How to make a cellphone dock

The great thing about woodworking with smaller projects is the potential to upcycle spare lumber. This particular woodworking projects uses walnut -- a rich, beautiful wood that complements home decor when used as an accessory. If walnut is available for this project, use it!

To create the walnut cellphone dock, select a piece of wood that is a minimum of 6 inches long and 3 inches wide. A larger piece of wood can always be cut to size. Keep your phone handy to ensure a proper fit later in the project.

Materials
- Walnut piece of wood
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- ProSand P180 sandpaper
- Sanding block
- Monocoat Oil Plus 2C
- Clean cloth

Instructions
1. Mark the wood with a pencil at 6 inches. Since the average phone is approximately 5 1/2 inches in length, ensure the wood is at least 6 inches long.

2. Mark the wood with a pencil at 3 1/2 inches in width. The wood must be wide enough to hold the phone.

3. Lay the wood flat on the table saw. Cut the wood to size using the measurements from previous steps.

4. Adjust the blade to make a dado cut about halfway through the wood.

5. Continue to make rip cuts through the length of the wood, making the groove wider. After three or four rip cuts, turn off the saw. Place the phone in the groove. If it fits, move on to the next step. If the cellphone does not fit in the groove, continue to rip cuts, widening the gap.

6. Wrap sandpaper around a sanding block. Sand the cellphone dock. Go with the grain, not against it. Sand all the flat surfaces, then "break the edges" of the wood.

7. Use a clean cloth to apply the finish to the cellphone dock.

8. Wrap the cloth around a paint scraper, then dip the cloth in oil finish. Run the scraper through the grooves of the cellphone dock.

9. Allow the phone stand to dry before using it.