin Lewis I highly recommend choetech (I think thats the brand) I have had my charger from them for 4 years now and it is still going strong. Also doesnt heat up much at all while charging.
I got a dream about this and you already made a video 😂😂 thanks
Haha, awesome
Is it possible to make the while bedside table the whole surface a wireless charger
this is awesome but is there any way you can put one in an already existing table
I would change the postion of the plug in the back as it could break if the table gets pushed up against the wall.As far as heat you can drill some small holes in the plywood were the charger is to allow for airflow. Outside of that and finishing the plywood off good project.
To make the charger easier to find, there is "triple coil" qi charger, the charging surface is way bigger than the charger you used, so whenever where you put your phone, it will charge.
That's awesome man
I have a desk and wanted a wireless charger in it, is there a way of building it in to the desk I already have without breaking it, it is a wooden desk
I was just curious if the charger was installed upside down. You had the red ring facing up, but the top was upside down at the time. And if that adds to the heating. Vents could be added underneath. Either way.
might be more efficient too.
works this to for iphone 6?
I'm amazed that wireless charging is strong enough to go through wood.
Electronically, can you place more than one wireless adapter inside the top to increase coverage?
Good question
Wow...very nice man...cool
That is so cool Robin!! I feel like I need this in my life 😮
really cool idea Rob, Could easily be integrated into an existing piece of furniture too, now I just need a phone that supports wireless charging.
Thanks Rob! Just a matter of time before it's everywhere
Robin Lewis indeed, should probably have thought about it more when I upgraded last month.
Interesting DIY project. One thing I would have done different is center the charger on the slightly darker board then you would at least have one axis where you knew right where it was.
Good job on the construction, very solid; I do take issue with the execution though. One, I would orientated the plywood on the sides to have the grain running in a vertical pattern, Two, I would have added a trim piece covering the edge of the plywood. Doing both of these would enable your table to look a tiny bit less like a plywood box that was thrown together. Watching your construction, I can see that it wasn't "thrown together", but looking at the finished product, it still has that "thrown together" look; and a last suggestion- as an end table/nightstand, it would also have a more finished look if you attached a back to the table. The back could have been inset into dados along the back edges, so hiding the plywood edge from the side would not have been an issue.
Haha, you touched on a few "discussions" I had with my wife about it. I like exposed plywood, and never liked back panels, but I completely get where you're coming from
Great idea.
I second that!
With that much material to work with, take out more material to bring it closer to the top. Then integrate a liquid cooling system like pc's can use on IC's. Even if you came in from the back with another piece of 3/4" that was 3 to 4 inches wide to contain it, it wouldn't be seen from the front.
Totally DIY project right here. All you need is a sheet of plywood and a woodworking shop. Simple.
Bullet Tooth Tony lol
Amazing
Drill some vent holes into the plywood, underneath the charger.
The heat may not cause fire, but it can fry the electronics.
Cool idea, Robin!! My phone is too old for this function ((
Haha. Don't worry, soon everyone's phone will use wireless charging
really cool idea and looks good too! hope you had a good start to 2018
Would this work with the Samsung chargers? Or would I have to make vents in the wood?
Theoretically yes, but all depends on what charger you use (how close the phone needs to be to it)
This is awesome!
What case do you have on your iPhone?
It's the Spigen Thin Fit www.spigen.com/products/iphone-8-case-thin-fit?variant=37163080321
How much thickness of wood can work?
I wouldn’t go more than 10mm
I hate to muck up a great build with a potentially stupid comment, but did you give any thought to doing a parquet or tile design on the top? That's a way you could potentially, but still low-key, show where to place your phone, by maybe using a slightly darker stain or a different grain pattern? Great build, though, where can I place my order? :)
Thanks, that's a great idea!
Thats a really cool idea
Can it charge a Tesla?
Marl Kalone hahahaha your so funny
Nono no the question is can it run Far Cry on ultra.
im glad im not the only one that thought of this but when i do it will have 5 vharges 1 each corner and one in middle that way i wont have to focus on where i put it for convience
Any update on the heat?
So far so good, 2 weeks and still no problems. I use it every second night and it hasn't changed the finish on the top, and the charger is operating as per usual
cool idea!
there are wireless chargers out there, like the samsung fast chargers, that habe fans that help dissipate heat caused
This is the first diy video I've watched the actually done it my self i have a white glass top so i just put a white sticker to indicate where it is
Haha, awesome!
Hey That Was Fantastic Asper my idea I would place 4 to 5 chargers underneath that plywood so that every bit of table surface would be chargeable u can even keep more than 1 phones that way anyways great work if this would be like brand made idea than this table would probably cost more than 500$ its great u thought of it
You could also try to make a heat sink so that it doesn't get hot.
The fact that it’s hard to locate the phone in the right position for it to charge is due to the cheap charger, a better quality charger will solve this problem