DIY Bike phone mount

[DDY]

Hexus,

I couldn't find a reasonably priced handle bar mount for my HTC Tattoo so I made one my self using polymorph.

My mini project log:

Made with cardboard, this is what I wanted in plastic, a handle bar mount for my HTC.


Polymorph aka 'Polycaprolactone', those white beads you see in that bag, awesomely versatile, they melt at 60°C in to a putty like material that can be molded by hand. To prepare, just add boiling water!


Once set, polymorph is tough and impact resistant. It sets fast so no time to take in progress pictures .
Rolled out a 1mm thick sheet and wrapped it around the HTC with its silicone case then folded it over, polymorph usually sticks to other plastics when hot, had to wait for it to cool a bit first.


The finished product, excess trimmed off using scissors. The top flange bends enough for the HTC to pop in and out.


'My tracks' running on Android.



So Hexus, what do you think?

[Funkstar]

That's pretty sweet

I was thinking of making a window mount for my car out of carbon fibre, we use it at work, so I could get some easily and at a "very low price"

Geniune carbon fribre parts would be expensive

[merdat]

Looks good, where do you get that Polycaprolatone from, can think of other possibilities for it.

[DDY]

Search ebay for polymorph, it's the cheapest I can find.

[scaryjim]

I'd be terrified that my phone was going to fall out of it, tbh

Looks pretty good though - and nice to be introduced to new molding / modding materials: I like the idea of a plastic that can be molded by hand... could come in very useful

[razer121]

Doesnt look half bad, correct me if im wrong but pretty sure you can sand that stuff right? i remember using this stuff about 6 years ago but cant for the life of me remember if i was able to sand it! please enlighten me

[DDY]

It takes a lot of patience to sand polymorph, it can be done but tends to melt if you do it too fast. I prefer to use a file for this, polymorph doesn't stick to metal well.

I tied the HTC to the handle bar using a tiny bit of string the first few times I've taken it out for a test ride, so if for any reason the mount was to fail, the phone would still be with me. I'm confident it's never going to fall off now, I can't see any ways in which the mount can catastrophically fail, I'd notice a loose bolt or yielding plastic before anything can go wrong.

[DavidM]

I think Maplins sell Polymorph as well..