Thus begins the “arts and crafts” part of the project. I’ll walk through some of the steps I used here, but your situation might be totally different, and you’ll want to find a solution that works with your available tools, materials and skillset.
Glass Prep
The glass screen protector might have a protective backing on it. Now’s a good time to peel that away.
The screen protector is a thin sheet of tempered glass bonded to a layer of plastic. The latter makes it cling to a phone screen better and reduces shattering if dropped. You can see and feel the difference: plastic side’s a little sticky, while the glass side is smooth and gives a better reflection. You want that slick glass side to face the MONSTER M4SK screens.
3D-Printable Option
If you’re blessed with a 3D printer, this is an excellent way to hold the pieces at exactly the right angle…
I designed a little 3D-printable doodad to hold the glass over the MONSTER M4SK at a 45 degree angle. It’s just the right width to fit across the bridge of the nose, and both the board and glass press-fit into place.
As I’ll get to on the next assembly page…for my hat setup, this had the parts too close together for the illusion to work at its best. Regardless, I’ll still use this clip just for the glass later.
Notice it’s printed on-edge, not lying flat. It’s stronger this way, the print layers won’t crack apart when press-fitting.
Maybe you’ll have a use for it, or could fashion your own. Here’s the .STL file if you’d like to give it a try:
Some tempered glass screen protectors are thinner than others. If you find yours falling out of the clip, a piece of clear tape folded over the edge of the glass adds just a tiny bit of extra thickness.
Alternatives to 3D Printing
And if you don’t have a printer? That’s okay, this is the part where you improvise…
Is there some medium you’re comfortable with? Maybe woodworking, in which case something like the 3D clip above could be made with a few cuts using hand tools. Maybe polymer clay, making grooves for the PCB and glass by pressing in and removing them from a chunk of clay before baking. Maybe Sugru (silicone putty) or Apoxie Sculp (epoxy putty), or something else entirely.
Can you make or find something that grips the glass, but allows it to be replaced later should it crack? Binder clips? Double-stick tape?
With a medium that takes some time to air cure, you’ll need to support the pieces at just the right angle for whatever the setting time is, usually many hours! Look around you, see if you have something that can function as a 45 degree wedge. A LEGO roof brick? A glass prism? A piece of scrap wood? You can fix it in place temporarily with masking tape, then remove it later once the putty or other material has fully set.
Page last edited March 08, 2024
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