Re-Creation and Days Off

At work I use a Windows' Surface Pro 2, a small tablet-computer hybrid. The stereo speakers are positioned so that the sound projects backward, away from the screen. Cupping my hands behind the speakers is not a sustainable option. So, off to the Hobby Lobby for some crafting solutions. Below are my first two attempts... The Hemisphere and The Cube Reflector. 

Supplies for The Hemisphere: One Christmas Ornament, balsa wood pieces, Crazy Glue and box cutter.

First I cut the ornament into two equal hemispheres and cut an opening for The Hemisphere to slide over the corner of the Surface Pro 2. 

Second a backing-plate was fashioned from balsa. Felt was glued to the supports so that a better seal could be made between supports and plastic hemispheres.

Once the supports and back-plating was Crazy glued together, a coat of latex paint served as a secondary adhesive for all the joining parts. 

A second coat of latex paint was applied, this time black was used to match the colour of the Surface Pro 2. 

The final product works very well to redirect sound toward the viewer. However, The Hemispheres are far to large and fragile for travel purposes. Hence, it was time to think compact and sturdy.

Black (oven bake) modeling clay was used to create a much smaller, squarer product based on design found at Kickstarter. Surface Pro Ears 

The oven baked ears are hard yet not brittle. There is just enough flex to prevent cracking if dropped or jarred. 

The Cube Reflectors work well to redirect sound... Not as well as The Hemispheres.

That is a great Day Off crafting activity. Stay tuned for my next project.