Lots of (valid) questions about the heat generated by the power supplies. I honestly considered adding a small PC fan to vent the underside of this, but they don't create as much heat as I expected. I think it has something to do with the fact that all 4 of them are rarely charging at the same time, plus the open area in the back allows venting. We haven't had any issues over the last 4 weeks that these have been in use.
Came here to ask about heat management, but thought chromebooks might not take too much heat. Also love the 'scrap' aspect of this project as someone who is looking at some rough scrap to make some garage shelves and a spice rack for the cabinet this weekend. Keep up the good work and stay safe!
Yea, the only time laptop power supplies generate a ton of heat anyway is if you're charging from empty and the power supply has a smaller casing than necessary to get rid of the heat it generates efficiently (and Chromebooks probably aren't that demanding power-wise anyhow), though you probably will experience an issue long term, even with the small amount of heat it does generate and the hot glue, but since you're probably not planning on moving the charging station any time soon, that really doesn't matter. It won't get hot enough to outright melt the glue, it'll just eventually lose most of its adhesion through the thermal cycling and you might have to tack it again later when you eventually notice. Whoop di doo.
I work in a school and we do basically the same thing with chromebook chargers, they're all just packed into a relatively small space with no active ventilation. It's been over a year with over 400 chargers and I think maybe one has failed. If anything, the charging stations with fans built into them usually end up being more of a hassle because the bearings in the fans start going after running nonstop for months and they get really loud. of course, ymmv, I've never stuck a thermometer in these things or anything
Mate, such as in the old days, 6 years ago I used to watch and create all I saw here with my dad. He passed away but your videos are still the same. Thanks for the amazing content.
That's fantastic Bob, and I love the retro feel of "just Bob in his workshop, shooting this all himself" - I was wondering how much back catalogue of content you had before you'd be putting out the solo stuff!
I took industrial technology this second semester which is basically wood shop. Watching these videos before that class was helpful because I already knew everything. Keep up the great work!
This video is a lifesaver thank you so much for making it. I am a small business owner and a pastor. I have 2 phones, 2 Tablets, and a laptop to keep charged and this charging station makes my life so much easier. Thanks s bunch
You need to come up with some sort of grommet for the brass plate; over time -- and it won't be that long -- the wires will chafe down to bare conductor (you can also hot-glue them in place, right before, or over the opening).
Brilliant. Great seeing so many making use of whats around rather than always getting things in. Can be very liberating and get the creative mind going! In regards to the brass holes, maybe 3D print a plastic collar to prevent the cables cutting against/exposing the wires?
One of the reasons I started to follow your channel and to be inspired by you is the retro music which you composed. Not that it gave your videos a distinct quality but it also gave some mystical atmosphere... Hope you will return to it more. It is your "signature move".
A nice addition would be extensions for the USB C cables built into a backboard (instead of the brass rod) that is lined up with the position of the port on the chrome books. That way, you could just slide them in and they'd connect and charge. It would eliminate any wires hanging out of the front and using extensions would also allow for the chargers to be removed and used elsewhere. Great video as always!
Your kids have no idea how fortunate they are in life to have a dad who can whip up custom made pieces of computer furniture and the like. But they will grow up and then one day they will realize. Nice job.
You should do all the videos this way. I like that camera is not moving on gimbal - it's easy to see everything. And also it's great to reuse material! Do that often please :)
Looks great. The only change I'd make is make the slots the same width as the notebooks, then fit the USB-c charger plugs into the base. That way you slide the notebooks into the slot and it automatically plugs in. No trailing wires
I just love this build. Think of schools, workstation charging at night before you take it out to customers, library and others. Look so great, and help in a good way
A powered USB HUB would work and would reduce all the cords underneath and you would only have one cord coming out the back. That is what I use to charge everything. Great vid as usual Bob!
I built a charging station for my family a while back, just a place to collect all the phones and headphones and everything. It’s something similar to your station, but I’m glad too see you having roughly the same idea. I used a usb charging station hub that had six usb-ports. Heat have never been an issue. THANK you for great stuff. I also really like how you share when things don’t turn out the way you planned. It is more inspiring than looking at people that figure out everything beforehand to show off a perfect project. 👍👋
Hey Bob, I like to make stuff too, but I don't have a big shop. I like to make electician work. And I love it to finish a project, for example wall sockets oder chargings devices, with stuff I have laying around in the basement, Have a nice day. Hauke
This is absolutely beautiful. Walnut is my favorite wood and I love the use of brass as an accent. I can see myself buying something like this, even though we only have two laptops and don’t have a need.
Love it Bob. My favorite projects at work are always when the boss sets me loose "its gotta look something like this, use scrap and make it up as you go along"
I was inspired by another of your videos two years ago to make a walnut charging station for all of the phones in our house. This project came out very nicely, and I really like the combination of walnut and brass. Stay healthy!
I think the success you've gleaned from your efforts is laudable, and well-earned-and your largesse is especially great-but I have to admit that it was nice to journey back to the one-man-show era of your channel.
Cool project. I’d add some sort of grommets or rubber to the hole where the charging cables come out. The wire rubbing on the metal will strip the insulation off over time creating a shock/fire hazard.
that's very convenient ! How about some projects indoors, like mini-optimization projects. Like You're walking through rooms / kitchen / bathroom, and realize, that You can optimize some things or organize some space in a better way? I think , that You can offer some really brilliant ideas!
It was quick but I liked how you worked out how much space to leave between the uprights: Squish them all together, measure the gap left and divide that by the number of uprights. I like it because it doesn't matter if your uprights are different widths.
i build a large top for a desk for having more room when i work from home. i used old furniture panels, cut them to size and glue and pocket screw them together for a 220 x 86 cm (86x34 inches) size desk
Looks great. I think you should consider putting some ventilating holes on the sides, 4 big charges working at the same time might produce a considerable amount of heat and reduce their lifetime
Bob, I'm 100% gonna make one of those. My kids are just a bit younger than yours and aren't on laptops yet, but we've needed a storage/charging solution for their Kindle Fire/ipads. I have some extra cedar laying around from some Adirondack chairs I built and some dowel cutoff that should work. Unfortunately, I will need to order a 4 port usb charger with a cable that can live underneath. It would also be handy if I could find a way to hang two pairs of over the ear headphones on it. Thanks for the idea!!
Finally got around to watching this video, straight after watching a classic ILTMS with the foldable guitar stand and both use Brass. It actually looks like the same piece of scrap brass plate 3 years later 😀
Awesome project! I'm a german beginner in carpentry so i'd prefer to watch german videos to stay in familiar terminology but your builds just always look awesome. Most German youtube do projects that are really well thought out and well build but just look like crap in the end. Keep it up!
Hi clever man. I would make the sidewalls a bit higher and leave some aeration for the chargers. They tend to get warm. Even move them to stand against the wall or floor to cool them otherwise, GOOD JOB!!
Keep up the good work 👍🏻 Custom holders for gear and other life hacks are my favourite kind of projects. Also to watch. Getting organised is the best stress relief 🙂
Only one thing I probably change is to not make the real hole for the brass limit tube pass thru the outside panels but lock inside the inner panels...great job!
It looks and works great. The only thing that I would do is put some sort of rubber feet on the bottom for a little air flow and to keep it from sliding around, but then again I might be a little over cautious lol.
Been thinking along the same lines only instead of having the tablets, or what ever vertical, I was thinking horizontal but I like your idea better. Thanks a bunch.
A simple but great looking project! Love the addition of brass. Hopefully you filed the edges where the cables come through so they don’t cut into the casing around the wires. If you haven’t picked up a carbide debuting tool I highly recommend one. Would make short working of deburing the inside of those holes. I use mine on 3d prints, metal holes, wood, etc
It looks really nice !! .. the wood brown with gold metal looks like something you pulled out from bioshock !! I like it ,, thanks for the ideas 👍 and well-done 🌟 If i may share one. Adding a smooth fabric to the inside of the dividers or at least the floor would gently hold the chrome books 👍
Very nice job on the charging station. If I were to make a suggestion for next time you do something like this, if you do, I would look on Amazon and other sites that sell these and get some ideas for the station because they have the dimensions available online. That way, you have a visual idea of what to do and how you want it to look.
Thanks, Bob. Really awesome. I made something similar but never thought about adding metal in the manner in which you did. The copper was a beautiful touch. 👍
Great build! Only thing that makes me uncomfortable is those bare wires right on the sharp brass edge. Might never be a problem, but it hurts still😁! Keep up the good work! -Arttu
Funny see a video like this and it brings up so many bad memories about Convid -19. Glad we lived in Florida where we never were locked down. Thank you God. Good video nonetheless.
Cool project Bob, one suggestion, after you can get out (or order from Amazon) you can consolidate the cord situation via a multiport charging station under the box. Smaller than a power strip, lighter than for charging blocks (generates almost no heat), and works just as well with only one cord coming out the back. We have there all over the house for my kids phones/pads/macbooks/etc. Great project video, super cool look.
I was just telling Alyssa how we need to be able to use what we already have to be able to create what we need! And what do ya know 10 minutes later this video comes out and My son says, “ hey daddy, you just told that to sissy!!” 😂😂😂 thank you Bob for helping drive home the lesson of the day 😉
I also love makinguse of what you have to hand that alone gets a sub and like, great work also reminded me i have an unknown number of brass door plates somewhere
I have recently made (with all this time on my hands) wooden phone props out of some scrap 1X4s. It keeps it propped up at about a 40° angle. It's pretty sweet for watching maker videos on the youtubes.
I feel you so much, I have also four kids and I won't but them to risk of having this nasty disease, not before we know more about the long time consequences. Keep on going and stay safe!
This is really cool. I have some suggestions though. 1. If u have on hand felt or some other material to put on the back, bottom, and sides of where the laptops slide in ull have less scratching n scruffing later on the laptops so they will always look nice. Plus it's on the inside so it won't mess with the cool wood look u have 2. U may want to glue the wires in place like u mentioned bc the wire could get pulled and roughed up from the brass which could make the cord unusable after awhile
Nice project, succint as usual... thanks. Probably already mentioned but as a follow up a dedicated USB power strip instead of the cords may be efficient....
Lots of (valid) questions about the heat generated by the power supplies. I honestly considered adding a small PC fan to vent the underside of this, but they don't create as much heat as I expected. I think it has something to do with the fact that all 4 of them are rarely charging at the same time, plus the open area in the back allows venting. We haven't had any issues over the last 4 weeks that these have been in use.
Great information, thank you! Keep up the good work. Love your channel and videos.
Thanks for sharing! We need to create a charging station for our nonphone devices and this could work.
Came here to ask about heat management, but thought chromebooks might not take too much heat.
Also love the 'scrap' aspect of this project as someone who is looking at some rough scrap to make some garage shelves and a spice rack for the cabinet this weekend.
Keep up the good work and stay safe!
Yea, the only time laptop power supplies generate a ton of heat anyway is if you're charging from empty and the power supply has a smaller casing than necessary to get rid of the heat it generates efficiently (and Chromebooks probably aren't that demanding power-wise anyhow), though you probably will experience an issue long term, even with the small amount of heat it does generate and the hot glue, but since you're probably not planning on moving the charging station any time soon, that really doesn't matter. It won't get hot enough to outright melt the glue, it'll just eventually lose most of its adhesion through the thermal cycling and you might have to tack it again later when you eventually notice. Whoop di doo.
I work in a school and we do basically the same thing with chromebook chargers, they're all just packed into a relatively small space with no active ventilation. It's been over a year with over 400 chargers and I think maybe one has failed. If anything, the charging stations with fans built into them usually end up being more of a hassle because the bearings in the fans start going after running nonstop for months and they get really loud. of course, ymmv, I've never stuck a thermometer in these things or anything
Mate, such as in the old days, 6 years ago I used to watch and create all I saw here with my dad. He passed away but your videos are still the same. Thanks for the amazing content.
May your dad RIP.❤
Rip
RIP
That's fantastic Bob, and I love the retro feel of "just Bob in his workshop, shooting this all himself" - I was wondering how much back catalogue of content you had before you'd be putting out the solo stuff!
Projects that solve niche problems are my favorite!
Ronald Finger hello u make good vids
Ronald Thumb hello u make good vids
I took industrial technology this second semester which is basically wood shop. Watching these videos before that class was helpful because I already knew everything. Keep up the great work!
Hey, its another Roberts!
@@alderkliffkeep1169 This is getting out of hand! Now there are two of them!
@@alderkliffkeep1169 Great last name!
@@einflinkeswiesel2695 I love your beard master. How do you have time for it when you're always cleaning up after Anakin?
@@Legbookformer I bet his answer will be Dollar Shave Club
This video is a lifesaver thank you so much for making it. I am a small business owner and a pastor. I have 2 phones, 2 Tablets, and a laptop to keep charged and this charging station makes my life so much easier. Thanks s bunch
Love the throwback ILTMS music at the beginning. Very Bob filming himself :)
This is absolutely the content I love to see from this channel, "I want to make a thing and I'm going to make what I have work for the project."
You are obviously a devoted father. Stay safe and I wish you and your family the very best.
You need to come up with some sort of grommet for the brass plate; over time -- and it won't be that long -- the wires will chafe down to bare conductor (you can also hot-glue them in place, right before, or over the opening).
Necessity is the mother of invention! Nice job. Thanks Bob.
Brilliant. Great seeing so many making use of whats around rather than always getting things in. Can be very liberating and get the creative mind going!
In regards to the brass holes, maybe 3D print a plastic collar to prevent the cables cutting against/exposing the wires?
One of the reasons I started to follow your channel and to be inspired by you is the retro music which you composed. Not that it gave your videos a distinct quality but it also gave some mystical atmosphere... Hope you will return to it more. It is your "signature move".
Hi,
Great job.
It is useful, nice design, compact.
Thanks for sharing.
Keep it safe.
Willy from Belgium.
😷😷😷
A nice addition would be extensions for the USB C cables built into a backboard (instead of the brass rod) that is lined up with the position of the port on the chrome books. That way, you could just slide them in and they'd connect and charge. It would eliminate any wires hanging out of the front and using extensions would also allow for the chargers to be removed and used elsewhere. Great video as always!
Your kids have no idea how fortunate they are in life to have a dad who can whip up custom made pieces of computer furniture and the like. But they will grow up and then one day they will realize. Nice job.
Great idea. Walnut is such a beautiful wood anyway but the brass adds a lot to it. I want to try working with brass sometime. Thanks!
You should do all the videos this way. I like that camera is not moving on gimbal - it's easy to see everything. And also it's great to reuse material! Do that often please :)
Looks great. The only change I'd make is make the slots the same width as the notebooks, then fit the USB-c charger plugs into the base. That way you slide the notebooks into the slot and it automatically plugs in. No trailing wires
I just love this build. Think of schools, workstation charging at night before you take it out to customers, library and others. Look so great, and help in a good way
Schools use carts with laptops in them.
A powered USB HUB would work and would reduce all the cords underneath and you would only have one cord coming out the back.
That is what I use to charge everything.
Great vid as usual Bob!
This was literally on my TODO list for this weekend. Thank you!
I've been watching for a really long time and as much as I love Josh and Anthony it's cool to see you filming by yourself again like the old days
Thanks for sharing Bob! A nice project for some leftover material.
I built a charging station for my family a while back, just a place to collect all the phones and headphones and everything. It’s something similar to your station, but I’m glad too see you having roughly the same idea. I used a usb charging station hub that had six usb-ports. Heat have never been an issue. THANK you for great stuff. I also really like how you share when things don’t turn out the way you planned. It is more inspiring than looking at people that figure out everything beforehand to show off a perfect project. 👍👋
Hey Bob, I like to make stuff too, but I don't have a big shop. I like to make electician work. And I love it to finish a project, for example wall sockets oder chargings devices, with stuff I have laying around in the basement, Have a nice day. Hauke
This video is a testament to how good you are at making videos on your own
I love the use of the different colored LEGO decals for identifying who the computer belongs to.
This is absolutely beautiful. Walnut is my favorite wood and I love the use of brass as an accent. I can see myself buying something like this, even though we only have two laptops and don’t have a need.
Love it Bob. My favorite projects at work are always when the boss sets me loose "its gotta look something like this, use scrap and make it up as you go along"
Walnut and brass is always a good combination. Very clever and nice job!
Really slick, you've even got space to use a label printer and put the names on the edges, or maybe on the brass section!
I really love these quick practical solutions to storage and/or charging solutions 💖
Glad you like them!
I was inspired by another of your videos two years ago to make a walnut charging station for all of the phones in our house. This project came out very nicely, and I really like the combination of walnut and brass. Stay healthy!
I think the success you've gleaned from your efforts is laudable, and well-earned-and your largesse is especially great-but I have to admit that it was nice to journey back to the one-man-show era of your channel.
Thanks for inspiring. I've done something quiet similar with a spot for the the modem and our NAS. So thank you very much from France
Love how your kids are always at the forefront. Nice job Bob.
Cool project. I’d add some sort of grommets or rubber to the hole where the charging cables come out. The wire rubbing on the metal will strip the insulation off over time creating a shock/fire hazard.
I totally like this and will make it for my family right after my bed project. Thanks for this.
that's very convenient ! How about some projects indoors, like mini-optimization projects. Like You're walking through rooms / kitchen / bathroom, and realize, that You can optimize some things or organize some space in a better way? I think , that You can offer some really brilliant ideas!
It was quick but I liked how you worked out how much space to leave between the uprights:
Squish them all together, measure the gap left and divide that by the number of uprights.
I like it because it doesn't matter if your uprights are different widths.
Man, awesome! Very nice look that walnut!
i build a large top for a desk for having more room when i work from home. i used old furniture panels, cut them to size and glue and pocket screw them together for a 220 x 86 cm (86x34 inches) size desk
Nice to have some of the old days style every now and then
Looks great. I think you should consider putting some ventilating holes on the sides, 4 big charges working at the same time might produce a considerable amount of heat and reduce their lifetime
Drill 2 holes and filing, this was a great chance to show off the Bridgeport 😉
Bob, I'm 100% gonna make one of those. My kids are just a bit younger than yours and aren't on laptops yet, but we've needed a storage/charging solution for their Kindle Fire/ipads. I have some extra cedar laying around from some Adirondack chairs I built and some dowel cutoff that should work. Unfortunately, I will need to order a 4 port usb charger with a cable that can live underneath. It would also be handy if I could find a way to hang two pairs of over the ear headphones on it. Thanks for the idea!!
Finally got around to watching this video, straight after watching a classic ILTMS with the foldable guitar stand and both use Brass. It actually looks like the same piece of scrap brass plate 3 years later 😀
I am so going to make this for my crew's IPads at work. Another great video keep up the great work.
Awesome! Thank you!
Awesome project! I'm a german beginner in carpentry so i'd prefer to watch german videos to stay in familiar terminology but your builds just always look awesome. Most German youtube do projects that are really well thought out and well build but just look like crap in the end. Keep it up!
Beautiful! And I love this "old" style of camera (on tripod), it make us focus on what you are doing.
Fantastic design. Great project. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent solution 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😉 could include a heatsink to take away heat from transformers.
I'm less than a minute in and I hear the old music from wayyy back when. A lovely touch! 😄
Thanks for the video. Keep safe and stay well.
Hi clever man. I would make the sidewalls a bit higher and leave some aeration for the chargers. They tend to get warm. Even move them to stand against the wall or floor to
cool them otherwise, GOOD JOB!!
Looks great, nice detail adding the brass. The edge banding really worked well.
Keep up the good work 👍🏻 Custom holders for gear and other life hacks are my favourite kind of projects. Also to watch. Getting organised is the best stress relief 🙂
Looks awesome! I'm sure your kids are really proud of their dad!
Hi Bob.... I love watching your videos you're an absolute genius.. 👍👍👍👍👍
Only one thing I probably change is to not make the real hole for the brass limit tube pass thru the outside panels but lock inside the inner panels...great job!
It was cool to see your creative thought process at each step of the project.
It looks and works great. The only thing that I would do is put some sort of rubber feet on the bottom for a little air flow and to keep it from sliding around, but then again I might be a little over cautious lol.
Works great and even better looks AWESOME! Nice work!
I love how the Chromebooks are already personalized per child. As someone who also covers things in stickers/decals, I highly appreciate 👏
You can always add the initials on the brass plate so they know who’s is who’s and you also know who didn’t put theirs away. Looks great Bob
Love the brass detailing
Nice solution Bob, thank you for posting this.
Been thinking along the same lines only instead of having the tablets, or what ever vertical, I was thinking horizontal but I like your idea better. Thanks a bunch.
Nice!
I'd put some kind of foam or fabric at the bottom so that the chromebooks dont get scratched/scratch the wood.
A simple but great looking project! Love the addition of brass. Hopefully you filed the edges where the cables come through so they don’t cut into the casing around the wires. If you haven’t picked up a carbide debuting tool I highly recommend one. Would make short working of deburing the inside of those holes. I use mine on 3d prints, metal holes, wood, etc
It looks really nice !! .. the wood brown with gold metal looks like something you pulled out from bioshock !! I like it ,, thanks for the ideas 👍 and well-done 🌟
If i may share one. Adding a smooth fabric to the inside of the dividers or at least the floor would gently hold the chrome books 👍
Someone suggested from the comments below as well
I like the look of the brass, good job
Very nice job on the charging station. If I were to make a suggestion for next time you do something like this, if you do, I would look on Amazon and other sites that sell these and get some ideas for the station because they have the dimensions available online. That way, you have a visual idea of what to do and how you want it to look.
Thanks, Bob. Really awesome. I made something similar but never thought about adding metal in the manner in which you did. The copper was a beautiful touch. 👍
Great build!
Only thing that makes me uncomfortable is those bare wires right on the sharp brass edge. Might never be a problem, but it hurts still😁!
Keep up the good work!
-Arttu
Well it's not bare wire, but I agree the charging cable shouldn't be resting on that edge. Filed down or not.
@@45Lotos
I ment a wire without any outer protection against the brass, but you got the point!
I’d at least run a bead of hot glue along the edge so it’s not resting directly on it.
This is amazing. Anything you want, you create and it never seems like much of a challenge. Great job!
Funny see a video like this and it brings up so many bad memories about Convid -19. Glad we lived in Florida where we never were locked down. Thank you God. Good video nonetheless.
This looks really awesome! I like the color combination of the Chromebooks, brass, dark Wood a lot.
Cool project Bob, one suggestion, after you can get out (or order from Amazon) you can consolidate the cord situation via a multiport charging station under the box. Smaller than a power strip, lighter than for charging blocks (generates almost no heat), and works just as well with only one cord coming out the back. We have there all over the house for my kids phones/pads/macbooks/etc. Great project video, super cool look.
I was just telling Alyssa how we need to be able to use what we already have to be able to create what we need! And what do ya know 10 minutes later this video comes out and My son says, “ hey daddy, you just told that to sissy!!” 😂😂😂 thank you Bob for helping drive home the lesson of the day 😉
Love the brass rod and plate...great touch.
What you just did is how I do about 90% of my projects. LOL I like it though. I might make this project an exception, and use your "plan." :)
I also love makinguse of what you have to hand that alone gets a sub and like, great work also reminded me i have an unknown number of brass door plates somewhere
I have recently made (with all this time on my hands) wooden phone props out of some scrap 1X4s. It keeps it propped up at about a 40° angle. It's pretty sweet for watching maker videos on the youtubes.
I had to watch and answer questions on this for wood shop quarantine homeschool!
I had a similar issue with the quarantine. I used all recycled piano material and purchased the outlets to wire in.
Very cool design, and great execution!
Bob, I so appreciate your videos. Thank you for another fun build!
I think I will build one this weekend, although I don’t have fancy brass! I am using a hacked up wire file folder stand right now.
I like this idea. Time to start picking out scraps.
Very Cool Charging Station , Sir !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel you so much, I have also four kids and I won't but them to risk of having this nasty disease, not before we know more about the long time consequences. Keep on going and stay safe!
This is really cool. I have some suggestions though. 1. If u have on hand felt or some other material to put on the back, bottom, and sides of where the laptops slide in ull have less scratching n scruffing later on the laptops so they will always look nice. Plus it's on the inside so it won't mess with the cool wood look u have 2. U may want to glue the wires in place like u mentioned bc the wire could get pulled and roughed up from the brass which could make the cord unusable after awhile
I like the idea with that piece of brass.👍
The music everything started with! Throwback thursday :)
Nice job Bob! Keep the videos coming! Stay safe!
Oh that music off the top!! I missed it so much without even realizing it!
Nice project, succint as usual... thanks.
Probably already mentioned but as a follow up a dedicated USB power strip instead of the cords may be efficient....
I love watching people build things your my favorite
That's very kind, thank you!