Wireless Charger - CNC Project

This is a housing for a Qi wireless charging module that looks great on any desk. Mine is milled out of cherry wood with an aluminum inlay and walnut base, but feel free to change up the materials and add a photo below. It's a great afternoon project, since the CNC jobs take ~30 mins total, and there's not a lot of manual work involved.

Supplies:

• At least 5"x6" of 3/4" thick wood
• At least 6"x7" of 1/8" thick wood
• At least 5"x5" of 1/8" thick aluminum sheet
• A Qi wireless charger module

Possible Suppliers:

• Cherry Wood Plank (6"x12", 3/4" thick) from Inventables
• Walnut Sheet (6"x12", 1/8" thick) from Inventables
• Aluminum Sheet (12"x12", 1/8" thick) from Inventables
• Anker Wireless Charger Pad

Step 1: Cut Pieces

Cut the pieces out of your selected materials using your CNC router. CAM software capable of generating full 3D toolpaths (not just 2.5D) is required - I used Fusion 360 because they have a wonderful student plan.

Step 2: Assemble

First, the wireless charger will need to be removed from its housing. The Anker model I used had screws located under the rubber pads on the bottom, and was very easy to take apart.

The raw pieces from the CNC also need to be cleaned up. I used a chisel to seperate the parts from their tabs, and a Dremel with a cutting disk attachment to clean up the aluminum piece. Sanding all of the pieces thoroughly is also a good idea at this step, since it will be much more difficult once everything is put together.

First, the inlay should be put together with the frame piece lying flat-side down. Then, the wireless charging module can be secured to the inside ceiling of the frame. Make sure to orient the coil in the right direction and don't put any screws through the thin ceiling. This is also a good time to plug in the charger and make sure it works through the frame - it will be much more difficult to fix things later. Press the cable clip piece into place over the USB cable leading to the charger, and secure it with some wood glue. Finally, add some wood glue around the outside of the base piece and clamp it onto the bottom, taking special care to ensure proper alignment. Let everything dry thoroughly before proceeding.

Step 3: Finish

Some fine-grit sandpaper around the outside and a gentle wipe with mineral oil leaves this piece looking great.